Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

As the fishing boat reached the center of the marsh, Zhang Shan gathered everyone together and solemnly deployed the attack plan: "This time, we will attack Wangjia Village in two groups."

His gaze swept over Lu Zhishen and the Ruan brothers, and his tone was firm: "Brother Lu and I will lead a hundred men to land at Shijie Village, take the land route to bypass Wangjia Village and cut off their retreat."

"Brother Ruan, you lead Xiao Qi and Xiao Wu, along with a hundred brothers and more than thirty small boats, and head straight for the front gate of Wangjia Village by waterway to block them from the front."

This arrangement was made after careful consideration. Lu Zhishen was born with superhuman strength and was unmatched in land battles. However, he wore heavy armor, which would be a fatal burden if he were to capsize in the water. Only on land could he make the most of his strengths.

Ruan Xiao'er immediately clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Rest assured, Chieftain, we will certainly not fail in our mission!"

The two armies immediately parted ways. Zhang Shan and Lu Zhishen led their troops towards Shijie Village.

The three Ruan brothers, along with a hundred men and more than thirty small boats, turned their boats around and sped toward Wangjia Village by waterway.

The small boat sped across the lake, its oars cutting through the water and creating white waves that splashed onto the brothers' faces.

Ruan Xiaoqi, the most impatient of them all, sat at the bow of the boat, gripping his broadsword tightly, and urged impatiently, "Second Brother, faster! Faster! Otherwise, if we're late, all the credit will be stolen by Commander Lu and the chieftain!"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoer slowly shook his head: "No, we can't go any faster. The chieftain has ordered that we must wait for his signal before launching a two-pronged attack to catch them off guard."

"My dear second brother, why are you so stubborn!" Ruan Xiaoqi stamped her feet anxiously. "You've seen Lu Zhishen's abilities; he can even break down the gates of the stronghold. If we wait for the chieftain and the others to arrive, the bandits of Wangjia Village will have already been wiped out by him. What chance will we have then?"

Ruan Xiaowu, who was sitting nearby, couldn't sit still any longer. He stepped forward and said urgently, "Yes, Second Brother. We brothers have only just arrived at Liangshan and haven't accomplished anything yet, but we've already occupied the sixth, seventh, and eighth positions. Wang Lun and Du Qian have the merit of establishing the stronghold, and the chieftain, Commander Lu, and Instructor Lin are all exceptionally capable. Only we brothers have empty titles. If we don't show some ability, how will we establish ourselves on Liangshan in the future, and how will we gain the respect of the people?"

Ruan Xiao's hands paused, a look of hesitation on her face.

He knew his two younger brothers were right, but Zhang Shan had given prior orders for a two-pronged attack. If he acted on his own and something went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"But the chieftain has ordered that we must attack from both directions simultaneously to catch them off guard and reduce casualties," Ruan Xiaoer said in a low voice, his heart already wavering.

"Hey, Second Brother, as long as we win, as long as we take Wangjia Village, what difference does it make who strikes first?" Ruan Xiaoqi leaned closer to him and continued to persuade him. "We brothers can take it all down cleanly and efficiently. That's how we, the three Ruan brothers, will show our abilities and let the brothers on the mountain see that we're not just all talk!"

Ruan Xiaoqi had been holding back all the way from Shijie Village to Liangshan, either by boat or on foot, without even a chance to fight. Now that there was finally a battle to fight, he was not about to miss it.

Ruan Xiaowu chimed in, "Second Brother, Qilang is right. We hold high positions but have no merit whatsoever. It's inevitable that people will gossip behind our backs. Today is the perfect opportunity to make a great contribution and shut everyone up!"

Seeing his two younger brothers' anxious expressions, and remembering the predicament of the three brothers in Liangshan, Ruan Xiao'er's hesitation completely vanished. He gritted his teeth:

"Alright! In that case, let's charge straight in and show them what the Nguyen brothers are all about!"

"Great! Second Brother is brilliant!" Ruan Xiaoqi was overjoyed and patted the deck loudly in approval.

"Second Brother, give the order quickly!" Ruan Xiaowu was also full of excitement, gripping the broadsword in his hand tightly.

Ruan Xiaoer stood up and shouted to his brothers on the thirty-odd small boats, "Brothers, give it your all! Speed ​​up! When we get to Wangjia Village, we'll eat meat and drink wine to our hearts' content, and if we capture that dead turtle, everyone will be rewarded!"

"Catch that dead turtle and feast on its flesh!" The brothers on the boat shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear, echoing across the lake.

The already fast boat accelerated even further. The brothers gripped the oars and swung them with all their might, making them move as fast as propellers. The boat almost flew off, creating a continuous white wave.

The wind whistled in their ears, and the mist from the lake rushed towards them. The brothers were all in high spirits, their eyes full of fighting spirit, eager to rush to Wangjia Village and have a good fight.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the Ruan brothers and their party could see the outline of Wangjia Village in the distance.

Looking out over the lake, the shore of Wangjia Village is bustling with activity, with fishing boats coming and going in an endless stream, making it impossible to move.

Merchants pushing carts to buy fish, fishermen carrying baskets and looking exhausted, and Wang Heng's servants patrolling the shore with sticks in their hands.

There were nearly a hundred fishing boats of all sizes, and hundreds of people coming and going on the shore, creating a bustling scene.

Ruan Xiaoer's smile vanished instantly, his heart sank, and he slammed his fist on the boat plank, cursing under his breath, "Damn it! I forgot today is fish trading day!"

He then remembered that the fish market day around Wangjia Village was held every five days, specifically for fishermen to sell fish and merchants to buy fish, and it was always packed with people.

They were so focused on getting there and making a name for themselves that they forgot about this crucial matter.

"Xiao Qi, don't act rashly!" Ruan Xiao Er quickly turned to Ruan Xiao Qi and said urgently, "Quickly take two small boats and circle around to the direction of Shijie Village. Inform the chieftain that the plan has changed. Today is market day for fish, and there are too many people around. If necessary, postpone the attack!"

The plan has now been disrupted because the brothers were too eager to make a name for themselves and acted on their own. If they were to attack rashly, the large number of people would create chaos and could not only easily injure innocent fishermen, but also allow Wang Heng to escape, which would be a greater loss than gain.

Ruan Xiaoqi followed his gaze and saw the dense crowd on the shore. His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't come to Wangjia Village to sell fish for a long time and had long forgotten about the market day. He was a little flustered at the moment.

But now that things have come to this, the boats are already close to the shore, only a few dozen feet away from Wangjia Village, and it's too late to retreat.

He gritted his teeth, his tone resolute: "Second Brother, no! The arrow is on the bowstring, it must be released! Look, the other side has already spotted us. It's too late to inform the chieftain now!"

Ruan Xiaoer looked up and saw that the farmhands patrolling the shore had noticed their fleet and were pointing at them and whispering among themselves. Some of them had even run back to the compound to report the news.

Their operation was a surprise attack, relying on the element of surprise and the prepared attacking the unprepared.

Once the enemy discovers this, and a battle ensues, not only will the battle lines be stretched out, but our brothers will also be prone to casualties, let alone capturing Wang Heng.

As the three Ruan brothers were anxiously discussing their next move, a small boat suddenly appeared from the opposite direction. On board stood four farmhands wielding clubs. The leader, a man with his hands on his hips, shouted at them, "Are you the three Ruan brothers on that boat?"

The three Ruan brothers were already famous in the Liangshan Marsh area, known to every fisherman, and naturally, Wang Heng's men also recognized them.

Ruan Xiaoqi, with her arrogant nature, stood at the bow of the boat, neck held high, and shouted back, "It is indeed your grandfather! What, you dare to block my way?"

The leader of the villagers, his face showing wariness, raised his voice and asked, "We've heard that you three brothers have already joined Liangshan! What exactly do you want with so many boats and so many brothers in our Wangjia Village today?"

Ruan Xiaoer was taken aback and frowned. They had only been on Liangshan for a short time, so how could the news have spread so quickly that even Wang Heng's men knew about it?

Before Ruan Xiao'er could speak, Ruan Xiaoqi had already launched an attack, glaring and shouting, "What? Grandpa can come and go as he pleases? This Liangshan Marsh is now Liangshan's territory, and Wangjia Village is also under Liangshan's jurisdiction. What business is it of yours?"

As he spoke, he secretly gave a wink to the brothers beside him, signaling them to row their boat forward and slowly approach the other boat.

Seeing this, the servant's face darkened, and he threatened in a fierce tone, "Hmph, others may fear you Ruan brothers, but we from Wangjia Village are not! In the past, we kept to ourselves, but if you dare to cause trouble in Wangjia Village today, don't blame us for being impolite. We'll throw you in jail and hand you over to the authorities!"

Wang Heng was used to running rampant in this area, and his servants followed suit, taking advantage of his power.

Normally, if fishermen disobey or refuse to hand over their fish, they are either severely beaten or, in more serious cases, imprisoned on the pretext of "colluding with bandits" and in collusion with the government. Such things are commonplace.

Ruan Xiaoqi, who was already hot-tempered, turned even more ashen-faced upon hearing this, her eyes widening in fury.

At this moment, the two small boats were extremely close, only a few feet apart.

Ruan Xiaoqi quickly estimated the distance between the two boats in her mind, and without further ado, she pushed off the deck with both feet and leaped like an arrow, landing steadily on the other boat.

He brandished his broadsword, a flash of cold light, and with a swift stroke, he shouted at the leader of the farmhands, "A bunch of worthless bastards! I've had enough of you lackeys for a long time!"

With a "plop," the broadsword pierced straight into the servant's chest, and blood gushed out instantly, splattering all over Ruan Xiaoqi.

The servant didn't even utter a sound before falling straight down, lifeless.

"You dare threaten Grandpa? Grandpa's going to see how you manage to get him thrown in jail!" Ruan Xiaoqi cursed incessantly, his cleaver never stopping.

With a few swift strokes, the cold light flashed, and the remaining three villagers had no time to react or resist before Ruan Xiaoqi cut them all down. The small boat was instantly covered in blood, and the stench of blood filled the air.

Sitting on the boat, Ruan Xiaoer saw that Ruan Xiaoqi had already made his move. He knew there was no turning back, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go all the way.

He suddenly stood up, waved his hand, and shouted loudly to his brothers on the thirty-odd small boats behind him:

"Brothers, charge! Storm into Wangjia Village, capture that bastard alive, and rid the people of this scourge!"