Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Wu Yong's courtyard was somewhat simple and cluttered.

"Are you the Nguyen brothers?"

The three people looked exactly the same as I remembered, but their clothes, demeanor, and overall presence had changed drastically.

In the past, they were just ordinary fishermen in Shijie Village, wearing patched coarse linen clothes, exuding the poverty of the lower class. Even if they had some bravery, they could not shake off the atmosphere of rural fishermen and farmers.

But now, although the three of them are still wearing linen clothes, the fabric is much finer and the stitches are neater. What surprised Wu Yong even more was their demeanor.

The past embarrassment has faded away, replaced by a calm confidence in controlling one's own destiny, and a touch of boldness has appeared in one's eyes.

Ruan Xiaoer stepped forward, a hearty smile spreading across his face. He straightened his clothes and began to speak.

"Professor, it's been a long time. Don't you recognize us brothers?"

Ruan Xiaoqi, who was standing to the side, was holding a large fish weighing more than ten kilograms in both hands and a heavy cloth bag in the other hand. She quickly walked forward and handed the fish and the cloth bag to Wu Yong.

"In the past, I mostly relied on the professor's help. Now that my brother has made something of himself, I'll also show some respect to the professor."

Wu Yong reached out and pushed it away, not taking it, his eyes filled with even more doubt.

Yu could understand that the Ruan brothers were always loyal and affectionate, but the contents of that cloth bag were heavy to the touch, and he knew without a doubt that it was silver, at least fifty taels.

"How can this be allowed?"

Wu Yong frowned slightly: "Where are you three brothers working now? How come you have such a wealthy family background?"

He was neither greedy for money nor lustful throughout his life, and he didn't even glance at the fifty taels of silver, his mind filled with doubt.

He had studied the ways of the world for many years and knew the hardships of ordinary people. It was as difficult as climbing to heaven for them to turn their lives around. The three Ruan brothers were just fishermen, so how could they suddenly have such a change?

Ruan Xiaoer waved his hand gently, not answering directly, but waving behind him.

The dozen or so Liangshan brothers who had come with them immediately dispersed quietly, stood close to the courtyard wall, and surrounded Wu Yong's courtyard, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching.

Upon seeing this, Wu Yong remained calm, showing neither panic nor surprise, but his curiosity deepened and a hint of suspicion crept into his mind.

Ruan Xiaoer took a deep breath, took half a step forward, and said slowly in a soft voice, "We dare not hide it from you, Professor, we brothers have now joined the Liangshan bandits!"

Having said that, he stared intently at Wu Yong's face, not daring to miss a single expression.

Before coming, the three brothers hesitated for a long time.

Wu Yong was a scholar with a proud and aloof nature. If he knew they had joined Liangshan and become outlaws, I wonder how he would treat them, or if he would drive them away.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately asked, "Liangshan? Is it the Liangshan that the white-robed scholar Wang Lun is in charge of?"

Ruan Xiaoqi was taken aback, then chuckled softly, scratched her head, and said with a hint of disdain, "I didn't expect the professor to know about Liangshan, but the leader of Liangshan is no longer Wang Lun!"

A knowing glint flashed in Wu Yong's eyes.

He has always been meticulous and has studied all the major and minor forces in the surrounding area. Liangshan is no exception. However, he never expected that Liangshan would change its master.

He leaned forward slightly, his curiosity deepening: "Could it be that the leader of Liangshan has been changed to three brothers?"

"Hey, Professor, please don't make fun of us!"

Ruan Xiaoqi quickly waved his hand, his tone sincere, "We brothers are all rough and uncouth men, illiterate, how can we be the leaders of a stronghold? This stronghold now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ruan Xiaoer reached out and tugged at his arm, giving him a fierce glare.

Ruan Xiaoqi then realized what was happening, quickly shut her mouth, scratched her head, and looked a little embarrassed.

Wu Yong listened attentively, waiting for him to continue, but when he suddenly stopped, he felt as if he were being scratched by a cat's claws.

But he was shrewd and knew that since the Ruan brothers were unwilling to talk about it, pressing them directly would only cause them displeasure. So he suppressed his curiosity and put on a faint smile.

"Since the three brothers are unwilling to say more, I will not ask any further questions."

"What brings you three brothers to see me today?"

At this point, he already had some guesses in his mind.

Could it be that the new leader of Liangshan wants to invite him to join their ranks?

However, the invitation was rather insincere; they didn't even come in person, only sending three burly men.

The thought flashed through Wu Yong's mind, and he immediately felt a bit displeased.

Wu Yong, the strategist, was quite famous in the Yuncheng area. Back then, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to invite him to his thatched cottage. He should at least deserve the treatment of being visited twice!

When the Ruan brothers speak up later, he must make a show of his stance and not agree so easily.

Ruan Xiaoer stared intently at Wu Yong's expression. Seeing that Wu Yong did not show any disgust or contempt when he heard the words "go to Liangshan," Ruan Xiaoer finally felt relieved.

He breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face, and recounted the difficulties that the three brothers had encountered.

Wu Yong listened attentively, and after he finished, he was stunned, his guesses proved wrong.

It turned out that they hadn't invited him up the mountain, but had only come to ask him for advice.

A faint sense of loss quietly welled up in my heart.

Could it be that his reputation as a brilliant strategist hasn't reached Liangshan yet, and the new leader doesn't even know of Wu Yong's abilities?

Whether or not to invite them is a matter for Liangshan.

Whether or not to agree is a personal matter.

But why can't they even offer an attitude?

"Professor? Professor?"

Seeing Wu Yong staring blankly at the table, Ruan Xiaowu quickly reached out and gently touched his arm, calling out to him softly.

Wu Yong then came to his senses, composed himself, and regained his composure, though his eyes held a hint of urgency as he asked.

"You say your bandit gang only makes money from the big fish, not the small fish, and even raises the purchase price for the small fish. Who came up with such a brilliant plan?"

Instead of giving a direct answer, he raised his own question.

He himself hadn't thought of this plan. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but upon closer examination, its ingenuity became apparent.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoqi immediately perked up, patted her chest, raised her chin slightly, and spoke with extreme pride.

"It was all decided by my brother, the chieftain!"

"Professor, you don't know, but nowadays, every fisherman around Liangshan Marsh speaks highly of Liangshan and is willing to sell his fish to us. Those fishing tyrants are already on the verge of collapse!"

Wu Yong pinched his beard between his fingers, his brows furrowed slightly, still having some questions in his mind.

He had dealt with people from all walks of life for many years, and had even smuggled salt and engaged in private trade with Chao Gai. He knew that people's hearts were complex and that greed was hard to shake.

"Human hearts are unpredictable," Wu Yong said, looking up at the three men with a serious tone. "You only take the big fish and don't touch the small ones. What if someone secretly sells the big fish and colludes with the fishing tyrant? How will you deal with that?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoqi raised her voice and said fiercely, "Professor, we can kill all those fishing tyrants!"

"Besides, anyone who dares to sell big fish privately is going against Liangshan, and against all fishermen. Such a reckless person will not be tolerated!"

Ruan Xiaowu, standing to the side, spoke coldly with sharp eyes, gripping the single-edged sword at his waist, and added, "Anyone who dares to break the rules of Liangshan, no matter who they are, will be killed without mercy!"

Wu Yong was startled, and suddenly realized what was going on.

He almost forgot that the Ruan brothers were now bandits of Liangshan, and could not be judged by common sense.

"I see. I was wrong to overlook that." Wu Yong smiled, his tone tinged with approval.

Ruan Xiaoer also laughed, his tone full of admiration for the chieftain: "Besides, our chieftain said that we can't make much money by relying on big fish. The most important way to make money is yet to come."

The three of them chatted away, and before they knew it, they had talked a lot about Liangshan.

Wu Yong sat to the side, listening intently, his eyes growing brighter and his excitement increasing.

At the same time, his doubts grew. Who exactly was this new chieftain?

How do you possess such abilities?

What are his plans for making money in the future?

After the three Ruan brothers finished speaking, Wu Yong suddenly stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked at the three of them intently, and spoke with a firm tone.

"My three brothers," he took a deep breath, his tone tinged with urgency and anticipation, "I need to personally go to Liangshan to see for myself what's going on there before I can devise a plan to unify Liangshan Marsh and take down the two fishing tyrants!"