Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Zhang Shan has been struggling with something lately.

Should they continue to stay in the mountain stronghold and bury themselves in martial arts training, or should they simply head north?

Going to the north wasn't solely about finding sales channels for baijiu (Chinese liquor).

He still had a few talented people on his mind, the kind he desperately needed.

These days, even a hero needs three helpers. He, Lu Zhishen, and Lin Chong alone couldn't support such a large operation.

But he wasn't comfortable sending someone else, as others might not recognize those heroes.

Many heroes may have had mediocre martial arts skills, but their importance to Liangshan was no less than that of Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong.

Just as Zhang Shan was having a headache over this matter, Jiao Ting and Han Bolong arrived.

The arrival of these two men on the mountain perfectly filled the current void in the stronghold.

But when Lin Chong heard that Zhang Shan was going on a long trip, he immediately objected and blocked his way:

"Third brother, you can't go. The world outside is dangerous; it's full of highway robbers and unscrupulous shopkeepers. I'll go instead!"

Looking at Lin Chong's anxious face, Zhang Shan felt a warmth in his heart, but he still didn't relent: "If Second Brother is gone, who will take over Liangshan?"

Why would he want to go out?

On the mountain, I practice martial arts every day and make progress every day.

But once you step out of this door, who knows what you might encounter?

People's hearts are unfathomable, and weapons have no eyes.

You have to be careful at all times.

But there's no such thing as a "Sword God of Shili Slope" in the world, who stays at home, trains to the maximum level, and then goes out to sweep across the world, becoming invincible among men.

That's not reality.

The reality is, if you don't go out, the good stuff will be taken away by others.

Talent, territory, and opportunity are all factors.

Lin Chong fell silent.

He certainly knew how important Liangshan was now.

The lives of hundreds of brothers, as well as all the grain and money in the mountain stronghold, are all staked in this place.

After a long silence, Lin Chong said in a low voice, "Then... how about we wait for your older brother to come back and have him go with you? It'll be good to have someone to look after you if you go out together."

Zhang Shan shook his head and didn't say anything.

But in my heart I was thinking: Forget it.

If Lu Zhishen had followed along, even something that was fine could have turned into trouble.

Master Lu is good in every way, except that he gets into trouble wherever he goes.

If you don't like someone, you should beat them up; if you like someone, you should drink them up; and if they're drunk, you should beat them up even more.

I can sometimes tolerate my own temper, but Master Lu can't.

If they disagreed for even three sentences, the monk's staff would be swung at them.

I just don't know if Song Wan can handle being by his side.

"I'll take Jiao Ting and Han Bolong with me," Zhang Shan decided. "These two are quite skilled in martial arts and are experienced in the martial world, so it's safer to have them with me."

Lin Chong didn't try to persuade him anymore, but the worry in his eyes didn't lessen at all.

He turned his head and glanced at the martial arts arena, where a lively scene was taking place, with Jiao Ting and Han Bolong showing off their skills.

"I'll go weigh them," Lin Chong said, striding towards the training ground.

It turned out that Jiao Ting and Han Bolong were also a little uneasy when they went up the mountain.

Having just arrived and not yet accomplished anything, I was afraid of being looked down upon.

As soon as the two arrived at the mountain stronghold, they went straight to the training ground and began practicing.

Han Bolong wielded a white waxwood stick with great skill and flair.

The sticks tumbled and whistled, sweeping the sand and dirt beneath their feet into a flurry of dust.

The onlookers stared wide-eyed, occasionally shouting "Bravo!"

Lin Chong strode into the arena and shouted, "What superb kung fu! I'll give it a try."

Han Bolong put away his stick, looked up, and saw Lin Chong, but did not recognize him.

He assumed the man was Zhang Shan's bodyguard, noting his sturdy build, but didn't take him seriously.

He slung the stick over his shoulder and chuckled, "Alright! I'll be careful not to hurt you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding henchmen burst into laughter.

Han Bolong was stunned for a moment, not understanding what everyone was laughing at, when Lin Chong had already casually pulled a stick from the weapon rack, and without saying a word, raised his hand to stab.

The thrust was swift and rapid, the tip of the staff piercing the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Han Bolong's expression changed. As someone who was used to the ways of the martial world, he reacted quickly. He immediately dodged to the side, flipped his wrist, and used his own stick to deflect the tip of Lin Chong's stick.

With a crisp clang, the two sticks collided.

Han Bolong felt a jolt in his hand, and his entire arm went numb. His heart skipped a beat; this person had incredible strength!

Lin Chong remained expressionless, and with a slight twitch of the tip of his staff, like a snake flicking its tongue, he easily deflected Han Bolong's long staff.

Immediately afterwards, he twisted his wrist repeatedly, the tip of the stick swaying in front of Han Bolong from top to bottom, making it impossible to tell where he was going to attack.

Han Bolong's face turned pale instantly.

He wasn't some clueless greenhorn; after years of navigating the world of martial arts, he had seen quite a few experts.

But he had never seen anyone wield a stick with such exquisite skill, as if it were a needle.

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong. How could just anyone in this mountain stronghold have such abilities?

But by then it was too late to think about it.

With a soft "plop," Lin Chong's staff tip precisely struck Han Bolong's wrist.

Han Bolong's wrist went numb, and his five fingers involuntarily loosened. The stick clattered to the ground, bounced twice, and rolled far away.

The training ground was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers.

Han Bolong blushed, his face turning red from his forehead all the way down to the roots of his neck.

He looked down at his empty hands, then at the stick on the ground, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

How many moves has that been?

In just a few moves, I was defeated.

The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt, so he turned around and started to walk down the mountain.

At this moment, Zhang Shan walked up with a smile and stopped him.

"Brother, do you know who this is?" Zhang Shan patted Han Bolong on the shoulder, his tone tinged with amusement.

"The fact that you've survived these few moves against him is enough to qualify you for a military post."

Han Bolong was taken aback, stopped in his tracks, and turned around with a hint of disbelief.

He thought Zhang Shan was making fun of him, deliberately saying nice things to humiliate him, and was about to retort when he heard Zhang Shan continue:

"This man is Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards of Tokyo!"

wow——

Han Bolong's eyes widened, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

He subconsciously took two steps back. No wonder, no wonder the stick technique was so exquisite, no wonder the man's aura was so imposing.

If he could kill Gao Qiu, what is he?

Han Bolong knelt down with a thud, his head hitting the ground: "I was blind and didn't recognize you! I didn't know you were Instructor Lin, and I have offended you greatly. Please forgive me!"

Standing to the side, Zhang Shan watched Han Bolong's reaction and sighed inwardly.

When this man came up the mountain, he didn't even bow down to me, but now that he heard Lin Chong's name, he immediately knelt down.

It's definitely the reputation of Instructor Lin that's more effective than anything like "Little Heavenly Emperor".

Lin Chong remained calm and reached out to help Han Bolong up: "Get up."

He paused, then said, "I am but a martial artist, nothing special. But you are quite skilled with the staff, you have a good foundation. You will follow me from now on."

Upon hearing this, Han Bolong trembled with excitement and knelt down again with a thud: "Thank you, Master!"

This kneeling was even more sincere than the previous one, with his forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Lin Chong waved his hand: "Don't rush to call me master, practice with me first."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and his gaze fell on Jiao Ting, who was standing to the side.

Jiao Ting stood on the sidelines, watching the competition unfold with a blank expression.

He was a size bigger than Han Bolong, and when he stood there, he looked like half a wall.

His eyes never left Lin Chong, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Lin Chong stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Brother Jiao Ting, it's your turn."

Jiao Ting spoke in a deep, muffled voice, as if it came from the bottom of a vat: "I don't know how to use weapons, I only know sumo wrestling."

Lin Chong nodded, a serious look on his face: "Then let's have a friendly spar."

Jiao Ting stopped talking nonsense, took two steps forward, and slowly spread his arms like a bird spreading its wings.

He took small, quick steps, inching closer to Lin Chong. His posture was like Mount Tai pressing down, steady yet oppressive.

Suddenly, he turned his foot and quickened his pace, turning around like a rabbit and instantly getting to Lin Chong's side.

Zhang Shan watched everything clearly from the sidelines.

Jiao Ting was half a head taller than Lin Chong and much stronger, with muscles all over his body. Just standing there, his imposing presence was enough to intimidate anyone.

What truly surprised Zhang Shan was Jiao Ting's agile movements; such a burly man could move faster than a rabbit.

During his years as a coach in Tokyo, what kind of sumo wrestlers hadn't Lin Chong seen?

But as soon as Jiao Ting made that move, his expression immediately became serious.

He dared not take the blow head-on, and quickly dodged to the side, his fists protecting his chest, moving so tightly that Jiao Ting could not get close.

Jiao Ting stared intently into Lin Chong's eyes, his feet constantly shifting their pace, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

He was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity for Lin Chong to reveal a weakness.

Suddenly, Jiao Ting took a huge stride, his entire body like a moving mountain, and fiercely attacked Lin Chong.

Lin Chong had always thought that Jiao Ting was only good at close-quarters combat with small, quick steps. This sudden burst of power caught him off guard, and Jiao Ting managed to close the distance to him.

He secretly thought to himself that something was wrong.

If it were Lu Zhishen here, with his brute strength, he could withstand it.

However, Lin Chong's fist and foot skills were inferior to his spear and staff skills, and could not be considered top-notch.

If a sumo master like Jiao Ting gets close, the chances of survival are slim.

Jiao Ting saw a hint of urgency flash in Lin Chong's eyes and knew that the opportunity was not to be missed. He clasped his hands together and lunged at Lin Chong's waist. His movements were so fast that they were almost instantaneous. But just as he was about to close his hands, he paused slightly.

This meal gave Lin Chong his opportunity.

Lin Chong suddenly turned to the side, narrowly avoiding the lunge, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

If he had been firmly gripped just now, he probably wouldn't have been able to break free.

"Impressive skills!"

Zhang Shan, who was watching from the sidelines, saw it all clearly and immediately shouted out.

If we don't shout, my second brother is going to crash and burn.