Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

Shamen Island.

This is a small island off the coast of Dengzhou.

There are only a few dozen households on the island. It is surrounded by the sea and has no lush vegetation, only some rocks and gravel. The seaside is full of cliffs and steep walls, making the terrain particularly dangerous.

It could even be described as quite desolate.

But on this island lies the largest prison in the Song Dynasty, Shamen Island Prison.

This Shamen Island prison wasn't actually that mysterious, but after the Song Dynasty exiled its first prisoner, it unexpectedly turned out to be quite effective!

Anyway, this place is deserted and inhospitable, so people who can't be publicly executed are taken here and dealt with, and nobody knows afterward.

It truly is a perfect place of reincarnation!

Therefore, every year from then on, people from the Song Dynasty were exiled here for various reasons.

Once you enter the prison, it's a matter of life and death, and even if you survive, you'll eventually die of old age in this dark and hopeless hell!

Those imprisoned here are people who, in the eyes of the Song Dynasty court, are "extremely vicious" and "heinous criminals".

According to folklore, the man who looked exactly like Emperor Renzong died tragically in this Buddhist prison.

On this day, on the way to the Shamen Prison, a group of people were lying in ambush, intending to rescue an incorruptible man.

"Brother, are you sure they're taking this route? We've already missed them twice."

"The kind of people who lie in ambush," Xiao Jiahui asked a hero beside him.

This man is from Xiangyang Prefecture. He is handsome and skilled in using an iron chain. He has naturally red eyes and is none other than Deng Fei, nicknamed "Fiery-Eyed Lion".

This man was exceptionally loyal. When Xiao Jiasui went to Yinmachuan to explain his purpose, he immediately expressed without hesitation that the entire village was willing to join Liangshan and discuss righteous deeds together.

Xiao Jiasui has investigated and found that Deng Fei is a good man. His red eyes are natural. As for the rumors that he eats human flesh and has red eyes, those are just rumors from a few nearby villages. Since Deng Fei basically razed those villages, others said that to ruin his reputation.

This claim was corroborated by Meng Kang of Yufangan. Back then, Meng Kang was dissatisfied with the oppression of the supervisor and got into a dispute with him. In the heat of the moment, he accidentally killed the supervisor and was surrounded and captured by government troops. The surrounding villages thought that Meng Kang was just a boatman and not very useful, so no one came to his aid. In the end, it was Deng Fei who led the newly established Yinmachuan people to come to his rescue.

For all these years, Meng Kang and Deng Fei have maintained that the entire mountain stronghold does not eat human flesh; it's just a rumor circulating outside.

(In the entire novel, apart from that poem, there is no explicit mention of Deng Fei eating people. In addition, in the original work, Pei Xuan is the leader of Yinmachuan. If Deng Fei were to eat people, the two of them would definitely not get along. Therefore, I think Deng Fei was born with envious eyes and was a victim of rumors.)

Including this time, the iron-faced chief we're trying to save has absolutely nothing to do with Yinmachuan Village!

But after hearing about Pei Xuan's character, Deng Fei immediately admired him greatly. He told the entire village that a righteous official like Pei Xuan should not be ruined by the corrupt court of the Song Dynasty! So they must save him!

Then Xiao Jiahui and the others arrived at Yinmachuan, where Deng Fei directly asked them to join forces.

Upon hearing about Pei Xuan's character, Xiao Jiahui immediately felt admiration, and he felt that the stronghold especially needed a talent like Pei Xuan.

So now Xiao Jiahui and Bian Xiang, with their battalion and more than 400 men from Yinmachuan, totaling more than 900 men, are preparing to rescue Pei Xuan!

However, they split into three groups because they really didn't know which way Pei Xuan would go.

Sure enough, they waited at neither of the two roads below Yinma River. (The original text says they waited at Yinma River, but this has been changed.)

"Strategist, this is the only way to the ferry to Shamen Island. They may not take Yinma River, but they must take this road!"

Deng Fei trusted his instincts and could only conclude that the people escorting Pei Xuan this time were too cunning.

"It's alright. Even if we don't get there, we can wait to reunite with our brother. At worst, we can just take over Shamen Island."

Xiao Jiahui patted Deng Fei, signaling him not to worry, it's no big deal!

"Strategist, has Brother Ren Yuan also come down the mountain?"

Deng Fei was a little curious: with so many affairs in Liangshan stronghold, how could his brother, the stronghold chief, actually come down the mountain?

"There are other strategists, right? When my brother goes down the mountain, he can leave the affairs to the strategists."

Xiao Jiahui smiled; he thought Deng Fei was quite cute.

"Moreover, I received a message from my brother yesterday via carrier pigeon. They have already left Lord Chai's place and gone to the Pinghai Army camp. They have also signed an alliance with General Huyan. Now they are heading towards Shamen Island. So I said, if we fail to rescue Brother Pei Xuan on the way, we can just attack Shamen Island."

"So that's the case, then I'm relieved."

Deng Fei felt much more at ease.

"Don't worry, whether it's Pei Xuan or not, your brother cares about you a lot. When I came here, he said that we must find out the truth about Brother Deng Fei's jealousy. If it's a rumor, Liangshanbo will step in to refute it! After you come back to the mountain with us, your brother will definitely personally refute the rumors for you in the greenwood!"

"Deng Fei thanks you, brother! Thank you, strategist!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Fei was moved to tears and kowtowed in the direction of Liangshan.

This man, who valued loyalty, didn't really care about his reputation, which is why he was taken advantage of by a villain and called a cannibalistic monster.

If he had known Ren Yuan earlier, Ren Yuan would have said, "My brother Deng Fei has a natural eye for discerning truth, able to see through all the falsehoods and injustices in the world!"

See? It instantly elevates in status and better suits the nickname "Fire-Eyed Lion".

"Report! Strategist, Commander Deng, people are coming from ahead! A transport team of more than fifty people!"

The soldiers of the Sky Curtain Camp quickly came over and reported to Xiao Jiasui and Deng Fei.

"More than fifty people? What has Pei Xuan done?!"

Xiao Jiahui was shocked. Even Instructor Lin and Teacher Xu were escorted on foot by Dong Chao and Xue Ba. What had Pei Xuan done? He actually mobilized fifty people!

"Pass down the order: everyone take cover. When the fighting starts, prioritize the safety of Pei Xuan and his brother."

Xiao Jiahui gave the order, and the junior officer beside him immediately relayed the message.

On the main road, more than fifty people were surrounding a prison van. Inside the van was a man in prison clothes. He was of average build, with fair skin and thick flesh. Although he was in prison, he had an air of integrity and uprightness.

This man was Pei Xuan, a native of Jingzhao Prefecture, formerly the Sixth Clerk of Jingzhao Prefecture. He was intelligent and brave, and was nicknamed the Iron-Faced Clerk.

During his years as a clerk, Pei Xuan never committed a single wrongful conviction or miscarriage of justice. He enjoyed a very high reputation in official circles, and everyone said that Pei Xuan had the style of Bao Zheng. The people called him "Pei Qingtian" (Pei the Upright Official).

However, Pei Xuan's position was not high. In officialdom, a higher rank can have a crushing effect. The more just and selfless Pei Xuan was, the more he would become a thorn in the side of those corrupt officials.

Everyone else is getting paid peacefully, you're happy and I'm happy, but you, Pei Xuan, have to stick your neck out and be the one who remains untainted by the mud?

Stop messing around. You think you're so great, Pei Xuan? You think you're so great, Bai?

Alright, Shamen Island Black Prison, you white-haired one, go and try it out. See if you can use your own strength to bleach this black prison!

Forget about any talk of a just and upright official; the Song Dynasty of today doesn't need one!