Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Dong Chao, Xue Ba! Do you recognize Lin Chong?"

"Lin, Instructor Lin!"

Dong Chao and Xue Ba were completely dumbfounded.

Lu Zhishen is one thing, but why is Lin Chong also here?

Didn't they say the hay yard was burned down in a fire?

"Dong Chao, Xue Ba, when you went back that time, you agreed not to mention anything about what happened along the way, so why did you make things difficult for my senior brother after you got back?"

Lin Chong is now extremely displeased with everyone associated with Grand Commandant Gao.

"Instructor, we two are just following orders. If we don't speak up, we'll be the ones who suffer."

Dong Chao's legs went weak, and he knelt down.

There was no way around it; Lu Zhishen's monk's staff and his fists the size of sandbags were still fresh in his memory.

"Instructor Lin!"

Xue Ba also collapsed.

"We're nothing but farts! We're all Gao Qiu's doing! We're all just following Gao Qiu's orders!"

"Shut up, give me the keys!"

Ren Yuan went straight over and gave each of the two men a large pocket, then took out his keys.

Mi Sheng then went over and helped Xu Ning up.

“Teacher Xu! Ever since my brother found out you were framed, he’s been talking about you every day. He says your hook-and-sickle spear is unparalleled in the world. You must let me see it!”

"Brother Lin Chong, heroes, who are you?"

Xu Ning was somewhat surprised that someone was actually willing to save him? Weren't they afraid of Grand Commandant Gao?

Then I looked and realized, oh, isn't that Brother Lin Chong?

That's okay.

"Brother Xu Ning, you've worked hard."

Ren Yuan threw the key to Lin Chong, who then went up and unlocked Xu Ning's chains.

"Let me introduce you. This is Brother Mi Sheng, and this is Senior Brother Lu Da, whose Dharma name after becoming a monk is Zhi Shen. They are both brothers from my mountain stronghold."

"And this man is the leader of my stronghold, and also my junior brother, Ren Yuan."

"Taiyuan Qingtianzhu, the current leader of Liangshan, no wonder he dared to come to save me."

After escaping his predicament, Xu Ning immediately bowed to Ren Yuan.

"Xu Ning will never forget the life-saving grace."

"Teacher, you're being too serious. You and my senior brother are good friends, and you were also framed and harmed by that treacherous minister Gao Qiu. How can I not take action?"

Ren Yuan helped Xu Ning up. Xu Ning looked very refined and didn't really look like a warrior who had fought on the battlefield.

"Sigh, I don't know why, but Gao Qiu actually took a fancy to my family heirloom armor, fabricated a crime against me, and then took it away."

"Teacher, don't worry. If nothing unexpected happens, our Liangshan scouts have already brought your family out."

Ren Yuan smiled and comforted Xu Ning.

"As for Teacher A, it should have been retrieved by now."

"You got it back??"

Xu Ning was shocked. How could this be!

"Wasn't my armor put into the armory by that scoundrel Gao Qiu?"

"Tokyo Armory? Hahaha, what's that? Teacher, you have no idea, we have a brother named Shi Qian in our mountain stronghold, he's the number one thief in the world! There's nothing in this world he can't steal!"

Mi Sheng looked incredibly proud!

"As soon as my brother heard that Gao Qiu had stolen the teacher's armor, he asked Brother Shi Qian to take action. Now, Brother Shi Qian should be back with the teacher's family and the armor!"

"I truly don't know how to repay Chief Ren's kindness! Please accept my bow once more!"

Xu Ning bowed to Ren Yuan again, which not only saved his life but also allowed him to get his armor back!

This kindness... I really don't know how to repay it.

"Teacher, you're being too formal. We hit it off immediately. If you don't mind, would you like to come with me to Liangshan for a visit? It would be a good opportunity to reunite with your family."

Ren Yuan smiled. Xu Ning is a very family-oriented person, and since Liangshan rescued him this time, it was only natural for him to join the Liangshan bandits.

"Alas, I, Xu Ning, have worked diligently, yet I was nearly killed in the wilderness by Gao Qiu. From now on, I will have to trouble the chieftain many more times."

"Haha, Teacher, Teacher, you must come and see me often after we get up the mountain! I really want to spar with you on marksmanship!"

Mi Sheng, this martial arts fanatic, would challenge everyone who came to the mountain, whether they were highly skilled or just average, to a duel.

Moreover, during the sparring session, Mi Sheng discovered that there were many experts in his own mountain stronghold!

This pleased Mi Sheng greatly, and he hoped that more experts would come up the mountain, so that the strength of the stronghold would only grow stronger!

"If you're interested, brother, it's always possible."

Xu Ning's personality isn't actually that extreme or conflicted. Since he's already been rescued by Liangshan, and they've even found his family's armor and saved his family, it's only natural for him to go up the mountain!

In the original novel, even when Liangshan used some tricks to lure him to the mountain, Xu Ning didn't react much.

"Brother Xu Ning, what should we do with these two people?"

Lu Zhishen held Dong Chao upside down, one in each hand, while Xue Ba's leg was still dangling.

It felt like Lu Zhishen was planning to dig two holes in the ground and plant these two people in them!

"Senior brother," Xu Ning called out, echoing Lin Chong's greeting.

"These two people haven't made things difficult for me along the way, and they were indeed acting under orders, so let's not make things difficult for them."

Xu Ning is actually quite soft-hearted.

“Take them up the mountain, the labor camp is short of people.”

Ren Yuan waved his hand and said, "Since Xu Ning has put in a good word for them, then it's decided."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Don't thank me, thank Teacher Xu instead."

Ren Yuan said that he actually didn't have a very good impression of these two people, but since Xu Ning had spoken up for them, he couldn't very well refuse to give Xu Ning face.

"Thank you so much, Teacher Xu!"

Dong Chao and Xue Ba, having narrowly escaped death, quickly expressed their gratitude.

At this moment, Ren Yuan looked at Lu Zhishen's staff and suddenly asked a question.

"Master, why does your weapon look so much like a clothes fork?"

"That's what a Zen staff looks like, thick at one end and thin at the other."

Lu Zhishen stepped forward, pulled his monk's staff from the tree, and handed it to Ren Yuan.

Ren Yuan picked it up and weighed it in his hand; sixty-two jin was still a bit light for him.

"Master, did you see this kind of weapon during your time in Buddhism?"

Ren Yuan picked up Lu Zhishen's monk's staff and used it as a pen to draw a weapon on the ground with a crescent moon on one end and a shovel on the other.

Yes, it's the weapon used by Sha Wujing in the TV series "Journey to the West".

"What kind of weapon is this? I've never seen it before. There are many martial monks on Mount Wutai, but I can confirm that no one uses this kind."

Lu Zhishen thought for a while and then shook his head.

"What does the master think of this weapon?"

"Looks good, brother. Could you make one for me? It's fine if it's a bit heavy."

Lu Zhishen liked this weapon more and more as he looked at it, and took the initiative to ask that one be made.

“No problem. Last time, Master Chai sent our stronghold two thousand catties of good iron, which is perfect for forging weapons. It’s just that we don’t have a good blacksmith right now. We’ll find one later and have one forged for you, Master.”

"Brother, is the stronghold lacking a good blacksmith?" Xu Ning suddenly interjected, having unconsciously replaced the stronghold leader with his brother.

"Yes, our mountain village is really lacking in craftsmen like this. If any craftsmen were willing to come up the mountain, I would be more than happy to have them. Does Teacher Xu know any good blacksmiths?"

Ren Yuan was somewhat surprised. Xu Ning, you wouldn't be...

"So that my brother may know, I have a cousin. My uncle was originally the magistrate of Yan'an Prefecture, but after he passed away, our family fell into decline. My cousin learned blacksmithing skills and has a nickname in the martial arts world: Tang Long the Golden Leopard. If my brother doesn't mind, I'll write a letter and ask him to come up the mountain."

"Okay."

Ren Yuan was overjoyed; he knew Tang Long's abilities very well!

What's interesting is that in the original novel, it was Tang Long who devised the plan to lure Xu Ning up the mountain.

Now, it is Xu Ning who has taken the initiative to let Tang Long go up the mountain.

Hmm, it really is the cycle of karma!