Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Li Hanxiao sold his belongings, bought a horse, and with travel expenses, a bag of sweet potatoes, and a bag of potatoes, prepared to travel downstream and leave Sichuan by waterway.

The saying goes, "Departing from Baidi City amidst colorful clouds at dawn, I returned to Jiangling a thousand miles away in a single day." Traveling by water from Sichuan is much faster than traveling by land.

Upon arriving at the ferry crossing on the Jialing River, Li Hanxiao asked a group of boat captains, only to discover that it was an inopportune time of year and there were no available ferries to ferry him. This was because the imperial court needed to transport the precious stones and flowers, and since there weren't enough ships in Jiangnan, they had requisitioned ships from Sichuan and other provinces to be used in Jiangnan. Currently, apart from military vessels, there were very few large ships available on the Jialing River.

Li Han laughed anxiously. If they were to travel by land out of Sichuan, it would take almost half a year just to get to Liangshan. And now there are no highways, which would be too much of a delay.

Just then, Li Hanxiao noticed a large ship moored at the dock and hurriedly asked the boatman if he could take a ride on it.

"That was a merchant ship, not a passenger ship. The ship owner was in the mercury trade and loaded the ship with mercury to sell out of Sichuan."

Li Hanxiao was still unwilling to give up. He told the boatman that he was going to Jiangling and was willing to pay more money. He wanted to ask where the boat owner was so he could have a proper talk with him.

"The boat owner, Guo Sheng, whose name was 'Sai Rengui,' rested on the boat, waiting for the water to rise in a day or two before setting sail out of Sichuan."

"Guo Sheng!"

Li Hanxiao was taken aback. He hadn't expected to encounter Liangshan heroes in Sichuan, almost one as soon as he stepped out of his house.

In fact, Guo Sheng, nicknamed "Sai Rengui," was originally from Jialing, Sichuan. He was originally engaged in the mercury trade. In the original story, his boat capsized in the Yellow River, and he could not return home. Later, he joined Liangshan with "Little Wenhou" Lü Fang.

Now, he is preparing to head north to sell mercury, and has not yet lost money by capsizing his ship.

Li Han smiled to himself, thinking that since that was the case, he had no choice but to take this boat. So he went straight to Guo Sheng's boat and shouted, "Boat owner! May I disembark and answer your questions?"

Before long, a handsome young man dressed in white came out. It must have been Guo Sheng. He spoke in a Sichuan accent and asked, "Who are you? What's the matter?"

"My name is Li Erlang from Guankou. I wish to travel out of Sichuan by water, but there are no ferries available. I'd like to spend more money to take Boss Guo Sheng's boat. What do you think?"

Guo Sheng laughed heartily, looking down at Li Han with disdain, and said, "See? With a boatload of mercury on my ship, do you think I need your few taels of loose silver?"

In ancient times, mercury was a precious metal, and if he sold this ship full of mercury, he certainly wouldn't be short of money.

However, Guo Sheng's gaze was drawn to the three-pointed double-edged sword on Li Erlang's back. Because of its unique shape, it could be recognized even though it was completely covered by Bu Tong.

"You're carrying an Erlang sword, aren't you? You know martial arts too?"

Guo Sheng heard this.

"good."

"Very well! That would be perfect. I am also a martial artist. Let's have a spar. If you can beat me, I'll let you board the ship, how about that?"

Guo Sheng was also a martial arts fanatic. He had once studied under the local instructor Zhang and learned to wield a halberd. He was so excited that he went back to the cabin to get the halberd and jumped off the ship. He was a real fighting enthusiast.

"Alright, sorry!"

Li Han smiled to himself, thinking that since he was going to recruit this person anyway, defeating him would make him respect him. So he tied up his horse, left his hounds behind, and stepped forward with his three-pointed double-edged sword.

"Good knife!"

Guo Sheng couldn't help but admire the three-pointed double-edged sword. It was indeed a gift from Erlang Shen, the True Lord of Manifestation. It was as bright as frost and snow, with small golden dragons inlaid on the blade and silver threads wrapped around the hilt. It was not only a divine weapon but also of great aesthetic value.

"Please enlighten me!"

The two bowed to each other, and Guo Sheng then brandished his halberd. With a "Tiger Emerging from the Mountain" move, he pushed and pulled the halberd in his hand. This move first thrust forward, then secretly hooked back, aiming straight for Li Hanxiao's left arm.

"Cang!"

Li Hanxiao's three-pointed double-edged sword spun rapidly, and with a move called "Poisonous Dragon Piercing the Mountain," the three blade tips entangled the small branch of the halberd, making it impossible for Guo Sheng's halberd to advance any further.

"ah!"

Even though Guo Sheng was unwilling to accept it, he tried his best but could not pull the halberd back, and his face turned red from holding his breath.

Li Hanxiao's swordsmanship was personally taught by Erlang Shen, so it was not easy for him to deal with Guo Sheng.

"Wow, wow, amazing! Amazing! I admire you, I admire you so much! May I ask your name, hero, for such skillful techniques!"

Guo Sheng exhausted all his strength, but he couldn't even break free of his control over the halberd. He was completely convinced of his defeat.

"I am Li Hanxiao from Guankou, and I have long admired the name of Guo Sheng, who is 'better than Ren Gui'."

"Brother, you flatter me. In the presence of a hero, my meager skills are nothing. Brother, please come aboard for a chat!"

In this era, people in the martial arts world respected those with ability the most. Guo Sheng treated Li Hanxiao as an honored guest, instructing his boatmen to buy wine and meat, and prepare fat chickens, stuffed geese, lean meat, fresh pickled fish, and seasonal fruits, so that he could drink with Li Hanxiao.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the water level rose, and the boatmen took the opportunity to set sail. Li and Guo, enjoying the sound of the river waves, talked about heroic deeds, having a wonderful time.

Guo Sheng was quite drunk, but Li Hanxiao was very resistant to the low-alcohol wine of the Song Dynasty and was still sober. Seeing that the time was right, he began to persuade Guo Sheng to join him in rebellion.

“Brother, although a true man should be upright and honest in his dealings with others, and should remain humble and wait for the right time even in adversity, I, as a man, am filled with regret if I have great skills but cannot accomplish anything and end up growing old in seclusion.”

At this point in Li Hanxiao's speech, Guo Sheng was quite moved. He suddenly slammed his hand on the table, then felt hot and bothered from the alcohol. He ripped open his shirt, exposing his chest, and pointed to his chest, saying, "Brother, look what's here?"

"This... his chest!"

"No, this is my brother's passionate blood!"

Guo Sheng pounded his chest loudly, speaking indistinctly, "Brother, do you know that my family was originally wealthy? But my father was a clerk in the government office, so I could not study to become an official, and my children could not study to become officials either. Our descendants will never be able to escape poverty!"

"I, Guo Sheng, once wanted to emulate the ancients, to be a great man, to wield a three-foot sword, and to achieve unparalleled feats. But what happened? Although I have some martial arts skills, I ended up as a mercury dealer, buying low and selling high, always on the go! Why are emperors and generals born to be superior people, while I was born as the son of a minor official!"

Guo Sheng's eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed a wine jar and smashed it to pieces on the cabin floor to vent his anger.

Li Hanxiao hadn't expected Guo Sheng to be so indignant and dissatisfied; it seemed there was no point in trying to persuade him.

Li Hanxiao squatted down and patted Guo Sheng, who was kneeling and weeping, and said, "Brother, don't cry. Let me ask you, do you know of a hero named Huang Chao, Huang Jutian, from the late Tang Dynasty?"

"I know, I know!"

Guo Sheng looked at Li Han with a confused expression, not knowing what he meant.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? Huang Chao failed the imperial examinations three times before finally rebelling against the Tang Dynasty, capturing Chang'an, and massacring all those aristocratic families. You and I, as husbands, are born into this world, so we should naturally intervene when we see injustice and fight against unfairness. But how much can we fight against?"

"Why not learn from Huang Chao and overthrow this filthy and corrupt court, these muddle-headed officials, and the dragon throne in the Golden Palace, and start all over again!"

Guo Sheng understood; Li Hanxiao meant he was about to raise the banner of rebellion. He chuckled twice, then hiccuped, "Brother, you're joking. The imperial court possesses the entire world; how could you and I possibly... possibly... destroy... hiccup..."

"Alas! That is incorrect!"

Li Hanxiao, already slightly tipsy and feeling a bit hot, leaned against the railing to enjoy the breeze. Upon hearing Guo Sheng's words, he immediately turned around and said, "Throughout history, which of those who have achieved great things knew beforehand that they would accomplish great things? In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, was just a village head, yet he eventually established the Han dynasty that lasted for four hundred years. Liu Bei was just a weaver of mats and a seller of shoes, yet he also built an imperial empire. You and I, as husbands, should do our best to make a difference for the country and the people. Why should we care about the outcome?"

"Just do your best... why worry about the outcome... just do your best... why worry about the outcome..."

Guo Sheng muttered to himself, then suddenly his eyes lit up as he understood the deeper meaning.

"Brother, that's right. A life of mediocrity is not as good as a life of glory. Brother, I don't need this ship of mercury anymore. I'll work for you. What are you going to do about it?"

Guo Sheng's sudden change in attitude startled Li Hanxiao. Li Hanxiao grasped Guo Sheng's hand and reassured him, "Calm down, brother. We still need the mercury. We need capital to do big things..."

Li Hanxiao's intention to go to Jiangzhou was also very simple. Now the Liangshan heroes were scattered all over the world, and many heroes were wandering all over the world. His journey north was not only to travel, but also to gather like-minded people along the way.

After he arrived in Jiangling, which is roughly within Hubei province, there happened to be a group of people in Hubei. In the original novel, there were four outstanding talents on Huangmen Mountain in Hubei: "Golden Wings on Clouds" Ou Peng, "Divine Calculator" Jiang Jing, "Iron Flute Immortal" Ma Lin, and "Nine-Tailed Turtle" Tao Zongwang. All of them were capable individuals.

Li Hanxiao was thinking about recruiting a few heroes; they still had a force of several hundred men, which could be used as capital.

He wanted to seize Liangshan Marsh, an 800-li (approximately 400 km) marshland. Although Wang Lun and his gang were not very capable, if they closed the passes, they would not be able to take Liangshan Marsh without sufficient strength.

As for heroes skilled in naval warfare, there are some right next to Liangshan Marsh: the three Ruan brothers from Shijie Village. These three brothers are frustrated and their marsh is occupied by Wang Lun and his men, so they can't fish big and live in poverty. They are a good match to persuade them to join them.

“Let’s go to Jiangling first, sell the mercury there, and then head north. There are some heroes there who I have long admired. If we can persuade them to join us, it won’t be difficult to accomplish anything.”

Guo Sheng was already half-drunk and half-awake, slumped in his chair, and mumbled, "Alright, alright, whatever you say, brother. But you haven't told me yet, where...where are we going..."

"Brother, do you know Liangshan Marsh, a 800-li stretch of water under the jurisdiction of Jizhou Prefecture on the Shandong East-West Road?"

"Listen...listen...whoosh—whoosh—"

Before he could even utter the word "pass," Guo Sheng had already passed out drunk and was chatting with the Duke of Zhou in his dreams.

Seeing Guo Sheng drunk, Li Han took a cooked goose and a plate of lean meat from the table out of the cabin and fed them to his hawk and hunting dogs. He then personally added some hay for the horses and went back to his room to sleep.

Li Hanxiao didn't wake up until noon the next day. Although he didn't feel that the ancient wine was very strong, he didn't expect it to have such a strong aftereffect, which made him not wake up until noon.

At this moment, the ship had already reached Jiangling. Li Hanxiao first started rowing the ship for Guo Sheng, so that he could find a buyer to sell the mercury.

Guo Sheng was picked up by Li Hanxiao and taken out to find a buyer. Although Guo Sheng was still drowsy when he went out, he was still very efficient. Before noon, he brought good news: Zhangtai Temple in the south of Jiangling City was willing to buy this batch of mercury. They made their own pills and needed a lot of mercury to be refined. The price they offered was also quite good.

When Guo Sheng returned, he had hired three large carts and ten grooms and porters to move the mercury. Li Han laughed and said that since it was noon, he should treat these people to something to eat as a start-up meal so that they could work well.

Guo Sheng agreed wholeheartedly. He bought a whole sheep, let it overturn, and cooked a pot of meat. The laborers ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with oil, and each of them did their best.

Just as the group of lads were eating meat, a lame beggar watching from the side felt his stomach churning. He probably wanted a bite too, so he dragged his lame leg over and quickly grabbed a piece of lamb rib with bone in it from the pot, ready to run away.

However, his lame leg was a hindrance. When the thugs saw someone stealing meat, they stood up and attacked. The beggar was stepped on by one of them, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. He was then pinned to the ground and beaten by the thugs.

"You filthy beggar! How dare you steal meat!"

"beat him!"

The sounds of fighting startled Li and Guo, who were having a special meal in the cabin, and they rushed out to investigate.

The beggar used his elbow to protect his head, freeing one hand to suddenly change his technique. It was a "small grappling" move; he grabbed a person's ankle and flung them away.

"stop!"

Li Han laughed loudly. He could tell that the beggar was using a small grappling technique, and it was clear that the technique was skillful and the strength was good. How could a beggar know this?

Maybe this beggar has some kind of background.

"Because of a stutter, why is it so serious? Everyone has their share of suffering and hardship. Brother, can you still see anything?"

Li Hanxiao waved his hand in front of the beggar's eyes, because he saw that the beggar's eyes were completely red, and he didn't know if it was because he had suffered retinal hemorrhage from being beaten, which was quite frightening.

"Cough... It's alright... I have an eye condition... Thank you for your kindness..."

The beggar, having caught his breath, said...

"Brother, bring me some meat!"

While giving instructions to Guo Sheng, Li Hanxiao glanced at the beggar's legs. It turned out that the man was not born lame, but had injured his knee. The wound was rotting and infested with maggots, and it was clear that it had not been treated, which was why he walked with a limp.

"If you don't get treatment for your leg, it might be ruined..."

Hearing Li Hanxiao's words, the beggar smiled sadly and said, "As a man, I've been forced to steal and beg for food. How could I possibly afford to treat my injuries..."

"Judging from your demeanor and speech, you do not seem like a beggar. Perhaps you have encountered some misfortune? You may tell me. Although I cannot save everyone in the world, I have a heart to help those in distress. Perhaps I can help you. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Thank you. I am Deng Fei from Xiangyang Prefecture, Gaitian Army."

"A Fiery-Eyed Suanni?!"

Li Hanxiao couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.