Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

"This is Brother Han Bolong, the 'Mountain Demon.' He is a notorious bandit active in Hebei and Shanxi. He has brought more than a hundred men and is willing to join us in plotting something big."

Han Bolong's nickname "Mountain Demon" doesn't refer to the red-and-blue-faced monkey; that creature is from Africa and doesn't exist in China. It refers to...

In Chinese mythology, there is a one-legged monster in the mountains. The Classic of Mountains and Seas mentions: "In the south there is a giant from Gan, with a human face and long arms, a black body covered in hair, and backward-facing heels. When he sees people laughing, he laughs too, covering his face with his lips, and then he flees."

He was tall with long arms, and his arms were covered with thick black hair, hence the name.

As those who have read the original novel know, Han Bolong was originally a bandit who robbed and plundered in the Jianghu. After Song Jiang became the leader of Liangshan, he recruited heroes from all over the world.

Han Bolong had long heard of Song Jiang's reputation and wanted to join the Liangshan bandits.

However, joining Liangshan was not easy. Generally, one needed an introducer to join Liangshan. Wang Dingliu joined Liangshan with Zhang Shun's introduction, and he even saved Zhang Shun. Although Yang Lin had a letter of recommendation from Gongsun Sheng, he was still worried that Liangshan would not accept him, so he became sworn brothers with Dai Zong before joining Liangshan.

Having no one to recommend him, Han Bolong went to Liangshan alone and sought refuge with Zhu Gui, hoping that he could introduce him to Song Jiang.

Unfortunately, Han Bolong arrived at an inopportune time. Firstly, Song Jiang had developed a festering sore on his back, causing him unbearable pain, and he had no time to care about anything else; secondly, Liangshan was attacking Daming Prefecture, and Song Jiang was busy mobilizing troops and had no free time.

Zhu Gui couldn't find Song Jiang at the Li Family Pass outside the marsh, so he had Han Bolong sell wine in the village first.

At that time, Guan Sheng went to conquer Lingzhou, and Li Kui also secretly went down the mountain to take the lives of Wei Dingguo and Shan Tinggui. Li Kui was hungry, so he went to Han Bolong's inn to eat for free. Han Bolong stopped Li Kui and asked him to pay, but Li Kui chopped him down with an axe. The narrator also said, "Poor Han Bolong, who was a strongman all his life, finally met his end in a ditch!"

Perhaps this was the most reasonable thing he had ever done in his life, but he just happened to run into the unreasonable Li Kui and died without knowing why. How unjust!

In reality, Han Bolong was no ordinary man; he was a ruthless bandit who specialized in intercepting merchants and travelers. He had one or two hundred men under his command and committed crimes in Hebei and Shanxi.

However, he was not very lucky. A while ago, he intercepted the caravan of the Lu family, known as the "Jade Kirin" of Daming Prefecture.

As a result, Lu Junyi became furious and led "Prodigal Son" Yan Qing to attack Han Bolong's stronghold. Han Bolong's more than 300 men were no match for Lu Junyi alone. They were defeated and reduced to only about 100 men, who fled in disarray, leaving Hebei and entering Shandong. They never dared to return.

Shandong is full of powerful local factions, and no one would accept Han Bolong. These hundred-plus people also need to eat. How could they rely on robbery? Each of these factions has its own territory. If you commit a crime on someone else's turf, you're stealing their livelihood and asking for a beating.

In desperation, Han Bolong led these people to become roving mercenaries in Shandong, working for money.

Chao Gai found out about this group of people and simply paid them to come.

Later, when Han Bolong heard that they were going to rob the birthday gifts, he was very excited because he had never done anything so big in his life. So he brought about a hundred people and "joined the group with his own money" to become partners with Chao Gai and Wu Yong.

"I've long admired the name of Scholar Wu!"

Since Han Bolong was basically "brought in with his own investment", he was a bit arrogant in his attitude.

Wu Yong didn't care, after all, he wouldn't have thought much of such a person anyway.

"This is Brother Fu Xiang, also known as 'Scarface Leopard,' who is skilled with flying forks."

Chao Gai then introduced the next man, who was covered in wounds.

Fu Xiang was originally a deputy general under Bian Xiang, known as "Scarface Leopard" because he had scars on his face and body and could use a flying fork on horseback.

In the original story, when fighting against the Liangshan forces, Fu Xiang was shot in the hoof by Yan Qing's arrow and fell off his horse. He was captured by Lü Fang and Guo Sheng, surrendered to Liangshan, and later died in battle while following Song Jiang to fight against Wang Qing. Although he had a skill, he was not considered particularly formidable.

"With this person, we might be able to ambush Li Hanxiao by striking in secret..."

Wu Yong thought to himself.

"This last brother is formidable. This is Brother Lu Hui, known as the 'Yin-Yang Master.' He is a member of the Hebei military and is skilled with a two-headed snake. His marksmanship is exceptional!"

Chao Gai then introduced the last person, Lu Hui, who was one of the eight generals guarding Huguan under Tian Hu in the original novel, ranking second only to Shan Shiqi.

This character is quite strange in the original novel. Lu Hui held a high position in the army, but he didn't perform well during the Battle of Huguan.

Later, Tang Bin, Wen Zhongrong, and Cui Ye from Baodushan in the vicinity acted as inside agents for the Song army, working together to break through the pass.

At night, Lu Hui followed Tang Bin out of the pass to "ambush" the Song camp. However, Tang Bin took the opportunity to betray them, lured out Shan Shiqi and others, and then blocked them in front of the pass. He killed the unsuspecting Zhu Jing with a spear, but did not explain the whereabouts of Lu Hui, who should have been by Tang Bin's side.

Moreover, Lu Hui, a person who should have held a high position in Huguan, never appeared by name in the later part of the story. There was no explanation that he died in battle, nor was he listed among the surrendered generals, nor was there any mention of him retiring to live in seclusion.

In short, this person is like Xu Shu (Xu Yuanzhi) in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," disappearing without a trace.

However, Lu Hui here is no ordinary person. He is a very famous figure in the martial arts world. He uses a two-headed snake, which is a two-headed spear. His Yin-Yang Hand spear-switching technique is very famous, so he has earned the nickname "Yin-Yang Hand".

As a well-known figure in the martial arts world, it was no easy feat for "Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King" Chao Gai to invite "Yin-Yang Hand" Lu Hui.

This "Yin-Yang Hand" Lu Hui was originally a member of the military family in Daming Prefecture, Hebei Province. He was also a military officer and had fought against the Liao army, earning merit.

However, after his father died in battle, his superior, "King Li" Li Cheng, embezzled his father's pension. Lu Hui was furious and went to confront his father's superior. In a fit of rage, he killed him and fled into the martial arts world.

Lu Hui, who had fled to the Jianghu, deeply resented Liang Zhongshu and Li Cheng, believing that this was a case of the superiors setting an example for the subordinates. He saw Liang Zhongshu as a bloodsucker and Li Cheng as a lackey, both of them being birds of a feather.

Therefore, Lu Hui was extremely interested in doing anything that went against them.

As luck would have it, he ended up in the territory of Jizhou Prefecture and met Chao Gai, who was searching for people everywhere. When Chao Gai saw that he was carrying weapons, he invited him to drink. During their conversation, he learned about Lu Hui's background. Chao Gai then told him about his plan to take the birthday gifts, and Lu Hui naturally went to do so with pleasure.

"I've long heard of Lu Hui, the 'Yin-Yang Hand.' I've heard that your marksmanship is formidable. With you here, we have nothing to fear from Yang Zhi!"

Originally, Wu Yong, the "wise strategist," was a little worried because he wasn't very confident in relying on just these few people. Most of them had no reputation in the martial arts world, and Wu Yong was afraid that even if they were all together, they wouldn't be a match for a master like Yang Zhi.

Now that Lu Hui is with him, he has much more confidence.

"Professor, now besides the more than one hundred men brought by Brother Han Bolong, plus some trustworthy farmhands, I've also recruited some outlaws from the martial arts world, making a total of about three hundred people!"

Chao Gai had already done his best in the short term, after all, time was too short. If he had more time, he could have found even more people.

“Desperados…it doesn’t matter…”

Wu Yongxin said that most of the desperate criminals hired with money are not trustworthy and are not very reliable. After all, these guys only care about money and not people.

However, it's not a big problem. When the fighting starts, we can let them go up as cannon fodder first. Once they're all dead, they won't be a threat anymore. Plus, we don't have to settle the final payment, which saves money!

"Three hundred men are enough. After all, what we want is for the mantis to stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. After both sides have suffered heavy losses, we will clean up the mess. Now that the date is approaching, we must hurry to Huangni Ridge..."

After discussing it with Chao Gai, Wu Yong prepared to lead everyone on their journey.

Ma Bian had already told Li Hanxiao everything about their situation. Li Hanxiao was somewhat surprised to learn that these two guys had actually managed to find several people in a short period of time, including two of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.

"Let them come; they'll all be at my disposal eventually..."

Li Hanxiao wasn't afraid; he could simply intercept them later, and these people would still belong to him, Li Hanxiao.

Li Hanxiao's side was also ready, and he prepared to personally lead three hundred elite troops to carry out the final harvest.

Since Yang Zhi, the "Blue-Faced Beast," was already quite skilled, and many people from various mountain strongholds would be going there, Li Hanxiao brought along a number of elite leaders.

Li Hanxiao prepared to lead "The Pilgrim" Wu Song, Wang Yin, Si Xingfang, Ma Bian, "Little Wenhou" Lü Fang, "Surpassing Rengui" Guo Sheng, "Golden-Winged Cloud Mower" Ou Peng, "Mountain-Pulling Warrior" Tang Bin, "Mountain-Shaking Warrior" Wen Zhongrong, "Mountain-Moving Warrior" Cui Ye, and "Mountain-Splitting Warrior" Nie Gong to retrieve the birthday tribute.

No, according to the original story, Wu Song's life trajectory as a wandering monk was indeed called "The Pilgrim". But now he certainly can't dress up as that wandering monk anymore, so he should have a new nickname and shouldn't be called "The Pilgrim" anymore.

As for what's happening on the mountain, let Wen Huanzhang and "Leopard Head" Lin Chong oversee it until Li Hanxiao returns.

The next day, near Dongxi Village, Chao Gai and Wu Yong gathered their scattered forces together before dawn and set off for Huangnigang. To avoid attracting attention, they traveled separately and maintained a certain distance from each other.

Meanwhile, on the Liangshan Marsh side, Li Hanxiao led his brothers to prepare for departure. They disguised themselves as traveling merchants and set off discreetly towards Huangni Ridge.

As for the terrain of Huangnigang, Li Hanxiao has already sent people to investigate. Several forces are eyeing Huangnigang, and Huangnigang cannot accommodate so many people.

Umbrella Mountain is located east of Huangnigang. It is estimated that the bandits from Umbrella Mountain will be lying in ambush in this area and will be the first to arrive.

To the west of Huangnigang is Baishawu, which leads to Tokyo. There shouldn't be anyone hiding here, so Li Hanxiao plans to set up camp here first.

Li Hanxiao divided the three hundred men into five teams of sixty each, and sent them to hide near Huangnigang in batches.

Li Hanxiao, leading a hawk and a dog, was in a group with Wu Song, Wang Yin, Si Xingfang, and Ma Bian, while the others went their separate ways and reunited at the destination.

Huangnigang is located on the border of Qingzhou, and Li Hanxiao and his group need to pass through Qingzhou to get there.

When they arrived at a village shop, Li Hanxiao and the others saw a wine sign hanging in the village and decided to take them into the village to have a hot meal.

As soon as they reached the village entrance, they saw a group of people, with their families in tow, pushing wheelbarrows as they were about to leave the village.

That's nothing, but the image of one of the people really caught Li Hanxiao's attention.

This is a person, a fat monk about eight feet tall, wearing a black robe, with his chest and breasts exposed, two strings of Buddhist beads around his neck, and many floral embroideries showing on his bare chest. He also has a monk's knife hanging at his waist.

Most importantly, he was carrying a thick iron staff on his shoulder, with a large bundle on it, walking along with the group.

These characteristics are too obvious; there are only two people in the entire novel "Water Margin" who fit this description.

One is "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen, and the other is "Precious Light Tathagata" Deng Yuanjue from Fang La's side.

However, Deng Yuanjue did not have any floral embroidery on his chest, which undoubtedly meant that the fat monk in front of him was none other than the "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen.

I didn’t expect to meet you here!

"Lu Zhishen, wait a minute!"

Li Hanxiao shouted.

The fat monk in the group paused for a moment when he heard Li Han's laughter, said a few words to someone, stopped the group, and then quickly stepped forward with his iron staff.

"Who are you? Do I know you?"

Lu Zhishen asked.

"Haha, Commander Lu, if I'm not mistaken, you're heading to Liangshan Marsh in Jizhou Prefecture, aren't you?"

Upon hearing Li Hanxiao's words, Lu Zhishen was greatly surprised. "Brother, how did you know I was going to this place?"

"A few days ago, there was a letter that Instructor Lin wrote to his disciple 'The Knife-Wielding Ghost' Cao Zheng. I'm afraid you've already read it, otherwise you wouldn't have gone to Liangshan Marsh. To be honest, I am Li Hanxiao, the new master of Liangshan Marsh!"

Li Hanxiao greeted Lu Zhishen, and everyone else, who had long heard of Lu Zhishen's chivalrous reputation, also came forward to pay their respects.

"So you are Chief Li of Liangshan Marsh? What brings you here, Brother Cao Zheng!"

Lu Zhishen didn't know why he had run into Li Hanxiao here, so he quickly called over Cao Zheng to ask for details and verify the information.

Li Hanxiao asked Cao Zheng to bring out the letter, and then explained its contents to Cao Zheng for comparison. Li Hanxiao had been by Lin Chong's side when the letter was written, and he remembered its contents word for word.

After Cao Zheng, the "knife-wielding ghost," confirmed that every word was correct, Lu Zhishen and Cao Zheng realized that the person in front of them was indeed Li Hanxiao, not an imposter.

"I have long admired your name, Li Erlang, for saving my brother Lin Chong and his family. You are a true hero. I have long wanted to get to know you, but I never expected to meet you here. It is truly a coincidence. May I ask what brings you brothers to Qingzhou?"