Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

"what!"

Almost simultaneously, Yang Zhi and the two officers cried out in alarm. However, as Yang Zhi cried out, he realized that a powerful figure was attacking. He wrapped his broadsword around his head to protect himself. But the two officers, to be more precise, cried out in pain rather than in alarm.

Because at almost the same time, both of the guards were also hit by arrows. One was shot in the front and died almost instantly, while the other was shot in the buttocks and collapsed to the ground in pain.

"Enemies! Get up!"

As Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," precisely severed two arrows with his broadsword, he roared.

Those soldiers who had been lying lazily on the ground jumped up when they saw this scene. After all, they were elite imperial guards carefully selected by Liang Zhongshu from the army of Daming Prefecture to protect the birthday tribute. Although they were very tired at the moment, they jumped up one by one when they encountered danger and their adrenaline surged.

These soldiers disassembled the carrying poles one by one, and it turned out that a narrow-bladed knife was hidden at each end of the pole.

"kill!"

At this moment, a group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, led by a burly man wielding an iron mace, who went straight for Yang Zhi.

This group of people were Deng Long's men, nicknamed "Golden-Eyed Tiger" from Erlong Mountain. They couldn't hold back and attacked Yang Zhi as soon as they saw him.

The other hidden groups were also stunned to see that there were other forces present.

"Brother, what should we do? There are other people coming to take it!"

On the Zijin Mountain side, "Copper Iron Head" Zhong Liang anxiously inquired of "Sky-Drilling Spear" Zhu Jing.

"Someone must be eyeing the birthday tribute. We can't let them steal it! Brothers, follow me!"

Before "Sky-Piercing Spear" Zhu Jing could speak, "Iron Mantis" Shi Ding shouted, brandished his steel knife, and charged forward with his henchmen.

Zhu Jing had no choice but to go up this time!

"kill!"

Seeing that someone was trying to steal his business, "Sea Demon" Sun Yuan also came out with his men, wielding a five-pronged steel fork, and immediately turned the scene into chaos.

Only Yan Shun, the "Golden-haired Tiger," and Wang Ying, the "Dwarf Tiger," from Qingfeng Mountain, reacted a little slower and had not yet led their men to charge up.

"Oh dear, brother, what, what's going on?"

Wang Ying was completely dumbfounded. The scene before him was like a multi-state war during the Warring States period, which was unimaginable. He couldn't tell who was fighting whom at all.

"Let me see!"

Since a fight had already broken out, "Jinmaohu" Yan Shun was in no hurry to go up. He carefully looked through the crowd and recognized "Haiyacha" Sun Yuan and "Jinyanhu" Deng Long.

"Aren't these Sun Yuan and Deng Long? Did they also know about it and come to seize it?"

Yan Shun, nicknamed "Golden-haired Tiger," became puzzled.

"There are three more, I've never seen them before, I don't recognize them!"

"Short-legged Tiger" Wang Ying said, pointing to the three bandit leaders of Zijin Mountain.

"Regardless of whether we know them or not, they're fighting fiercely right now, so let's not make a move. Let's wait until they're both badly injured before we brothers go out and kill them!"

"Golden-haired Tiger" Yan Shun seemed to think he had found a good idea and said smugly to "Dwarf Tiger" Wang Ying.

"What a brilliant plan, brother! If we fight like this, Yang Zhi will be exhausted to death, and the rest will be severely injured. Only the brothers of Qingfeng Mountain will still have the strength!"

A wicked smile crept across Wang Ying's lips. Yan Shun's method was indeed the least costly one.

What they didn't know was that Qingfeng Mountain wasn't the only team that hadn't yet entered the fray; the Liangshan forces and Chao Gai and Wu Yong's men thought the same thing.

"You scoundrel, prepare to die!"

At this moment, Yang Zhi, the "Blue-Faced Beast," displayed extreme bravery, employing his family's traditional swordsmanship. He brandished his broadsword, unleashing a breathtaking white light as he aimed directly at Deng Long, the "Golden-Eyed Tiger."

Meanwhile, the other soldiers of the Imperial Guards of Daming Prefecture were also fighting for survival. Although they were few in number, their fighting power was by no means lacking. They took out crossbows from their bundles, each with one, gathered together, and formed a long-range firing line. The crossbow bolts shot straight at the enemy who rushed up, and in an instant, they took down a dozen or so of them.

Even those who managed to get close were killed by them. They were imperial guards from proper military units. Daming Prefecture was the Beijing of the Song Dynasty, a major northern town that frequently defended against foreign invasions, and the local army was quite strong.

These imperial guards were far more powerful than the bandits on the various mountain peaks.

Yang Zhi was risking his life to protect the birthday gifts. Deng Long was not particularly skilled in martial arts, but he was experienced and could wield an iron mace weighing over thirty pounds. At this moment, he could only use the iron mace to repeatedly block Yang Zhi's broadsword, and was forced to retreat repeatedly, sparks flying everywhere.

Yang Zhi forced Deng Long back with a flurry of blows, but the henchmen beside him came at him with broadswords. Yang Zhi simply parried the two broadswords with his own broadsword, and with a "double-handed attack," he cut down the two men with two blows from the left and right.

"Yang Zhi, prepare to die!"

At this moment, the two chieftains of Zijin Mountain, "Iron Mantis" Shi Ding and "Copper Iron Head" Zhong Liang, had already rushed forward. One wielded a broadsword, and the other swung a mace. The three of them fought each other in a T-shape.

Yang Zhi could not relax for a moment, his only thought was to protect the birthday tribute. The two men pressed on relentlessly, determined to kill Yang Zhi and make him famous in the outlaw world. Three weapons flew everywhere, and their murderous aura stirred up dust and sand.

Meanwhile, Sun Yuan, the "Sea Demon," rushed up but didn't immediately go to retrieve the birthday gifts. Instead, he spotted Deng Long, the "Golden-Eyed Tiger," and went to stab him with a five-pronged steel fork.

These two had a grudge against each other, and now the whole Huangnigang was in chaos. Sun Yuan didn't know whose people they were, but he recognized "Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long and had a grudge against him, so he started beating him first!

"You old scoundrel! You've gotten yourself involved in this mess too!"

"Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long had just been beaten by Yang Zhi and was barely able to catch his breath when "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan came over with his steel fork.

"Who told you to bump into me? You're just unlucky!"

Sun Yuan, nicknamed "Sea Yaksha," thrust his steel fork at Sun Yuan's distraction, while Deng Long, nicknamed "Golden-Eyed Tiger," blocked it with his iron mace. However, Deng Long had just exhausted his strength, and his iron mace was much heavier than Sun Yuan's steel fork. After a few exchanges, he could no longer keep up with the speed of his blocking.

Although "Sea Demon" Sun Yuan was old, he had been famous in the bandit world for a long time and was cunning. He seized the opportunity and struck "Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long in the leg with a steel fork.

Deng Long was in so much pain that he sat down on the ground. Sun Yuan's steel fork came at him one after another. Deng Long had no way to avoid it, so he could only do a "rolling on the ground eighteen times" to avoid Sun Yuan's steel fork.

Just then, Zhu Jing, the "Sky-Piercing Spear," suddenly appeared and attacked, using his awl-shaped spear to deflect the five-pronged steel fork of Sun Yuan, the "Sea Yaksha."

"who?"

Sun Yuan asked.

Zhu Jing didn't answer, and thrust his gun at Sun Yuan. Sun Yuan countered with his fork, and the two started fighting again.

Why did "Sky-Piercing Spear" Zhu Jing insist on saving "Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long? Actually, they were not related. However, Zhu Jing was born with a proud personality. Although he came to retrieve the birthday gifts, he still wanted to have a good match with a master.

As a result, he originally planned to fight Yang Zhi first, but his two brothers Shi Ding and Zhong Liang beat him to it. If he went up first, it would be a three-on-one situation.

For someone as self-important as him, being forced to fight like this was unacceptable, so he searched the battlefield to see if there were any other experts.

After looking around, he still felt that "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan was the most powerful, so he took the initiative to meet him. It wasn't that he genuinely wanted to save "Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long; it was just a side thing.

Seeing that Zhu Jing, nicknamed "Sky-Piercing Spear," was using a spear, Sun Yuan, nicknamed "Sea Yaksha," used a steel fork to perform a "spear-locking stance." His steel fork had five prongs, and once it wrapped around the head of Zhu Jing's spear, he would be unable to pull it out.

Zhu Jing's marksmanship was also quite good. He didn't give Sun Yuan the chance and with a flick of his wrist, he pulled the gun back.

"what!"

At that moment, a scream was heard, and one of the two who had fought to the death with "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi fell down.

It turned out that Yang Zhi used all his skills, and although "Iron Mantis" Shi Ding and "Copper Iron Head" Zhong Liang were fighting him alone, they were no match for him.

Shi Ding ordered Yang Zhifei to kick him twice in the abdomen, causing him to collapse to the ground.

At this moment, all the pressure was on "Copper Iron Head" Zhong Liang. You should know that the two of them couldn't beat "Blue-Faced Beast", so how could "Copper Iron Head" be a match for him?

With a "flipping hawk" slash, Yang Zhi brought his sword down on Zhong Liang's head. Zhong Liang couldn't withstand it, and the mace in his hand was cleaved in two by Yang Zhi's sword. The sword cut down from the top of his head, splitting the eight pieces of his skull, from the crown of his head all the way to his nose, killing the "copper-iron-headed" Zhong Liang!

By the time Shi Ding, the "Iron Mantis," stood up, Zhong Liang was already beyond dead!

"what!"

Zhu Jing, wielding the "Sky-Piercing Spear," was enraged upon seeing his brother dead and was about to fight Yang Zhi to the death when he felt an immense force coming from the handle of his spear.

It turned out that while he was distracted, Sun Yuan, the "Sea Demon," seized the opportunity to use a "locking spear stance," locking the spearhead of Zhu Jing, the "Sky-Piercing Spear," with his steel fork, preventing him from escaping.

Shi Dinggang got up and saw that Zhongliang's "iron head" had been chopped into a rotten watermelon. He was furious and swung his broadsword fiercely.

Yang Zhi saw this, but remained calm and lowered his body. At the same time, he slashed his broadsword upwards, just touching Shi Ding's left foot.

Shi Ding felt that his left leg could no longer support his body. It turned out that the tendon above his left knee had been severed by Yang Zhi with a single stroke. He could still support himself with the tendon, but he would fall down.

Before his body could even hit the ground, Yang Zhi was quick and struck again with his knife. In an instant, "Iron Mantis" Shi Ding's head flew three feet away, turning him into a "dead mantis"!

In such a short time, two of the three chieftains of Zijin Mountain have died, leaving only "Sky-Piercing Spear" Zhu Jing.

Seeing Yang Zhi's ferocity, "Sky-Piercing Spear" Zhu Jing and "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan were both stunned. They exchanged a glance and then stopped fighting.

They all understood each other's meaning: Yang Zhi was the biggest threat. They should put everything else aside and join forces to kill Yang Zhi first!

Otherwise, Yang Zhi would definitely get the advantage!

"kill!"

These two "enemies" who were just fighting to the death suddenly turned on Yang Zhi, proving an age-old truth: "There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."

Yang Zhi had just dealt with two and killed more than ten henchmen when "Sky-Piercing Spear" Zhu Jing and "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan attacked again.

"Give me back my brother's life!"

Zhu Jing brandished his awl-shaped spear, the tip of which was a long cone shape with extremely strong penetrating power. At this moment, it was like countless wasps brandishing their poisonous stingers, all rushing towards Yang Zhi.

"Let's see what you're capable of!"

To be honest, his current fighting skills haven't reached the highest level of "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi, but they're still not something he can take lightly.

At that moment, Yang Zhi used his family's Golden Saber Old General Saber Technique, closing the door tightly and unleashing thousands of blade flashes to block Zhu Jing's dense spear attacks.

However, there was also a "Sea Demon" named Sun Yuan nearby, who viciously thrust his steel fork at Yang Zhi's feet from below.

Yang Zhi jumped back to dodge the steel fork, and while in mid-air, he held his knife in one hand and swept it forward, performing a move with an extremely difficult coefficient, "Wild Geese Descending on the Sand".

This move, launched mid-air, caught the two off guard. Zhu Jing, known as "Sky-Piercing Spear," managed to dodge the attack, while Sun Yuan, known as "Sea Yaksha," was older and his reaction time wasn't as fast. The blade grazed his nose, splitting it open!

To be honest, it didn't hurt that much. Sun Yuan, the "Sea Demon," had been a strongman all his life and had been injured many times. He was no longer afraid of pain. But this knife cut his nose open, which was equivalent to disfiguring him.

Blood flowed down from the nose of "Sea Demon" Sun Yuan, covering his face.

Sun Yuan, the "Sea Demon," gritted his teeth, feeling the pain of his wound, and rushed forward again with his five-pronged steel fork, determined to kill Yang Zhi by impaling him on the ground to vent his hatred!

At this moment, Deng Long, the "Golden-Eyed Tiger" who had been stabbed in the thigh by "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan, also forgot about the past grudges and, wielding an iron mace, limped towards "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi.

He also understood that if Yang Zhi wasn't killed first, everyone would suffer.

Yang Zhi had to fight three people by himself, which was indeed comparable to the "Three Heroes Fighting Lü Bu" at Hulao Pass. With a broadsword, he could strike the dark clouds above and the roots of old trees below. His two arms were constantly swinging and almost flying away!

"Yang Zhi is really amazing. He can fight three people at once and not be at a disadvantage!"

Watching the battle unfold, Wang Ying, nicknamed "Dwarf Tiger," saw how incredibly brave and fierce Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," was, like a wild beast. His fighting prowess was overwhelming. He was glad that the two of them hadn't gone up to fight, otherwise they would have ended up like the two bandit leaders who died at Zijin Mountain.

"Indeed, it's all thanks to our inaction!"

"Jinmaohu" Yan Shun also said the same thing.

Yang Zhi was covered in sweat, his body as if he had been pulled out of the water. He thought to himself that this couldn't go on forever, and he had to fight his way out!