Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

"Exactly!"

Li Hanxiao felt that he could actually detect a chill in the man's voice.

Did he run into an enemy? No way, Li Hanxiao doesn't remember having such an enemy!

The man looked Li Hanxiao up and down carefully, then nodded and said, "The Prince Consort is indeed a handsome man!"

"Prince-in-law?"

Upon hearing this phrase, Li Hanxiao's mind was suddenly filled with the tune of the Peking Opera "The Case of Qin Xianglian": "The prince consort approached to examine it closely, and it was written that Qin Xianglian, at the age of thirty-two, sued the current prince consort..."

What does this mean?

"I am from Dengzhou Prefecture. My ancestor was Qin Qiong, also known as Qin Shubao, the Duke Protector of the State of the Great Tang Dynasty. My name was Qin Zhi, and I was known in the martial arts world as the 'Golden-Faced Buddha.' I greet Your Highness!"

The burly man bowed from his horse.

"Oh! I remember now!"

Li Han smiled and rubbed his forehead. He remembered the letters Li Shishi had given him, one of which was addressed to Qin Zhi, the descendant of Qin Feng, the Duke of Dengzhou!

Judging from the looks of it, this person must have received the news and was going to Liangshan Marsh to seek refuge.

Since they were loyal subjects of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and their fathers had sworn allegiance to Li Shishi's father, they naturally recognized Li Shishi as their master. In their eyes, Li Shishi was a princess, and they were prospective prince consorts...

Logically, these people's ancestors should have been loyal officials of the Tang Dynasty. However, Li Bian, the founder of the Southern Tang, claimed to be a descendant of Li Ke, the son of Emperor Xianzong of Tang. From this point of view, the founder of the Southern Tang was naturally a descendant of the Tang Dynasty's imperial family. Whether this is true or not, these loyal officials of the Tang Dynasty all went to serve him.

However, if they hadn't pledged allegiance to the Southern Tang, Li Hanxiao wouldn't have gotten this advantage today!

Li Hanxiao was overjoyed, because in his opinion, Qin Zhi's martial arts skills were comparable to his ancestor Qin Qiong, and he estimated that even "Leopard Head" Lin Chong would be evenly matched with him!

"I had only heard Shishi mention you before, but I had never met you. Today, I can see in you the same spirit that the Duke of Huguo once had, when he conquered three prefectures and six counties with his mace, and rode his horse across both banks of the Yellow River, his might shaking half of Shandong!"

Qin Zhi chuckled self-deprecatingly, "What prestige... just a pathetic existence. We're on the princess's orders to go to your Liangshan, but we also need to see if you're someone we can truly follow..."

Li Hanxiao had anticipated these words. After all, he couldn't help them restore the Tang Dynasty, and they might not fully agree with the compromise Li Shishi mentioned in her letter.

Therefore, it is up to Li Hanxiao to demonstrate his strength and subdue them.

"I wonder how Brother Qin intends to conduct the test?"

Li Han asked with a smile.

The "Golden-Faced Buddha" Qin Zhi clashed his double maces together, producing a muffled sound, and said, "It's very simple. My family's mace technique includes a move called 'Release Hand in a Series of Maces,' which you must have heard of. If you can block it when I use it, I will be convinced. We are both martial artists, so naturally we should see who is better in martial arts!"

"Alright! Then please make your move!"

Li Hanxiao jumped off his horse. He knew that this series of maces was not easy to defend against, so he had better dismount first. His three-pointed double-edged sword would give him a slight advantage in length.

Li Hanxiao had grown up listening to storytelling in his previous life, and he knew very well that this move was the Qin family's trump card, which Qin Qiong had only used three times in his entire life.

Qin Qiong first used his "secret weapon" to subdue someone when he was taking in Pei Yuanqing. Pei Yuanqing ranked third in martial prowess among the Thirteen Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. His weapon was a pair of eight-sided plum blossom silver hammers. He was incredibly brave. When Qin Qiong fought Pei Yuanqing, he dared not touch the head of his hammers, but only dared to strike the handles. As a result, Pei Yuanqing could not exert his strength and lost his composure as the fight progressed. At this moment, Qin Qiong used the "secret weapon" technique of consecutive sniping from horseback. After releasing the hammers, he broke three of Pei Yuanqing's five back-protecting flags.

Qin Qiong used his "secret weapon" to recruit people for the second time when he righteously recruited Yuchi Gong. Yuchi Gong was ranked thirteenth in martial arts among the Thirteen Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the two were evenly matched.

In the Battle of Meiliangchuan, Qin Qiong, as the marshal of the Tang Dynasty, decided to use his mace to fight Yuchi Gong's whip in order to subdue Yuchi Gong. So the two fought with their mace and whip in Meiliangchuan, exchanging three whips for two maces, which made Yuchi Gong completely convinced of Qin Qiong's superiority. Later, the two became sworn brothers in Meiliangchuan!

The third time was when Luo Tong swept through the north, the elderly Qin Qiong used his "secret weapon" to kill Zu Che Lun, the Grand Marshal of the Northern Kingdom.

None of the opponents he fought were weak, especially Pei Yuanqing, the "Silver Hammer Protector," who was the third best hero in the world! This demonstrates the power of his "Chain of Hammers."

"Alright, I'll learn from you!"

After Qin Zhi finished speaking, his eyes sharpened, and his aura tightened instantly. Like a door god descending to earth, he somersaulted off his horse and, using the momentum from his jump, spun around in mid-air, gripping his double maces tightly. He spun them like windmills, and with the force of the rotation, he delivered a heavy blow straight at Li Hanxiao's head.

"it is good!"

Li Hanxiao knew that the force of this mace strike would be enough to shatter the stone lion! So he raised his three-pointed double-edged sword upwards, and the mace struck the blade. In fact, Li Hanxiao used a "handle-slicing" method, holding the handle with both hands, one side high and the other low. This was a way to deflect the force, so that when the mace struck, it would immediately slice through!

With a muffled thud, sparks flew everywhere. Li Hanxiao couldn't help but take a half step back. If this three-pointed double-edged sword hadn't been given to him by Erlang Shen, the hilt would have been smashed off long ago!

This was only the first blow. Before the left mace was even retracted, Qin Zhi's right mace followed immediately, sweeping towards Li Hanxiao's neck with a gust of wind.

That's why it's called a series of deadly attacks! They come one after another, giving you no chance to react!

This time, he couldn't take it head-on. Who knew how many consecutive blows he would unleash? Li Hanxiao had to use a clever trick, so he dodged by falling backward, making a "Vajra Iron Bridge" move, lowering his body, and simply slipped past.

Meanwhile, Li Hanxiao's three-pointed double-edged sword was not idle either, and he swept it towards Qin Zhi's legs with a "searching the mountains and inspecting the seas" move.

Seeing that his lower body was in danger, Qin Zhi split his two golden maces. He used one to continue his attack while probing downwards with the other. He blocked Li Hanxiao's attack a step ahead of him, blocking the path of the three-pointed double-edged sword. Then, he slashed the three-pointed double-edged sword from left to right with one mace, while the two maces, one above and one below, "clamped" towards Li Hanxiao's body!

If Li Hanxiao were to fall for it, those two maces would be like clamps, clamping him down and then lifting him into the sky with a burst of force.

Li Hanxiao didn't give him that chance. He pushed the hilt of his knife against the ground and had to roll on the ground, rolling more than a meter away before dodging the mace.

Before Li Hanxiao could get up, Qin Zhi did a somersault forward and swung his mace down with the momentum of the fall.

The force rose from the ground. Li Hanxiao could tell that this was his last move. He had tried to dodge it earlier, but he figured the other man wouldn't truly submit to him. So, he decided to take this attack head-on and stop dodging. He gritted his teeth and raised his knife to block, producing a muffled sound like thunder. The sound was even more powerful than that of a bronze bell.

"Excellent mace!"

Li Hanxiao exclaimed, "This mace strike is incredibly powerful, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks! If it weren't for Erlang Shen's mastery of the martial arts and Li Hanxiao's improved physique, he definitely wouldn't have been able to withstand this attack!"

This move is the "Drunken Shot Locking Demon Mirror" technique taught by Erlang Shen. It is extremely difficult to execute, but it is the best move to turn defeat into victory. Sure enough, it blocked the last blow!

The attack wasn't over yet; there was a follow-up move. The three-pointed dagger thrust forward, about to pierce through the gap between the two maces and strike "Golden-Faced Buddha" Qin Zhi's face.

At this moment, Li Hanxiao turned the handle of the knife, and the three blades instantly spun out, like the blades of a blender. The double maces burst open like a fan, and the blades came to rest steadily an inch in front of the forehead of "Golden-Faced Buddha" Qin Zhi.

This was the last move that Erlang Shen taught Li Hanxiao.

"Excellent swordsmanship! Excellent swordsmanship!"

Qin Zhi, the "Golden-Faced Buddha," was overjoyed to see that Li Hanxiao had blocked all of his consecutive attacks without even getting hurt.

The strength of the Qin family's "Sudden Strike" lies in its ability to use the opponent's force against them, with the force increasing layer by layer, becoming more and more powerful, until the final force is basically beyond the control of the user.

It wasn't difficult for Li Hanxiao to receive the first move, because it was the most basic and least forceful strike.

However, Li Hanxiao could not only withstand this final blow but also turn the tide of battle, which clearly showed who was superior.

It's like Qin Zhi, the "Golden-Faced Buddha," has already launched a nuclear attack, while Li Hanxiao is still unharmed.

"The Qin family's mace technique truly lives up to its reputation!"

In truth, it was quite strenuous for Li Hanxiao to withstand the Qin family's series of attacks head-on, but all of Li Hanxiao's efforts were worthwhile in being able to take on this expert.

"Greetings, Your Highness! From now on, I will serve you faithfully!"

Qin Zhi turned his double maces around and bowed deeply to Li Han, laughing.

"Alright, but if you pledge allegiance to me, please don't call me 'Prince Consort,' it sounds a bit like I'm marrying into your family. Just call me brother, or call me Chieftain!"

Li Han said with a carefree smile.

"There is a distinction between ruler and subject; this is the fundamental principle. I dare not address you as brother, Prince Consort. Please call me Chieftain!"

Qin Zhi said.

"Alright, Brother Qin Zhi, there's something else I need to attend to. Come with me to Qingfeng Mountain right away!"

"Where is Qingfeng Mountain? I don't know the way!"

"Just follow me!"

So, Li Hanxiao mounted his horse and led the way, with Qin Zhi following behind, and the two headed straight for Qingfeng Mountain.

Upon arriving at the location, Li Hanxiao discovered that the battle seemed to have ended, and dozens of soldiers' corpses lay on the ground.

Li Hanxiao went directly to "Leopard Head" Lin Chong to inquire about the battle situation. Lin Chong told him that when they arrived, they were caught off guard by the government troops and quickly collapsed.

As for Huang Xin, the "Suppressor of Three Mountains," when he arrived, he happened to run into Lin Chong, the "Leopard Head." The two fought for ten rounds, and Lin Chong stabbed Huang Xin in the thigh, causing Huang Xin to lead his troops in defeat.

It was only because Lin Chong didn't intend to kill him that he was killed; otherwise, he would have stabbed him to death with a spear long ago.

As for these bandits on the mountain, after realizing that their three kings had run away, they were leaderless and had no choice but to resist the government troops here in order to survive.

Now that their savior has arrived, Lin Chong stepped forward and did some more united front work, successfully turning them all to the side. They are now cleaning up the battlefield and packing their valuables, preparing to move to Liangshan immediately.

Since they're just trying to make a living no matter who they follow, why don't they switch to a stronger master?

“We need to act quickly. According to you, Huang Xin, the ‘Suppressor of Three Mountains,’ did not run towards Qingzhou City. Instead, it seems he ran towards Qingfeng Village nearby. There is a ‘Little Li Guang’ named Hua Rong in Qingfeng Village. He is very capable. If he brings his troops, we will be in trouble.”

Although Li Hanxiao and Lin Chong are here, and even "Thunderbolt" Qin Ming has come along, they can still put up a fight, but after all, this is Qingzhou's territory. They have more people, and Qingfeng Village is nearby, making it easier for them to provide support.

"By the way, Chieftain, who is this brother?"

Lin Chong, nicknamed "Leopard Head," noticed Qin Zhi, nicknamed "Golden-Faced Buddha," standing beside him.

"This is Qin Zhi, the 'Golden-Faced Buddha,' a descendant of Qin Qiong, the Duke of Protector of the State of the Great Tang Dynasty. His mace skills are unparalleled, not inferior to his ancestor. He was originally a retainer of Shi Shi, but has come to join us. Brother Qin, this is Lin Chong, the former instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards in Tokyo, known as 'Leopard Head.' You two should get to know each other."

"So it's Instructor Lin! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

"Brother, you're a descendant of Qin Shubao, no wonder you have such an extraordinary appearance!"

After Lin Chong and Qin Zhi exchanged greetings, Li Hanxiao then asked Qin Zhi to meet the others and introduce them to each other. Afterward, he went to urge everyone to withdraw their troops quickly.

Fortunately, although Qingfeng Mountain was a well-known mountain in Qingzhou, it was not a large mountain stronghold, and the grain and money it usually accumulated were not particularly large. The henchmen emptied it out, leaving an empty mountain stronghold on the mountain, and Li Hanxiao led everyone away quickly.

As Li Hanxiao had predicted, Huang Xin, the "Suppressor of Three Mountains," indeed went to Qingfeng Village to invite Hua Rong, the "Little Li Guang," for help.

However, when he and "Little Li Guang" Hua Rong arrived at Qingfeng Mountain again, it was already deserted, with not a single person left, not even a bedding set.

Huang Xin, known as "Zhen San Shan," was shot for nothing and missed his target. He was extremely unwilling. He had originally thought that he could take Qingfeng Mountain and then, riding the wave of victory, try to take Erlong Mountain and Sangai Mountain as well.

Now things are really bad. His wound won't heal for at least a month. After Lin Chong joined Liangshan, he changed his weapon to the Zhangba Snake Spear. The Zhangba Snake Spear is not a straight-bladed spear, but a spearhead that is curved like a snake. When this spear pierces in, the wound is very complicated. It is really not something that can be rushed to heal.

Li Hanxiao has acquired the remaining forces from Qingfeng Mountain, but he doesn't know what the current situation is for "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen who went to Erlong Mountain and "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang who went to Umbrella Mountain.

Things went quite smoothly at Erlong Mountain. When Li Hanxiao and his men retreated from Huangnigang, they took the heads of "Golden-Eyed Tiger" Deng Long and "Sea Yaksha" Sun Yuan with them, which they would use to persuade their subordinates to surrender later.