Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

"Everyone knows the He Shi Bi, it was the raw material for the Imperial Seal of the State, and it is also the legendary jade from Mount Jing."

Li Han smiled and replied.

"Indeed, I entered Jing Mountain in search of such a beautiful jade. I searched in the mountain for more than two months and finally found a jade stone that was the same as the legendary He Shi Bi. However, because the matter was not kept secret, it was leaked in the inn, which led to the pursuit of bandits."

As Wang Yin spoke, he patted the package on his horse's back, which seemed to contain the "He Shi Bi" he had been searching for.

Li Hanxiao knew that Wang Yin was a rare talent and was thinking about how to recruit him when suddenly a cloud of dust rose on the official road. A group of men charged in from afar, and the leader shouted, "It's him! Charge! Avenge the chief!"

"these people……"

Faced with Li Hanxiao's question, Wang Yin smiled helplessly, "These are the bandits who have been relentlessly pursuing me. I killed their leader, and they've come for revenge!"

"Brother Wang, how about we lend you a hand?"

Li Han smiled to himself, thinking that this was a good opportunity to get closer to Wang Yin, and he couldn't afford not to seize it.

"I couldn't be happier! To be honest, I really can't fight against four people on my own!"

Wang Yin was delighted to have an ally, grabbed the Tiger Head Steel Spear, and charged forward with Li Hanxiao.

Ou Peng followed closely behind, and the three of them raised their weapons and launched a fierce attack on the charging bandits. Wang Yin and Li Hanxiao were evenly matched in martial arts, while Ou Peng was slightly inferior, but he was also a member of a military family and had excellent swordsmanship, so dealing with these guys was no problem.

"Brother Wang, how about we see who kills more?"

Li Han smiled and cleaved an enemy off his horse with a single stroke, one shoulder and one back, and said with amusement.

"Okay! Let's compete!"

Wang Yin was not to be outdone, and with one shot he sent the enemy flying off his horse and crashing into a tree trunk.

The bandits recognized Wang Yin, and seventeen or eighteen of them surrounded him. Wang Yin, wielding his spear, parried and attacked with lightning speed, leaving no room to breathe. Every now and then, he would thrust one of them off his horse with a single shot, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Li Hanxiao and Ou Peng were in the same situation, each surrounded by seven or eight people. However, the bandits Li Hanxiao faced were all armed with long spears. Li Hanxiao's three-pointed double-edged sword was sharp, and he killed them all, cutting the spear shafts into several pieces and scattering them. Most of the enemies were left with only half a bald stick in their hands, and dared not fight back. They were beaten and scattered.

"You thieving men and women, give me back my brother's life!"

At this moment, the second-in-command of the bandits, holding an iron whip, charged towards Wang Yin, ready to fight to the death. Taking advantage of Wang Yin's distraction while surrounded, he struck Wang Yin on the back of the head with the steel whip.

"Clang!"

At this moment, Li Hanxiao swiftly intercepted the enemy's sneak attack with a single strike, his steel whip striking the three-pointed double-edged sword.

Hearing the wind behind him, Wang Yin knew someone had taken advantage of his vulnerability. He thought his life was over, but Li Hanxiao stopped him in time, saving him from certain death.

"Brother Li! Thank you so much for saving my life!"

Wang Yin broke out in a cold sweat, used his steel spear to knock away everyone's weapons, broke through the encirclement, and loudly expressed his gratitude.

"All men are brothers under heaven, why bother with thanks!"

As Li Hanxiao replied, he was relentlessly slashing at the second-in-command. The second-in-command, wielding an iron whip, was forced to retreat repeatedly by Li Hanxiao's swift blade, sparks flying from the whip.

"open!"

Li Hanxiao shouted and unleashed his most powerful "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother" move, using the Great Armored Saber Technique. With a forceful downward slash, he severed the iron whip in two!

Having been slashed so many times before, the iron whip was already overburdened and was now completely destroyed. Without the iron whip to stop it, the knife went straight into the flesh, chopping off half of the second-in-command's arm with tremendous force.

Because the three-pointed double-edged sword was so sharp, the second-in-command didn't even realize his arm had fallen off, and stood frozen on his horse for two seconds.

Immediately, blood burst from his wound—not just spurting, but exploding—and he instantly lost his balance, cried out in pain, and fell off his horse. The injury was essentially fatal.

The bandits had already lost their leader to Wang Yin's spear, and now their second-in-command had been killed by Li Hanxiao. They were leaderless and like headless flies. When they saw the second-in-command's severed arm, they were terrified and lost all will to fight. They all scattered like birds and beasts.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ou Peng chased after them and killed several more people.

"Alright, don't pursue a cornered enemy!"

Li Hanxiao stopped Ou Peng's pursuit, while Wang Yin dismounted and bowed to Li Hanxiao, saying, "Brother Li, I have no way to repay your life-saving grace!"

"All men are brothers under heaven. It is our duty to help those in need when we see injustice. Why be so formal? Brother Wang, please rise. We feel like old friends. I would like to befriend you. May I ask where you are headed today?"

To be honest, Li Hanxiao knew about Wang Yin's abilities, but he didn't really know much about his personality. In the original work, Wang Yin was one of Fang La's men and not a major character. Unlike the 108 heroes, who had sufficient character development, Li Hanxiao could only test him little by little.

"Alas, I was originally a stonemason in my hometown, but then Zhu Mi of Jiangnan forcibly conscripted stonemasons to work as laborers. Because of these treacherous officials who harmed the people, I refused to work for them, so I fled and wandered the world. Recently, I came to this old land of Jingxiang and decided to look for the whereabouts of the He Shi Bi jade. Now, although I have obtained the He Shi Bi jade, I don't know what the future holds..."

Wang Yin looked troubled, clearly unsure of what to do.

Li Hanxiao was secretly overjoyed. Since Wang Yin had nowhere to go, he could try to win him over that day.

"Judging from your martial arts skills and conversation, you are truly a dragon among men. You should not be used by treacherous officials. You should do something great and make your life worthwhile!"

Li Hanxiao feigned regret and sighed.

Li Hanxiao's words stirred up emotions, and Wang Yin also fell into self-pity, sighing deeply, "To think of me, Wang Yin, my ancestors were once famous throughout the land, and now I have learned the martial arts of my ancestors, yet I cannot make a name for myself, indeed..."

"May I ask about your ancestors, Brother Wang?"

Li Hanxiao had no idea that Wang Yin had any famous ancestors, so he asked curiously.

Wang Yin said solemnly, "Under Zhu Wen of the Later Liang Dynasty, the one who could strike down thirty-six Tang generals in a single day without shifting his shadow..."

"Iron Spear King Yanzhang!"

Li Hanxiao and Ou Peng both exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

Who doesn't know Wang Yanzhang, the Iron Spear Master? He and Li Cunxiao, one of the Thirteen Protectors, are considered the best and the other the second best in the world. I never expected that Wang Yin would be a descendant of Wang Yanzhang. No wonder he has such excellent spear skills.

Back then, Iron Spear Wang Yanzhang used his backhand spear to kill Gao Siji. Later, the Five Dragons and Two Tigers forced Wang Yanzhang to his death. Gao Siji's grandson, Gao Huaide, also used his backhand spear to kill Wang Yanzhang's son, Wang Tianshou. Cause and effect are cyclical, and this Wang Yin is a descendant of Wang Tianshou.

"I am ashamed, I am ashamed. I am incompetent and have disgraced my ancestors. My ancestors were once second in the world, but I am nothing but a fart!"

Wang Yin looked dejected and said, half self-deprecatingly and half helplessly.

“Brother Wang, why belittle yourself? In the past, Wang Tieqiang was a man who was ennobled and appointed as prime minister. You are also quite capable. If you can find a place to put your skills to use, your future achievements will surely be no less than those of your grandfather, Wang Yanzhang.”

Li Hanxiao gradually steered the conversation to this point.

Wang Yin snorted lightly, "The world is so vast, I, Wang Yin, don't even know where to go, let alone how to display my abilities. If I don't serve the court, the treacherous officials will arrest me. Am I supposed to become an outlaw in the mountains?"

"Alas, that is not true. What is wrong with going up the mountain to become an outlaw? In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, once became an outlaw in Mangdang Mountain. Emperor Taizu of Wude also once fell into poverty in a mountain stronghold. During the Five Dynasties and the late Tang Dynasty, there were countless famous generals and warlords who became outlaws. Although your ancestor Wang Yanzhang did not become a mountain king, did he not once dominate the river? Now the world is engulfed in war, officials are forcing the people to rebel, and mountain strongholds are everywhere. If we can choose a good force to overthrow the Song Dynasty, it is not impossible."

Li Hanxiao's reasoned analysis inspired Wang Yin, who then asked, "That makes some sense. But which stronghold should I join to achieve great things? I don't know everything about the martial world, so I hope Brother Li can give me some guidance!"

Wang Yin clasped his hands in a fist and asked Li Hanxiao for guidance, and Li Hanxiao then launched into a lengthy discourse.

"Whether this mountain banditry can succeed depends on three factors: the right time, the right place, and the right people. Although there are many mountain strongholds in the south, none of them are particularly powerful. Most are mediocre or inhabited by foreign tribes. When barbarians rebel, they will not tolerate Han people."

Wang Yin nodded in agreement, then asked, "If the South won't work, are there any good places to go in the North?"

"The main places where uprisings broke out in the north were Shandong and Hebei. The area was dotted with mountains, including Taohua Mountain, Erlong Mountain, Qingfeng Mountain, Dengyun Mountain, and Liangshan Marsh."

Which one can seize the advantages of timing, location, and popular support?

"Let's start with Peach Blossom Mountain. Li Zhong and Zhou Tong are the leaders of this mountain, and they have several hundred followers. The terrain is treacherous, so they have the advantage of location. However, these two are not very capable and are stingy, so they don't have any supporters, let alone favorable timing."

Li Han smiled and shrugged.

"Yes, I've heard in the martial arts world that Li Zhong and Zhou Tong are stingy and used to give away official positions as favors. It's definitely not a place to go."

Wang Yin nodded. Li Zhong and Zhou Tong's stinginess was well-known in the martial arts world, and he had heard about it.

"This Erlong Mountain was originally Baozhu Temple. Golden-Eyed Tiger Deng Long was originally a monk. After he left the monastic life, he led a group of people to rob and plunder. Erlong Mountain has a dangerous terrain, with only one road leading up from the foot of the mountain. It can be said that one man can hold the pass against ten thousand men. It has the advantage of terrain. However, Deng Long's skills are average, and he has no literacy. He robs and plunders without distinguishing between good and bad. It is not a good place."

Wang Yin pondered for a moment before speaking, "The location is good. If we can seize it, we'll have a place to settle down."

"Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune. Brother Wang, consider this: there is only one road leading up the mountain. The enemy cannot go up, and you cannot come down. If the siege drags on for a long time, where will you get food and drink? Even if you stockpile grass and grain, Erlong Mountain is not a large mountain. How much grain and grass can you stockpile?"

After Li Hanxiao's analysis, Wang Yin gave up his idea about Erlong Mountain.

"As for Qingfeng Mountain, it is also located in Qingzhou. The three leaders of the stronghold, Yan Shun, Wang Ying, and Zheng Tianshou, are not particularly capable. Wang Ying is a lecherous scoundrel who has likely harmed many innocent women. I've heard that these people are not good people; they eat human hearts and livers as a snack. Moreover, Qingfeng Mountain is close to Qingfeng Village and Qingzhou City, and Qin Ming and Hua Rong there are not ordinary people. It is a dangerous place, so we should not go there."

Upon hearing Li Hanxiao mention Qingfeng Mountain, Wang Yin's face immediately turned disdainful. He could understand Wang Ying's lust, but their eating human hearts and livers was no different from that of demons and monsters; they were worse than beasts. Even if it were a good place, he wouldn't go there because of those three bastards.

"Dengyun Mountain is a dangerous mountain located within Dengzhou. It is occupied by the uncle and nephew Zou Yuan and Zou Run, but they only have a few dozen people. It's just a small-scale operation. Brother Wang would definitely not be interested in it."

At this point in Li Hanxiao's speech, Wang Yin asked, "So, all that's left is Liangshan Marsh. Is Liangshan Marsh a good place?"

"Now Liangshan Marsh is occupied by Wang Lun and his gang, with Song Wan, Du Qian and Zhu Gui as their henchmen. They control a marshland spanning eight hundred li. Recently, Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, has arrived with more than a thousand followers, making them the most powerful force."

"I've long heard of Lin Chong. He even joined the Liangshan outlaws. Wang Lun must be quite a figure, right?"

Wang Yin thought that Wang Lun, who could make Lin Chong join him, must be more capable than Lin Chong, otherwise how could he gain the trust of someone like Lin Chong?

Li Han laughed upon hearing this and couldn't help but say, "No, no, that Wang Lun is a failed scholar, narrow-minded, jealous of the virtuous and talented, and has no real talent or learning at all. Song Wan, Du Qian, and Zhu Gui are all mediocre. Lin Chong only joined him because he had offended the Grand Commandant Gao and had nowhere else to go, so he was just grasping at straws in desperation!"

After listening to all the different opinions, Wang Yin wondered, if none of these options were viable, then where could he go?

"However, Liangshan Marsh is indeed a good place. It covers an area of ​​eight hundred li and a land area of ​​a thousand li. It is close to Juye Marsh. If we can protect the water area, it will be a natural barrier against foreign enemies. We can cultivate wasteland inside and be self-sufficient. If we can ensure a continuous supply of food and fodder, then even if an army of 100,000 comes, we will not be afraid of them. This is the advantage of the terrain."

"The people around Juye Marsh are suffering terribly because of the rice paddy tax. The fishermen around the area can no longer catch fish and live in poverty. They are almost destitute and hate the court. If they can raise their arms and shout, they can all rise up and oppose the court. This is the opportune time."

"The Liangshan Marsh is currently lacking in manpower. Firstly, Wang Lun is incompetent and unable to accomplish great things. Secondly, he is narrow-minded. Even with Lin Chong's abilities, if he were to join him, Wang Lun would not entrust him with a high position or important responsibilities. Instead, he would make Lin Chong work under the mediocre Du Qian and Song Wan. How could Lin Chong be willing to accept this situation in the long run? If someone with great abilities were to occupy the marsh and make Liangshan Marsh an impregnable fortress, they could conquer prefectures and cities from the outside and recruit talented people from within. Great things can be accomplished then!"

Li Hanxiao launched into a long and eloquent speech, leaving Wang Yin speechless. He could only mutter, "To achieve great things, you must do so here!"

"Indeed, Brother Wang, to be honest, my brothers and I have several hundred men and are heading from south to north, preparing to take over Liangshan Marsh and start a business. The land under heaven belongs to the virtuous. It is a real pity that such a treasure is left in Wang Lun's hands!"

When Li Hanxiao spoke, Wang Yin thought to himself, since Liangshan Marsh could succeed, why not work with Li Hanxiao? He had just been saved by Li Hanxiao, and he had a very good impression of Li Hanxiao. Their fight just now and their conversation now showed that Li Hanxiao was no ordinary person, possessing both literary and military talents.

If I were to go and join that petty and narrow-minded Wang Lun, I wouldn't end up well. After all, even Lin Chong was so mistreated under him, so I probably wouldn't fare much better.

"If I had told you earlier that Brother Li had such ambitions, there would have been no need for all this talk. I have nowhere to go and I want to accomplish something great for a man. After listening to your words just now, I have suddenly understood. If you don't mind, Wang Yin is willing to join the team. How about I take a seat after the mission is accomplished?"

Upon hearing Wang Yin's words, Li Hanxiao knew he was in the game and quickly replied, "This is truly fate that brought us together here. How could I refuse? From now on, we are brothers!"