Chapter 107: The Chai Jin Connection

“They probably won’t act together anymore. What should we do?” Kokolaru asked, watching the footage transmitted from the surveillance robot.

“Liangshan’s territory is already occupied. I’m not sure if any General Stars or Demon Stars are among them. Remember, we have a mission to ensure the number of General Stars,” Mu Xingye replied. “If their numbers are truly significant, we can eliminate a few while their strength is still limited. The mission doesn’t require direct confrontation with them anyway. What do you all think?”

“Based on data analysis, the monk Yuanjue and Lu Zhishen are likely to take refuge around Peach Blossom Mountain. I’ve already dispatched a robot to gather intel; we should have preliminary results soon,” Pixar said. He was now the most crucial member of the team. After determining that General Stars and Demon Stars naturally attract each other, he only needed to cast a wide net to ensure the mission’s success.

Having studied the defensive formations in certain areas and the instincts of those experts, he improved the surveillance robot’s monitoring methods and stealth capabilities, allowing it to avoid detection by Lin Chong and the others. However, the probe couldn’t get too close, especially when no ordinary people were nearby, or it would be discovered.

“I suspect that Chai Jin is likely either a General Star or a Demon Star,” Sun Meng said. “Don’t you think these people all have somewhat plausible underworld nicknames? It’s as if they were born to roam the martial world.”

Sun Meng always felt that the original Liangshan heroes had nicknames that were grounded and relatable, unlike the common thugs or enemies of Liangshan, who either were unworthy of the Liangshan seat or were eliminated for opposing them.

“From what I’ve gathered, Chai Jin is probably a descendant of the previous dynasty’s royal family. Since the current emperor’s ascension was illegitimate, as long as the Chai family descendants don’t go too far, no one interferes. But surely he wouldn’t become an outlaw! Could Liangshan actually be on the verge of rebellion?” Pixar pondered.

“Rebellion is inevitable, but it probably won’t succeed; otherwise, there would be no third-stage mission,” Sun Meng said. The third stage explicitly stated that Liangshan wouldn’t evolve into a regime like the Liang Dynasty, so the rebellion would fail.

Sun Meng glanced at Mu Xingye. Though the Shuiblue Star’s civilization resembled Earth’s in many ways, its history was less tumultuous. From around the Han Dynasty era, the Asian continent, including Southeast Asia, fell under the rule of the Yanhuang Kingdom on Shuiblue Star, while the West was governed by the Papal State.

Their conflicts spanned centuries intermittently until resources in the Americas, Africa, and Australia were simultaneously developed, ushering in rapid civilization progress and global warfare. Ultimately, the Yanhuang Kingdom triumphed and spent centuries erasing cultural differences to unify the Shuiblue Star completely.

Thus, though culturally similar, the civilizations were not identical. At least, Mu Xingye always carried an imperious and domineering aura in his approach.

“I agree with Mu Xingye’s plan. We must ensure the mission’s completion,” Pixar said, his thought process purely rational like a computer, naturally supporting Mu Xingye.

Kokolaru looked at Sun Meng; she was mainly there for numbers, so the decision largely rested with him.

Mu Xingye and Pixar also glanced over, revealing a slight flaw within their alliance. When four people decide on something, it often ends up two versus two. Kokolaru was aligned with Sun Meng, so his opinion carried weight.

“This matter…” Sun Meng hesitated. He was familiar with the original 108 heroes, but now the world was different, and many developments exceeded his expectations. For example, Yang Zhi and Lin Chong originally met when Lin Chong joined Liangshan after being troubled by Wang Lun and needed to prove his loyalty. Afterward, Yang Zhi sold knives, faced lawsuits, was exiled, escorted the birthday gifts, and eventually joined Erlong Mountain with Lu Zhishen.

Now everything was different. There was also a second mission: to ensure the number of General Stars. Though he didn’t know why the system assigned this task, he believed there was a reason—and he couldn’t risk the consequences of failure.

“Alright, I’ll agree to your approach. But if the people on the mountain haven’t awakened yet, don’t act for now. Also, I’ll hand over information about the legends of the constellations. I don’t think all 108 stars are going to be that powerful in the end.” He decided to prepare two plans, diverting Mu Xingye and the others’ attention.

“Is that so? I almost forgot about that,” Mu Xingye said. “After all, Sun Meng, your civilization aligns more culturally in this regard.”

“Since that’s the case, let’s split up! Staying together wastes resources,” Sun Meng suggested.

“Agreed. I’ll monitor the Liangshan side,” Pixar said.

“I’ll keep an eye on those two monks,” Mu Xingye added.

“I’ll watch over Chai Jin’s area. Contact me immediately if there’s news.” Sun Meng looked at Mu Xingye. “If we encounter Demon Stars, any action must be covert. We can’t arouse suspicion from other General or Demon Stars. We’ll have to deal with them eventually. If we offend them now, it could jeopardize the mission—after all, we’re not the only ones undertaking tasks in this world.”

Sun Meng then turned to Kokolaru. “You act alone. Your main task isn’t to find General or Demon Stars but to trace other participants. Head toward the Song-Liao border.”

Kokolaru nodded. She was well suited to this, having been in this world before and possibly gaining some support from the Western Xia region through previous inheritances. Compared to the other three, her strength was somewhat lacking.

Lin Chong and the others split up, and Sun Meng’s group followed their respective targets as planned.

Although this was only the Chai family’s villa, it was still a sizable estate. Since Chai Jin couldn’t hold official office, he devoted most of his energy to befriending martial artists. To maintain his reputation, he often helped those in trouble within the martial world.

In fact, Song Jiang’s so-called “Timely Rain” couldn’t compare to the number of people Chai Jin aided.

Originally, Wu Song had stayed here for nearly a year, ill the entire time, and Chai Jin had never said a word, proving his genuine assistance to the downtrodden.

Sure enough, Lin Chong and Yang Zhi were admitted after introducing themselves. Sun Meng decided to follow them in openly.

He discreetly displayed some internal energy control, so the steward naturally didn’t stop a skilled individual like him.

At that moment, Chai Jin was preparing to receive a visitor.

In the courtyard, several people were practicing with spears and sticks, while onlookers applauded enthusiastically. Even Chai Jin smiled and clapped along.

Only one person drank tea with a disdainful expression.

“Instructor Hong, what do you think of their martial skills?” Chai Jin asked, noticing Hong’s demeanor and hoping to give him a reminder, perhaps to save face.

But Hong clearly didn’t get the hint; instead, he sought to use this opportunity to elevate his status here. After all, a higher position meant more money from Chai Jin.

“These people are just ordinary martial artists—look good but utterly useless. In the army, they wouldn’t last a few rounds!” Hong sneered at the performers. “Master Chai, these wandering fighters only deserve a small reward. Watch my real skills—I’ll save you from being fooled in the future!” Saying so, he strode over to a nearby weapons rack and picked up a wooden staff.

Glancing at the performers, he boasted, “Step aside and watch how the staff is truly wielded!”

The performers looked at Hong’s arrogant attitude, angry but silent. His reputation was well-known in the area; otherwise, Chai Jin wouldn’t have received him.

Hong walked to the center of the courtyard, threw off his upper garment, and thrust the long staff forward with a shout.

“Hah!”