Chapter 112: The Strife with Wang Lun (Part Two)

As the sun set and the moon rose, the main hall of Liangshan was adorned with lanterns and streamers. If not for the absence of red "double happiness" characters, one might have thought a wedding was taking place; if not for the season, one might have mistaken it for the New Year.

Among the bustling underlings, one individual moved mechanically, passing various items while constantly observing the surroundings. However, anyone who made physical contact with him would realize that his appearance was merely a hologram, concealing an entirely different person inside.

Pix was personally infiltrating the Liangshan stronghold. He had arrived at the outer perimeter earlier than Lin Zhong and his companion, discovering Zhu Gui and Du Xing. Yet, he faced a dilemma upon trying to enter the mountain: the waterways were protected by a reed labyrinth, and the skies were guarded by a faint stellar formation. In other words, he either had to be captured or follow someone inside. Unfortunately, during the days he arrived early, Liangshan had just returned from a raid, meaning there were no underlings being sent out to procure supplies.

It wasn't until Lin Zhong and his companion arrived that Pix managed to slip in underwater, following their boat. Once on the mountain, the primitive defenses of Liangshan were no match for him, and he thoroughly scouted the interior and exterior of the stronghold. The result was the discovery of Du Qian and Song Wan, two unawakened Star Generals. Zhu Gui and Du Xing were also revealed to be Star Generals, but Wang Lun, curiously, was not.

According to the system's mission prompts, the gathering at Liangshan was intended for the fated Star Generals; it should not have a leader who was not one of them. There could only be one conclusion: Wang Lun had died before the one hundred and eight Star Generals could assemble at Liangshan.

With this realization, he deployed a micro-robot to monitor Wang Lun and discovered that the man was nothing more than a facade—possessing status but no true strength, completely oblivious to the micro-probe lurking mere inches away.

With this advantage, Pix could not sit idle. He used the robot to release drugs and hypnotic pulses to manipulate Wang Lun’s emotions, twisting his existing dislike for Lin Zhong and his companion into a murderous intent.

"In this way, Lin Zhong and his companion will certainly not let this go, and I only need to ensure that the four men, including Du Xing, survive. Liangshan only needs Star Generals as its famous leaders!" Pix thought to himself, his hands never ceasing their work.

Elsewhere, a minor underling whom Wang Lun had previously instructed arrived.

"Great Leader, everything has been arranged. The two drugs have no side effects when taken separately and actually enhance blood flow, but together, they act to suppress internal energy. The brothers are all prepared," the underling reported.

"Good. Well done," Wang Lun nodded. As the underling turned to leave, Wang Lun suddenly added, "Oh, and send a jar of fine wine to Zhu Gui so he can have a sound sleep. If he refuses, drug him until he's out cold! Deal with him once the feast is over!" Influenced by the hypnotic suggestions, Wang Lun had become completely unhinged. He was not only planning to kill the highly threatening Lin Zhong and Yang Zhi but also to eliminate all the minor and major leaders in the stronghold who did not obey his commands.

The underling bowed his head, "Yes!"

Wang Lun continued, "Get this done, and Zhu Gui's position will be yours." He waved his hand, dismissing the underling.

Not long after leaving, the underling was dragged into a secluded corner, a hand clamped over his mouth.

"Mmmph..." The underling struggled, but his captor was far stronger. A moment later, a face appeared before him, scaring him nearly to death.

"What did that wretch Wang Lun order you to do?"

Under the moonlight, the blue birthmark on Yang Zhi’s face looked even more menacing. Combined with the aura of pressure he exuded, the underling collapsed to the ground. "Hero, spare me! Hero, spare me! That scoundrel Wang Lun not only doesn't want to accept you, but he also wants to kill you! We are just following orders, we had no choice!"

He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, hoping to save his life. Although those who turned to banditry were desperate men, no one wanted to die if they could help it.

"Tell me exactly what that wretch Wang Lun made you do. You will testify against him later, or you can die right now!" Yang Zhi grabbed the underling by the throat.

The underling blinked rapidly to signal his compliance. Yang Zhi then used his internal energy to seal the man's acupoints, rendering him mute, and spirited him back to his room with Lin Zhong under the cover of shadows.

Inside, Lin Zhong stood up. "As I thought, that scoundrel Wang Lun is ill-intentioned!" Although he had gathered clues, he lacked concrete evidence. Acting on mere suspicion would make it difficult to justify his actions to the others.

Yang Zhi threw the underling to the floor and released his mute point. "Tell us everything about how Wang Lun plans to harm us!"

The underling tried to stand but found his body paralyzed, save for his mouth and eyes. He could only lie on the floor, turning his head to recount Wang Lun’s plan.

Just then, the voice of Zhu Gui came from outside the door.

"Brother Lin Zhong, Brother Yang Zhi, it’s me, Zhu Gui! I have something to tell you, open the door!" Zhu Gui knocked as he spoke.

Yang Zhi and Lin Zhong exchanged a look. What now?

They couldn't refuse to open the door; would they really skip the banquet? That would only give Wang Lun a pretext. But opening the door—setting aside whether Zhu Gui was there to help Wang Lun—was problematic because of the underling on the floor. How would they explain kidnapping one of the stronghold's men?

Lin Zhong took a deep breath, walked to the door, and opened it.

Zhu Gui looked at Lin Zhong. "Brother Lin, this is not convenient to discuss here. Let me in." He started to enter.

Lin Zhong grabbed Zhu Gui by the shoulder with one hand while clearing the way and closing the door behind him.

Zhu Gui saw the underling on the floor, and his expression changed. "So, you two brothers already know! Then I won't beat around the bush. That scoundrel Wang Lun intends to harm not only you two but also us, the veteran leaders. The four of us have awakened our star power, and we wish to crown you both as the new leaders of the stronghold to kill this faithless, unjust man!"

Yang Zhi laughed. "Brother Zhu Gui, we are outsiders. Even if we join, we are newcomers. How could we possibly become the leaders?"

Zhu Gui replied, "To be honest, in terms of combat strength, the only ones worth mentioning on Liangshan are myself, Du Xing, Du Qian, and Song Wan. Brother Du Xing just broke through to the second rank, and he is fed up with Wang Lun. With you two, victory is assured! We all believe that your strength and character are far superior to Wang Lun’s." As he spoke, Zhu Gui prepared to kneel and pay his respects.

Lin Zhong quickly helped him up. "Brother Zhu, what are you saying! Since you trust us both, we accept this gesture! At the banquet, once this fellow reveals Wang Lun's crimes, we will strike immediately!" Since they held the advantage, keeping Wang Lun alive would be madness.

With lanterns lit and drums beating, the main hall of Liangshan was bright and festive under the night sky.

Lin Zhong and Yang Zhi entered from the left, while Zhu Gui and his group entered from the right. At the sound of a gong, Wang Lun walked in from the rear hall.

"Brothers! Today is a great day for Liangshan, as Brothers Lin Zhong and Yang Zhi are joining us. They are top-tier martial artists, and it is our great fortune that they have joined. Isn't this cause for celebration?" Wang Lun laughed as he raised his wine cup. "Brothers, drain your cups!"

After drinking, Wang Lun smiled and said, "Let us begin!" As he spoke, the wine cup fell from his hand.

Immediately, a series of thuds echoed as men collapsed.

Wang Lun sneered as he looked at Lin Zhong and the others, only to suddenly feel a sense of dread.

A moment later, a short blade was held to his throat. He tried to use his mental energy to push the person behind him away, but he only felt a splitting headache, wishing only to lie down and recover.

"You, you..." Looking at the face of the man behind him, cold sweat poured down Wang Lun's back.

Du Xing sneered, "Wang Lun, to drug the wine? You really look down on me, Du Xing! Every drop of wine on this mountain is managed by me; what kind of poison could I not recognize?"

Zhu Gui stood up and waved his hand. The underlings pushed forward the captured minor underling. "Brothers, Wang Lun acted unjustly first, not only plotting against Brothers Lin and Yang but also planning to kill us! We are merely striking first in self-defense. This man is Wang Lun’s confidant, and he knows all of Wang Lun’s plans!" He kicked the underling.

The underling felt everyone’s eyes on him, remembered what Zhu Gui had said, and gritted his teeth.

"Wang Lun, he..."