Chapter 154: Convergence of the Constellations (Part III)

"Huyan Zhuo! Didn't he go to suppress Liangshan?" Previously, he had heard that Huyan Zhuo's chained cavalry had terrified the forces of Liangshan to the point where they dared not sally forth easily. How was it that only a remnant force remained now?

Although he did not know what exactly had happened, he felt that Huyan Zhuo's arrival provided a breathing space for the precarious situation here. The outlaws of Liangshan had managed to break into Gaotang Prefecture and rescue Chai Jin, the descendant of the former dynasty's imperial family, which naturally proved they possessed some capability. Yet, the bandits from the surrounding three mountains could not possibly possess such immense prowess as well!

With this thought, the official immediately rose from his seat and went out to welcome Huyan Zhuo.

At Liangshan, Song Jiang looked at the messenger and asked, "Are you saying that Huyan Zhuo was defeated, fled to Qingzhou, and, with the aid of the Qingzhou garrison, defeated the heroes of the three mountains?"

By this time, some days had already passed since Liangshan's resounding defeat of Huyan Zhuo. Several surrounding county seats had all fallen into their grasp. Naturally, this was done in secret; on the surface, the imperial officials were still at their posts, yet their safety was entirely under the control of the Liangshan folk. After all, Song Jiang had no desire to genuinely declare himself a king of his own territory. To occupy mountains and act as bandits would still leave them as ordinary outlaws no matter how grand the uproar. But once they seized walled cities, they would instantly become traitors guilty of rebellion!

Moreover, they had come to understand that the current strength of the Liangshan forces lay in their abundance of skilled generals, formidable individual martial prowess, and a certain topographical advantage. However, when it came to true military formations and head-on confrontations, they were not even a match for some of the local elite imperial armies! If not for Huyan Zhuo's overconfidence in his chained cavalry, coupled with the unexpected emergence of the hook-sickle spears, Liangshan would have suffered catastrophic losses even in victory.

"Perhaps, in the future, we can attempt to recruit more officers from the imperial court," Song Jiang mused, thinking of Lin Chong and Xu Ning, both of whom were exceptional at training troops. Yet, neither was particularly adept at commanding full-scale frontline battles. Furthermore, there was the cavalry force; if they wished to confront the Liao Dynasty in days to come, possessing a formidable cavalry contingent was absolute necessity.

"In that case, let us begin with Huyan Zhuo and his subordinates!" With this thought, Song Jiang took the letter and went to see Chao Gai.

The forces of Liangshan, combined with the outlaws of the three mountains—Huyan Zhuo had already struggled to hold his ground against the generals of the three mountains alone. With the addition of the Liangshan troops and their urgent desperation, he was quickly routed. During his hurried retreat, he fell straight into a pre-prepared trap and was captured alive by the Liangshan forces.

Putting aside the fact that Huyan Zhuo was a reincarnation of a martial star, his repeated defeats left him with no conceivable way to report back and justify himself from any angle. At best, he would be convicted and exiled to the distant borders, branded as a criminal clan; at worst, the malicious slander of corrupt officials would likely cost him his head entirely.

Here, however, not only did Song Jiang offer gentle and persuasive counsel, but he also bestowed upon him a high-ranking position. Comparing the two options, Huyan Zhuo chose to surrender to Liangshan. Along with him, the forces of the three mountains and all their heroes likewise ascended Mount Liang.

Watching several more stars light up upon the grand constellation array atop Mount Liang, a faint smile touched Sun Meng's lips. At this rate, it would not be long before the grand gathering of Liangshan heroes took place. Yet, in his memories, the time of Chao Gai's death was also rapidly approaching. Ever since the initial gathering of the Seven Stars, he had been speculating on the cause of Chao Gai's demise. Yet, all his varied conjectures had ultimately been overturned by reality.

The moment was now close at hand, and he wished to see what the exact circumstances would turn out to be! Most importantly, according to his memory, Chao Gai was struck by a poisoned arrow and ultimately perished from the venom. He simply refused to believe that, given his own level of strength and personal intervention, Chao Gai would still meet his death!

In truth, Sun Meng held another purpose in mind: to test the extent of this world's will and see precisely what limits it could reach! This was done not merely to reap benefits within this realm, but also to lay plans for future mission worlds. Simply following the predetermined plot and collecting point rewards no longer satisfied his demands.

The defeat of the imperial court's formidable general Huyan Zhuo by Liangshan could not be entirely concealed. Although the imperial court did not immediately dispatch a massive army to resume the encirclement and suppression, the major cities surrounding Liangshan heightened their vigilance, the smaller towns accelerated their troop training, and the local wealthy gentry contributed money and effort alike, terrified that one day the Liangshan outlaws would descend upon them and use their heads as sacrificial offerings to the heavens.

After several expeditions for plunder yielded meager gains yet consumed substantial supplies, everyone on Mount Liang realized this critical flaw. Chao Gai and the others felt this was an ominous sign. Though they flew the banner of "acting on behalf of heaven" and "rob the rich to aid the poor," they remained bandits at heart. The common folk might express gratitude when they eradicated local tyrants and gentry to distribute wealth and grain, but expecting those same people to welcome them with open arms upon arrival was an impossible dream.

"Lately, the consumption for training troops within the stronghold has been considerable, whether it is forging explosive thunder-balls or breeding chained cavalry. The expenditure is immense, forcing us to purchase these supplies in bulk. Consequently, the provisions within the stronghold are growing somewhat scarce," Wu Yong stated.

"When it comes to large-scale transactions, the only party nearby with the capability and daring to trade with us is Zengtou Village. However, the Zeng family are not natives of the Great Song; they are fierce and unyielding by nature. Even if they truly agreed, we would still have to expend a vast sum of money."

Zengtou Village was originally a small local settlement. Earlier, a wealthy foreign merchant had put down roots there and established a stronghold. Because of his extraordinary valor, the local Song officials found him difficult to manage, allowing him to expand his influence across hundreds of square miles to build a fortified town, complete with a private army numbering over ten thousand and several subsidiary stockades. Ordinarily, he traded for goods with northern tribes and sold them at exorbitant prices to the people of the Song, reaping immense profits.

In secret, they acted much like bandits, pillaging and even raiding smaller elite manors, making them true overlords of the local region.

"Could it be that this is our only option?" Chao Gai furrowed his brow. For some inexplicable reason, whenever he heard the name Zengtou Village, he felt a strange sensation—a surge of unprovoked fury rising from the depths of his heart, filled with a burning desire to obliterate Zengtou Village and hack the Zeng father and sons into ten thousand pieces just to find relief! Yet, whenever this thought arose, a chilling premonition of mortal danger gripped him, as though going there would lead directly to death.

"Actually, there is another person who might have a way to procure a vast quantity of horses and iron ore," Song Jiang said.

The Righteous Protector of Shandong, the Jade Qilin of Hebei.

These were the words spreading throughout the pugilistic world, for both men were renowned for distributing wealth for righteousness and delighting in befriending heroes of the jianghu.

The former required no introduction; he was none other than Song Jiang. The latter, meanwhile, was a native of Daming Prefecture, the Jade Qilin Lu Junyi!

He was originally a wealthy local merchant and squire, possessing peerless martial arts that shook the Hebei region. His family primarily dealt in the salt, iron, horse, and tea trades with the northern tribes, and he maintained close ties with the border garrison.

"Could the Gongming brother be referring to Squire Lu Junyi, the Jade Qilin of Hebei?" Wu Yong gently shook his feather fan. "The situation along the border between the two countries remains uncertain at present, and rumors say battles occurred there not long ago. Furthermore, even if we managed to purchase the goods, transporting them safely back to the mountain would pose another major problem. Even if we succeed this once, are we to conduct ourselves this way from now on?"

What Wu Yong articulated was a monumental dilemma confronting Liangshan. The predicament they now faced was bound to materialize sooner or later. Because the ranks of Liangshan were swelling by the day, they could no longer rely solely on simple acts of banditry to sustain the stronghold, especially since they flew the righteous banner of acting on behalf of heaven and could not simply discard it.

Chao Gai nodded in agreement. "The strategist speaks wisely. Does he happen to have any sound countermeasures?" As he spoke, he could not help rubbing the space between his eyebrows, feeling an unaccountable wave of mental fatigue lately.

Wu Yong replied, "I suggest we dispatch scouts to investigate Lu Junyi's situation. If we can induce him to ascend the mountain, not only will we gain a supreme general, but we will also secure a stable source of financial resources."

Chao Gai nodded. "That is indeed true. However, Lu Junyi is, after all, a wealthy local merchant with deep-rooted foundations built over many years. Persuading him to join our Liangshan will likely prove exceedingly difficult!" Back then, had he not first encountered Sun Meng, who awakened his stellar destiny, followed by the robbery of the birthday gifts and subsequent exposure that forced him onto Liangshan, he too would have preferred to remain a local magnate in his hometown.

Wu Yong smiled faintly. "Where there's a will, there's a way. I am willing to make the journey personally."

Song Jiang felt a sense of unease and was just about to voice his objection when a scout rushed in to report that a stalwart fellow had come to seek refuge. This man had originally brought a troop of fine horses from the northern lands, only to have them seized by the people of Zengtou Village, and he had intended to present them to Liangshan.

As to why he reported to Chao Gai and the others, it turned out the man was an expert of the early congenital realm who possessed an astonishing mastery over breeding and appraising horses. Huyan Zhuo's prized steed had suffered a severe stomach ailment due to unsuitable fodder and had lacked any vigor for days. With just a few words, this stranger pinpointed the root cause of the horse's affliction and provided a foolproof remedy.

Following his advice, they changed the horse's fodder, and sure enough, the animal began eating voraciously. Huyan Zhuo happened to witness this firsthand and directly brought the matter before Chao Gai and the leaders.

A flash of wrath crossed Chao Gai's eyes. "The audacity of this Zengtou Village! We have yet to settle accounts with them, and yet they dare to provoke our Liangshan first! Issue the order: summon all the brothers to the Hall of Loyalty and Honor!"