Colorful silk banners fluttered, war flags snapped in the wind. Outside the Hall of Righteous Gathering at Liangshan Marsh, the great army had assembled, the atmosphere solemn, killing intent surging skyward.
“…In this age of the Wu dynasty, treacherous ministers hold sway above, corrupt officials commit evil below; the gentry and local strongmen conspire in filthy collusion, oppressing the good and honest. The resentment of the realm has built for so long that heroes now rise up in rebellion — Fang La in the south, Wang Qing in the west, the Tiger King in the north. Today, we heroes of Liangshan gather here in righteous union, to act on Heaven’s behalf! To right the injustices of all under heaven—”
Tier upon tier of steps rose upward, the lesser and mid-ranking chiefs standing in rows, watching the great banner reading “Act on Heaven’s Behalf” snap and unfurl above, listening to the impassioned proclamation ringing out from the hall, echoing through the air. Everyone knew whose voice this was. “Master Illuminator” Wu Yong, styled Xueju.
Ever since the Zeng Family Fortress campaign, the course of Liangshan’s development over the past year had rested almost entirely in this man’s hands. Though others like Zhu Wu and Xi Junyu contributed as well, by now Wu Yong’s standing at Liangshan was without equal. Outside, he was widely spoken of as a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, and Song Jiang, who now sat upon Liangshan’s throne, was, owing to his reputation for benevolence and righteousness, often likened to Liu Xuande. The pairing of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, in a sense, lent Liangshan’s whole enterprise an added momentum, drawing many from the martial world to flock to its banner.
“…Now, near Liangshan lie two places — one called Dulong Ridge, the other Wanjia Ridge. The three estates of Dulong Ridge — Zhu, Hu, and Li — and the Ji family of Wanjia Ridge, have colluded with corrupt officials, grown rich through cruelty, and oppressed their neighbors until the whole countryside cries out in complaint. We have all suffered under this for far too long! We have urged them to change their ways time and again, yet they refuse to repent…”
The voice rang out, impassioned and resonant. In truth, this campaign against Dulong Ridge and Wanjia Ridge was, more than anything, Liangshan’s most forceful show of strength yet to the entire realm. Having spent over a year building up its power in reserve, Liangshan’s strength now stood at its historical peak. If the earlier campaign against Zeng Family Fortress had been a hard-fought struggle, then this formal deployment of troops — after more than a year of preparation — against two targets that combined couldn’t match Zeng Family Fortress’s former strength, left no one doubting the outcome.
This battle served merely to test Liangshan’s strength; once it concluded, the scattered territories around the marsh would be truly unified, and Liangshan’s momentum, carried by this victory, would surge forward like a dragon entering water or a great roc spreading its wings, pressing directly toward places like Yunzhou and Jizhou. At this moment, the Wu dynasty’s northern campaign was at its most critical juncture, and the nearby Wurui Camp had already suffered a setback at Liangshan’s hands, leaving it unable to mount an offensive. Liangshan had seized precisely this opportune moment to finally strike.
After so long building up strength in reserve, Liangshan’s accumulated power was now sufficient not merely to conquer places like Dulong Ridge, but potentially even to take cities like Jizhou outright.
If the imperial court remained unable to spare attention for even another year or so, Liangshan’s power could swell to rival that of the former Sage Duke himself. This was the vision that, to some degree, everyone at Liangshan could already see taking shape.
With the hidden tiger about to march, the air itself seemed charged with martial spirit. Amid this momentum, now at its very peak, the assembled heroes filled the Hall of Righteous Gathering. Once the proclamation had been read, Wu Yong began assigning duties and tasks to each man — with every assignment, a command arrow and token were issued, stern and orderly, methodical in every detail.
Wanjia Ridge was not the main focus of this campaign. The commanding general there was “Twin Whips” Huyan Zhuo, with “Nine-Dragon Tattoo” Shi Jin as his deputy and Zhu Wu serving as military advisor. Under them served skilled fighters including “Golden Spear” Xu Ning, the three Ruan brothers, “Ugly Son-in-Law” Xuan Zan, “Bug of the Wooden Well” Hao Sciwen, “Star of the Bristling Head” Kong Ming, “Star of Earthly Fire” Kong Liang, and “Golden Vajra of the Clouds” Song Wan, leading over eight thousand troops.
But since this campaign carried far greater significance than its actual difficulty, and Dulong Ridge demanded due seriousness, Liangshan committed nearly its entire elite force this time, with Song Jiang himself at the head and Wu Yong as military advisor.
“Great Blade” Guan Sheng! “Blue-Faced Beast” Yang Zhi! “Thunderbolt” Qin Ming! “The Ascetic” Wu Song! “Impetuous Vanguard” Suo Chao! These five alone ranked among the very finest fighters at Liangshan, leading the vanguard.
The central army was commanded by Song Jiang himself, with Wu Yong at his side; leading the charge beneath him were “Panther Head” Lin Chong, “Black Whirlwind” Li Kui, “Flowery Monk” Lu Zhishen, “Little Li Guang” Hua Rong, “Twin Spears” Dong Ping, “Featherless Arrow” Zhang Qing, “Sickly Guan Suo” Yang Xiong, and “Reckless Third Son” Shi Xiu, among others.
The rear guard was commanded by “Dragon Entering the Clouds,” Zhu Tong, and Mu Hong and Mu Chun. Altogether, the army numbered nearly twenty thousand men. With the declaration of war issued, they would advance on Dulong Ridge with overwhelming, crushing force.
War vessels bore the great army out from the marsh, preparing to split into two forces. The point of division lay at a place called General’s Ridge, between Wanjia Ridge and Dulong Ridge. The chiefs gathered on the hillside, crimson clouds rolling across the sky, as Song Jiang handed command of one force over to Huyan Zhuo, raising his wine bowl.
“This battle is only the beginning of our righteous cause. After this, we shall take Yunzhou and Jizhou next, acting on Heaven’s behalf, striking down the unjust throughout the realm. Brothers, I ask you all to fight with care — once this battle is won, we shall gather here again for great bowls of wine and great cuts of meat. I only hope not a single one of us is left behind!”
“We shall not fail Brother Gongming’s trust!”
“Once we reach those little estates, we’ll make them piss and shit themselves running!”
“They might just surrender before we even get to fight!”
“Hahahaha…”
Amid the chorus of agreement, Black Whirlwind Li Kui raised a wine jar and roared with laughter. “Goes without saying, Brother Gongming… our troops are strong, our horses fierce—”
Amid the laughter, banners and soldiers stretched across the land, weapons raised and battle cries rising — in an instant, the roar of killing shook the earth.
Such vigor, such spirit — it felt, in some vague way, like the dawn of a new era. At least in this moment, that was how Xi Junyu, standing among the chiefs on the hillside, felt.
Since leaving the Su family and turning to a life of banditry, it had felt to him like abandoning his old life entirely, with no place left to belong — yet gradually, he’d come to realize he had stepped into an entirely new world, one that dwarfed the petty scheming and cunning of Jiangning’s merchant circles many times over. Here, anything seemed possible. Even after the minor setback he’d suffered in Jiangning not long ago, he still felt, deep down, that that world had simply been too small.
He raised his wine bowl and drained it in one gulp!
Iron-armored ranks surged forward like a tide, spreading out across the land…
At that very same moment, the war cries at Dulong Ridge sounded rather thinner by comparison.
“Ha, those bastards have finally come! It’s time the whole realm learned the might of the Zhu family of Dulong Ridge!”
Astride his fine steed, brandishing his steel spear, Zhu Biao’s laughter on the training grounds was bold and heroic enough — but few actually echoed it with much enthusiasm. For the tenant households of Dulong Ridge, a war like this was, in any case, an unwelcome calamity; everyone prepared for battle to defend their homes, but not all of them carried particularly high morale. Across the three estates, everyone was in motion now, the mood tense and chaotic. At Zhu Family Estate, Luan Tingyu watched his disciples’ excitement with a calm expression — such fervor would help in the coming battle, but in his own heart, he felt considerable unease.
Liangshan… had grown very strong indeed.
Last year, when Zeng Family Fortress had come under attack, he had left Zhu Family Estate to go aid Shi Wengong, and had witnessed firsthand the formidable roster of talent Liangshan commanded even then. Zeng Family Fortress had later been slaughtered; alone, he’d been powerless to turn the tide, suffering grave wounds that nearly killed him. Once he’d recovered somewhat, he’d honestly had no wish to return to Zhu Family Estate at all.
It was only because, even then, he had already seen clearly that once Liangshan grew powerful enough, a clash with small, self-contained estates like those of Dulong Ridge would be inevitable. Liangshan’s development over the past year had only confirmed what he’d foreseen. But once the atmosphere of war had truly gathered, he found himself unable to stay away, and had come back after all.
And now… it had truly come to pass.
Dulong Ridge might hold out for a time, but wearing Liangshan down to the point where they gave up the fight — that was another matter entirely, and a difficult one.
Yet even so… he gripped his eight-cornered bronze-inlaid staff and opened his eyes… there was nothing left to do now but give his all and leave the rest to fate!
…
While Dulong Ridge mobilized in full, at the small market by the fork in the road outside, Ning Yi sat on a rooftop, a string of agate beads in hand, watching the handful of merchants and travelers hurrying away in a panic. The scene had been like this since the previous evening, and by now most everyone had cleared out — even the innkeeper was already preparing to take shelter inside the estate walls.
The entire small market had by now taken on a rather desolate air; aside from their own group, only the estate’s tenant farmers occasionally hurried back and forth on defensive errands.
Wang Shanyue sat on the other side of the rooftop, watching the scene, silent for a long while. Ning Yi finally spoke up.
“Wang Shanyue, care to talk?”
In their usual conversations, both men had always kept a certain restraint and formality between them — Wang Shanyue was a year or two older than Ning Yi and, by rights, should have been addressed as “Brother Wang.” But this time, though Ning Yi’s tone remained calm, it carried a note of formality and gravity as well. Wang Shanyue glanced over, and after a moment: “Talk about what?”
Ning Yi stood up at the edge of the eaves. “The thing you’ve been mulling over these past two days — I thought you’d bring it up first, but since you haven’t asked, I suppose I’ll have to say it myself.”
“What have I been thinking about?”
“Forty men against fifty thousand — if I told you I was fully confident, I’d be lying to you. Plans rarely keep pace with reality, but if you have any thoughts, now’s the time to ask.” Ning Yi said. “Once we’re inside, words like these could cost us our lives for real.”
He looked at the man before him, beautiful as a woman, and Wang Shanyue’s gaze turned cold as he looked back. A long silence passed before he finally spoke.
“I’m not asking for a foolproof plan. Since you’re staking your life on this, let me ask just one thing — this wildly implausible scheme of yours, do you genuinely believe it has any chance of success?”
“I do.”
“Then I’m with you.” Wang Shanyue nodded. “We can discuss the rest once we’re inside.”
Having said this much, he fell silent again. Ning Yi had originally prepared a whole speech to make his case, and found himself somewhat taken aback by this — but then shook his head with a faint smile.
“…Very well then. Time to get to work.”
Not long after, at the gates of Zhu Family Estate, as Steward Zhu directed the tenant hands in building up defenses, he saw that Young Master Lei approaching, led by one of his stewards.
“Boss Zhu!”
“Young Master Lei, you still haven’t left?”
“How could I leave? I’ve got over a dozen cartloads of goods out there, and with everyone in such an uproar right now, what if they get robbed along the road? Besides, we people of the martial world…” The nouveau riche young master planted his hands on his hips, looking around. “Boss Zhu, just how many men does Liangshan actually have, to cause such a stir?”
Steward Zhu’s expression grew complicated. “We’re not entirely certain of the exact number ourselves.”
“Probably just bluster… Boss Zhu, your side has three estates here, with over ten thousand able fighters between you — what’s there to fear… Don’t worry, my Lei family has connections too. I just wrote two letters — one to Prefect Liang of Yunzhou, and one to Commander Zhang of the Wurui Camp. They’re bound to send troops, and then we’ll have Liangshan’s men caught in a pincer from three sides, dumplings ready for the eating. We people of the martial world have to look out for one another — whatever you need, Boss Zhu, just say the word. I only came here to help open things up for you — I’ve got Dulong Ridge and Wanjia Ridge both covered, guaranteed… Now I can’t very well leave either — Liangshan’s coming from one side, and there’s apparently some Demon King Zheng or other killing people on the other. I’ve got over a dozen cartloads of goods, Boss Zhu — mind if I stay with you here for a while?”
Steward Zhu privately doubted very much that Yunzhou or the Wurui Camp would actually come to their aid, but any extra pressure put on Liangshan, real or imagined, was welcome for now, so on the surface he expressed great delight and agreed at once, arranging a courtyard for him within the estate. “…War is a dangerous, unpredictable thing. Young Master Lei’s precious person must take care not to wander off carelessly — Zhu Family Estate will certainly see to your safety.”
The self-styled Young Master Lei, who had built quite a reputation for himself in the martial world, still looked rather conflicted. “To think I’d actually run into an actual war… Ahem, what I mean is, it wouldn’t hurt to lend a hand where I can — Estate Master Zhu, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask… Oh, and some of my cargo includes wound medicine — once the fighting starts, feel free to bring it out for use.”
And so, on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month, the traveling merchant Young Master Lei and his party settled into a courtyard within the inner grounds of Zhu Family Estate. Given wartime conditions, the Zhu family naturally kept some watch over them, but the forty-odd men behaved themselves and made no suspicious moves — only that Young Master Lei would occasionally wander, accompanied by guards and estate hands, to less sensitive areas on the outer perimeter to take a look around.
The people of Zhu Family Estate had, by now, more or less grown used to this Young Master Lei’s presence, occasionally exchanging a cupped-hand greeting with him in passing. And Young Master Lei, once his initial unease had passed and he’d gained confidence in the Zhu family’s defenses, went on to offer up all manner of impractical suggestions for defense — such as, when the Liangshan army attacked, feigning defeat to lure the bandits into a narrow mountain gorge and then attacking with fire — unfortunately, there was no such conveniently narrow gorge anywhere near Dulong Ridge.
On the twenty-seventh of the fifth month, Liangshan’s army appeared near Dulong Ridge, and by the morning of the twenty-eighth, the assault began. Ning Yi no longer appeared on the battlefield, instead remaining quietly in his courtyard, piecing together the progress and likely outcome of the fighting from information relayed by others.
By contrast, having already been drawn fully into this situation, Wang Shanyue found himself, oddly, entirely free of reservations now. He kept close watch on how things developed, occasionally venturing to the estate’s outer perimeter himself to observe the fighting, all the while trying to guess just what this man named Ning Liheng, who had staked his life on this scheme, actually intended to do. This battle, even many years later when he thought back on it, would still leave him with a certain wistful sigh.
Before this, he had spent several years in Shandong watching Liangshan, observing it grow step by step amid the region’s chaos. By early June, in the tenth year of Jinghan, it had reached the highest peak of its power to date, and this confrontation at Dulong Ridge, from the very start, moved toward an outcome that everyone could already see coming, with little suspense involved. Though Dulong Ridge had fought fiercely enough in the opening days to nearly hold its own, everything that followed spiraled downward exactly as expected — many even glimpsed what looked like the gray pall of impending defeat settling over the estate. All of this, until the young scholar who had sat quietly in the courtyard the whole time, idly playing with his string of agate beads, finally made his move.
And then, everyone bore witness to a strange and terrifying… war of human nature.