Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Chapter 56 The Capture of Yuncheng County

I heard that the other party is Wu Song, the tiger slayer.

Zhu Tong immediately tensed up, steadied himself, and cursed, "You were originally the head constable of Yanggu, why did you serve the traitors? Why not just abandon the darkness and turn to the light?"

Wu Song sneered, brandishing his knife, and said, "Just bring it on. We'll talk after you've beaten me."

Zhu Tong gritted his teeth and slashed horizontally with his knife.

Wu Song's gaze sharpened; judging from the imposing aura of the blade, he knew that Zhu Tong's martial arts skills were not inferior.

He swung his sword to block, then slashed backhand, the two swords clashing with a loud clang. Zhu Tong was jolted back several steps, his hands went numb, and he almost dropped his sword.

Wu Song's strength was terrifying.

But then Wu Song's sword moved like the wind, unleashing a series of rapid strikes.

Zhu Tong hurriedly used his skills to block, the sound of the two swords clashing was crisp and melodious, clanging and tinkling. Zhu Tong retreated again and was forced against the wall by Wu Song.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Shi Wenbin knew that Zhu Tong was no match for him, and quickly said, "Stop."

Wu Song sheathed his sword and stood up, saying, "Magistrate Shi, I know you are a good official and do not wish to take your life. Please come with me to see my brother."

At this moment, a group of infantrymen rushed in from the city gate. They were all running at full speed, but their formation was very neat and orderly. They did not care about the property scattered on the ground by the people.

The leader was a handsome man. When he saw Wu Song and the others, he stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Magistrate, I am Chao Gai of the Flying Tiger Army of Liangshan. I am now under the command of Commander Wang Lun to take over Yuncheng. I have already occupied the city gates and planted the Liangshan flag on the city wall."

When he came to speak, the soldiers seemed to have mechanical feet, instantly stopping perfectly in place without a single one making a fuss.

Shi Wenbin was shocked. How could Yuncheng possibly withstand such an army? He closed his eyes in anguish, sighed softly, and said, "So be it."

Zhu Tong then put down his weapon and stood with Shi Wenbin.

"Haha, my brother knew your defenses would be weak during the Lantern Festival, so he ordered me to lead forty skilled men to infiltrate the city first. I was just drinking right next to you."

Wu Song ordered his men to tie up Shi Wenbin and Zhu Tong, and spoke while laughing loudly.

"Just now, under the cover of night, King Chao led his troops to the city gates without your knowledge. I then led my men to seize the city gates and let King Chao in. I never imagined that taking Yuncheng would be so easy."

Wu Song was overjoyed to see Chao Gai leading troops to capture Wang Shi and Lei Heng, so he escorted Shi Wenbin and Zhu Tong out of the city.

It was pitch black outside the city. Wu Song led the group straight south, through the woods, and to a low slope.

But behind the low slope, a group of men, numbering at least a thousand, were hidden. Each one was vigorous and fierce, exuding a murderous aura in the night.

Shi Wenbin's face was ashen, and he followed Wu Song to the front of the group like a walking corpse.

At the front of the group, several people were sitting on the ground, chatting and laughing.

Upon seeing Wu Song and his group arrive, the leader stood up and greeted them with a smile, saying from afar, "Oh my, could it be Magistrate Shi Wenbin? Wang Lun has long admired you."

Shi Wenbin knew that this was Wang Lun, the white-robed scholar and leader of Liangshan.

Wang Lun stepped forward and personally untied Shi Wenbin, laughing, "Magistrate Shi, I wanted to invite you to a play, but I knew you wouldn't give me that honor, so I asked Wu Song to make the trip. I apologize for being so abrupt."

Shi Wenbin was taken aback and asked, "What kind of show are you watching?"

Wang Lun then untied Zhu Tong and said, "You'll know soon enough."

He then introduced the men behind him to Shi Wenbin: Yang Zhi, Lu Zhishen, Du Qian, Wu Song, and Cao Zheng. Now, apart from Wang Lun, there were five leaders present, along with over a thousand soldiers.

Shi Wenbin had a bad feeling; he already knew what Wang Lun was going to do. He exclaimed in shock, "You...who gave you the audacity to rebel!"

Wang Lun smiled and took Shi Wenbin's hand, pulling him up to the top of a low slope. Standing against the wind, he laughed and said, "Magistrate Shi is joking. How could I dare to rebel? It's just that the Liangshan army is growing stronger every day, and Liangshan's territory is too small. I have to consider expanding our territory."

He pointed into the distance, towards Jeju Island, where a troop of soldiers was rushing towards Yuncheng. Their torches stretched like a long dragon in the night. He laughed and said, "Before attacking Yuncheng, I sent a message to Jeju Island. They are now leading their troops to its aid."

Shi Wenbin trembled slightly with fear. The Liangshan bandits were now lying in ambush, well-rested and ready. Even if it were Huang An, he would likely be no match for them. Furthermore, Yuncheng was utterly vulnerable and had already fallen.

"This is... a siege-and-reinforcement strategy," Shi Wenbin said weakly.

Wang Lun smiled and said, "Not only that, I also intend to take Jizhou in one fell swoop. After tonight, Liangshan Marsh, Yuncheng, and Jizhou will be connected. We can advance or retreat as needed."

Shi Wenbin immediately realized that this was Wang Lun's plan.

This idea is... brilliant.

Even as a county magistrate, he had to applaud Wang Lun's plan. They would gradually expand by occupying a prefecture or county, and then retreat back to Liangshan Marsh should the imperial court attack.

He couldn't help but look at Wang Lun beside him; this man was truly talented.

"Magistrate Shi, as long as you listen to me, I guarantee you can continue to be the magistrate, and I won't harm you in the slightest."

Wang Lun's smile didn't resemble that of a bandit at all; he seemed refined and spoke politely, which surprised Shi Wenbin.

As the troops from Jeju Island drew closer, leaders such as Yang Zhi, Wu Song, and Lu Zhishen dispersed, leading their soldiers to expand the encirclement.

The troops that came to the aid of Yuncheng were very fast and did not expect an ambush. The leader was Huang An, the militia commander.

Wang Lun chuckled: "I've already fought Huang An. He's decent in martial arts, but he's not good at leading troops in battle."

Shi Wenbin declined to comment.

"Release the arrows!"

Someone behind him was giving orders. When Shi Wenbin looked up, he saw that the speaker was Yang Zhi. At this moment, he was wearing armor and carrying a long spear, and he had the majesty of a grand marshal.

What surprised Shi Wenbin even more was that the soldiers around him did not pull out ordinary bows and arrows.

It's a crossbow!

Upon seeing this, Shi Wenbin was startled. Could it be the Divine Arm Bow?

A dark object was tied to the arrow, but it was not visible in the darkness.

As he was thinking this, a soldier lit the string hanging from the dark object. Then dozens of arrows were fired, faster and farther than ordinary arrows.

The arrows landed in Huang An's army, creating a loud "bang" that shook the ground.

Dozens of arrows, dozens of explosions.

Huang An's team suffered more than half its casualties in the blink of an eye, with limbs and bodies scattered everywhere, and countless people covered in blood and gore.

The horses that managed to survive were terrified and fled in all directions, while the surviving soldiers were bewildered and stunned by the explosion.

Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, and others led their soldiers in a charge, sweeping away all resistance without any difficulty; not a single reinforcement escaped.

"Thunderclap!"

Shi Wenbin blurted out in surprise, "You actually have the Thunderclap Bomb!"

Along with the sound of explosions, a force from outside Jeju City charged towards the city in the distance, flames illuminating the sky and shouts of battle deafening the heavens.

Wang Lun explained, "Those are Lin Chong, Gongsun Sheng, Liu Tang, and the three heroes of the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army. Now that Jizhou is vulnerable, the outcome of this battle is already decided."

Shi Wenbin's legs went weak, and he slumped down.