Chapter 42

As the big monk heard Wang Lun's words, he suddenly stopped laughing and fell silent, only to stare at Wang Lun and size him up again and again.

Seeing the monk's reaction, Wang Lun was almost certain that this person was most likely Lu Zhishen! However, at this moment, he was not only pleasantly surprised but also utterly puzzled. Why would this person appear here? It made no sense!

He vaguely remembered that after escorting Lin Chong, who had been exiled, to Cangzhou, Lu Zhishen returned to Dongjing and stayed at Daxiangguo Temple. Later, Gao Qiu, upon receiving a secret report from the escorts Dong Chao and Xue Ba, indeed came to cause trouble. Fortunately, thanks to the information provided by Zhang San, Li Si, and others, he managed to escape.

For nearly a year afterward, Lu Zhishen wandered around the Jianghu, appearing and disappearing like a dragon showing its head but not its tail. Apart from a brief appearance at Mengzhou's Cross Slope, where he was almost turned into a meat bun by the She-devil, he did not reappear until around June of the following year, in Qingzhou's Erlong Mountain. But now it was the first day of the New Year, and Lu Zhishen had been on the run from Bianliang for at least three months. How could he still be loitering outside Dongjing?

Wang Lun found this matter hard to fathom, sensing something amiss. Could it be that his presence had once again altered the course of history?

Jiao Ting stood to the side, seeing his brother and the big monk staring at each other in silence, feeling somewhat anxious. Then he suddenly remembered that the name "Lu Da" seemed familiar, and he blurted out, "You wouldn't be the one who killed Town Wester with three punches, would you?"

But before he could finish, Wang Lun pulled him back. Jiao Ting was not stupid, just straightforward. With Wang Lun's reminder, he suddenly realized that they were on the busy road east of the capital, with carriages and people passing by, and quickly swallowed his words.

Wang Lun led Jiao Ting to a secluded spot under a tree by the roadside. The monk, seeing this, approached them. The two faced each other, and this time, the silence was broken. The monk spoke, "Are you the scholar Wang from Jizhou?" This was a careful move by Lu Da, avoiding key words so that even if overheard, it would only seem like a casual meeting of acquaintances, not a gathering of outlaws.

Wang Lun calmly looked at the large monk who had not yet revealed his identity and replied, "That's me!"

Hearing this, the monk slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I've been looking for you! It's been three days, and I've been waiting on this eastern road from morning till night! Why aren't you wearing white and dressed as a scholar?"

Wang Lun, finding his question peculiar, replied with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Constable, my name, appearance, and clothing might appear on a wanted poster at any time. Dressing like that would only draw attention and make me a target!"

The monk burst into laughter, "I didn't expect you to have a sense of humor! Tell me, have you received my brother's family? Why are there only the two of you?"

Wang Lun led the monk to a quiet path by the road, ensuring no one was around, and then said, "My brother's family is settled, but there was an incident last night. A few of our brothers castrated that young scoundrel Gao Yannai. We decided to wait until the heat dies down before leaving!"

"Castrated that little beast?! Excellent! Excellent! That really takes the wind out of his sails! Who did it? I must treat them to a drink!" the monk exclaimed joyfully.

"They are known as Zhang San, the Rat in the Street, and Li Si, the Green Snake, and their gang!" Wang Lun smiled.

The monk was taken aback, "Them? Where are they now?"

Wang Lun replied, "They are with Instructor Zhang's family. Once the heat dies down, they will join me on Liangshan!" He then briefly recounted his encounter with Zhang San and the others.

The monk, hearing this, slapped his bald head and said, "I've been a burden to them!" He then bowed to Wang Lun, "Thank you, Scholar, for your help. I am deeply grateful!"

Wang Lun hurriedly returned the bow. At this moment, Jiao Ting, who had picked up the monk's iron staff, caught up, and said irritably, "Monk, take your weapon. Don't leave it lying around; it could hurt someone!"

The monk, seeing Jiao Ting lift his 62-jin (about 31 kg) water-polished staff with one hand without effort, felt a sense of joy and laughed heartily, "Brother, I am Lu Da, the one who killed Town Wester with three punches! Do you know me?"

"Everyone in the Jianghu knows of your martial prowess! How could I not know?" Jiao Ting replied, "But you didn't finish your sentence. Are we still fighting?"

"Since I've told you my name, why would we fight?" Lu Zhishen laughed, clearly fond of this straightforward man.

Jiao Ting sighed, "Then I shouldn't have asked. I thought I'd met a famous figure, but I missed my chance!"

Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen both laughed. Wang Lun then invited Lu Zhishen to visit Wen Huanzhang's cottage to meet Instructor Zhang's family. Lu Zhishen agreed, and they retraced their steps.

As they walked, Wang Lun asked Lu Da why he was here. Lu Zhishen replied, "A few days ago, I met a man at the Yellow River ferry outside Huazhou. He is known as the Green-Faced Beast, Yang Zhi. After a brief fight, we drank together. When I asked about his background, he mentioned he was going to Daming to join Liang Zhongshu. He also told me that you, Leader Wang, had come to Dongjing to help my brother's family escape. I was deeply moved and wanted to meet you. He also said you like to wear white and have a skilled companion with no eyebrows or beard, making you easy to recognize. So, I've been waiting for you on this eastern road every day!"

Wang Lun, unable to exchange pleasantries with Lu Zhishen, urgently asked, "Constable, did Yang Zhi mention how he planned to join Liang Zhongshu?"

Lu Zhishen shook his head, "I found him too ambitious and short-sighted, so I criticized him, and he didn't say more."

Wang Lun nodded silently. Although the information from Lu Zhishen was incomplete, he now knew where Yang Zhi was. He had been sending Zhang San and others to look for him in the city, but Yang Zhi seemed to have vanished. It turned out he had gone north to join Liang Zhongshu. It seemed that the inertia of history was hard to change. This was for the best; he would likely escort the birthday tribute to Dongjing in a few months, providing another chance to meet.

Thinking of this, Wang Lun's doubts dissipated, and his mood lifted. On the road, he shared some good news with Lu Zhishen and suddenly noticed the monk's weapon: a long iron staff with a fork at the top, resembling a modern clothes pole. Suppressing his laughter, he asked, "Constable, your weapon is quite unique!"

Lu Zhishen chuckled, "This is a 62-jin water-polished staff I had forged at a blacksmith's shop at Wutai Mountain. I wanted it to be a hundred jin, but the blacksmith said it would be too heavy and unwieldy, so I followed his advice."

Wang Lun marveled at this. It was completely different from the traditional Zen staff with a crescent moon at the front and a shovel at the back. No wonder the blacksmith said it would look too heavy; the weight was concentrated in the staff itself. If it were heavier, the staff would be too thick to grip and use effectively.

"Constable, I've never seen a Zen staff like this. What is the small fork at the front for?" Wang Lun asked.

Lu Zhishen walked to a tree by the roadside, inverted the staff, and placed the fork on the ground, with the staff's end resting against the tree. The staff stood steadily, forming a plane with three non-collinear points.

Seeing Wang Lun's amazed expression, Lu Zhishen said, "Scholar, you are not a Buddhist, so you wouldn't understand the subtleties of the Zen staff!"

Wang Lun, still in awe, pulled Lu Zhishen to the ground and drew a new type of Zen staff with a crescent moon at the front and a shovel at the back, asking, "Constable, have you ever seen a weapon like this?"

Lu Zhishen studied it for a while and said, "I've never seen such a weapon before!" Then, with renewed interest, he added, "But it looks quite formidable!"

Wang Lun continued, "Constable, I have some fine Western iron in Dongjing. Why don't you come with me to the mountain, and I'll forge one for you?"