Chapter 48

"Master Wang? He is a hero of the Imperial Guard, and has never been involved in the江湖. I only heard that he was forced by Gao Qiu and took refuge with Old General Zhong three years ago, and then there was no news of him!" Guanghui shook his head and said.

Wang Lun glanced at Lu Zhishen, and saw that Lu Zhishen also nodded and said, "My brother Shi Jin has been searching for his master for a long time in the江湖, but has not received any news. It seems that Master Wang is no longer with Old General Zhong in Yan'an Prefecture!"

Wang Lun secretly shook his head, thinking that this Commander of the Eight Hundred Thousand Imperial Guards of Tokyo was indeed a mysterious figure, who after spending half a year training Shi Jin to a level above the ordinary during his escape, disappeared into the vast sea of people, leaving no trace. At this moment, he was also in a state of trying his luck, and since Guanghui and Lu Zhishen both said so, he nodded to them and said, "Please, Master, help keep an eye out for him!"

Guanghui nodded in agreement and was about to take his leave. Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen saw him off at the door, and heard Guanghui say, "This pair of bandits must have more than one hideout. Let me patrol the area around the hill, and deal with them before I leave!"

Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen both agreed, bowed to him, and earnestly urged him to return soon to gather with them. Guanghui bowed to them and said, "Brothers, take care, I'm off!" Then he strode off into the depths of the hill.

Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen returned to the inn and checked on Tang Long's injuries. Only then did they sit down and wait for Zhang San and Li Si to come out. Looking at the ransacked black inn, they couldn't help but smile at each other, both feeling a sense of amazement at their experience.

Not long after, Zhang San and Li Si rushed out, each holding a pile of gold and silver, and shouted happily, "Sir, Master! Look at this pair of bandits, they must have harmed many people. The walls of the back yard are filled with gold and pearls, probably worth no less than three or four hundred thousand strings of cash!"

Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen couldn't help but look at each other, both reading a sense of shock in each other's eyes. These beasts must have killed countless innocent souls to amass such a fortune.

"Move it all to the cart, and then burn this black inn!" Wang Lun ordered, without saying more. He thought to himself that much of this gold and silver must have come from the mountain demon Sun Yuan, and only such a father could have raised a demoness like Sun Erniang.

"Got it!" Zhang San and Li Si happily accepted the order and worked tirelessly to move the loot. Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen first moved Tang Long to the cart to avoid the jostling, and Wang Lun fetched thick blankets to cushion Tang Long. After settling him, they waited for Zhang San and Li Si to set the fire, and then they drove the cart far away from this place of trouble.

Behind them, the strange tree that had drunk so much human blood burst into strange sparks, completing the last journey of its life.

"Brother, what do we do next?"

On the moving cart, Lu Zhishen asked Wang Lun about their next plan. After spending these days together and experiencing so much, this rough but thoughtful man had already become deeply impressed by the scholar beside him.

"We are probably already wanted. We can't enter Mengzhou City now. Let's go to Kuaihuolin!" Wang Lun thought for a moment and said, "Kuaihuolin is outside Mengzhou City, a bustling market town where all kinds of people gather. It's a good place for us to hide. From what Tang Long said, I think Jin Yanbiao has also taken refuge there. The rescue of Teacher Xu is all on him!"

"Who is this Jin Yanbiao? Brother seems to know him well?" Lu Zhishen asked.

Wang Lun smiled faintly, looking out the window at the receding scenery, and sighed, "Among the three cubs of a tiger, one must be a biao. The biao is the most savage and can eat the tiger cubs."

The driver Zhang San heard this and turned to look at Wang Lun, saying, "It is a tiger cub itself, yet it devours its own kind?"

Wang Lun nodded, still looking out the window, and said, "I once heard a hunter say that when a tiger crosses a river with three cubs, it will first carry the biao to the other side, then return to carry the second cub, and bring the biao back again, then carry the third cub, and finally return to bring the biao back. The reason for this is that the tiger fears the biao will harm its siblings while it is away."

Zhang San, hearing this, turned back in surprise and suddenly heard Lu Zhishen say, "So, Shi En is not a good person?"

Wang Lun nodded and said, "Shi En, relying on his father's power as the warden, leads eighty or ninety desperate men to dominate this bustling market. The nickname 'Jin Yanbiao' is probably given to him by the people of Mengzhou, but he is not ashamed of it, rather he is proud of it. He bullies the market and extorts money. Recently, Teacher Xu was exiled to Anping Fort, and Shi En probably saw his martial skills and wanted to use him to strengthen his power. But when Gao Qiu gave the order, Jin Yanbiao abandoned Teacher Xu like a worn-out shoe. However, he is quite shrewd and knows how to avoid trouble to save face."

"This scoundrel, I thought he was my brother. I thought I had met a good person this time, but he had such thoughts! My brother is a personal guard of the emperor, a noble and refined person, how can he be a henchman for this lowly bully! Pah..." At this moment, Tang Long woke up and, hearing Wang Lun's words, was furious.

Wang Lun shook his head and did not respond, but turned to tuck the blanket around Tang Long and asked, "Brother, how are you feeling?"

Tang Long forced a smile and said, "I can't feel anything now. I guess the pain has numbed me."

"Rest for a moment. When we reach Kuaihuolin, we will find a clinic to settle you down, and then we will rescue your brother!" Wang Lun replied.

"Sir, how will you save my brother?" Tang Long asked anxiously.

"This matter still falls on Jin Yanbiao!" Wang Lun turned to the window, lost in thought.

Tang Long wanted to ask more but was intimidated by Wang Lun's presence. This person seemed gentle at first glance, but there was an indescribable aura of authority about him. Just as he was anxious, he heard Lu Zhishen say, "Brother, don't worry. Since Brother said it, he has a plan. Take care of yourself!"

Tang Long nodded quickly and said, "I haven't had the honor of knowing Master's dharma name?"

Lu Zhishen laughed heartily and said, "I am a monk from Wutai Mountain, surnamed Lu. My elder gave me the dharma name Zhishen!"

At this moment, Zhang San turned back and said, "Brother Tang Long, don't you recognize my master? He was once a great general under Old General Zhong, who sent him to assist Young General Zhong in Weizhou because he was worried about a lack of trusted men there!"

Tang Long was surprised and was about to speak, but Li Si, not wanting to be left out, loudly said, "If it weren't for the three punches that killed the bully, my master would still be a commander under Young General Zhong! Later, my master became a monk on Wutai Mountain. The old monk there had good eyes and did not dare to take my master as a disciple, only as a disciple of his master. Haven't you heard that they are all of the 'Zhi' generation? Even the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple, whom many nobles cannot meet, is only called 'elder brother' by my master, and the monk dares not refuse!"

"Shame on you, master is here, and you call him a bald monk!" Zhang San, hearing this, quickly corrected him.

Lu Zhishen laughed heartily, not blaming the two for their chatter, and smiled at Tang Long, "It's me!" He admired this man's sense of righteousness and was gentle with him.

Hearing this, Tang Long struggled to get up and bow, saying, "Ah! I didn't expect Master to be Lu Tixia! My family has been making weapons for the Western Army for generations. My father worked under Old General Zhong. I have often heard of Lu Tixia's bravery, and to meet you today is truly a great honor!" He then introduced his family and mentioned his father's name, which Lu Zhishen also knew. Both were delighted to meet an old acquaintance in a foreign land and began to reminisce.

Wang Lun, seeing their interaction, smiled but did not interrupt. Suddenly, he saw Zhang San and Li Si constantly looking back to listen to their conversation and laughed, "Drive well! Why are you looking back all the time!"

Tang Long, hearing this, could not help but look at Wang Lun with respect, and his mind was filled with more thoughts. Seeing the famous Lu Tixia of the Western Army bowing respectfully to this scholar, he wondered what kind of person this man must be.

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