Chapter 78

Wang Lun, upon hearing this, looked at the man and saw that he was tall and imposing, with a dignified appearance. His eyes shone like cold stars, and his eyebrows were as dark as if they had been painted. His chest was broad, exuding the might of a warrior who could stand against ten thousand men. His heart was bold and daring, like a lion descending from the clouds. His bones were strong and his muscles firm, like a fierce beast guarding a throne. He seemed like a devil sent from heaven, truly a fearsome god on earth.

Upon hearing this, Wu Song’s anger flared up, his fists clenching so tightly that they almost bled, yet he still endured.

It was truly pitiful and lamentable. He had killed someone in his hometown and had nowhere to turn, escaping from Qinghe County to Cangzhou to seek refuge at the residence of the nobleman Chai Jin. Because he had left his hometown, he was constantly worried about his brother Daliang being bullied at home. He also felt that his fate was unjust, having been wrongly accused and thus was always troubled and his face was often gloomy. Though young, he was proud and straightforward, and his words and actions were sometimes too abrupt. However, the people living in Chai Jin’s residence were not easy to deal with either. A single word could lead to a fight, and when it came to fighting, none of them were a match for Wu Song. As a result, they all feared him. However, these people were not capable, and when they lost, they would go to the master to complain. When one person complained, Chai Jin would laugh; when two people complained, he would still laugh; but when three people complained, he would no longer find it amusing. Although he did not say anything to Wu Song, he gradually developed a negative opinion of him, leading to a situation where he neither asked about him nor visited him. Despite still providing him with food and drink, how could someone as perceptive as Wu Song not notice Chai Jin’s growing distance?

“What? Are you backing down now? Wu Song, I’ll tell you, it’s too late! You, the coward from Shandong, if you have the guts, come and beat us up; if you don’t, we’ll beat you up to vent our anger!” At this moment, the few men shouted again, thinking that if they provoked Wu Song into a fight, they could then complain to Chai Jin and drive him away.

“Wu Song is from Qinghe County, which is the capital of Enzhou, and Enzhou belongs to the Hebei East Road. You few should get your facts straight before you show off! As for your foul mouths and disrespect to people from Shandong, each of you should slap your own face, and you can’t stop until I say so!” Wang Lun said coldly, crossing his arms. Wu Song was secretly surprised that this officer knew his background and just stared at Wang Lun.

When the three or four men heard this, they turned around and saw that there were thirty or forty soldiers standing behind them, all glaring at them angrily. However, these few men were not afraid because they had someone backing them up. They pointed at Wang Lun and said, “Look at you, all dressed up, but you’re just another convict! Do you know what kind of place this is? Even the Zhao official has to dismount when he enters, let alone you!”

Lin Chong, with his good temper, thought of the great kindness Chai Jin had shown him and did not want to quarrel with these people. However, this only angered a red-eyed man standing nearby, who shouted, “Didn’t you hear my brother’s words!?”

The few men who had been provoking Wu Song burst into laughter and sneered, “Slap our own faces? That must be a joke! You, the fool, who dares to meddle in our affairs, get lost...” Before they could finish, Deng Fei had already rushed forward and slapped the man who was speaking, causing him to stagger. The man, unable to believe it, covered his face and shouted, “You dare to hit me in Chai Jin’s residence?!” Deng Fei, enraged, shouted, “I’d slap you even in the imperial palace!” He then rushed forward and continued to beat the man.

After a while, Deng Fei stopped and walked toward the other men. Seeing this, they were startled. Although they had planned to provoke Wu Song into a fight, they were not willing to be beaten by these unknown soldiers. They quickly retaliated, but they were no match for Deng Fei. Seeing the red-eyed man’s ferocity, they all shouted, “Rebellion! The soldiers are rebelling! Old Chief, come out quickly...” It was only then that Wu Song realized that the old chief of Chai Jin’s household was backing these men.

Deng Fei beat these men for a while, and seeing that his brother did not stop him, he hit them even harder. Suddenly, an old man’s voice rang out, “Stop!”

Everyone turned to see an old chief, about fifty or sixty years old, hurriedly leading thirty or forty men out. He bowed to Wang Lun and the others and asked, “Where are you from, and why are you so disrespectful? Do you know what kind of place this is?”

Before they could answer, two men behind the old chief chimed in, “Where do these convicts come from, daring to cause a disturbance here? Everyone, come out and show them the might of the Chai household!” After these two men shouted, people from all directions emerged, surrounding Wang Lun and his thirty-four men. This also forced Wu Song, who had been holding back, to step forward.

Wang Lun smiled contemptuously and did not bother with them, but he said to Wu Song, who had just arrived, “I have heard much about Wu Song. It is a great pleasure to meet you today!”

Wu Song, who had endured humiliation for half a year, felt like he had found a ray of sunshine in a drought. He bowed and replied, “I do not know your name, but why do you show me such kindness?” Wu Song was a man who responded to kindness with even greater kindness. In the past, at the Cross Slope in Mengzhou, Sun Erniang had tried to harm him, but when Zhang Qing spoke kindly to him, this straightforward man forgave them. As Wen Huanzhang had said, in his heart, “righteousness” was the highest moral standard.

The old chief, seeing that these two were ignoring the surrounding crowd and reminiscing, felt extremely disrespected. He had managed the Chai household for many years and had never been treated with such disrespect. Even the prefect treated him with a smile. How could he tolerate the insolence of these convicts? His patience finally ran out, and he shouted, “Who is in charge here? Answer me!”

Wang Lun nodded to Wu Song and stepped forward, looking at the old chief and said, “What do you want?”

Seeing that this man was still calm, the old chief was furious and shouted, “Where are you from, soldier? If I kill you, I can just bow to your superior and get a good word. You will die in vain, wrapped in a mat and buried, and no one will ask about it. Young man, I advise you to be less arrogant!”

“If these words were said by Chai Jin, I would accept my punishment without a word. But coming from you, they sound hollow and lack authority!” Wang Lun replied calmly. He thought that this man, having been flattered for decades in Chai Jin’s household, had lost touch with reality, forgetting that his body was still on the ground.

The old chief was so angry that he could not speak, his body trembling. The two men closest to him shouted, “You dare to insult our old chief? Brothers, Chai Jin treats us so well, how can you let outsiders come and insult him!” Their words were very persuasive, and a group of people immediately shouted, “All kneel! Apologize to the old chief!”

Seeing the arrogance of these guests, Lin Chong was slightly angered. He had suffered at their hands before, when they had bound him while he was drunk after killing Lu Qian and others and escaping from the temple. He turned to Wang Lun and asked, “Brother, what should we do?”

Wang Lun looked around at these freeloaders and said in a deep voice, “They dare to undermine Chai Jin’s reputation so brazenly. We cannot stand by and do nothing. Lin Instructor, let the boys handle it, but no weapons!”

Jiao Ting and Deng Fei were delighted. They had traveled a long distance to deliver gifts and were already frustrated by the insults. Now, with Wang Lun’s command, they could no longer hold back. The thirty-four of Wang Lun’s personal guards, led by Jiao Ting and Deng Fei, charged at the two or three hundred men, like lions hunting rabbits or tigers among sheep.

Wang Lun put his hand on the old chief’s shoulder and said, “Old man, just watch!” The old chief was so angry that he could not form a complete sentence, his lips trembling. Wu Song, seeing this, felt a great sense of relief and stood aside, crossing his arms and smirking. However, he did not join in, perhaps out of respect for Chai Jin, but he was secretly wondering about the officer’s background.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the scene was filled with groans. Jiao Ting and Deng Fei, with their thirty or forty men, stood proudly, looking down on the defeated crowd. Only Zhang San, with one eye black and the other purple, stood there, still looking proud and saying, “What a sight! Hundreds of men couldn’t beat us thirty or forty. Where did you get the nerve to provoke us? Who among you dared to sneak attack me? Step forward if you dare!”

The old chief, seeing this, felt a mix of anger and shame. At that moment, about forty or fifty strong men rushed in from the entrance. He was delighted, thinking that the heroes who had gone hunting with the master had returned. He shouted, “Everyone, come and help! Hold these convicts and beat them to death. If anyone dies, it’s on me, and I’ll protect you!”

At that moment, a nobleman with dragon-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, white teeth, and red lips appeared at the entrance. Seeing the scene and hearing the old chief’s angry words, he quickly looked to see who dared to cause such a disturbance in his residence. To his surprise, he was shocked and then delighted, shouting, “Stop!”

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