Chapter 83

Wang Lun, having gained Yang Lin, was delighted. He thought to himself that although this man was not a warrior, he was still a seasoned wanderer of the江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and outlaws), and would surely be useful for running errands and gathering intelligence in the future. With a joyful mood, he led the group, traveling by night and resting during the day, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the borders of the Great Name Prefecture.

At this moment, Lin Chong, seeing the situation, turned to his bodyguards and instructed, "The Great Name Prefecture is not like any other prefecture; it is a key stronghold of the Song Dynasty against the Liao, with a heavy garrison inside. Everyone, please put on your armor and tidy up your appearance. Do not be negligent, so as not to arouse suspicion!"

Seeing Lin Chong speak, everyone began to adjust their armor. They all admired this second leader of the bandit camp, thinking that this former instructor of the Imperial Guard was not only trusted by the chief but also of superior character and unparalleled martial arts. Moreover, Lin Chong had always been neatly dressed, setting a fine example. Therefore, everyone followed his instructions without a word, even though it was hot, they all stood firm. At this time, Yang Lin also put on his armor, fortunate that Wang Lun had instructed Du Qian to prepare several sets of equipment when they left the camp, which turned out to be very useful.

The group rode forward for a while, and as they approached the northern gate of the Great Name Prefecture, the road became increasingly crowded with pedestrians and carriages. Wang Lun waved his hand, and the group slowed down, proceeding at a leisurely pace.

At this moment, a military officer, resembling an officer of the Imperial Guard, galloped up from behind the group. He kept glancing at the slowly moving troops, noticing that these soldiers were well-armored and in high spirits, looking like a formidable force. The officer, excited by the prospect of a challenge, spurred his horse to the front of the group, turned around, and shouted, "Hold it! Where are you from, and why are you coming to the Great Name Prefecture?"

Lin Chong glanced at Wang Lun, who nodded. Lin Chong then spurred his horse forward and said, "We are from the 17th Dragon Guard Camp under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Cavalry Command, on official business in Cangzhou, and now on our way back. Brother, are you from the Brave Martial or the Swift Rapid forces?"

The officer, seeing that he spoke in detail and truthfully, and even inquired about his identity, had no suspicion. Instead, he was delighted and laughed, "Another one from Tokyo!" Before he finished speaking, he lifted the golden-embellished axe in his hand and charged straight at Lin Chong, shouting, "First, take my axe, then we can talk!"

Lin Chong, seeing the officer's rashness and his eagerness to fight, was surprised. Although the officer was fierce, Lin Chong was not intimidated. He spurred his horse and lifted the long spear made of fine iron from the Western Regions by Tang Long, and charged forward to meet him.

As the golden-embellished axe and the fine iron spear clashed, sparks flew, and both men were startled. The officer, seeing a worthy opponent, was overjoyed, his eyebrows raised, and his spirit heightened. He wielded the golden-embellished axe like a storm, and Lin Chong, seeing this, also focused, and thrust his spear to meet him.

The two men displayed their prowess, their fighting spirit soaring. They exchanged blows, advancing and retreating, and fought for more than fifty rounds. The passersby on the road all avoided them, and Wang Lun's bodyguards were stunned, especially Deng Fei and Yang Lin, who were amazed. They had only heard of the great name of the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, but now they truly witnessed Lin Chong's skills.

Seeing the fierce battle, Jiao Ting said to Wang Lun, "This man's use of the axe is somewhat like Mo Hui, but not as good. Lin Instructor hasn't even exerted himself, and this man is already panting. The day I saw Mo Hui and Lin Instructor fight for 140 to 150 rounds, there was no flaw in his performance!"

Wang Lun nodded, looking at the officer fighting Lin Chong. The officer was over seven feet tall, with a round face, large ears, broad lips, and a square jaw, with a beard on his cheeks, looking mighty and dignified. Wang Lun thought to himself, "Could this be the急先锋 (Jixianfeng, meaning 'Swift Pioneer') Su Chao? In the Great Name Prefecture, only Su Chao is a lone general. The other generals, like Li Cheng and Wen Da, rarely appear in battle. When Song Jiang led a large army to attack the Great Name Prefecture, it was Su Chao who led the charge. Once Su Chao surrendered, the Great Name Prefecture lost its brave general and suffered defeat after defeat, until the city was captured, and the two generals fled with Liang Zhongshu. No wonder when Yang Zhi, a mere soldier, arrived in the Great Name Prefecture, he was heavily favored by Liang Zhongshu and even entrusted with the task of escorting the birthday tribute. It seems there were no capable men under his command."

As Wang Lun was deep in thought, the two men in front of him fought for another forty to fifty rounds. The officer using the golden-embellished axe was drenched in sweat, while Lin Chong remained calm, his fine iron spear easily overpowering him. The officer gradually found it difficult to continue and wanted to retreat, but could not escape Lin Chong's relentless spear. Realizing the strength of his opponent, the officer shouted, "Enough, enough, that's enough fighting!"

Lin Chong, hearing this, did not press him further, and withdrew his spear. The officer, now relieved, panted and said, "Your spear skills... how can they be so formidable? And your spear, so heavy!"

Lin Chong smiled modestly and bowed, and the officer continued, "Why are those from Tokyo so formidable, even better than our Hebei border troops? Even the Commander Yang, recommended by the Grand Marshal of Tokyo, couldn't beat you! You don't seem like an ordinary person, who are you?"

Lin Chong, hearing this, became curious and asked, "Is the Commander Yang you mentioned the Green-Faced Beast Yang Zhi?"

The officer shouted, "Yes, it's him! When I fought him, if he didn't use his bow and arrow, he couldn't overpower me, and I found it hard to beat him too! How do you know him?"

"I met him in Tokyo and heard that he joined Liang Zhongshu. I don't know if he is here now, but I would like to catch up with him!" Lin Chong smiled.

The officer laughed, "You're too late to find him. He was sent on a mission by the留守相公 (Liusu Xianggong, the Prefect), and no one knows where he went! I haven't had anyone to practice with these days, and my hands were itching. Meeting you, a hero, was very refreshing! I couldn't beat you, and I am truly convinced! Come, come, come, let's go in for a drink. All the Imperial Guard are one family, and since you're in my territory, I must treat you!"

Lin Chong, seeing his generosity, was pleased, but due to his current position, he could not truly follow him in for a drink. He politely declined, "I have heard much about you, the Swift Pioneer Su Chao of the Great Name Prefecture, and your unparalleled axe skills and fearlessness in battle. However, I am currently under military orders and cannot delay. If I come to the Great Name Prefecture again, I will surely seek you out for a drink!"

The officer invited him again, but seeing that he could not be persuaded, he said, "Brother, let me ask you something!"

"General, please ask!" Lin Chong bowed in response.

"The Commander Yang said he has met many heroes in his life, but only one person has ever pushed him to his limits, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, Lin Chong. Do you know him? If I had the chance to fight him, it would be a great honor!" Su Chao sighed.

Lin Chong sighed inwardly, "I do know him, but he is now wandering in the江湖 (jianghu) and his whereabouts are unknown."

Su Chao exclaimed, "I also heard that he was framed by Gao Qiu and fled from Tokyo. To think that such a capable hero has no country to turn to, doesn't it make you angry? To be honest, Tokyo has sent people several times to transfer me, but I refused! Fortunately, the Prefect did not let me go, and I am happy here, even as a small officer, better than being in Tokyo and having to watch people's faces! Brother, you must be careful in Tokyo!"

Lin Chong sighed, feeling uneasy, and only exchanged a few words with him. Seeing his lack of interest, Su Chao lost his enthusiasm and bid farewell to Lin Chong, not even glancing at the group of people and horses beside him, and left.

Lin Chong returned to Wang Lun and said, "It seems that Commander Yang has indeed come to the Great Name Prefecture and has been promoted to Commander."

"Since that's the case, let's go to the Cuiyun Tower to wait for Shi Qian!" Wang Lun nodded and called for the group to move forward. He and Lin Chong fell behind, and Wang Lun advised, "A gentleman avenges a wrong in ten years! If you only harbor resentment, it will only make your wife unhappy. I will make sure that the Gao family pays for their crimes, to satisfy your hatred!"

Lin Chong, hearing Wang Lun mention his wife, felt a softness in his heart and sighed, "I am fortunate to have met you, brother. Otherwise, I would still be wandering aimlessly, never dreaming of being reunited with my wife! You are right; if I let my hatred blind me, it would only worry you and the Li family. I was foolish!"

After a deep breath, Lin Chong and Wang Lun smiled at each other. Just as they were about to catch up with the group, they suddenly heard a voice from the roadside, "What a rash pioneer, what a fine Lin family spear..."

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*Note: The last part of the original text contains some HTML tags and a note about mobile users, which are not included in the translation.*