Chapter 98

Cao Gai woke up from his drowsy sleep, only to be greeted by a strange fragrance. He was inwardly startled, thinking, "Could this be the scent of hell!?" At this moment, he suddenly heard a young man's voice: "Now you know why I didn't want to kill him, right?"

Cao Gai felt this voice was very familiar! Suddenly, the image of a scholar flashed in his mind, making him extremely surprised. He thought, "It's actually him? Could it be that I'm still alive!" He then sniffed the air again, secretly relieved, and felt embarrassed, realizing it was just incense! It seemed that the series of events had made his mind more sluggish than usual. Thinking of this, he just closed his eyes and listened to the conversation.

Then he heard another man sigh deeply and say after a long pause, "If I get this man's blood on my hands, Yang Zhi's hands will never be clean again!"

"The Envoy, it's good that you think this way!" Another man spoke up.

The man who had sighed said with a self-mocking tone, "Brother Lin, they say I'm right, that I should have taken the bribe from the corrupt official, and they came to rob the birthday tribute. In terms of righteousness, what did they do wrong?" He paused and continued, "Brother, Brother Lin, Mr. Wen, I have no interest in staying here. I will take people down the mountain to find the old man!"

"Alright! The Envoy, take the cavalry and search to the north of the marsh. Wu Yong is a smart man; he won't kill the old man and cause unnecessary trouble. He won't do something that harms others and benefits no one!" The young man who spoke first said.

"Understood!" The man responded, and the sound of footsteps indicated he had left.

"Cao Tianwang, Daoist Gong Sun, and Red-Haired Demon! You three must have woken up already, right? If you dawdle, you might not make it by nightfall!" The young man suddenly shouted loudly.

At this moment, a familiar voice beside Cao Gai exploded, "What do you mean 'make it'!? If you want to kill, just do it. If I flinch, I'm not a hero! I've never heard of needing to 'make it' for a beheading. Is this the rule for killing on Liangshan?"

Cao Gai immediately opened his eyes and saw Gong Sun Sheng and Liu Tang bound on either side of him. The man in white, his nemesis, was smiling at him. Cao Gai felt a chill and sighed, "Leader Wang, where are my brothers Wu Yong and Han Bulong?"

Wang Lun, seeing that his first words upon waking were about his brothers, exchanged glances with Lin Chong and Wen Huanzhang. The three of them looked at each other with admiration, clearly impressed by Cao Gai's character. Lin Chong then said, "Cao Tianwang! Your brother Wu Yong tied up Old Man Ma and ran away. The details will be told to you by your servants. Han Bulong didn't drink the drugged wine and is still unconscious, not here!"

"Wu Yong tied up Old Man Ma and ran away!?" Cao Gai found this hard to believe, but seeing Lin Chong's firm expression, he felt they had no reason to deceive him. His mind was in turmoil, struggling with the decision.

At this moment, Gong Sun Sheng, who had been silent, sighed, "Wu Yong is deep and calculating. I see why he insisted on bringing Old Man Ma up the mountain to plead for mercy. He had this dangerous plan all along! We ended up putting this old man in danger!"

Seeing Gong Sun Sheng say this, Cao Gai felt a chill. He shook his head and looked at Wang Lun, "Leader Wang, what will you do with us four brothers?"

"Even Yang Zhi, who had a grudge against you, was moved by your righteousness. Why should I take your lives?" Wang Lun sighed. "But he doesn't want to see you, and Han Bulong betrayed my brother Zhu Gui, so I can't let you stay! Here's what I propose..."

Before Wang Lun could finish, Cao Gai interrupted him. As a well-known figure in the江湖 (jianghu), he could tell that Wang Lun was dismissing them. This news was good for the three survivors, but Cao Gai was worried that Wang Lun would directly refuse, leaving no room for negotiation. He pleaded, "It's not that I, Cao Gai, don't understand, but I bear the lives of three brothers. Please, Leader Wang, show mercy! We only ask for a small hut in the woods or by the water. We will stay inside and not cause any trouble for the leaders on the mountain! After half a year, when the heat dies down, we will leave on our own!"

Hearing this, Gong Sun Sheng felt a deep sense of unease and let out a heavy sigh. Liu Tang, who had been silent, was now in tears.

After Cao Gai finished speaking, Wen Huanzhang suddenly laughed. Liu Tang glared at the scholar, "Scholar, scholar, always the scholar! Instead of studying and becoming a top scholar in the capital, you always meddle in our simple jianghu, which will eventually be ruined by you!"

Wen Huanzhang smiled, not offended, "When you become a top scholar, will you appoint me as one too?" He glanced at Wang Lun, who nodded with a smile. Wen Huanzhang then took out a knife and cut the ropes binding the three, saying, "Cao Tianwang is so eager, he doesn't even wait for our leader to finish speaking! Our stronghold can't accommodate too many great men, but we have found a way out for you. Why don't you listen to us and stop guessing?"

Cao Gai, hearing this, was very anxious and asked, "Leader Wang, what do you mean?"

Wang Lun, seeing his urgency, decided to be straightforward, "About a hundred miles north of our marsh, there is a Two Dragons Mountain in Qingzhou territory. There are four to five hundred bandits on the mountain. Their former leader abducted Lin Chong's disciple, and we took care of it! The mountain is very steep, surrounded by cliffs, with only one path to the top, guarded by three layers of gates. If you hold this place, no army can breach it! I see this mountain as no less than our Liangshan stronghold, so I haven't abandoned it. Now, a leader named Jiang is in charge there. Since you have nowhere to go and I can't accommodate you here, I will give you this stronghold as a place to settle."

Cao Gai and the others, initially skeptical, were soon overjoyed. Liu Tang immediately slapped his thigh and stood up, "Scholar, I wronged you. I will apologize to you and this scholar!" He bowed down.

Wang Lun stepped forward to help him up, "No need for formalities. I hope you don't hold it against me for not keeping you!"

Liu Tang responded, "We offended several leaders in your stronghold. Keeping us would make them uncomfortable. As your brother, you naturally have to consider your brothers! But I didn't expect you to be so considerate to us, strangers. No wonder your stronghold is so prosperous!"

Gong Sun Sheng also sighed, "I never thought that a small Yuncheng County could harbor three heroes. I am truly impressed! Leader Wang, I am deeply grateful and will repay you in the future!"

Cao Gai, hearing this, felt a mix of emotions. Liu Tang and Gong Sun Sheng could say they were strangers to Wang Lun, but he and Wang Lun were old acquaintances, and even enemies. Thinking of the past, he felt a deep sense of regret. He sighed, suddenly stood up, and slapped himself, leaving five finger marks on his black face. He bowed to Wang Lun, "I was blind and disrespectful to you, Leader! In the future, Cao Gai will never oppose you. If we find a place to live, Two Dragons Mountain will follow Liangshan's lead. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning!"

Gong Sun Sheng also bowed, and Liu Tang, after a moment of hesitation, followed suit. Wang Lun helped them up, "You three are great heroes. I will send you off with some money and supplies. I also have a few hundred servants from your old manor. Take them with you!"

Cao Gai, hearing this, felt a surge of emotion. He suddenly remembered what the old man had said, "If you don't befriend such a person and instead become his enemy, aren't you making yourself a villain?" Thinking of this, he sighed and remembered that Lin Chong had said Wu Yong had taken the old man and fled. He asked, "Leader Wang, do you know where Old Man Ma is?"

Wang Lun shook his head, "We haven't found him yet. But you should know Wu Yong's character. He has no grudge against the old man and won't harm him after escaping. The old man should be near the lake. It's still summer, so he won't freeze. He should be fine!"

Cao Gai thought about it and agreed with Wang Lun. The mountain had already mobilized people to search, so it should be fine. Thinking of Wu Yong's last actions, he felt a deep sense of sorrow. Wang Lun said, "It's getting late. I won't keep you. I will have the navy send you to Two Dragons Mountain. When you arrive, send Jiang Zhipei back. With a thousand men, the government won't dare to attack. If you need help, just send a message." He then took out a letter he had already written and gave it to them to give to Jiang Zhipei.

The three were moved to tears and thanked Wang Lun repeatedly. Wang Lun nodded to Lin Chong, who understood and left. Wang Lun then led the three down the mountain, accompanied by Wen Huanzhang and Jiao Ting. On the way, they chatted. Soon, they reached the water stronghold, where Ruan Xiaoer greeted them, "Little Wu and Little Qi haven't returned yet. What are your orders, brother?"

"Prepare to personally escort Cao Tianwang and his group to the North Qing River, the closest point to Two Dragons Mountain," Wang Lun instructed. Ruan Xiaoer, without a word, went to prepare.

As they waited for the boat, Lin Chong arrived with several hundred men. Cao Gai was moved to tears. Lin Chong introduced two men who knew the way to Cao Gai. Wang Lun then pulled Gong Sun Sheng aside and said, "Cao Tianwang is a man of great righteousness. Daoist, assist him well, but don't let his righteousness lead him astray and make him a victim in the future."

(To be continued)

PS: We are two spots away from the top ten on the new book monthly vote list. I hope all the heroes will lend me a hand!