The Legend of Water Margin: The First Volume of Jin Ping Mei 071 Return of the Good Man

  Wu Song's water army building ship was carefully crafted by Gong Shuyuan based on the drawings left by his ancestors. His ancestors, the Gong family, had assisted the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period and built a giant tower ship for Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu, which was 13 zhang high, 3 zhang deep in the water, with five layers on the upper deck and three layers below, capable of carrying 3,000 soldiers!

  Ten Lou ships, that is thirty thousand men! Spears and halberds are lined up on the ship, flags are raised, and defenses are strict. The ten Lou ships set off from Tokyo Bay to the north and down the Yellow River, cutting through waves all the way.

  The cannonballs used by the Shenwu cannons on the ship were thunderclap balls, with iron skin outside and gunpowder, iron sand and poisonous powder inside. Ling Zhen calculated the position and immediately ordered the whole ship to open fire, seeing hundreds of cannons firing together, deafening, smoke billowing under the ship, a smell of sulfur wafting up!

  The water birds in the Liangshan Water Conservancy, hearing the sound, flew up suddenly, and with a loud noise, they had just flown to mid-air when they suddenly fell into the water again. They were frightened by the cannon fire and all died of shock, floating on the surface of the water.

  Wu Song stood on the top floor of the building boat, using his thousand-mile eyes to look out. He saw shells falling down, and the large and small houses on Liangshan were collapsing in the sound of gunfire. A shell hit the Liangshan gathering hall right on target, and in the evening sun, the gathering hall was blown to smithereens!

  That great banner of "Expel the bandits, uphold the country and replace Heaven's way" fell down with a crash amidst the cannon fire and poisonous smoke, crushing several of the rascals to death.

  The defenders left on the mountain were killed or injured in countless numbers. Song Jiang's family, including his elderly and children, were all on the mountain, as well as the families of Chai Jin, Wu Yong, Ruan brothers and others. This round of cannon fire went off, killing an unknown number of people. Except for a few bachelors who had no family, everyone else was considered to have a deep blood feud with Wu Song and the others.

  People living on the mountain are running around everywhere, trying to rush down the mountain as soon as possible. Some even jumped off cliffs and were naturally smashed into meat paste!

  Wu Song saw, smiled and said: "The incompetent Confucians and the Vertical and Horizontal Alliance, clinging to one family and one country, hoping that the court will destroy me. The vision is too narrow, really too narrow! I have such a large army, let alone destroying them easily, even destroying a country is not difficult!"

  Gongsun Yanran was stroking the parrot, which had been frightened by the cannon fire and was hiding in her bosom. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said: "With Mozi and those brave warriors around, it's not easy to destroy a country. Even if we eliminate Chen Huijian, Song Jiang and other rebels, it will still take great effort from us."

  The ten warships finished firing and the hull creaked as it turned right again, with the cannons on the other side ready to fire once more at the mountain.

  On this side, the gunner on the second floor of the ship pulled the Shenwu cannon back into the cabin, splashed water to cool it down, and a soldier crawled into the barrel to wipe it dry. Then the soldier loaded the gunpowder and shell. By the time the Lou ship turned around again, everything was ready for another shot.

  This was the limitation of the times, although Gongshu family studied heaven and man, they still did not invent shell-firing cannons, which required cooling and filling with gunpowder to fire. Nevertheless, the Divine Martial Cannon was still the most powerful firearm in the world, a great invention and creation!

  However, when the building boat turned around, a large fog suddenly surged up in Liangshan. The mountain tops of Liangshan, which were tens of miles in circumference, were all shrouded in mist, and everything was white and hazy. Ling Zhen hastily ordered the cessation of firing, and after the fog dispersed, tens of thousands of soldiers were left staring with their mouths agape, unable to utter a word.

  But what was originally the Liangshan area with its big and small mountains had turned into a vast expanse of white, with waves surging and foaming. It had transformed into a marshy land! All the mountain peaks had vanished without a trace!

  Ling Zhen's hands and feet were in disarray, looking at Wu Song, but seeing Wu Guo Shi suddenly open his eyes, each eye had two pupils, one black and one white like two mercury balls, entwining and rotating rapidly.

  Ling Zhen looked, and his whole body's hairs stood on end, as if even his heart was seen through by him. Only then did Wu Song burst out laughing: "A trivial illusionary realm, how could it deceive my heavenly eyes? Resume the original position, continue the bombardment!"

  Ling Zhen's spirit was lifted, and he ordered the continued bombardment. Wu Song secretly gave a wink to Gong Shunyan, who understood immediately, and waved his command flag. The soldiers on the deck of the ten Lou ships saw this, and hastily pushed out row upon row of thunderbolt carts, each as tall as two men, stirring up the cartwheels, and inserting long spears as thick as an arm into the arrow tubes.

  This Thunderclap chariot is extremely cumbersome, moves slowly, and although its power is enormous, it's inconvenient to transport. Wu Song brought so many crossbow carts precisely to deal with the powerful sorcerers!

  After a burst of gunfire, a figure suddenly rose into the air amidst the mist, holding a yellow oil-paper umbrella and floating like an immortal. Wu Song opened his eyes to look over and saw that the middle-aged Taoist was wearing a blue-purple robe with yin-yang fish embroidered on it, looking elegant and carefree.

  The only flaw was that a large scar on his face ruined his handsome cheek, adding a few points of eeriness.

  "I wonder who has such great magical powers, to be able to instantly cover the entire Liangshan area with an illusionary formation, and it turns out to be Grandmaster Zhuang of the Lianhuan Sect! I heard that four years ago, Grandmaster Zhuang suffered a severe injury, I don't know how much his abilities have recovered now?"

  Zhuang Hanmo held a yellow umbrella, slowly walking towards the building boat in mid-air. His gaze pierced through the layers of buildings and saw Wu Song's eyes. Suddenly, his face changed: "The He Zong Pai actually passed on the Double Pupils to a demon? These people are truly reckless, no wonder each generation is worse than the last! Wu Guo Shi, as a He Zong Pai master, you should know that killing too much depletes one's lifespan!"

  Gong Shu Yan Ran saw Zhuang Han Mo enter the range of the Thunderbolt Chariot, and with a wave of his flag, over a hundred thick long spears burst into the air, shooting out rapidly, arriving right before Zhuang Han Mo's eyes in the blink of an eye!

  Zhuang Hanmo held an umbrella in one hand and a feather fan in the other, neither dodging nor resisting. He allowed the long spears to shoot towards him, but they seemed to encounter an invisible force, piling up together and hovering in mid-air. Only one spear pierced his aura and stopped at the tip of Zhuang Hanmo's nose, three inches away.

  Zhuang Hanmo looked at the long spear, slightly changed color, and looked towards the Lou Chuan flagship. His gaze stayed on Gong Shu Yanran's body, who was carrying a small package on his back.

  "Since Zhuge Liang's death, it has been eight hundred years and the Gong family is still thriving to this day, what a rarity! Little girl, do you have any brothers or sisters in your family?"

  "Gong Shu Yanran looked up and said: 'Thanks for asking, sir. I have a younger brother at home.'"

  Zhuang Han Mo chuckled and said, "In that case, Daoist doesn't count as a sinner who destroyed the Gong Shu family's gate. At least the Gong Shu family can continue to pass it down." With a wave of his feather fan, over a hundred long spears shot back, their target directly pointing at Gong Shu Yan Ran, with an overwhelming momentum that didn't allow the girl to dodge!

  Wu Song flashed sideways, blocking Gong Sun's path. With a loud roar, his entire skeletal system crackled and popped, swelling up segment by segment, and in the blink of an eye he became a giant over three zhang tall. The muscles all over his body twitched and jumped, and in his hand was a horizontal blade that shone with a brilliant light, infused with the power of the Dipper Star, over three zhang long. Crouching on the top deck of the tower ship, he was like a fierce beast from ancient times!

  Wu Song swung his sword and sent the long spears flying. He slightly crouched down, then suddenly sprang up like a cannonball, shooting towards Zhuang Hanmo in mid-air. The twenty-odd-zhang-long warship was even pressed down by him, causing it to sink slightly, and the soldiers on board were unable to stand steadily!

  "What a fierce beast!" Zhuang Hanmo's eyes lit up, and with a light wave of his feather fan, a goose feather flew out. It transformed into a white dragon. Baring its teeth and claws, it pounced on Wu Song!

  This is the Five Dragons Flourishing Divine Method from the "Ben Jing Yin Fu Qi Shu" of the Zhen Jia Xian Heng Pai, a treasure book of the town's teachings. When Zhuang Hu and Mo Gong were at their peak, they could transform into five dragons, moving horizontally and vertically, sharp and unstoppable. However, he was injured by Zhou Tan with one sword strike, damaging his vital energy, and has never recovered since, so the power of the Five Dragons Flourishing Divine Method has greatly diminished.

  Wu Song saw the white dragon rushing towards him, and a burst of ferocity erupted from his back. The fierce tiger's spirit, which had been suppressed, suddenly couldn't hold back any longer and began to stir restlessly. Suddenly, it leapt out and stood in mid-air behind Wu Song, letting out a frenzied roar at the white dragon. The sound waves compressed the air into a blue color, rippling outward wave after wave!

  Wu Song only felt a surge of powerful energy rushing into his body. His body grew bigger and bigger, the knife in his hand also growing longer and longer, until it finally ripped through the loose pants he had carefully prepared, tearing them to shreds.

  His entire body's strength surged wildly, one knife chopped down towards the dragon head, but at this moment, the white dragon's tail furiously coiled and slapped onto his body!

  Wu Song's whole body lost strength, his body involuntarily fell and plunged into the water. The white dragon was also cut off by him with one knife, turning into two pieces of pure white goose feathers, slowly floating down.

  Zhuang Hanmo shook his feather fan and smiled: "What a pity!"

  Wu Song stood up from the water, the deep water only reaching his waist. He looked up at Zhuang Hanmo with a flash of white light in his eyes, and his pupils slowly emerged. Gong Xun had already given the order, and the hundred gods' great cannons were aimed at Zhuang Hanmo. The hundred cannons roared in unison, enveloping an area of several dozen meters around him.

  Zhuang Hanmo hastily threw up the yellow umbrella, his feet treading on the umbrella, as a barrage of cannon fire came, blasting the yellow umbrella into a brilliant golden light that shot out in all directions. Zhuang Hanmo was also knocked back several li away, his vital energy surging turbulently, and he couldn't help but admire the mighty power of the cannons.

  Gong Shu Yan ordered the ship to turn around again, while on the other side, the Shenwu cannons were ready to fire. Zhuang Hanmo's face changed slightly, and if he was in his prime, this kind of cannon fire would be nothing to worry about, but after all, his cultivation had not fully recovered yet.

  "It seems that we can't hold back anymore. Why don't we use the Eagle Bird Dispersion Method to sink these ten large ships, so as not to lose face in front of our juniors."

  Zhuang Hanmo was about to take action, but at this moment, he suddenly caught a glimpse of two demon souls flying out of the Liangshan illusion. One was shaped like a diamond, with only half a body and no legs or feet. The other was a unicorn with a pair of snow-white wings.

  Two evil spirits were drawn into the stone stele by the golden nameplate of their own destiny, and flew into the stele involuntarily, where they were sealed.

  These two evil spirits, one resembling Jin Gang Song Wan in the clouds and the other resembling the single-horned dragon Zou Run, were left to guard Mount Liang. Unexpectedly, Wu Song led a fleet to launch a surprise attack, and after a barrage of cannon fire, the two managed to dodge the shells but not the toxic smoke. A moment later, they were poisoned to death, and their spirits were released, transforming into two ferocious beasts.

  Wu Song saw it and his heart moved, shouting loudly: "Fire the cannon at the place where the unicorn horse disappeared!"

  Gong Xun was still confused, but he turned the bow of the ship around and aimed the cannon at the stone stele in front of the Liangshan Temple. Zhuang Hanmo's face changed drastically as he hastily shouted: "Stop!"

  Wu Song raised his arm, and Zhuangzi let out a breath of air, smiling: "Master Wu, how about we make a deal?"

  Wu Song raised his head and sneered, while Zhuang Hanmo's heart was racing wildly. If Wu Song really fired the cannon and shattered the stone stele, he would inevitably release those suppressed demons. In just a blink of an eye, more than 100 heroes would be possessed by evil spirits, regain their memories and divine powers. Not to mention causing chaos, it was feared that not only the Great Song Dynasty but also the entire continent, as well as other continents, would be destroyed in an instant, reenacting the battle between Huangdi and Chiyou 4,000 years ago!

  Nowadays, Taoist priests are no match for their predecessors. Gone are the days of Ying Long and the Nine Heavens Xuan Nü. Who can stop them?

  Wu Song fires his cannon, everyone in the arena is a sinner for eternity!

  "Let's let you off this time and allow you to occupy Liangshan Water Margin. Stop firing your cannons, and we'll settle the score another day. What do you think, Wu Guo Shi?"

  Wu Song remained silent, while Zhuang Zhou's heart was anxious, but his face didn't show any emotion, with a calm and confident appearance.

  "Mr. Zhuang will tell me how to unlock the Eight Meridians Sealing God method, and we'll stop fighting and make peace, what does Mr. Zhuang think?"

  Zhuang Hanmo was taken aback, looking at the woman on the boat. He suddenly dropped a small booklet and shook his head, saying: "Wu Guoshi, you have gained human nature, moved by tender feelings, or what kind of demon king? What a pity! What a pity!" He turned around and flew towards Liangshan, carrying that huge stone stele, flying away immediately. His voice came from afar, saying: "Wu Guoshi, I appreciate your generosity, you have not yet brewed great disaster and chaos. Since you have gained human nature, it's inconvenient for the Taoist to deal with you. I advise you to create less killing karma in the future, otherwise, the Taoist will meet with you again!"

  "I was originally a human being! Mr. Zhuang, if you have the time, it would be better to consider this nation more, why bother with the pros and cons of one faction, and in vain ruin your reputation as a master of yin-yang!"

  Zhuang Hanmo burst out laughing and said, "I am a crane in the clouds, free to come and go as I please! The mundane world has already entered my Dharma eye, and in the future if you do evil, I will return to eliminate you!"

  "Zhou Tong also said so......" Wu Song took over the clothes that Gong Sunyan had thrown down from the boat, gathered his true energy, shrunk back to his original size, and dove into the water to put on the clothes. The flagship lowered a floating bridge, and Wu Song boarded the flagship, pointing towards Liangshan: "Occupy Liangshan Waterway!"

  Ling Zhen immediately shouted loudly: "Put down the tooth ship, and get on board!" The soldiers inside the building boat surged forward, jumping into the light boats at the side of the ship. Other soldiers stirred the big wheel plate, iron chains rattling, putting one by one tooth ship into the water, ten thousand paddles were launched, rushing straight to Liangshan!

  Wu Song looked at the sky and wind direction, sternly shouting: "Other generals, turn the ship's head around, open towards the entrance of Liangshan Water Village, prepare to meet the Liangshan water army! Wang Laozhi, you lead the soldiers in preparation to kill the enemy!"