Chapter 770: Chai Village

Defeating the prefectural army indeed made Shi Dalang famous, and Xiao Ming Wang's nickname grew even louder. Moreover, this man led the charge and directly beheaded Mao Gui, cementing his title of unrivaled Shandong spear and staff. Quite a few heroes compare Shi Yi with Hebei's jade qilin Lu Junyi (Lu Daguanren), debating which of the two truly is unmatched with spear and staff. Bai Lang and Shi Yi both heard these rumors, and Shi Yi really wants to go to Hebei Ming Dynasty Prefecture to spar with that Lu Junyi.

"Don't go; after all, that Lu Junyi is far inferior to me. If you can walk ten steps under my hand, your martial skill is certainly already above Lu Junyi's." Even a demonic star, aside from the few born with divine strength, the others should not surpass the well‑rounded Shi Yi—after all, this is guided by Bai Lang, and even the White Tiger Star Lord's rank should be above the 108 Demonic Stars.

Bai Lang estimates that, purely in terms of martial skill, Shi Yi right now could certainly rank among the Heavenly Gang, being among the top few within the Heavenly Gang stars. "In formal duels I might be weaker than the Flower Monk, in hand‑to‑hand combat probably not as good as Wu Song, but in an immediate clash... Twin Spear General Dong Ping would not be a match, currently only behind Lu Junyi and Guan Sheng, and against Lin Chong it would depend on who performs better."

The matter settled, Bai Lang sees Shi Yi as a fleeting character—his passionate zeal for a cause only lasts a few days, then he quickly slides into a life of aimless eating, drinking and pleasure, only maintaining his martial training for as long as he likes. At night he hangs out with that widow, never having gone into the brothels—currently the sea‑patrol documents are still out, wandering into the city would get him caught. Nowadays he no longer stays much in the mountain stronghold, having built a villa outside the mountains to live in.

Shi Yi's fist‑and‑foot martial skill is mediocre, his foot combat relies mainly on a long spear; the local area is hard to reach but one can ride a horse to Linqing for fun. That place is the great wharf on the canal, far more bustling than the Shi Family Village Wharf. The yamen guards there are mostly turning a blind eye; if Shi Yi were just another Mao bandit they'd just arrest him, but knowing Shi Yi has accomplished great deeds and is also highly skilled, the guards would only take a few coins—why risk their lives to capture Shi Yi?

Moreover, with Bai Lang present, he is quite interested in the brothels and taverns of the Northern Song era—these are not merely courtesan houses but a collection of various amusements, from sumo to military dramas, from gambling houses to brothels. Truly a great place for recreation; food, drink and fun are all inside, and as long as you have money in your pocket you can stay from dawn till night without ever needing to go out. Apparently some people indeed spend their whole lives hanging around there...

Shi Yi went off to play, while Bai Lang sat upright in a tavern, drinking wine and eating meat, and casually listening to the singing of a songstress ordered by nearby patrons. An old man brought a young girl over, asking the gentleman if he wanted to hear a tune; Bai Lang handed over some money and had the girl sing a piece. In that moment he recalled a distant past, "I remember sometime in the late Ming we also came here, back when we were chasing the barbarians..."

Just as Bai Lang expected, the local officials pretended not to see Shi Yi, and after returning to the villa, visitors came to pay Shi Yi a call. It seemed they were future Liangshan heroes; this one was a man under Chai Jin (Chai the Great Official), bringing a letter of greeting and friendship from Chai the Great Official, along with gold and silver. Shi Yi gladly accepted the gold and silver, then produced a pair of jade horses as a return gift, and even wrote a letter to Chai Jin, thus making a friend.

After that, brothers from the road kept arriving, until a scholar showed up; when he announced his name, Bai Lang sneered inwardly, "So it's that poisonous type who makes people climb the mountain for profit." It turned out to be the clever star Wu Yong, who came under the name of Timely Rain Song Sanlang to make connections. He stayed at the villa for two days, but news arrived that the black Sanlang of Xiao Yi had killed someone. Bai Lang found this odd, because he recalled that Wu Yong at this time should not have any ties with Song Jiang, but was instead serving as a strategist for Chao Gai at Liangshan.

In any case, regardless of the rest, Black Skin Sanlang killed a man out of loyalty and then left. Bai Lang immediately told Shi Yi, saying he plans to wander around Shandong, then ride away—just in time to make a visit to Chai Jin's residence as a return gift. Bai Lang rode hard, and after a few days reached Cangzhou, and by asking along the way found Chai Village. Chai Jin's martial skill is mediocre, but his family is extremely wealthy, fond of befriending heroic, righteous men and giving them money, and also sheltering various good men hunted by the imperial sea patrol.

Bai Lang sees that he is essentially a tiger on the ground relying on an imperial edict and iron certificate, a man who only collects stolen goods. Yet he treats people very well; seeing Bai Lang, an eight‑foot tall robust man with a heroic appearance, tiger‑like whiskers and hanging eyebrows like a fierce general, he immediately seeks friendship. Bai Lang plans to stay a few days at the villa, and while strolling casually he spots a tall man in the hall and instantly knows this is the unrestrained warrior.

How could the demonic stars in the heavens not recognize him? Bai Lang's martial skill is divine, and this world still has immortals; with his prowess he could be a terrestrial immortal without issue. Wu Erlang is a top‑tier figure in Water Margin, killing people thoroughly—Bai Lang, when he read Water Margin, knew the author was a veteran killer, and this fellow certainly has killed with his own hands. Wu Erlang also has a fine appearance, a lion‑like nose, broad mouth, a true man, and when it comes to foot combat his skill...

Bai Lang thinks breaking a spear with a single sword is rather difficult, and breaking a single sword with a flower spear is also not easy; it should be comparable to Shi Yi's moment of brilliance, only Lu Zhishen's martial skill might reliably surpass Shi Yi in foot combat. That man is a supreme figure in Water Margin; Song Jiang and the like can only fetch shoes for Lu. Wu Song looked up and saw Bai Lang, instantly feeling as if a huge beast was strolling freely in the hall; his knife‑like gaze swept the room, making everyone feel as if a blade were pressed against their bodies.

Wu Song also exudes murderous aura, the demonic star nature showing, immediately ready for combat. Bai Lang smiles and invites Wu Erlang to the training ground; Chai the Great Official, hearing the news, also runs over to watch the match—this is merely a contest of skill. Wu Erlang is famous for the Jade Ring Mandarin Duck Step; Bai Lang doesn't know where he learned it, can only say it comes with the demonic star. Bai Lang also brings out Taizu Long Fist to counter—this level is sufficient.

At most the North Wind Palm is enough; although Wu Song never cultivated internal energy, his bones are penetrated by a divine‑demonic force, his fists and kicks brimming with murderous aura. Bai Lang and Wu Erlang's Long Fist clash, "Wu Erlang is still a mortal flesh, but I won't break him." Wu Song's blows on Bai Lang feel like striking refined iron; the more he strikes, the more his heart races, "Is that perhaps the celestial Fighting God? How can a mortal have such iron‑hard body?"