Chapter 781: Chapter Twenty: Capturing Men

As one of Liangshan's great leaders, Shi Yi now sits alone drinking at the scouts' tavern on the outskirts of Liangshan, and the scout‑leader who handles intelligence dares not approach. When Bai Lang sees him, he also hears Shi Yi's complaint: "I thought at least Chao Gai was a notable figure on Liangshan, but I didn't expect him to be a fellow conspirator. How could a great man like Shi associate with those who rob merchants on the river and run black shops?! This Liangshan can go to hell!"

Bai Lang laughs, "The bandits on the mountain and in the water have always been like this; Chao Gai set up the Gathering Hall to uphold the Way of Heaven, which is already decent. He didn't block merchants on the road, nor did he loot the common folk, right? If you're uneasy, wander the clouds with me, or you can go to Hangzhou to see Er Lang and the little sister." Shi Yi nods at the news, and at that moment Hu San Niang also comes out looking for Shi Yi; hearing that he intends to go south, she naturally follows.

After Bai Lang tells the tavern keeper Zhu Gui he's leaving, Shi Yi says, "Mu Rong the Prefect has a way to die, but I saved his family members; otherwise they'd have been wiped out." Bai Lang replies, "That's exactly what I can't stand about them—killing an entire family and dragging the innocent into disaster, most of which never even dies. They only know how to lead the charge and slaughter…"

Bai Lang knows that using such reasoning to demand anything of these people is impossible; among them there are indeed some oppressed at the very bottom, but they are very few. Most are not "good people" at all, belonging to both the black and white paths. Liangshan is a den of thieves, and even waving Chao Gai's banner of upholding the Way of Heaven does no good. The series of figures Song Jiang brought up the mountain have, in fact, pulled Liangshan's standards even lower.

Now that Bai Lang, Shi Yi and Hu San Niang have temporarily left, Liangshan's average moral level is almost at rock bottom. On Liangshan there is Divine Swift Guard Dai Zong, who rushes north and south delivering messages. Not long after Bai Lang, Shi Yi and Hu San Niang ride to Hangzhou in Jiangnan, Dai Zong arrives, "Director Dai is here? Is there something?" Shi Yi's mood improves considerably; seeing Dai Zong does not look urgent, he offers tea and asks with a smile.

Dai Zong had come to convey news: Song Gongming has taken Shao Hua Mountain, beheaded the Prefect and rescued Lu Zhishen, Shi Jin and others. "Ha, you share a surname with Da Lang, Jiu Wen Long…" many more heroes have joined Liangshan, and now the Liangshan forces are fighting the chaotic demon king Fan Rui and his band at Mang Dang Shan in Xuzhou. Dai Zong's arrival is to request troops—this demon king knows Daoist arts, and Liangshan's men cannot make any headway.

Bai Lang, after deep contemplation, mounts a warhorse with Shi Yi and Hu San Niang, and together with Dai Zong they ride day and night, reaching Xuzhou from Hangzhou in three days. They happen to meet Shi Jin's party after a disastrous defeat, just as Song Jiang's army arrives. Seeing Bai Lang, Shi Yi and Hu San Niang, some of Song Jiang's men look uneasy, while the cloud‑dragon Gong Sun Sheng produces a formation, claiming it to be the Shu Han Marquis's Eight Diagrams, saying that once the diagram is set these three will surely be captured.

Bai Lang looks at the formation and laughs loudly, "Such things are the fantasies of scholars; the Marquis's Eight Diagrams have nothing to do with this contraption. Why make it so troublesome? Let Da Lang go straight into battle and capture them on horseback. Otherwise, let someone walk the formation and take these three for you, Gong." Gong Sun Sheng smiles wryly, and Song Jiang says to Bai Lang, "A word is a pact? No jokes in the army!"

Bai Lang nods, "No jokes. Tomorrow I'll bring them to you."

The next day the troops march out; Shi Yi and Bai Lang have no main army horses, and Hu San Niang, who followed Shi Yi, also has none, so Bai Lang goes out alone. In Liangshan's formation only Hua Rong, Xu Ning and Chai Jin bring their horses to support Bai Lang. Bai Lang wears no armor, holding only a long sword with an extended hilt. On Mang Dang Shan three or twenty gongs sound, shaking the ground. Three leaders descend the mountain and deploy over three thousand men. On the left are Xiang Chong and Li Gun; in the center on horseback stands the leading hero, surnamed Fan, given name Rui.

Seeing the three leaders advance, Bai Lang spurs his horse and charges alone at them. Xiang Chong attacks first, brandishing a dough‑shaped card, with twenty‑four flying knives strapped to his back, and a spear in his right hand—he is a foot‑battle general. He tries to knock Bai Lang off his horse with spear and knives, but Bai Lang catches the incoming knives with one hand, pinching four between his fingers, and the combined rider‑horse reaches Xiang Chong's head.

The opponent thrusts his spear toward the horse's belly. Bai Lang's long sword slices down, breaking the card with a single blow; the tip twists, the blade lifts Xiang Chong up. He grabs Xiang Chong's neck and lifts him; with a swing the lifted Xiang Chong flies like a cloud, crashing onto Liangshan's horses and remaining motionless for a long while. Bai Lang does not look back and continues his thrust; meanwhile Li Gun and Fan Rui charge.

Bai Lang sheathes his long sword, swats aside the incoming spear, grabs Li Gun at the chest, and with such force crushes his bones and tendons, hurling him fifteen zhang behind the Liangshan horses, bound like Xiang Chong. Fan Rui, unable to unleash his meteor hammer, attempts a spell on horseback, but Bai Lang shouts, and Fan Rui's technique is dispelled—White Tiger Star Lord's shout renders the chaotic demon king's magic useless.

Fan Rui is seized from his horse, his torso lifted, and Bai Lang carries him back among the Liangshan horses; the three thousand patrol soldiers behind surrender without question. Bai Lang captures the three in a single maneuver; the onlookers in Liangshan regard him as a deity. Bai Lang says casually, "Just a country chicken and a tile dog, no real skill." After the three are taken, they immediately bow to Song Gongming, adding three new heads to Liangshan.

"Where are you heading after Hangzhou?" Shi Yi asks. In front of all Liangshan's men, Bai Lang replies, "Bian Liang; let's go to Bian Liang for a while, stay a few months and then return to Liangshan." He notes that the three of them—now including Hu San Niang—are a uniquely independent trio within Liangshan, leaning toward Chao Gai's faction, with habits completely different from the other heroes, preferring leisure. Neither Shi Yi nor Bai Lang have main army horses in Liangshan—just thirty or forty idle men, not a proper force.

Hu San Niang commands a group of female soldiers, but they are merely families of the mountain patrol; though numbering a few hundred, their combat ability is very weak, and the troops accompanying the Hu family manor are few. Thus, the three of them form the weakest force in terms of numbers, yet their martial skill unquestionably tops the rankings.

The Liangshan heroes return to Liangshan, and Bai Lang walks with them; they will part ways once they reach Liangshan, but for now they travel together.