Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 10

Liu Hong inquired about the prices: a bundle of hay weighed 15 jin and cost 30 wen. Under such high work pressure, the two horses could eat four bundles of hay a day, which weighed 60 jin and cost 120 wen.

Not only that, they also need to eat an extra 4 catties of beans, which costs 80 coins. They need to spend 200 coins a day, and they can spend one tael of silver every five days.

In stark contrast to the horses, the workers ate only two steamed buns per meal, and at most five a day, living on just 30 coins a day.

Horses are just as expensive as gasoline-powered cars, no wonder many people can't afford to keep them. The way they're fed is something most people couldn't handle.

What's more troublesome is that this isn't just a matter of money. Two horses can eat 64 catties of grain a day, 128 catties in two days. The carriage is already crowded with three people. Where am I going to put so much hay?

With no other option, Liu Hong could only continue along the main road, constantly searching for hotels and buying provisions to feed his horses, living in constant fear and anxiety. No wonder many desperate criminals dared not ride faster horses and only dared to venture into the mountains on foot. So he walked along the main road, searching for hotels with frequent foot traffic to feed his horses, knowing he would be caught sooner or later.

No, we need to find a different mode of transportation.

Chapter Sixteen: Liu Hong of Daming Prefecture Displays His Power

The three men and two horses traveled during the day and rested at inns at night to feed the horses. After their tryst that night, Pan Jinlian, having tasted the sweetness of love, would pounce on Liu Hong like a ravenous cat whenever she could find time to be alone with him, demanding unparalleled pleasure from him. But each time, Liu Hong would torment her until she couldn't get out of bed, her alluring body collapsing like mud, moaning.

"Husband, wake up, it's time to get to work—"

The next day, Pan Jinlian got up very early. She was about to wake her husband, but when she looked at the unfamiliar scene outside the window, she stopped and stared blankly at the unfamiliar forest outside the window, as if she were looking at every brick and tile of her hometown, Qinghe.

Yes, I am no longer in Qinghe County.

Yes, a peaceful and tranquil life is no longer relevant to me.

Yes, I am now a fugitive.

Liu Hong also woke up at this moment. Seeing Pan Jinlian looking out the window in a daze and helplessness, he understood what she was thinking and that she had not yet adapted to her life on the run.

Liu Hong himself was also not used to it. Just a few days ago, he was studying history at university. Now he had killed someone and gotten married. Compared with his previous life plan, it was not so much different as to be completely different.

However, Liu Hong knew he couldn't show any weakness or confusion. At this moment, he was the pillar in Wu Dalang and Pan Jinlian's hearts. If he was confused, they would only be more afraid and helpless.

If you ask a boy, "When did you become a man?"

That's roughly the moment when someone entrusts their life and fortune to him.

Liu Hong sighed, grabbed Pan Jinlian, and forcefully kissed her lips. He kissed her until she was breathless, her fox-like eyes glazed over, her body weak and limp, and her pink lips were wet with tears before he finally released her. The four lips left glistening trails of moisture in the air, shifting their attention from the uncertainty of the future to the pleasure of the present.

Pan Jinlian's frail, boneless body was held diagonally in Liu Hong's arms like a pipa, allowing him to fondle every inch of her beautiful flesh with his fingers.

Liu Hong continued to kiss his wife's face, red lips, jade neck, and fox ears, kissing her until her limbs convulsed, her breasts trembled, and her whole body was immersed in the afterglow of ecstasy.

Ten jade toes curled up together, accompanied by heavy breathing, kicked the bedsheets into disarray. A pair of fox tails wrapped around Liu Hong's waist like snakes, and the two once again entwined and made love until dawn. Wu Dalang knocked on the door and called the two to hurry on their way. Only then did they reluctantly leave each other's bodies, put on their clothes, and get into the carriage to continue their journey.

And so, the group traveled for another four days before finally arriving at Yuancheng, the capital of Daming Prefecture, from Qinghe County in Enzhou.

The administration of the Northern Song Dynasty was somewhat chaotic. The prefectures were no longer the size of a province in the Han Dynasty, but were broken up into extremely fragmented units, only at the city level.

These municipal-level administrative units include not only prefectures but also prefectures.

To give a somewhat inappropriate example, a place like Enzhou, which has the suffix of "zhou" (州), is similar to the size of an ordinary city today, governing a bunch of counties, with its capital in Qinghe.

The suffix "Damingfu" indicates a prefecture, similar to municipalities like Beijing and Tianjin. It is one and a half levels higher than a prefecture and governs a number of counties. Its administrative center is Yuancheng.

Liu Hong stopped and gazed into the distance. At the edge of his vision, a magnificent and vast city stood majestically on a plain crisscrossed by waterways.

The tall and thick brick and stone city walls, like a winding, coiled dragon, protect the entire city. The layers of blue bricks and stones resemble dragon scales, and the uneven battlements are like dorsal fins. The majestic and solemn city gate towers are just like the blood-red crown on the top of this giant dragon's head.

The wide-open city gates, like the gaping maw of a giant dragon, swallowed and spat out pedestrians and carriages coming and going.

Liu Hong observed carefully and found that the soldiers at the gate were the same as those in Qinghe County: round-necked robes, Fanyang hats, swords, shields, and wooden crossbows in their hands, and two rows of gold seals on their faces. They were also listless bandit convicts.

The procession entering the city was bustling with activity. There were vendors pushing wheelbarrows loaded with goods, high-ranking officials riding tall horses, and ordinary people traveling in groups, creating a lively and prosperous scene.

The group dared not get too close, so they stayed at an inn outside Daming Prefecture to rest. They ordered some wine and meat to eat, and some hay and soybeans to feed the horses. Some passersby were a little restless when they saw how beautiful Pan Jinlian was and wanted to talk to her, but when they saw Liu Hong’s burly body and the steel knife and whistle on his back, they gave up the idea - this man did not look easy to mess with.

While eating and drinking, Liu Hong listened to the conversations of passing merchants, wanting to know about the recent political situation and his own affairs. He was lucky, as the people at the next table were talking about the same thing.

"Hey? Did you know? A hero has emerged from Qinghe County!"

One of the travelers ate his meal while chattering away.

“I just came from Qinghe County as a merchant. There’s a rich but heartless man named Zhang there who wants to take someone’s wife. So he bribed the officials to ruin the other man’s family first, and then take his wife.”

"Hey, what's so strange about that? All the rich men in my hometown are just like that. They're all the same."

The second passenger waved dismissively.

"Listen to me, we'll be at a place that's not unusual soon."

The first passenger gestured excitedly.

"Hey! Guess what? That rich man messed with someone tough! That guy's got guts! He killed the government troops first, then stormed into the rich man's mansion and killed his entire family of five! The rich man, his wife, and his three children were all chopped into mincemeat!"

Liu Hong had been listening attentively, but upon hearing that all five members of the Zhang family had died, he immediately stopped eating in surprise.

I only killed one person! Who the hell is framing me? Saying I killed someone's whole family? I was in a hurry to escape; there was no time to kill an entire family!

"And then?"

The people at the next table were delighted. They couldn't afford to offend these wealthy landowners and had been bullied by them quite often. They were quite pleased to hear about these usually high and mighty landowners being defeated by ordinary people at the dinner table.

"Then the hero opened the gates of the Zhang mansion and distributed all the silver and grain from the Zhang mansion to the people of Qinghe. The people of Qinghe County already regarded that man as a hero!"

"Ah this?"

Liu Hong was even more confused. He could understand if someone framed him, but why would someone increase his reputation?

Liu Hong frowned. After thinking it over carefully, he realized that the methods Zhang Yuanwai used to control Pan Jinlian and other servants were nothing more than government intimidation and violent oppression.

But now, I've dragged Master Zhang out of the city and beheaded him, severing his entire network of connections with the government.

His three strongest henchmen were all killed, and the violent suppression ceased to exist.

I remember Pan Jinlian saying that all his henchmen were scoundrels and outlaws, swindlers who did his dirty work. These bandits, with no one to control them or keep them in check, seized this golden opportunity and went on a rampage, killing the entire Zhang family, dividing their property and grain, and then running away.

But they felt they couldn't bear the blame, so they said I killed everyone, and incidentally opened the granaries to confuse the authorities, putting all the blame on me?!

Liu Hong was both amused and exasperated. At that moment, his so-called dragon blood also underwent a change, gaining something called reputation.

[Reputation Value: 2]: You are starting to gain some fame.

Previously, he could only command a maximum of four subordinates with his psychic powers, with Pan Jinlian being one of them.

Now, my command cap has actually increased; I can command a maximum of 7 subordinates. 2 character level + 3 charm adjustment + 2 reputation = 7.

My reputation has increased in a strange way.

It seems that, in addition to leveling up and increasing charm, doing these things that increase reputation can also effectively raise the command cap.

After eating and drinking their fill, Liu Hong and Pan Jinlian disguised themselves and secretly observed the wanted posters posted at the city gate from a distance.

He was indeed wanted, and the portrait was quite accurate. His crimes were wiping out the entire Zhang family and killing government troops. A reward of three hundred taels of silver was offered for him, along with accomplices Pan Jinlian and Wu Dalang, each with one hundred taels of silver.

Not only that, but his wanted poster actually listed three names: Wu Sanlang, Liu Hong, and Liu Sanlang, marking all his former names without letting any of them slip by.

Chapter Seventeen: Zhu Gui's Introduction at Wuyou Cave (Bonus Chapter for 400 Monthly Tickets!)

After investigating the situation, Liu Hong quickly returned to the inn, rented a room, and hid in the relatively safe room to discuss countermeasures.

After all the food and drink they had consumed along the way, the group still had thirty-seven taels of silver, more than three hundred copper coins, and a large amount of jewelry that they had taken from Master Zhang. Their finances were quite sufficient.

"I suggest we get some masks, straw hats, headscarves and the like to cover our faces. The clerks who arrested us have already taken us to Daming Prefecture. We can't keep showing off like this."

Liu Hong said seriously.

"We also need to change the carriage. The two horses have an enormous appetite, and the carriage can only carry enough food for them for one day at most. This forces us to take the main roads and hotels along the way where there are plenty of fodder. It's too conspicuous for a group of wanted criminals like us to travel through such crowded places. We'll get into trouble sooner or later."

"My brother is right."

Wu Dalang was also troubled and offered a suggestion.

“Inland waterway transportation is very developed in Hebei and Henan. Why not sell the horse-drawn carriage, make some money, and buy a boat to travel on?”

Just as the three were whispering among themselves, they suddenly heard a soft knock on the wooden door and three tinkling sounds from the copper bells on the eaves. Liu Hong looked up alertly and saw a figure in a dark green dress silently sweep across the threshold. The scale patterns embroidered on the dress appeared and disappeared in the morning light, like the shadows of dragons swimming on the surface of the Zhang River. Beneath her long, dark green hair, her face was open and passionate, and her apricot-yellow vertical pupils gleamed with a terrifying light.

"Gentlemen, welcome to my humble shop. This pot of tea is on me."

The green-haired woman parted her red lips slightly, revealing four sharp fangs. Her slender waist bent, revealing a beautiful, jade-like back, and with a gentle wave of her delicate hand, she placed cups of tea for the three of them.

Upon seeing that the visitor was the proprietress, Liu Hong's wariness lessened slightly, but the next second, he felt a chill run down his spine.

“You three heroes are really bold. The Daming Prefecture has already posted wanted notices for you, yet you still flaunt yourselves so openly. Go to the city gate yourself to confirm it.”

Liu Hong's expression changed slightly, and his right hand immediately reached for the steel knife behind his back. The woman remained calm and quickly explained.

"If I wanted to capture you, I wouldn't have come here; I would have reported it to the authorities directly. Don't worry, I'm no saint either. I am Zhu Gui, the Drought-land Crocodile. I know all the secrets of Daming Prefecture, and I also know how to sneak into the city without the eyes and ears of the government troops. I can grant you any wish, as long as the price is right."

Liu Hong's eyes lit up. Zhu Gui, the "Dry Land Crocodile"? This person is the fourth of the four elders of Liangshan, specializing in intelligence gathering. It seems that Liangshan hasn't even started to be formed yet, and she's already opened a hotel next to Daming Prefecture? He immediately observed her attributes.

【Zhu Gui】(Devil)

Level 3 (Level 3 Thief)

Life 24, Psychic 2

Strength 14, Agility 14, Constitution 14

Intelligence 14, Perception 14, Charisma 14

【Demon Messenger - ? ? ?】

This person's stats are even more "bucket-shaped" and lower than mine. Thieves are a special melee class. Their combat power is not as good as pure warriors, but they are better at stealth, ambushes, reconnaissance, and all sorts of miscellaneous tasks. They are not good at head-on combat.

However, her race is demons? Not human? When I first awakened, it said that Psionic Domination could grant the [Demon Messenger] or [Dragon Blood Talent] to deploy companions, but I didn't understand what that meant. Now I finally see a living Demon Messenger.

Now it seems that my questions can be answered by this Earthly Fiend Star.

"We want to sell this carriage, then pawn some of our belongings to get some money. Do you have a way to Guifanlou?"

Wu Dalang spoke first.

"Yes, for a fixed price of five taels of silver, I can take you to the nearby Guifanlou to make the transaction. It's just as bustling as the streets of Daming Prefecture. Don't be afraid. Even bandits have their reputations. Otherwise, if you offend the government and then the underworld, you'll have a hard time surviving in the martial arts world."

Zhu Gui's yellow eyes gleamed, his vertical pupils slightly contracted, it was unclear whether he was comforting the group or warning them not to act recklessly.

Liu Hong recalled that Wuyou Cave and Guifanlou were terms unique to the Song Dynasty.

Tokyo and Kaifeng, Beijing and Daming Prefecture—these super-prosperous mega-cities were all built between well-connected waterways. Daming Prefecture, the center of Hebei Province and the capital of the Song Dynasty, was also nestled between the Zhang River and the Wei River, with a dense network of waterways and well-developed river transport. The city's underground flood control system was also enormous, even becoming a large underground city that a person could walk through—the Ghost Fanlou.

The more magnificent the Daming Mansion above ground is, the more expansive the Guifanlou underground is.

Wu Dalang nodded, indicating that he could.

Liu Hong gave the other party a serious look. He thought that Zhu Gui, the "Dry Land Crocodile," should be trustworthy, and that her eyes were filled with nothing but pure greed. After thinking for a moment, he nodded in agreement and instructed Pan Jinlian to stay and take care of Wu Dalang. He then set off alone, armed himself, to investigate the Ghost Fanlou.

Zhu Gui readily accepted the money, then turned and led Liu Hong away. Her long green dress and hair created a series of beautiful, dark green streaks in the air. The two arrived at a port, boarded a small and exquisite fishing boat, and Zhu Gui touched her face with her jade-like hand, instantly changing her appearance. Then she unfurled the sail, rowed the oars, and made the small boat glide lightly through the Zhang River like a brown spear.

Liu Hong was a little nervous. He cautiously combined the steel knife and the whistle stick back into a single broadsword, ready for battle. Only by presenting himself as someone not to be trifled with would others think twice, hesitate, and consider whether it was worth it to mess with him before provoking him.

Zhu Gui seemed used to the tense appearance of these fugitives. He chuckled, brandished his oar, and zigzaggled through the river, making Liu Hong a little dizzy, before finally navigating into a shallow channel hidden among the reeds. He then went upstream and plunged into a deep, dark cave.

In an instant, a strong smell of decay hit him. Liu Hong felt as if he had stepped into a forgotten ancient water tomb. The stones at the entrance were covered with slippery moss, which shimmered with an eerie luster in the dim sunlight.

Water droplets continuously dripped from the stalactites at the top of the passage, falling into the underground river and producing a monotonous, dull "drip-drip" sound that echoed long and deep in the vast underground space. Large patches of mold grew and spread on the walls, their fuzzy texture sending chills down one's spine. Tumultuous currents, carrying large amounts of garbage, flowed from all directions through small waterways, merging into the murky underground river, filling its surface with the household waste of Daming Prefecture, making it filthy and unbearably foul-smelling.

In the dimly lit corners, piles of garbage and debris lay everywhere, with swarms of rats moving freely and squeaking among them. Their eyes gleamed a greedy red in the darkness, and their sharp cries shattered the deathly silence. The entire underground city was damp, decaying, and filled with an endless sense of gloom.

Low and narrow, damp and sweltering, teeming with rats and insects—this is the underground world of Daming Prefecture.

"Welcome to the underworld, yes, yes."

Zhu Gui smiled as he introduced Liu Hong to his living place. As the boat ventured deeper into the darkness, the sunlight gradually disappeared, and the darkness became so intense that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. However, Zhu Gui's eyes, like those of a wild beast, glowed with a yellow light, gradually becoming the only source of light in the darkness.

The author says:

Author's note: Bonus chapter for 400 words! More to come when it reaches 500!

Chapter 18: Ghost Fanlou's Seven Kills Obtain Treasure

Along the way, Liu Hong could barely make out a few caves with torches lit, carved into the rock walls on both sides of the underground river. Some burly men holding weapons cautiously poked their heads out, watching the approaching boats—this was the legendary Worry-Free Cave.

Before long, larger caves, more intricate tunnels, and more heavily guarded bandit gangs came into Liu Hong's view—this was the more advanced Ghost Fanlou.

"We've arrived at the place to do business."

Zhu Gui lowered his straw hat, and the bow of the boat suddenly turned sharply to the right. Here, the underground river split into a spider web of tributaries, and stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling were covered with barbed wire. Liu Hong caught a glimpse of half a white bone embedded in a rock crevice, with finger bones digging into the crack.

"Has the Dry Land Crocodile sent over fat sheep again?"

As the small boat docked, two hunched figures emerged from behind the stalagmites, their pale skin tinged with a bluish-gray. They came to greet us with mocking smiles, their faces filled with a chilling grin.