Through countless dynasties, I can summon the heroes of Chinese history.

Chapter 65 Lü Guang and De Lin Join Liangshan

"The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King?"

Han Feng scoffed upon hearing this, his eyes filled with mockery.

"What arrogance! A mere local headman, a bandit and thief, dares to be so presumptuous? Does he really think this world is a place where he can run rampant?"

Hao Tong dared not respond to Han Feng's words, and continued to report with his head down, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"The second leader was named Song Jiang. He was originally a clerk in Yuncheng County, Fengxiang Prefecture. He came from a humble background, was dark-skinned and short, and had an unremarkable appearance. However, he was extravagant and chivalrous. He loved to befriend wandering swordsmen and outlaws, and he won people's hearts with small favors. He was known as the 'Timely Rain' in the area."

This man was extremely good at winning people's hearts, and he had many loyal followers. It was precisely because of this that he was able to become an outlaw.

The third leader was a fellow villager of Chao Gai, a local schoolteacher, who possessed considerable strategic acumen and military leadership skills.

"These men were usually quite well-behaved. Even with the arrogance of bandits, they never did anything out of line."

Later, one of them robbed government silver, and another accidentally caused a death, which led them to join Liangshan. Chao Gai even killed the original leader of the stronghold, Wang Lun, and subdued the bandits, large and small, on the mountain, thus forming a powerful force that has become the current threat.

Hao Tong recounted the whole story again.

Han Feng nodded, which meant he had gained some understanding.

At the same time, Jiang Shanbao, the military commander of Fengxiang, seeing Hao Tong's flattery, immediately mentioned and introduced the capable leaders of Liangshan to Han Feng one by one.

Han Feng didn't care about this, because according to Jiang Shanbao, there was only one Heaven-level general on Liangshan, and the rest were just top-tier generals.

This lineup alone is not enough to make him wary.

.........

In Liangshan Village.

"Report...!"

The scouts' neighing broke through the doors of the Hall of Righteousness, startling the candlelight inside.

"Master, something terrible has happened! The six major families of Laizhou are pressing in, and the one leading the troops is Han Feng, the third young master of the Han family!"

Upon hearing this, Chao Gai slammed his wine bowl down on the table, splashing wine everywhere: "Those six great families! They actually sent their eldest sons in person! Are they trying to uproot Liangshan?"

Song Jiang frowned, grabbed Chao Gai who was about to get up, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, do not panic! Panic will only lead to chaos!"

He turned to the outside of the hall and loudly issued orders: "Pass down the order to immediately triple the manpower to reinforce the fortress walls. The blacksmiths are to work through the night to manufacture arrows and armor. Leaders Hua Rong and Chen Wei, go and train the men immediately, ensuring they are in constant drill day and night without fail!"

Chen Wei was also a former border general. Because he did not want to associate with the six powerful families of Laizhou, he was persecuted by them and eventually had no choice but to join the Liangshan outlaws.

This man was quite capable. He deserves the majority of the credit for Liangshan's current status, as it was his training methods that made Liangshan's fighting strength approach that of a regular army.

"Brother Gongming is absolutely right!"

Chao Gai, now calm, roared, "Tell all the inns down the mountain to immediately tighten their intelligence network, leaving only hidden agents. Anyone who dares to slack off will be punished according to military law!"

In an instant, the entire Liangshan Mountain came to a standstill.

The henchmen on the stockade wall carried bluestone slabs and ran back and forth.

The clanging of hammers striking armor mingled with the shouts of soldiers drilling, startling birds in the forest into scattering in all directions.

The usually tranquil area around the lake was suddenly filled with a tense and menacing atmosphere.

After all, the news came so bluntly that it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Han Feng, the commander-in-chief, had no intention of concealing it. On the contrary, it seemed as if he deliberately leaked the news to intimidate others.

Chao Gai gripped the scout report tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Song Jiang stood to the side, stroking his beard, his brow furrowed. They couldn't understand why the six great families of Laizhou would mobilize such a large force.

The fact that the eldest son of the Han family personally led an expedition against Liangshan was no small matter, which puzzled them greatly.

Wu Yong, standing to the side, naturally knew why the Han family was doing this, but now was clearly not the time to discuss it.

So he immediately changed the subject, saying, "Brothers, don't worry. Our Liangshan army is strong and well-equipped, and we are acting on behalf of Heaven. We will surely attract heroes from all walks of life to join us. Even if the six major families of Laizhou attack, what can we do?"

[Ding dong, Wu Yong's skill 'Strategist' effect 2 is activated. When scheming against others, it randomly reduces the opponent's intelligence value by 1 to 3 points;]

Currently, Song Jiang is plotting against Song Jiang and Chao Gai, therefore Song Jiang's intelligence has decreased by 3, his base intelligence is 85, and his current intelligence has dropped to 82.

Chao Gai's base intelligence was -3, and his current intelligence has dropped to 62.

Upon hearing Wu Yong's words, Chao Gai and Song Jiang immediately nodded and adopted Wu Yong's suggestion.

With Wu Yong's help, Lü Guang and the others joined Liangshan.

Moreover, with the joint arrangements of Wu Yong and Luo Wang, Lü Guang and others joining the Liangshan outlaws seemed so natural that no one could see any flaws in it.

Take Lü Guang for example. He was a very famous chivalrous man in Laizhou. Because he couldn't stand a local aristocratic family oppressing the people, he killed the head of the family in a fit of rage.

Fearing retaliation from the powerful families of Laizhou, and drawn by the reputation of Liangshan for upholding justice on behalf of Heaven, he decided to bring a few friends to join Liangshan.

When Lü Guang and his group arrived at Liangshan, Chao Gai and Song Jiang personally tested them and discovered that they were all top-notch fighters.

Especially Lü Guang, whose skills were unparalleled. He wielded his pair of cold-sharp halberds with unparalleled skill. When he practiced, the tips of the halberds would cut through the air and produce sharp whistles.

In the entire Liangshan stronghold, there was only one person who could steadily suppress him. Even Xiao Xuanbin, who was famous in Fengxiang County, admitted that he was no match for Lü Guang.

After Lü Guang and others killed two government soldiers and pledged their loyalty to Liangshan, Chao Gai and Song Jiang immediately decided to give them seats in the Hall of Righteousness, ranking them above all the old brothers.

As the news spread throughout Liangshan, the bandits in the stronghold were greatly excited. After all, their forces had gained several more fierce generals, and now that the six great families of Laizhou were coming to attack, they felt more confident.

But before one wave subsided, another arose. Zhao Delin, the infamous Demon General, also led several of his men to Liangshan.

These people were all dressed in black robes, and their steps carried a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay. As soon as they entered the village, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

With the powerful families of Laizhou pressing in, they were in dire need of manpower, so Chao Gai and Song Jiang naturally wouldn't turn away these top experts.

They knew that while the government troops might not allow martial arts masters to directly participate in the fighting, they still had to guard against assassination attempts.

These are all top-tier experts; with them in charge...