Moma Liangshan

Chapter 48 Wen Da Retreats, Wang Hao Asks the Sword

Wen Da said, "Evenly matched." Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "If we can't even win, how can we reclaim the people's hard-earned money from Liang Zhongshu?" Wen Da didn't dwell on the literal meaning and said, "Young Master Wang, have you ever heard of the name Wen Dadao from Daming Prefecture?" Wang Hao replied, "No!" Wen Da wasn't angry that Wang Hao didn't know his own name and said, "There's a fat monk at Baozhu Temple on Erlong Mountain who's quite skilled. He fought me for three hundred rounds without being at a disadvantage. Do you know him, Young Master Wang?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "The Commander's words are too vague. I don't know who he's talking about!" Wen Da took out a bamboo tube from his robes and handed it to Wang Hao, saying, "This is a portrait of him!" Wang Hao took the bamboo tube, unfolded the portrait, and saw that the person depicted was indeed Lu Zhishen. He thought to himself, "Lu Zhishen's strength is unmatched, and his fists, feet, and weapons are all first-rate." "Wen Da was able to fight Lu Zhishen to a standstill, which shows he is no ordinary man." After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, the Commander's martial arts are no less than Suo Chao's!" Suo Chao suddenly shouted, "When you commanded the scout camp, Commander, you personally killed seventeen Liao scouts. Such martial arts are beyond my reach!" Wen Da suddenly sighed and said, "Suo Chao is incredibly brave, but he lacks the opportunity to fight on the battlefield." Wang Hao said, "After the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office is rebuilt, I will be ordered to sail north, land in Liaodong, traverse the vast Liao territory, and visit the Jurchen leader between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River to discuss a strategy to attack Liao from both sides. If Suo Chao is willing to charge into battle, I can request a transfer order from the Emperor to send you north with me." Upon hearing this, Wen Da and Suo Chao's expressions changed drastically. What Wang Hao had just said contained too much information.

Wen Da thought to himself, "It's true that what Wang Hao's carriage carried was Liang Zhongshu's birthday tribute. However, Liang Zhongshu's plunder of 100,000 strings of cash for the birthday tribute wasn't for national affairs or righteousness, but rather to curry favor with his superiors, gain promotions, and make a fortune. The court possesses hundreds of millions of people and a million-strong army, yet it cannot defend against the Liao Kingdom in the north, pacify the Xia Kingdom in the west, and is plagued by the Duan clan in the south. Why? Simply because the court is weak, the ministers are corrupt, and eight or nine out of ten officers in the army don't think about fighting on the battlefield; they only seek military merit and a life of luxury. Those who are truly willing to fight on the battlefield have become the outcasts in the army." "They've been severely suppressed!" he said slowly. "Young Master Wang has worked hard for the country, but his methods have been inappropriate. A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Suo Chao and I have been entrusted by Lord Liang, and we must give an explanation!" Suo Chao hesitated, saying, "We have no witnesses or evidence. How can we prove that the valuables in the carriage belong to Lord Liang? Young Master Wang is an official appointed by the Emperor. If this matter escalates and reaches the Emperor's ears, not only us, but even Lord Liang and Grand Tutor Cai would likely be unable to bear the consequences!" He then looked at the ten elite soldiers accompanying him. Suo Chao and Wen Da were known for their bravery and fairness towards their subordinates, and were deeply respected. Seeing this, the soldiers waited quietly for instructions. Wang Hao saw through the scheme and said, "The three Ruan brothers are all incredibly brave. If Commander Wen can fight them for a hundred rounds without being defeated, the two carts of gold and silver with broken axles can be handed over to him to report back to Daming Prefecture." Wen Da asked, "What if I am defeated?" Wang Hao replied, "Leave three warhorses!" Wen Da was shocked and said, "Does Young Master Wang know that a warhorse in the Song Dynasty is worth a thousand taels of silver, and even then, it's priceless?" Wang Hao said, "Suo Chao couldn't defeat Yang Zhi, and if Commander Wen can't defeat the three Ruan brothers, how can ten soldiers possibly fight against my fifteen martial arts masters? You intend to plunder me. If you are defeated, I will spare your lives, only leaving you three warhorses. Isn't that a generous offer?" Wen Da pondered for a moment and said, "Let's fight!"

Ruan Xiaoqi said, "There are three of us brothers, how can we bully the few? Second brother and fifth brother, watch the fight, I'll fight alone!" Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaoqi exchanged a glance but did not step forward. Wen Da took out his broadsword, his movements powerful and unrestrained, like Guan Yu reborn, fearless of all heroes. Ruan Xiaoqi drew his waist knife, but it was like a water python in the forest, possessing all his skills but only able to use a fraction of them. Wen Da stood with his knife, saying, "If a hero can make Wen Da move half a step, Wen Da will willingly admit defeat! Please!" Ruan Xiaoqi was furious, swinging his knife to fight, the blade moving up and down, his steps shifting left and right, sometimes bending down to attack the lower body, sometimes leaping to slash at the head, a feint followed by a stab to the chest. Wen Da remained calm, as steady as a mountain, casually swinging his broadsword, easily deflecting Ruan Xiaoqi's attacks. Unable to gain the upper hand, Ruan Xiaoqi suddenly created a two-zhang distance, quickly circled behind Wen Da, and with a leap, attacked Wen Da from behind. Wen Da understood Ruan Xiaoqi's intention. He suddenly closed his eyes and listened intently to the enemy's location. Just as Ruan Xiaoqi's waist knife was half a foot away from Wen Da's back, Wen Da suddenly swung his blade. The heavy blade shattered the raindrops in the air, finally striking Ruan Xiaoqi in the waist and abdomen. Ruan Xiaoqi was sent flying, falling five paces away. The rain intensified, and the ground became extremely muddy. Ruan Xiaoqi landed in a mud puddle, looking quite disheveled. Ruan Xiao'er and Ruan Xiao'wu, seeing their brother defeated, rushed to help him up. Ruan Xiaoqi suddenly looked up and said, "I'm alright! Brothers, fight this arrogant soldier with me!" With that, he picked up his knife, stood up, and resumed his battle with Wen Da. While fighting, Wen Da said, "What I said earlier still stands. If you can force me back even half a step, Wen Da will admit defeat!" Ruan Xiao'er stopped his attack and said, "Don't be arrogant. If we were in the water, even three of you wouldn't be a match for the seventh brother!" Wen Da said, "There are no 'ifs.' Fighting is about adapting to the situation and playing to your strengths while avoiding your weaknesses. It's because you three brothers chose to fight me away from rivers and lakes, among these rocks. What can you do about it?" Ruan Xiao'er was furious but speechless. He said, "Seventh brother, attack his lower body; Fifth brother, attack his waist and abdomen; I'll attack his chest. Let's see how he responds!" As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them separated and surrounded Wen Da. At the same time, they returned to attack him from the upper, middle, and lower body. Wen Da sighed, pushed off the ground, and his attack from the lower body missed. His attack from the upper body was blocked by a large sword, and Ruan Xiao'er was kicked in the abdomen and fell to the ground, unable to get up. Without any hesitation, Wen Da withdrew from the battlefield and said, "I have lost. I leave the three warhorses to Young Master Wang. Farewell!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Until we meet again!" Wen Da and Suo Chao left behind the three warhorses and hurriedly departed.

Wang Hao rushed to Ruan Xiao Wu's side and held an umbrella over him. The three Ruan brothers were very dejected and remained silent. Wang Hao broke the silence, saying, "Please, Ruan Xiao Wu, mount your horse and find shelter from the rain!" Ruan Xiao Wu replied, "We brothers are not as skilled as others and have no horses." Ruan Xiao Er helped Ruan Xiao Wu up, saying, "Wen Da didn't use too much force; Lao Wu is fine." Seeing that Ruan Xiao Wu insisted on not mounting his horse, Wang Hao had no choice but to instruct Yang Zhi to transfer the goods from the cart with the broken axle to two mules and three warhorses, and continue on their way. After traveling for two hours, they finally came across a dilapidated temple. Wang Hao and the others drove their carts into the temple. Although the temple was dilapidated, it occupied a large area. Seeing that the heavy rain was unlikely to stop anytime soon, Wang Hao ordered them to spend the night there. Yang Zhi unloaded the mules from the carts, drove all the horses into a side hall of the dilapidated temple, and fed them with the fodder they had brought. Wang Hao walked around the dilapidated temple and found many broken tables and chairs. Wang Hao ordered his men to chop up the old tables and chairs to use as firewood. A fire was lit, and the group dried their clothes and heated their provisions. The next day, although the sky hadn't cleared, the rain had temporarily stopped. Wang Hao dared not delay, so he harnessed his cart and horses and hurried towards Guazhou Town. Although Guazhou Town had no officially run post stations, it had many inns. Wang Hao and his companions chose one to stay at temporarily.

The three Ruan brothers shared a room. Ruan Xiaowu remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "After the matter in Mingzhou is settled, I wish to bid farewell to you, young master, and return to Shijie Village." Ruan Xiaoqi added, "I don't want to do this anymore either! Although you have been kind to us brothers, we are like dragons in the water. Once we leave the river, our martial arts will be crippled by eighty percent. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can swagger around in front of us!" Ruan Xiaoer pondered for a long time before saying, "Your journey south to Mingzhou is precisely when you need manpower. We brothers must not be unaware of the bigger picture. Upon returning to Dongjing, I will immediately explain the situation to you. I believe you are kind and understanding, and will not forget our hardships. We brothers will then treat you to a grand feast at Fanlou, a way to part amicably!" Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi immediately perked up, saying, "That would be perfect!"

Wang Hao summoned Yang Zhi and asked, "In your opinion, what is Wen Da's martial arts skill like?" Yang Zhi replied, "He is no less skilled than me or Suo Chao; he is a formidable general!" Wang Hao said, "Both of these men are patriots. If they could assist me, the matter of Jiaozhou would surely be much more efficient!" Yang Zhi shook his head and said, "In terms of official rank alone, Suo Chao is no less than you, young master, and Wen Da is even above you. Moreover, the matter of Jiaozhou has only just begun, and its progress is yet to be seen. It would be inappropriate to rashly request personnel from the court!" Wang Hao laughed and said, "I was merely expressing my feelings; how could I not know my own current rank?" Yang Zhi quickly said, "Your subordinate has been impolite!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "No need for formalities. Only by pooling our wisdom can we achieve an impeccable victory!" After a pause, he added, "Let's rest here for a few days and wait for the weather to clear before crossing the Yangtze River southward." Yang Zhi agreed. Wang Hao then asked, "Do you know any masters of swordsmanship?" Yang Zhi asked, "Does the young master wish to learn swordsmanship?" Wang Hao replied, "I do!" Yang Zhi said, "On the battlefield, swords and spears are far superior. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, swords have only been used by military generals for command." Wang Hao smiled and said, "If I were to learn spear techniques from you, when would I reach half your fighting strength?" Yang Zhi pondered for a long time and said, "About ten years later." Wang Hao shook his head and said, "You overestimate me. I wonder how many years you have practiced martial arts and mastered spear techniques?" Yang Zhi said... Yang Zhi replied, "Thirteen years." Wang Hao then asked, "At what age did you begin martial arts training, and how many hours did you practice each day?" Yang Zhi answered, "I began martial arts training at six years old, starting at the third crow of the rooster and stopping at sunset, thirteen years without fail!" Wang Hao smiled and said, "Do you think I have time to practice day and night?" Yang Zhi shook his head and said, "Young master is too busy, I cannot!" Wang Hao said, "The scholars of the Song Dynasty are too weak, lacking any spirit. I practice swordsmanship to remember my aspirations, so that no matter how bright the lights and how decadent the world may be, a man's spirit will never fade!"