Chapter 38: The Timely Rain Meets the Marvelous Traveler; the Black Whirlwind Battles the White Strip in the Waves

CHAPTER 38

The Timely Rain Meets the Magic Messenger; The Black Whirlwind Displays His Prowess in the Waves

The story continues. At that time Song Jiang took leave of the warden and walked out of the clerk’s office. When he reached the inspection hall, he saw that the chief jailer had moved a stool and was sitting in front of the hall, shouting in a loud voice: “Which is the newly exiled convict?” The head jailer pointed at Song Jiang and said, “This is the one.” The chief jailer then cursed him, saying, “You dark, short, damned fellow—whose influence are you relying on that you don’t send the customary bribe money to me?” Song Jiang said, “‘Favors and gifts depend on goodwill.’ How can you force someone to give you money? What a stingy disposition!” When the people on both sides heard this, they broke out in a cold sweat. The man flew into a rage and roared, “You thieving exile, how dare you be so insolent! Instead, you call me stingy! You there with the cangue—lift it up! First, give this wretch a hundred blows with the interrogation stick.” The various men from the prison camp who were all on good terms with Song Jiang, hearing that he was about to be beaten, scattered in all directions, leaving only the chief jailer and Song Jiang. When the man saw that the crowd had dispersed, he grew even angrier, picked up the interrogation stick, and rushed over to beat Song Jiang. Song Jiang said, “Chief Jailer, if you want to beat me, what crime have I committed?” The man shouted loudly, “You thieving exile, you are goods in my hands—a light cough is a crime.” Song Jiang said, “Even if you find fault with me, it shouldn’t be a capital offense.” The man said angrily, “You say you don’t deserve death, but it wouldn’t be hard for me to finish you off—it’s like killing a fly.” Song Jiang sneered coldly and said, “If I deserve death for not sending the customary bribe money, then what about the one who is acquainted with Wu Xuejiu of Liangshan?” When the man heard these words, he hastily dropped the interrogation stick in his hand and asked, “What did you say?” Song Jiang replied, “Naturally I’m talking about the one who knows Military Adviser Wu Xuejiu—why do you ask me?” The man, flustered, grabbed hold of Song Jiang and asked, “Who exactly are you? Where did you hear this?” Song Jiang laughed and said, “I am none other than Song Jiang from Yuncheng County in Shandong.” The man was greatly startled and immediately bowed with clasped hands, saying, “So you are Elder Brother, the ‘Timely Rain’ Song Gongming.” Song Jiang said, “It’s not worth mentioning!” The man then said, “Elder Brother, this is no place to talk. I dare not kneel and pay my respects here. Let us go into the city to have a chat; please come with me, Elder Brother.” Song Jiang said, “Very well. Chief Jailer, wait a moment, allow me to lock my room door, and I will come.”

Song Jiang hurried to his room, took out Wu Yong’s letter, put some silver on his person, came out, locked the door, and instructed the head jailer to keep an eye on things. Then he left the prison camp with the man and went into the city of Jiangzhou, where they went up to the upper floor of a tavern facing the street and sat down. The man asked, “Elder Brother, where did you see Wu Xuejiu?” Song Jiang took the letter from his bosom and handed it to the man. The man tore open the envelope, read it through from beginning to end, tucked it into his sleeve, rose, and bowed to Song Jiang. Song Jiang hastily returned the courtesy, saying, “My words just now were offensive; please forgive me, please forgive me!” The man said, “Your younger brother had only heard that a man named Song had been exiled to the prison camp. Ordinarily, whenever an exile arrives, the customary bribe is five taels of silver. This time, over ten days had passed and nothing was sent. Today I had some free time, so I came down to collect it. I never expected it to be you, Benevolent Brother. Just now in the camp, I was very rude and offended you, Brother. I beg you to forgive my sin!” Song Jiang said, “The warden often mentioned your great name to me. I, Song Jiang, had the intention of making your esteemed acquaintance, but I didn’t know your residence, nor did I have a chance to enter the city. I deliberately waited for you, Honorable Brother, to come down, hoping to meet you face to face. That is why I delayed for so many days. It wasn’t because I was unwilling to part with the five taels of silver; I simply thought that you, Honorable Brother, would surely come yourself, so I purposely procrastinated. Today I am fortunate to see you, fulfilling the wish of a lifetime.” Who was the man speaking? He was Dai Zong, the chief jailer of the two prisons in Jiangzhou, recommended by Wu Xuejiu. In the old Song dynasty at that time, the jailers along the Jinling route were all called “Family Heads”; the jailers along the Hunan route were all called “Magistrates.” Now this Jailer Dai had a startling supernatural skill. Whenever he went out, carrying letters to urgently report military intelligence, he would tie two horse talismans to his legs, activate the “Divine Travel Method,” and could travel five hundred li in a day. If he tied four horse talismans to his legs, he could travel eight hundred li in a day. Therefore, everyone called him the “Magic Messenger” Dai Zong. There is a poem to the tune “Linjiangxian” as proof:

Broad face, square mouth, protruding spirit eyes,

Thin and tall, a clear and handsome figure,

A black gauze cap with green flowers adorning it.

A yellow flag inscribed with official characters,

A red sash reflecting the official tablet.

Sturdy feet that could chase a thousand-li horse,

A gauze robe often gathering dust,

The “Magic Messenger’s” art is wondrous indeed:

A journey of eight hundred li,

Leaving at dawn and returning by dusk.

At that time, after Jailer Dai and Song Gongming had finished exchanging their stories, both Dai Zong and Song Jiang were overjoyed. The two sat in a private alcove, called the wine seller over, and ordered wine, fruits, dishes, and vegetables. There they drank together upstairs. Song Jiang told of all the heroes he had met along the way and the gatherings with various people; Dai Zong also opened his heart and poured out his soul, telling in detail about his dealings and friendship with Wu Xuejiu.

Just as the two were speaking intimately and congenially, having drunk only two or three cups of wine, they heard a commotion downstairs. The waiter hurried into the alcove and said to Dai Zong, “This man can only be persuaded by you, Magistrate. There’s no help for it; we beg you to go and calm him down.” Dai Zong asked, “Who is causing trouble downstairs?” The waiter said, “It is that fellow called ‘Iron Ox,’ Brother Li, who often walks with you, Magistrate. He’s down there looking for the owner to borrow money.” Dai Zong laughed and said, “So it’s that wretch again, being rude downstairs. I thought it was someone else. Elder Brother, sit for a moment; I’ll go and call that fellow up here.” Dai Zong rose and went downstairs. After a short while, he led a big, swarthy, burly man upstairs. When Song Jiang saw him, he was startled and asked, “Magistrate, who is this big brother?” Dai Zong said, “This is a minor jailer in my prison. His surname is Li, his given name Kui, and his ancestral home is Baizhang Village, Yishui County, Yizhou. He has a nickname, ‘Black Whirlwind’ Li Kui. In his hometown, everyone calls him ‘Li Iron Ox.’ Because he killed a man, he fled and although he later received amnesty, he drifted to this Jiangzhou and has never returned home. Because he has a bad temper when drunk, many people fear him. He can wield a pair of board axes, and he is also skilled with staff and fists. Now he serves as an orderly in this prison.” There is a poem as proof:

His home is east of Green Ridge in Yizhou,

Killing and burning, he acts with reckless violence.

Without black ink or coal, his whole body is dark,

As if smeared with cinnabar, his two eyes are red.

In leisure, he sharpens his great axe by the stream;

In boredom, he hews down tall pines on the rocky cliffs.

Strength like an ox, firm as iron,

Shaking the earth and darkening the sky, the Black Whirlwind.

Li Kui looked at Song Jiang and asked Dai Zong, “Brother, who is this dark-skinned man?” Dai Zong said to Song Jiang with a smile, “Registrar, look how crude this fellow is, completely lacking any sense of decorum.” Li Kui then said, “I ask you, elder brother: how am I being crude?” Dai Zong said, “Brother, you should first ask who this gentleman is, but instead you say ‘who is this dark-skinned man’—if that isn’t crudeness, what is? Let me make it clear to you: this worthy man is precisely the righteous brother you’ve always wanted to go and seek refuge with.” Li Kui said, “Could it be Shandong’s ‘Timely Rain,’ the dark Song Jiang?” Dai Zong shouted, “Hey! You dare to be so disrespectful, calling him by name outright, with no sense of rank—why don’t you kneel and pay your respects at once?” Li Kui said, “If he really is Song Gongming, I’ll kneel; if he’s just some nobody, what the hell would I be bowing for! Elder brother of the jail, don’t trick me into bowing and then laugh at me.” Song Jiang then said, “I am indeed the dark Song Jiang of Shandong.” Li Kui clapped his hands and shouted, “My dear father, why didn’t you say so earlier, to make Iron Ox happy?” He threw himself down and kowtowed. Song Jiang hurriedly returned the greeting and said, “Please sit, brave sir.” Dai Zong said, “Brother, come sit by me and drink.” Li Kui said, “I can’t be bothered with small cups; bring me a big bowl to pour from.” Song Jiang then asked, “Just now, why were you angry downstairs, elder brother?” Li Kui said, “I had a large ingot of silver pawned for ten taels of small silver to use. I asked the innkeeper here to lend me ten taels to redeem that big ingot, then I’d return it to him, as I needed some myself. But that damned owner refused to lend it to me, and I was about to fight him and smash his place to pieces when you called me up here.” Song Jiang said, “You only need ten taels to redeem it—is there interest as well?” Li Kui said, “The interest is already paid; I just need the ten taels principal to get it back.” Hearing this, Song Jiang took out a ten-tael ingot from his person and handed it to Li Kui, saying, “Elder brother, take this to redeem it and use it.” When Dai Zong wanted to stop him, Song Jiang had already taken it out. Li Kui took the silver and said, “That’s great! You two brothers wait here for me a moment; I’ll redeem it and come back to return it, then go with Brother Song for a bowl of wine outside the city.” Song Jiang said, “Sit a while first, drink a few bowls before you go.” Li Kui said, “I’ll be right back.” Pushing aside the curtain, he went downstairs. Dai Zong said, “Elder brother, you shouldn’t have lent him that silver; just now I was about to stop you, but you had already put it in his hand.” Song Jiang said, “Why is that?” Dai Zong said, “This fellow, though straightforward, is greedy for drink and fond of gambling. When has he ever had a large ingot in pawn? He’s tricked you out of that silver. The way he hurried out the door, he’s certainly going to gamble. If he wins, he’ll have silver to bring back and repay you; if he loses, where will he get ten taels to return to you? It won’t look good on my account.” Song Jiang laughed and said, “Chief warden, why be so concerned? What are a few taels of silver to me? Not worth mentioning. Let him go and gamble it away. I think this man is a loyal and upright fellow.” Dai Zong said, “This fellow has his skills, but he’s careless and bold, which is bad. In the Jiangzhou jail, when he gets drunk, he doesn’t bother the prisoners but instead beats the stronger jailers. I’ve suffered much trouble because of him. He always sees injustice on the road and loves to beat up bullies, so everyone in Jiangzhou city is afraid of him.” There was a poem:

When bribes rule, the law is twisted, and many prisoners suffer injustice.

The strong bullying the weak is truly hateful—Heaven gave fists to Li Kui.

Song Jiang said, “Let’s drink another two cups, then go out of the city for some idle fun.” Dai Zong said, “I almost forgot, little brother, to take you to see the river view.” Song Jiang said, “I too would like to see the sights of Jiangzhou—this is best.”

Let’s leave aside the two drinking again for now. Let’s talk only about Li Kui, who, having gotten this silver, thought to himself: “How rare is Brother Song Jiang—though we haven’t known each other deeply, he lent me ten taels. Truly, he’s generous and charitable, living up to his name. Now that I’ve come here, I regret that I’ve lost so much gambling these days that I don’t have a single coin to play the hero and treat him. Now that I have these ten taels from him, let me go gamble for a while; if I win a few strings of cash, I can treat him and that would look good.” At that time, Li Kui hurried out of the city to the gambling den of Little Zhang Yi, went to the table, threw the ten taels on the ground, and shouted, “Give me the dice to gamble with!” Little Zhang Yi knew that Li Kui had always gambled fairly, so he said, “Elder brother, rest a moment; this round is almost over, and then it’ll be your turn.” Li Kui said, “I want to gamble this round first.” Little Zhang Yi said, “You can bet on the side if you like.” Li Kui said, “I won’t bet on the side; I want to gamble this round, five taels as one stake.” Some of the other gamblers who wanted to play had their dice snatched away by Li Kui, who shouted, “Who am I gambling against?” Little Zhang Yi said, “Gamble against me for five taels.” Li Kui called out, and with a clatter, he rolled a loss. Little Zhang Yi took the silver, and Li Kui shouted, “My silver is ten taels.” Little Zhang Yi said, “Gamble me another five taels for a win, and I’ll return this ingot to you.” Li Kui picked up the dice again, shouted, “Win?” and with a clatter, he rolled another loss. Little Zhang Yi laughed and said, “I told you not to grab the dice and to rest a round, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve lost two in a row.” Li Kui said, “This silver belongs to someone else.” Little Zhang Yi said, “No matter whose it is, it’s too late. You’ve lost fair and square, so what are you talking about?” Li Kui said, “No choice—lend it to me for now, and I’ll bring it back tomorrow.” Little Zhang Yi said, “What nonsense! Since ancient times, on the gambling field, there’s no father or son. You clearly lost, so why are you arguing?” Li Kui pulled up the front of his cloth shirt and shouted, “Are you returning it to me or not?” Little Zhang Yi said, “Brother Li, you’ve always gambled most fairly—why are you so shameless today?” Li Kui didn’t answer him, but grabbed the silver from the ground, snatched another ten or so taels that others had bet, stuffed it all into the front of his shirt, glared, and said, “Your old man usually gambles fairly, but today I’ll be unfair for once.” Little Zhang Yi hurried forward to take it back, but Li Kui knocked him down with one finger; a dozen or so gamblers rushed together to seize the silver, but Li Kui struck east and west, south and north, beating them all until they had nowhere to hide. He went out to the door, and the doorman asked, “Where are you going, sir?” Li Kui lifted him aside, kicked the door open, and left. That crowd chased after him but only stood at the door shouting, “Brother Li, how unreasonable of you to grab all our silver!” They just shouted at the door, not daring to come forward and demand it back. There was a poem:

In this world, nothing is done without welching, and honesty is only used here.

Li Kui’s dishonesty is no great harm, and it sets an example for gambling thieves.

As Li Kui was walking, he heard someone catch up from behind, grab his shoulder and arm, and shout, “How dare you snatch other people’s property?” Li Kui replied, “None of your damn business!” Turning his face to look, he saw it was Dai Zong, with Song Jiang standing behind him. Seeing this, Li Kui was full of shame and said, “Brother, don’t be angry. Iron Ox usually gambles fairly, but today I didn’t expect to lose your silver, and I had no money left to treat you. My throat was parched, and I did this dishonest thing in a moment of desperation.” Hearing this, Song Jiang laughed loudly and said, “Good brother, if you need silver to use, just ask me for it. Since you clearly lost it today, quickly give it back.” Li Kui had no choice but to take it out from his shirt and hand it all to Song Jiang. Song Jiang called Little Zhang Yi over and gave it all to him. Little Zhang Yi took it and said, “Honorable sirs, I only want my own. These ten taels of original silver, though Brother Li lost them to me in two rolls, I’m willing not to take them now, to avoid holding a grudge.” Song Jiang said, “Just take it, don’t worry about it.” Little Zhang Yi was unwilling. Song Jiang said, “Did he not hurt any of you?” Little Zhang Yi said, “The bankroller, the money collectors, and the doorman—all were knocked down inside.” Song Jiang said, “In that case, let it be money for their injuries. My brother won’t dare come again; I’ll see to it that he doesn’t.” Little Zhang Yi took the silver, bowed in thanks, and left.

Song Jiang said, “Let us go and drink a few cups with Brother Li.” Dai Zong replied, “Up ahead by the riverbank there is the Pipa Pavilion tavern, a historic site from the Tang dynasty associated with Bai Juyi. Let us go there for a few cups and enjoy the river view.” Song Jiang said, “We could buy some dishes in the city and bring them along.” Dai Zong said, “No need; someone is already selling wine there now.” Song Jiang said, “That will do.” So the three of them set off for the Pipa Pavilion. When they arrived at the pavilion and looked around, one side bordered the Xunyang River, and the other side housed the tavern keeper’s residence. Inside the pavilion there were over a dozen tables. Dai Zong chose a clean one, let Song Jiang take the seat of honor, sat opposite him, and Li Kui sat beside them. Once seated, they called for the waiter to set out vegetables, fruits, seafood, and other accompaniments for the wine. The waiter brought two jugs of Yuhu Chun wine, a famous top-quality wine of Jiangzhou, and broke the seals.

Song Jiang gazed out at the river, and indeed the scenery was extraordinary. He saw:

Distant mountains beyond the clouds rose verdant green,

The far waters by the river shimmered like silver.

Dimly visible sandbars, where gulls and herons took flight in rows;

Gentle reeds, where a few fishing boats were poled back.

Snowy waves rolled, striking the vast sky;

A cool breeze blew, brushing the water’s surface.

Zixiao Peak touched the azure heavens above,

The Pipa Pavilion half-overlooked the riverbank.

All around was open space, with views in every direction.

The railing’s shadow sank into the glassy water,

Outside the window, light gleamed like jade discs.

In days past, the musician Le Tian’s fame was great,

And the Sima of that year shed many tears.

When the three sat down, Li Kui said, “Bring a big bowl for the wine—I can’t be bothered with small cups.” Dai Zong scolded him, “Brother, you are too coarse. Keep quiet and just drink.” Song Jiang instructed the waiter, “Set small cups before the two of us, and a large bowl before this big brother.” The waiter acknowledged, went down, and brought a bowl, placing it before Li Kui. Then he poured the wine and laid out the dishes. Li Kui laughed and said, “What a fine Brother Song! As they say, he truly understands his brother’s nature. To have sworn brotherhood with this elder brother is no waste.” The waiter poured wine continuously, filling five or six rounds. Song Jiang, joyful at meeting these two, drank several cups and suddenly craved a spicy fish soup. He asked Dai Zong, “Are there good fresh fish here?” Dai Zong laughed, “Elder brother, don’t you see the river full of fishing boats? This is a land of fish and rice—how could there be no fresh fish?” Song Jiang said, “Some spicy fish soup would be best to sober me up.” Dai Zong then called the waiter and ordered three servings of spicy red-and-white fish soup. Soon the soup arrived. Song Jiang saw it and said, “Fine food is not as good as fine utensils. Even in a tavern, these vessels are indeed well-made.” He picked up his chopsticks, urged Dai Zong and Li Kui to eat, took some fish himself, and sipped a few mouthfuls of soup. Li Kui, not using chopsticks, reached into the bowl with his hand, scooped up the fish, and chewed it, bones and all. Song Jiang could not help smiling, sipped two mouthfuls of soup, then set down his chopsticks and stopped eating. Dai Zong said, “Elder brother, the fish must be salted, not to your taste.” Song Jiang replied, “After drinking, I only enjoy fresh fish soup; this fish is indeed not good.” Dai Zong responded, “Even I cannot eat it—it’s salted and unpleasant.” Li Kui, having finished the fish in his own bowl, said, “Since neither of you elder brothers will eat, I’ll eat it for you.” He reached over, grabbed the fish from Song Jiang’s bowl, and ate it, then took the fish from Dai Zong’s bowl and ate that too, dripping soup all over the table.

Seeing that Li Kui had devoured three bowls of fish soup, bones and all, Song Jiang called the waiter and instructed, “This big brother of mine must be hungry. Go and cut two catties of large pieces of meat for him to eat, and I’ll settle the bill later.” The waiter replied, “Here, sir, we only sell mutton, not beef. We have plenty of fat mutton.” When Li Kui heard this, he splashed the fish soup in the waiter’s face, drenching him. Dai Zong shouted, “What are you doing now!” Li Kui answered, “This scoundrel is insolent, assuming I only eat beef and refusing to sell me mutton.” The waiter said, “I only asked a question, nothing more.” Song Jiang said, “Just go and cut the meat; I’ll pay.” The waiter swallowed his anger, cut two catties of mutton, placed it on a platter, and set it on the table. Li Kui, without any courtesy, grabbed handfuls and ate greedily, finishing the two catties in no time. Song Jiang watched and said, “Magnificent! A true hero!” Li Kui said, “This Brother Song knows my bird-like mind—eating meat is far better than fish.” Dai Zong called the waiter and asked, “The fish soup earlier had fine vessels, but the fish was salted and not good. If there is any good fresh fish, make some spicy soup to sober up this gentleman.” The waiter replied, “I dare not deceive you, Prefect Dai, the fish was indeed from last night. Today’s live fish are still in the boats, and since the fish-market master hasn’t come, we haven’t dared to sell them. That’s why there’s no good fresh fish.” Li Kui jumped up and said, “I’ll go get two live fish myself for Brother Song to eat.” Dai Zong said, “Don’t go; just ask the waiter to fetch a few tails.” Li Kui said, “The fishermen on the boats won’t dare refuse me—what’s the trouble?” Dai Zong could not stop him, and Li Kui went straight off. Dai Zong said to Song Jiang, “Elder brother, do not blame me for bringing such a person to meet you—he has no manners at all, shaming us to death!” Song Jiang said, “That is his nature; how can we make him change? I rather respect his honesty.” The two of them sat in the Pipa Pavilion, chatting and laughing merrily. A poem says:

The misty scenery of the Pen River surpasses the mortal world,

River peaks cluster like coiled hair buns.

The bright moon and pipa are seen no more,

Yellow reeds and bitter bamboos greet the evening tide.

Now Li Kui went to the riverbank and saw the fishing boats lined up in a row, about eighty or ninety of them, all tied under green willow trees. Among the fishermen, some were lying sideways asleep against the boat sterns, some were mending nets on the bows, and others were bathing in the water. It was mid-May, and the red sun was just setting in the west, yet the master had not come to open the holds and sell the fish. Li Kui walked to the boats and shouted, “You there! Bring two live fish for me.” The fishermen replied, “We are waiting for the fish-market master to come; we dare not open the holds. Look, all the vendors are sitting on the shore.” Li Kui said, “What bird-like master are you waiting for? First give me two fish.” Another fisherman answered, “We haven’t even burned the paper offerings—how dare we open the holds? How can we give you fish now?” Seeing that they would not give him fish, Li Kui jumped onto a boat, and the fishermen could not stop him. Li Kui knew nothing of boats and, without thinking, pulled up the bamboo grating. The fishermen on the shore could only cry out in dismay. When Li Kui reached under the deck boards and groped around, there was not a single fish inside. For on the great river, the fishing boats had a half-cut opening in the stern to let river water flow in and out, keeping the fish alive, and a bamboo grating held them in place. This allowed fresh water to circulate in the holds, keeping the fish alive, which was why Jiangzhou had such good fresh fish. Li Kui, ignorant of this, had lifted the grating, and all the live fish in that hold escaped. He then jumped to another boat to pull up its grating, and the seventy or eighty fishermen all rushed aboard, beating Li Kui with bamboo poles. Li Kui, enraged and furious, stripped off his cloth shirt, wearing only a checkered cloth sash underneath. As the bamboo poles rained down, he caught five or six of them with both hands and broke them like green onions. The fishermen were startled, then all untied their boats and poled away. In his fury, Li Kui, stark naked, grabbed two broken bamboo poles and ran ashore to chase the vendors, who scattered, shouldering their loads and fleeing in confusion.

In the midst of the commotion, a man was seen coming out from a small path. The crowd spotted him and called out, "The master is here! This big black fellow is grabbing fish here and has driven all the fishing boats away." The man said, "What big black fellow dares to act so rudely!" The people pointed and said, "That fellow is still on the shore looking for someone to fight." The man strode forward and shouted, "You wretch! Even if you had the heart of a leopard and the guts of a tiger, you wouldn't dare to disrupt my business!" Li Kui looked at the man: he was about six feet five or six inches tall, thirty-two or thirty-three years old, with three strands of black whiskers covering his mouth. On his head was wrapped a blue gauze headcloth with a "ten-thousand" character pattern, faintly revealing a topknot with a red dot at its center. He wore a white linen shirt, tied with a silk sash, blue and white cloth leggings, and hemp sandals with multiple eyelets, carrying a weighing scale in his hand. The man had come to sell fish. Seeing Li Kui beating people indiscriminately, he handed his scale to a vendor, rushed forward, and shouted, "You wretch, who are you trying to hit?" Li Kui didn't reply but swung the bamboo pole at the man. The man stepped forward swiftly, already snatched the pole away, and Li Kui grabbed him by the hair. The man then attacked his lower body, trying to throw Li Kui down. But he couldn't match Li Kui's water buffalo-like strength; he was pushed straight back and couldn't get close. The man then punched Li Kui a few times in the ribs, but Li Kui paid no heed. The man kicked out, but Li Kui pressed his head down, raised fists as big as iron hammers, and beat the man's spine like drumming. The man couldn't move at all. While Li Kui was beating him, a man grabbed him from behind around the waist, and another seized his hands, shouting, "Stop it! Stop it!" Li Kui turned his head and saw it was Song Jiang and Dai Zong. Li Kui let go, and the man, barely freed, slipped away like smoke.

Dai Zong scolded Li Kui, "I told you not to come for fish, and here you are fighting again. If you beat someone to death with a punch, won't you have to pay with your life or sit in prison?" Li Kui replied, "Are you afraid I'll drag you down? If I kill someone, I'll take the blame myself." Song Jiang said, "Brother, don't argue. Pick up your shirt and let's go drink." Li Kui picked up his shirt from the roots of a willow tree, slung it over his arm, and followed Song Jiang and Dai Zong. They hadn't gone ten steps when they heard someone behind them cursing, "Black murderer! Today I'll settle the score with you!" Li Kui turned around and saw it was that man, now stark naked, with a water cloth tied around his waist, revealing a body of white skin like snow. He had removed his headcloth, showing the handsome topknot with the red dot. Alone, he was punting a fishing boat toward them with a bamboo pole, shouting, "Damned black murderer, ten thousand cuts! If I'm afraid of you, I'm no true man! If you run, you're no good!" Li Kui flew into a rage, roared, threw down his shirt, and turned to rush forward. The man brought the boat close to the shore, steadied it with one hand on the pole, and kept cursing. Li Kui also cursed, "If you're a true man, come ashore!" The man poked Li Kui's leg with the pole, provoking Li Kui to leap onto the boat in a fury. Quick as lightning, the man, having lured Li Kui aboard, pushed the pole against the shore, kicked off with both feet, and the fishing boat shot like an arrow into the middle of the river, like a whirlwind scattering a withered leaf. Although Li Kui knew how to swim, he wasn't very good at it, and now he panicked. The man stopped cursing, threw away the pole, and shouted, "Come on! Today we'll see who wins!" He grabbed Li Kui's arm and said, "I won't fight you now; first, let me give you a drink of water." With both feet, he rocked the boat, turning it bottom up. The heroes fell into the water, and both tumbled head over heels into the river with a splash. Song Jiang and Dai Zong rushed to the shore, but the boat had already capsized. They could only lament from the bank. Soon, three to five hundred people gathered under the willow trees by the riverbank, watching and saying, "That big black fellow has met his match today. Even if he survives, he'll have a bellyful of water." Song Jiang and Dai Zong watched as the river surface parted. The man lifted Li Kui up, then dunked him down again. In the clear waves and blue ripples of the river's heart, one showed his black skin all over, the other revealed his white body completely. They wrestled and tangled together, and not one of the three to five hundred on the bank failed to cheer. It was like:

One was a formed monster from Yishui County, the other a mischief-making demon from Xiaogu Mountain. One had skin like solidified cream, the other flesh like charcoal dust. One was a white serpent incarnated from Marshal Ma Ling, the other a black tiger reincarnated from Marshal Zhao. One seemed a silver figure hammered from ten thousand strokes, the other an iron man forged from a thousand fires. One was a white-tusked elephant from Mount Wutai, the other an iron-armored old dragon from the Nine-Bend River. One appeared like a lacquered arhat displaying divine power, the other like a jade-carved vajra wielding bravery. One circled for a long time, sweat streaming like pearls all over; the other grappled for a while, water soaking his body like spilt ink. One, like the Lord Huaguang, revealed his form in the deep blue waves; the other, like the Black Heavenly God, showed his face among the snowy foam. Truly, the jade dragon stirred the sky's sunlight dark, the black ghost overturned the water's bottom sky.

At that time, Song Jiang and Dai Zong saw Li Kui being grabbed by the man in the water, dunked until his eyes rolled white, then lifted up and pressed down again, no fewer than dozens of times. It was like:

On land, strength can work its might, but in the river's heart, fists are useless. Truly, black wind blows white waves, and the Iron Ox becomes a water buffalo.

Seeing Li Kui at a disadvantage, Song Jiang told Dai Zong to ask someone for help. Dai Zong asked the crowd, "Who is this big white fellow?" Someone who recognized him said, "This good man is the local fish master, named Zhang Shun." Song Jiang suddenly realized and said, "Isn't he the one nicknamed 'White Streak in the Waves,' Zhang Shun?" The crowd said, "Yes, yes." Song Jiang said to Dai Zong, "I have a letter from his elder brother Zhang Heng at the camp." Hearing this, Dai Zong shouted from the shore, "Brother Zhang, don't fight! There's a letter here from your elder brother Zhang Heng. This big black fellow is our brother. Spare him and come ashore to talk." Zhang Shun, in the middle of the river, recognized Dai Zong calling him, and he knew him from before. He let Li Kui go, swam to the shore, crawled up, and greeted Dai Zong with a bow, saying, "Director, don't blame me for my rudeness." Dai Zong said, "For my sake, please go and save my brother first, and then I'll introduce you to someone." Zhang Shun jumped back into the water, swam out. Li Kui was bobbing in the river, pretending to struggle and dog-paddle. Zhang Shun quickly swam close, grabbed Li Kui's hand, and, treading the water with his legs as if walking on flat ground—the water not reaching above his belly, stopping at his navel—he used one hand to lift Li Kui straight to the shore. The onlookers by the river all cheered. Song Jiang was stunned. After a while, Zhang Shun and Li Kui both reached the shore. Li Kui was gasping, spitting white water. Dai Zong said, "Please, all of you, come to the Pipa Pavilion to talk." Zhang Shun asked for his shirt and put it on, Li Kui also put on his shirt, and the four of them went back to the Pipa Pavilion.

Dai Zong then said to Zhang Shun, “Second Brother, do you recognize me?” Zhang Shun said, “I naturally recognize the Chief, but it was not my fortune to have paid you a visit before.” Dai Zong pointed at Li Kui and asked Zhang Shun, “Have you ever known him before? Today, on the contrary, he has offended you.” Zhang Shun said, “How could I not know Brother Li? It’s just that we have never crossed swords.” Li Kui said, “You’ve also dunked me enough.” Zhang Shun said, “And you’ve beaten me enough.” Dai Zong said, “Today, you two shall become sworn brothers. As the saying goes, ‘Without fighting, you don’t get to know each other.’” Li Kui said, “Don’t run into me on the road.” Zhang Shun said, “I’ll just wait for you in the water.” The four all laughed and exchanged simple courtesies. Dai Zong pointed at Song Jiang and said to Zhang Shun, “Second Brother, do you recognize this elder brother?” Zhang Shun looked and said, “I don’t know him, nor have I ever seen him here.” Li Kui jumped up and said, “This brother is the Black Song Jiang.” Zhang Shun said, “Could he be the ‘Timely Rain’ from Shandong, Magistrate Song of Yuncheng?” Dai Zong said, “He is exactly Brother Gongming.” Zhang Shun bowed his head and kowtowed, saying, “I have long heard of your great name, never thought I would meet you today. I have often heard from those traveling the rivers and lakes of your noble character—helping the distressed, aiding the needy, and being generous with wealth.” Song Jiang replied, “I am but a petty person, not worth mentioning! When I came a few days ago, I stayed at ‘Turbulent River Dragon’ Li Jun’s house at the foot of Jieyang Ridge. Later, on the Xunyang River, I met with Mu Hong, and through him, I encountered your elder brother Zhang Heng. I wrote a family letter to be sent to you, which is still at the camp and not brought along. Today, I came with Chief Dai and Brother Li to this Pipa Pavilion for three cups of wine, and also to enjoy the river view. In my cups, I happened to crave some fresh fish soup to sober up, but he insisted on coming to demand the fish, and the two of us could not stop him. I only heard shouting and commotion on the riverbank. When I asked the waiter to look, he said it was a black man brawling. We two rushed over to mediate, not expecting to meet you, brave warrior. Today, I have met three heroes in one morning—is this not Heaven’s favor? Pray sit with us and drink a few cups of wine.” He then called the waiter to set out cups and plates again and prepare more dishes. Zhang Shun said, “Since brother wants good fresh fish, I’ll go fetch a few tails.” Song Jiang said, “Excellent.” Li Kui said, “I’ll go with you to get them.” Dai Zong scolded, “Here you go again—haven’t you had enough of being dunked?” Zhang Shun laughed, took Li Kui by the hand, and said, “Today I’ll go with you to get the fish, and see who dares say anything!” Indeed:

On the hall they fought like tigers, in the water they strove like dragons;

Yet harmony was not lost—such are the heroes of the wilds.

The two went down from Pipa Pavilion to the riverbank. Zhang Shun gave a soft whistle, and all the fishing boats on the river gathered near the shore. Zhang Shun asked, “Which boat has golden carp?” Some answered, “I have some,” others said, “I have some.” In a moment, a dozen golden carp were gathered. Zhang Shun picked four large ones, strung them on willow twigs, and first had Li Kui take them to the pavilion to prepare. Zhang Shun himself settled with the fishmonger, instructed the apprentice to weigh and sell the fish, and then returned to Pipa Pavilion to attend to Song Jiang. Song Jiang thanked him, saying, “Why so many? Even one tail would have been plenty.” Zhang Shun replied, “A trifle like this, not worth mentioning! If you cannot finish them, brother, take them back to your lodging as a side dish.” They then ranked themselves by age: Li Kui was older and sat in the third seat, Zhang Shun in the fourth. They called for two more bottles of top-quality Yuhu Chun wine, along with seafood, appetizers, and fruits. Zhang Shun instructed the waiter to make one fish into spicy soup, steam another with wine, and have the waiter slice one tail for raw fish. As the four drank and talked, each recounting matters from his heart, they were deeply engrossed when a girl of about sixteen, dressed in gauze, came before them, made four deep bows, and began to sing in a clear voice. Li Kui had been eager to show off the many heroic tales in his breast, but her singing interrupted, and the other three all paused to listen, cutting off his thread. Li Kui’s anger rose from his heart. He leaped up, jabbed two fingers at the girl’s forehead, and she gave a loud cry and suddenly fell to the ground. When the others approached to look, they saw her peach-like cheeks turned ashen, her crimson lips silent. The innkeeper quickly came forward to stop the four, threatening to report them to the authorities and file a lawsuit. Truly, there was no mood for cherishing fragrance and pitying jade—boiling cranes and burning zithers had stirred up trouble. In the end, how did Song Jiang and the other three extricate themselves from the inn? Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.