Chapter 52: Li Kui Beats Yin Tianxi to Death; Chai Jin Falls into the Trap of Gaotang Prefecture

Now as Zhu Tong said to the crowd, "If you want me to go to the mountain, you must kill the 'Black Whirlwind' first to vent my anger, and then I'll let it go." Li Kui heard this and flew into a rage, saying, "Bite my dick, will you! What does Chao Gai and Song Jiang's command have to do with me?" Zhu Tong's anger flared again, and he wanted to fight Li Kui, but the other three managed to calm him down. Zhu Tong said, "If that 'Black Whirlwind' is around, I'd rather die than go up the mountain!" Chai Jin said, "That's easy enough; I have a plan. Just leave Brother Li here with me. You three go up the mountain yourselves to satisfy Chao and Song's wishes." Zhu Tong replied, "Now that we've done this deed, the prefect will surely send a document to Yuncheng County to pursue and arrest my family. What shall I do?" Wu Yong said, "Rest assured, sir. By now, Song Jiang has likely already taken your family to the mountain." Only then did Zhu Tong feel somewhat relieved. Chai Jin laid out wine to entertain them, and they saw them off that very day. The three left at dusk, taking leave of Lord Chai. Chai Jin ordered his stewards to prepare three horses to escort them beyond the pass. At parting, Wu Yong instructed Li Kui, "Be careful now. Stay at the lord's manor for a while and on no account cause trouble and implicate others. After three to six months, when his temper has cooled, I'll come to fetch you back to the mountain. Most likely, he'll come to invite Lord Chai to join us." The three then mounted their horses and departed.

Let us not speak of Chai Jin and Li Kui returning to the manor, but only of Zhu Tong accompanying Wu Yong and Lei Heng to join the band at Liangshan Marsh. After traveling a distance and leaving Cangzhou territory, the stewards rode back on their horses. The three took the road to Liangshan Marsh, and nothing of note happened along the way. They soon arrived at Zhu Gui's inn, and someone was sent up the mountain to report. Chao Gai and Song Jiang, leading a host of chieftains large and small, with drums and flutes playing, went all the way to Golden Sand Beach to welcome them. The whole company greeted one another. Each mounted a horse and rode back to the main stronghold at the mountain top, where they dismounted and went to the Assembly Hall to recount old times. Zhu Tong said, "Now that I've been summoned to the mountain, the Cangzhou prefect will surely send a document to Yuncheng County to arrest my family. What can be done?" Song Jiang laughed heartily and said, "I told you, elder brother, to rest easy. Your wife and son have been brought here many days ago." Zhu Tong asked again, "Where are they now?" Song Jiang said, "They are being cared for at my father's quarters. Please go and see them yourself." Zhu Tong was overjoyed. Song Jiang had someone lead Zhu Tong to Old Man Song's dwelling, where he saw his entire family and all their valuables and luggage. His wife said, "Recently, someone brought a letter saying you had already joined the band in the mountain stronghold, so we packed up and came here day and night." Zhu Tong came out and thanked everyone profusely. Song Jiang then invited Zhu Tong and Lei Heng to set up camp beneath the mountain peak. Meanwhile, a feast was prepared, and for several days they celebrated the new chieftains. Of this, no more need be said.

Now, the Cangzhou prefect, when evening came and Zhu Tong had not returned with the young bailiff, sent men to search everywhere for half the night. The next day, someone found him killed in the grove and reported it to the prefect. The prefect was furious and went personally to the grove to see, weeping bitterly. He prepared a coffin and had the body cremated. The next day, he ascended the hall and issued official documents to all districts for the arrest and capture of Zhu Tong himself. Yuncheng County had already reported that Zhu Tong's wife and family had fled, their whereabouts unknown. Wanted notices were sent to all counties and prefectures offering rewards for their capture. Of this, no more need be said.

Let us speak only of Li Kui, who had stayed at Chai Jin's manor for over a month. Suddenly one day, a man came rushing to the manor with an urgent letter. Lord Chai happened to meet him, took the letter, and after reading it, was greatly startled. "Since this is so, I must go there in person," he said. Li Kui asked, "What urgent matter does the lord have?" Chai Jin said, "I have an uncle, Chai Huangcheng, who lives in Gaotangzhou. Now, Yin Tianxi, the brother-in-law of the prefect Gao Lian, has come to seize his garden. My uncle was so enraged that he fell ill and is now bedridden, his life hanging by a thread. He must have a will to dictate, so he has sent for me urgently. Thinking that my uncle has no children, I must go there myself." Li Kui said, "Since you're going, my lord, how about I go with you?" Chai Jin said, "If you're willing to go, brother, then let's go together." Chai Jin immediately packed his luggage, selected a dozen fine horses, and brought several stewards. The next day, before dawn, Chai Jin, Li Kui, and the attendants all mounted their horses and left the manor, heading for Gaotangzhou.

After a day's travel, they arrived at Gaotangzhou. Entering the city, they went straight to Chai Huangcheng's residence and dismounted. Li Kui and the attendants were left in the outer hall, while Chai Jin went directly to the sickroom to see his uncle. There he saw:

His face was like gold paper, his body like withered wood. Faintly, his seven souls and three spirits seemed gone; thinly, only a breath or two remained. His teeth were clenched tight, for days no water or rice had touched his lips; his heart and diaphragm were swollen, all day pills and medicine could not be swallowed. The gods of death and doom were already upon him; Bian Que and Lu Yi could do nothing.

When Chai Jin saw Chai Huangcheng, he sat by his uncle's couch and wept bitterly. Chai Huangcheng's second wife came out to comfort Chai Jin, saying, "Lord, you've traveled far and hard. Just arrived, don't be too distressed." After Chai Jin returned her greeting, he asked what had happened. The second wife replied, "The newly appointed prefect here, Gao Lian, who also commands the local troops, is a cousin of Grand Marshal Gao Qiu in the Eastern Capital. Relying on his brother's power, he does whatever he pleases here. He brought along his brother-in-law, Yin Tianxi, whom everyone calls Squire Yin. That fellow, though young, relies on his brother-in-law Gao Lian's authority to run rampant here, harming others. There were sycophants who curried favor by telling him that behind our house there is a garden with a pavilion over a pond, beautifully built. That fellow brought a gang of over twenty despicable scoundrels, barged right into our home, and after looking at the rear of the house, demanded we move out so he could live there. Your uncle said to him, 'Our family is of the golden branch and jade leaves; we have an imperial iron-clad pledge from a former dynasty at our gate, forbidding anyone from bullying us. How dare you try to seize our home and drive my family out? Where would we go?' That fellow wouldn't listen and insisted we vacate the house. When your uncle tried to pull him away, he was pushed and beaten instead. Because of this affront, he took to his bed and hasn't gotten up, won't eat or drink, and medicine does no good. He's clearly nearer to heaven than earth. Now that you, my lord, have come to be our champion, even if something happens, I won't worry." Chai Jin replied, "Aunt, rest assured. Just have good physicians treat my uncle. As for legal matters, I'll send someone back to the manor in Cangzhou to fetch the iron-clad pledge and take him on. Even if we take it to the imperial court, I'm not afraid!" The second wife said, "Your uncle was useless in handling things; it's right that you take charge."

After Chai Jin had visited his uncle for a while, he came out and told Li Kui and the attendants all the details. When Li Kui heard this, he jumped up and said, "That bastard has no sense! I have a big axe here; let him taste a few chops from me, and then we'll talk." Chai Jin said, "Brother Li, calm your anger. There's no need to be rough with him for no reason. Though he bullies people with his power, our family has the imperial decree to protect us. We can't reason with him here; we must go to the capital, where there are those greater than him, and rely on the clear laws to sue him." Li Kui said, "Laws, laws! If laws were followed, the world wouldn't be in chaos! I strike first and talk later. If that bastard goes to court, I'll chop up those damned officials too." Chai Jin laughed and said, "No wonder Zhu Tong wanted to fight you and couldn't bear to see you. This is within a city under imperial authority—how can it compare to running wild in your little stronghold?" Li Kui said, "What about imperial authority? Didn't I kill people in Jiangzhou and Wujun?" Chai Jin said, "Let me see how things develop. When I need you, brother, I'll ask for your help. For now, just stay in your room and sit quietly." As they were speaking, a maidservant hurried in to summon Lord Chai to see his uncle.

Chai Jin went into the sickroom and stood before the couch. There he saw Chai Huangcheng, tears in his eyes, speaking to him: "Good nephew, your spirit is high and noble; you do not disgrace our ancestors. I have been beaten to death by Yin Tianxi. For the sake of our flesh and blood, take a letter and personally go to the capital to intercept the imperial carriage and file a complaint to avenge me. Even in the nine springs below, I will be grateful for your kindness. Take care! Take care! I won't say more." With these words, he breathed his last. Chai Jin wept bitterly. The second wife, fearing he might faint from grief, consoled him, saying, "My lord, there will be time for sorrow. Let us first discuss the funeral arrangements." Chai Jin said, "The imperial pledge is at my home; I didn't bring it. I'll send someone day and night to fetch it, and then go to the Eastern Capital to file a complaint. For now, let us prepare a coffin for my uncle's remains, don mourning clothes, and then we'll decide." Chai Jin ordered everything according to proper rites: an inner coffin and an outer shell, an altar set up with due ceremony, the entire household in heavy mourning, young and old alike weeping. Outside, Li Kui heard the crying from the hall and ground his fists and stamped his feet in anger, but the attendants refused to tell him anything. Monks were invited to the house to perform Buddhist rites for the deceased.

On the third day, Yin Tianxi was seen riding a fast horse, leading twenty or thirty idlers, carrying pellet bows, Sichuan crossbows, blowpipes, balloons, twisting rods, and musical instruments. After a jaunt outside the city, half-drunk, he feigned intoxication and madness, heading straight to the front of Chai Huangcheng’s residence. There he reined in his horse and called for the household steward to come out. Chai Jin heard this and, dressed in mourning clothes, hurried out to respond. Yin Tianxi, from his horse, asked, “What relation are you to this family?” Chai Jin replied, “I am Chai Jin, the nephew of Chai Huangcheng.” Yin Tianxi said, “The day before yesterday I ordered your family to move out of this house. Why haven’t you followed my instructions?” Chai Jin answered, “It was only because my uncle was bedridden with illness that I dared not move him. Last night he passed away, and I will move out after the forty-nine-day mourning period.” Yin Tianxi shouted, “Rubbish! I only give you three days to vacate the house. If you haven’t moved after three days, I’ll first make an example of you and give you a hundred strokes of the rod!” Chai Jin said, “Your Honor, do not bully people so! My family is also of imperial descent, and we possess an iron-clad pledge and a golden writ from the previous dynasty. Who would dare disrespect us?” Yin Tianxi thundered, “Show it to me!” Chai Jin said, “It is currently at my home in Cangzhou, and I have sent someone to fetch it.” Yin Tianxi, enraged, shouted, “This fellow is talking nonsense! Even if you had the pledge and writ, I wouldn’t be afraid. Men, seize this fellow and beat him!”

As the men were about to act, the “Black Whirlwind” Li Kui, who had been watching through a crack in the door, saw and heard the order to beat Chai Jin. He threw open the door, let out a great roar, and charged straight to the horse. He had already seized Yin Tianxi, dragged him off the horse, and knocked him down with a single punch. The twenty or thirty men rushed forward, but Li Kui, with a swing of his hands, knocked down five or six of them, and the rest scattered in panic. Li Kui picked up Yin Tianxi, beating him with fists and kicking him, and Chai Jin could not stop him despite his pleas. When they looked at Yin Tianxi, he was already dead—alas, alas! A poem attests:

Cruel schemes and ruthless plots, relying on fierce arrogance,

Who would have thought heaven’s justice could not be escaped?

Li Kui’s ferocity was unmatched by any man,

And he would not relent until the King of Hell claimed his due.

Li Kui beat Yin Tianxi to death on the ground. Chai Jin could only lament bitterly and told Li Kui to go to the back hall for a discussion. Chai Jin said, “Obviously, people will come here soon. You cannot stay. I will handle the legal matters myself. You must return quickly to Liangshan Marsh.” Li Kui said, “If I leave, I will certainly implicate you.” Chai Jin replied, “I have the iron-clad pledge and golden writ to protect myself. Just go—there is no time to delay.” Li Kui took his double axes, gathered his travel provisions, slipped out the back gate, and headed alone for Liangshan Marsh.

Before long, over two hundred men, each carrying knives, clubs, and spears, surrounded Chai Huangcheng’s residence. Seeing them come to arrest someone, Chai Jin came out and said, “I will go with you to the prefectural office to explain.” The men first bound Chai Jin, then entered the house to search for the dark, burly man who had committed the murder. Not finding him, they only took Chai Jin, bound, to the prefectural yamen, where he knelt in the hall. Prefect Gao Lian, having heard that his brother-in-law Yin Tianxi had been beaten to death, was gnashing his teeth in fury in the hall, waiting for the culprit to be brought in. They promptly threw Chai Jin down before the hall steps. Gao Lian roared, “How dare you kill my brother-in-law Yin Tianxi?” Chai Jin pleaded, “I am a direct descendant of the Chai imperial lineage of the Zhou dynasty, and my family possesses the iron-clad pledge and golden writ from the founding emperor of the previous dynasty. I live in Cangzhou. Because my uncle Chai Huangcheng was gravely ill, I came specially to visit. Unfortunately, he has passed away, and his body is still in mourning at home. Yin Tianxi came with twenty or thirty men to the house, insisting I vacate the premises, and would not let me explain. He ordered his men to beat me, and the farmhand Li Da, in defending me, accidentally killed him in a moment of mishap.” Gao Lian shouted, “Where is Li Da now?” Chai Jin said, “He fled in panic.” Gao Lian said, “He is a farmhand—without your orders, how could he dare kill someone? And you deliberately let him escape, then come here to deceive the authorities. You wretch, if I don’t beat you, how can I make you confess? Jailers, use force and beat this fellow soundly!” Chai Jin cried out, “The farmhand Li Da defended his master and accidentally killed someone—this has nothing to do with me! I possess the iron-clad pledge and golden writ of the founding emperor—how can you use the rod on me?” Gao Lian said, “Where is the pledge now?” Chai Jin replied, “I have sent someone back to Cangzhou to fetch it.” Gao Lian, enraged, shouted, “This fellow is openly defying the authorities. Men, put more strength into your wrists and beat him thoroughly!” The men set to work, beating Chai Jin until his skin split and blood flowed freely. Forced to confess, he admitted to having ordered the farmhand Li Da to kill Yin Tianxi. They took a twenty-five-catty death-sentence cangue, locked it on him, and sent him to prison for confinement. Yin Tianxi’s body was examined, and he was buried in a coffin at his family’s expense—this is not worth detailing further. Yin Tianxi’s wife, Lady Yin, seeking vengeance for her brother, urged her husband Gao Lian to confiscate Chai Huangcheng’s property, imprison his household, and seize the house, garden, and courtyard. Chai Jin suffered bitterly in prison. A poem attests:

Red lips and powdered face, venomous as a snake,

The iron pledge and golden writ are but flowers in the void.

How strange that an ancestor could yield the throne,

Yet his descendants cannot protect their lives and homes.

Now, Li Kui traveled back to Liangshan Marsh by night. Arriving at the stronghold, he went to see the chieftains. The moment Zhu Tong saw Li Kui, anger surged from his heart. He drew a broadsword and charged straight at Li Kui. The “Black Whirlwind” pulled out his double axes and began to fight with Zhu Tong. Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and all the chieftains stepped forward together to stop them. Song Jiang apologized to Zhu Tong, saying, “The killing of the young attendant earlier was not Li Kui’s fault. It was a plan devised at the time by Military Counselor Wu Yong because you refused to come to the mountain. Now that you are here in the stronghold, do not hold it in your heart. Let us work together with one mind to promote our great cause, and not give outsiders cause to mock us.” He then told Brother Li Kui to apologize to Zhu Tong. Li Kui glared with his fierce eyes and cried out, “What right has he to put on such airs! I have often exerted myself for the stronghold, and he has never contributed a bit of merit—why should I be the one to apologize!” Song Jiang said, “Brother, it was you who killed the young attendant. Though it was by the military counselor’s strict order, by age he is your elder. For my sake, pay your respects to him, and I will bow to you myself.” Li Kui, pressed by Song Jiang’s entreaties, said, “It’s not that I’m afraid of you—it’s that brother is forcing me, and I have no choice. I’ll apologize to you.” Compelled by Song Jiang, Li Kui had no choice but to put aside his double axes and bow twice to Zhu Tong. Only then did Zhu Tong’s anger subside. Chief Chao Gai of the stronghold then arranged a feast to reconcile the two.

Li Kui explained that Lord Chai had gone to Gaotang Prefecture to see his uncle Chai Huangcheng’s illness, only to have the prefect Gao Lian’s brother-in-law Yin Tianxi try to seize his house and garden, beating and cursing Chai Jin, so he had killed that scoundrel Yin Tianxi. On hearing this, Song Jiang was startled and said, “You’ve fled, and it will surely involve Lord Chai in a lawsuit.” Wu Yong the Scholar said, “Brother, don’t be alarmed. When Dai Zong returns to the mountain, we’ll know the outcome.” Li Kui asked, “Where has Brother Dai Zong gone?” Wu Yong said, “I feared you might cause trouble at Lord Chai’s estate, so I specially called him to bring you back to the mountain. When he gets there and doesn’t find you, he’ll surely go to Gaotang Prefecture to look for you.” Before he finished speaking, a petty officer reported that Captain Dai had returned. Song Jiang went to welcome him, and when they had sat down in the hall, he asked about Lord Chai’s affairs. Dai Zong replied, “When I reached Lord Chai’s estate, I learned that he and Li Kui had already gone to Gaotang Prefecture. I went straight there to inquire, and the whole city was buzzing with talk that Yin Tianxi, in a dispute over Chai Huangcheng’s estate, had been killed by a big dark fellow, and now Lord Chai was implicated and imprisoned in the jail. Chai Huangcheng’s entire household and property have been confiscated. Lord Chai’s life hangs by a thread.” Chao Gai said, “This dark brute has stirred up trouble again—wherever he goes, he causes mischief.” Li Kui said, “Chai Huangcheng was beaten by him and died of anger, and then he came to seize his house, and even ordered Lord Chai beaten—even a living Buddha couldn’t stand for it!” Chao Gai said, “Lord Chai has always shown kindness to our stronghold; now that he’s in danger, how can we not go down the mountain to rescue him? I’ll go myself.” Song Jiang said, “Brother, you are the master of the stronghold; how can you act so lightly? I, humble as I am, have old ties of gratitude with Lord Chai, and I’m willing to go down the mountain in your place.” Wu Yong the Scholar said, “Though Gaotang Prefecture’s city is small, it’s densely populated, with ample troops and grain, and not to be taken lightly. I request that Lin Chong, Hua Rong, Qin Ming, Li Jun, Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, Sun Li, Ou Peng, Yang Lin, Deng Fei, Ma Lin, and Bai Sheng, twelve chieftains, lead five thousand cavalry and infantry as the vanguard. The army’s commander-in-chief, Song Gongming, and Wu Yong, along with Zhu Tong, Lei Heng, Dai Zong, Li Kui, Zhang Shun, Yang Xiong, and Shi Xiu, ten chieftains, will lead three thousand cavalry and infantry as reinforcements.” In total, twenty-two chieftains took leave of Chao Gai and the others, left the stronghold, and marched toward Gaotang Prefecture. Truly, it was a splendid sight, as seen:

Embroidered banners with fluttering streamers, painted bugles mingling with brass gongs. Three-pronged forks and five-pronged forks gleamed like autumn frost; steel-tipped spears and reed-leaf spears fell like abundant snow. Shield screens blocked the path; strong bows and hard crossbows were in front; cannon followed on carts, with great halberds and long lances in the rear. The officers on horseback were like fierce tigers from the Southern Mountains, each eager to fight and contend; the warhorses beneath them were like azure dragons from the Northern Sea, every one able to charge and battle. Truly, the spears and swords flowed like rushing water, and men and horses swept like a whirlwind.

The vanguard of Liangshan Marsh had already reached the borders of Gaotang Prefecture, and soldiers soon reported it to Gao Lian. On hearing this, Gao Lian sneered, “You pack of grass bandits hiding in Liangshan Marsh—I was just about to come and wipe you out, and today you come to seek death yourselves. Heaven has granted me success. Order the troops immediately: muster the army and sally forth to meet the enemy, and have the commoners guard the city walls.” This Prefect Gao governed the army on horseback and the people on foot; at his command, the various military officials before his tent—commanders, overseers, leaders, controllers, and lieutenants—each led their troops, mustered them at the training ground, and then deployed them to meet the enemy outside the city. Gao Lian had three hundred trusted soldiers, called “Heaven-Soaring Divine Troops,” all elite strongmen selected from Shandong, Hebei, Jiangxi, Hunan, the two Huai regions, and the two Zhejiang regions. What was the appearance of these three hundred Heaven-Soaring Divine Troops? See:

Their hair hung loose, scattering a cloud of smoke behind them; gourds hung from their bodies, and on their backs were hidden a thousand flames. Yellow headbands divided the eight trigrams evenly; leopard-skin armor was arranged according to the four directions. Bronze masks shone like golden ornaments; iron rolling knives were like brooms. Their body armor, covering their chests, had two sheets of green bronze front and back; their dazzling banners and flags, left and right, were arrayed like a thousand layers of black mist. It seemed as if the Heavenly Marshal had left the Dipper Palace, or as if the Moon-Poison Star had descended on the cloudy road.

Prefect Gao Lian himself led the three hundred divine troops, clad in armor and carrying swords on his back, mounted his horse, and rode out of the city. He arranged the officers under his command in battle formation around him, and placed the three hundred divine troops in the center, waving flags and shouting, beating drums and clanging gongs, waiting for the enemy to arrive. Meanwhile, Lin Chong, Hua Rong, and Qin Ming led five thousand troops to the scene. The two armies met, with flags and drums facing each other, and each side used strong bows and hard crossbows to secure their positions. The bugles sounded and war drums rolled in both armies. Hua Rong and Qin Ming, leading ten chieftains, rode to the front and reined in their horses. Chieftain Lin Chong, holding his (eighteen-foot serpent spear) sideways, urged his horse forward and shouted loudly, “Let the one who seeks death in Gaotang Prefecture come out!” Gao Lian spurred his horse forward, leading over thirty officers, all riding to beneath the gate banner, reined in, and pointed at Lin Chong, cursing, “You ignorant rebel traitors, how dare you rashly attack my city?” Lin Chong roared, “You pestilent thief who harms the people! Sooner or later, I’ll ride to the capital and cut that treacherous minister Gao Qiu into ten thousand pieces to satisfy my heart’s desire.” Gao Lian was enraged and turned back to ask, “Who will go out first to capture this thief?” From the officers’ ranks came a controller named Yu Zhi, who spurred his horse, brandished his sword, and rode straight to the front. Seeing this, Lin Chong charged at Yu Zhi. They fought less than five rounds, and Lin Chong pierced Yu Zhi through the heart with his serpent spear, sending him tumbling off his horse. Gao Lian was greatly shocked and said, “Is there another to go out and avenge this?” From the officers’ ranks came another controller, surnamed Wen, with the double name Wen Bao, wielding a long spear and riding a yellow piebald horse. With jingling bells and clanging ornaments, he soon reached the front; his horse’s hooves stirred up dust as he charged straight at Lin Chong. Qin Ming saw this and shouted, “Brother, rest a while—watch me cut this thief down with one blow!” Lin Chong reined in his horse, put away his steel-tipped spear, and let Qin Ming fight Wen Bao. The two fought for about ten rounds or more, when Qin Ming feigned a flaw, letting Wen Bao thrust his spear in, then raised his club and struck, cleaving off half of Wen Bao’s skull. He died on his horse, which galloped back to its own formation. The two armies faced each other, shouting in unison.

When Gao Lian saw that two of his officers had fallen in succession, he drew the Tai’e sword from his back, muttered incantations, and shouted, “Haste!” A black vapor rose from Gao Lian’s ranks. That vapor scattered halfway into the sky, stirring up flying sand and rolling stones, shaking the earth and the heavens, raising a strange wind that swept straight toward the opposing formation. Lin Chong, Qin Ming, Hua Rong, and the other officers could not see each other face to face; their horses, startled, bolted and neighed wildly, and the men turned and fled. Gao Lian waved his sword, commanding the three hundred divine troops to charge out from the formation, with the regular army behind them, and they all pressed the attack. They drove Lin Chong’s troops scattering like stars and clouds, breaking them into fragments, as they called for brothers and searched for sons and fathers. Of the five thousand troops, over a thousand were lost, and they retreated fifty li to set up camp. When Gao Lian saw the troops retreating, he also withdrew his own forces and entered Gaotang Prefecture city to settle in.

Meanwhile, Song Jiang’s central army arrived, and Lin Chong and the others met him, reporting the previous events in detail. Song Jiang and Wu Yong were greatly alarmed on hearing this, and Song Jiang said to the strategist, “What kind of divine art is this, so formidable!” Wu Yong the Scholar said, “It must be demonic magic. If we can turn the wind and reverse the fire, we can break the enemy.” On hearing this, Song Jiang opened the Heavenly Book and looked; in the third volume there was a method for turning the wind and reversing the fire to break formations. Song Jiang was overjoyed, memorized the incantations and secret formulas with care, reorganized the troops, had them eat at the fifth watch, and with waving flags and beating drums, advanced to attack the city.

Someone reported into the city. Gao Lian mustered his victorious troops together with three hundred divine soldiers, opened the city gates, lowered the drawbridge, and marched out to form a battle array. Song Jiang, sword in hand, rode out before his own lines and saw a cluster of black banners among Gao Lian’s forces. Wu Yong said, “The black banners within that formation are the troops who employ the ‘Divine Master’s Art.’ I fear if he uses that method again, how shall we face him?” Song Jiang replied, “Military Advisor, rest assured. I have my own way to break the formation. Let none of the officers and men be alarmed; just press forward and attack.” Gao Lian instructed all his officers, great and small, not to engage the enemy in direct combat. “When you hear the clapper sound, join forces and capture Song Jiang together. I will richly reward you.” As the battle cries rose from both sides, Gao Lian hung the bronze plaque for summoning beasts—inscribed with dragon patterns and phoenix script—from his saddle, and held a precious sword in his hand as he rode out before his lines. Song Jiang pointed at Gao Lian and cursed, “Last night I was not present, and my brothers suffered an unexpected defeat. Today I must annihilate you to the last man.” Gao Lian shouted back, “You bunch of rebels! Dismount and surrender quickly, so I won’t have to soil my hands and feet!” With that, he waved his sword, muttered incantations, and cried out, “Swift!” Black vapor arose, and a strange wind whipped up. Before the wind reached him, Song Jiang also recited spells, made a hand seal with his left hand, and pointed his sword with his right, shouting, “Swift!” The wind did not head toward Song Jiang’s ranks but turned instead toward Gao Lian’s divine soldiers. Song Jiang was about to order his men to charge, when Gao Lian, seeing the wind reversed, quickly took up his bronze plaque and struck it with his sword. A cloud of yellow sand rolled up among the divine soldiers, and from the center of the army a horde of fierce beasts emerged. Behold:

Lions brandished their claws, and tigers shook their heads. Gleaming golden xiezhi displayed their might, and embroidered pìxiū exerted their ferocity. Jackals and wolves in pairs bared their fangs, charging straight at the stalwart troops; leopards and tigers in packs opened their great mouths, spitting at the inferior horses. Spiny wild boars crashed into the formation, and curly-haired evil hounds charged in. Serpents like dragons flew through the air, and stubborn pythons that could swallow elephants burrowed into the ground.

As the sound of Gao Lian’s bronze plaque echoed, a swarm of monstrous beasts and venomous creatures charged forward, stunning the many troops in Song Jiang’s array. Song Jiang cast aside his sword, wheeled his horse around, and fled first. The chieftains clustered around him, all scrambling for their lives. The officers and soldiers, great and small, could not look after one another but fought for the road to escape. Gao Lian waved his sword from behind, the divine soldiers leading the way, the regular troops following, and together they swept forward in pursuit. Song Jiang’s forces suffered a great defeat. Gao Lian chased and slaughtered them for over twenty li, then sounded the gong to recall his troops and returned to the city. Song Jiang arrived at a slope, halted his men, and set up a stockade. Although he had lost some soldiers, he was glad that all the chieftains were still alive. After encamping, he discussed with Military Advisor Wu Yong, saying, “In this attack on Gaotangzhou, we have lost two battles in a row, and we have no plan to break the divine soldiers. What is to be done?” Wu Yong replied, “If this fellow can use the ‘Divine Master’s Art,’ he will surely come to raid our camp tonight. We must prepare a stratagem first. Only a few troops should be stationed here; the rest of us will withdraw to the old camp.” Song Jiang issued orders, leaving only Yang Lin and Bai Sheng to guard the camp, while the rest of the men withdrew to the old camp to rest.

Now, Yang Lin and Bai Sheng led their men to lie in ambush in a grassy slope half a li from the camp, waiting until the first watch. But see:

Clouds rose in all directions, and fog swelled everywhere. A fierce wind shook heaven and earth, and a sudden rain overturned the seas and rivers. The thunder god, enraged, rode a fiery beast to display his might; the lightning mother, angered, wildly flashed golden serpents to exert her divine power. Large trees were uprooted, and deep pools were drained dry. If not for the dragon-slayer at Guankou, one would suspect the subduer of the water demon at Sizhou.

That night, a great storm of wind and thunder arose. Yang Lin and Bai Sheng, leading over three hundred men, lay hidden in the grass and watched. They saw Gao Lian on foot, leading three hundred divine soldiers, blowing on the wind and whistling as they charged into the camp. Seeing it was empty, they turned and fled. Yang Lin and Bai Sheng raised a shout. Gao Lian, fearing an ambush, scattered in all directions, and the three hundred divine soldiers fled every which way. Yang Lin and Bai Sheng loosed crossbow bolts at will, shooting wildly. One bolt struck Gao Lian squarely in the left shoulder. The soldiers scattered, rising to pursue in the rain. But Gao Lian and his divine soldiers had already fled far, and Yang Lin and Bai Sheng, with too few men, dared not press deeper. After a while, the rain ceased and the clouds scattered, revealing a sky full of stars. In the moonlight, more than twenty divine soldiers had been stabbed, shot, or captured before the grassy slope. They were escorted to Song Jiang’s camp, where the events of the thunder, rain, wind, and clouds were reported in detail. Song Jiang and Wu Yong were greatly astonished and said, “This place is only five li away, yet there was no rain or wind here!” The men discussed among themselves, saying, “This is precisely the demonic art, effective only within its own area, no more than thirty or forty zhang above the ground. The rain and wind were drawn from a nearby lake.” Yang Lin added, “Gao Lian, with his hair disheveled and sword in hand, also charged into the camp. He was hit in the shoulder by one of my crossbow bolts and has returned to the city. Because we were few, we dared not pursue.” Song Jiang rewarded Yang Lin and Bai Sheng, then executed the captured wounded divine soldiers. He assigned the chieftains to set up seven or eight small camps surrounding the main camp, to guard against any further raids, and sent men back to the mountain stronghold to summon reinforcements.

Now, Gao Lian, having been hit by the arrow, returned to the city to nurse his wound. He ordered the soldiers to guard the city walls day and night, and to refrain from fighting for the time being. “Let my arrow wound heal first, then we can capture Song Jiang without delay.”

Song Jiang, distressed by the loss of his men, consulted with Military Advisor Wu Yong, saying, “If we cannot even break Gao Lian this time, what if additional troops from other places come to join forces and raid us? What then?” Wu Yong replied, “I think to break Gao Lian’s demonic arts, we must do it this way and this way. If we do not go and invite this person, then the life of Squire Chai will surely be hard to save, and the city of Gaotangzhou will never be taken.” Indeed, to use the art of raising clouds and summoning mists, one must invite a man who can penetrate heaven and earth. Who was this person Wu Yong spoke of? Wait and hear in the next chapter.