164. Jiangnan Xiang, the Fierce Bandit of Yunmeng

At the easternmost part of Yunmeng Marsh, there is one mountain and two islands.

The mountain is named Yun Mountain. With its breathtaking scenery and endless rolling peaks, Yun Mountain serves as a natural barrier for the southeastern part of Yunmeng Marsh. As it stretches toward the eastern edge of the marsh, a single peak juts out horizontally from the continuous range, forming a vast and tranquil bay with calm waters. Along the shore lies a broad expanse of rolling hills.

In the very center of the bay, two small islands stand firm at the entrance like a pair of sentinels guarding the waters.

This single mountain and two islands are entirely the territory of Jiang Nanxiang, a fierce and notorious bandit of Yunmeng Marsh.

Inside the bay, hundreds of vessels of various sizes stretch endlessly like the ridges of Yun Mountain, their tall masts standing as dense as a forest. Along the shore, rows of wooden stilt houses stretch all the way up to the mid-level of the mountain slope.

At the very top lies the residence of Jiang Nanxiang. In a spacious room, three chairs are placed prominently at the head. In the absolute center sits a bald, burly man—the formidable bandit leader of Yunmeng, Jiang Nanxiang.

Jiang Nanxiang is massive in stature, yet not fat; instead, his entire body exudes an aura of lean and powerful strength. His brightly polished, shining bald head is as dazzling as a beacon even in the dimly lit room. A pair of small eyes, resembling bronze peas, are embedded beneath steep, cliff-like brow ridges. His entire face looks as though it were chiseled by a knife and axe, featuring a bright red bulbous nose, thick purple lips, and a few strands of withered, yellowish short stubble casually hanging beneath his jaw. A look of casual, effortless ruthlessness emanates from his entire visage.

To Jiang Nanxiang's right sits his strategist, the refined scholar Wang Andao. To his left is the second-in-command, Wave-Walker of the Lake, whose bulging muscles clearly signal that he is a man not to be trifled with.

Although it is already winter, the attire of these men reflects no such season; they wear barely enough cloth to cover themselves.

"Who are you? What major business brings you here? If you can't give me a satisfactory explanation, don't blame me for showing no mercy to a flower!" Jiang Nanxiang glared down at a rugged man standing in the hall below, his small eyes filled with vicious hostility.

The three brothers had been enjoying themselves when a lackey came to report that a few people had been captured and claimed to have major business to report to him. As if there could be any truly major business in Yunmeng Marsh!

"Brother, it's not 'showing no mercy to a flower,' it's 'turning hostile and heartless,'" Wang Andao corrected, leaning closer to Jiang Nanxiang.

"Oh, and what was that about showing no mercy to a flower?" Jiang Nanxiang asked, looking puzzled. He clearly remembered Wang Andao teaching him that phrase before.

"Ahem, that's what you say to me, Brother," Wang Andao said with an awkward expression.

"So that's how it is. Brother understands now. Once I dispatch this fellow, we can continue," Jiang Nanxiang said, looking at Wang Andao with deep affection. The hostility on his face vanished completely, replaced by overwhelming tenderness.

"I beg the Chief to seek justice for my eldest brother!" Xu Shan dropped to one half-knee on the floor below.

"Get up first. Which one is your eldest brother?" Jiang Nanxiang asked, perplexed.

"Chief, my eldest brother is Wang Dachui, our supreme commander," Xu Shan replied, seizing the opportunity to stand back up.

"What does that have to do with me?" Jiang Nanxiang snapped impatiently. Is this your "major business"? He did know of Wang Dachui—after all, the man commanded a gang of several hundred—but they were hardly acquainted.

"Has the Chief not heard of the major events shaking Yunmeng Marsh lately?" Xu Shan asked, looking astonished.

"Oh? Were there major events?" Jiang Nanxiang turned his head to ask Wang Andao.

"Could you be referring to Wang Dachui being wiped out by the government forces?" Wang Andao asked Xu Shan.

"..." Xu Shan was left speechless. Were these thousands of men sleeping all day long?

In truth, they really weren't. Even for a major event like the Southern Invasion of the Bai tribe, by the time water bandits learned of it, it was already far too late; moreover, what did such a matter have to do with river bandits? Not everyone possessed a global perspective like Lu Jin.

Besides, regarding the annexation campaign proactively launched by Lanjiang, Lu Jin had risen to dominance in barely half a month with lightning speed. Furthermore, he had crushed them with overwhelming force, leaving virtually no bandits to slip through the net.

Of course, they weren't completely oblivious—after all, with such a massive campaign, there were bound to be traces left behind. The problem was simply that they lacked clear information and remained entirely in the dark. That was precisely why they dared not act rashly.

"Reporting to the Chief, I am Xu Shan, the second-in-command of Dachui Island. Half a month ago, a band of fierce outlaws suddenly descended from the heavens and surrounded us on the island. Those outlaws claimed to be the Lanjiang Water Faction, boasting a force of nearly a thousand men. Without a second word, they struck down my eldest brother first. We fought bitterly and refused to retreat, but two fists could never match four hands, and in the end, we were defeated. Yet my eldest brother, a hero of his generation, died without a complete corpse. To fail to avenge this grudge is to be unworthy of being called a hero!" Xu Shan said fiercely, his face brimming with resentment.

"That is why this brother endured humiliation and followed them back to their lair, all for the single purpose of one day slaying the enemy with my own hands. Little did I know that those scoundrels have always been cowardly and suspicious, watching us with extreme strictness, so this brother never found an opportunity. However, in recent days, they have led their forces to sweep through all the heroes in the surrounding area. Now their power has grown immensely, and every day they shout slogans about acting on behalf of heaven..."

"The Lanjiang Water Faction?" Jiang Nanxiang's bean-sized eyes widened to the size of eggs. He had recently gathered intelligence that the western part of Yunmeng Marsh was quite lively, but it turned out to be just another band of scoundrels. Did they have any idea whose territory this Yunmeng Marsh was?

Wait. Something wasn't right!

"Does the Chief know of them?" Xu Shan asked, puzzled.

"Does this so-called Lanjiang Water Faction have large ships? Towering, multi-decked warships?" Jiang Nanxiang stared at Xu Shan and asked.

Xu Shan felt a jolt in his heart. He originally hadn't intended to mention those fierce warriors wearing red turbans, but since the other party already knew, he couldn't keep it hidden any longer. Therefore, he hesitated no longer.

"Chief, that is precisely where the Lanjiang Water Faction is formidable. Not only have they gathered several thousand men, but those scoundrels somehow managed to ally themselves with a group of winged freaks. The multi-decked warships the Chief mentioned must belong to them. Those people are stationed on the ships day and night, just waiting to take action alongside those scoundrels. That is why the brothers in the surrounding areas are now suffering in misery."

"Then do you know how many of them there are?" Through his subordinate lackneys, Jiang Nanxiang had already gathered a rough estimate, figuring there were around two or three thousand men. He decided to test Xu Shan.

"This brother doesn't know the exact number, but judging by sight, there should be around two thousand. They don't even quarter in the same place as us, and we can't even hold a conversation with them."

"Then how do they communicate?"

"Chief, this brother was only captured by them a few days ago. How could such a top-secret matter be made known to me?" Xu Shan was startled into a cold sweat. This bald man was truly not easy to fool; he hadn't even anticipated that this question would be asked.

"Then what is your purpose in coming here now? Weren't you captured by them?" the refined scholar Wang Andao asked.

Xu Shan felt a wave of nausea. Upon arriving here, he had found these three strange creatures deeply bizarre, especially this pale-faced scholar who acted like a delicate maiden and constantly held hands with the bald man.

"Chief, this brother heard of a major matter, which is why I took a few of my remaining brothers and fled under the cover of night. Look at the state this brother is in now..."

Xu Shan spoke with genuine sorrow, and the men sitting above looked at his miserable state and found it quite pitiful. No wonder he looked like this unearthly ghost.

"What major matter?" Jiang Nanxiang asked. In truth, panic was beginning to stir in his heart; the enemy's forces were already comparable to his own, so how could this possibly end well? Where on earth had these scoundrels popped out from, and how had they grown so rapidly?

"This..." Xu Shan looked to his left and right.

"These are all my brothers. Speak your mind freely," Jiang Nanxiang dismissed the concern; he had always been rough and unconstrained.

"Please, Chief, avenge my eldest brother!" Xu Shan dropped to his knees once more, a look of resolute determination on his lowered face.

"..." Dammit, what did the death of some Dachui have to do with me? My own big hammer is doing just fine!

"You and your eldest brother had no prior friendship with our Chief. Why must you insist that our Chief avenge your brother?" Wang Andao questioned.

"The Third Chief is utterly mistaken! What kind of person is the Chief? Why is he addressed as 'Chief'? It is because the Chief is as righteous as the heavens and peerless in his loyalty! He is the leading big brother in the hearts of the tens of thousands of heroes in this Yunmeng Marsh!" Xu Shan declared passionately.

"My eldest brother, Wang Dachui, did not originally bear that name. It was only because he heard that the Chief wields a great hammer that he changed his name to Wang Dachui, purely out of the willingness to become the iron hammer in the Chief's hands. He originally intended to come and pay his respects to the Chief in person, but first he was besieged by government troops, and then he was slaughtered by this gang of scoundrels. To his dying day, my eldest brother never even got to catch a glimpse of the Chief. He died with his eyes unclosed..." At this point, tears were actually welling up in Xu Shan's eyes.

"This... This public servant truly had no idea that Brother Dachui held such deep loyalty..." Jiang Nanxiang said, deeply moved. He had never imagined there could be such a hero in this world, and best of all, one so fiercely loyal to himself. He wondered what the man looked like—what a tragic loss!

"Furthermore, the reason this brother came to find the Chief to avenge my eldest brother is not only because the Chief possesses the strongest forces and the most formidable army in Yunmeng Marsh, nor is it merely because the Chief is known for his chivalry. More importantly, the Lanjiang Water Faction is soon coming to attack the Chief!"

"What?!" Jiang Nanxiang startled upright from his chair, dragging Wang Andao up beside him by the hand.

How dare those winged freaks have such immense audacity? Did they take him for mere government troops? He had laid low for a few days, only to find grasshoppers leaping onto his head!

"Chief, right now the Lanjiang Water Faction is not only my enemy, they are also the enemy of the Chief. These brothers of mine place their lives in the Chief's hands, and we ask for only one thing: that the Chief avenge my eldest brother."

"Why should I believe you?" Having recovered from his shock, Jiang Nanxiang actually grew calmer. He pulled Wang Andao down and slowly sat back into his chair.

"Chief, I, Xu Shan, have come here through nine deaths and a lifetime, simply because I believed the Chief to be a hero under heaven. It seems my eldest brother misjudged you, and I was blind myself. Since the Chief is content to sit here and wait for his death, Xu Shan will take his leave. I trust there are true heroes in this world who can avenge my eldest brother!"

With these words, Xu Shan turned and strode toward the door.

"Seize him! What do you take my place for? A place you can enter and leave as you please?" Jiang Nanxiang's expression shifted, his face turning vicious and hostile.

Before Jiang Nanxiang's voice had even faded, several lackneys nearby grabbed Xu Shan and pinned him face down onto the ground.

"Jiang Nanxiang, you falsely claim to be a hero! Compared to my eldest brother, you're nothing more than a farting coward, a turtle hiding in its shell!" Xu Shan shouted curses as he was restrained.

"Watch me beat this scoundrel to death! Do you take me, Jiang Nanxiang, for a fool?"

With that, Jiang Nanxiang released Wang Andao, picked up a massive hammer from beside him, and marched stark naked toward Xu Shan in just a few strides. The few tattered rags he wore had long since fallen to the floor.

"If you're going to kill me, do it! If you don't kill me today, one day I will surely kill a coward like you! It's only a pity that these thousands of brothers are going to follow you to an untimely grave!" Xu Shan roared with bloodshot eyes.

"Hraagh!" Driven mad with fury, Jiang Nanxiang raised the heavy iron hammer and brought it down with bone-crushing force straight toward Xu Shan's head...

-----------------

After conducting multiple separate operations, the Lanjiang Water Army finally consolidated its forces under the direct personal command of Grand Governor Lu Jin, advancing toward the easternmost part of Yunmeng Marsh. Their sole target was the most notorious and formidable bandit of the marsh—Jiang Nanxiang.

Awkwardly enough, the first two characters of this fierce bandit's name coincided with the alias Lu Jin was currently using. However, "Jiang Nanxiang" was originally a jianghu nickname, and his true name remained unknown to all.

Rumor had it that Jiang Nanxiang possessed boundless strength, akin to the might of four elephants, wielded a massive hammer, and even rode a real elephant into battle.

He prided himself on his supreme martial prowess and ruthless nature. With three to four thousand men under his command, he was a veteran bandit and a thoroughly ruthless warlord—by far the strongest adversary Lu Jin had faced thus far.

Of course, Lu Jin was no pushover either. Through more than half a month of painstaking efforts, his command had grown to include nearly three thousand naval troops and over two hundred warships of various sizes. Over this period, he had become the reigning nightmare for the numerous bandit factions scattered across Yunmeng Marsh.

Though perhaps it could also be considered a sweet dream; aside from conquering factions directly through military force, Lu Jin had also attracted quite a few bandit groups to surrender voluntarily.

The entire fleet set off in the afternoon, paused for an hour in the boundless expanse of the marsh waters, and finally drew close to their destination by the Hour of Hai (around 9:00 PM).

As surrounding bandit groups were continually eradicated, Lu Jin's targets for conquest lay ever further away.

One wondered if this Jiang Nanxiang knew that his doom was arriving today.

Evidently, the man did know.

Because the Lanjiang Water Army was being semi-encircled!

Standing at the bow of his ship, Lu Jin watched as nearly a hundred warships slipped out from the dense reed beds in the distance on both flanks, completing a pincer movement against the Lanjiang fleet from the sides.

Meanwhile, out on the water ahead, nearly a hundred warships simultaneously ignited torches, casting flickering silhouettes of men across the decks. Several massive vessels were even actively rowing forward from the front.

Standing upon the deck, Lu Jin cracked a grin. This time, it genuinely looked like a real battle!

Nie Wuci was on the verge of speechlessness. He had warned all along that this was far too reckless; that fellow Xu Shan had undoubtedly betrayed them by now.

And yet, even while completely surrounded, this man could still manage to laugh!