Chapter 20: Missing Each Other

As the first light of dawn touched the horizon, the final ox-cart laden with grain was pushed onto the fishing boat. Throughout the second half of the night, the men of Liangshan had been tirelessly shuttling back and forth with their various war vessels, finally managing to transport all of their spoils back to the marsh.

The villagers of West Creek who had not yet headed up the mountain had been persuaded by the Liangshan men to return to their homes. Those who had prepared to move to the mountain had already boarded the ships along with the plundered wealth and provisions, setting sail for the Water Margin.

Remaining on the shore were Ren Yuan and the main force of the Liangshan contingent, acting as the rear guard. Truth be told, the commotion from the previous night’s operation had been far from quiet. Although no one had taken the side roads to report to the city, it was highly unlikely that those in East Creek—separated only by a single stream—had heard nothing. Therefore, Ren Yuan had been vigilantly guarding against a surprise attack from the East Creek side. After all, Chao Gai, the Heavenly King, was no soft touch.

Chao Gai was a man who valued loyalty; otherwise, he would not have taken the initiative to rescue Bai Sheng after the incident with the Birthday Gift, nor would he have offered to step down the moment Song Jiang arrived on the mountain. However, Ren Yuan understood clearly that Chao Gai’s sense of loyalty only extended to those he knew personally, and it was not a grand, righteous virtue—it was the narrow loyalty of an elder brother protecting his younger subordinates.

Moreover, one had to admit that he possessed real capability. He had managed East Creek quite well; for years, the village head of West Creek had only dared to throw his weight around within his own borders, never daring to provoke East Creek. In Ren Yuan’s view, Chao Gai was an "elder brother" of the old school who had made his name early in the underworld of the Great Song. He carried a certain arrogance and was not particularly adept at winning people over through humility, unlike Song Jiang, who was far more skilled at buying hearts. That was precisely why he would eventually be sidelined by Song Jiang.

Furthermore, everyone in the greenwood knew him as a kingpin who profited from stolen goods, yet he still maintained the legitimate status of a village head. He also held close ties with county officials and law enforcement officers like Song Jiang, Zhu Tong, and Lei Heng. In many ways, he was a classic representative of someone who mastered both the underworld and the establishment. Combining these factors, it was clear that Chao Gai was a man who cared deeply about his reputation and was careful to observe the etiquette of both worlds. His actions possessed great flexibility: he could engage in illicit activities in the shadows while simultaneously playing the role of a law-abiding official in the light, choosing whichever identity maximized his interests at any given moment.

For these reasons, Ren Yuan had prepared himself for a fight with East Creek. To his surprise, however, even as the last of his men boarded the boats, there was still no sign of the East Creek forces.

"Strange. Did Chao Gai actually hold back?" Ren Yuan was taken aback. In his estimation, Chao Gai should have seized the opportunity to profit. Yet, the scouts monitoring the roads to East Creek reported that there had been no movement all night.

"Is it possible that Chao Gai received word but, for some reason, couldn't act in time?" Yuan Lang drew his steel maces and sheathed them repeatedly; he hadn't had his fill of fighting in West Creek and was itching for another skirmish.

"That is entirely possible." Ren Yuan agreed with Yuan Lang’s speculation, as Chao Gai was known for his indecisiveness. It was highly likely that something had gone wrong at his manor.

And that was indeed the case.

Back at the Chao Manor in East Creek, Chao Gai’s expression was dark and unsettled, as if he were struggling with a difficult decision.

"Brother! Do not hesitate! While the Liangshan men haven't left yet, we should launch a sneak attack! Then we shall be hailed as heroes for suppressing the bandits!"

"That’s right, Brother! The two of us know exactly how many men Liangshan has. The commotion in West Creek must be their doing. While they are exhausted and wounded, we should move in and reap the rewards!"

The two men, dressed as common bandits, were busy trying to persuade Chao Gai. They were trusted subordinates brought down from the mountain by Wang Lun, and they possessed silver tongues capable of making black look white and the dead look alive. Wang Lun had gone to Jizhou City himself, but before leaving, he had given these two a sum of money to manipulate Chao Gai, hoping to use him as a check against Ren Yuan—or at the very least, to cause him trouble.

Wang Lun’s justification was simple: how could one tolerate another sleeping beside one's own bed? Thus, the two men spun a tale about how Ren Yuan and his lot had usurped the stronghold. Naturally, in their version, Ren Yuan was a ruthless tyrant, a bandit, and a man devoid of honor. As for Chao Gai, they painted him as a man of supreme loyalty who, as the village head of East Creek and the "Heavenly King" of the Shandong greenwood, was honor-bound to seek revenge for them. As a reward, Wang Lun had left two bars of gold, each weighing twenty taels, but the lackeys had only shown Chao Gai one, intending to split the other for themselves once the deed was done.

"Absolutely not!"

"Village Head, do not be easily swayed by these two!"

Chao Gai had truly been on the verge of being convinced, but just as he was about to agree, his close friend—a man dressed as a scholar who had recently returned and was staying at his home—rushed in to stop him.

"Master Jia Liang has arrived. Please, sit!" Chao Gai treated this man with great respect, and even the two subordinates from Wang Lun were deferential toward him. After all, in the Northern Song Dynasty, where scholarship was held in the highest regard, intellectuals held a distinct status in society. This man was none other than the "Resourceful Star," Wu Yong.

Wu Yong was a man who possessed some talent for strategy, though some of his plans were truly wretched. When Ren Yuan had read *Water Margin* in his past life, he never felt Wu Yong was particularly impressive—certainly far inferior to Zhu Wu.

Upon rushing in and hearing the subordinates’ plea, Wu Yong immediately urged Chao Gai to refuse. "Village Head, I have heard enough from the outside. If what these two say is true, Liangshan is currently at the height of its power. It is not wise for us to clash with them head-on."

"Master Jia Liang! We know Liangshan better than you, and we know their combat strength!"

"If you truly understood them, your leader Wang Lun would not have been driven away in disgrace, nor would he have sent you here to deceive the Village Head." Wu Yong retorted coldly. He had met Wang Lun—a pedantic, narrow-minded scholar with a sharp tongue and a hollow heart.

"Even if something happened in West Creek, our territory is in East Creek. Besides, Liangshan cannot take the land deeds with them. If the West Creek head is gone, wouldn't it be better for us to simply step in and claim the deeds? Why risk life and limb in a fight? In my opinion, there is no need to rush to West Creek. Furthermore, that Ren Yuan has a growing reputation in the martial world; he is not a man to be trifled with."

Wu Yong believed his reasoning was sound; he felt it was best to remain unmoved and wait for the situation to unfold. This left Chao Gai conflicted for a long time. On one hand, he wanted to profit, but on the other, he remained uncertain of Ren Yuan’s true strength and feared suffering a loss. After all, most of the Liangshan men who had descended the mountain had already defected, and the others had never seen Ren Yuan in action. These two lackeys didn't even know what kind of weapon Ren Yuan wielded. If they didn't even know his weapon, their assessment of his martial prowess was worthless.

"Do not be in such a hurry, Village Head. Wait a couple of days before going to West Creek. In the meantime, I will reach out to a few old acquaintances. With their help, we shall be like a tiger granted wings!"

Chao Gai was persuaded. He decided there was no rush, which was exactly why Ren Yuan never encountered him. The two forces had missed each other entirely. One wonders if, when Chao Gai eventually learned of Liangshan's massive haul, he would regret not having been more decisive that day.