Chapter 22: Ruan Xiaoqi, the Number One Fan

"Buying fish? Hahaha!"

The man on the small boat spat out the reed stem he was chewing and laughed. "The fish of Shijie Village aren't so easy to come by! You lot aren't bandits from Liangshan, here to spy on our village's defenses, are you?"

"Hahahaha! And what if we are, my good man?"

Ren Yuan stood up as well. Two giants, both nine feet tall, stood on the deck, exerting an immense sense of pressure.

The man, however, showed no trace of fear. He looked at Ren Yuan and Yuan Lang, let out a strange laugh, stripped off his thin tunic, and with a splash, dove headfirst into the water.

Impressive! In this weather, anyone daring enough to dive into the bone-chilling lake water was either a fool or a man of true skill.

Ren Yuan and Yuan Lang exchanged glances, each knowing exactly what was happening. Ren Yuan, in particular, was busy trying to recall which of the three Ruan brothers this man might be.

"Brother, watch out!"

The rocking of the boat interrupted Ren Yuan's thoughts. Aside from him and Yuan Lang, everyone else on board had to crouch down to stabilize themselves, lest they be tossed into the lake.

"Chieftain! This fellow is pushing his luck!"

The sailors, struggling to keep their balance, grew indignant. Who starts a meeting by launching a sneak attack from underwater? It was hardly honorable! Moreover, it was making them lose face in front of their leader. Was there no sense of propriety? They had a reputation to uphold!

"My good fellow! I have a delicious whole roasted lamb on this boat intended for the three heroes of Shijie Village. If you capsize me, you'll be showing a great lack of respect to those three!"

Ren Yuan, possessing excellent stability, stood firmly on the deck. He braced his core and shouted across the water.

The boat suddenly steadied. Shortly after, about three feet away, the man surfaced. He spat out a mouthful of lake water, wiped his face, and asked Ren Yuan, "You there! Which heroes of Shijie Village are you talking about?"

"Hahaha, no rush, no rush. Come, have a drink to warm yourself up, then climb aboard and we shall talk."

Ren Yuan was now certain this was one of the Ruan brothers. He reached for the wine gourd at his waist, took a swig, and tossed it to the man in the water. The man caught it with both hands, opened it, took a sniff, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Good wine!"

He then stood upright in the water, tilted his head back, and took a long, deep draught. Even more remarkably, despite being upright in the water, his body did not sink in the slightest.

"Fine technique!" Yuan Lang, himself an expert, immediately recognized the extraordinary skill in that display.

"Good wine. Do you have meat?" the man asked, clearly enjoying the drink.

"Come aboard, and there's plenty of meat!" Ren Yuan beckoned.

Receiving the invitation, the man chuckled. He tossed the wine gourd back into the air, slapped his hands against the water, and launched himself out like an arrow, landing steadily on Ren Yuan's boat.

"Walking on water?" Ren Yuan was surprised. The Ruan brothers truly had impressive skills.

"Here, dry yourself off." Ren Yuan pulled off his cloak and tossed it to the man. The man caught it and noticed the fabric—while not the most extravagant, it was certainly high quality. To have it tossed to him so casually, without a hint of airs, made the man nod silently to himself. This leader was no ordinary man.

"Come, have some roast chicken first!" Ren Yuan handed over a food box. The man wiped the water from his body with the cloak, sat down, opened the box, and tore into a chicken leg. Ren Yuan and Yuan Lang watched him eat, smiling.

"My good man, who were the heroes you mentioned earlier?" the man asked between bites.

"The heroes I speak of are the three renowned figures of Shijie Village, known in the martial world as the Three Ruan Brothers. Have you heard of them?" Ren Yuan watched him with a smile, now ninety percent sure of his identity.

"Ha! Is that all? Well, that's just the kindness of friends in the martial world; mere empty fame," the man said, startled at first, then beaming with joy.

"Oh? Do you happen to know these three brothers?" Yuan Lang asked, having also guessed the truth.

"Haha, you guessed right, brother! The first two of those three are my own biological brothers!" The man tossed the chicken bones into the lake, clapped his hands, and laughed.

"You are Ruan Xiaoqi! Hahaha, what a stroke of luck! My brother and I came specifically to pay a visit to the three of you!"

"I am Ren Yuan, and this is my second-in-command, 'Red-Faced Tiger' Yuan Lang. I hope you, Seventh Brother, can introduce us to your second and fifth brothers."

Ren Yuan introduced them simply. Ruan Xiaoqi was a legendary figure; in the final accounts of the *Water Margin*, he was one of the few who retired to look after his mother and lived out his days in peace.

"Ren Yuan? Could you be the 'Pillar of Heaven' Ren Yuan, whose name shakes the martial world?" Upon hearing the name, Ruan Xiaoqi immediately knelt in salute. "Brother, when did you take over Liangshan? Had we known, the three of us would have come to join you long ago!"

As it turned out, the Ruan brothers had long desired to become outlaws, but the reputation of the former master, Wang Lun, was so poor that they had been hesitant. Coming from humble backgrounds, they feared that a stingy, narrow-minded scholar like Wang Lun would only look down on them, burying their talents.

To find that the master of Liangshan was now the famous 'Pillar of Heaven'—who had come to visit them personally—filled him with joy. Ren Yuan's reputation in the Song dynasty was impeccable: highly skilled, generous, and righteous. With him at the helm, anyone who raised a banner at Liangshan would surely attract a multitude of followers.

"You've heard of me, Seventh Brother?" Ren Yuan was surprised. He had only been wandering the martial world for a year on his master's orders; he hadn't realized his fame had spread so far. It seemed that in the Song dynasty, a good reputation was truly invaluable.

"Brother, you have fought your way through three provinces and six prefectures, and your blade guards the banks of the Yellow River—who hasn't heard of you? We have wanted to meet you for a long time!" Ruan Xiaoqi was visibly excited, much like a die-hard fan meeting an idol. "You said you came to buy fish? Wait just a moment, brother, and I shall dive in and catch a few for you right now!"

"No need for haste, Seventh Brother. I have matters to discuss with you three. Are your second and fifth brothers at home?"

"They are, they are. Follow me, brother. If you don't know the way through these reed marshes, you could row for a day and a night and never find your way out."

Ruan Xiaoqi took the lead. Ren Yuan signaled his sailors to follow the direction indicated, and when they drew alongside Ruan's boat, he stepped onto it to guide them personally.

"Follow me, brother! If my second and fifth brothers knew I was the one guiding you, they’d be green with envy, haha!" Ruan Xiaoqi’s laughter echoed across the water, hearty and clear.

"Follow him!" Ren Yuan commanded. He knew then and there that the search for his naval commanders had finally come to an end.