Chapter 18: Suo Chao: This Flatbread Is Absolutely Delicious!

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“Rumble… rumble…”
Outside the city of Daming Prefecture, on the official road leading toward Liangshan Marsh, several hundred cavalry thundered forward like the tidal waves of the Qiantang River.

At the forefront was a fierce general with a round face and a full beard—Su Chao, the man who had saved Liang Zhongshu the previous night.

Su Chao was quite frustrated.

He had originally thought that after rescuing Liang Zhongshu, even if Liang didn’t kneel before him in respect, he would at least reward him with promotions and wealth…

But that did not happen.

Instead, Liang Zhongshu scolded him for arriving too late and sent him out again to continue pursuing the rebels.

Poor Su Chao had been awake all night, enduring fatigue as he led five hundred cavalry on a long pursuit…

However, Liang Zhongshu had dangled a big promise before him: if he captured the rebels, he would be appointed to Li Cheng’s vacant position.

Though Su Chao knew this was just an empty promise from Liang Zhongshu, a promise was still better than nothing!

“Master, how can we catch up this way?”
Su Chao’s apprentice and deputy commander, Zhou Jin, complained beside him:
“How could the rebels possibly be on the official road?”

“Nonsense!”
Su Chao snorted coldly:
“The prime minister ordered us to pursue the rebels along the official road, so we must pursue them there!”

Pointing his whip forward, Su Chao commanded:
“The two men ahead, stop them and ask!”

Zhou Jin looked ahead and saw two men turning a corner, appearing quite distinguished.

The one in front had eyebrows extending to his temples, phoenix-like eyes tilted upward, a pale yellow complexion, and a few thin whiskers.

Because of the heat, he had rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms tattooed with indigo-like patterns.

The man behind had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a dignified appearance.

Like fierce tigers in the mountains, both were robust and imposing, their temper like fire fueled by oil, eyes shooting cold light.

These two men came face to face with the “vanguard” Su Chao and his five hundred cavalry, who charged like a gale!

The two men quickly moved aside to the roadside, but reflexively one raised a baton while the other gripped a waist sword.

“Rumble! Rumble!”

The five hundred cavalry approached like a storm. Zhou Jin pointed his spear at the two men:
“Those two big men over there…”

Not good!

The two men exchanged glances: they weren’t sure if their identities were exposed, but they dared not take the risk.

Because they truly were rebels!

So, with tacit understanding, they turned and fled into the forest beside the official road!

“Pursue!”

Su Chao’s face lit up with delight: why run if you’re not rebels?

Thus, Su Chao led the five hundred cavalry in hot pursuit into the forest.

Though the terrain was disadvantageous, they could dismount.

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Besides, after running so far, the two men were exhausted.

Soon enough, Su Chao caught up to them. If he caught one, it was as good as catching both.

When all government troops arrived and surrounded the two men tightly, the outcome was already sealed.

“Move out!”

Su Chao proudly escorted the two captives back to Daming Prefecture:
The promise was truly sweet!

…

Mount Liquan.

“Sir, we are leaving!”

Cai Fu tightly grasped Zhou Tong’s hands.

In the past two days, Zhou Tong had been completely open with him, teaching everything without reservation.

This deeply moved Cai Fu—after all, Zhou Tong was already seventy-five years old and still recovering from wounds.

Cai Fu shook Zhou Tong’s hands vigorously:
“Sir, once we find a safe haven, I will come for you!
Take good care of yourselves!”

Perhaps a blessing of being a transmigrator, Cai Fu’s comprehension was extraordinary; he mastered the “Dragon Rolling Saber Technique” in just three days.

Having learned it, and with the nation in peril and time pressing, Cai Fu decided to set off immediately.

However, only Cai Qing, Lu Junyi, and Yan Qing accompanied him.

To protect the villagers of Qilin Village, Zhou Tong chose to stay on Mount Liquan.

Of course, Yue Fei and his three younger companions also stayed behind.

After all, Yue Fei and the others were still young and needed a few more years of training under Zhou Tong’s guidance.

Cai Fu coordinated with Zhou Tong to gather the able-bodied villagers into a militia.

Zhou Tong set aside time daily to train them to the standards of the imperial guards, teaching them self-defense skills.

When Cai Fu eventually rose up in rebellion, these would be his core forces.

“Rest assured!”

Zhou Tong looked at Cai Fu with both pride and regret:

“To master the Dragon Rolling Saber Technique in just three days—truly a prodigy!”

Even the chief of Yanggu County had learned martial arts quickly, but it took him a whole month to master something that Cai Fu grasped in days…

At the time, Zhou Tong had praised the chief’s exceptional talent, but compared to Cai Fu, he was simply no match.

However, the chief and Cai Fu were different types of talents.

Cai Fu had a high aptitude and learned fast.

The chief of Yanggu County had supreme combat instincts, able to parry and counter on the fly—Zhou Tong himself admired his skill.

Both were natural geniuses, yet neither had been trained from childhood…

“As long as I have breath in my body, no one shall touch Mount Liquan!”

Zhou Tong solemnly promised, patting Cai Fu’s hand, then admonished Lu Junyi:

“When you travel, you must listen to your elder brother!”

Lu Junyi responded wholeheartedly:
“Master, rest assured, I will obey my elder brother!”

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As Zhou Tong was advising Lu Junyi, Cai Fu also counseled Yue Fei:

“Third brother, study hard under the master!
If you don’t learn well, your elder brother will take back the sacred spear of Liquan!”

“Don’t worry, elder brother!”

Yue Fei grasped the sacred spear of Liquan earnestly:
“I will surely master all the skills my father taught!”

Everyone smiled.

Zhou Tong affectionately tousled Yue Fei’s hair:
“Your father will teach you everything!”

After Cai Fu, Lu Junyi, and the others departed, Zhou Tong was about to return when Elder Zhiming arrived wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a monk’s staff, accompanied by a young novice.

The novice carried a bundle, clearly preparing for a long journey.

“Amitabha…”

Elder Zhiming stepped forward and took Zhou Tong’s hand:

“Old friend, the feng shui here has been broken by the King of Blades.
I can no longer stay; I must return to Mount Wutai.
Both of us are old now; we may never meet again.
In twenty years, my young disciple Daoyue will be at Mount Jin, where he might meet your son—pfft—”

Mid-sentence, Elder Zhiming’s face changed dramatically, and he spat a mouthful of old blood toward the sky…

“Elder—”

Zhou Tong quickly caught the elderly man, while the novice grabbed Elder Zhiming’s shoulders, shaking him and shouting:
“Master—Father—”

Yet this time they still could not rouse him; Elder Zhiming fainted once again…

…

Cai Fu, Cai Qing, Lu Junyi, and Yan Qing left Mount Liquan. On the main road, Cai Fu asked Lu Junyi:

“Second brother, do you still remember the way to Liangshan Marsh?”

Lu Junyi replied: “I remember perfectly!”

After all, it was because he had been to Liangshan Marsh that he had fallen into his present plight—how could he forget the way?

“Let’s go!”

Before leaving, Cai Fu had told Zhou Tong that Mount Liquan was too small and lacked natural defenses, so they would find a safe place to settle the villagers of Qilin.

But in truth, they were heading to Liangshan.

“All right!”

Lu Junyi had been waiting for this day for a long time, gripping his twelve-foot steel spear tightly, gritting his teeth:
“Let’s go!”