Chapter 20: Yan Xiaoyi Battles the Faceless One

"Hmm?"

An expert reveals their skill the moment they move. No sooner had Yan Qing made contact with the burly man than the man sensed, with keen intuition, that Yan Qing was a peer—and one not beneath him at that!

Although Yan Qing’s attitude was friendly, his fingers had splayed out by force of habit as they engaged. Each finger was aimed precisely at a vital acupoint; had he secured his grip, that arm would have been rendered useless. The burly man recognized Yan Qing as an adept, and Yan Qing, in turn, recognized the same in him. Yan Qing deliberately tested him, and sure enough, the man’s fingers splayed out in the exact same manner. As a result, what should have been a simple grapple turned into an awkward interlocking of fingers.

"Well met!"

The man’s thick fingers, like rolling pins, clamped down on Yan Qing’s hand as if in a torture device. Yan Qing did not meet force with force; instead, he used a clever maneuver, flipping his wrist to counter-lock the man’s joints. Though the man was as bulky as a bear, he was surprisingly agile, twisting his body to slip beneath Yan Qing’s arm. He emerged behind Yan Qing and attempted to lock his arm in return. Yet Yan Qing was even faster; before the man could secure his hold, Yan Qing mirrored the move, slipping beneath the man’s arm like a slippery loach, once again seizing the advantage.

Though it took a moment to describe, this exchange of blows had occurred in the blink of an eye. Cai Fu and Lu Junyi watched with great interest; such high-level, real-world street wrestling was a rare sight. However, just as they were engrossed in the spectacle, Cai Qing suddenly shouted:

"Oh no! Someone is stealing the horse!"

"What?"

Cai Fu stood up in surprise and looked out the window. Sure enough, he saw someone riding away on Lu Junyi’s Qilin Beast!

Cai Fu had not been worried about the horse being stolen, for the Qilin Beast was a spirited creature—a steed of a thousand leagues that would not allow just anyone to mount it. Only a peerless warrior like Lu Junyi could tame such a beast; anyone else who approached would be met with kicks and bites. Yet, the horse was being ridden away by a stranger, showing no resistance at all—much like it did for Lady Jia...

Cai Fu squinted at the man’s back. He was massive, appearing even larger than Lu Junyi! He was not only tall but also so broad that he seemed to dwarf the already imposing Lu Junyi. Such a giant was a rarity. Connecting this to the act of horse theft, Cai Fu instantly identified him: this had to be "The Spirit of the Dangerous Path," Yu Baosi!

Yu Baosi was like a supplier for Zengtou City, stealing or seizing fine horses to sell to them. After Chao Gai died at Zengtou City, Song Jiang had shelved plans for revenge to consolidate his power. It was only after Yu Baosi intercepted over two hundred warhorses purchased by Liangshan Marsh from the north that the flames of war were rekindled. It was a strange coincidence to encounter both of these scoundrels in an ordinary village inn, though it made sense: Yu Baosi was a habitual horse thief roaming Hebei and Shandong, and Jiao Ting—known as "The Faceless" because he had been rejected everywhere he sought to serve—was also a drifter in those same regions.

"Damn those thieves!"

While these thoughts raced through Cai Fu’s mind, Lu Junyi had already forcefully suppressed Jiao Ting. He grabbed the man by his collar, spattering him with spit as he roared:

"You dare steal my horse?"

The burly man was indeed Jiao Ting, "The Faceless," and he was completely bewildered: "It wasn't me! I didn't..."

"Don't think I can't see through your tricks! You’re all in league together!" Lu Junyi, for once, was using his head. "One of you distracts us in the inn while the other steals the horse. A fine piece of coordination!"

Jiao Ting instinctively tried to break free, but Lu Junyi’s grip was like iron. In the face of absolute strength, technique was meaningless. While the original *Water Margin* did not explicitly describe Lu Junyi’s strength in the way it did Lu Zhishen’s, his record of single-handedly scattering over a thousand Liao soldiers spoke for itself. Before that, he had fought four opponents simultaneously for an hour, eventually killing them all. Considering how exhausted a boxer becomes after just a few minutes, the gap in their abilities was clear. Even if Lu Junyi’s strength was not as monstrous as Lu Zhishen’s or Wu Song’s, it was far beyond that of an ordinary man. Jiao Ting strained with all his might, yet he could not break free.

"At death's door, and still you lie!" Cai Fu said, feigning murderous intent. "The thief didn't steal the horse earlier or later; why did he choose the exact moment you were sparring with Xiao Yi?"

"Heaven above!" Jiao Ting was nearly in tears. "Good sirs, I am known as 'The Faceless' Jiao Ting because I have no standing! I have always traveled alone—who would ever want to be in league with me?"

"Hmph!" Cai Fu sneered. "That man is Yu Baosi, 'The Spirit of the Dangerous Path,' a notorious horse thief in Hebei and Shandong. If you say you aren't his accomplice, do you have any proof?"

"Uh..." Jiao Ting was crestfallen. "Good sirs, you can ask anyone in Hebei or Shandong! I really am a man of no face!"

"Who has the patience for that?" Lu Junyi scoffed. "Brother, since we know the thief is Yu Baosi, let’s use this fellow to trade for the horse! If he doesn't return it, I’ll slaughter his accomplice!"

A disaster from out of the blue! Jiao Ting was losing his mind. He was a blunt and tactless man—that was precisely why, despite his skill in wrestling, he had ended up with the nickname "The Faceless." He never dreamed that simply glancing at Lu Junyi would lead to such a calamity.

"Good sir!" Jiao Ting cried out, aggrieved. "I truly do not know Yu Baosi, nor did I coordinate with him..."

Jiao Ting had never expected to find himself in a situation where he had "reason but no way to explain it to the soldiers." With both Cai Fu and Lu Junyi convinced of his guilt, he had no way to clear his name. Desperate, a thought struck him: "I know where Yu Baosi has taken the horse. Let me lead you there to get it back! Good sirs, give me a chance to prove my innocence!"

"Very well, I will give you a chance." The corner of Cai Fu’s mouth curled up imperceptibly. "If you recover our horse, we will spare your life."

"Thank you, good sirs!" Jiao Ting let out a sigh of relief, only for Cai Qing to sneer: "And if you betray my brother’s trust and try to slip away on the road, what then?"

Jiao Ting quickly swore to the heavens: "I, Jiao Ting, swear that if I lead you astray or try to run before finding the Magistrate’s horse, may I die beneath a hail of arrows!"

Cai Fu and Cai Qing exchanged a smile. There was nothing like the bond of brothers born of the same mother—they knew exactly what the other was thinking.