Chapter 54 Song Jiang: Military Advisor, Brilliant!

Strike first to preempt a hundred strikes!

With an eye for an eye, Cai Fu returned Sun Erniang’s blow in kind. The heroes of Liangshan looked at one another in dismay, left entirely speechless...

Wu Yong gave a practically imperceptible shake of his head:
This was the flaw. Sun Erniang's punch was none other than the Seven-Wounds Fist!
If you cannot defeat your opponent, the backlash falls upon yourself!

"Chieftain, what is your view?"
With wide, tiger-like eyes and an air of righteousness, Cai Fu challenged Song Jiang directly:
"Was I justified in striking her?"

Song Jiang was left without a word.
The main reason was that Sun Erniang’s self-taught punch was simply too overpowered; even he had been swept dumbfounded by the sheer force of the blow...

Cai Fu’s punch had not only hit Sun Erniang, but had effectively struck all those Liangshan heroes who shared a common hatred of the enemy.
Although those heroes—who had drawn their swords and glared fiercely at Cai Fu—were filled with nothing but muscle...
Yet Cai Fu’s blow was so simple and brutal that if they were not deliberately pretending to be asleep, they would easily have been shocked awake.

This made things rather awkward...
The blades that had already been drawn could only be quietly slipped back into their scabbards, and some missed the opening entirely after several tries...

Seeing that Song Jiang was unable to smooth things over, Wu Yong, who had been keeping a low profile all along, had no choice but to step forward and salvage some dignity for his older brother.
"What the chieftain says is right; Erniang's words were indeed biased!"

Clutching a goose-feather fan in both hands, Wu Yong bowed respectfully to Cai Fu with refined grace:
"Wu Yong pays his respects to the Chief Jailer!"

So you lad are finally willing to show your face?
The corners of Cai Fu’s mouth curled into a playful smile as he reached out with both hands to steady Wu Yong:
"Ah, so it is Master Plus-Bright!
"Such a pleasure, such a pleasure!"

Song Jiang and Wu Yong could well be described as jackals from the same lair; every single one of Song Jiang's slick maneuvers had Wu Yong quietly pulling strings behind the scenes.
For instance, Lu Junyi being framed and thrown into prison this time was a rotten idea Wu Yong had devised for Song Jiang.

Wu Yong straightened up, shaking his head with a wry smile:
"The Chief Jailer is far too hasty in temper. Before Big Brother Song Gongming had even finished speaking, you...
"Erniang is merely a woman of the inner chambers, short of hair and even shorter of sight. I beg the Chief Jailer not to hold it against her."

Brilliant, Military Advisor!
Song Jiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
Thank goodness for the Military Advisor; any situation ordinary people couldn't smooth over, he could always patch up!

As for Sun Erniang, she would just have to swallow this beating in vain; anyway, Sun Erniang was not part of his own faction...
Right!
A thought struck Song Jiang:
Sun Erniang belonged to Lu Zhishen and Wu Song, both of whom were fiercely protective of their own people!
Since the man surnamed Cai had beaten Sun Erniang, when Lu Zhishen and Wu Song returned from Tokyo, how could they possibly let the matter rest?

However, Cai Fu had Lu Junyi backing him up, so Lu Zhishen and Wu Song might not necessarily be able to do anything to him either...
Even better, he could sit back and play the game of balance!

"Indeed, Chief Jailer!"
Song Jiang hurriedly chimed in with Wu Yong, shaking his head in self-deprecation:
"My words were incomplete, which unfortunately led to the Chief Jailer's misunderstanding..."

"Is that so?"
The corners of Cai Fu's mouth curved into a teasing smile:
"If it was just a misunderstanding, didn't sister-in-law take that punch for nothing?"

Ah, this...
Song Jiang could only force a wry smile and shake his head:
"Erniang's words were biased; suffering this blow can be considered cause and effect coming full circle..."

Cause and effect your mother!
Clutching her chest, Sun Erniang spat out a mouthful of stale blood!
Although she was burning with rage, she dared to be angry but not to speak...

Her backers, "The Flowing Monk" Lu Zhishen and "The Pilgrim" Wu Song, were currently far away in Tokyo, out of reach.
Hmph!
Sun Erniang gnashed her teeth, her eyes flashing with murderous intent:
Wretch, you just wait and see!

Her husband, "The Vegetable Garden" Zhang Qing, reached out to support her, but Sun Erniang spun around and slapped him across the face:
Useless coward!
Zhang Qing clutched his cheek, not daring to make a sound, while "The Junior Official" Sun Xin, mingling in the crowd, cast a look of sympathy.

Not many people paid attention to the domestic violence occurring in the corner; everyone's attention remained focused on Cai Fu.
Song Jiang spoke again: "Brother Li Li was momentarily muddled and nearly caused a catastrophic mistake!
"Fortunately, no one was drugged unconscious..."

Originally, Song Jiang said this to put an end to today's affair, but Cai Fu had no intention of letting him off so easily.
"Who says no one was drugged?"
With a cold sneer, Cai Fu grabbed Song Jiang's hand and strode toward the back kitchen.

"Let go—"
Qin Ming, Lei Heng, and Wang Aihu, belonging to Song Jiang's faction, hurriedly moved to stop him, but Wu Yong intercepted them.
Wu Yong exchanged a meaningful look, flicked his goose-feather fan, and the Liangshan heroes stepped aside to clear a path for Cai Fu and Song Jiang.

Cai Fu paid no heed to the murderous glares of Qin Ming, Lei Heng, and Wang Aihu as he dragged Song Jiang forward.
With his long strides, he walked with the momentum of a tiger, while poor Song Jiang's short legs scrambled along like Jerry the mouse...

Cai Fu swaggered into the back kitchen with Song Jiang in tow and asked him:
"Do you know where the human-meat workshop is?"
"I am busy with stronghold affairs every day and truly do not know."
Song Jiang smiled wryly, shaking his head as he looked left and right:
"Who knows where Li Li's human-meat workshop is?"

Li Jun exchanged a glance, and "Overturning River River-Clam" Tong Meng stepped out from the crowd:
"It is likely in the firewood shed in the back courtyard."

Led by Tong Meng, Cai Fu dragged Song Jiang through the back kitchen and arrived at the firewood shed in the back courtyard.
The shed was piled high with firewood, but in the corner lay a cellar with its wooden cover pushed aside.
Pulling Song Jiang over to take a look, Cai Fu saw that Li Li had even built stone steps leading down into the depths of the cellar.

Cai Fu smiled and asked, "Chieftain, shall we go down and take a look?"
Song Jiang forced a smile: "Let us go together, by all means!"

Thus, Cai Fu pulled Song Jiang down into the cellar, where they found the interior gloomy and terrifying, resembling a mortal purgatory!
Several human hides were stretched upon the walls, a few pairs of legs hung from the roof beams, and Jiao Ting lay stark naked upon a butchering bench...

Experienced though Song Jiang was, having faced life-and-death moments several times, he was frightened out of his wits by this gruesome scene!
The Liangshan heroes had followed Cai Fu and Song Jiang down into the cellar, and at this sight, every single one of their scalps tingled...

Only a few individuals, such as the couple Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, and the brothers Zhu Gui and Zhu Fu, acted as though they had just returned home.
"Song Jiang has been lax in disciplining his subordinates, a crime unforgivable!"
With his legs turned to jelly from fright, Song Jiang executed a brilliant flash of wit and dropped to his knees before Cai Fu.

That broad-faced, big-eared, thick-lipped fellow hastily handed over a bundle of thorny switches once more.
Song Jiang received the switches, raised them high above his head with both hands, and pleaded:
"I beg the Chief Jailer to punish me!"

Again?
The corners of Cai Fu's mouth twitched imperceptibly twice:
If Li Li were still alive, he would certainly have made Song Jiang take a few lashes!
However, Li Li was already dead, and Song Jiang had already knelt; for Cai Fu to continue beating him would make him appear unforgiving.

"This was entirely Li Li's crime; what does it have to do with the Chieftain?"
Cai Fu pulled Song Jiang up with both hands and said with a beaming smile:
"Besides, the Chieftain has only been acting as leader of Liangshan Marsh for a few days anyway."

Hm?
Song Jiang's right eyelid twitched uncontrollably twice:
There was more to Cai Fu's words than met the ear...

Wu Yong hurriedly spoke up for Song Jiang: "Chief Jailer, perhaps you should first revive this brother of yours!"
Cai Fu thought about it and realized it was true; Jiao Ting had indeed suffered terribly...
Yang Xiang and Shi Xiu jointly lifted Jiao Ting, carrying the heavily drugged man out of the human-meat workshop.

Shi Xiu produced the antidote from Li Li's person, mixed it with water, and forced it down Jiao Ting's throat.
He then prepared another portion and poured it down Li Kui's throat as well.
Before long, Jiao Ting gradually regained consciousness. The moment he opened his eyes, he found a circle of large faces surrounding him...