Chapter 55: Song Jiang: Have I lost the bait only to lose the general as well?

Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing right now?
Jiao Ting felt as though he were standing stark naked while surrounded by a mob of fierce, burly men. Panicking, he executed a textbook carp kip and sprang to his feet!
Only once he was up did he realize the nakedness was real, and being surrounded by a mob of fierce, burly men was also real...
Hemmed in by so many ferocious-looking brutes, the usually swaggering Jiao Ting was scared out of his wits.
Fortunately, Cai Fu, who had been conversing with Song Jiang, noticed him waking up, walked over, and picked up the cloak that had fallen to the ground.
The cloak originally belonged to Cai Fu. It had been draped over Jiao Ting earlier, only to be shaken off by Jiao Ting's sudden leap.
Cai Fu wrapped the cloak around Jiao Ting, and at that moment, Jiao Ting felt a rush of reassurance, his entire body glowing with warmth...
"Master Warden, your domestic servant should be unharmed."
Song Jiang felt utterly exhausted, wishing for nothing more than to end this social ordeal:
"You have traveled thousands of miles, weary and worn from the road. Perhaps you should..."
"There is no hurry."
Cai Fu bluntly interrupted Song Jiang:
"Chieftain, Cai Fu still has three matters to bring up first!"
Three matters?
Song Jiang did not want to hear even a single matter right now, but since Cai Fu hadn't slapped him just moments ago, how could he possibly refuse Cai Fu?
Forcing a smile, Song Jiang said:
"Please speak, Master Warden!"
"The first matter: didn't the Chieftain cunningly frame my second brother and send him to the death row of Daming Prefecture?"
Cai Fu's single sentence struck so close to Song Jiang's vitals that he involuntarily winced. Song Jiang had no choice but to offer a sheepish smile:
"That entire affair was entirely my fault..."
"It certainly was your fault."
Cai Fu nodded:
"The Chieftain then dispatched Yang Xiong, Shi Xiu, and Dai Zong to Daming Prefecture to check whether my second brother had been imprisoned.
"Unexpectedly, the three of them were captured by the Daming Prefecture garrison, thrown into death row as well, and sentenced to be executed on an appointed day.
"Our brothers had already fought our way out of Daming Prefecture, but upon learning of this, we fought our way back in, stormed the execution grounds, and rescued the three of them..."
"Hiss—"
The Liangshan heroes present all drew in a sharp breath involuntarily:
Goodness gracious, such a thing actually happened?
Although no one voiced it aloud, unless they were blind loyalists of Song Jiang, everyone couldn't help muttering critiques of him in their hearts:
People had neither provoked nor offended you, yet you framed them!
They managed to escape on their own, and then they even turned around and rescued your men!
This "Sai Xuande" truly lived up to his name as a rival to Liu Xuande—boundless in righteousness and returning kindness for grievances!
By comparison, what kind of person were you, the "Timely Rain"?
...
Oh no!
Song Jiang's face turned green.
Because this whole affair was utterly disgraceful, and if not for Cai Fu's rescue, Yang Xiong and the others would have been dead for sure...
Although Song Jiang had long since learned the full story from Dai Zong, he had kept it under wraps.
In truth, Song Jiang's original plan was to "carry thorns on his back to beg for punishment" and then publicly offer his deepest thanks for this matter, which would at least have seemed upright and honorable.
However, the spellcasting of his "apology with thorns" had been interrupted by Cai Fu, and his attention was subsequently diverted by Li Jun.
The momentous affair of Li Liu's death had caused Song Jiang to completely forget his original plan, allowing Cai Fu to seize the initiative instead...
Had he taken the initiative to publicly express his gratitude first, things would have been easy to handle. Unfortunately, there were no ifs in life...
Wait, you chivalrous heroes going about upholding justice—isn't your motto supposed to be "after the deed is done, brush your clothes and go, hiding your merit and fame"?
This "Sai Xuande" didn't play by the rules at least not in this regard!
Fortunately, Song Jiang possessed a foolproof trump card that never failed. Without a second thought, Song Jiang dropped to his knees before Cai Fu:
"Many thanks to the Master Warden for saving..."
Yet to his utter astonishment, Cai Fu moved with the speed of a thunderbolt, thrusting both hands under his armpits!
With a single heave, he hoisted Song Jiang right back up:
The Art of Abrupt Interruption!
Consequently, Song Jiang's bow could not be completed, and the sensation of his feet dangling off the ground left him feeling thoroughly unmoored...
"No hurry."
Cai Fu once again interrupted Song Jiang's performance:
"I am not recounting this to leverage favors or demand rewards.
"I am telling you this because Shi Xiu has already taken me as his master.
"For a master to rescue a disciple is only right and proper; no thanks are required.
"Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu are sworn brothers, so saving him was likewise a matter of course."
Oh no!
Dai Zong broke out in a cold sweat on the spot:
Cai Fu had mentioned only Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu, omitting his name entirely...
"What?"
Song Jiang should have been mindful of Dai Zong's feelings, but he was completely dumbfounded by Cai Fu's words:
With Shi Xiu taking Cai Fu as his master, didn't that mean Shi Xiu was now Cai Fu's man?
Since Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu were sworn brothers, Cai Fu deliberately pointing this out must be a subtle hint that Yang Xiong was also his man, right?
Good grief!
Had I just lost the battle and the bride into the bargain?
Song Jiang cast a bitter, wretched look toward Wu Yong:
Military Advisor, what happened to "everything is under your control"?
Wu Yong's fair face flushed red as he hastily raised his goose-feather fan to shield the lower half of his face...
Cai Fu asked with a beaming smile, holding Song Jiang suspended:
"Shi Xiu taking me as his master does not violate the rules of Liangshan Marsh, does it?"
"...It does not violate them!"
Song Jiang felt like a mute swallowing Coptis chinensis—possessing suffering he could not voice. Forcing a smile, he cupped his fists:
"Congratulations to the Master Warden on gaining such an excellent disciple!"
"With those words from you, I am at ease."
Cai Fu set Song Jiang down and beckoned to Shi Xiu:
"The second matter..."
Shi Xiu untied the large bundle he had been carrying on his back and presented it to Cai Fu.
Cai Fu unhurriedly opened the wrapping cloth, revealing a rectangular, brocade-inlaid chest.
Such brocade chests were normally used by wealthy and noble households to store gold, silver, and treasures.
Song Jiang instinctively exchanged a glance with Wu Yong, both of them simultaneously thinking of Chai Jin's one thousand liang of gold.
After Chai Jin was captured in Daming Prefecture and escorted to Tokyo, that thousand liang of gold had vanished without a trace.
To think that Cai Fu had not only rescued Yang Xiong and the other two, but had even brought back Chai Jin's lost thousand liang of gold!
Song Jiang felt a tiny sliver of comfort within his heart:
Though he had lost the battle and the bride, at least he hadn't lost the money...
However, to his utter disbelief, when Cai Fu opened the brocade chest, what was revealed inside were several human heads!
Those heads had been preserved and treated with lime and saltpeter; they had not decayed, and the expressions frozen at the moment of death were vividly lifelike!
Some looked panic-stricken, some were bathed in tears, some appeared utterly terrified out of their wits, while others overflowed with bitter remorse...
"Hiss—"
Song Jiang and his associates unanimously drew in a sharp breath of lime dust:
"Master Warden, what is the meaning of this?"
"What?"
A playful smile curled the corners of Cai Fu's lips:
"Do the heroes of Liangshan no longer even remember what their enemies look like?"
Although saltpeter-preserved heads were lifelike, they still differed somewhat from the appearance of living people.
Thus, the Liangshan heroes failed to recognize the heads at first glance, and it was only after Cai Fu's reminder that some of them suddenly realized the truth.
"Zeng Kui!"
The hero with a panther-like head, round eyes, swallow-like jaw, and tiger-like whiskers had remained silent the entire time, but at this moment he let out an involuntary cry of astonishment:
"He is Zeng Kui of the 'Five Tigers of the Zeng Family'!
"I once fought thirty rounds against him; I remember his face!"
Once he identified Zeng Kui, the other heroes who had participated in the battle of Zengtou Village successively recognized the rest of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family.
"Correct! It is indeed the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family!"
With an air of righteousness, Cai Fu cupped his fists:
"Cai Fu heard that the Heavenly King Chao met a tragic end at the hands of villains in Zengtou Village!
"Therefore, our brothers wiped out Zengtou Village and took the heads of Chief Zeng and the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family!
"We have brought them to Liangshan to console the heavenly spirit of the Heavenly King Chao!"
"Hiss—"
Song Jiang once again involuntarily drew in a sharp breath of lime dust:
You actually wiped out Zengtou Village?
Wait, how could you possibly wipe out Zengtou Village?
If you've gone and annihilated Zengtou Village, what am I, the acting Great Chieftain, supposed to do now?
What on earth am I supposed to do?