Chapter Fourteen: The Arrogant Dragon Head Makes Its First Appearance

  Just as Shi Jin and Zhu Wu were each lost in their own thoughts, the servant outside reported that Yang Chun had returned. Before long, Yang Chun lifted the curtain and entered the room. Without waiting for anyone to speak, Yang Chun hastily said to Shi Jin: "Brother, quickly take a look, who has come to see you!"

  Shi Jin was puzzled in his heart, the curtain was lifted again, and another person came into the house. It was an old man.

  "Ah!" Shi Jin was startled and struggled to get up.

  The old man and the others persuaded him to sit down, Shi Jin called out "Shi San Gong" and then choked up and couldn't say another word. When he heard Zhu Wu mention last night's battle in the morning, he actually thought of his father's tragic death. His mother had passed away early on, and there was no older brother at home, now that his father was gone too, all the support for his body and mind were now empty, fortunately, there was still Zhong Ling. But how could this heart-wrenching pain be mentioned in front of the brothers on Shao Hua Mountain? It could only be buried in his own heart, melancholy and sorrowful.

  Although he had been discussing the fake funeral, Shi Jin's heart still wanted to properly bury his father first before seeking revenge. However, with a great enemy at hand and seeing that Zhu Wu hadn't mentioned this matter, he could only think about it in his heart. After lunch, he reluctantly returned to the Shi family village, feeling that his own family matters were best handled by himself. He regretted that his leg was injured, which would likely cause inconvenience in handling affairs.

  But now, I finally met the first member of my family after the disaster. The unspeakable pain in my heart suddenly seemed to have found an outlet, and it burst out uncontrollably.

  Shi San Gong's heart was also turning over with grief and sorrow, his eyes reddening as he thought of Shi Tai Gong's death. The two of them wept again at the mention of it. After finally calming down, Zhong Ling brought out chairs for Yang Chun and Shi San Gong to sit on, and they each added a bowl and chopsticks, chatting as they ate.

  Shi San Gong said: "I, Shi Wen Gong, have lived for so many years, and truly feel that I've wasted half my life!"

  Everyone was shocked and didn't know why Shi San Gong suddenly expressed this sentiment. They were puzzled, so they continued to listen as he said: "I've tilled the land for most of my life, suffered all sorts of hardships at the hands of the officials, and now they're bullying my family's village like this."

  At this time, Shi San Gong pointed to himself and said seriously: "Although most of the people in my Shi family's village are farmers, I am the first one who cannot bear such bullying that destroys our family. Now, with the heaven's eyes watching, there is a place for us to stand on the top of Shaohua Mountain."

  At this point, Shi San Gong looked at Shi Jin and said: "Dalan, why don't you let go and do it!"

  This remark made Shi Jin's heart surge with excitement, and he nodded repeatedly: "Brother, listen to San Shu's words, every iron bone in the Shi family village will not be afraid of revenge! After killing that dog official, we must teach all good men how heroic we are."

  Zhu Wu listened with great satisfaction, and together with Chen Da and Yang Chun, they raised their cups of wine to the sky and exclaimed: "Well said! 'Let all good men in the world know how heroic we are!' Cheers!" After that, everyone tilted their heads back and drank up.

  "Today, early this morning, people who came back from the county said that a notice was posted in the city, saying that I, Shi Jin Zhuang, have been colluding with Shao Hua Shan for many years. Therefore, yesterday, Taigong was executed, and now not a single person from my Shi family village is allowed to enter the city... That dog official will definitely not let things go easily. Within half a month or a few days at most, there will certainly be another batch of government troops coming. Today, I have already dispatched 300 strong men from our village, along with 500 dan of rice, to immediately come to the mountain and assist you all in building fortifications."

  Shi Jin listened and thought this arrangement was reasonable, the construction of the mountain stronghold was not a problem, he nodded slightly, but that corrupt official fabricated the crime of treason to cover up the persecution of Shi Taigong, I'm afraid that when the government troops come again, the Shi family village will be hard to escape.

  Shi Jin then asked his third uncle: "Third Uncle, is there any arrangement on our farm?"

  Shi San Gong Dao said, "Today Yang Chun brothers came with the drawings of the arrow tower's railing, I have arranged people to repair it, and in about seven or eight days it will be done. Now every household has set up a furnace, waiting for your fourth uncle to buy back iron from Heigouzi, then we can forge armor and weapons."

  Chen Da also said to Shi Jin: "Brother, rest assured and stay here for a few days. I will order my brother to go down the mountain this afternoon to guard Zhouquan at the Shi family village."

  Zhu Wu nodded: "This is very good, if there is a message to be sent, I will send someone, and the fast horse will come from the back mountain, this way it will be very quick. If officials and soldiers come to offend, we will light up a beacon fire, and we will immediately know and go to help you!"

  "Right, leave everything to me!"

  Both sides negotiated a settlement, and the thought in Shi Jin's heart emerged again. His father's body was still unknown where it was placed now, revenge must be taken, but it's better to rest in peace as soon as possible.

  After three rounds of wine and five courses, Shi Jin was about to discuss with San Shu how to handle his father's funeral after the banquet when he faintly heard the sound of chanting coming from the front mountain.

  Before Shi Jin opened his mouth, Shi San Gong said to him: "The good men have arranged the aftermath of your father's affairs properly. Young master, the super-degree ceremony has begun, you should also go to the front mountain for a trip."

  Shi Jin's heart suddenly rose with a lot of emotion, it turned out that everyone had helped him tidy up, and he didn't know himself.

  Then the crowd helped him up, called a sedan chair and lifted it, and went to the front mountain. Shi Jin looked at the white silk hanging high all the way, which was very solemn, and his heart was already grateful.

  When the sedan chair stopped, Zhong Ling helped him down. Shi Jin only then realized that his father's funeral hall was set up in the assembly hall on Shao Hua Mountain, and at this time the assembly hall was decorated with a solemn and dignified atmosphere. In the center of the hall, a shiny coffin lid was placed on top of a high-backed chair.

  In front of the coffin, candles and incense were lit, and various fruits and pastries were offered. A group of monks sat on the floor in the hall, chanting scriptures to help the deceased ascend to a higher realm, their voices clear and resonant, piercing the heart. Below the hall, many people knelt down, weeping uncontrollably. Shi Jin looked carefully and saw that they were his own relatives.

  Shi Jin walked forward, choking back sobs as he greeted his relatives, then went before the coffin and burst into tears.

  After crying for a while, he was finally calmed down by the crowd. Shi Jin saw that Shao Hua Shan treated him with such kindness and his heart felt grateful beyond comparison to before. At this moment, being moved to the point of speechlessness, he suddenly knelt down in front of Zhu Wu and the other three heroes with a thud, ready to kowtow.

  Three brothers looked at each other, hurriedly went to support him, Shi Jin insisted on kowtowing, so Zhu Wu, Yang Chun, and Chen Da also knelt down, bowed to each other, then ordered their subordinates to prepare the ready-made three sacrifices, and formed a fraternal bond.

  At this moment, Zhu Wu's long-hidden plan was becoming more and more intense. At this moment, after bowing his head, Zhu Wu readily yielded the first seat to Shi Jin. Shi Jin refused to accept it. After three rounds of yielding and five times of declining, the brothers of Shaohua Mountain tried their best to persuade him in vain.

  Finally, Zhu Wuji said discontentedly: "Having already become sworn brothers, why be so modest!"

  "Brother, what are you talking about? It's just that I, Shi Jin, don't have the ability to sit in this chair. It's really embarrassing for me."

  Zhu Wu was a very perceptive person in his heart, knowing that such hard persuasion was also useless, so he urged him: "Your martial arts, we all know, brother's divine soldiers, we have also heard. Isn't it that in your eyes, you think the brothers' temple is too small to welcome a great god like you?"

  "How could I? My brothers treat me with such kindness, even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, I'll go through it. How can there be any complaints? Relying on Mount Shao Hu, although we don't have much fame in the jianghu now, but one day, my brothers will swallow up other factions, establish our own domain, and no longer suffer from the oppression of the authorities. We must make all good heroes come to join us!"

  The crowd of good men heard this and were all stirred up. Zhu Wu was also excited: "That's it!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, everyone immediately knelt down on the steps and said in unison: "Greetings, Big Brother!"