Undercurrents surge to create a new situation

Chapter Quote: The dragon hidden in the abyss will surely soar to the sky. Secretly weaving a pearl net, waiting for the right time.

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While recuperating in Shaohua Mountain, Yan Qing was not idle. He discussed with Zhu Wu and Shi Jin day and night, and a plan gradually became clear, using the "Hidden Post" as a hub to connect various forces and secretly check and balance Liangshan.

First, they consolidated existing connections. Yan Qing wrote several letters, both in his own name and in Lu Junyi's. One secret letter, sent to Daming Prefecture, detailed the upheaval in Shandong and Lu Junyi's own experiences (omitting specific details about the "Hidden Post" and Shaohua Mountain), reminding him to strengthen his vigilance and defend his base. It also suggested that they maintain secret contact with Dong Ping, the prefect of Dongping Prefecture, and Cheng Taishou, to provide mutual support.

Another secret letter was attempted to be delivered to Zhang Qing, who was under house arrest, through a special channel in Shaohua Mountain, informing him of the external situation, reassuring him, and hinting that Su Taiwei and his faction were making efforts.

At the same time, he also anonymously reminded Dong Ping and Cheng Taishou of Dongping Prefecture that Liangshan would most likely move eastward next, and they needed to make early preparations for joint defense.

Secondly, it was to develop new allies. Zhu Wu suggested that instead of waiting for Liangshan to attack, it would be better to take the initiative to unite with those forces that had conflicts with Liangshan or were dissatisfied with it.

"For example, the Dengzhou military commander, 'Sick Weichi' Sun Li," Zhu Wu analyzed. "Sun Li, his brother Sun Xin, Gu Dasao, and others are entrenched in Dengzhou. They're quite powerful, and they have no ties to Liangshan. There might even be a conflict of interest. If we can convince them, we can plant a nail in Liangshan's back, which will surely make them feel uneasy."

"There are also Deng Fei, the 'Fire-Eyed Suanni,' and Meng Kang, the 'Jade Banner Pole,' of Yinmachuan," Shi Jin added. "Although they are also bandits, they behave much more lawfully than Liangshan. Perhaps we can win them over."

Yan Qing listened carefully, memorizing these names. These forces were scattered across the land and seemed insignificant, but if they could be cleverly connected to form an invisible network, they could indeed pose a significant threat to Liangshan.

"We must be extremely cautious when communicating," Yan Qing mused. "If Wu Yong discovers this, he will face vengeance."

"Leave this matter to me," Zhu Wu said confidently. "We at Shaohuashan have some connections in the martial arts world. We can send our trusted people to secretly contact him under the guise of negotiating business or paying him a visit, and test his intentions."

Once the plan was agreed upon, they split up to take action. Zhu Wu was responsible for mobilizing resources from Shaohua Mountain and arranging personnel for liaison. Shi Jin was to organize the troops in the mountain stronghold and strengthen their training in preparation for any emergency.

After Yan Qing's injuries healed a little, he said goodbye to Zhu Wu and Shi Jin.

"Brother, your injury hasn't healed yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Shi Jin tried to persuade him to stay.

Yan Qing shook his head: "If I stay here, I will be too conspicuous and may bring disaster to Shaohua Mountain. Besides, Daming Prefecture is the foundation, and the master still needs me to go back and take care of it. More importantly..."

He cast his gaze into the distance, as if piercing through the mountains and catching sight of the turbulent Liangshan Lake. "...I need to personally confirm some things and see with my own eyes whether this great ship of Liangshan really has cracks within it, as we suspected."

Zhu Wu understood: "Brother, do you want to... go to Liangshan and investigate?"

"That's right." Yan Qing nodded. "Some news can only be confirmed by seeing it with one's own eyes and hearing it with one's own ears. Also, there might be a chance to communicate with some old friends...in secret."

He remembered that not all of Liangshan's members were willing rebels. For example, Zhang Shun, the "White Stripe in the Waves," and Zhang Heng, the "Shipfire," were relatively straightforward. Then there was An Daoquan, the "miracle doctor," who had been forced to the mountains... If he could find an opportunity and offer some subtle guidance, perhaps he could sow some seeds of change within Liangshan.

This move is undoubtedly extremely risky, but Yan Qing thinks it is worth a try.

Zhu Wu knew he had made up his mind, so he didn't try to keep him. He just warned him sternly, "Brother, be careful! Wu Yong is suspicious, and Liangshan is full of good and bad people now. Don't take risks lightly. Shaohua Mountain is always ready to help if needed."

"Thank you, brother!" Yan Qing bowed in thanks.

That day, Yan Qing disguised himself once again, posing as a mountain goods vendor, and quietly descended Shaohua Mountain. He did not return directly to Daming Prefecture, but instead took a detour to the outskirts of Liangshan Lake.

This time, he was more careful. Relying on the skills of hiding and insight into human nature taught by the "Hidden Post", he mingled with the various people coming and going to Liangshan - including the green forest heroes who had defected, the merchants who were doing business, and the families of the craftsmen who had been abducted to the mountain.

He wandered around the villages, towns and docks outside Liangshan, listened quietly in teahouses and taverns, observed the movements of Liangshan troops, and captured any potentially useful information.

After a few days, he did find some intriguing signs.

Despite Liangshan's successive victories and immense prestige, its internal management was already in disarray. There seemed to be a strained relationship between the new leaders and the veterans. He vaguely overheard complaints about the uneven distribution of spoils, and discontent with the arbitrary decisions of Song Jiang and Wu Yong. Especially those leaders who had been forced to join the Liangshan movement or coerced into it, such as Xu Ning (though unsuccessfully) and An Daoquan, as well as some who had previously held official positions or had been framed, often wore a lingering gloom.

One day, he was in a tavern at the dock and accidentally heard two drunken Liangshan leaders bragging.

One said, "...It's better to follow Brother Gongming and the military advisor! You can get money and women if you want! It's a hundred times better than when I was working in the government!"

The other lowered his voice, a hint of dissatisfaction: "It's a relief, but... some things are a bit too ruthless. I heard that during the attack on Lingzhou a few days ago, in order to force those officials to surrender, even their children were... well, let's not talk about it."

The man from before quickly covered his mouth and said, "Be careful with your words! Are you trying to kill yourself? A military advisor hates his subordinates gossiping!"

Yan Qing's mind raced, and he silently took note. It seemed that Liangshan's harsh tactics had caused discomfort among some of the lower-level leaders.

He then managed to approach a camp for wounded soldiers under Liangshan (under the guise of selling medicine for wounds) and saw the "miracle doctor" An Daoquan busy at work from afar. An Daoquan's brow was furrowed and his face was tired. Although he was still dedicated to treating the wounded, his eyes no longer had the calmness and compassion he used to have when practicing medicine. Instead, there was a bit of numbness and helplessness in them.

Yan Qing did not rush forward to recognize him. He knew that An Daoquan must have Wu Yong's spies. He just observed quietly, looking for a possible opportunity.

However, just when he thought that this trip would yield some results, an unexpected discovery made him break out in a cold sweat!

Amidst the crowd at the dock, he spotted a familiar figure who definitely shouldn't be there—the monk who had given him the brocade bag after a conversation with Elder Zhiqing outside the Daxiangguo Temple in Tokyo! Although he was now dressed like an ordinary citizen, Yan Qing would never mistake his unique figure and gait!

How did he end up here? Was it a coincidence? Or was there some hidden connection between the "Hidden Post" and Liangshan? Or was there something fishy about this monk himself?

Yan Qing's heart was instantly filled with turmoil. His previous trust in "Yinyi" and Gongsun Sheng was shaken for the first time. He dared not trust anyone easily anymore and immediately gave up his plan to contact An Daoquan. He even began to wonder if he had been under surveillance for a long time.

He made a prompt decision and without stopping, he immediately boarded a cargo ship that was about to leave the port and left the territory of Liangshanpo.

Standing at the bow, watching the Liangshan camp recede into the distance, Yan Qing felt a mix of emotions. Although this trip hadn't achieved its intended purpose, it had revealed some cracks within Liangshan and uncovered a disturbing suspicion.

The road ahead seems even more foggy.

But he knew there was no turning back. Regardless of whether the "Hidden Post" was good or evil, no matter how difficult and dangerous the road ahead was, for the sake of the people and things he wanted to protect, he had to keep going.

The undercurrent was already surging, and the chess game was unfolding. And he was both the chess piece and the chess master.

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Chapter 23 End