northernbook #425 - Shame on you
#425 - Shame on you
Meng Wei, as if he had discovered the biggest joke in the world, pointed his finger mercilessly at Liang Jin, his mockery overflowing like a burst dam, his laughter sharp and piercing, echoing within the Black Tiger Hall.
At the same time, his eager gaze constantly swept across the surrounding crowd, his eyes full of encouragement and anticipation, as if shouting loudly, hoping someone would join him in mocking Liang Jin.
However… all that responded to him was an embarrassing silence.
On everyone's face, more or less, appeared an awkward expression.
But even so, not a single person was willing to laugh along with Meng Wei, as if an invisible force was suppressing everyone's reaction.
Meng Wei laughed to himself for a good while, but as time passed, the laughter gradually weakened.
He only felt a burning sensation on his face, as if it were being roasted by a raging fire, and a sense of embarrassment overwhelmed him like a tide.
Finally, he couldn't laugh anymore, and that originally arrogant smile was now frozen on his face, looking extremely ridiculous.
Like a clown.
Just then, Liang Jin looked calmly at Meng Wei, and asked:
"Is not knowing the secret language really that important?"
The answer was crystal clear to everyone present.
The Green Forest secret language was a unique and crucial set of rules in the Green Forest world.
It was like a mysterious key that could accurately identify whether the other party was one of their own during identity verification; cleverly avoid eavesdropping when communicating secrets; and was an indispensable part of following Green Forest etiquette.
But from another perspective, for Liang Jin, this secret language didn't seem so indispensable.
After all, rules are often shackles designed for the vast majority of ordinary people, while the strong always have the privilege to break conventions.
Liang Jin's fame was widespread, shaking the Green Forest, and his martial arts prowess was well known, so he no longer needed to strictly adhere to Green Forest etiquette to prove his identity.
Moreover, which of the earth-shattering events he had committed in the Green Forest world was not a strong proof of his identity?
Meng Wei's statement that Liang Jin was a government spy was simply absurd and was immediately met with disdain by everyone present.
Everyone was secretly mocking, wasn't Meng Wei just trying to be funny?
That's why they wouldn't laugh along with Meng Wei.
This was not only disrespectful to the Green Forest bandit, but also embarrassing.
Even Meng Guang felt that his son's behavior was extremely shameful and wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
He couldn't help but shout at Meng Wei in a low voice:
"Shut up!"
"It's not your turn to speak here!"
Although the voice was low, it revealed an unquestionable majesty.
When Meng Wei heard his father's reprimand, it was as if he had been doused with a basin of cold water, and his arrogant arrogance was instantly extinguished.
He could only obediently shut his mouth and retreat behind Meng Guang in disgrace.
He only felt a burning sensation on his face, and he was filled with annoyance, how could he have made such a fool of himself again in front of his beloved Yan San Niang.
Meng Guang then turned around, faced Liang Jin, cupped his hands in salute, squeezed out a smile, and said:
"'Timely Rain' Hero Song's reputation is well-known, so whether or not he knows the secret language is indeed irrelevant."
"'Iron Fist' Hero Lei Zhen Lei is also a famous hero who has been fighting in the Green Forest for many years, so naturally there is no need to stick to this set of rules."
"But…"
Speaking of this, Meng Guang's gaze was as sharp as an eagle, falling on Xiao Liu:
"This little brother looks very unfamiliar. I have never heard of the little brother's name. Please, little brother, state your family."
"The three bone-piercing nails in the back of my heart were exchanged for a night of beacon fire on the head of Changzhou City!"
"May I ask the one who weighs the scales at Yanshan, is he qualified to ask for a blood-stained chair in the Hall of Gathering?"
As Xiao Liu skillfully finished the code words, Meng Guang turned around and cast his gaze towards Yin Leiling on the tiger skin chair in the main seat.
At this moment, everyone understood that it was up to Yin Leiling to decide the next step.
Yin Leiling straightened his body, his expression solemn, as if shrouded in a layer of frost, and said in a deep voice:
"Recently, the government's suppression of Yanshan Village has become increasingly fierce, not only transferring a large number of soldiers from other places, but also sending dark spies from the Six Doors, attempting to infiltrate our ranks."
"People's hearts are separated by their bellies. It is really difficult to distinguish who is a person, who is a ghost, who is loyal, and who is treacherous with the naked eye alone. Now we can only rely on the will of heaven."
Meng Guang immediately understood and shouted loudly:
"Three bowls of water at the village gate!"
As Meng Guang gave the order, a group of bandits entered in an orderly manner, carrying trays one by one.
They placed the trays steadily in front of Liang Jin and Ji Yan's groups, with three bowls of water neatly arranged on each tray.
Meng Guang continued to shout loudly:
"One bowl of鸩 poison, one bowl of sleeping powder, and one bowl of clear water, please choose a bowl to drink."
"Life or death, loyalty or treachery, all depends on the will of heaven!"
As soon as this was said, there was an uproar among the bandits.
Especially those bandit leaders, they all turned their attention to Yin Leiling on the tiger skin chair, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
Three bowls of water at the village gate, this is an extremely dangerous test method.
Choosing these three bowls of water to drink, if you drink the poisoned water, you will bleed from all seven orifices on the spot and die; if you drink the water with sleeping powder, you will also fall into a coma instantly, and then be carried down the mountain, forever losing the qualification to join the mountain village; only those who drink the clear water are qualified to stay in the mountain village.
This test focuses on testing eyesight, courage, and character, and is generally used to test those who surrender with questionable identities.
Like Liang Jin, a famous Green Forest bandit, he would have been warmly welcomed into the village in the past, and there would be no need to undergo such a test.
Now that the village chief has set up the three bowls of water test at the village gate, this is somewhat humiliating to Liang Jin's identity.
Although the bandit leaders were quite dissatisfied, they suppressed their temper and did not speak out.
After all, there is another group of people accepting the test.
Everyone naturally believed that there would be no problem with Liang Jin's group, but it was hard to say about the other group.
The bandits could only assume that the village chief was treating both groups equally to show fairness and justice.
At the same time, they also secretly felt that Liang Jin's group had come at the wrong time, not only did they not receive the courtesy they deserved, but they also had to undergo such a cruel test.
On the other side.
Ji Yan and Ding Jia couldn't help but show a nervous expression on their faces as they looked at the three bowls of water in front of them.
They knew in their hearts that this selection had a one-third chance of drinking poison and losing their lives!
Which bowl of water to choose to drink must be carefully considered.
Especially Ji Yan, his eyes frequently looked at Ding Jia, his eyes full of hesitation and anticipation, as if waiting for Ding Jia to make a decision.
Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu also showed a tangled expression as they looked at the three bowls of water in front of them.
They knew the stakes involved, but these three bowls of water looked exactly the same, and there was no way to start.
Just then.
Liang Jin suddenly laughed and said:
"They are my brothers, I, as the big brother, will drink their water for them!"
After saying that, he stretched out his hand, randomly picked up a bowl of water from the trays in front of Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu, and placed it in front of him.
Obviously, he planned to drink three bowls of water alone.
When Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu saw this, they hurriedly stepped forward to stop him:
"Big brother, absolutely not!"
After all, if Liang Jin drank for both of them, then Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu would naturally be fine, but the probability of Liang Jin drinking poisoned water would greatly increase!
Liang Jin only chooses his own water, and the probability of choosing clear water is one-third, which is still acceptable.
But if he helps Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu choose, then the probability of him choosing clear water three times is suddenly reduced to one in twenty-seven, which is already very small!
It can even be said that the risk factor is extremely high!
Moreover, doing so does not seem to be in line with the rules of the test.
However, neither Yin Leiling nor Meng Guang had any intention of stopping him.
Even their eyes vaguely carried a hint of anticipation.
As for Meng Wei, he couldn't wait for Liang Jin to drink a few more bowls of water, preferably to be poisoned to death on the spot, and the expression on his face appeared both excited and expectant.
Liang Jin pushed away Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu who were stopping him:
"Get out of the way!"
His eyes were firm, and he picked up the bowl of water, drinking it down in one gulp.
His movements were crisp and efficient, and he drank all three bowls of water clean.
"Brother..."
Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
They really hadn't expected Liang Jin to take such good care of them. Besides being moved, their hearts were filled with worry.
The rest of the crowd couldn't help but secretly admire him:
"This Song Jiang is truly a real man!"
The Green Forest valued loyalty!
Although not everyone was loyal, those who were often received the respect of the crowd.
Liang Jin's act of risking himself for his brothers was an act of loyalty, and naturally made everyone admire him.
At the same time, at this moment.
The entire place was silent.
It was so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping on the ground could be heard clearly.
Everyone widened their eyes, not daring to blink, and even subconsciously held their breath, staring blankly at Liang Jin.
They were all filled with curiosity, wanting to know whether Liang Jin would fall unconscious in the next moment, or die from the poison!
Yan San Niang's beautiful eyes were also filled with worry.
She was the only person besides Lei Zhen and Xiao Liu who was truly worried about Liang Jin.
The crowd waited for a long time, but Liang Jin was still safe and sound, and nothing had happened to him.
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This scene shocked everyone.
"This guy, is he that lucky?"
Everyone felt incredulous, and exclamations rose one after another.
Even Yin Leiling and Meng Guang secretly gasped, and couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the will of heaven?
When Meng Wei saw that Liang Jin had not been poisoned to death, his disappointment was evident.
He never thought that such a small probability event would actually be encountered by Liang Jin.
It was truly outrageous!
No one knew that Liang Jin never relied on luck, but on his special ability of 【Invulnerability to All Poisons】.
With this characteristic, he didn't care at all whether the water he drank was poisoned or not.
Just as everyone's attention was focused on Liang Jin, Ding Jia took advantage of everyone's unpreparedness and surreptitiously wiped his nose.
Afterwards, he gave Ji Yan a look, and the look seemed to convey some kind of tacit understanding.
Immediately, Ding Jia and Ji Yan each chose a bowl of water and drank it down in large gulps.
It wasn't until the crowd shifted their attention to them that they discovered that these two were also safe and sound.
Obviously, they had also chosen the clean water.
This scene made everyone wonder if Yanshan Fort was blessed by lucky stars today, otherwise how could there not even be a single poisoned person?
Meng Guang came back to his senses and could only say loudly:
"The poison feathers sink to the bottom of the cup, the sleeping potion reflects the blue patterns, the clear water shines on the liver and gallbladder, Yanshan has no false words!"
"Since all the heroes have chosen clear water, it shows that heaven has already distinguished between loyalty and treachery for us."
After Meng Guang finished speaking, he retreated to the side again.
Yin Leiling on the tiger skin chair said in a deep voice again:
"Since all the heroes are loyal and righteous people, then the gates of my Yanshan Fort are naturally open to you."
"It's just that if you join my Yanshan Fort without making any contribution, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sit on the chair."
In the hierarchical world of the Green Forest, the chair is not something that anyone can sit on. It is a noble symbol of status and position.
Those who have made contributions to the fort are qualified to sit on this chair.
But for newcomers, there is simply no opportunity to make contributions yet.
And what if the newcomer doesn't want to start from the bottom as a bandit soldier?
Naturally, they would offer treasures!
Ji Yan and Ding Jia seemed to have been prepared for this.
Ji Yan carefully took out a saber with a sharkskin scabbard from his luggage.
The scabbard shimmered with a cold luster in the candlelight, and the gemstones inlaid on it were dazzling and priceless at first glance.
He knelt on one knee, raised the precious saber high with both hands, presenting the saber, his expression solemn, and said loudly:
"This saber is called the Dragon-Slaying Crescent Saber."
"The edge is red, having drunk the blood from the magistrate's neck!"
"The hilt is white, having shattered the temple of the county sheriff!"
"Today, it is offered to Yanshan Fort. When it is unsheathed, it will surely borrow a Ziwei star from the capital!"
Ding Jia on the side also took out a map from his arms.
He held up the map and said loudly:
"This map of the Yin soldiers borrowing the way depicts the place where the dragon vein is cut off!"
"Eighteen red-marked official silver warehouses, nine blue lines for grain transport."
"I don't ask to exchange for a golden chair, I only ask that when offering sacrifices to the flag, let someone cut off the first dragon-binding cable!"
The bandit immediately stepped forward and presented the precious saber and the map to Yin Leiling.
Yin Leiling drew out the precious saber, and saw that the blade was shining with a cold light and was extremely sharp. He examined it carefully, his eyes full of love.
Afterwards, he spread out the map and examined it carefully, becoming more and more satisfied, nodding repeatedly.
Immediately, he decided:
"Brother Ji and Brother Ding have made contributions by offering the saber and the map, and can sit on the chairs of the Earth Fiend Hall!"
When everyone heard this, they all cupped their hands to congratulate the two.
Ji Yan and Ding Jia also hurriedly returned the salute to everyone, their faces filled with smug smiles.
At this time, everyone's eyes subconsciously shifted to Liang Jin again.
They were all full of expectations, wanting to see what kind of treasures Liang Jin and his party would offer.
Liang Jin met everyone's gaze, smiled slightly, and said:
"We brothers don't have any treasures that we can show off, and we don't ask to be able to sit on the chair."
"As long as we can gain a foothold in Yanshan Fort, even if it's chopping firewood and feeding horses, we have no complaints."
As soon as these words came out, the emotions that had originally eased slightly were instantly stirred up again.
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of surprise and doubt, as if wanting to guess whether there was some profound meaning hidden in Liang Jin's words that they couldn't understand.
When Meng Wei heard this, he was stunned at first, and then couldn't help but "poof!" He laughed out loud without any scruples, and his laughter echoed肆意回荡 in the Black Tiger Hall:
"You're really funny! How could you say such a thing?"
As he laughed, he pointed at Liang Jin, his expression as if he were watching a big joke.
"Who doesn't know what you Song Jiang have been doing in the Jianghu these days, robbing the government openly and blatantly everywhere. That battle is really闹得沸沸扬扬."
"Based on your tossing around, I don't know how many good things you've robbed. Now you're pretending to be poor in front of us. Who are you trying to fool?"
"Or are you really stingy to the extreme, like an iron rooster that won't pull out a single feather?"
It should be known that according to the rules of Yanshan Fort, offering treasures to join the gang doesn't necessarily require taking out those priceless and rare treasures.
Even if you just offer some practical things, like contributing gold, silver, or grain, you can also get a chair in the fort.
That's why Meng Wei's face was full of disdain, only thinking that Liang Jin was stingy.
Liang Jin continued unhurriedly:
"We did rob a lot of money and grain from the government, and I don't deny that."
He paused slightly, his gaze firmly swept over everyone, his eyes revealing an unquestionable sincerity.
He certainly had the confidence to be honest, because what he said was the truth:
"However, all the money and grain that our three brothers robbed were distributed to those suffering people."
"So, we are indeed very poor now, but I don't think there's anything shameful about that."
Liang Jin's voice was steady and forceful, and each word was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts.
As soon as these words came out, Meng Wei, who had been constantly mocking, seemed to have been suddenly choked by someone, and the smile on his face instantly froze, and he couldn't laugh at all.
"You... you..."
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond to Liang Jin's sonorous words.
After all, the matter of Liang Jin and his three brothers distributing money and grain to the people had already spread throughout Changzhou, and it was difficult to question.
Even if Liang Jin really hoarded some of the money and grain, that couldn't be a reason to attack Liang Jin's morality!
Great righteousness is flawless, and small flaws don't matter. This is not a big deal in the Green Forest.
Anyone who attacks for this reason will only become a laughing stock.
A trace of panic and embarrassment flashed in Meng Wei's eyes, and he could only awkwardly shift his gaze, trying to hide his embarrassment at this moment.
Liang Jin's noble words were like a mirror, making Meng Wei's clownish appearance unable to hide, and also setting off Meng Wei's ugliness.
This time, Meng Wei really lost face!