Chai so how can we ask him to go to another place? Moreover Squire Chai previously treated us well, so if we do not receive this man here it will look bad. This man has great skill, and will use it to our advantage.”
Du Qian said, “I do not think that it is right to say that the admittance of this one man will be too much for our stronghold? But I say that if we do not receive this man, Squire Chai will be offended and will think that we are very ungrateful. As he helped us so much in the past how can we turn this man away?”
Song Wan offered his advice, “In view of the great influence of Squire Chai I suggest that we keep Lin Chong here, and make him one of our leaders. On the other hand, if we do not employ him all the other outlaws like ourselves will laugh at our lack of gratitude.”
“You are overlooking something,” said Wang Lun. “Although this man committed a great crime at Cangzhou, but you do not know yet what his real intention was in coming here. If he has bad intentions what will you do?”
Lin Chong said, “I fled to this place to join your band because I had committed a crime. Why do you suspect me?”
“It that case, if you really want to join us, you should present a ‘membership application,’ said Wang Lun.
“I know something about writing ‘characters,’” said Lin Chong, “please let me have ink and paper to write it out.”
“Drill Instructor,” said Zhu Gui, “you do not understand. When anybody joins our band, he must present an application. That means that he must go down the mountain and kill a man. Then when he returns and presents a man’s head, the chief will be satisfied. That is what we call ‘presenting an application.’”
Lin Chong said, “That won’t be difficult, and I will go at once, and get it done. But I am afraid it will be some time before anyone comes along.”
Wang Lun said, “Very well, I will allow you three days, and if you present your application in that time you can join us, but if you fail to do so then do not blame me if I don’t admit you.”
Lin Chong agreed to these conditions. He then went with the bandits to his quarters, and slept there that night. During the night Zhu Gui departed and went down the mountain to his inn.
The following morning Lin Chong got up early, and after breakfast, buckled on his short sword, and took his halberd in his hand. He then summoned one of the bandits to show him the way down the mountain, and crossing the lake by boat, he hid himself at a lonely spot on the road waiting for someone to pass. He waited there from early morning till late at night without a single individual passing that way. He was very disappointed at this, but summoning the bandit they both returned to the mountain stronghold.
Upon reaching the stronghold Wang Lun asked where the “membership application” was.
Lin Chong replied that not a single person had passed him that day so that he had not been able to get a head.
Wang Lun said that if he did not get a head the next day it would be awkward.
Lin Chong did not reply to this as he was so depressed. He went and had his meals and then went to bed.
The following morning he again summoned the bandit to go with him down the mountain.
The bandit suggested that they should go to the southern road that day. They did this, and hid in the forest on that road. About noon a large party of about three hundred people passed, but as they all kept close together Lin Chong dared not attack anyone of them. He still kept looking out, but not another person passed that way.
Lin Chong spoke to his bandit companion, “How unlucky I am! Here I have been watching for two days, and no single person has passed me.”
“Elder brother, never mind,” said the bandit. “There is still one more day left, and tomorrow I will go with you to the eastern road.”
When they got back at the stronghold Wang Lun asked where the head was. Lin Chong dared not reply, but simply heaved a sigh.
“I suppose you have not got one today,” said Wang Lun laughingly, “I gave you three days, but two have already passed without any result. If you don’t get one tomorrow you need not try to see me, but instead you must leave the mountain at once.”
Lin Chong withdrew to his quarters in a very melancholy frame of mind. Gazing towards heaven he sighed as he thought how that thief Gao Qiu had ill-treated him, and how both gods and men had not given him the least assistance. Really he had had very bad luck.
The following day after breakfast he packed up his things in a bundle, and left them in his room. Then picking up his weapons he departed with his bandit companion and went down the mountain and across the lake to the eastern road. He said to the bandit, “If I do not get a head today I then have to go and find another place where I can get a peaceful living.” They hid in a forest there until noon without anyone passing. The snow had ceased falling, and it was a very bright clear day. Lin Chong picking up his weapons spoke to his companion, “I see that I am again unfortunate. I think I had better get my bundle, and set out for another place before it gets dark.”
His companion pointed with his finger and said, ‘Fine! But is not that a man coming?”
Lin Chong looked in the direction pointed out, and said that he felt ashamed. In the distance he saw a man coming along by the foot of the mountain. He waited until the man got near, and then taking his halberd he struck it against the ground, and jumped out of the shade of the forest. The man upon seeing Lin Chong exclaimed “Ai Ya,” threw down his load, and ran away. Lin Chong ran after him, but could not catch up to him. The man disappeared round the shoulder of the hill.
Lin Chong spoke to his bandit companion who had followed him, “You see what bad luck I have! After waiting for three days the man who turns up runs away.”
The bandit replied, “Although you cannot kill the man you can seize the bundle of valuables he has left behind instead.”
“You can carry the baggage up the mountain, but I will wait here for a little time more.”
A short time after the bandit had departed with the booty Lin Chong saw a tall man again coming along the road.
Lin Chong said to himself, “Now Heaven is assisting me.”
The man was armed with a long bladed halberd, and upon getting near and seeing Lin Chong he shouted in a very loud voice, “You thief! I shall murder every bandit I can get hold of. Where is my baggage? I am going to arrest you as you have ‘pulled the tiger’s whiskers.’” So saying he sprang forward, and Lin Chong noticing his extremely fierce expression, advanced to encounter him.
The fighting of this man with Lin Chong resulted, as we shall see, in an addition to Liangshan Marsh.
At Liangshan Marsh tigers bold and fierce,
At Water Margin beasts with glaring eyes.
We will now relate who this man was.
CHAPTER 11
Lin Chong Becomes a Bandit at Liangshan Marsh; Yang Zhi Sells a Sword at Kaifeng
LIN CHONG noticed that the man was wearing a felt hat, with a red tassel on top;
