Moma Liangshan

Chapter 1 A Dream Before the Buddha, A Journey Through Time

A boy who had forgotten his name clung to a wooden stake, drifting in the icy lake. His face was pale, his lips bluish-purple, and his eyes were dull yet determined, fixed on the setting sun. A hundred paces away, from the dense reeds, the rough shouts of a burly man rang out, startling waterbirds returning to their nests. The voices were anxious and chaotic, likely from several people calling in different directions. Rescue arrived, but the boy seemed unmoved, still gazing at the half-remaining sunset. Soon, three wooden boats emerged from the reeds and appeared beside the boy.

The leader was a middle-aged man, wearing a high-brimmed hat, a mink fur coat, and narrow deer-skin boots. He was imposing, but his face was filled with anxiety. Upon spotting the boy who had fallen into the water not far away, the man shouted, "The young chieftain is here! Go quickly!" He then removed his hat and coat, kneeling on the gunwale, ready to rescue the boy. When he was about ten feet away from the boy, the man ordered his subordinate, "You go into the water immediately and push the young chieftain over here." No sooner had he spoken than a splash was heard, and a young man appeared beside the boy. The boy remained silent, letting himself be pushed towards the wooden boat. The man had already stretched out his hands, ready to catch him. Finally, the boy raised his head and laboriously extended his right arm.

The burly man grabbed the boy's arm and, with all his strength, dragged him into the boat, saying, "The lake water is icy cold. Please, young chieftain, remove your wet clothes and wear my fur coat for now." The boy nodded, slowly rose, and took off his soaked clothes. The fur coat was thick, and the boy's complexion quickly regained its rosy hue. The burly man then ordered, "The young chieftain is safe and sound. Each of you will be rewarded with ten strings of cash. Return to the stronghold!" The crowd cheered. The boy glanced at the burly man and said, "Could we wait a moment?" The burly man was puzzled but did not ask, only gesturing to his subordinates to stay where they were. The boy squatted by the side of the boat, putting one hand into the icy lake water. The burly man quickly said, "Young chieftain, be careful!" Hearing the burly man's warning, the boy stopped splashing in the water and asked sincerely but slightly embarrassedly, "Why did I fall into the water?"

The burly man was suspicious, fearing the young man would blame him for his inadequate rescue. The young man seemed to sense the man's thoughts and said, "Sir, I am deeply grateful for your trouble in coming to my rescue! Please don't laugh, sir, but I only vaguely remember sleeping in front of a large Buddha statue, but when I woke up, I was embracing a wooden stake in the lake." The burly man was speechless, thinking that if the man before him wasn't undoubtedly the young chieftain, he would have thought he was talking nonsense; otherwise, "Where would a large Buddha statue come from in the eight hundred li of Liangshan Marsh?" After calming his thoughts, he said, "The brothers at the dock reported that the young chieftain said this morning he was going to catch fish in the lake to make wine for the chieftain, and he rowed alone, forbidding anyone to follow. At noon, the chieftain didn't see the young chieftain return and feared something had happened, so he ordered us to come and look for him."

The boy was still confused and said, "In that case, please help me search the surrounding area to see if my boat is there!" The burly man said, "Young chieftain, please give your orders. Zhu Gui is a crude man and does not deserve to be called 'sir.' In the whole mountain stronghold, only the chieftain brother deserves to be called 'sir.' Young chieftain, you can just call me Chief Zhu." The boy had a general idea in mind and asked, "May I ask what the chieftain's name is?" The burly man looked astonished and said, "How could the young chieftain not remember his father's name?" The boy was embarrassed and said, "To be honest, I don't even remember who I am!" The burly man was shocked and comforted him, "Young chieftain, you must have caught a cold. You will remember after resting for a while." The boy nodded and said, "I dare not trouble my father. Please tell me first, Chief Zhu." Zhu Gui then said, "The chieftain brother is the White-Clad Scholar Wang Lun, and the young chieftain's name is 'Hao.' There are two other brothers on the mountain, namely Du Qian, who touches the sky, and Song Wan, the Vajra in the clouds."

The boy finally understood the situation before him. If he wasn't mistaken, this should be Liangshan Marsh in the late Northern Song Dynasty, and he had actually traveled through a thousand years of time. Since it was time travel, why had he forgotten his origins? All information about himself, his parents, and his relatives was so vague. He couldn't recall their names or faces, yet he remembered some of the little things they had done together. Wang Hao shook his head helplessly, thinking, "Perhaps this is a side effect of time travel." He comforted himself, "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it!" Zhu Gui vaguely heard Wang Hao's voice and asked, "Young Master, have you given any orders?" Just then, the men who had been sent to find a boat returned. Wang Hao looked at the extra wooden boat and said, "This must be the wooden boat I called this morning?" The young man on the boat smiled and replied, "Reporting to the Young Master, it's definitely correct." As he spoke, he pulled on a hemp rope tied to the side of the boat. With the pull of the rope, the water began to churn violently, and a large fish, half the length of a man, was pulled to the surface.

Seeing this, Zhu Gui said, "Young Chief, you have quite the skill! I haven't seen such a large fish in many years." Wang Hao said sheepishly, "I was probably dragged into the water by it. If it weren't for Chief Zhu's timely rescue, I'd probably be dead!" Zhu Gui quickly said, "Young Chief, you've survived a great calamity; you're sure to have good fortune. Tonight, we'll cook this big fish to nourish you and the other chief, and also let the brothers on the mountain see what it's like." The men in the group cheered, creating quite a commotion. Wang Hao thought for a moment and said, "Let's release it. We've narrowly escaped death today; it's not wise to kill. It's better to do good deeds." Everyone looked at the large fish in the net with regretful eyes. Wang Hao glanced at Zhu Gui, who understood and said, "As you say, Young Chief, untie the net and release it!"

As night fell, the group rowed back to the stronghold. Half an hour later, faint firelight could be seen on the shore. The henchmen rowed the boat to the bank and secured the gunwale with ropes. Just then, a group of people carrying torches approached in a panic. One of the men cried out urgently, "Has my son returned?" Zhu Gui glanced at Wang Hao and called out, "Young Chief, are you alright!" A few moments later, the middle-aged man arrived, grasped Wang Hao's hands, and said, "You scared me to death!" Wang Hao thought, "This must be my father," and said softly, "I was reckless and worried you, Father." This man was Wang Lun, who said, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back!" As he spoke, he took off his long robe and draped it over Wang Hao's shoulders. Wang Lun suddenly looked around at everyone and said sternly, "You have failed in your duty as guards; you are hereby forbidden from drinking alcohol for ten days!" Wang Hao, not expecting his father to do this, glanced at Zhu Gui and said, "It was my insistence on going alone; it was not the brothers' fault. I fell into the water, and if it weren't for Chief Zhu's timely rescue, I would probably be separated from you by death. I hope Father will reward the brothers on my behalf!" Hearing his son's words, Wang Lun immediately changed his tune: "Since you have atoneed for your sins with merit, and my son has pleaded for you, each of you will be rewarded with five strings of cash and half a dou of wine." Everyone hurriedly thanked him.

Led by Wang Lun, the group returned to the mountain stronghold. The path up the mountain was a common dirt road, lined with towering trees. Halfway up, they reached a pavilion called "Broken Gold Pavilion." Further on, the path turned, leading to a large pass. Before the pass lay spears, knives, swords, halberds, bows, crossbows, daggers, and lances, surrounded by logs and stones. Seeing Wang Lun approach, the guards immediately shouted up the mountain, "The chieftain is back!" The group didn't stop, continuing onward. Passing two more passes, they finally reached the entrance to the stronghold. By the moonlight, Wang Hao could see high mountains on all sides, three imposing passes, and a wide, flat area of ​​three to five hundred feet in the center. The main gate was near the mountain pass, flanked by side rooms. At this moment, two burly men emerged from the main hall, shouting, "Brothers above, the young chieftain has escaped unharmed and is surely blessed!"

Wang Lun looked at the two men and said, "Du Qian, you take some men to set up the tables and chairs; Song Wan, you take some men to prepare the food and wine. Let's have a good meal and drinks today." Du Qian said, "Please come inside and wait a moment, brother." In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the tables, chairs, food, and wine were all arranged. Wang Hao looked at the dishes on the table, which were mostly chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and did not immediately pick up his chopsticks. Seeing this, Wang Lun asked, "Is the food and wine not to my son's liking today?" Wang Hao said, "I fell into the water today and my stomach and intestines are cold. I can't eat big fish and meat. A bowl of rice porridge would be best." Wang Lun immediately ordered his men, "Go and cook porridge quickly!" Although he had not known Wang Lun for long, Wang Hao could clearly feel the care this "father" had for him. He thought to himself, "As the leader of a stronghold, Wang Lun may not be as powerful and shrewd as Chao Gai or Song Jiang, but he is impeccable when it comes to his son." He picked up the wine cup in front of him and said, "Let's drink to Father. I caught nothing fishing today and caused you unnecessary worry."

Wang Lun downed his drink in one gulp and said, "My son, why are you behaving so strangely today? You used to be more like the chieftain than I was!" Wang Hao chuckled and said, "This humble one has been arrogant and has startled you all. Today, unfortunately, I fell into the water and finally realized my own limitations. Please, uncles, drink this cup to the brim and forget past grievances!" Before anyone could speak, Wang Lun interjected, "My son's enlightenment today is truly a blessing from our ancestors and a boon to the stronghold! Cheers!" Everyone echoed, creating a commotion. The banquet lasted for over an hour. Wang Hao drank a bowl of rice porridge and then excused himself, claiming to be feeling unwell, to leave early. As he walked out the gate, Wang Hao called over a henchman, who led him back to his room.

Wang Hao lit the brazier and boiled water, then fell into deep thought. He clearly remembered his original world and the knowledge and skills he had learned, but he couldn't recall anyone's name or face. Whenever he recalled the past, he felt as if he had entered a masquerade ball; everyone was so real, yet he could never clearly see their faces or determine who they were. A strange sense of melancholy welled up inside him. Wang Hao pushed open the window and gazed at the dim starry sky. Winter in Liangshan was cold; the mountain wind rushed into the room, and Wang Hao shivered, pulling himself out of his reverie. In front of the door was a water vat, and beside it, a wooden shelf held a wooden basin. The water Wang Hao had just boiled was now boiling. He scooped a ladle of cold water into the basin, added some boiling water, and soaked his feet. Night deepened, but Wang Hao dared not fall asleep. He wondered where he would be when he woke up.