Seventeen days later, beyond Zhou Kingdom's border pass, in the eight-hundred-li waterlands.
"Liangshan Marsh, eight hundred li across, once a paradise beyond the mortal world."
"One day, the imperial army stormed our home, cutting off our livelihoods and tearing down our houses."
"Ha ji."
"No father, no ruler, no law or discipline—beating anyone they saw without mercy."
"Fortunately, the Two Kings called for loyalty and righteousness, saving Liangshan's many heroes."
"Dang dang-lang dang, dang dang—"
Blood Minister said sullenly, "Sing one more line and I'll squeeze your balls flat. I'll take four days to do it."
The Demonic Messenger playing the song awkwardly lowered his bent-neck pipa. "My two kings, we only sang because we were overwhelmed with gratitude for you saving our lives and couldn't help but praise you through song."
More than twenty of them had gathered in this mountain forest, all of them Demonic Messengers. Every one of them had been a chieftain entitled to a seat of honor in Liangshan Marsh. Since the waterways around Liangshan Marsh were open and trade was frequent, their quality of life had far surpassed that of their peers in other demonic forbidden lands. Every day, they had been able to drink fine wine to their hearts' content and enjoy beautiful women, living in utter carefree bliss.
But now they had nothing left. They were covered in grime and panic, and they did not even dare light a fire. They could only gnaw on cold dried meat and flatbread. As the Demonic Messengers rested, they watched the two leaders at the very front of the group. The survival of the party now depended entirely on their leaders' next decision. Although the two leaders had successfully led them out of the imperial army's encirclement, if their plan failed to win the support