Chapter 127: Arrival in the Capital

While Liang Hongyu was busy cooking at home, a neighbor rushed over and said, "Sister Hongyu, it’s terrible! I heard your husband is fighting a giant python by the small river in town."

Upon hearing this, Liang Hongyu was instantly gripped by panic. She dropped her work, bolted out of the house, and cried out to the neighbor, "What did you say? What has happened to my husband?"

The neighbor hurriedly tried to console her, "Don’t fret, Sister Hongyu. This might not be a bad thing for you. After all, that man of yours is always causing trouble and is quite unsightly. Perhaps this is your chance to be free and find a better man."

"Shut your mouth! Do you call that human speech?" Liang Hongyu snapped. "We are neighbors, and now that my husband is in danger, not only do you refuse to help, but you kick him while he’s down! Are you even a human being?" Ignoring the neighbor’s reaction, she ran frantically toward the river.

However, when she reached the riverside, there was no sign of Han Shizhong. Distraught, she questioned a passerby.

"A man daring to fight a giant python? I’d say he’s likely been swallowed by now," the stranger speculated, having not witnessed the fight himself.

Hearing this, Liang Hongyu felt the world turn black, and she collapsed to the ground. Although Han Shizhong was often seen as a wastrel who spent his days brawling, he had always treated her with genuine kindness. The thought that he had been devoured by a serpent was unbearable. She let out a wail, her grief overcoming the strength she usually possessed.

"Whose young wife is this? Why are you crying so bitterly?" an elderly woman passing by asked, moved by the sight of her sorrow.

"I am weeping for my heartless husband," Liang Hongyu sobbed. "He fought a python and was swallowed whole."

The old woman smiled and said, "Don't grieve, young lady. Your husband was not eaten by that snake."

Liang Hongyu stopped crying instantly, asking uncertainly, "Ma'am, you are not deceiving me, are you?"

"Why would an old woman lie to you?" the woman replied. "He has already gone home. You should hurry back and check. Your husband is a brave man—he has rid our town of a great scourge!"

Liang Hongyu thanked the woman and hurried home without further ado; she could not rest until she saw with her own eyes that he was safe. When she arrived, she found Han Shizhong sleeping soundly on their bed, with a three-meter-long giant python lying on the floor beneath him.

As it turned out, at the critical moment, the python had ignited a fierce, primal rage in Han Shizhong. *So, you want to eat me? Then I will eat you first!*

Although Han Shizhong’s hands were pinned, unable to move, he could still use his head. He tilted it and sank his teeth into the python's body. The snake's hide was incredibly thick, and it took a tremendous effort to tear through it. The raw snake meat was foul and bloody, but in the face of death, Han Shizhong ignored it, gorging on the flesh and drinking the blood.

In agony, the python coiled tighter, cutting off Han Shizhong’s circulation. He saw stars, yet he gritted his teeth and held on, knowing that if he lost consciousness, he would surely become the beast's meal. It was a test of endurance. He knew he had to persist or die, and so, bit by agonizing bit, he killed the serpent. Eventually, the python, terrified and defeated, loosened its grip to flee, but Han Shizhong was relentless; with sheer brute strength, he pried the snake's jaws apart.

Exhausted after the kill, Han Shizhong had dragged himself home, missing his wife on the path. Ever since consuming the python, the chronic sores on his head had healed. Following his legendary battle, he gained local fame, was recruited into the army, and was eventually promoted by Emperor Zhao Huan to be the General commanding sixty thousand naval troops.

As Han Shizhong finished recounting this to Liang Hongyu, Zhang Jun emerged from the cabin and said, "General, we have arrived."

Han Shizhong was overjoyed. Two months of drifting at sea had been a torture for everyone.

"Where have we reached?" Han Shizhong asked.

"Ahead lies the land. It must be the river the Emperor called the Songhua River," Zhang Jun explained. "According to His Majesty, we only need to travel upstream along the Songhua to reach Shangjing, the capital of the Jin Kingdom!"

"Pass the order: all ships are to drop anchor," Han Shizhong said, unable to contain his excitement. "Gather the officers for a meeting. We’ve been cooped up long enough; this time, we shall have a glorious fight."

Over a hundred warships anchored in the waters off the Songhua River, and the officers gathered on Han Shizhong's flagship.

"General," Zhang Jun proposed, "in my view, we should divide our forces into three prongs: one by land, one by water, and one to remain here as a reserve. That way, we can advance or retreat, keeping us in an invincible position."

Yang Zaixing, the vanguard, curled his lip. "General, as the vanguard, I request to lead ten thousand men to strike first."

Han Shizhong admired Yang Zaixing, whose bravery and combat prowess rivaled his own. Smiling, he said, "General Yang, do not be impatient. Let us discuss the strategy first." He then asked, "Do you agree with the strategist Zhang's plan?"

Yang Zaixing glanced at Zhang Jun and retorted bluntly, "I do not. We have sixty thousand men; dividing them into three groups will only dilute our strength and prevent us from dealing a decisive blow to the enemy."

As a warrior, Yang Zaixing held little regard for the civilian official Zhang Jun, viewing his cautious nature as weak and effeminate. Zhang Jun’s face darkened instantly upon hearing the insult.