The Robbery of Grain on the Official Road in Jiangling Prefecture
More than ten years ago, there was a robbery of grain on the official road in Jiangling Prefecture.
It is said that this case was orchestrated by the former Joyful Sect behind the scenes, instructing the traitor Nangong Yu of the Nangong family to set up an ambush in order to recruit soldiers and horses with grain and prepare to rebel against the Great Song Dynasty. After the plot was exposed, Nangong Yu, fearing punishment, committed suicide. The Nangong Family donated a large sum of money to settle the matter with the authorities.
The Death of the Bull Demon King
The orphan of the deceased official who transported grain was resentful that the court did not investigate a mere family from the martial world. In a fit of anger, he turned to banditry and proclaimed himself the Bull Demon King. More than ten years later, he unexpectedly robbed the wife and children of the hero of Kui Prefecture, Tan Badao, and upon seeing a longevity lock engraved with his own name, which he had worn since childhood, he realized that the true culprit was someone else.
He wrote to the Nangong Family for confirmation and used the green forest channels to seek the truth, but could not obtain crucial evidence. Although the Nangong Family shared his enmity, they hesitated to tarnish their reputation and could not accuse Tan Badao without solid proof. Not to mention that the Bull Demon King, who roamed the green forest, was often up to no good. Who in the world would believe this bandit over the esteemed hero Tan Badao?
Realizing that he would never get justice in his lifetime, he sought advice from the legendary Xingyang Immortal and was instructed to turn himself in at Kui Prefecture. He did so, but justice never came. Just before the execution, in a moment of despair, the once detestable flying swordsman Tang Buyi carelessly brought a wine jug down to the dungeon to bid him farewell.
As the Bull Changshou departed, he was reviled by the masses but met his end with a smile.
The Hero Breaks the False Accusation
If the gift decided for Nangong Shouyan's birthday banquet was "helping to get rid of the enemies of the Nangong Family" by the senior brother Tang Buyi, Zhao Huo, the senior brother Tang Buyi, and the second senior brother Tang Zheng would set out to capture Tan Badao. This was one of the few opportunities to witness the senior brother Tang Buyi throw the Feiyan Meteor Dart.
After the success, the senior brother Tang Buyi was mysterious at the birthday banquet, saying he would present a powerful weapon as a birthday gift. However, presenting a weapon at a birthday banquet was not appropriate. "On behalf of our sect leader, I present a birthday gift - the Wangba Knife!" The guests burst into laughter. Just as Nangong Yuan was about to lose his temper, someone among the guests noticed something amiss - the knife was Tan Badao's Broken Mountain Slash! Subsequently, Zhao Huo and the senior brother Tang Buyi jokingly recounted the robbery of grain on the official road in Jiangling Prefecture more than ten years ago, making it clear.
It turned out that Tan Badao led twelve green forest brothers to ambush the grain convoy, with the grain going to the twelve villages for the winter. The official silver was all exchanged for a Western Xia gold knife, and the Broken Mountain Slash was a return gift. To keep things quiet, the gold knife was cut in half with one slash to invite fame among the martial world. Nangong Yu did not set an ambush on the official road; he hosted a banquet to welcome the officials transporting grain. Tan Badao was unaware of Nangong Yu's actions, and Nangong Yu's bad reputation was a label imposed by the public.
The instigator Tan Badao was able to act recklessly for many years, but it was all due to his power. Seeing that his influence was waning, he finally confessed. On that day, Zhao Huo and the senior brother Tang Buyi performed a great comedy act, becoming a timeless masterpiece. Later, a drama was written, titled "The Hero Breaks the False Accusation," and it was passed down for eternity.
Contributors
Mr-Smilin