Returning from Yunnan, Cui Meng reined in his temperament and strove to change his past ways, often gazing at the scars on his arm, tears falling silently. Li Shen, determined to repay the kindness shown to him, stayed constantly by Cui Meng’s side, refusing to leave. Cui Meng offered him silver, which Li Shen invariably refused; he cared only for the art of combat, constantly seeking instruction from Cui Meng, diligently studying for months until his movements became swift and agile, mastering every type of weaponry.

Cui Meng generously rewarded his loyalty, arranging for him to buy land and marry, thus making him a trusted confidant.

In the city lived a Jiansheng named Wang, a man of considerable wealth, whose door was frequented by all manner of ruffians and wicked men. This gang of bandits engaged in robbery and extortion, committing every atrocity imaginable. The common folk of the county suffered under their oppression; those who dared resist were invariably found dead in the wilderness within a few days, their lives extinguished.

The Jiansheng Wang had a son, Bao, just as dissolute and loathsome as his father. They shared a widowed aunt who had been alone for many years, and the father and son, lusting after her beauty, perpetually engaged in illicit acts with her. Wang’s wife, née Qiu, was a woman of upright character and frequently urged Wang to mend his ways. When Wang ignored her pleas, he flew into a rage and strangled his wife to death.

The wife’s brother, surnamed Wan, went to the magistrate to plead his sister’s case and seek justice. The county magistrate, having accepted a bribe, twisted the facts, ordered Wan beaten soundly, and accused him of slandering a good man. Wan’s resentment festered, leaving him no choice but to seek help from Cui Meng.

Coincidentally, Cui Meng was away, and Li Shen was in charge of receiving visitors. He spoke gently, persuading Wan to leave, saying, "Leave this matter to me. Go home now, and await my news."

Several days later, guests arrived at the residence. As it happened, the servants were absent, and no one was there to pour tea. Cui Meng, giving the matter no further thought, instructed Li Shen, "I trouble you to pour a bowl of tea."

Li Shen’s expression darkened with displeasure, and he burst out in anger: "We treat each other as equals! When you were banished to Yunnan, who looked after your family with such loyalty? Now, after only a few days, you treat me like a common servant—truly despicable! Is a man of the surname Li fit only to fetch and carry? To ask me to pour tea? I’m afraid I cannot oblige!" With that, he exited in a huff.

Cui Meng launched into a torrent of abuse, utterly bewildered, musing, "What has gotten into my sworn brother? Why is he suddenly enraged?" He knew Li Shen was always astute, so there must be a reason for this outburst, but he could not fathom it immediately, feeling deeply vexed.

A few days later, while Cui Meng was taking his midday nap, a runner from the yamen suddenly appeared, declaring, "Li Shen accuses you of withholding wages for three years! Come with me to the court." Cui Meng could only offer a wry smile and a shake of the head; he had no choice but to face the lawsuit. The magistrate had long known Cui Meng to be benevolent, and Li Shen’s baseless accusation against his employer was clearly an unreasonable fuss, so he promptly dismissed the claim, concluding the case.

Li Shen lost the lawsuit but showed no sign of dejection. He left calmly, a faint smile on his face. Such strange behavior—what exactly was he planning?

That night, under the black, wind-swept sky, Li Shen went alone to the Wang residence. With a single stroke of his blade, he ended the lives of the Jiansheng Wang, his son, and the aunt. He carried paper with him, affixed it to the wall, and wrote in bold strokes: "The killer is Li Shen!" After laughing three times, he strode away.

When the incident was discovered the next day, the authorities issued an order for arrest, but Li Shen had already fled to the ends of the earth, his whereabouts unknown. The relatives of the deceased suspected Cui Meng of complicity, perhaps even masterminding the killings. The magistrate scoffed, laughing, "Just the other day, Li Shen sued Cui Meng! Their relationship soured, causing a public stir that everyone witnessed. Are you blind? If Li Shen committed murder, what has it to do with Cui Meng?"

It was only then that Cui Meng understood: Li Shen had broken ties with him because of the murders, fearing he would implicate the innocent.

Not long after, the rebel leader Chuang Wang raised his army, plunging the nation into chaos, and Li Shen's case of murder was dropped. As the Ming dynasty fell and the Qing rose, Li Shen returned with his family from exile, still associating with Cui Meng, their bond as close and intimate as ever.

At that time, bandits ravaged the countryside. One man, named Wang Deren—the nephew of the Jiansheng Wang—gathered ruffians and established himself as a mountain bandit, burning villages and plundering households with extreme arrogance. One night, the entire horde moved out under the guise of seeking vengeance, storming the residence to issue a challenge. Cui Meng happened to be out. The bandits smashed through the gates and walls. Li Shen, hearing the commotion, got out of bed to investigate. Seeing the bandits’ menacing numbers, he knew he could not fight them head-on. Preferring not to engage in a futile brawl, he concealed himself in the shadows to conserve strength.

The bandits searched everywhere but could not find Cui or Li. They abducted Cui’s wife and looted all the valuables, departing with bitter resentment. Li Shen was furious. After a quick glance around the devastated home, he found only an aged servant and an old mare, who had recently given birth to a foal and narrowly survived.

Li Shen paused briefly in thought. He retrieved a coil of rope and cut it into dozens of pieces of varying lengths. He gave the short lengths to the old servant and asked, "Do you know where the bandits' lair is?"

The old servant replied, "I do. It's in the Back Mountain. There is a shortcut up the mountain from there, where no one would know or notice."

Li Shen said, "Excellent. You must immediately go to the Back Mountain and tie the short ropes to the treetops, drench them in tung oil, and hang one every ten zhang, lighting each one in succession. Do you understand?"

The old servant nodded repeatedly, tucked the ropes into his tunic, accepted the order, and left.

Li Shen took the long rope for himself, led out the old mare, and recalled that the thieves wore red sashes and red cloth wrapped around their hats. Dressing himself similarly, he mounted the horse and galloped directly toward the thieves' den.

At the foot of the Back Mountain was a village, the bandits' resting place. Li Shen dismounted, vaulted over a wall, and charged straight in. The bandits saw his matching attire and assumed he was one of their own brothers; no one suspected him. Li Shen asked, "Where is that woman you captured? Where is she now?"

Someone replied, "She is in the Great King’s tent."

Li Shen committed this to memory, secretly calculating the time, waiting for the fire to start in the Back Mountain so he could rescue her immediately.

Not long after, thick smoke indeed rose from the Back Mountain. The bandits shouted in alarm: "Bad news! The Back Mountain is on fire! Don't let it burn the provisions!" Someone promptly reported the matter to the leaders. Wang Deren heard the news and roared, "Little brothers! Follow me to fight the fire!" The bandits responded with a great clamor, and within moments, the entire group dispersed completely, leaving only two underlings to guard the main tent.

Li Shen followed the crowd up the mountain, but halfway up, he slipped away unnoticed while they were distracted. The night was dark, and no one noticed his departure. He returned to the tent entrance and casually lied, "The Great King forgot his saber and sent me to fetch it." The two underlings, unaware of the ruse, said in unison, "Wait a moment," and turned to search within the tent for the weapon.

Li Shen seized the opportunity, dispatching them both with a single strike each, as easily as slaughtering chickens. He casually slung Cui's wife onto his back, vaulted over the wall, untied the horse’s tether, and said, "Sister-in-law, you cannot see the path clearly. Hold tight to the reins; the old horse knows the way and will take you back. I must find a way to draw off the bandits. We shall meet again later."

The two bowed in farewell. Cui's wife headed west, and Li Shen headed east.

Meanwhile, the bandits had gone up the mountain to fight the fire but found no raging flames and no damage to the provision stores. Wang Deren slapped his thigh and shouted, "Not good! We were tricked!" He turned the troop around and charged back to the village. Seeing the two guards lying dead, and Cui's wife missing, he bellowed in frustration. Just then, they spotted a fire rising in the east. Without giving it further thought, he roared orders: "The enemy is in the east! Chase them quickly!" His haste caused him to rush in the wrong direction, and the outcome was predictable.

The next day, Cui Meng returned home. Upon hearing his wife had been captured and nearly dishonored, he flew into a rage, intending to quell the bandits with his single horse and person. Li Shen calmed him with persistent admonitions before he could set off. He then gathered the villagers to consult on a grand plan against the thieves. The crowd was timid and dared not respond. After repeated explanations, only twenty or so men volunteered to go, but they were empty-handed, sorely lacking weapons.

As fate would have it, someone had apprehended two spies who were members of the bandit gang. They were brought forth for public interrogation. Cui Meng advocated for their execution, but Li Shen objected. In front of the assembled villagers, he slit the ears off both spies and let them go. The villagers were displeased, grumbling, "Releasing tigers only to have them return for revenge—what are we to do?"

Li Shen replied, "That is precisely what I want—for them to come so we can net them all at once." He ordered the villagers to prepare iron pitchforks and borrowed bows, arrows, and firearms. The county yamen possessed two large cannons, which were also borrowed.

As dusk settled, the villagers gathered at the narrow pass—the only route the bandits used to enter the village—flanked by tree-covered, grassy hillsides, perfect for concealment.

Toward the end of the first geng watch, the entire bandit horde arrived, a massive wave of noise and stamping horses. At Li Shen's signal, rolling stones rained down, and enormous timbers crashed, blocking both the forward and backward escape routes. Following this, a volley of ten thousand arrows, the roar of fire lances, and the thunder of cannons descended. Alas for the bandits—limbs were broken, and bodies piled up like mountains. Only about twenty remained, crying out for their fathers and mothers, kneeling in repentance, begging only for their lives.

The villagers, with one united effort, stormed the lair, rooting out the remaining culprits and seizing countless provisions.

From that time forward, Li Shen’s fame soared. He organized his own militia, commanding over three hundred men, rooting out the powerful who oppressed the weak, and bringing aid and relief to the poor, becoming the mainstay of peace for the region.