Many traders, in order to pass smoothly along trade routes, sometimes have to spend money to bribe each gang, hoping to ensure nothing goes wrong with their goods on the canal.
To put it bluntly, they are like mountain bandits who live off the mountain, only they live off the water.
In recent years, the Heshen Gang has grown stronger, spending large sums to recruit two retainers, one of whom is Hu Guanglin, known as Thunderous Fist, and the other is Liu Meng, known as General Wei Meng. Both have long been famous, veterans of the Jianghu.
Thunderous Fist Hu Guanglin was likely the old man who fought with Li Qingmu last night. His fists were indeed sharp, but given his age, he had explosive power yet lacked endurance, leading to his defeat.
The other, General Wei Meng Liu Meng, although he carries the title General, was removed from the Ministry of War early on. He is impulsive by nature, likes to befriend heroes of the world, a fierce warrior but not a strategic genius.
