10. It was chilly inside the shack, and Lin Chong decided to go down to the village for some liquor. Following the military veteran's directions he passed an old temple and came upon a little inn. The owner recognized the veteran's bottle-gourd and gave Lin a friendly welcome. Once Lin had warmed up he bought some dried beef and liquor, and headed back to the fodder depot.
11. Lin battled his way through the wind and snow, only to find that the shack had collapsed in the storm. He salvaged a quilt from the wreckage, and went to spend the night in the old temple.
12. He found the temple by the light of the snow. Once inside he jammed a rock against the door to keep it shut, and tried to make himself comfortable. The temple was damp and draughty, and Lin couldn't sleep. He chewed on the dried beef, sipped at the liquor and waited for dawn.
13. Suddenly he heard a bang in the distance. Peering through the gap in the door he saw the fodder depot going up in flames. Then he heard voices outside the temple. It was Lu Qian, Fu An and the prison bailiff. "This time he's done for, thanks to your preparations." "Even if he's still alive, letting the fodder stocks catch fire is a capital offence." "You two will be promoted to top jobs when you report this to Commander Gao."
14. Enraged by what he had heard, Lin quietly shifted the rock from the door and stepped outside, spear in hand.
15. The would-be assassins were horrified, and desperately tried to get away. Lin brought down the bailiff with a thrust of his spear, then caught up with the fleeing Fu An and killed him too.
16. A kick from Lin knocked Lu Qian to the ground. "I had no choice," protested Lu. "Commander Gao sent me on this mission. I'm no villain." "I've known you since we were kids, you scum, and here you are trying to kill me!" roared Lin. "Now taste this!" With that, Lin pushed his dagger into Lu's belly.
17. Leaving the corpses in the bloody snow, Lin went back inside the temple and drained the last of the liquor. Outside, the fire at the fodder dump still raged. With nowhere else to run, Lin decided to throw his lot in with the rebels of Liangshan Mountain.
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