Guan Sheng volunteers to take the fight to Lingzhou when
Liangshan learns that Wei Dingguo and Shan Tingguo have been appointed by the Song court to eliminate them following their successful rescue of
Lu Junyi in
Daming which involved a city-wide rampage. The two instructors are recommended to
Emperor Huizong by Grand Tutor
Cai Jing. In the first battle outside Lingzhou, Guan Sheng is rattled by the capture of his two lieutenants
Xuan Zan and
Hao Siwen by Wei Dingguo and Shan Tingguo. Xuan has been lured to ride into the ranks of Wei's soldiers, who quickly encircled and seized him. Meanwhile, Li Kui has sneaked out of Liangshan after being forbidden by
Song Jiang to join Guan Sheng in the attack on Lingzhou. He befriends Jiao Ting while on his way, who takes him to
Bao Xu, who leads a bandit group at Mount Deadwood. While with Bao, they rescue Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen as the convoy escorting them to
Dongjing for punishment passes Mount Deadwood. At Lingzhou, the battle continues with Guan Sheng fighting Shan Tinggui one-on-one on horseback. Then Guan lures Shan to chase after him till they reach a remote spot where he turns and swings his big sabre to whack the latter off his horse. Instead of moving in to kill, Guan gets off his horse and shows Shan kind treatment, winning over the man. Left standing alone, Wei Dingguo injures many of Guan's soldiers when his men unleash on them combustible materials such as sulphur. Just then, Li Kui, assisted by Jiao Ting, Bao Xu, Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen, attacks a gate of Lingzhou, causing the city to fall, when Wei is still outside of it. Wei flees to a nearby county and is determined to make his last stand there. Knowing that Wei would rather die than be humiliated, Shan Tinggui goes alone into the county to promise him dignified treatment if he gives in. But Wei insists that Guan Sheng come personally and unaccompanied to show sincerity. Guan obliges, thus convincing Wei to join Liangshan. ==Campaigns and death==