Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

"Hero, may I have a word with you in private?"

Li Zhong kept his head down and worked without lifting his eyelids, saying indifferently, "What is it, sir? Just say it."

His words were full of detachment, clearly indicating that he was not interested in what the person in front of him was saying.

Zheng Tu chuckled, stepped closer, and lowered his voice, saying, "What a waste of such excellent martial arts skills, sir! You're just using them to sell medicine and wield weapons in the martial world."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhong paused slightly in his work of tidying up the plasters, and looked up to examine Zheng Tu.

His expression remained indifferent as he vaguely replied, "Hey, if I don't sell plasters, where else can I go? I'm just trying to make a living. I'm a respectable person; I wouldn't dare do anything illegal or disorderly."

Despite saying that, his eyes began to wander, scanning the surroundings.

Zheng Tu muttered to himself.

If he hadn't seen what Li Zhong looked like in his previous life, he would have almost believed that Li Zhong was an honest man.

He didn't want to waste any more breath arguing with Li Zhong, so he reached into his pocket, pulled out a heavy money bag, and weighed it in his hand.

He held the bag open and waved it in front of Li Zhong: "Here are twelve taels of silver as a deposit. Do me a favor, and I'll give you another twenty taels after it's done."

Before he finished speaking, he threw the money bag onto Li Zhong's stall with a "thud," and without saying another word, he stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Li Zhong's noodles.

The money bag landed on the cloth with a dull thud, the opening loosened slightly, revealing a corner of the gleaming white silver ingots inside.

Li Zhong's eyes widened instantly, fixed on the silver pouch, unable to move an inch.

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he suddenly felt his mouth and tongue become dry.

He quickly calculated in his mind: I stand on the street selling medicine under the sun and wind, and after a month of hard work, I can only earn three taels of silver when things are good, and only one tael when things are bad.

This...this is a full thirty-two taels, enough to cover two years of my hard work! Two years!

Li Zhong felt as if a thick cloth was blocking his ears, and for a moment all he could hear was the heavy pounding of his own heart.

Zheng Tu watched from the sidelines and saw that Li Zhong's forehead was covered in fine, oily sweat, his face was flushed red with distress, and his breathing became heavy.

That carefree, nonchalant attitude he used to have is long gone.

Li Zhong reluctantly looked away from the silver pouch and then at Zheng Tu. He found that the butcher-looking man's face had become inexplicably handsome, and even his clumsy physique exuded a formidable aura.

He opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he could only make two "ho ho" sounds.

He coughed twice, his back unconsciously bending into a respectful bow, still trying to appear calm:

"My lord... are you perhaps planning to take someone's head? This... this is surely a heinous crime, I..."

Why did Li Zhong, the hero, initially act arrogantly but later become respectful?

Seeing his demeanor, and comparing it to his tyrannical appearance in his previous life, Zheng Tu couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he simply said, "Don't make wild guesses. It's just that something sordid has happened in the family. A pair of adulterers have done something shameful, which has made me very anxious."

You'll come with me to make a scene, and I'll give you a light punishment. What do you say? Are you ready to go?

"It's...it's that simple?" Li Zhong's eyes were full of doubt, yet he was reluctant to part with the money.

Seeing this, Zheng Tu pretended to be impatient and reached out to take back his money bag: "If you don't dare, stop arguing, I'll find another hero."

"Wait!" Li Zhong hurriedly reached out to stop him, his face already plastered with a broad smile.

He had a sorrowful face, but now he forced a smile, and the strain on his skin and flesh made him look somewhat comical.

"Please calm down, sir! I'll be going, I'll be going! Where can I find such a generous customer?"

As he spoke, he quickly grabbed the money pouch and stuffed it into his bosom, pressing it against his body repeatedly, as if afraid it might be fake.

In fact, Zheng Tu's method of throwing silver coins first was a trick.

This is the way of the world: the joy of gaining silver is far less than the pain of losing it.

If you make a promise without first making it, a slippery official like Li Zhong might not readily agree; but if you first throw a hefty deposit in front of him, and then pretend to take it back, he will feel as if he has a piece of his own flesh being cut off, and will naturally agree hastily.

"Please wait a moment, sir. I'll pack these supplies and medicine bag, and then I'll go with you!"

Li Zhong bent over and quickly gathered the plasters, cloth banners, and miscellaneous items on the stall into a ball.

Zheng Tu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the clubs. He casually picked one up, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "Could I borrow one of these clubs?"

Li Zhong had no choice but to agree, saying repeatedly, "Sir, please take it! Don't just take one, take them all! What's this talk of lending or not lending?!"

Zheng Tu stopped talking and just stood in the street, leaning on his staff.

Looking down at Li Zhong bending over to tidy up the stall, Zheng Tu's lips twitched up almost imperceptibly.

Before long, Li Zhong had bundled all the items into a bundle and carried it on his back, still holding the familiar cudgel in his hand.

He bowed to Zheng Tu and said, "My lord, I have finished preparing. Please lead the way."

Zheng Tu gave a soft "hmm" sound through his nose, without saying anything more.

He picked up his whistle and turned to walk quickly home, with Li Zhong hurrying to catch up.

.........

Now, Lu Zhishen came down from Zhuangyuan Bridge, but he couldn't find Zheng Tu in front of the butcher shop. He couldn't suppress the nameless anger in his heart, so he interrogated Niu Da for a long time, only to get some slick words from him.

He was extremely anxious: "Zheng Tu usually stays in this shop every day, why is he nowhere to be seen today? Could it be that he got wind of something?"

Just as he was wondering what was going on, he looked up and suddenly saw a servant boy with a handkerchief wrapped around his head coming out from the street corner.

Lu Da had sharp eyes; even from a distance, he recognized the way the man walked.

That's none other than the waiter who spoke up for Zheng Tu and guarded Old Man Jin and his daughter in the inn today.

Lu Da's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This monkey is Zheng Tu's trusted informant, he's in cahoots with Zheng Tu. Niu Da doesn't know where Zheng Tu is, but he must know."

He then slipped under the eaves of a teahouse, glancing sideways at the scene.

The waiter peeked into the butcher shop and glanced around. After exchanging a few words with the staff inside, Niu Dafen came out.

He then exchanged a few more words with Niu Da, stomped his foot, and turned to head towards the west alley, his steps hurried, as if he had something important to do.

Seeing this, Lu Da thought to himself, "That's it, this fellow must be going to report to his master, or on some mission. I have nothing else to do today, so I'll go with you, you monkey. I'm sure we'll find the real boss."

So he hid himself behind pedestrians and carriages, keeping a distance, and followed only the waiter.

He walked through the streets and alleys, heading straight for a secluded spot.

"This is perfect timing! That scoundrel hasn't given up his evil intentions and is leading me to find his nemesis. Once I catch that Zheng the Butcher, I'll make him know the taste of my fists."