Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter two

Wu Song's drunken questioning was like a slap in the face; Chai Jin felt his cheeks burning and his eyes twitching.

"Drag him down immediately!"

He whispered to his followers.

Several burly servants immediately surrounded Wu Song, about to make a move, but he raised a glare with drunken eyes and let out a cold sneer.

"Oh!"

The servants froze instantly, as if struck by a spell.

This fellow was hated by everyone in the village. He was a habitual drunkard who would hurt people, but he also possessed superhuman strength and was incredibly powerful in punches and kicks. Three or five people couldn't withstand him.

On the other side, the guards from the Zhu Family Manor also gathered in front of Zhu Biao. Zhu San rubbed his lower back and said angrily:

"Young Master, that scoundrel is going too far! We didn't provoke him, yet he still barged in to snatch our wine, overturned the table, and kicked me."

Zhu Wu, a servant who was on good terms with Zhu San, also chimed in:

"If the young master hadn't repeatedly warned us not to cause trouble, I would have stabbed him long ago!"

"Oh? So, according to you, I should chop him up, then pay with my life—two lives, plus a deadly feud with the Chai family, all for a pot of wine?"

Zhu Biao spoke softly, each word distinct.

Zhu San and Zhu Wu's faces grew increasingly pale, their heads drooped lower and lower, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

In fact, Zhu Biao only needed to tell them to shut up to subdue them.

All this is to nip it in the bud. Zhu's family is too arrogant. They usually stay in Dulonggang and act like kings. Sooner or later, they will cause a great disaster.

In the future, the Zhu Family Village will be wiped out by Liangshan, he will be killed by Li Kui, and Wang Ying will seize Hu Sanniang, all because of a chicken.

He must not allow this kind of future to ever happen again.

"but!"

Zhu Biao suddenly patted Zhu San on the shoulder.

"Our family doesn't cause trouble, but he tripped you for no reason, so we won't suffer in silence."

Having said that, he tucked the hem of his robe into his belt and strode toward Wu Song.

Luan Tingyu raised an eyebrow and subconsciously wanted to rush forward, but stopped just as he lifted his foot.

This drunkard is quite skilled, but Sanlang's foundation is also solid, especially recently, he seems to have suddenly become more proficient, and he can hold his own for twenty or thirty rounds. He should be able to protect himself without any problems.

"Young man with pale skin, you're the leader, here to cause trouble? You've got some guts."

Seeing Zhu Biao striding towards him, Wu Song's eyes lit up. He was about to reprimand Chai Jin, his servant, but then he became both angry and anxious:

"Brother Zhu, please ignore this drunkard. I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

"Sir, we are all seasoned men of the martial world. A little sparring is fine, but we'll stop when we've made our mark."

After saying this, he walked around Chai Jin and went straight to Wu Song, where he clasped his hands together.

"Zhu Biao."

"Wu Song!"

Wu Song casually tossed the wine pot aside, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and the drunkenness in his eyes cleared up in an instant.

call!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhu Biao stepped forward and threw a lightning-fast punch straight at his face.

"Great punch!"

Wu Song praised him, then suddenly stepped back, dodged, and at the same time raised his elbow to stab Zhu Biao in the chest.

However, Zhu Biao's punch was a feint.

Just before he missed, his left fist shot out with even greater speed, striking Wu Song in the ribs.

Wu Song's eyes narrowed, and in the blink of an eye, he twisted his body like a fish to dodge again. He then used the momentum to pull his elbow outward, aiming for Zhu Biao's chest once more.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Biao's backhand punch was still a feint.

The right fist, which had missed its target, instantly transformed into a vertical palm like a knife, slashing diagonally downwards with a snap, striking Wu Song's shoulder and neck.

Wu Song swayed slightly, and his thrusting arm deformed as a result, but his fist still grazed Zhu Biao, and the two of them took a step back almost simultaneously.

"Great martial arts skills!"

Wu Song twisted his neck and grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"However, you are too weak; you are no match for someone!"

Boxing proficiency +10.

"Tsk, no wonder he's Wu Song, his rise far surpasses that of nameless nobody."

Zhu Biao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a tightness in his chest. He forced himself not to rub it, nodded, and said frankly:

"That's right, in a fistfight, I would definitely lose."

"Indeed!"

He changed the subject:

"I practice archery, horsemanship, and spearmanship. Once I'm on horseback, you won't have a chance to get close. If you don't believe me, go to the horse farm and run a lap around."

"Hahaha!"

Wu Song was stunned for a few moments, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"As for horsemanship, I admit defeat. Wu Er has never ridden a horse before."

Seeing his straightforwardness, Zhu Biao, who was originally indifferent to this tiger-hunting general and even had some vague resistance to him, curled the corners of his mouth.

"Brother Wu is upright and his martial arts are superb, which I admire. However, you kicked my brother for no reason just now. It is only right and proper that you apologize to him."

"Um?"

Wu Song's smile vanished abruptly, and he glared at Zhu Biao with hostility.

"apologize?"

"Exactly."

Zhu Biao met his gaze without flinching.

At this moment, Luan Tingyu narrowed his eyes and took a step forward without making a sound, while Chai Jin's expression changed slightly and he took half a step back.

The outer hall was deathly silent, and time seemed to blur, as if a few breaths had passed, yet also as if a long time had gone by.

The stubbornness in Wu Song's eyes gradually turned into helplessness, mixed with a hint of envy.

Call ~

He suddenly exhaled a heavy breath, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhu San, and said stiffly:

"Hey sir, Wu Er was rude. Please forgive him."

Zhu Sanmu returned the greeting, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

However, his eyes were sharp and fixed on Zhu Biao. He didn't understand the saying "a scholar dies for one who understands him," but from now on, if anyone dared to say a bad word about the young master, he would definitely draw his knife.

Wu Song didn't pay any more attention. After saying that, he turned to leave, but Zhu Biao grabbed him.

"Brother Wu, you are a man of true character. I admire your martial arts skills and your character."

He then turned to Chai Jin and laughed:

"May I borrow your wine, sir, to share a few cups with Brother Wu?"

As he spoke, Zhu Biao subtly rubbed his wristband and turned off the mechanism. He had just prepared himself for Wu Song to turn on him and suddenly lash out.

With three crossbows concealed in his sleeve, and Luan Tingyu and a group of guards supporting him, he had a 90% chance of winning if the fight really started.

Zhu Biao never intended to collect heroes; of the 108 heroes of Liangshan, half were destined to die, and very few were worthy of his attention.

In my memory, Wu Song was like a raging fire, and he would lose his mind when he was in a bloodthirsty state. Zhu Biao actually looked down on him.

Unexpectedly, he bowed his head. Perhaps, if Wu Da hadn't died, his personality wouldn't have become twisted. He was reckless, yet reasonable.

Wu Song was somewhat stunned, his face still stern, but Chai Jin clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Of course, I would be delighted! Brother Zhu and Brother Wu are both rare heroes, equally brilliant, and it is only through this fight that we have become friends."

He waved his hand to his servants:

"Go! Reset the dishes and bring the wine!"

At this moment, Zhu Biao grabbed Wu Song's arm and walked towards the flower hall, whispering in his ear:

"The wine in the inner room is even better, aged for ten miles and fragrant. The master usually doesn't dare to drink much of it. Brother Wu, let's drink until we're drunk and he'll regret it."

Wu Song remained silent, a rare hint of embarrassment appearing on his face, but he couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.

Zhu Biao saw this and found it somewhat amusing.

At this time, Wu Song had never fought a tiger, had never been a constable, had never been exiled, and had never killed anyone. He was just a hot-headed young man who cared a lot about his reputation and was very easy to coax.

A moment later, the plump chicken and mutton were served again, and the exquisite jade wine cups were replaced with large white porcelain bowls.

As the host, Chai Jin offered two rounds of drinks and said a few polite words, which warmed up the atmosphere at the table. Zhu Biao then offered a separate bowl of wine to Wu Song.

"Brother Wu, you have a great capacity for alcohol! You must come to my manor for a visit another day. My Drunken Immortal wine is even stronger."

"ha!"

Wu Song exhaled a breath of alcohol and slammed his hand on the table.

"Call me Second Brother. You're a very good man, reasonable, and willing to stand up for your brother. Wu Er will definitely come to you for a drink when he returns home another day!"

"Oh? Where does Brother Wu Er live?"

Zhu Biao asked the question knowingly, revealing his intention to recruit him.

If this guy weren't so insane, with a little correction, he'd be more than qualified to be a leading infantryman. The key is, he'd also be an excellent sparring partner.

"Sigh~"

Upon hearing this, Wu Song poured himself a bowl of wine and drank it, saying in a deep voice:

"I am from Qinghe County. I injured someone in a fight because of a verbal argument."

"I see."

After listening to him, Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said:

"Brother Wu, I'm heading to Daming Prefecture soon, and I happen to be passing through Qinghe. Why don't you pretend to be my companion, take my Zhu family's travel permit, and go back to your hometown to investigate?"

"really!"

Wu Song suddenly looked up and stared straight at him, all traces of drunkenness vanishing from his eyes.

"Aren't you afraid of getting into legal trouble?"

He had been hiding in Chaijiazhuang for half a year, with no news from home. He didn't even dare to write a letter, for fear of implicating his brother Wu Da.

It was because of his inner turmoil that he became an alcoholic and caused trouble.

"lawsuit?"

Zhu Biao stood up, picked up the wine pot, and glanced at Chai Jin out of the corner of his eye.

With his connections and influence, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to inquire about it, but he didn't.

Chai's sense of justice became increasingly clear: he wouldn't lift a horse, wouldn't get involved in a lawsuit, and even more so, he already knew the truth and deliberately kept Wu Song, this powerful henchman, at bay.

"A modern-day Meng Chang, huh~"

Zhu Biao sneered inwardly and poured Wu Song a bowl of wine.

"What are you afraid of?"

His face suddenly flushed red, and his tone became unusually arrogant.

"If anything really happens, we'll protect your brother and take him back to my Zhu Family Village. Let's see who dares to come to Dulonggang to arrest him then!"

Upon hearing this, Chai Jin was instantly taken aback, his brows furrowing, and even Luan Tingyu glanced at him in surprise.

Snapped!

Wu Song crushed the wine bowl he had just picked up, then suddenly raised his head, his tiger-like eyes turning red.