Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

As soon as the words left her mouth, Pang Qiutang froze, clutching the hem of her clothes in a panic, her exposed face suddenly turning as red as blood.

Upon hearing this address, Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment before he realized what it meant.

"Um."

He suppressed a smile, gave a faint reply, and then turned back to the slightly surprised archery club member.

"Shopkeeper, I'll take this knife; I won't haggle."

"Sir, you are very generous!"

The man's face immediately lit up with joy. This knife was indeed a fine knife, but it was also really expensive, having been sitting in the shop for half a year.

Zuoxian is not Tokyo after all. Locals can't get a good price, and passing officials and wealthy merchants won't easily come to his arrow shop to buy swords.

"However~"

Zhu Biao waved his hand, pointed at Pang Qiutang, and changed the subject:

"You'll have to bring me my servant's hand knife, made of refined steel."

"Oh, this~"

The man's expression froze, revealing a conflicted look.

Damn it! This kid, who hasn't even grown his first hair yet, not only knows about swords and bows, but also about the market.

A good knife, costing thirty to fifty strings of cash, can have a large portion of its sharp edge sliced ​​off in an instant.

When we left the Tiger Shooting Archery Society, it was almost midnight, but most of the shops on the street were still open, with lanterns hanging, making it bright and lively.

"Young Master Zhu, is this bow really for me?"

Pang Qiutang asked softly, her voice barely concealing her laughter.

At this moment, she was carrying a four-stringed bow on her back, a hand knife hanging at her waist, a bundle tied around her waist, and a brand-new riding bow in front of her chest, which she was constantly stroking.

Zhu Biao rolled his eyes at her.

"You're mute."

"We haven't returned to the inn yet."

Her tone unconsciously carried a hint of girlish coquettishness.

Zhu Biao frowned, suddenly stopped, and said seriously:

"Pang Qiutang, three days from now, when you arrive in Tokyo, I will help you find a merchant ship on the Bian River to go to Hangzhou, and you can return to Shezhou alone."

He paused, then hardened his heart:

"You need to continue using the identity of Wu Qi until you return to Pang Family Village. You will be mute, so you need to get used to it as soon as possible."

Pang Qiutang's eyes narrowed, her body trembled, and she opened her mouth but no sound came out.

The closer one gets to the capital, the wider the roads become, and the more local militia patrol the roads. Although one is bound to be stopped and questioned, one's safety is assured.

Upon arriving at Baimajin, Zhu Biao received another lesson.

During the dead of winter, when the Yellow River is at its lowest point, the deepest parts of the shallow riverbed are so shallow that even a horse's belly cannot be reached, making it entirely possible to wade across on horseback.

However, there's no way you can do that!

The local militia of the ferry patrol office, along with the tax officials' men, blocked the river, making it impossible to cross without taking the official ferry boat.

It all boils down to two words: taking money.

The ferry fee, horse tax, dredging tax, and favors—Zhu Biao and his two horses cost them two strings of cash, plus three taels of silver.

As for his fake headman's certificate, he was too embarrassed to pay up. Before him, a sixth-rank commander of the Imperial Guards stationed at the city gates had honestly handed over the money.

"These vermin deserve to die. No wonder the ferry crossing is only frequented by officials and merchants; there isn't a single ordinary person there."

On the wheeled boat, Pang Qiutang muttered to herself.

This young woman has barely spoken to Zhu Biao these past two days. Even when they are traveling and there is no one around, she doesn't initiate conversations, but instead talks to herself from time to time.

She was probably close to going crazy, but Zhu Biao ignored her. In this world, you can't live without going crazy.

Zhu Biao heard her muttering. He leaned against the side of the boat, frowning as he glanced at the murky river water where large chunks of ice occasionally floated by.

He let out a soft sigh.

How are ordinary people who cannot afford this deadly river crossing fee supposed to cross the river?

After much thought, there were only two options: either wade across the river in the dark, or go to the deep water and look for those makeshift docks and ferries.

Crossing the river at night is difficult due to poor visibility. If you are hit by a large ice shard or step into a puddle, you will either die or be seriously injured.

Looking for an unlicensed ferry is even more dangerous.

If you're not careful, once you reach the middle of the river, the boatman might grin and ask, "Would you like some knife-cut noodles, sir?"

The Song Dynasty was so torn apart. Commerce was incredibly prosperous, so there were many travelers, which in turn gave rise to countless checkpoints, black shops, mountain bandits, and river pirates.

Just then, Pang Qiutang subtly tugged at him, and Zhu Biao instantly snapped back to reality, giving her an inquiring look.

The advantage of not speaking for two days is that the two of them have developed a lot of unspoken understanding through eye contact.

Pang Qiutang glanced to the left twice with her big, dark eyes. Zhu Biao immediately understood, rubbed his neck, and took the opportunity to look over.

"Um?"

The next instant, his eyes narrowed sharply.

At this moment, a man was leisurely passing between Tan Tou and Pang Qiutang's mounts.

It seemed ordinary, but Zhu Biao, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed several unusual things.

The man was no more than five feet tall, thin, with a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks. He wore a drab gray sheepskin coat and had long arms and hands.

At first glance, it looks like a monkey that has come to life.

As he passed the horses, he subtly glanced at the satchel out of the corner of his eye, his shoulders slightly hunched, as if he had unintentionally brushed against the horse's rump.

Finally, at this point, the boat was rocking and swaying, and most people were either leaning or sitting, but he could walk as if on flat ground. When he took a step, his toes landed first, almost silently.

He's a thief!

That face, that demeanor—a name instantly popped into my head: Shi Qian, the Flea on the Drum!

Zhu Biao's eyes narrowed slightly, a fierce glint flashing within them.

In that future that will never come again, the Zhu Family Village was destroyed by Liangshan, and in the end, not a single person was spared. The thief was the one who started it all.

Seemingly sensing Zhu Biao's gaze, the man turned around and glanced back without warning.

But then Zhu Biao pointed at the horse and instructed Pang Qiutang:

"I'm thirsty. Bring me the wine flask and a few pieces of dried meat to go with the wine."

The man's gaze lingered on Zhu Biao for only a moment before shifting away, but his mustache twitched slightly as he turned his head.

"Yanggu" (羊牯).

He scoffed coldly in a voice only he could hear, habitually rubbing his slender fingers together.

"court death!"

Zhu Biao also curled his lips into a smile, stroking the newly acquired, bloodless curved sword.

He wasn't sure if this person was Shi Qian, but he was certain that if this person offered his hand, there was only one way out: death.

A moment later, the man went straight to the rear cabin. When he handed over the water pouch and dried meat, Pang Qiutang couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"That man has shifty eyes and doesn't look like a good person. Could he be a thief scouting the area?"

Zhu Biao took the water bag and drank two mouthfuls, then picked up a piece of dried mutton and held it diagonally in his mouth, and gave one to Pang Qiutang.

Chewing jerky is a habit he developed in the last two months. On the one hand, it helps him replenish his energy and salt; on the other hand, it helps him alleviate his addiction to tobacco from his previous life.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Pang Qiutang frowned slightly and glared at him.

"Oh!"

Zhu Biao smiled.

I felt a little relieved. Sure enough, people are forced to grow stronger. In just a few days, this little vixen's experience in the martial arts world and her vigilance have all increased significantly.

With decent fighting skills and the courage to kill, he might be able to get home safely.

Having lived two lives, Zhu Biao was a man of his word. Although he had other plans in mind after agreeing to Pang Wanchun's request, he would do his best to fulfill it.

Seeing that he was lost in thought again, Pang Qiutang frowned and poked his arm hard.

"Hmm, not bad, your eyesight has improved. This bastard is definitely a thief."

Upon hearing this, Pang Qiutang's eyes lit up, and she instinctively clutched the brass thumb ring that Zhu Biao had given her.

"Should we take him down, find out where his accomplices are hiding, and then wipe them all out?"

"What are you cooking?"

Zhu Biao's initial sense of relief was instantly extinguished, and he glared at her in annoyance.

"Do you think this is some kind of concoction? Catching someone in the act, catching a thief red-handed, and now you're just spouting nonsense, what gives you the right to accuse someone of being a thief?"

"This is right at the foot of the capital, do you think it's some desolate wilderness?"

Even though the Song Dynasty was in a state of disarray, the capital city of Bianjing (Kaifeng) still maintained order on the surface.

Otherwise, given Gao Qiu's power, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to personally frame Lin Chong for breaking into the White Tiger Hall with a knife, and even bribed the police to take action halfway.

The difficulty in receiving Madam Lin stemmed from this very fact; one could not act rashly, nor could one simply chop down that damned Gao Yanei.

The officials of Kaifeng Prefecture, Dali Temple, Imperial City Guard, Ministry of Justice, and Palace Guard were not all useless cowards.

There are still capable people.

"Uh~"

Pang Qiutang blushed slightly at the remark, but she quickly understood and her eyes brightened.

"Are you waiting for him to walk right into your trap?"

Zhu Biao gave an irrelevant answer:

"Remember, if you ever realize you're being targeted by a thief, use your brain, assess the situation, and find a way to kill him with one blow, but don't get yourself involved."

"Okay! I've got it."

Pang Qiutang nodded emphatically.