Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Hearing the door open slightly, Pang Qiutang froze, instinctively gripping the bow and arrow at her side.

But at that moment, her free hand was suddenly gently grasped by Zhu Biao.

His hands were large, steady, rough, and warm, possessing a reassuring magic that instantly eased the tension in her heart.

Even breathing became less difficult.

The cold wind that had swept into the room had dissipated, but there was still no sound of footsteps.

However, through the dim light in the room, a short figure could be vaguely seen tiptoeing slowly toward the bedside.

Three zhang, two zhang, one zhang, seven chi, five chi, three chi~

Just as the figure came within a foot of the bed and reached out to lift the bed curtain, his ankle suddenly faltered slightly as he kicked a thin thread.

Whoosh!

The thin thread knocked over a large, half-person-high vase next to the bed. For some reason, it was so brittle that it shattered the moment it hit the ground with a loud crash.

Swish!

In an instant, Shi Qian felt as if he had been stung by a scorpion, and his body retreated violently backward.

puff~

However, the moment the vase shattered, several thick sheets of cloth suddenly fell from the roof, covering his head completely.

"ah!"

Caught off guard by being wrapped in a thick cloth, Shi Qian was plunged into darkness. Panicked, he couldn't help but cry out and flail his arms wildly.

"Um!"

The next instant, he let out a muffled groan, and his entire body, along with several pieces of thick cloth, flew a long distance and crashed heavily into the wall.

Zhu Biao had already jumped out from under the bed and kicked him hard in the leg.

"Straight, straight my ass!"

He was only wearing a pale white undergarment, barefoot, with his hair disheveled, carrying a knife, and staggering, barely able to stand by holding onto the bed.

His tongue seemed to be tied in knots, but his voice was still quite loud.

"They actually dared to plot against me! I... I'll tear this damn shop down tonight!"

Stab it!

A glint of brilliance suddenly appeared.

The thick cloth was suddenly slashed open by the short knife, and Shi Qian leaped out like a big fish. Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes and gripped the knife in his hand tightly.

He didn't want anyone to die here, but if this guy acted recklessly, he would never tolerate it.

However, he was overthinking it. A thief is a thief, not a desperate criminal.

Shi Qiantuo had just steadied himself and barely discerned his direction when he pushed off with his feet and slammed into the window.

Whoosh!

The window frame was smashed open, creating a large hole. The person had already leaped out of the room, and the moment they landed, they nimbly flipped over on the spot.

"hiss!"

The next instant, he let out a mournful howl and his body suddenly sprang up half a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters).

Pang Qiutang, that little wench, worked very hard, burying iron nails densely all over the yard. They weren't long, only an inch and a half, but they were enough to cause unbearable pain.

That roll just now left Shi Qian with at least six or seven bloody holes in his body.

However, this fellow's agility is truly remarkable.

He flipped suddenly in mid-air, threw out the hook and hooked it onto the eaves, then swung his body with the force of the swing, and his feet were already on the beams and pillars.

Then, his foot suddenly slipped, and he crashed heavily into a pillar. The impact caused blood to spurt from his mouth and nose, and a front tooth flew out.

"Ah~"

He managed a muffled scream, stubbornly holding on, and with a final, powerful pull, he leaped onto the roof of the east wing.

He didn't dare to say anything harsh, and didn't even dare to turn his head. He just stumbled and ran out of the courtyard.

"You idiot! Stop running!"

At this moment, Zhu Biao, already wearing a fur coat and boots, staggered to the door and roared angrily at Shi Qian with a knife in hand.

"Can I shoot him with an arrow? I promise no one will die."

Behind her, Pang Qiutang held a bow and arrow, her pretty face tense, eager to try.

"Alright, shoot in the ass, five-tenths power!"

call out!

The words had barely left his mouth when the whistling of an arrow exploded behind his ear.

Poof!

Shi Qian, who was on the roof, suddenly shuddered, slipped, and stumbled and fell outside the courtyard.

A moment later, at the entrance of the courtyard, Zhu Biao roared.

"Hey Lu, this scoundrel broke into my room with a knife in the middle of the night, did you send him?"

At this moment, he seemed to have gone mad, with disheveled hair, a red face, and bloodshot eyes. His clothes were half-open, and he was wildly swinging a long knife in his hand.

In front of him, Shi Qian lay unconscious on the ground like a dead dog, looking utterly miserable.

His head and face were covered in blood, his mouth was swollen like a bun, his left shoulder and arm were riddled with bloody holes, he had been shot in the buttocks with an arrow, and he was also lame in one leg.

There were no fatal wounds, but the injuries were quite severe.

Just now, he was limping and hadn't even run out of the mansion when Zhu Biao caught up with him and captured him alive with ease.

His eating utensils—smoke bottles, sleeping pills, herbs, grappling hooks, daggers, crowbars, and other odds and ends—were scattered all over the floor.

"No, no, sir, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"

The shopkeeper, Lu Tongqing, was shocked, anxious, and fearful. His fat face was covered in sweat, and his heart was pounding.

This matter tonight is likely to end badly.

"Misunderstanding, my ass! If I hadn't taken precautions and set up traps beforehand, I'd probably be dead by now!"

Zhu Biao was somewhat incoherent and nearly slashed Lu Tongqing's face with a knife.

"I'm reporting you to the authorities! I'm going to report you to the authorities and have your shady business demolished!"

"No, no! Sir, let's talk this out. Please don't alarm the authorities."

Upon hearing this, Lu Tongqing nearly knelt down on the spot, his eyes filled with panic.

The saying "One should not enter a clinic when alive, nor a government office when dead" is absolutely true. Don't be fooled by Lu Tongqing's large business and the fact that he has connections in government.

But he was unwilling and dared not disturb the authorities.

His connections were nothing more than clerks, constables, and heads of the six departments; he could never have been a county magistrate, county lieutenant, or registrar—these were all official positions appointed by the imperial court.

It wasn't that he wasn't good enough; it was just that they were all officials who had been transferred to other places, while he was a local merchant.

Zhu Biao's false identity is the head of the military command. Although he is only a ninth-rank official, he still holds an official position. Once he goes to court, it will surely alarm several high-ranking officials of the imperial court to handle the case personally.

These men have always coveted these local merchants, only wishing they could find a pretext.

Although he didn't order the damned thief to commit the crime, once he's in jail, his mouth can be anything he says.

If he insists that he himself instructed Lu Tongqing to sign and fingerprint the case file, then Lu Tongqing is nothing but a piece of mud and rotten pants.

Confiscating property, fines, and assets, then imprisonment—once this cycle of torment is repeated, all one's wealth will be completely wiped out.

"Sir, I'm willing to pay you back, one hundred strings of cash!"

"You son of a bitch! Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

Enraged, Zhu Biao kicked him to the ground, then turned to Pang Qiutang and shouted:

"Wu Qi, go to the county government office to report this to the authorities and beat the grievance drum!"

"Aba, aba~"

Pang Qiutang suppressed a laugh and pointed to her mouth.

"Damn it! I forgot you're mute."

He cursed angrily, then turned to the merchants and travelers watching the commotion, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Gentlemen, who will help me go to the yamen?"

"don't want!"

Lu Tongqing was terrified and scrambled over to grab Zhu Biao's leg.

"One hundred taels! I, I'm willing to offer one hundred taels of silver!"

hiss!

A collective gasp filled the air around them.

One hundred taels of silver, at the current exchange rate, can be exchanged for about two hundred strings of cash, enough for a family of five to live on for seven or eight years.

"Hmph! I'm not short of money, but I almost lost my life tonight, and I won't swallow this insult."

Seeing that the time was right, Zhu Biao only pretended to struggle a little, and his tone softened noticeably.

There's a chance!

Lu Tongqing's eyes suddenly lit up, and then he glared at Shi Qian with hatred.

"Don't worry, sir, I will not let this scoundrel get away with it."

He paused, a fierce glint in his eyes, leaned closer, and lowered his voice:

"I'll first send this fellow to jail, then bribe a familiar jailer to let him die in prison, giving you an explanation."

"Really? Don't try to fool me."

Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow, and his complexion visibly improved.

Lu Tongqing immediately swore an oath:

"It is absolutely true. If I have lied even a single word, may I die a horrible death!"

"Ha! In that case, I'll trust you this once."

Zhu Biao laughed. Only then did Shi Qian on the ground wake up, glaring at him with intense resentment, as if trying to etch him into her mind.

"Ha! You bird thief, you dare glare at me?"

Zhu Biao sneered and kicked him in the injured shoulder. Shi Qian was tough enough to endure it without crying out.

"Dare you...dare not leave your name?"

He spoke with difficulty, each word uttered with a lisp.

"What is there to be afraid of? Remember, your father's name is Tang Shaowu, the head of the military command in Daming Prefecture."

Zhu Biao revealed his false identity without hesitation. This Tang fellow, a living dead man, was probably rotten to the bone.

"Good! Remember this: my name is Shi Qian. I will repay this grudge tenfold in the future."

Zhu Biao curled his lip:

"Alright, Shi Qian, right? You go to the underworld first and wait for me."