Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Cangzhou Laocheng Camp is more than 50 li west of Chaijiazhuang.

Zhu Biao and his group traveled non-stop until after noon, when, lying prone in the wind and snow, the vast camp stretching for more than ten miles was already faintly in sight.

"Sanlang, what have we done here in this prison? Those convicts are no good!"

At this moment, Wu Song was able to sit steadily on his horse, with a hard piece of dried meat still in his mouth, and mumbled something.

It's easy to see from the change in how they addressed each other that he and Zhu Biao had become much closer in just one morning.

At this moment, Zhu Biao was slightly lost in thought.

Boxing skill level 3, proficiency 1772/2000.

"Wu Song's daily limit is 30 points, only 5 points higher than Master Luan's. Tsk, my cheat is really meticulous."

"Saburo!"

Wu Song called out again.

Zhu Biao finally snapped out of his daze and curled his lip.

"Thief convict? Damn it, if I hadn't saved you, you would have been exiled twice in your life."

"Second Brother, have you ever heard of Leopard Head Lin Chong?"

Gazing at the colossal, beast-like prison city, he gave an irrelevant answer.

"Is he the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards in Tokyo?"

Wu Song's eyes suddenly lit up.

"When I went to Chai Family Village, he had only been gone for a short time. It's a pity I didn't get to see him. I only heard that he was very good at using a spear and stick."

Zhu Biao nodded, half-jokingly saying:

"Instructor Lin is right here. I would like to pay him a visit, and if I am fortunate enough, I would like to learn a thing or two from him."

Wu Song was somewhat eager to try.

"I see! But I wonder how skilled Instructor Lin is in martial arts?"

"Whoa~"

Just as Zhu Biao was about to reply, his eyes suddenly narrowed and he stopped his horse.

Ahead, by the roadside, there was a fenced yard with a long pole standing beside it, at the top of which hung a tattered wine banner, fluttering in the wind.

"East of the prison city, by the main road, there's a roadside inn; this should be it."

He stared intently at the roadside inn, pondering his next move.

"Sanlang, would you like some wine?"

Wu Song leaned closer, his eyes pleading, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Zhu Biao smiled.

"Indeed, the north wind has chilled us to the bone. Since there's a tavern, let's have a couple of cups of hot wine to warm ourselves up."

"Excellent!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Song was overjoyed, his face lighting up with delight. He even turned back to greet Zhu San:

"Brother, Wu Er was quite rude before, let's have a few bowls later!"

"You think I'm afraid of you!"

Zhu San replied, his neck stiff.

The inn was cramped, with only three old tables in the main hall. The wine was murky and murky, but there was plenty of meat, including chicken, mutton, donkey, and beef.

"Shopkeeper, your donkey meat sauce is excellent. Please cut some extra for me and wrap it up."

Zhu Biao took only one sip of wine, then frowned and stopped drinking. He picked up a piece of donkey meat and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly.

"Hey! Sir, you have a discerning palate. Our braised pork is made with a family recipe passed down through generations, and it's the best for miles around."

The shop owner was a dark-skinned old man. When he heard the praise, the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out.

"If the craftsmanship were truly excellent, how could the place be so desolate? Shopkeeper, stop boasting, pour a few more bowls of wine!"

Wu Song put the empty bowl on the table, his face already flushed.

At this point, he was a drunkard who didn't care about the type of alcohol. After a few drinks, he would start talking without any restraint and would say things that were neither profound nor shallow.

"Okay!"

The boss wasn't annoyed; he cheerfully agreed and turned to go to the back room.

"Second Brother~"

Zhu Biao was about to say a few words of advice to him.

Just then, the outer curtain was suddenly lifted, and a figure was swept in by the cold wind and sleet.

The man wore an old felt hat and a gray robe. He carried a spear upside down in his hand and a wine gourd on his shoulder. His thick eyebrows were furrowed, his leopard eyes were dim, and a gold mark was tattooed on his slightly sunken left cheek.

Upon seeing Zhu Biao and the others, he suddenly stopped, a sharp glint in his eyes, and a chilling aura emanated from his body.

It was as if he had become a completely different person.

"Lin Chong! There's no mistake, this is the demeanor a top expert should have."

In an instant, the hairs on the back of Zhu Biao's neck stood on end, and Wu Song's movement of holding the bowl suddenly froze, his tiger eyes narrowing.

"Brother, you have a magnanimous air. Could it be Instructor Lin in person?"

Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, Zhu Biao suddenly stood up, took two steps forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked politely.

Lin Chong's aura instantly dissipated, and he hurriedly returned the greeting:

"Young master, how do you know me, Lin?"

"My name is Zhu Biao, and my master is Luan Tingyu. He once served in the Imperial Guard in Tokyo. It is often said that Instructor Lin is unparalleled in spear and staff fighting."

He wasn't making things up. Luan Tingyu did indeed come from the Palace Guard and had served as a cavalry captain. Later, he offended the commander and was demoted to a military post in Caozhou. In the end, he used money to get out of the palace and wandered the world.

"Uh, your teacher is too kind."

Lin Chong looked slightly bewildered, completely forgetting about Luan Tingyu.

Come to think of it, with over 100,000 Imperial Guards in Tokyo, how many could he possibly recognize? Yet, a hint of nostalgia still lingered in his eyes.

"To be honest, Instructor Lin, I came to Cangzhou specifically to pay you a visit."

Why?

Lin Chong was taken aback.

"Learn to shoot."

A moment later, several braziers were lit inside the room, and the steam made everyone's faces flushed.

Wu Song crookedly picked up the bowl, the wine soaking his chest, and his tongue was almost slurred:

"Lin, Instructor Lin, Wu Er will offer you another bowl. When we go to Tokyo someday, I will definitely cut off that Gao Yanei's dog head for you."

"Sigh~"

Lin Chong shook his head with a wry smile, said nothing, but clinked his wine bowl with Lin Chong's and downed the wine in one gulp.

At this point, he was also somewhat drunk; otherwise, given his reserved nature, he would never have revealed his family's plight.

"Instructor Lin, where is your wife now?"

Just now, Zhu Biao only toasted Lin Chong with three bowls of wine, and then ate one bowl with Wu Song, his eyes still clear.

Lin Chong gripped the wine bowl tightly, his jaw clenching. After a long while, he exhaled a breath of wine and said in a deep voice.

"Mr. Lin has already written her a letter of divorce and sent someone to take her back to her husband's house."

"Sigh, so naive."

Zhu Biao sighed inwardly.

Lin Chong is a rule-abiding person at heart, or rather, a person tamed by rules, and even now, he still harbors illusions about it.

Little did they know that in the face of power, rules are nothing but a fart, and this has been true since ancient times!

Not long after, Lady Lin was driven to suicide by Gao Yanei's persistent harassment.

Lady Lin was a virtuous and chaste woman worthy of being honored, a kind of woman whose virtue has long since become extinct. Zhu Biao disagreed with her, but respected her. Even if he couldn't recruit Lin Chong, he still wanted to try to change her fate.

Nothing more than clear thinking!

Damn it, if I don't indulge myself, won't I have worn this for nothing?

"Is Madam still in Tokyo?"

Lin Chong was stunned. The drunkenness in his eyes gradually faded, and his brows slowly furrowed.

Seeing his reaction, Zhu Biao added fuel to the fire.

"Gao Yanei is powerful and shameless. What if that scoundrel finds his wife?"

call!

Lin Chong suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, and veins bulging on his forehead.

Poof!

A few breaths later, he slumped down again, his body swaying, his eyes filled with despair.

"Lin, I am now an exiled prisoner. What can I do?"

He touched the gold mark on his face and murmured.

Zhu Biao remained silent for a few moments, then put his arm around his shoulder:

"Instructor Lin, if you trust me, you may write a letter requesting that I make a trip to Tokyo to bring your wife out and ensure her safety."

"You~"

A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Lin Chong's eyes, but more than that, there was suspicion.

"Alright! Sanlang, Wu Er was right to choose you!"

Wu Song slammed his fist on the table and stood up. Zhu Biao patted his arm and calmly faced Lin Chong.

"Instructor Lin, if you teach me spear techniques in the future, you will be my teacher, and it is only natural for me to serve your teacher's wife."

"This~"

The Lin family's spear techniques have never been taught to outsiders!

However, at this moment, these words were like a bone stuck in Lin Chong's throat, and he couldn't utter them no matter what.

The sound of the first watch gong came from afar; it was already pitch black.

The north wind blew even tighter, and felt like a steel knife scraping my bones when it blew against my skin.

Lin Chong left the inn, walking with his head down, his spear dragging limply on the ground. Zhu Biao pulled at his hood and silently followed behind.

Just now, Wu Song also insisted on seeing him off, but as soon as he reached the door, he was hit by a gust of cold wind and instantly collapsed to the ground, snoring loudly.

Zhu San and Zhu Wu were also so drunk that they were staggering and unsteady on their feet, so Zhu Biao simply left them all at the roadside inn to rest.

"Young man, don't see me off. That hay storage area is a place for criminals; it's bad luck."

After walking half a mile, Lin Chong suddenly stopped.

"What are you saying, Instructor? I just need to familiarize myself with the way. I'll have to come and formally become your apprentice when I bring my wife home someday."

Zhu Biao's tone was ordinary, but there was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

At this moment, not far ahead, amidst the swirling snow, a dilapidated and crooked mountain god temple could be vaguely seen. He licked his dry lips and gripped the gun holster at his waist.

"Tonight, blood will surely be shed!"

Lin Chong remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly turned around, grabbed Zhu Biao's shoulders, and said, his eyes red and his voice hoarse, word by word:

"Young master, if you can protect my wife, not only will your marksmanship be exceptional, but my life itself will be yours!"