Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

"Here you go!"

Seeing Zhu Qi lose his temper, his lackeys did not hesitate any longer and rushed forward like wolves and tigers, pinning the master to the ground.

At this moment, the host was like a large fish out of water, trembling all over, begging for mercy without any way out:

"Your Honor, spare my life! Just tell me how much the fine is! This old man will not dare to say a word!"

Clang!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qi spilled the wine on the ground, threw the wine cup back on the table, and sneered.

"I'm finally sober. According to the law, such a mistake should be punished with a fine of a thousand strings of cash."

hiss!

A collective gasp filled the courtyard.

A thousand strings of cash is enough for an ordinary family of several people to live on for a lifetime.

Even if the Zhou family is wealthy, spending this amount of money would severely damage their finances, likely making it impossible for them to continue their business, and they might even have to sell off their assets.

The host was so shocked he trembled like a leaf, but he knew this was money to save his life, and he had no choice but to pay.

"I, I accept the punishment. Please grant me three to five days, sir, and I will surely raise the thousand strings of cash."

"Damn it! Three to five days? How about I wait three to five years?"

Without needing to explain, one of the lackeys immediately punched his master hard in the ribs, saying familiarly:

"Deliver the money in full before the Military Patrol Office closes at dusk today, or your whole family will be imprisoned and punished!"

"Yes, yes."

The master of the house was now ashen-faced, having completely resigned himself to his fate.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Qi suddenly curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

"Now that official business is done, let's talk about personal matters. Since I'm here, it's only right and proper for the bride to come out and offer me a toast."

Snapped!

He crushed the wine glass in Zhu Biao's hand.

Fortunately, other people's chopsticks, cups, and bowls also fell to the ground at this time, creating a clattering mess, so it didn't seem abrupt.

Call ~

He took a deep breath, but the nameless fire in his heart burned even more fiercely, forcing him to squint to barely conceal the murderous intent surging in his eyes.

That beast Zhu Qi not only wants to extort money from the Zhou family, but also wants to drive them to ruin and death.

Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big one! If that bride had a strong personality, she would probably have been splattered with blood on the spot.

Even if she is timid and values ​​her life, and grits her teeth to endure this great humiliation today, she will not be able to bear the gossip of her neighbors in the future.

The saying "a person's tongue can be deadly" is not just a saying.

At this moment, everyone was dumbfounded, and the entire courtyard was deathly silent, as if the air itself had frozen.

"Heh~ Heh~"

Only the master's heavy breathing, like a bellows, could be heard. His eyes were bloodshot, but he dared not utter a single word.

Zhu Qi seemed to particularly enjoy this feeling of everyone fearing him like a tiger, and the corners of his mouth curled up even deeper.

"What? Do you mean I should go to the backyard?"

"Very well, I'll trouble myself to walk a few more steps!"

As he spoke, he picked up the knife from the table and actually started walking towards the backyard.

"Screw you!"

Just then, a loud shout suddenly erupted in the courtyard, and Zhu Biao rushed towards him like a black whirlwind.

"You~"

Zhu Qi only managed to utter one word before his face was slammed hard by a fist the size of a clay pot.

Bang!

Blood mixed with teeth spurted out instantly, and he was knocked off the ground by the blow.

Boom!

Zhu Biao added another kick, hitting him squarely on the head.

Zhu Qi fainted in mid-air, crashing into several tables before collapsing to the ground like a dead dog.

Before the dumbfounded lackeys could recover, Zhu Biao had already rushed over like a galloping horse, and with a flying kick, he landed right on the shoulder of the man who had just spoken.

Gaba!

A chilling sound of bones cracking rang out, and the man knocked over his two accomplices, sending them tumbling to the ground like rolling gourds.

Zhu Biao's strength and martial arts skills were average, but his average was in comparison to top masters like Wu Song.

Dealing with a few lackeys and cronies is more than enough.

Like a tiger among sheep, he knocked everyone to the ground in just a few breaths. He even used heavy force, leaving these guys with broken bones and unable to move for a while.

"Damn you! I just happened to be passing by, hoping to mooch a drink at a wedding, and I ended up running into a bunch of filthy scum!"

Zhu Biao stood in the middle of the field and cursed:

"You bastards! Let me teach you a lesson you won't forget. I'm Wang Wu from Yan'an Prefecture! If you're not satisfied, come and seek revenge!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Pang Qiutang also took advantage of the chaos to follow them out, her eyes sparkling.

"Where are we going?"

Upon seeing Zhu Biao hurriedly packing his bags in the guest room, she quickly asked...

"We'll separate immediately. Quickly change into men's clothing and go to the Dongsheng Inn at the South City Crossroads. Stay there under this identity."

Zhu Biao pulled out a new travel permit for her; it belonged to a young man named Huang Ji, who was eighteen years old and from Xiangzhou.

This was one of the identities he had prepared for himself, but it was also possible for Pang Qiutang to dress as a man, although he was a bit short, which wasn't strange.

Just now, he was furious, but he hadn't lost his senses. He had already secretly planned his escape route and was about to leave the city.

Moreover, he was also planning to leave the city soon, and judging by the distance, Zhu Wu and Ruyi would be arriving in Tokyo soon.

As for the Zhou family, that's all he could do to help.

He kicked Zhu Qi hard; that scoundrel definitely won't wake up today, and he probably won't be able to handle affairs for three to five days.

If he were the master of the house, he would have sold the house and shop as soon as possible, or even abandoned them altogether, taking only his gold, silver and valuables with him when he left Tokyo.

"And what about you?"

Pang Qiutang became anxious.

"I will leave the city immediately and will definitely return to meet you by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"Third Brother, no, can't we not separate?"

"No!"

Zhu Biao resolutely blocked the railway.

Turning his head, he saw that Pang Qiutang was silently weeping. Feeling somewhat helpless, he composed himself and explained:

"Qiu Tang, we must separate now so that we can each go our own way. I believe you can take care of yourself."

Qiutang!

This was the first time Zhu Biao had called her that. Pang Qiutang felt her mind go blank, her heart churning, and she forgot to wipe away the tears that were hanging on her cheeks.

Bianjing City was heavily inspected upon entry but lightly upon exit. The inspections upon entering the city were extremely strict, but almost no one paid any attention when leaving.

Therefore, half an hour later, Zhu Biao, alone on two horses, swaggered out of Bianjing City through the Xinzheng Gate in the west.

He even deliberately lingered for a moment.

He slipped a string of coins to the head constable of the gate and inquired about the market, lodgings, and brothels outside the West Gate.

Little did he know that just as he was leaving the city, Liang Siqi, that young woman, led her people into the North Gate. If he hadn't gone around to the West Gate, he would have run into her.

After leaving the West Gate, Zhu Biao went straight to the south of the city. There was a mule and horse market near the Bianhe Wharf, and then he made an incredibly painful decision.

Sell ​​the horse!

Of course, he would never sell the charcoal, but he had no choice but to part with the horse that Pang Qiutang was riding.

The sight of one person with two horses is too conspicuous; it's an extremely prominent feature that makes it easy to identify with the person.

Because they were in a hurry to sell, the top-quality racehorse, valued at thirty-five taels of silver, was forced by unscrupulous merchants in the mule and horse market to be sold for only twenty-five taels.

Zhu Biao had no choice but to accept it, swallowing his blood and broken teeth – this was the price of his impulsiveness.

Afterwards, he found a secluded spot and fiddled with the character for a while, transforming himself back into Huo Cong'en with a sallow face, slanted eyes, and a short beard. He then mounted his horse and headed northeast.

Meanwhile, in Chenliu, at the Anshun Inn.

"Husband, don't worry. My husband is resourceful and skilled; he will surely be alright."

In a guest room on the second floor, Zhu Wu paced back and forth, while Ruyi comforted him gently.

"Miss Ruyi, there are no outsiders here, so please don't call me husband."

Zhu Wu stopped and scratched his head awkwardly.

"That won't do! My husband specifically instructed me that we must put on a convincing act. Before you meet him, you are my husband and must call me my wife."

Zhu Wu pouted and muttered under his breath:

"What's with all this talk about putting on a show? I still sleep on the floor every night, don't I?"

Before they entered Shen County, they had already given their horses to Yan Qing, asking him to take them back to Zhujiazhuang. They bought a mule cart and pretended to be husband and wife.

Ruyi used her true identity, and Zhu Wu became her deceased husband, Zhou Maolin.

Zhou Maolin was a pale-faced scholar, so Zhu Wu shaved off his beard and changed into a blue robe full of holes, but no one cared.

Could it be that those inspectors and guards who only know how to take bribes and demand favors are actually tested on classical Chinese texts?

"Sir/Madam! Are you here for a meal or to stay the night? My Anshun Inn is a long-established brand~~"

Hearing the greetings from the waiter outside, Zhu Wu immediately rushed to the window and looked out.

"Damn it! It's not the young master."

A few breaths later, he muttered a curse, his disappointment and anxiety deepening in his eyes.

Ruyi, however, remained unperturbed, her expression indifferent.

She was smarter and more insightful than Zhu Wu, and firmly believed in Zhu Biao's abilities.

The meeting is inevitable; it's just a matter of how long it will take.

"My lord, how come our son is so clever at such a young age?"

Zhu Wu was extremely anxious at this moment, and just stared longingly out the window, ignoring her.

Ruyi wasn't annoyed. She touched her cheeks, which she had specially applied ginger juice to make them look dull, yellow, and old, and muttered to herself:

"I won't stay in official residences, small shops, or any inn with 'home,' 'remember,' or 'old' characters on the sign."

She smacked her lips.

"Tsk, apart from the official post stations, there are only two left in the entire city of Chenliu."

This was also Zhu Biao's instruction.

This is because most inns nowadays are named after a certain inn or a certain old establishment. By filtering out these names, it becomes easier to find people to meet up.