Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

The hay storage area guarded by Lin Chong covers more than ten acres. Ostensibly, it belongs to the Hebei Road Yunyi Army, but in reality, it is guarded by the Cangzhou Prison Camp.

The chaos in the Song Dynasty's military system is evident from this.

Lin Chong said that there were 30,000 shi of refined materials stored in the field.

Ironically, this important warehouse was originally guarded by only an old, deaf and blind soldier, and now only Lin Chong remains.

"Damn it, Gao Qiu sent men to burn down this hay storage yard, it's probably not just to kill Lin Chong, is it?"

Zhu Biao stood beside the thatched hut that had collapsed under the weight of the wind and snow, looking at the countless small hills covered with thatch before him, and his heart sank.

Settle the tent!

The phrase suddenly came to mind when I thought of the corrupt practices within the Song Dynasty's military and court.

Yes, with Gao Qiu's power and status, he could crush a convict with just a letter, or even have his subordinates write one.

Why take such a risk? Sending assassins from afar.

"So, Lu Qian, Fu An's real purpose is arson."

Zhu Biao let out a long breath and muttered to himself.

"Burning Lin Chong to death was just a convenient act? Even if he hadn't died, it wouldn't matter. This enormous crime can be easily pinned on him, and Lin Chong will still face the death penalty."

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and the extremely blurry historical thread in his mind gradually came together.

Now that the Jurchens are rising in power and the Liao are weakening, it seems that the treacherous minister and eunuch in Tokyo are plotting to unite with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao.

As the powerful Grand Commandant and head of the military, Gao Qiu naturally did not want them to achieve such a monumental feat.

"This place is no longer habitable. I'll have someone come and fix it tomorrow."

At this moment, Lin Chong emerged from the thatched hut, covered in dust and dirt, with a tattered bundle wrapped around his front and a roll of mud-soaked bedding tucked under his arm.

"Young master, let me take you back to that roadside inn first."

"Where is Coach Lin?"

"I will stay temporarily at the mountain god temple on the way here. I am on duty and dare not go too far from the grassland."

Zhu Biao clicked his tongue, remaining silent, but his gaze towards Lin Chong held a new sympathy.

Ugh!

An honest, law-abiding man, simply because his wife is too outstanding, inadvertently gets caught up in the vortex of intrigue among powerful figures in the imperial court.

"Instructor Lin, I'll go with you."

The dilapidated temple was very close to the hay storage area, only about a kilometer away.

Inside the tilted main hall, Lin Chong and Zhu Biao worked together to lift up a clay sculpture that had fallen to the ground, using it to block the hall door, which was almost torn apart by the wind and snow.

"Young man, why must you suffer here with me in this cold? Have a drink and warm yourself up."

Lin Chong patted the dirt off his hands, smiled wryly, and handed the wine gourd to Zhu Biao.

The hall was filled with ice and snow, with nowhere to step. Zhu Biao simply plopped down on the broken head of the red-faced mountain god, gulped down a few mouthfuls of wine, and wiped his mouth.

"Instructor Lin, if you escort me back and then return, it will probably be dawn by then. I won't feel bitter drinking and chatting with you."

With that, he returned the gourd of wine.

"Instructor, please stop calling me 'Young Master' all the time; just call me 'Third Master'."

"Sigh~"

Lin Chong let out a soft sigh, and in the dim light, a few tears welled up in his eyes.

Since parting ways with his senior brother Lu, and during the six months he has been serving his sentence in prison, this young man is the first person to have genuinely cared for him.

Zhu Biao, well aware of the principle that too much of a good thing can be bad, said nothing more, pulled off the gun holster tied to his waist, and began assembling it in the dark.

His gun had no name, but it did have a purpose.

The gun barrel is divided into three sections, each three feet and three inches long. The inside is made of jujube wood and the outside is covered with copper. The spearhead is one foot and four inches long and is made of fine steel through a hundred forgings, making it extremely sharp.

His gun was very ingenious; one section was a short spear, two sections were a rifle, and the three sections together formed a ten-foot-long musket.

"Great gun!"

Lin Chong caught a glimpse of the subtle cold light reflected from the gun tip and heard the soft click of the gun's springs engaging, and couldn't help but praise it.

"It can be used in projectiles, foot combat, or mounted combat. Young man... uh... Sanlang, you've certainly put thought into this."

Zhu Biao held the gun close to his side, took out two dry strips of cloth, and carefully wrapped them around his hands, while keeping his eyes on the outside of the hall through the crack in the door.

"The gun is a good gun, but my marksmanship is terrible. Instructor Lin, you must teach me properly one day."

"Heh~"

Lin Chong was finally amused by him.

"Alright, I'll take a look at your condition tomorrow after the snow stops."

"Um?"

The next moment, the two of them stood up almost simultaneously.

In the distance, a faint orange-red light rose up, extremely faint, yet particularly dazzling in the snowy night—it was a fire.

"Oh no! The hay storage yard is on fire!"

Lin Chong cried out in alarm and rushed toward the door.

Zhu Biao rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Wait a minute, Instructor!"

Lin Chong's forward momentum was immense, and Zhu Biao felt a sharp pain in his arm, almost being knocked down, but he gritted his teeth and did not let go.

"This fire is suspicious! It's likely someone deliberately set it up to kill you!"

As if to confirm his words, at that moment, through the crack in the door, three figures could be seen rushing toward the mountain god temple.

Upon seeing the tall figure leading the group, Lin Chong's eyes narrowed, his body stiffened abruptly, and he began to tremble uncontrollably.

The fire was fueled by the wind!

In the blink of an eye, that spot of orange-red had turned into a raging fire, illuminating the surrounding area for miles around in a crimson glow, and even the blizzard was stained leaden gray by the thick smoke.

Meanwhile, the three men had run to the palace gate. After trying several times without being able to open it, they simply stood under the eaves to avoid the snow and watch the fire.

"Ha! Lord Lu, you don't need to lift a finger on this mission."

On the left is a short, stocky man.

Wearing a dark brown satin leather coat with subtle patterns and rabbit fur earmuffs, his chubby, smoked face was beaming with smug satisfaction.

"I just set off more than a dozen fires, sealing off the entire hay storage area. That bastard Lin Chong has no chance of escaping!"

"Heh, he managed to escape death by sheer luck. A fire at the hay storage yard—that's a crime punishable by ten beheadings!"

In the center was a tall, imposing man with resolute features and an air of righteousness, though his narrow eyes appeared slightly sinister in the firelight.

"Brother Fu's actions are flawless, I admire him! It's just a pity about all those precious materials, and my brother Lin too."

His voice was deep and gentle, which made people feel good about him.

"Pooh!"

Unexpectedly, Fu An spat at him:

"Lu Qian, put away your hypocritical face. I was the one who started the fire, but you were the one who devised this plan to wipe out our family line."

"Hehe~"

Lu Qian chuckled lightly, showing no annoyance whatsoever.

"Fu'an, with Lin Chong dead, Madam Lin and Instructor Zhang will have no excuse left. Young Master will be able to help you get things done and will definitely reward you handsomely."

Then he turned to the far right, to the man with the sharp, angular face who remained silent.

"Officer Xue, I also congratulate you. I'll address you as 'Lord Jieji' in advance."

Xue Chabo's thin face twitched:

"Lord Lu, when are you going to give me the one hundred strings of cash you promised?"

"Sure, I'll give it to you when we get back to the inn."

Lu Qian's smile widened, but the knuckles of his hand gripping the hilt of the knife turned slightly white, and the sinister look in his eyes turned into a vicious venom.

Want to get promoted and make a fortune? Keep dreaming!

These two useless things are done for now, and they'll both die soon. The hay storage yard must have been burned down by Lin Chong.

"Crunch~"

At this moment, Lu Qian vaguely heard a sound like teeth grinding coming from inside the door, and he turned his head to look suspiciously.

The next instant, a blinding silver light in his vision suddenly grew larger.

Whoosh!

The gleaming spear tip peeked through the crack in the door. With a twist and a swing, the heavy palace door burst open like a piece of paper.

Behind him, Lin Chong's bloodshot eyes, filled with a predatory urge, were revealed.

"You scoundrel! Why did you harm me?"

Lu Qian, being a military man, was quite skilled. He instinctively leaped backward in the blink of an eye, dodging the thrust.

However, Fu An was just a street thug, and when he suddenly saw Lin Chong, who looked like a ghost, he was immediately terrified.

"Lin, Lin~"

puff!

Before he could even finish calling out the man's name, the spear had already pierced his mouth like a venomous snake, and then violently thrust upwards.

laugh!

Fu An's chubby face was literally split in two.

Bang!

Lin Chongren followed the spear's thrust, kicking Fu An's corpse in the chest, and simultaneously slashed downwards with his raised spear.

Whoosh! Smack!

A deep furrow was plowed into the snow, but it didn't hit Lu Qian.

He dodged again, and even drew his waist knife while retreating. However, he did not fight back, but instead retreated while shouting loudly.

"Brother Lin, spare my life! I have my reasons!"

"You scoundrel! Now tell that to the King of Hell!"

At this moment, Lin Chong had lost his temper. He wouldn't tolerate Lin Chong's silver tongue. With a flick of his wrist, he ripped through the snow and aimed straight at Lu Qian's throat.

On the other side, Xue Chabo, who was terrified and squatting on the ground, staggered to his feet, wanting to turn around and run away.

But then they saw a tall, slender young man standing quietly to the side, holding a seven-foot-long spear that gleamed with a ghostly light.

"Xue the Charioteer".

The tip of the gun trembled slightly, and Zhu Biao's voice also shook violently, yet it was resolute, like that of an executioner carrying out his first execution.

"You're the first one!"