Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

oooo~

In an instant, countless mournful wolf howls rang out from all directions almost simultaneously.

The wolf howls came from both near and far, some several miles away, others less than a mile away.

"Damn it! Has my jinx been blessed?"

Zhu Biao felt a chill run down his spine, cursed in frustration, grabbed Zhu Wu who was still bent over dumping the body, and turned and ran.

"Huang Ji, Su Fang, quickly unbundle the mule. Ignore the cart and head back to the inn."

As he ran, he called out to Pang Qiutang and the others who were driving the mule cart and bringing the corpse over.

"good!"

As they ran back to the inn, the howling of wolves was almost within reach, and eerie green lights kept flashing through the dense forest, making it feel like they had fallen into a wolf's den.

"set fire!"

Zhu Biao decisively said:

"There's still a barrel of kerosene in the courtyard. All the other shops besides this foot-serving inn were burned!"

"Young Master, we haven't searched those shops yet!"

Zhu Wu said urgently.

Even at such a critical juncture, he still didn't forget to plunder and seize wealth; his deep-rooted peasant mentality was indelible.

"Search my ass! What's the point of money if we're already dead?"

Zhu Biao kicked him in the butt and cursed him angrily.

Zhu Wu didn't understand, but he knew perfectly well that wolves in the desolate mountains and wilderness were far more ferocious than humans, and these beasts were also much stronger and more disciplined than humans.

Facing a dozen or so ragtag wolves, Xue Mile remained calm, but he was not so confident against an equal number of hungry wolves.

call out!

At that moment, Pang Qiutang, who was beside him, suddenly shot an arrow.

"Aww~"

A mournful wail echoed from the woods a dozen steps away.

"Third Brother!"

She drew her bow again and roared:

"These beasts are starving; they're about to charge!"

Zhu Biao pulled out his gun holster from his back, quickly assembled his spear, and replied in a deep voice:

"You and Su Fang guard the inn's gate. Zhu Wu, take the oil drum and come with me to set it on fire!"

Swish!

A moment later, Zhu Biao swung his spear horizontally, sweeping away a wolf that had rushed close by.

Snapped!

Immediately, the giant spear, like a python, swung backhand and smashed another wolf to the ground.

puff!

Without stopping, he strode forward, thrusting his spear forward and plunging it into the jaws of another wolf.

In the blink of an eye, he killed three wolves as easily as slicing vegetables or chopping melons, as if a god of death had descended.

"Damn it! Light the fire! Are you watching a show?"

Zhu Biao shook his arms, flinging the wolf carcass hanging from the gun barrel, and roared at Zhu Wu, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"oh oh!"

Zhu Wuru suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly shook the tinderbox, then threw it onto the thatched hut that had been doused with kerosene without thinking.

Zhu Biao caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and his forehead veins bulged with anger.

"You son of a bitch! You set my clothes on fire! Why did you throw that tinderbox?"

Zhu Wu had already come to his senses and suddenly pulled out a large handful of tinderboxes of all kinds from his pocket.

"Young master, it's alright! I have plenty of tinderboxes!"

"Damn it! This idiot."

At such a critical juncture, Zhu Biao was almost amused by him. This guy wasn't satisfied with just searching for money; he even took the tinderbox.

Crack!

The thatched houses, smeared with kerosene, were almost instantly ablaze, and because of the snow on the roof, they occasionally made a sound like firecrackers.

"Waaah~"

Having already rushed close, the snarling wolves, upon seeing the firelight, immediately tucked their tails between their legs and retreated with mournful howls.

"ha!"

Zhu Wu immediately grinned and burst into laughter.

"As expected, there's always someone who can subdue another! These beasts were so fierce just now, but they turned into spineless cowards when they saw fire."

Zhu Biao also breathed a sigh of relief, casually pulled off a lit wooden fence, and waved it in front of him as a torch.

"What are you grinning about? Aren't you afraid of fire?"

Startled, Zhu Wu instinctively jumped back a step.

"I'm scared, I'm scared!"

Moments later, in addition to the foot shop, the other shops were set on fire one after another.

The fire raged skyward, turning half the sky red, and thick smoke billowed like dark clouds overhead. Finally, the surrounding area quieted down, and the howling of wolves could no longer be heard.

Zhu Biao was already covered in blood and had to wash up. As soon as he entered the bathtub, the bathwater turned a deep crimson.

"I miscalculated!"

However, he couldn't care less about any of that; his face was full of frustration.

After a night of fierce fighting, they first killed eleven members of the "Snow Maitreya" gang, then slaughtered eight hungry wolves, in addition to the bloody battle against the Imperial City's elite cavalry the previous night.

His proficiency increased dramatically.

Gun skill level 4, proficiency 3218/4000.

Level 4 equestrian skill, proficiency 3266/4000.

Archery skill level 4, proficiency 2976/4000.

Boxing skill level 3, proficiency 1832/2000.

Knife skills level 3, proficiency 1233/2000.

Level 2 in duck-riding, proficiency 462/1000.

Killing wolves can actually increase proficiency by 40 points. If I had known this, I would have just held the gate and maybe I could have leveled up my marksmanship to level 5 tonight.

He rose to the ranks of top-tier masters.

After a long while, he scooped up a handful of water, vigorously rubbed his face, let out a long sigh, and muttered to himself.

"Forget it, I can't take chances, and I can't be greedy."

Whether he can advance after blocking the door and killing the wolf is unknown, but most of his people will likely be reduced, or even wiped out.

This foot-and-mouth shop not only has a backyard and a back door, but even a low, crude fence can't keep out a rabid wolf.

If dozens of wolves swarm him, he will only be able to barely protect himself.

Ding ding ding~

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Zhu Biao instantly snapped out of his reverie and grabbed the curved sword next to the bathtub.

"Who?"

Ruyi's shy and timid voice rang out from outside the door.

"My lord, it's me. Would you like some more hot water?"

It was almost dawn, and apart from him, only Ruyi was still awake in the entire inn.

Liang Siqi was already ill, and then she was frightened. After taking a bath and taking medicine, she fell into a deep sleep and didn't even know that the wolf had attacked her.

Pang Qiutang, Zhu Wu, and Su Fang had been on guard duty for half the night and then fought and struggled for half the night, leaving them exhausted.

As soon as the wolves left, they went to sleep fully clothed.

Just now, Zhu Biao and the others set fire to kill wolves outside. Ruyi couldn't help, but she wasn't idle either. She boiled a lot of hot water in one go.

This stuff can both deter wolves and be used for drinking and washing.

Upon hearing Ruyi's voice, Zhu Biao felt a sense of relief, but then his mind began to wander, and he suddenly felt a surge of heat rising beneath him.

Having lived two lives, he certainly understood what Ruyi meant.

Perhaps it was witnessing Pang Qiutang's formidable archery skills and Liang Siqi's immense wealth that instilled in her a sense of urgent crisis.

"No need, I've already washed up."

A few breaths later, upon hearing the sounds coming from inside the room, Ruyi's raised shoulders suddenly slumped, and the corners of her mouth fell.

"Ruyi, I'm hungry. Let's get some food and eat together, and also discuss the route ahead."

Upon hearing this, Ruyi's downturned lips instantly lifted again, and her eyes lit up.

"My lord, there's some cooked mutton left in the kitchen. I'll make you some soup noodles with extra pepper to ward off your cold."

"Very good."

Zhu Biao replied sullenly.

"Alas, being a monk is tough!"

In the bathtub, he clicked his tongue helplessly and reached down to his erect penis.

This body is only seventeen, in the prime of its life, how could Zhu Biao not have desires, he just didn't want to release them at this time and in this place.

Outside the foot shop, the danger posed by the wolves still lingers; inside, there are people on both sides and next door.

Zhu Wu's snoring and Su Fang's teeth grinding were clearly audible; the lewd noise was too loud and ruined the mood.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

In the main hall of the inn, an oil lamp was lit on the table, under which a map was spread out, and several large, rough porcelain bowls covered with oil slicks were stacked next to it.

"Ruyi, according to you, the only way for us to leave the Taihang Mountains to the east is through the Tiger Killing Pass?"

Zhu Biao stared intently at the map, his brows furrowed.

"Exactly!"

Ruyi nodded in reply, her slender fingers lightly touching the map and drawing a line to the north.

"My lord, if we don't go through the Tiger Killing Pass, we must head north, detour through the Flying Fox Pass, and then return to Xiangzhou."

"The round trip is expected to take until the 7th or 8th of this month."

"No!"

Zhu Biao immediately rejected the idea.

Judging by the days, Instructor Zhang and Madam Lin may have arrived in Xiangzhou the day before yesterday, and he must rush to meet them within three days.

"There's a strong smell of burnt smoke, is there a fire somewhere?"

Liang Siqi rubbed her eyes and came out from the back room, sniffling from time to time.

"Miss Liang, you're sleeping soundly, while we've been up all night."

Zhu Biao retorted sarcastically, but Liang Siqi didn't argue with him. She just asked in surprise:

"What? Could there be other bandits?"

Zhu Biao ignored her, so Ruyi got up to smooth things over and said:

"Fourth Sister, the smell of blood last night attracted a pack of wolves. To drive them away, we burned down the other shops."

Fourth Sister, that's Liang Siqi's nickname.

Originally, she had two older brothers and one older sister, but they all died young.

"I see, thank you for clearing up my confusion, Sister Ruyi."

She responded, then glanced at the map on the table, and then at Zhu Biao's dark face.

"What? Are you worried about that Qin scoundrel blocking your way?"

Zhu Biao ignored her completely, not even glancing at her.

However, she wasn't annoyed. Instead, she plopped down at the table and tapped the map with her fingers.

"I have a plan!"