Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Cizhou and Xiangzhou are adjacent to each other, only about sixty li apart.

Zhu Biao and his group were full of energy and traveled all night without stopping, arriving before the city gates of Xiangzhou opened.

Having already traversed Bianliang City, Zhu Biao is now even bolder, but his patience is also running out.

As soon as the city gates opened, he immediately brandished the Imperial City Guard badge belonging to Supervisor Meng, and began whipping his horsewhip wildly like a windmill.

The guards were so frightened they almost knelt down before him.

However, just as he arrogantly rode his horse into the city gate, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

A charcoal seller walked towards us, carrying a charcoal box on his shoulder. His dirty, patched-up short brown clothes covered his head and face.

The old man appeared hunched over and destitute, but in reality, his feet were heavy and steady, as if he were rooted to the ground.

Moreover, his steps were very rhythmic, with almost identical intervals between each step, showing he was a trained athlete.

At this moment, the old man seemed to sense something, and he also raised his head slightly, glancing at Zhu Biao out of the corner of his eye. His eyes narrowed, and he stopped in his tracks.

This old man was none other than Instructor Zhang in disguise.

Three days ago, the father and daughter arrived safely in Xiangzhou. After settling in, he disguised himself as a charcoal seller and went out of the city every morning and returned in the evening.

He did this solely to actively seek out and welcome Zhu Biao.

However, he had never seen Zhu Biao's true face, but felt that the man's figure was extremely similar to his benefactor's, yet he dared not rashly acknowledge him.

"Hey old man! What are you doing, sneaking glances at me like that? Are you plotting something?"

At this moment, Zhu Biao also recognized Instructor Zhang. He suppressed his joy and the urge to burst into laughter, and continued acting.

"Please forgive me, sir; I had no intention of offending you."

Upon hearing Zhu Biao's voice, Coach Zhang's eyes lit up instantly, but he reacted quickly and immediately bowed and admitted his mistake.

"snort!"

Zhu Biao scoffed coldly, refusing to back down.

"Forgive me? You make it sound so easy. Cong En, detain this fellow and interrogate him thoroughly. I suspect he's a Liao spy!"

"Here you go!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wu grinned maliciously, drew his sword with a snap, and pressed it directly against Instructor Zhang's shoulder.

"Old man! The Imperial City Guard is investigating; you've been caught!"

Zhu Wu, that simpleton, has been surprisingly clever this time, and his acting skills have also improved considerably.

He also recognized Instructor Zhang; after all, they had switched identities in Ganjing Lane, and this charcoal box was the one he had carried before.

However, upon seeing this scene, several peacemakers who felt sorry for the situation and wanted to offer some words of advice immediately pursed their lips and took a few steps back in fear.

The crowd of onlookers who had gathered nearby scattered as if avoiding a snake or scorpion.

Spy!

This is a capital offense, a crime that could cost you your life. Anyone who gets involved with it will either die or be severely injured. Who the hell would dare to get close to it?

After entering the city, the carriages and horses turned into a deserted, dark alley.

"Old man!"

Zhu Wu quickly sheathed his sword and took over Zhang Jiaotou's burden.

"My benefactor!"

Instructor Zhang patted his shoulder, then turned to Zhu Biao and was about to kneel down, but Zhu Biao, who had jumped off his horse, reached out and stopped him in time.

"Instructor Zhang, there's no need for that. How is Madam Lin?"

"well."

Coach Zhang's eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded hurriedly.

"That's good."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao felt as if the huge boulder that had been weighing on his heart had finally melted away and fallen.

After enduring dozens of days of icy and snowy conditions, traveling thousands of miles, constantly fighting, scheming, and taking risks, all their efforts were finally worthwhile.

The place that Instructor Zhang chose to stay was neither an inn nor a residence in the city.

Instead, they rented a secluded courtyard house on the outskirts of the city.

Moreover, in just a few days, Instructor Zhang had already become one of the neighborhood's most trusted friends and neighbors.

As Zhu Biao traveled with him, he was greeted warmly by many people.

"Old Tang, you're back so early today, did you sell all the charcoal?"

"Hey, Uncle Tang, you have guests over?"

"How is Third Sister's health? I heard that the new doctor at the Li Family Clinic in the north of the city is very skilled."

"Old Tang, thank you for the charcoal you brought yesterday. My family just steamed some buns today, I'll bring you a few later."

"Thank you, but it's not necessary today. We have guests at home. Another day, I'll buy a few pounds of old wine, and we'll have a bowl together."

Instructor Zhang answered each question with a smile, leaving no room for error, as if he truly intended to live there for the rest of his life.

His public statements were also perfect.

His deceased wife was from Xiangzhou and had recently passed away. His only daughter had lost her husband and then her mother, which caused her to fall ill from excessive grief.

My only wish is to bring my deceased mother's memorial tablet back to my hometown, to return to my roots, and to offer incense morning and evening.

Putting everything else aside, this story alone has won over the locals.

As Zhu Biao watched Coach Zhang's performance, he secretly sighed with admiration.

Tsk, as expected of a seasoned veteran, top-notch acting skills, a superb story, and a masterful grasp of human relationships. I don't need to worry about him at all.

Taking Coach Zhang with him when we escaped Tokyo was such a wise decision.

It's unimaginable to cross the Taihang Mountains with Lin Niangzi by my side.

Although both Lin Niangzi and Ruyi are delicate women who are not skilled in martial arts, Ruyi has a keen eye, quick reflexes, good acting skills, and is also well-versed in geography.

Lin Niangzi not only lacked these abilities, but was also overly beautiful and had an excessively plump figure; even disguised, she could not hide her beauty.

To put it bluntly, she's just a pretty face, a burden.

"Liulang, we're home. Come inside quickly."

When they reached a small mud-brick courtyard, Instructor Zhang pushed open the gate and made way for Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao walked home alone with Instructor Zhang; the carriage, horses, and everyone else were left at the residence.

Before coming, he even smeared his face with ginger juice to make it look yellow and changed into Zhu Wu's dirty old fur robe, making him look inconspicuous.

Even now, the invisible string in Zhu Biao's heart has not been completely relaxed.

"My benefactor!"

Sometimes, a woman's intuition is indeed quite mysterious. Upon seeing Zhu Biao, Lin Niangzi recognized him at a glance and bowed down with tears in her eyes.

"Thank God Enping is safe and sound!"

Zhu Biao quickly helped her up and chuckled:

"Not only am I safe and sound, but I also killed that scoundrel Gao Yanei, venting the anger of Madam Lin and Instructor Lin."

"what?"

Madam Lin was stunned, even forgetting to cry, and Instructor Zhang also stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

Who is Gao Yanei? If we use modern calculations, he is the only adopted son of the Minister of National Defense and concurrently the Commander of the Beijing Military Region.

Kill him? That would be like plunging the sky into chaos!

"Look!"

Without saying much, Zhu Biao took out the Palace Guard badge that Gao Yanei always carried and handed it to her.

"This is the waist token that old man Gao Qiu personally bestowed upon that scoundrel."

Madam Lin gripped the waist token tightly, staring at it for a full ten breaths before suddenly throwing it to the ground. She then knelt down with a thud and burst into tears.

"Heaven has eyes! My benefactor, Zhenniang will be grateful for your kindness for all eternity!"

She truly hated Gao Yanei.

This scoundrel caused Lin Chong to be exiled thousands of miles away. If Zhu Biao hadn't rescued her from Tokyo, it wouldn't have been long before he also caused her family to be destroyed.

Worth it!

He owes me three lives. Based on this immense debt of gratitude, Lin Chong, this valiant general, will never betray me in this lifetime!

As Zhu Biao helped Lin Niangzi up, he thought to himself.

The next day, as soon as the city gates opened, a procession of carriages and horses left the north gate of Xiangzhou.

A two-horse carriage, pulled by two horses, was driven by the newly cleaned Instructor Zhang himself, with four elite mounted guards following closely around it.

Su Fang was from the border region and had been riding a horse since childhood; he could even draw a small bow.

He used to have to drive the carriage, but now he's free to do so.

After walking half a mile, Zhu Biao suddenly turned around, took a deep breath, focused his energy in his dantian, and shouted with all his might:

"Go home!"

On this trip, Zhu Biao basically exceeded all his goals.

Now, all that's needed is to pick up Wu Song and Zhu San in Yanggu, and also deal with Master Wang in Qinghe, and the journey will be completely complete.

To him now, the Wang family is nothing but a fart; he could wipe them out with a flick of his wrist, hence his clear-headedness.

Everyone was taken aback at first, then shouted in unison, even Ruyi and Lin Niangzi in the carriage joined in.

"Home! Home!"

Among them, Zhu Wu was the most excited, with tears in his eyes and his voice hoarse from shouting.

Only Pang Qiutang looked somber. In fact, she had become taciturn since yesterday after checking the bounty notices in the city.

He was completely out of his mind, often spacing out.

When she left Xiangzhou, her eldest brother Pang Wanchun and second brother Pang Qianqiu still had rewards offered for their services, but now they are all gone.

According to current custom, if the government's reward is no longer offered, it usually means that the thief has been executed.

"Qiu Tang!"

Just as she was stunned again, Zhu Biao suddenly rode up to her side and patted her shoulder hard.

"what?"

Zhu Biao hadn't called her by her real name in a long time, and Pang Qiutang was stunned.

"Don't worry! Your brother is fine!"

"Really? Third Brother, you're not lying to me!"

Pang Qiutang suddenly came to her senses, her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled with tears.

Zhu Biao nodded emphatically: "I would never lie to you!"