Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter 84 Every family has its own troubles

"Don't panic! I'm here!"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Biao's pupils instantly turned bloodshot, and he let out a loud roar.

Then, he threw away his bow, drew his spear, and spurred his horse forward at breakneck speed while rapidly assembling it.

"Young Master!"

Zhu Jiu, who was already exhausted and on the verge of collapse, suddenly brightened up when he heard his roar.

"Saburo!"

Luan Tingyu was also invigorated, and suddenly increased the strength in his hand, forcefully snatching the iron rod and forcing the bandit in front of him away.

Facing bandits who outnumbered them nearly tenfold, their ability to hold out until this moment was almost entirely due to Luan Tingyu's sheer willpower.

Zhu Biao's horse was fast, and in the blink of an eye, it rushed to within ten feet of the bandits' formation.

However, instead of charging straight ahead, he suddenly yanked the reins.

"Hiss~"

With a hiss, Tan Tou suddenly turned and swept past the edge of the bandits' formation. At the same time, Zhu Biao held his spear firmly in front of him.

prick!

One man and one horse, like a razor.

The three outermost henchmen were caught off guard and instantly had their bellies ripped open by the blades, their screams deafening.

Having landed a successful blow, Zhu Biao lightly tapped the horse's belly, and Tan Tou immediately understood, causing the horse to suddenly spin back.

Hiss~

Zhu Biao seized the opportunity and flicked his hands, his spear swaying left and right like a venomous snake, instantly creating a gap in the already scattered formation of the bandits.

The burly man with yellow eyes was cunning. He completely disregarded the lives of his men, secretly raising his long hammer, intending to launch a sneak attack amidst the chaos.

Clang!

Unexpectedly, an arrow came straight at him, and he hurriedly swung his hammer to barely block it.

Pang Qiutang did not charge into battle with Zhu Biao. She was weak and not good at swordsmanship. Staying on the perimeter was the best option for her.

"Brothers, hold on! Watch as Sanlang and I attack from both sides and crush these bastards!"

At this moment, Luan Tingyu had barely caught his breath and, with all his might, grabbed the iron staff and rushed toward the opening Zhu Biao had created.

Clang!

The burly man with yellow eyes once again deflected the hidden arrow shot by Pang Qiutang, his body swaying as he nearly fell over.

Pang Qiutang's intention was very clear: to behead the bandit leader. He kept a close eye on him, and even if he couldn't kill him, he could still disrupt his command.

Despite it being their first time working together, the three of them were incredibly in sync!

This is not over yet.

After killing one of the henchmen, Wu Song was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned red, and he wielded his knife like a windmill.

They were injured if they were near them, and killed if they were touched. In the blink of an eye, they had hacked down the few henchmen who had spun out, leaving them crying for their parents.

Moreover, Zhu San and Zhu Wu also rushed forward at this moment.

"Ninth Brother!"

"Screw you!"

Seeing their own brother lying in a pool of blood, the two of them went mad and started hacking at him with their knives.

Although Zhu Biao's reinforcements numbered only five, three of them were top-notch warriors: spearmen broke through enemy lines, archers beheaded enemies, and Wu Song slaughtered indiscriminately.

With Luan Tingyu's shrewd inside breakout, the bandits were cut in two in just a few breaths, and the two sides reunited.

"Master Luan!"

"Sanlang! I'll hold off these thugs with my men, you go and kill that bandit leader!"

Luan Tingyu's hair was disheveled and he was panting heavily, but he didn't utter a single word of nonsense. He raised the blood-stained stick and pointed it directly at the sallow-faced man.

Although he was exhausted to the point of collapse, his eyesight was still sharp, and with just a quick glance, he could tell that Zhu Biao's marksmanship had undergone a complete transformation.

Their combat strength is no less than his.

"good!"

Zhu Biao nodded emphatically, then pulled on the reins, dropped his spear, and charged forward half a zhang ahead of his horse, heading straight for the yellow-eyed giant.

"kill!"

Luan Tingyu roared and led everyone to charge closely on either side of him.

That burly man with yellow eyes was also skilled and perceptive. Seeing this situation, he knew that a direct confrontation was unavoidable, so he quickly moved his long hammer to his side.

This move also has a name, Hammer Swing, which is a method specifically designed to break through cavalry with blunt weapons.

The hoofbeats thundered, and the gleaming spear tip drew ever closer—seven zhang, five zhang, three zhang. Suddenly, the burly man with yellow eyes narrowed his eyes, strained his arms, and raised his long hammer.

Just then, Charcoal Head suddenly raised its hooves and stopped abruptly.

Ugh!

The heavy hammer swept past its hooves, coming within three feet.

The burly man with yellow eyes missed his target with all his might, and immediately lost his footing, staggering abruptly. At the same time, he heard a piercing whistle of an arrow.

shhhhhh!

His large body was instantly pierced by three hidden arrows, and he trembled several times.

prick!

At the same time, Tan Tou landed on his feet, and Zhu Biao used the momentum to slash downwards with his spear, cutting straight down on Tan Tou's shoulder and splitting half of his body in two.

Pfft!

The two pieces of the body hit the ground at the same time with a dull thud.

This yellow-eyed thief looked incredibly strong. Although Zhu Biao was confident of winning, he wouldn't confront him head-on. This was a fight to the death, so he would use every means possible.

"My goodness!"

The henchmen were terrified by their leader's gruesome death. Someone shouted, and everyone instantly collapsed and scattered in all directions.

"Where do you think you're going, you thieving bird!"

Wu Song went berserk, and Zhu San and Zhu Wu also lost their temper, chasing after him recklessly.

Alas, my second brother is indeed a formidable warrior, but compared to the standards of an infantry commander, he is still far from being up to par.

Zhu Biao sighed inwardly and called out helplessly, "Second Brother! Don't pursue a cornered enemy!"

afternoon.

A gentle, sheltered slope a few miles from that valley.

"Master Luan, have some hot soup."

On the bonfire, there was a large earthenware pot containing salt and sugar water. Zhu Biao scooped up a bowl and handed it to Luan Tingyu.

He took it, trembling as he drank several mouthfuls, before finally taking a long breath.

"Saburo's trip to Tokyo must have been quite unsettling. Not only has his marksmanship become much sharper, but his killing methods have also become more decisive."

Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, "There was no shortage of fighting, and we were only able to emerge unscathed by sheer luck."

Luan Tingyu gave him a deep look and nodded approvingly.

"Very good. You are neither arrogant nor impatient, and your temperament has become more composed."

"Master Luan, we're all family, so please don't flatter us."

Zhu Biao gave a perfunctory reply, then changed the subject.

"Master Luan, according to you, the warhorse that Master Lu sent, as well as the horses that were originally in my family, have now been taken by my two older brothers."

Just now, while waiting for the salt and sugar water to boil, Luan Tingyu had already given a general account of what had happened.

After he delivered two batches of grain to the Chai family, he waited a few more days. With the end of the year approaching, he became somewhat anxious.

After discussing with Zhu Chaofeng, he took Zhu Jiu and several private soldiers who were usually close to Zhu Biao and went out to meet him.

However, the horses in the village were seized by the brothers Zhu Long and Zhu Hu.

A month ago, Lu Junyi delivered thirty-five top-quality racing horses as promised, escorted by Yan Qing himself.

This is a rare item that money can't buy, and since Master Lu is renowned, the Zhu family didn't dare to renege on their debt and readily paid the balance.

These new horses, together with the original dozen or so horses in Zhujiazhuang, are enough to form a cavalry squad.

This is an incredibly powerful force. To put it simply, with this scout team, they could roam freely throughout Qing and Ji prefectures.

Zhu Long and Zhu Hu both had red eyes and were tempted.

They argued endlessly over these horses, and wouldn't allow Luan Tingyu, an outsider, to take even one away.

Zhu Chaofeng was soft-hearted and could not do anything to his two rebellious sons, so Luan Tingyu and the others had no choice but to travel on foot.

Then, when they arrived at Erlong Mountain, they were robbed by Deng Long and his henchmen.

If Zhu Biao hadn't arrived by chance, none of them would be alive today.

"Sigh~"

Luan Tingyu sighed.

"Every family has its own troubles, Sanlang! You should think carefully before you act, and don't do something like your brother having an affair."

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao sneered.

"Brothers fighting? No way. Even if my two foolish older brothers were tied together, they couldn't beat me."

He served Luan Tingyu another bowl of soup and added a sentence.

"Master Luan, these horses were bought with my own money. What right do they have to compete with me for them?"

Previously, Zhu Biao went to Qingzhou to seek an official position and stole five thousand strings of cash from his family. His two older brothers were already quite dissatisfied and quarreled with him every day.

Later, when he went to Daming Prefecture to buy horses, their quarrel escalated, and they even started arguing about splitting up the family property.

At that time, Zhu Biao was pressed for time.

Left with no other choice, he had to agree that after Zhu Chaofeng's death, he would not take a single penny of the Zhu family's land, houses, and shops, and thus he received 10,000 strings of cash in advance.

The hundred taels of gold prepaid to Lu Junyi came from this.

Luan Tingyu opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

This is a family matter for the Zhu family, and as an instructor from another clan, he really has no right to say anything more.

Zhu Biao didn't dwell on the topic. He glanced at Zhu Jiu, who had fainted from exhaustion, and asked in a low voice, "Master Luan, how is my ascetic friend?"

The monk friend was naturally referring to Lin Chong. When the troops were divided, Zhu Biao instructed Zhu Jiu to look after him.

"Don't worry, he's fine. He's been settled in my little courtyard."