Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter 88 Homecoming: The Second Big Show

The courtyard that Zhu Biao was assigned had a total of eleven rooms.

He made the arrangements quickly.

In the east wing, Lin Chong and his wife shared a room; Instructor Zhang had a room to himself, and next door lived Zhu Wu and his wife.

In the west wing, Wu Da and Pan Jinlian shared a room; Wu Song had a room by himself; and in the last room, Su Fang and Zhu San lived.

In the main room of the north wing, Zhu Biao and Luan Tingyu still lived in their original rooms, while Ruyi and Pang Qiutang were given a separate room.

The spacious four-courtyard house was almost full, and it became more lively than ever before.

To be honest, Zhu Biao doesn't really like crowds, but this is just a temporary measure; he'll adjust things once he has the time.

It was just getting dark, and it wasn't dinnertime yet.

After arranging things for everyone and telling them to rest for the time being, Zhu Biao asked Luan Tingyu to look after them for a while before hurriedly leaving.

What for? Of course, it was to visit his wounded brothers, including his most trusted brother, Zhu Jiu.

On the eastern edge of the military camp at Zhujiawu Fortress, there was a small clinic where an old doctor named Tan worked, specializing in treating bone injuries.

On ordinary days, he was in charge of the wounded and sick soldiers and servants, as well as the large livestock in the backyard.

In fact, he was originally a veterinarian.

There was another ward to the west of the clinic, where several wounded soldiers were lying side by side on the communal beds.

"Young Master, Young Master~"

When Zhu Biao entered, Zhu Jiu was awake and was struggling to sit up.

"Zhu Jiu, why are you getting up? Lie down properly."

He rushed over immediately and reached out to support him.

"Me, me~"

Zhu Jiu was covered in sweat and hesitated to speak.

"Just say what you have to say. Why are you hesitating?"

"I...I need to pee."

Zhu Biao was slightly taken aback, then his gaze swept quickly around the ward, and he immediately flew into a rage.

There was no chamber pot or kettle in the room, and the stove wasn't lit either; the room was as cold as an ice cellar.

"Doctor Tan! Granny Zhang! Erdezi!"

He raised an eyebrow, stood up abruptly, and shouted loudly towards the medical hall.

Granny Zhang is Dr. Tan's wife, and Erdezi is his son. The three of them run the clinic on weekdays.

"Young Master, please stop shouting."

Zhu Jiu tugged at his arm with difficulty.

"Grandma Zhang was sent to the market by Second Madam to buy medicine to prevent miscarriage. Doctor Tan and Erdezi were also called away by the master just now, saying that Saihu is sick."

quack!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with fury.

Saihu is a dog, a purebred Khitan mastiff raised by Zhu Long. It is entirely black except for two golden spots between its eyebrows, which Zhu Long cherishes dearly.

But no matter how precious they are, they can't compare to the injuries of Zhu Biao's brothers.

Moreover, this guy clearly did it on purpose.

"Wait a moment!"

Zhu Biao exhaled a breath of stale air, helped Zhu Jiu lean against the wall, turned around and pushed open the door to leave.

Soon, he returned, carrying a ceramic pot and a brazier in his hand, with several rolls of bedding tucked under his arm.

"Hey, pee here!"

Zhu Biao handed the earthenware pot to Zhu Jiu.

"Young Master, this...this is not appropriate."

Zhu Jiu hesitated. This thing wasn't a chamber pot; it was the kind of tool Tan Langzhong's family used for cooking and boiling water.

"Urine!"

Zhu Biao gave a light scolding, turned around, and spread out the bedding he had brought, covering the other brothers with it.

"Young Master~~"

They tried to struggle to get up, but Zhu Biao hissed, "Shut up! All of you, just lie there quietly!"

After a short while, Zhu Biao personally lit the stove and fixed the chimney, and the room gradually became warmer, but the Tan family still had not returned.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes. He patted the dust off his hands and laughed, "Brothers, I'll be right back. I'll treat you to dog meat tonight to help you recover."

The courtyard consists of three sections: the east wing and the central hall.

"Sir, now that Saihu is alright, I'll take my leave. There are still a few wounded lying in the clinic that need to be tended to."

Tan Langzhong bowed to Zhulong with his hands clasped, and beads of sweat were faintly visible on his forehead.

"What are you busy with?"

Zhu Long leaned back in his chair with an air of superiority, and patted the handsome, half-person-tall dog squatting beside him.

"Saihu has recently gotten lice, so please apply some more insect repellent to him."

Doctor Tan quickly replied, "Yes, sir, I'll go back and get the medicine right away."

He had just turned around when he heard Zhu Long say coldly, "Doctor Tan, don't forget that I am the eldest son of the family and the future head of the Zhu family. You should know in your heart how to choose."

"Uh~"

Tan Langzhong suddenly stopped, then slowly turned around.

"The old man is confused; he only has insect repellent with him. I'll apply it to Saihu right now."

"Hey, that's more like it, a wise person knows when to yield~~"

Zhu Long smiled, but his smile froze abruptly the next moment.

Suddenly, the door was pulled open, and Zhu Biao strode in with a smile on his face—a smile that sent chills down your spine.

"Brother, I heard your precious Saihu is sick, so I came to inquire after you."

"Waaah~"

Before Zhu Long could reply, the black dog beside him suddenly sat up, baring its sharp teeth and growling at Zhu Biao in a low voice.

This beast is quite perceptive; it sensed Zhu Biao's murderous intent.

"You beast, how dare you bare your teeth at your master!"

Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow, let out a low shout, and took a step forward, deliberately raising one arm.

"Aww!"

It is said that a dog relies on its master's power. This beast was used to being arrogant in the Zhu family and could not stand being provoked. He roared and pounced on the beast.

However, it was still very careful with its bite, targeting Zhu Biao's arm and avoiding vital organs.

However, Zhu Biao disregarded martial ethics. He spun around and grabbed the black dog by the scruff of its neck.

Puff puff!

The next instant, he lightly raised his wrist, and the chilling sound of an iron arrow piercing flesh rang out.

In the blink of an eye, three hidden arrows pierced the black dog's brain one after another. The beast died instantly without even letting out a howl.

Pfft!

Zhu Biao casually tossed the dog carcass on the ground, brushed off a few dog hairs stuck to his hand, and said indifferently.

"What an ungrateful wretch! How dare he kill his master! Brother, I've already killed this mad dog for you, no need to thank me."

""

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, and only now did Zhu Long awaken from his dream.

"You, you dare kill my Saihu?"

He abruptly stood up, pointing tremblingly at Zhu Biao, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, his face flushed crimson, and he was panting heavily.

Zhu Biao, however, remained calm and unperturbed.

"Brother, don't be alarmed. He's just a mad dog that kills its master."

"Mad dog? I think you're the crazy one. I'll beat you awake right now!"

Zhu Long was furious and raised his fist to strike, but Zhu Biao did not fight back. He simply leaped away lightly and casually opened the door and slipped into the yard.

"Stop running!"

Zhu Long had lost his mind and was chasing after Zhu Biao like a madman, but he couldn't even touch a hair on Zhu Biao's head.

Zhu Biao's talent for martial arts far surpassed that of his two older brothers.

Having fought countless battles and traveled thousands of miles, his combat power has skyrocketed, and now he is only a hair's breadth away from becoming a top-tier expert.

And what about Zhu Long? At best, he's a third-rate expert, while Zhu Hu is slightly stronger, but still only close to second-rate.

"What are you standing there for? Stop him!"

Before long, Zhu Long was already panting. Several of his attendants heard the commotion and rushed over. He immediately shouted loudly.

"Third Master, please forgive me!"

The attendants immediately looked troubled, but since they were responsible for Zhu Long's livelihood, they dared not disobey and could only bite the bullet and approach.

Throughout the entire Zhu Family Village, the only people called Zhu Biao Third Master were Zhu Long and Zhu Hu's attendants.

"You son of a bitch!"

"How dare you?"

"Who dares to touch my brother?"

Just then, several roars erupted from the moon gate leading to the fourth courtyard.

Zhu San, Zhu Wu, Wu Song, Su Fang, Pang Qiutang and the others rushed out all at once, followed by Luan Tingyu.

Even Lin Chong and Instructor Zhang came out.

call out!

Pang Qiutang was ruthless and taciturn. He simply took a few quick steps, raised his hand, and shot an arrow, killing one of his servants.

"Third brother! Do you want to kill your brother?"

Zhu Long was startled by the arrow and abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Zhu Biao curled his lip and said unhurriedly, "Brother, you were the one who kept chasing and beating me just now, and even ordered your men to gang up on me. What? Shouldn't my brothers stop them?"

He paused, then his tone suddenly turned cold: "Instructing servants to kill their master, rebelling against the Heavenly Gang! Brother, is this how you manage your household?"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Zhu Long wasn't stupid. When this huge accusation was slapped on him, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and cold sweat broke out on his brow.

"You clearly killed my Saihu first!"

Zhu Biao's tone became even colder.

"Brother, I only have one question: Did that beast go mad and attack me first? Or was it not mad, but acting on your orders?"

At this moment, Zhu Chaofeng walked out of the north room with a gloomy face, and Zhu Biao's questioning became even more incisive.

"Brother, I just got home, haven't eaten a single meal or drunk a single drop of water, and you can't even tolerate me?"

"I...I didn't!" Zhu Long panicked.