Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 34 Unexpected Changes

Zheng Tu rode his horse for about three miles when the mountain road ahead took a sharp turn, and he encountered a group of merchants blocking his way.

There was a mule cart blocking the middle of the road, and two men dressed as merchants were circling around the wheels, sighing and complaining, as if they had encountered some trouble.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Tu reined in his horse and slowed his pace, scrutinizing the two men from head to toe.

The two merchants were dressed in ordinary merchant attire, one in a straight robe and the other in short clothes.

The wheel was stuck deep in a ditch in the middle of the road, and the mules and horses struggled to pull it out, but the wheel wouldn't budge.

The man in the straight robe heard the sound of horses' hooves, turned around, saw Zheng Tu, and couldn't help but show a look of joy on his face. He shouted loudly:

"Hey sir, you've come at the perfect time! Please lend a hand, this wretched wheel is stuck in a ditch. Let the three of us work together to lift it out and clear the way, so as not to delay your journey!"

Another man clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Exactly! At home we rely on our parents, but when we're out in the world we rely on our friends. We're incredibly grateful for your help, brother!"

Seeing their sincere expressions, Zheng Tu nodded: "It's alright. As the saying goes, helping others is helping yourself. Since we've met, it must be fate. I'll help you now."

Upon hearing this, the two merchants were overjoyed and clasped their hands in unison, saying, "Your Excellency is truly righteous!"

Zheng Tu dismounted and tied the reins to a dead tree stump by the roadside. He walked to the mule cart, bent down, and carefully examined how deeply the wheels were stuck in the muddy ground.

After looking at it, he clicked his tongue and said, "This pit is too deep. Without a hundred pounds of strength, it probably can't be moved."

The two merchants hurriedly clasped their hands and said, "That's right, that's right! It's all thanks to the hero's divine strength." After saying that, they squatted down and approached each other.

But at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

As Zheng Tu bowed, he suddenly turned around and swung his right fist like a cannonball, delivering a hook punch from below!

"Bang!"

The punch was powerful and heavy, hitting the man squarely in the jaw!

With a sharp crack and the sound of blood and flesh splattering, half of the man's jaw was dented, his eyes bulging out. Without even uttering a sound, he fell backward like a broken sack, clearly beyond saving.

Before the other merchant could even cry out, Zheng Tu, still with his back turned, swept his left leg across like lightning, striking him squarely in the ribs!

The man let out a miserable howl as his body flew more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

He struggled to sit up, his face contorted with pain and horror, and hissed, "Why...why?! We have no grudge against each other, why did it have to come to this?!"

Zheng Tu remained calm and said indifferently, "There are three more? Don't hide them, come out all at once!"

The man on the ground's expression changed several times. He gritted his teeth and hissed at the roadside straw, "Brother! This guy's hands and feet are strong! The wind's getting fierce!"

Before he finished speaking, three masked giants leaped out from behind Zheng Tu's left and right! Each of them held a steel knife and moved with agility.

The leader was a wiry man. Although his face was covered, his long, narrow eyes were visible, and they gleamed with a sharp light, giving him the air of a leader.

The man sized Zheng Tu up and down, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "You have quite the eye! How did you see through me? Could you be one of those officials at the yamen?"

Zheng Tu shook his head and did not answer.

Upon seeing this, the leader simply ripped off his black mask, revealing a gaunt and sinister face with high cheekbones and a scar on the corner of his mouth.

He revealed a cruel smile and said, "Although I don't know how you saw through the flaw, you've run into my hands today, 'Flower-Piercing Tiger' Tang Wu, so it's your fate to die."

Having said that, he twirled the foot-and-a-half-long dagger in his hand, making it flash silver light like a butterfly flitting among flowers—no ordinary technique whatsoever.

Tang Wu was originally a notorious thug in Huayin County. Due to a romantic entanglement, he killed eighteen of his enemies in one night and became a fugitive in the martial arts world.

The swift knife in his hand had tasted countless drop of blood, earning him a reputation among outlaws. The group of five men before him were the highwaymen he had gathered as their leader.

Zheng Tu's sudden attack was certainly not without reason.

It was because they recognized the faces of the two "trading merchants".

These are none other than the five merchants who stabbed him five times in the back at Sun Erniang's shop in his previous life!

That style of dress, demeanor, eyes, and figure—Zheng Tu had died once before, how could he forget it?

I was planning to get back at them another day, but I unexpectedly ran into them here. How could I not strike first?

Seeing Tang Wu's skillful knife work, Zheng Tu's expression turned serious.

Although he was skilled in martial arts and his strength had increased significantly, he was still unarmed when facing such skilled martial artists wielding weapons, and was naturally at a disadvantage.

Tang Wu didn't reply. He moved swiftly, and the sharp knife in his hand turned into a white light, stabbing straight at him!

This strike was swift and ruthless, clearly intended to kill instantly.

Zheng Tu dared not be careless. He suddenly exerted force with his feet and charged forward, neither dodging nor avoiding, but directly facing the blade!

A hint of surprise flashed in Tang Wu's eyes, which quickly turned into ruthlessness.

Such arrogance is simply courting death!

The two figures crossed paths.

"puff."

There was a muffled thud, like wet cowhide being pierced by a tremendous force.

Tang Wuqian's momentum suddenly froze, and he lowered his head in disbelief.

A muscular fist emerged straight from his abdomen, with drops of blood dripping from its tip.

"You..." Tang Wu opened his mouth to speak, but only spat out a mouthful of blood.

Zheng Tu slowly withdrew his fist and turned around, his expression calm. He realized that he had overestimated his opponent's strength again.

Tang Wu collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open, his breath gone.

In just one encounter, the infamous "Flower-Piercing Tiger" of the martial arts world was killed on the spot!

The remaining two masked men were terrified. They exchanged a glance, shouted in unison, and turned to flee!

Zheng Tu wouldn't let them escape. He leaped after them, and with two cries, the two men fell to the ground, dead.

He killed five people in the blink of an eye.

Zheng Tu shook the blood off his fists, walked to the mule cart, lifted the cover, and found the cart empty except for a few bundles of dry grass.

Seeing this, Zheng Tu shook his head helplessly. These people who were doing business without any investment really weren't willing to put up any capital at all.

He then walked up to the man who was seriously injured but not dead.

The man's face was ashen, and he pleaded in a trembling voice, "Hero, spare my life... spare my life..."

Zheng Tu wouldn't allow him to say another word, and with a single palm strike, ended his life.

They searched the five corpses thoroughly, but found not a single penny.

However, the knife in Tang Wu's hand was a fine knife, made of fine iron. Zheng Tu didn't stand on ceremony and simply picked it up and left.

……

After a while, footsteps were heard, and someone bent down to examine the corpses scattered on the ground.

A deep male voice sighed, "Tsk tsk, what a fine technique. It's just a pity about my good weapon."

He then picked up the bodies, one in each hand, and muttered to himself, "They've bled to death. They'll just have to be used to fill the vegetable patch. They'll be good fertilizer, though."