Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 47 Go See the Beautiful Girl

Zheng Tu saw that the prickly ruffian was not afraid at all, but instead crossed his arms, tilted his head and squinted his eyes, pretending to be frivolous. Zheng Tu couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Does this person have some kind of confidence in him?

Did he have accomplices hidden nearby? Or were there soldiers around, and he was betting I wouldn't dare to make a move?

He looked around. The alley was quiet and deserted, with few pedestrians and no police officers patrolling.

The few people who were there, seeing the situation from afar, shrank back and hurriedly lowered their heads to take a detour, clearly afraid of getting into trouble.

"A golden opportunity."

Zheng Tu made up his mind and had no more reservations. Without hesitation, he strode forward.

The leader of the group of thorn-wielding idlers was named Wang Qi.

Seeing that Zheng Tu was not only unafraid, but was actually walking towards him, he was pleased instead of angry.

He crossed his arms, tilted his head to sized up the newcomer, a smirk playing on his lips, and a wolf-like glint flashing in his eyes.

"How long has it been... since anyone dared to offend Grandpa like this?" Wang Qi chuckled to himself.

He, "Iron Hand Wang Qilang," had been fighting and roaming the streets since he was fifteen. He was always the one who beat others, and no one ever beat him.

Because he was skilled in martial arts and had a keen eye, he always knew who was easy to mess with and who was not.

For a time, he specifically targeted those seemingly strong but actually impoverished peasants, simply because winning against them would save face, while losing would deter the peasants from going too far. It was a sure-fire way to make money.

He had seen many men like this, all physique and all clothes.

Which one of them wasn't caught up in a moment of hot-blooded enthusiasm, wanting to play the hero? But as soon as they put on a fierce look, a few words of intimidation, and a couple of dirty punches, most of them would back down. They might even be able to squeeze some money out of them as a bribe, enough for the brothers to have a drink.

Seeing that Zheng Tu was already three steps away, Wang Qi, following the usual practice on the street, cleared his throat, straightened his neck, and was about to shout, "You bastard, how dare you meddle in my business..."

Before he could even finish uttering the word "bird," Wang Qi felt a blur before his eyes, a sudden lightness in his body, and the world seemed to be upside down! His body soared into the air as if riding on clouds, leaving the ground in a flash. Before he could even cry out, another sharp pain shot through his body.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Wang Qi was slammed to the ground, dust flying everywhere.

He lay on the ground, feeling as if his internal organs had been turned upside down, seeing stars before his eyes, and nearly fainting from the shock.

pain!

It hurts so much!

"Cough...cough cough..."

He lay on the ground in pain, and it took him a long time to catch his breath.

After recovering a little, he struggled to open his eyes and saw that his two accomplices were also lying on the ground, clearly having suffered the same fate.

"Just one glance, how come...?"

Wang Qi was startled and barely managed to look up.

But the burly man was looking down at him from above, backlit, with half of his face hidden in shadow. His expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful, and his eyes were cold.

That look in his eyes...

Wang Qi's heart skipped a beat, and all his previous petty schemes and cunning calculations vanished instantly.

He hurriedly lowered his head, no longer daring to meet that gaze.

Who cares about "the mutton falling into the dog's mouth" right now? The most important thing is not to actually lose your own life!

"When did Wu Dalang get such a powerful figure to stand up for him?" Wang Qi wondered, his mind filled with doubt and suspicion. "If I had someone like that backing me up, why would I still be selling those bird-shaped steamed buns?"

The three men lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to move, awaiting Zheng Tu's judgment.

After waiting for a while, seeing that Zheng Tu had not made any further moves.

Wang Qi felt as if he had been granted a pardon. Enduring the pain, he slowly got up and winked at his two accomplices.

The three of them, supporting each other, limped away without looking back. Only when they turned out of the alley did they dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

After walking a distance, the three of them turned into a quiet alley, collapsed on the ground, and gasped for breath.

The man in the short jacket rubbed his stomach, grimacing, and said, "It hurt so much! That guy was really skilled; he took us all down in a single move. How come I've never heard of such a person in Qinghe County? Could he be Wu Song, the second brother Wu Dalang talks about all the time?"

The other person shook his head and said, "No, no! I've seen that Wu Erlang before; he has sword-like eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, not like this at all."

Wang Qi rubbed his lower back, his brows furrowed, and remained silent.

"That's strange," the short-sleeved man said疑惑地, "Such a formidable person, if he's Wu Dalang's friend, why has he never mentioned him before? He only ever talks about his second brother..."

The three were silent for a moment, then looked at each other and suddenly realized they had the same idea. They immediately revealed mocking and lewd expressions.

Since this man wasn't an acquaintance of Wu Dalang, why would he stand up for the Wu family? There's only one possibility—

"hey-hey……"

The man in the short jacket grinned lewdly and lowered his voice, "As I see it, this guy is probably that woman's lover! Otherwise, why would he bother with our business? Didn't you see that after he knocked us down, he even glanced at the second floor..."

The other man nodded repeatedly: "That's right! Beauties have always been paired with heroes. That man's martial arts skills are so good, it's quite an achievement that he managed to win over that beautiful woman. Tsk tsk, if I could taste that beautiful woman, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life..."

As they talked, the conversation drifted back to women, becoming increasingly vulgar and animated, with spittle flying everywhere, as if they had completely forgotten their earlier embarrassment.

Only Wang Qi squatted to one side, his brows furrowed and his face gloomy. He remained silent, seemingly burdened with worries.

The man in the gray shirt was getting into the conversation when he noticed that Wang Qi didn't react much. He nudged him with his elbow and asked curiously, "Wang Qi, what's wrong with you today? You were just tripped and fell, why are you acting like you've lost your soul? You're not usually this cowardly."

The man in the brown short-sleeved shirt chimed in, "Exactly! We're all street thugs, we're bound to get beaten up eventually. Let's get a few more brothers and find an opportunity to corner that guy in an alley and beat him to a pulp!"

Wang Qi slowly raised his head, glanced at the two of them, and lowered his voice, saying, "You... really think that man is easy to mess with?"

The two were taken aback.

Wang Qi took a deep breath, enduring the pain in his ribs, and asked, "Didn't you feel anything after that fall?"

The man in the gray shirt scratched his head: "What did I notice? It's just that I'm a bit stronger..."

"It's not just about being strong."

Wang Qi shook his head, a hint of lingering fear flashing in his eyes. "When he grabbed me just now, his movements were clean and efficient, clearly those of a trained fighter. The way he threw me seemed casual, but it was actually perfectly timed, making me so painful I couldn't get up, yet without injuring me. How could an ordinary man possess that level of skill?"

He paused, then said in a low voice, "What's even more terrifying is his gaze. You didn't see it... when he looked at me, his eyes... were so cold, like he was looking at a dead man. I saw the warden kill someone in the prison camp; he had that same look in his eyes."

Upon hearing this, the man in the gray cloth shirt and the man in the brown shorts both changed their expressions.

"You...you mean..." the man in the gray shirt said in a trembling voice, "that man...killed someone?"

Wang Qi nodded slowly: "Most likely. And there's more than one."

The three of them fell silent.

The only sound in the alley was the howling of the wind.

After a long silence, the man in the short jacket swallowed hard and whispered, "So... are we still going to the Wu family's gate to see the beautiful woman?"