Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 25 36 Stratagems

One step, two steps, three steps...

A flirtatious woman, carrying a jar of murky wine, swayed her hips as she gracefully walked towards the table.

Zheng Tu pretended not to care and kept his head down eating, but his eyes were fixed on the woman's steps, silently counting the distance between them.

He thought to himself, "I must wait until she's within five steps before I make my move. If she's too far away, she might escape; if she's too close, I won't be able to maneuver properly. Once she's close, I'll capture this wicked woman in one fell swoop. Those two fools in the kitchen will be hesitant to act, and then things will be much easier."

Seeing that Sun Erniang was already six steps away, Zheng Tu gave the five merchants a wink, then suddenly stood up and leaped toward the woman like a tiger pouncing on its prey!

Almost simultaneously, several "swish" sounds came from behind.

The five merchants also stood up at the same time, each quickly drawing their weapons from their waists or bundles.

Hearing the synchronized sounds, Zheng Tu thought to himself, "These merchants move so cleanly and efficiently! Our great undertaking is about to succeed!"

Before the thought had even formed, I suddenly felt a chill down my back.

"Pfft!"

Five weapons simultaneously pierced through his back and exited from his front!

One slash pierced the left chest, another the right rib, an axe split the shoulder blade, and two slashes pierced the waist and abdomen.

Pain surged through him like a tidal wave, and Zheng Tu's initial momentum as he lunged at the woman vanished instantly. He shuddered violently, looked down, and saw a blood-stained blade tip protruding from his chest, blood continuously oozing out.

He turned his head with difficulty, staring wide-eyed at the five merchants, his throat bobbing, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

They showed no sign of panic; their expressions remained completely normal.

The burly man at the head of the group slowly drew his knife and sneered, "You're quite the storyteller! We've been merchants for years, and who doesn't know that Sun Erniang's shop at Shizipo in Mengzhou is a renowned 'good place'? If we didn't have this 'fragrant meat' business, where would we get our fortunes? You've walked right into our trap; you deserve to be the filling for our dumplings!"

"The Demonic Sun Erniang! At Shizipo, Mengzhou Road!"

Zheng Tu coughed up blood and suffered a severe shock in his head.

Yes, this woman in front of me at Shizipo in Mengzhou is none other than Sun Erniang, the shrew who runs a black market shop selling meat buns at Shizipo!

These five "merchants" in front of us are not just passersby; they are clearly gangsters who frequently come here to sell stolen goods and distribute meat!

Loud footsteps echoed from the kitchen, and two shirtless, fat men rushed out, carrying thick-backed machetes, blocking the shop entrance from the left and right.

With a silly grin on his face bearing a blue mark, he said, "Haha! With its four legs removed, it's a fine two-legged sheep again!"

Sun Erniang slammed the wine jar on the table, put her hands on her hips, and laughed, "I knew you were up to no good! You were lurking around behind the house earlier, did you think I was blind?"

Eight men surrounded Zheng Tu in the center, their swords flashing.

The sun was blazing outside the tavern, but the interior was eerily cold.

Zheng Tu felt blood gushing from the five knife wounds, his strength draining away with the blood. He glanced around at the crowd and smiled bitterly to himself: "He who hunts geese all day long has finally been pecked in the eye by one. It turns out these merchants are their accomplices!"

Sun Erniang first took off her green gauze shirt and then her red silk skirt, and said sternly, "What are you waiting for? Do it! Chop this bastard into pieces and make beef!"

The seven men shouted in unison, brandishing their swords and rushing forward.

Zheng Tu tried to struggle, but he was too weak.

Before my eyes, blades flashed and axes clashed, and the sounds of flesh tearing and blood splattering were incessant.

.........

[Zheng Tu, died. 】

[Survival days: 0 days.]

Zheng Tu suddenly opened his eyes, his face covered in cold sweat and showing signs of pain.

In the previous life, at least there was a sleeping potion to relieve the pain, but this time, the knife wounds were real, with each knife piercing the heart, and it was all real, without any fakery!

There's always a higher mountain to climb. He thought he was on the second level, but it turned out that others were on the fifth level.

That shrewish Sun Erniang and her gang had been committing murder and robbery for years, their network already tightly woven. He, alone, had been far too naive.

That shrewish Sun Erniang slaughtered him like a pig or a cow, skinning and removing his bones. How could he not avenge this?!

How could we forgive her for the murder she caused?!

Zheng Tu looked up at the tavern on the hillside. It was no more than a hundred meters away. The wine flag fluttered slightly in the wind, as if beckoning.

Zheng Tu frowned and stared for a long time, then hardened his heart:

"run!"

There are eight skilled fighters in this tavern right now. Sun Erniang goes without saying, the two fat men are incredibly strong, and the five "traveling merchants" are also desperate criminals who have lived on the edge of a knife.

Not to mention Zhang Qing, Sun Erniang's lover, "Vegetable Gardener," whose whereabouts are currently unknown. If he is nearby, it would mean another formidable enemy.

If I insist on going to fight head-on, with my current skills, I'm afraid I'll die again!

Even if we don't engage in a direct confrontation, but instead entangle ourselves in the shadows, we're unlikely to gain any immediate advantage, and who knows how much more time will be wasted here.

Unlike the wealthy Zhao, who could be easily dealt with by simply arresting a few individuals, these people were united, looked after each other, and were accustomed to committing evil deeds together…

"Where there's life, there's hope."

After much deliberation, Zheng Tu said, "Once my martial arts skills have improved, and I have gathered enough men, I will uproot this shady inn at Shizipo, and deal with that thieving woman, Caiyuanzi, and their five accomplices one by one! Only then will I be able to vent my hatred!"

Having made up his mind, Zheng Tu was about to spur his horse and prepare to take a detour.

With a sharp crack of the whip, the yellow horse neighed loudly, its four hooves flying, kicking up a cloud of dust as it rode away into the distance.

It is:

A dragon in shallow water is mocked by shrimp; a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs.

Endure your resentment for now, and we'll settle our score another day.

Zheng Tu bypassed the treacherous cross slope and chose to walk along the path through the woods where leaves had fallen.

Sure enough, after traveling more than ten miles, they saw ancient trees and lush weeds, but not a single person in sight, and the weight on their hearts finally lifted.

"As the ancients said, 'Never enter a forest,' but today we were fortunate to escape the murderous intent of that treacherous inn thanks to this forest."

Just then, he suddenly felt the horse beneath him buckle in the front hooves and let out a mournful neigh.

The horse stumbled forward, its neck snapping sharply, throwing Zheng Tu straight off the saddle.

Zheng Tu was a skilled fighter. He did a somersault in mid-air, rolled three times after his feet touched the ground to dissipate the force, and then assumed a wide stance, his eyes gleaming as he warily surveyed his surroundings.

In the woods, one could only hear the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and the occasional cry of crows and sparrows; there was no human voice.

After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, all around remained deathly silent.

Zheng Tu then stopped and slowly approached the horse. He saw the horse lying on its side, foaming at its mouth and nose, with one of its front legs tightly gripped by a trap.

Upon closer inspection, the horse's neck was bent at a horrifying angle, clearly indicating that the fall had broken its neck bones, and it was obviously beyond saving.

Zheng Tu recognized the object as a "tiger head trap" commonly used by hunters in the mountains, designed specifically for capturing large beasts such as wild boars and deer. The clamping force was probably several hundred pounds.

He felt a pang of annoyance, squatted down, stroked the horse's mane, and sighed inwardly.

The horse seemed to understand human nature, its large, moist eyes gazing at Zheng Tu, its breathing gradually weakening.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes.