Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 10 A Very Resolute Person

Now, Zheng the Butcher left the butcher shop and headed straight home.

He moved with the speed of the wind, his arms gleaming with power, and after passing through three or five streets and alleys, he soon spotted a plaster stall set up in a secluded corner.

Still no one is interested, and no business is being done.

Zheng Tu went straight to the stall and stood there. Li Zhong glanced up at him but didn't greet him, continuing to tidy up the items on his stall.

He still maintained a lukewarm demeanor.

Zheng Tu was already used to the scoundrel's deadly appearance, so he didn't bother to waste any more words with him. He reached into his robe and pulled out a heavy money pouch.

"Snap"

It was thrown onto the stall.

This is precisely why: money falling to the ground startles the eyes of the world, and wealth has always moved people's hearts.

This is the art of making money on the ground!

"Go with me," Zheng Tu said in a low voice. "I'll give you two more bags after it's done."

After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.

Li Zhong was taken aback. He looked down at the money bag, which was slightly loose, revealing four or five large silver ingots, which were at least ten taels in size.

Having traveled the world for many years, he had never seen such a generous customer.

Without a second thought, he hastily packed up his stall, hastily bundled up the plaster and cloth banner, slung them over his shoulder, and chased after the fleeing animal, repeatedly calling out, "Coming! Coming!"

The two walked through the streets and alleys, one in front of the other.

Zheng Tu walked swiftly, and Li Zhong hurried to keep up, thinking to himself, "Judging from his appearance and attire, this man is just a butcher. Why is he acting so arrogant today? And how did he know I had a stall here?"

While they were lost in thought, they arrived at a house.

The plaque above the house reads "Zheng Residence".

Zheng Tu stopped, pointed to the black lacquered gate, and said succinctly and sparingly, "Adulterous couple, a man and a woman, tie them up and send them here."

Li Zhong was stunned.

Where did this Mr. Zheng come from? How come he orders me around as if I were a servant in his household?

He wanted to refuse, but the purse was still burning hot in his pocket, warming his heart.

He gritted his teeth, circled around the house, threw his bundle into the corner, took a few steps back, took a running start, pushed off the wall, grabbed the eaves with his left hand, and flipped himself onto the top of the wall – quite agile!

Zheng Tu didn't look at the wall, but stood with his hands behind his back in front of the door, silently chanting in his heart.

"Five, four, three..."

……

"one"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a "creak" was heard.

The black lacquered door was already ajar.

Li Zhong poked his head out, a smug look on his face.

Just as he was about to say something like "I have successfully completed my mission" to show off his skills, Zheng Tu pushed the door open and entered, his expression calm and composed, as if he had known the door would open at this moment.

Seeing that Zheng Tu was not surprised at all, the smile that had just appeared on Li Zhong's face immediately froze.

The smugness in his heart vanished instantly, replaced by both frustration and astonishment: "Is this Master Zheng some kind of reincarnation of Zhuge Liang? How could he predict my movements—climbing over the wall and opening the door—with such precision!"

The two entered the courtyard and saw a man and a woman tied up at the foot of the steps of the main hall.

This time, however, he wasn't knocked unconscious.

The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a fair complexion, but his face was ashen at the moment; the woman was Fu, her mouth stuffed with a rag, and her eyes widened when she saw Zheng Tu enter.

Surprise, fear, doubt, confusion... a variety of expressions swirled across his face, and his body writhed and struggled like a carp out of water.

Without saying a word, Zheng Tu walked towards them, untied a rope from under the eaves, wrapped it around his hand three times, and walked directly behind the two women.

The rope left deep red marks on my palm.

Just as the noose was about to be put around her neck, Fu suddenly struggled, the rag in her mouth fell off, and she hissed, begging for mercy: "Sir, spare my life! If you kill me, you won't know where the money in the house is hidden..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tu couldn't help but smile. Without replying, he simply looped the rope around the necks of the two men and pulled it in with a powerful effort.

With a muffled thud, two lives were extinguished as quickly as a lamp.

This whole process took no more than half an incense stick's time.

Li Zhong, who was watching from the side, felt a chill run down his spine.

Zheng Tu's methods were truly swift and ruthless.

He didn't know how Zheng Tu knew his name, how Zheng Tu knew his methods, or even how this Master Zheng could be so decisive and emotionless towards the adulterous couple.

It must be understood that humans have blood and energy, and therefore have temperament.

When people have strong emotions, they may experience moments of anger and frustration, such as anxiety, fear, and rage. These are all normal human reactions.

A wife's infidelity is a disgrace to a man's home, a shame that tarnishes his reputation.

But even when faced with such an adulterous couple, Zheng Tu seemed completely unconcerned, as if he were just going through the motions!

There was no sign of blood rushing to his head; it was as if he had just smashed a bowl—no, there was no such emotional fluctuation, just as calm as drinking a sip of cold water! Such composure is terrifying!

In reality, Zheng Tu didn't have such a broad mind; he was just used to it.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, Zheng Tu turned around and looked at him: "You must be thinking: Is this how it's going to be dealt with?"

Li Zhong opened his mouth, but his throat was dry, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Zheng Tu threw the rope on the ground and said indifferently, "When you settle accounts with your customers, do you count them one finger at a time?"

Li Zhong shook his head blankly.

Zheng Tu laughed and said, "Since we know the result, why bother with the process?" After saying that, he bent down to search Zhang Yi's pocket.

Li Zhong stood there in the courtyard, not understanding what Zheng Tu was saying, but as he pondered it, he felt that there was something vague and indescribable about it.

……

Meanwhile, Lu Dalu, the military officer, found the butcher shop under the Zhuangyuan Bridge empty. Frustrated, he thought to himself, "Could this fellow have run away at the first sign of trouble?"

Just as he was feeling troubled, he suddenly saw a person emerge from the street corner. He hunched his neck and peeked out; it was the waiter who was helping Zheng Tu watch over the Jin family father and daughter.

When the waiter arrived at the shop and saw Niu Da, he rubbed his hands together and chuckled twice. Then he turned and walked eastward with light steps, a happy expression on his face, and humming a little tune.

Lu Da, observing this, had a sudden thought: "This fellow must know Zheng Tu's whereabouts!"

He immediately hid behind a locust tree at the alley entrance, and waited until the waiter had walked more than ten steps before quietly following him.

It was midday, and the streets were sparsely populated.

Lu Da was a burly man, not easy to follow, but fortunately he had learned tracking skills when he was in the army in his early years. He would choose to walk in the shadows of the eaves, and sometimes pretend to look at the street stalls, and sometimes stop to ask the old man carrying the load for directions. He never stayed more than twenty paces away from the waiter.

The waiter was completely unaware, and continued his journey through the streets and alleys, heading straight for the east of the city.

As he crossed the state bridge, he took out a few copper coins from his pocket and bought a string of candied hawthorns at the bridgehead. He ate them as he walked, feeling quite carefree.

As Lu Da watched from afar, he became even more certain: "If this fellow had nothing to celebrate, why would he be so happy? It must be that Zheng Tu promised him something!" Thinking of this, he clenched his fist, which was as big as a vinegar jar.

The two walked one after the other for about two hours before emerging from the bustling market.

The landscape gradually became desolate, with dilapidated courtyards lining the roadside and waist-high weeds growing on the walls.

The waiter stopped walking and turned back.

Lu Da, however, couldn't stand it any longer!