Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 49 Hidden Crisis

Lord Ying stood in the middle of the street, watching the beautiful figure disappear behind the door, still feeling the lingering fragrance and his soul swaying.

After a long while, he smacked his lips, still seemingly unsatisfied, and murmured:

"Such a rare beauty, unparalleled in heaven and earth, is beyond my ability to possess. It should be... offered to Brother Ximen! Hehe, I never expected that today's event would be a double win, killing two birds with one stone!"

The more he thought about it, the more comfortable he felt. He glanced at the sky and thought, "It's getting late. I'll find a prostitute to cool off first. Once I've planned everything, I can combine two achievements into one, which will bring in even more income!"

He gazed at the small building a few more times, memorizing its location, facade, and surrounding scenery, before swaying his head and humming lewd tunes as he staggered away.

Inside the teahouse, Zheng Tu sat alone at the table, deep in thought.

Now I'm out of money, with only a few copper coins left in my pocket. Finding food and lodging for the next three days is a problem.

After seeing Ying Bojue off, Granny Wang stood at the door for a moment before turning back into the shop.

How sharp-eyed and discerning was this Wang Qianniang?

Having long seen Zheng Tu's predicament, and knowing that this man was highly skilled in martial arts, if he could truly get close to Ximen Qing, he would undoubtedly become a prominent figure in the future. Offering help now was perfectly timed.

He then smiled at Zheng Tu and said, "Sir, please rest assured. Since Ying Hua Zi has already agreed, this matter is very likely to succeed. If you don't mind, you can stay in the back room of my teahouse for the next few days. The room and food will be on my tab. We can settle the bill when we become successful in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tu stood up and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, master. I am deeply grateful."

He had nowhere to go at the moment, so staying here temporarily would save him money and make it easier for him to contact Wang Po and Ying Bojue, which was perfect.

There is indeed an unused side room in the backyard of the teahouse. The room is small, with only a bed, a table and a stool, but it is kept clean.

The window faces the street and is covered tightly with paper, leaving only a small gap for ventilation.

Zheng Tu put down his bundle, sat on the hard bed, and looked around. The room was simply furnished, but it was quiet.

He lay down and tried it out; the bed board was hard, but it was sturdy.

.........

After chatting with his two companions in the alley for a while, Wang Qilang went his separate ways and headed home alone.

His two accomplices, though outwardly agreeing, were inwardly skeptical, believing that Wang Qi had simply suffered a setback that day and was exaggerating the man's abilities to save face. They didn't expose him and went their separate ways.

Wang Qilang, however, had complete faith in his own judgment.

He has been living in the streets for more than ten years, relying on his keen eye and cautiousness.

The murderous intent in that man's eyes today was no mere bluff! It was a genuine aura of someone who had seen blood and taken lives!

"I provoked his lover so badly, and he just threw me to the ground and that was it? What's the meaning behind such a nonchalant attitude?"

Wang Qi felt increasingly uneasy and couldn't help but ask himself a question.

"If someone else provoked me like this, what should I do?"

The answer is self-evident: that scoundrel who can't utter a single tusk must be beaten so badly he won't even recognize his own mother, and then squeezed out a few taels of money for medicine, otherwise this matter will never be over!

"If a scoundrel like me is treated like this, how could that man, with his methods, let me off so easily? Could it be that he's worried about getting into trouble in broad daylight, so he's letting me off lightly? The retaliation... is still to come?!"

Who knows... they might be plotting to have a masked assailant break my legs in the dead of night! Or perhaps... I'll be found hanged from a beam tomorrow! Who knows!

Once the thought arose, it couldn't be stopped.

Upon thinking of this, Wang Qi felt a chill run through his body, and the hairs on his body stood on end!

It is just as the saying goes: A sword hanging overhead is most sharp when it is about to fall; a bird startled by the twang of a bow trembles at the sound of a bowstring.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. His face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he stumbled to his doorstep, only to fall on the threshold.

His family helped him into the house, but he was seen with unfocused eyes and trembling all over.

That night, Wang Qilang had a series of nightmares, and by dawn, he was seriously ill and could not get out of bed!

His face was sallow, his lips were purple, his eyes were lifeless, and he kept muttering incoherently, "Hero, spare me... spare me... I won't dare to do it again..."

The family invited a doctor to come and take a look.

The doctor took the pulse, examined the tongue, and shook his head, saying, "The pulse is disordered, and the mind is restless. This is due to excessive fear, which has damaged the heart and gallbladder. I will prescribe some calming medicine, but a heart ailment requires a heart remedy."

After taking the medicine, Wang Qi not only did not get better, but his condition worsened. He huddled in the corner of the bed all day, and would jump up at the slightest sound, acting like a madman.

The Wang family was at a loss when they suddenly remembered that Wang Qi had a cousin surnamed Huang, who was the fourth in his family and was known as Huang Silang.

This man was a carpenter, a man of few words who usually only cared about his own business and had dealings with Wang Qishao.

But the Wang family all knew that Huang Silang was steady and decisive, and he made most of the decisions on important family matters.

Left with no other choice, the Wang family had to ask Huang Silang for help.

Huang Silang was planing a plank in his workshop. After hearing the purpose of the visit, he didn't say anything, but put down the plank, patted the sawdust off his clothes, and followed the visitor to the Wang family.

He entered Wang Qi's bedroom, and a strong smell of medicine wafted towards him.

But Wang Qi was curled up on the bed, his eyes glazed over, muttering to himself.

Huang Silang stood expressionless by Wang Qi's bedside, gazing at his pitiful state. After a long while, he suddenly spoke:

"Tell me, Seventh Brother, what kind of shady business has led you to this wretched state?"

Wang Qi was feeling bewildered when he suddenly heard that familiar voice. He trembled and slowly turned his head.

He looked up at Huang Silang, his cousin whom he had always feared.

He himself couldn't explain why he was afraid of him for no reason. He was just a carpenter, so Wang Qilang simply stopped associating with him.

Just looking at Huang Silang's appearance, for some reason, the boundless fear in my heart subsided a little, and instead, a sense of confidence suddenly rose up!

This cousin of mine... though he's usually stern and doesn't smile much, there's never been a problem he can't solve if he's around!

Tears suddenly welled up in Wang Qi's eyes. He struggled to sit up in bed, grabbed Huang Silang's hand tightly, and hissed:

"Fourth Brother! Please save me! There's a wicked man... who wants to take my life!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Silang frowned almost imperceptibly, letting him hold him, and said sparingly, "Tell me from the beginning."

Wang Qi spoke incoherently, recounting how he had flirted with Pan Jinlian on Zishi Street the previous day, how he had been taught a lesson by Zheng Tu, and how he had become increasingly frightened the more he thought about it.

Finally, she cried out, "Fourth Brother, that man is no good! He will definitely not let me go! He might... he might come to take my life tonight!"

After listening, Huang Silang remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand and sat down on the stool.

"What's the man you're talking about? What's his name? What does he look like? Where does he live?"

……

After a while, Huang Silang slowly walked out of the room.

The Queen Mother chased after him, calling out, "Fourth Prince, you..."

Huang Silang turned around and said calmly, "Don't worry, Aunt. I have already thought of a way to solve Qilang's heart problem."