Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 16 A Lustful Man

"Is this panel really that miraculous?!" Zheng Tu closed his eyes, a surge of joy in his heart.

I heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

Zheng Tu sat by the window, watching the Jin father and daughter gracefully descend the stairs, carrying a pipa and holding clappers.

Jin Cuilian wore a light green jacket, which made her skin appear even whiter than snow. However, the sorrow between her brows was even more pronounced than before, but given her age of eighteen or nineteen, it added a touch of charm to her appearance.

"In his previous life, he died suddenly in his sleep at an inn, but in his last life, he was strangled to death in a dark alley."

Zheng Tu pondered inwardly, "These two violent deaths had unexpected twists and turns..."

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering for a moment on Jin Cuilian's delicate, palm-sized face.

"Could it be... related to her?"

As soon as this thought arose, all sorts of doubts came rushing in. Zheng Tu pondered for a moment, then beckoned to the waiter.

When the waiter saw him beckoning, he knew that Zheng Tu was a wealthy customer. Overjoyed, he approached, bowed, and asked with a smile, "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Let me ask you," Zheng Tu said casually, "who are the father and daughter who were singing just now? Do you know?"

Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in the waiter's eyes.

He sized up Zheng Tu, noticing that the wealthy man was tall and imposing, dressed in fine clothes, and generous with his money. He had already made up his mind, thinking to himself, "This gentleman must have taken a fancy to the beauty of that young lady from the Jin family."

Recalling that Zheng Tu had specifically ordered that nourishing soup earlier, her suspicions were confirmed, and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "He really is a lustful devil, truly enviable."

He put on a smile and said in an ambiguous tone, "Reporting to your question, sir, this father and daughter are said to be from Tokyo. They came to our Yanmen County to avoid trouble because they got into some trouble in Weizhou City."

Speaking of Jin Cuilian, she was truly a beauty, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a slender waist. When she sang, her voice was as sweet as a nightingale's song. The master certainly has a good eye! It's just a pity... hehe..."

He chuckled twice, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Zheng Tu understood the implied meaning and knew that the waiter must know the inside story. He then took out a silver ingot of about one tael from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Just tell me what you mean, don't hide anything. If you tell me well, this silver will be your reward."

The waiter's eyes lit up, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Sir, you are truly generous!"

He looked around, then pretended to wipe the table as he leaned closer and whispered, "To be honest, sir, it's a pity that Jin Cuilian has already been taken a liking to Master Zhao, a wealthy man in our county!"

Zheng Tu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Master Zhao?"

"Exactly!" The waiter lowered his voice even further. "That Master Zhao is also quite discerning. A few days ago, he was drinking at Tongqing Restaurant when he happened to hear Jin Cuilian singing. He took a liking to her at first glance."

My lord, you may not know this, but when the Jin family father and daughter were in Tokyo, they had an old neighbor named Zhang San, who now does business in our Yanmen County and is quite favored by Master Zhao.

Zhang San then thought of acting as a go-between, proposing that Jin Cuilian be married to Master Zhao as his mistress.

As he spoke of this, he couldn't help but beam with excitement, clearly indicating that such romantic affairs were extremely enjoyable.

Seeing Zheng Tu remain silent and hesitant, the doctor looked him up and down and advised him:

"Let me be frank: judging from your accent, sir, you don't sound like someone from our county. If you've taken a fancy to Jin Cuilian, you should reconsider. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. This Master Zhao is a local tyrant in Yanmen County! Lust is a dangerous thing, sir, don't make a mistake!"

Zheng Tu, hearing his solemn tone, was already seven or eight parts convinced, but still pretended not to believe him:

"Oh? Is this Master Zhao really that capable? How could he be so certain that Jin Cuilian is his for the taking?"

Seeing that he didn't believe him, the waiter hurriedly said:

"My lord, you're foolish! This Master Zhao is no ordinary wealthy man. He's practiced martial arts since childhood, knows how to wield a spear and club, and keeps twenty or thirty strong servants who frequent the city year-round. It's right here at Tongqing Tower..."

He paused, his voice almost inaudible, "I'm afraid he has spies watching Jin Cuilian day and night!"

Zheng Tu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "Is that so?"

"Absolutely true!" Seeing that Zheng Tu seemed to be persuaded, the waiter told him everything he knew.

"My lord, you don't know, but this Master Zhao secretly gave orders that no one is allowed to reward the Jin father and daughter, let alone provide them with any assistance. Once they run out of money and are desperate, won't Jin Cuilian have no choice but to submit? Such methods, tsk tsk..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tu thought to himself.

When he gave away a hundred taels of gold last time, didn't that ruin Master Zhao's plans? Since Master Zhao has spies in Tongqing Restaurant, his public gesture of calling the waiter to give away gold has probably already attracted attention!

"So that's how it is..." Everything suddenly became clear.

The assassin in that alley was most likely sent by Master Zhao!

Having ruined someone else's plans and exposed their wealth, how could the other party possibly let it go?

As for his sudden death in the inn in his first life, the reason is unknown.

Seeing Zheng Tu remain silent and hesitant, the waiter assumed he was afraid and advised, "Sir, if you would heed my advice, there are plenty of courtesans in Yanmen County. Why invite such trouble? That Master Zhao is not someone to be trifled with."

Zheng Tu snapped out of his daze and pushed the silver on the table toward him, saying, "Take this. Don't mention what we just discussed to anyone else."

The waiter took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and beamed with delight: "I understand! Sir, rest assured, my mouth is very tight-lipped!"

After the waiter left, Zheng Tu sat alone by the window, his mind in turmoil.

He looked out the window at the bustling street scene, where it was hard to rule out the presence of Zhao Yuanwai's spies among the crowds.

He died a violent death because of his involvement with Jin Cuilian. Now that he knows the truth, how should he deal with it?

Zheng Tu sat alone by the window, lost in thought.

Since Master Zhao has set his sights on Jin Cuilian, it would be better to avoid him.

In any case, Jin Cuilian was nothing more than a stranger to her. The previous gift of gold had already been enough to repay the original owner's karmic debts, so why should she risk her life for her again?

This Master Zhao is a local tyrant with twenty or thirty servants under his command. He would be hard to defeat even with open attacks, let alone with hidden attacks.

Zheng Tu lowered his head, flexed his arm and leg muscles, and a feeling of complete control arose within him. He clearly felt an extreme proficiency in using his fists and legs; with every movement, the techniques flowed naturally from his chest.

Just like a master who has been immersed in martial arts for many years, every move is methodical. The warm current is still slowly circulating in my limbs and bones. With each cycle, I feel my strength increase by one point.

The martial arts routines in my mind became clearer and clearer.

Zheng Tu muttered to himself:

"As long as I don't meddle in other people's business and stay out of trouble, my martial arts skills will surely reach an extremely high level. In the future, not only will I be able to defeat Master Zhao, but I'm afraid I'll even be able to defeat those officers and captains on the border..."

Zheng Tu closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and leaned back in the chair.