Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 15 The Experienced

After leaving Tongqing Tower, Zheng Tu lowered his head and pondered the reason for his violent death in his previous life.

How did she die that night while sleeping peacefully in the inn?

Poisoning? Assassination? Or an acute illness? My mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, but I couldn't come up with a solution.

He had only taken a dozen or so steps when he suddenly felt a figure flash beside him. He felt a strong impact on his shoulder, which made him stagger.

Zheng Tu looked up, frowned, and demanded, "How do you walk like that...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the man slipped away like an eel, without looking back, and disappeared into a dark alleyway to the side.

This person's arrival is suspicious.

Zheng Tu's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This is bad!"

He hurriedly reached into his pocket, but the bag of gold and silver, which had been tucked into the inner pocket of his breast pocket, was now completely empty!

"You scoundrel! You've dared to mess with me!" Zheng Tu roared in fury.

Although he was a butcher, he had developed considerable strength, and ordinary hooligans in Weizhou City dared not approach him.

How can I tolerate being robbed of my money in the street?

Without time to think it through, I took off to chase after them.

The thief's figure flashed past the alley entrance, and Zheng Tu hurried a few steps to follow, turning into the alley as well.

The alley, however, was deep and narrow.

High walls stand on both sides, blocking out the sun, making it as dark as night even during the day.

The ground was littered with garbage and filth—rotten vegetable leaves, broken straw mats, and shards of tile—pile up so much that there was nowhere to step. A stench of sour decay filled the air.

Zheng Tu chased for about twenty or thirty paces, but the thief had already disappeared from sight.

The alley twists and turns, with many forks in the road. The thief seemed to know this area very well and had long since disappeared.

"Strange..." Zheng Tu stopped in his tracks, surprised and uncertain. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind his head!

He sensed something was wrong and was about to turn his head when a strong hemp rope was already wrapped around his neck with lightning speed, digging firmly into his flesh!

"Well!"

Zheng Tu's throat tightened, instantly turning blood red. His breath stopped abruptly, and everything went black.

He hastily used his basic martial arts skills, grabbing wildly behind him with both hands and struggling by kicking his feet.

Unfortunately, the person behind him was a seasoned veteran. He pressed his body tightly against Zheng Tu's back, his knees pressing against Zheng Tu's lower back, using the force to pin Zheng Tu firmly against the wall.

No matter how Zheng Tu twisted and turned, the rope tightened more and more, digging deep into his flesh.

Zheng Tu made a strange "hoho" sound, his tongue gradually extended, and his face darkened.

All those martial arts moves in his mind were utterly useless in the face of absolute power and suffocation.

After a short while, his struggles weakened, and his arms fell limply to his sides.

The man behind him was still not at ease, so he tightened the rope for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, until Zheng Tu was completely still, before he loosened the rope.

He then pushed hard, and the corpse crashed to the ground like a torn sack, splashing up a few drops of dirty water.

The alley returned to deathly silence, with only the faint sounds of the marketplace drifting from afar.

[Zheng Tu, died! 】

[Survival days: 0 days.]

……

Zheng Tu suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath.

I see the city gate of Yanmen County again!

The sun was still at midday, and pedestrians were coming and going in droves.

He subconsciously touched his neck, which was unharmed, and then touched his pocket, where the bag of gold and silver was still there.

"What... exactly happened?!"

Zheng Tu felt a chill in his heart and muttered to himself.

One sudden death or accident, two violent deaths, and different ways of dying, there must be something fishy going on!

The assassin in that dark alley was clearly after me!

He looked around and saw that the patrol officers were already looking in his direction, so he dared not linger.

I took the horse and walked briskly forward, following my memory.

He first went into the clothing store as if he knew the way well, and changed into the royal blue outfit he was wearing. When he came out of the store, the patrolling constables no longer paid him any attention because of his wealthy attire.

When they arrived at Tongqinglou, Zheng Tu went straight to the second floor and sat down in the same window seat.

The bartender came over to greet him, and he casually ordered a few dishes, but didn't touch his chopsticks.

"We must first increase our strength."

Zheng Tu thought to himself, "That assassin in the alley is cunning and skilled. Although I have some martial arts skills, I am far from being his match."

He immersed his mind in that pure white interface.

The words "Martial Arts: Beginner Fist and Footwork (1/3)" are still visible, with a faint glow following the "+" sign.

Without further hesitation, Zheng Tu devoted his remaining two points to the basic fist and foot techniques.

The thought had barely formed when two streaks of light disappeared into the entry one after the other.

The handwriting became severely blurred, then became clear again:

[Martial Arts: Proficient in Fist and Foot Techniques (1/6)]

Almost simultaneously, a surge of heat rose from his dantian, flowing like water through his limbs and bones.

Before Zheng Tu could fully appreciate the changes,

Suddenly, a sharp emptiness came from my stomach, as if countless hands were scratching inside.

Immediately afterwards, I felt dizzy, my vision went black, and my ears were ringing. It felt like I hadn't eaten for three days, and I was so hungry that I felt palpitations and shortness of breath.

Zheng Tu, hands supporting his forehead, forced himself to stay alert and, feigning nonchalance, called out, "Waiter!"

The waiter approached upon hearing the commotion and asked with a smile, "What can I do for you, sir?"

Zheng Tu lowered his voice: "Do you have any nourishing soups here?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter's eyes flashed with a hint of ambiguity, and he said with a teasing smile:

"You've come to the right person! Our Tongqinglou's Ten-Ingredient Nourishing Soup is our signature dish!"

It contains ten medicinal herbs, including goji berries, angelica root, astragalus root, and deer antler, and is simmered over low heat for three hours. It's excellent for replenishing yang and boosting qi. Merchants who travel all over the country always order a jar when they come..."

He spoke eloquently and animatedly.

Zheng Tu found it both amusing and helpless, knowing that the waiter must have misunderstood that he was "weak," but he was too lazy to argue.

He pulled out a piece of silver and threw it over: "Stop arguing and go get it quickly."

The waiter took the silver, which weighed about two or three coins, and beamed even more: "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll be right there!" With that, he dashed off.

Zheng Tu had thought that such a skillful soup would take a long time to prepare.

Before long, the waiter arrived carrying a steaming earthenware pot.

"Please enjoy, sir." The waiter lifted the lid of the jar, and a rich aroma of medicine mixed with the smell of meat wafted out.

Zheng Tu didn't care about anything else, he scooped up a spoonful, and the taste was sweet with a slight bitterness, and the soup was rich and mellow.

He was so hungry that he didn't care that it was hot and drank several large gulps.

The hot soup relieved the emptiness and dizziness considerably. After eating some well-cooked chicken and herbs, my energy gradually returned.

"How come this soup came out so quickly?" Zheng Tu asked in surprise as his spirits improved.

The waiter looked around, lowered his voice and said with a grin, "To be honest, sir, this pot was ordered by a guest in a private room on the second floor, and it was just stewed in the kitchen."

But since you're so generous, sir, I've brought you my food first. Hehe... please enjoy it, sir, but please don't make a sound, lest the manager punish you."

Zheng Tu found it amusing and waved his hand, saying, "I understand, you can go now."

The waiter bowed and withdrew.

Zheng Tu slowly sipped his soup, pondering, "It seems that increasing my martial arts skills has been extremely taxing, and I need to replenish my energy promptly. If I were to increase my skills again in the future, I would definitely need to ensure I have enough food on hand."

He clenched his fist, and the martial arts skills in his mind, which he had only roughly grasped before, suddenly became clear and integrated, as if he had practiced hard for three to five years.

He was even confident that he could withstand Li Zhong's stick-fighting techniques.

If he were facing his past self, he felt he could take on three of them!

"Such miraculous abilities?!"

Just as I was pondering this, I heard footsteps coming from the stairs.