Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 85 This time I am running towards a good future
Su Wu also noticed Lin Chong's abnormality. He turned to look at Lin Chong, and then followed Lin Chong's gaze to look behind the hotel counter.

There was a man standing behind the counter. He was also a strong man. He was typing on an abacus with a frown on his face.

"Do you know him?" Su Wu asked.

Lin Chong didn't say anything, just nodded, and everyone went into the store and sat down.

Su Wu had already guessed roughly that Lin Chong knew this hotel, so it was most likely Cao Zheng, the knife-wielding ghost, who was Lin Chong's apprentice.

It was Cao Zheng who helped Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi to attack Erlongshan. However, after helping them, Cao Zheng did not immediately go to Erlongshan to become a bandit. Instead, he came back to run the hotel.

Su Wu came here for Erlong Mountain, so it was normal for him to meet Cao Zheng here.

After you sit down, a waiter will come up to serve you and take your order of food.

Su Wu also asked Lin Chong: "Since we know each other, why don't you say hello?"

Lin Chong shook his head: "Now is different from the past. I can't harm the eunuch..."

Su Wu felt relieved after hearing this, and Lin Chong's feelings were slowly warming up.

But Su Wu knew what was going on, so he just said, "Look at him counting the bills behind the counter, his brows are furrowed. I'm afraid his business is not going well. The business is really bad."

Su Wu had his eyes on Cao Zheng. Cao Zheng was no coward. He was born a butcher and had learned skills from Lin Chong several times in the past. He later lost all his capital in business and had no choice but to open a hotel in this remote place.

The more remote the place is, the more gangsters there are coming and going. To put it bluntly, there are not many good people among the guests.

It was obvious that Cao Zheng had quite good skills and was not afraid of any good or bad guys in the martial arts world. He was evenly matched with the Green-Faced Beast Yang Zhi after fighting for twenty or thirty rounds.

In the story, Cao Zheng later died a tragic death in Liangshan's war against Fang La.

After hearing what Su Wu said, Lin Chong would frequently look at Cao Zheng who was doing the accounting behind the counter. He really had a frown on his face, fearing that this business would not last long.

Perhaps because of this, after helping Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi occupy Erlong Mountain, Cao Zheng turned back to continue running the hotel, but finally chose to go to Erlong Mountain to become a bandit because he really couldn't survive.

Cao Zhengzi could also notice that the customers in the store were looking at him frequently, so he looked up a few more times, but he only saw eight big men, all of them were strong and armed...

He did not settle the bill, but came out from the counter and asked, "Where are you gentlemen coming from, and where are you going?"

This is not abrupt. Right now in Qingzhou, there are bandits in the three mountains and they are having countless conflicts with government soldiers, so his business is getting worse and worse.

There is no need to guess that these eight people who came here are either heroes who want to become bandits, or... officials.

If he is a hero, we will introduce him to Erlongshan. If he is an official, we must be extra careful and even send someone to inform the two leaders of Erlongshan.

If you take a closer look at Su Wu and his entourage, you will see that they look like officials. People of the underworld have their own temperament.

Cao Zheng was on guard.

Su Wu laughed and said, "Look where we came from and where we are going."

Cao Zheng immediately said in a serious tone: "Are you all public servants?"

Su Wu nodded: "You are good at guessing!"

Cao Zheng's expression changed, and he said with a dark face, "Let's go after we finish eating."

Su Wu replied: "What if you don't leave after eating? Can't you stay in this inn?"

Cao Zheng turned around and went towards the counter, his hand already under the counter. There was most likely a sharp blade hidden under the counter.

This man is also a loyal person. He is also loyal to Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi on Erlong Mountain.

Su Wu deliberately teased him: "What? The shopkeeper is also a bandit?"

Cao Zheng threatened: "It's a good road, please walk carefully, don't lose your life!"

Cao Zheng had no idea how many times he had encountered this kind of thing here. Whenever someone came to cause trouble, he would take charge and never suffer any loss. Even when it came to the Green-faced Beast Yang Zhi, he had never suffered any loss.

So, this is the surgeon Cao Zheng.

Su Wu wanted to tease: "What if I just don't want to walk properly?"

The butcher was doing it, he put the knife on the counter and said without further ado: "Do you want to try the sharpness of the knife in my hand?"

Su Wu also took up the knife and placed it on the table: "My knife is not bad either!"

Cao Zheng smiled coldly and stepped out of the counter with a knife in hand: "While you are hesitating, well, I will kill you guys and then I can go to the mountains and become a bandit!"

Cao Zheng really wanted to take action and kill someone because he could no longer do business. He was still a little hesitant about whether to become a bandit or not, but when he encountered this incident today, he didn't hesitate anymore.

Su Wu did not stand up with his sword, but looked at Lin Chong.

It seems that Cao Zheng is really going to take action. He has made the moves and is taking the first steps.

Lin Chong finally spoke: "Cao Zheng!"

Hearing this, Cao Zheng became even more anxious: "You actually know my name. It seems you are here to arrest me. I'll kill you!"

The knife is chopping!
Su Wu naturally did not move.

With a clang, Lin Chong drew his sword to block it, and said, "Look who I am!"

"Who cares who you are!" Even if Lin Chong's veil fell down, how could Cao Zheng recognize who he was at a glance?
Cao Zheng kept chopping with his knife, and Lin Chong kept trying to block. A real fight broke out, and even the waiters and the kitchen staff came out with several sharp blades. It seemed that they had seen this kind of scene many times and their reactions were quick.

"Cao Zheng!" Lin Chong shouted again, but he did not dare to call himself Lin Chong, for fear of harming Su Wu.

Cao Zheng was also frightened. After several rounds, he became more and more frightened. It seemed that every move he made seemed to give the scarred man on the opposite side the upper hand. This man seemed to be very familiar with his, Cao Zheng's moves.

Cao Zheng knew that he had encountered a powerful enemy, so he took a step back and asked, "Who are you?"

"Come here..." Lin Chong raised his hand.

Cao Zheng looked at the man carefully for a few times. He felt a sense of familiarity between his eyebrows. Then he looked at his figure...

Cao Zheng took a tentative step forward and saw the man sheathing his sword. He then took another step forward to take another closer look.

It seems like...

"Just come closer and take a look. What are you afraid of?" Lin Chong spoke again.

Just look at Su Wu also put the knife back into the scabbard, and then Cao Zheng went forward and stood in front of Lin Chong...

"You are..." As they had been together for a long time, they were too familiar with each other. Cao Zheng seemed to have recognized her, but he just couldn't believe it.

"it's me!"

Cao Zheng immediately wanted to bow and knelt down to bow.

Lin Chong quickly raised his hand to support him and said, "I am Yang Tian from Tokyo."

Cao Zheng was stunned at first, but then he understood. He looked around, his eyes reddened, and he blurted out, "Master...you...why...why are you like this?"

Lin Chong shook his head, looked around, and pulled Cao Zheng: "Come with me and talk outside."

So, the two of them went out to talk.

Su Wu smiled slightly, feeling happy that he had found another person, and was also happy that Lin Chong met his old friend again.

Just let Lin Chong meet more trustworthy old friends. In this way, Lin Chong will gradually have a sense of belonging, and he will know where to put his loyalty.

After all, humans are social animals. Once you find your own group, you will gradually care about more people and things, and you will gradually become loyal and righteous.

Therefore, Su Wu was happy to let the two recognize each other.

The cooks and servants put their knives back and continued serving food and wine.

After a long while, the two came in again, both with red eyes. It was obvious that one was talking about the tragic fate, and the other was indignant, and they also had some old friendship to talk about.

Instead, Cao Zheng came forward to pay his respects to Su Wu: "Thank you very much, General...ah...thank you very much, General!"

Su Wu gave him a slight push and said, "No need to say more, let's have a couple of drinks together."

Then Cao Zheng also took a seat.

Su Wu also asked: "But business has been bad recently?"

Cao Zheng nodded and replied: "General, business has been slow recently. Not many people dare to take this road. The road ahead is often swept by soldiers, and the road behind is full of thieves in the three mountains..."

"So...why don't we go with Yang Tixia to Dongping Prefecture to find a job?" Su Wu asked bluntly. Cao Zheng looked at Lin Chong and nodded, "That's great. Thank you, General."

As he said this, he poured more wine for Su Wu, stood up and toasted again: "Thank you again, General, for your kindness to Yang Tixia, and thank you for not abandoning me. I am willing to keep this humble man in my service."

Su Wu drank a little and said, "After all, I am not a bad person, and I have martial arts skills. Instead of becoming a bandit, I would rather go to a place where I can serve. This time, I am going to Erlong Mountain. I know that the two men on Erlong Mountain are excellent soldiers, but things in the world are unpredictable. Becoming a bandit is just a temporary solution. Joining the army is the right way."

Su Wu came with sincerity.

Cao Zheng was overjoyed when he heard this: "That's great. I'll go to the mountain and report it right away."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "No hurry, let's eat and go together. This will show our sincerity."

"Just listen to the general." Cao Zheng poured Su Wu another glass of wine.

As soon as they finished eating, Cao Zheng led the way and everyone went up to Erlong Mountain.

The terrain of Erlong Mountain is not particularly dangerous, but the village is very well built. The previous owner was called Deng Long, who was taken away by Cao Zheng, Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi.

When Cao Zheng arrived, the village just opened the gate to welcome him in, with several checkpoints.

Everyone entered the hall, and Cao Zheng stepped forward to greet everyone.

Su Wu watched from behind.

Two big men stood in front of each other. One of them observed the precepts and shaved his head. He had a round face, big ears, a straight nose and a square mouth. His height was more than 1.9 meters, maybe 2 meters. His waist and abdomen were as thick as a water tank.

Upon closer inspection, it really was the figure of the Maitreya Buddha in the temple, except that his full beard and the gleam in his eyes made him look more like the terrifying Arhat who subdues dragons and tigers.

Lu Da, Lu Zhishen, Master Lu, they truly live up to their reputations.

Looking at the other person, it was Yang Zhi. He was shorter and had a similar build to Su Wu. He was also broad-shouldered and had a very eye-catching blue birthmark on his face. He also had tattoos on his face and didn't have much of a beard.

He was a legitimate descendant of a general, the grandson of Yang Linggong, and a descendant of the Yang Family Generals. He had passed the military examination and was doing quite well, having risen to the position of the Director of the Palace Front Department. Although he was not a high-ranking official, he was considered a starter among military officers.

But this guy was extremely unlucky. He was transporting flowers and stones for Emperor Zhao Ji, but his ship sank and his future was ruined. He was also harassed by the ruffian Niu Er, and was convicted of murder. He lost all his wealth and was still exiled.

After a lot of luck, he got a job helping Liang Zhongshu to escort the birthday gift, but he fell into Wu Yong's trap and took a knockout drug, and the birthday gift was gone...

Time is also fate...

At the beginning, I heard Cao Zheng and Lu Zhishen whispering to each other.

Lu Zhishen only looked at Lin Chong, then stood up and came back, shouting to his attendants, "Everyone, get out."

Su Wu also nodded to Li Cheng and others, and Li Cheng and others went out.

Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong immediately hugged each other, and Lu Zhishen said, "Master Lin, how did you become like this?"

Su Wu was in no hurry to reminisce about the old times, so he just sat aside and waited.

Lin Chong talked a lot.

Lu Zhishen has already spoken: "You should have listened to me at that time, and why did you go to Cangzhou? You left halfway, how could these things happen?"

Lu Zhishen was angry at his lack of fighting spirit, but also felt sorry for his misfortune.

Lu Zhishen is a man with a big heart and a fat body. He is always free and easy. Whether he is a deputy commander, a killer, or a monk, he has never been a person with many thoughts, and he has always been a person who treats people sincerely.

Lin Chong also sighed when he heard this: "If I had known this would happen, how could I not have listened to you? It's too late to regret now!"

Having said that, Lin Chong turned around and looked at Su Wu, and it was really too late to regret.

Yang Zhi was standing nearby, his face also filled with sadness: "I've heard the captain talk about Brother Lin Chong a long time ago. Sigh... this court..."

Lu Zhishen said again: "It's good this way. I can destroy my appearance, hide my identity, and start over..."

As he spoke, Lu Zhishen had already looked at Su Wu, walked quickly forward, and bowed: "Recently, I have only heard that there was a hero named Su Wu in Dongping Prefecture. I didn't expect that he was such a righteous man that he even dared to take in my brother Lin Chong and protect him. Thank you for your courtesy!"

Su Wu had already stood up and returned the greeting: "I know that the two of you from Erlongshan are rare heroes in the army. This time I want to train a strong army, how can I not come to pay you a visit?"

Lu Zhishen turned around and looked at Yang Zhi, then asked, "Does Su Dujian know what happened between me and Brother Yang?"

"I have heard clearly that Lu Zhijie was just killing a villain on the street, and Yang Zhishi was just unlucky, so he just killed a street thug, that's all."

Su Wu answered easily.

Yang Zhi came a few steps forward, bowed, and then said, "I'm afraid that you don't know that it was me who stole the birthday gift of Liang Zhongshu of Daming Prefecture. That's why I dared not go back and had to become a bandit."

Su Wu knew Yang Zhi's thoughts too well.

He said, "It doesn't matter if it's a crime, as long as it's meritorious. There are thieves like Chao Gai in Dongping Prefecture. If we can defeat the thieves and make merit, we can see Liang Zhongshu again in the future. It means that Yang Zhi was entrusted by someone and he is loyal to the person. He has to hide his identity and endure hardships to repay the kindness of Zhongshu Xianggong. Isn't it also a good reputation?"

When Yang Zhi heard these words, a gleam of light appeared in his eyes. He looked around and lowered his head to think.

Su Wu then said, "If there is no other way, which good man would be willing to become a bandit? Lu Zhihe was a brave soldier in the army. He followed Master Xiaozhong to fight against the Tanguts and Tubo in the northwest. He had made great achievements. After killing someone, Master Xiaozhong didn't even send anyone to arrest him. He just left him a way out. Why would I care about these things?"

Su Wu did not say anything about the court or loyalty, he just talked about Xianggong Xiaozhong, because Xianggong Xiaozhong was from a family of famous generals in the northwest and he thought highly of Lu Da. Lu Da had always been by Xianggong Xiaozhong's side and was always at his service. Even when he went to Zhen Guanxi to buy meat, he said he was buying it for Xianggong Xiaozhong. Needless to say, this favor was beyond words.

Even if Mr. Xiaozhong had not intentionally let him go, there are many arrogant and brave generals in the northwest, and countless fast horses. If they really came to chase and capture him, how could Lu Da get away so easily after killing someone?
Lu Da also felt guilty towards Mr. Xiaozhong, and this was the guilt that Su Wu was talking about.

If he really became a bandit and became a big thief, and if the news really got to the ears of Mr. Xiaozhong one day, it would be difficult for Lu Da to live as a human being.

In the story, fortunately it was not Mr. Xiaozhong who led the troops to suppress Liangshan, otherwise Lu Da would have had to find a crack in the ground to crawl into on the spot.

After hearing Su Wu's words, Lu Zhishen fell silent and looked around.

How could he not know what Su Wu meant by saying this today?
So he went to see Lin Chong.

Lin Chong naturally spoke up, "Supervisor Su is really different from others. He treats me very well. Now I am the deputy commander of Dongping Prefecture. I am in charge of all matters related to military training. The supervising officer never doubts me. This time we are training the troops to suppress the bandits Chao Gai and others in Liangshanpo. The governor of Dongping Prefecture is even a student of Tong Shumi. If I can really make achievements this time, the past will not matter."

Lu Zhishen replied, "I never thought much about anything. I just went with the flow and took things as they came. Now I am going to join the army again. Is Yang going to command me?"

Yang Zhi looked at Lu Zhishen, then at Su Wu, and said, "I have tattoos and birthmarks on my face. Wherever I go, people will tell where I came from. Dongping Prefecture and Daming Prefecture are only a stone's throw away. How can I hide myself?"

Su Wu immediately answered, "Why is this so difficult? There is a Jingyang Village in Yanggu County now. Not to mention General Yang, even those in the village of Erlongshan who have nowhere to go can all go there. General Yang can just stay in Jingyang Village and wait for the war to start before joining the army to fight. What's wrong with this?"

Su Wu also knew that if these two people wanted to go, they would go together. If one of them didn't go, the other would naturally not go either.

Fortunately, the two of them don’t have any real concerns now, only issues of identity.

What’s more important is that both of them are serious soldiers.

After listening to Su Wu's words, Yang Zhi looked at Lu Zhishen.

Su Wu also understood that both of them made the decision, but neither of them was in a position to speak out, for fear that the other would disagree.

Su Wu spoke directly: "In this case, the two of you should quickly pack up the village and go down the mountain at night. It will be more convenient at night if there are more people..."

Lin Chong immediately said, "Then I'll help clean it up right away."

It can be seen that Lin Chong really wanted Lu Da to serve with him in the army.

Lu Zhishen also looked at Yang Zhi, probably sensing something, and replied: "Since Envoy Yang is willing to join the army and make meritorious contributions, I don't want to do any more robbing, so don't hesitate, let's go and pack up."

Having said that, Lu Zhishen really got up and left.

Or Lu Zhishen is more free and easy...

Hearing this, Yang Zhi smiled: "I'm afraid the captain is unwilling. Since the captain is also willing to join the army again, it couldn't be better..."

Su Wu laughed out loud and said, "You two were both good soldiers. Now you join the army again. Isn't it destined by heaven? It also means that your skills are put to good use."

But Lu Zhishen turned around and said, "Let's have one last drink tonight before setting off again! Haha..."

"That's great." Su Wu nodded, already very happy in his heart.

A scene like this is enough. There is no need to kneel down and kowtow. What matters most to people is the future. As time goes by, they will develop feelings for each other. They are all generous men. As long as Su Wu is sincere, they will surely be brothers in the future.

I saw the stronghold getting lively, and heard Lu Zhishen calling out from outside: "What are these junk? Don't want them, don't want them. Only take the valuable and useful ones, throw them all away, and burn them all in a fire later..."

Yang Zhi also scolded: "Can you carry so many things? You are going to have a good future. Why are you carrying a few broken bowls and chopsticks for 600 miles? No, no..."

I could hear Lu Zhishen shouting, "Burn them all, burn them all, to prevent others from coming here to take over the mountain and become kings. They will come to suppress us later, which will be very troublesome!"

"Climb over the wall of the village...don't take too much stuff with you, just break down the wall..." Yang Zhi was also shouting.

(End of this chapter)