Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 13 The Person with Cheat Codes

"Coming, coming!"

Old Jin quickly agreed and turned to his daughter, saying, "Quickly wipe your face, lest the guests be displeased."

Jin Cuilian took out a handkerchief, gently wiped away her tears, and then tidied her hair in front of the bronze mirror.

Although her almond-shaped eyes were still slightly red, they added to her delicate and pitiful appearance.

The father and daughter exchanged a glance, and Old Man Jin picked up the clapper, while Jin Cuilian picked up the pipa. They left the pavilion one after the other.

As they headed to the side room, they encountered the bartender leading a portly, wealthy man downstairs.

The wealthy man was dressed in a royal blue robe with floral patterns; he was tall and imposing, with an extraordinary air about him.

Old Jin hurriedly stepped aside to make way, lowering his head and not daring to look any further.

The wealthy man seemed to be intoxicated and, without paying attention to the father and daughter singing for money, went downstairs on his own.

For some reason, Jin Cuilian's heart skipped a beat.

After the wealthy man passed by, she quietly looked back and saw only a burly figure from behind.

"Lian'er, hurry up!" Old Man Jin urged from the front.

Jin Cuilian responded, hugged her pipa tightly, and followed with her head down.

At the corner of the stairs, she vaguely heard the wealthy man give an order to the bartender.

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

Jin Cuilian shook her head, thinking she was just being paranoid, and followed her father to the lively area on the second floor.

……

After having a good meal at Tongqinglou Restaurant, Zheng Tu spent the whole day leisurely in Yanmen County, wandering around the area.

They observed how the streets were laid out, how merchants traveled, and inquired about local prices, customs, and etiquette.

Although Yanmen County is located on the border, it is a vital hub for trade routes, where goods from the north and south gather and are distributed, making it extremely prosperous.

As the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, the sky gradually darkens.

Zheng Tu then found his way back to the inn.

The waiter, seeing that the man was a wealthy and lavish man, was exceptionally attentive, bringing hot water and preparing scented soap and face towels.

After Zheng Tu finished washing up, he took off his clothes and got into bed. As soon as his body touched the mat, sleepiness washed over him like a tide, and his eyelids gradually became heavy.

In a hazy state, I was already making calculations in my mind:

"Now that we've escaped the calamity and arrived here, we need to find a stable way to make a living with this money. Should we make scented soap or fire glass cups?"

"At worst, we can smuggle some salt privately..."

As he pondered, his eyes grew misty, and Zheng Tu fell into a deep sleep.

[Zheng Tu, died! 】

Survival time: 3 days.

Available points: 3.

Zheng Tu suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath.

He found himself standing inside the gate of Yanmen County, under the blazing sun, around noon.

A constant stream of people passed by, some carrying loads, some pushing carts, and some riding donkeys.

The scene was exactly the same as before, with peddlers and laborers carrying loads and pushing carts all around.

"What...what's going on?!"

Zheng Tu was terrified, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. "I was just sleeping soundly in the inn, how did I end up here again? How did I die?"

He looked down at himself; he was still wearing that greasy butcher's clothes, and the horse beside him was snorting.

The heavy satchel hung on the saddle, but the silver coins inside remained untouched.

Zheng Tu stood there, stunned, his mind a jumbled mess.

Suddenly remembering those three lines of small characters, he quickly focused his attention to look at them.

As expected, the words still hung there in the void, only slightly faded.

"This..." Zheng Tu took a deep breath.

In his previous lives, whenever he died a violent death, two lines of text would appear before his eyes, which were nothing more than "Zheng Tu, dead" and the number of days he had lived.

He only thought it was a record of death rewind and never looked into it further. Little did he expect that there would be an extra line of "Disposable Points"!

"Could it be... that there will be a reward for surviving?"

Zheng Tu's mind raced, and his breathing became rapid.

He suppressed the thought and focused his mind on the words "disposable points".

The thought had barely formed when the scene before my eyes changed again.

The three lines of small characters faded away, revealing a plain white interface with two lines of text:

Zheng Tu —

Martial arts: rudimentary fist and foot techniques.

Below the writing, there was nothing but emptiness.

Zheng Tu narrowed his eyes, about to ponder the mystery, when he suddenly heard someone mutter beside him:

"This man is quite strange; he stood motionless in the middle of the city gate for a long time."

"Could it be a seizure?"

Zheng Tu suddenly snapped out of his daze and looked around.

Sure enough, passersby glanced at him sideways, and a few idlers pointed and whispered among themselves.

A group of patrolling constables in the distance were looking this way, their hands on the hilts of their knives, their faces showing suspicion.

"Oh no!" Zheng Tu cried out inwardly.

It must be because his butcher-like attire, in his coarse cloth shirt, and standing there in the street in a daze, was too conspicuous.

He immediately put on a smile, pretending to be on a normal journey, and led his horse forward.

But his mind raced back to this time: the last time he entered the city, he changed his clothes at the tailor shop on the street corner, and then went to Tongqinglou for a meal...

"Let's proceed as before and observe the signs."

Following my memory, I turned onto the main street and sure enough, the clothing store's sign was still in the same spot.

Zheng Tu tied his horse and pushed open the door.

The shop's interior was exactly as I remembered: three sides of rosewood frames, and a dazzling array of silks and satins.

The shopkeeper was fiddling with the abacus, while the servant was tidying up clothes.

Before the servant could even speak, Zheng Tu rattled off a string of names:

"A Hetian jade belt buckle, two Hangzhou silk undergarments, a black gauze swastika-patterned turban, a royal robe with dark blue floral patterns, and a pair of black-patterned boots... Don't try to fool me, everything must be top-quality!"

The shopkeeper and his servant were both taken aback and looked at each other in bewilderment.

When ordinary customers choose clothes, they always touch the fabric and ask about the price. How can someone be so familiar with the process and know the details like the back of their hand?

Seeing the two men in a daze, Zheng Tu took out a snowflake silver ingot and slammed it onto the counter.

"Bring it here quickly, I need it urgently."

A flash of silver light jolted the shopkeeper awake, his face breaking into a wide smile: "Please wait a moment, sir! Ah Gui, quickly fetch the clothes!"

While secretly observing Zheng Tu, she noticed that the man had a fierce appearance but was generous in his spending, resembling a chivalrous hero from the martial arts world.

Before long, the clothes were ready.

Zheng Tu went inside to change, and when he came out again, although his appearance was still fierce, his demeanor was completely different, and he still had the air of a wealthy and noble man.

Before the shopkeeper could utter his flattering words, Zheng Tu had already thrown off his old clothes and strode out the door.

The two constables who were patrolling the street were walking this way. When they saw Zheng Tu dressed like this, looking rich and extraordinary, and walking with ease, they immediately dispelled their suspicions.

The head constable bowed slightly and then led his men away to another location.

Zheng Tu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and led his horse straight to Tongqing Tower.

After all, based on my past life experience, nothing happened during the meal.

Knowing the place well, I chose the same window seat again.

The bartender came forward, and Zheng Tu ordered a table of food and drinks as usual.

Once the wine and dishes were served, Zheng Tu did not rush to pick up his chopsticks. He pretended to look out the window at the bustling street scene, but his mind was secretly immersed in the plain white table.

"Martial Arts: Basic Fist and Foot Techniques..."

Zheng Tu silently recited these six words, thinking to himself, "When I was in Weizhou, although I made a living by slaughtering pigs, I also fought with street ruffians and learned a few rudimentary moves. These four words, 'rudimentary fist and foot techniques,' are quite fitting."

I just don't know how skilled Li Zhong, or even Lu Da, has become.

Zheng Tu shook his head, no longer thinking about such unrealistic ambitions.

Upon closer inspection, a faint "+" sign could be seen after the words "Martial Arts: Basic Fist and Foot Techniques".