bullyxtreme Chapter 8, There's an ambush!
Chapter 8, There's an ambush!
Lin Zhou set up his mobile noodle stall with practiced ease, right next to an old willow tree at the riverbank. He had left it at the Imperial City Guard before he left; the wooden barrels on his cart were still full of dried goods, mostly compressed noodles and seasonings brought from modern times.
Xu Cheng stood aside with his arms crossed, watching him magically pull out a small clay stove from under the cart, then take out a few pieces of shiny black charcoal. With a blow to the tinderbox, a bluish flame leaped up, but the charcoal produced very little smoke, which made Xu Cheng take a second look.
"Your charcoal is quite unusual," he couldn't help but say. "I've seen poor people burn charcoal, and the smoke is so thick that you could get poisoned if you did it indoors."
"That's what unwashed coal looks like." Lin Zhou deftly placed a small iron pot on the stove, then scooped up some well water and poured it into the pot.
The flatbread stretched out when it came into contact with hot water, unlike ordinary soup noodles which were soft and mushy. Instead, it was chewy, which Cheng'er found quite unusual.
Then Lin Zhou took out a small knife, cut two sausages and put them in. The aroma of meat mixed with sweetness and freshness immediately wafted out. Finally, he sprinkled on the seasoning packet, and a domineering industrial spiciness exploded out with a "boom".
Xu Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed, but his face still wore that "nothing special" expression, though his eyes followed the chopsticks in Lin Zhou's hand.
"Try it."
Lin Zhou filled a large bowl to the brim and handed it over, while he only filled a small half bowl for himself, squatting down by the wheel and slurping it down.
Xu Cheng took the bowl, carefully blew on it first, then picked up a mouthful of noodles and put it in his mouth. He chewed a couple of times, then stopped, his eyes widened slightly, and then, ignoring the heat, shoveled the noodles into his mouth, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"How was it?" Lin Zhou asked, tilting his head, a hint of smugness in his voice.
"It's alright..." Xu Cheng mumbled a reply, then buried his head and finished the soup in his bowl before looking up and pursing his lips. "This sausage has a unique flavor. And what's in this soup?"
"The secret recipe is not to be revealed." Lin Zhou chuckled as he cleared the dishes. "As long as it tastes good. Cheng'er, follow me, and you'll have plenty of good food from now on."
"Who wants to hang out with you?" Xu Cheng wiped his mouth and stood up, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Someone glanced this way several times, at the pancake vendor on the left front, and the blind fortune teller at the bridgehead."
Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, glancing over as he packed up his stall. Sure enough, the previously listless pancake vendor not far away was glancing in this direction, and immediately turned his head away when he saw Lin Zhou looking over.
"Your father's men?" Lin Zhou asked in a low voice.
"It doesn't seem like it." Xu Cheng's voice immediately filled with vigilance: "The Imperial City Guard doesn't operate this way. It's more like the eyes and ears of the martial arts world."
Lin Zhou's mind raced. Lately, besides dealing with the Imperial City Guard, he had only been selling instant noodles and toilet paper. What kind of江湖人 (jianghu people) could he have offended? Could it be that the knife and farm tools he brought with him last time, which he secretly sold to a blacksmith shop he knew, had caught someone's attention?
"Never mind that for now." Lin Zhou quickly packed his gear into the car. "Let's get out of here."
The two men pulled the cart, not heading towards the bustling parts of the city, but instead wandering along the river into secluded alleys. Xu Cheng knew the streets of Lin'an so well he could navigate them with his eyes closed, and they made their way through the city, choosing only the dark and deserted alleys.
"We don't go where there are crowds, are you trying to get yourself killed by going this way?"
"Watch me take care of them," Cheng'er said with extreme confidence.
The subtle, ever-present feeling of being watched from behind was like a persistent, insidious infection.
They walked into a narrow alley, with high walls on both sides, and could faintly hear the sound of a night watchman's clapper. Xu Cheng suddenly stopped, listened carefully, gave Lin Zhou a wink, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Lin Zhou understood, leaned the cart against the wall, and reached into his pocket where he found the pistol that Director Zhao had given him. He was a little apprehensive; this thing had never been used in modern times, and now it was really going to cause bloodshed.
Footsteps came from both ends of the alley, unhurried, and it sounded like more than one person. The moonlight was blocked by the high walls, and the alley was pitch black, with only a few shadowy figures barely visible blocking the way out.
"Young man in front, please wait a moment." A hoarse voice rang out from ahead, quite politely: "My master would like to invite this young man selling soup dumplings to his residence for a chat and to discuss business."
Lin Zhou didn't say anything and moved closer to Xu Cheng.
Someone else spoke up, their voice a bit shrill: "Be smart, hand over the stuff and come with us. Let's avoid this messy situation."
Xu Cheng chuckled, his voice ringing out clearly in the quiet alley: "Which gang are you from? Stopping people from the Imperial City Guard, how many heads does your master have?"
"The Imperial City Guard?" The man in front seemed to pause for a moment, then laughed. "Sir, don't try to scare us. We know the man beside you well. He's just a merchant dealing in rare goods who's managed to establish a connection with Lord Sihou. But Lord Sihou is too busy with important matters to concern himself with such a small thing."
Before the words were even finished, the figures in front and behind moved simultaneously, swift and silent, clearly seasoned veterans. The two in front lunged at Lin Zhou, while the three behind pressed towards Xu Cheng, their coordinated movements giving him no time to react.
Lin Zhou felt a blur before his eyes, and a gust of wind rushed towards his face. He instinctively shrank back, frantically trying to draw his gun. Just then, a flash of cold light appeared beside him, and Xu Cheng's knife was drawn.
The blade flashed like a silver thread suddenly torn in the dim light. Two crisp "clangs" rang out as the short sticks in the hands of the two men lunging at Lin Zhou were deflected, sparks flying. Xu Cheng shifted his stance, already blocking Lin Zhou's way, and shouted, "Get behind the car!"
Lin Zhou scrambled to the back of the cart, his heart pounding in his chest. He peered out and saw Xu Cheng moving with the agility of a fish in water, his waist knife flashing left and right, managing to hold off five people in an instant.
But the five men moved with a strategy: two of them entangled Xu Cheng, while the other three tried to circle around and grab Lin Zhou.
Xu Cheng was clearly getting anxious. He suddenly changed his stance, switching from defense to offense. He forced back the person in front of him with one strike, and then slashed at the side with quick and ruthless movements.
The man on the flank cried out in surprise as his sleeve was ripped open with a large tear.
"You little brat, you're asking for death!" The leader's hoarse voice roared in anger. He pulled out a pair of short iron rulers from his waist, leaped forward, and his moves suddenly became much more ruthless.
Lin Zhou was getting anxious and knew he couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. He suddenly stood up from behind the car, raised what he was holding, and pressed it down on the nearest dark figure.
"laugh……"
A pungent, acrid mist suddenly erupted, filling the narrow alleyway. The guy who got sprayed directly yelled, clutching his face and backing away, his voice trembling: "My eyes! My eyes!!!"
Then he collapsed to the ground, covering his face, looking like that blind dog meme...
The sudden attack caught the attackers off guard. Xu Cheng seized the opportunity, his blade flashing as he forced two of them aside and grabbed Lin Zhou's arm: "Let's go!"
The two men abandoned the cart and ran desperately deeper into the alley, with angry curses and the sound of chasing footsteps coming from behind them.
Xu Cheng knew this alleyway like the back of his hand. He dragged Lin Zhou through the alleys, sometimes climbing over a low wall, sometimes running through the backyard of a house, until Lin Zhou was about to burst out of his wits before the sound of them chasing them gradually disappeared.
Finally, they hid in a dead corner filled with tattered baskets, leaning against the cold brick wall, panting heavily. A little moonlight leaked through the cracks in the high wall, shining on Xu Cheng's sweaty forehead.
"You...you sprinkled lime powder?" Xu Cheng caught his breath and turned to look at Lin Zhou. "How could you do something so despicable?"
"Holy crap... I almost got my scalp ripped off, and you're telling me this is despicable?" Lin Zhou was also out of breath, his heart still pounding. "This isn't lime, it's much worse than lime."
Xu Cheng stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded without asking any further questions: "It worked."
He then wiped the sweat from his face, his expression turning serious: "These aren't ordinary thugs. They're quick and well-coordinated, like bodyguards employed by a wealthy family or skilled veterans."
"Coming for me?" Lin Zhou said with a wry smile, "I'm just selling noodles, is it really necessary?"
"I'm afraid it's because of you." Xu Cheng snorted. "The goods on your cart, and those 'exotic items from overseas,' have probably piqued people's interest. There are plenty of people with keen noses in Lin'an City."
Lin Zhou's heart sank. The situation with Si Hou was temporarily stabilized, but it seemed that he couldn't avoid the hidden troubles. He touched the letter from Si Hou in his pocket, but it felt a little hot to the touch.
"The cart is gone... What a pity about all my pots and pans." Lin Zhou sighed, feeling more sorry for the few small tools and spare dry food hidden in the cart's compartment.
"We're lucky to be alive." Xu Cheng stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. "I'll have someone find the carriage tomorrow. These people dare to offend even the Imperial City Guard; they must have a death wish. Let's find a place to spend the night; we can't stay here any longer."
The two stealthily slipped out of the blind spot. This time, Xu Cheng was even more vigilant, deliberately choosing to walk in the shadows cast by rooftops and walls. Finally, they circled around to a relatively tidy alley and stopped at the back door of an inconspicuous inn.
Xu Cheng stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times rhythmically.
The door opened a crack, and a sleepy-eyed old man peeked out. He saw Xu Cheng, paused for a moment, and then immediately pulled the door open: "Master Xu? What brings you here...?"
"Old He, a quiet room, I'll stay one night."
The old man didn't ask any questions and led them through a quiet courtyard to a room with only two small beds.
"This is a shop owned by a distant uncle of mine; I trust him." Xu Cheng bolted the door before explaining, "We'll make do tonight, and we'll see what happens tomorrow."
After the initial shock subsided, a wave of exhaustion washed over Lin Zhou, who lay fully clothed on the hard wooden couch. Although tired, he felt no sleepiness.
Outside the window lay the deep night of Lin'an, with the faint echoes of the lingering hustle and bustle of the night market in the distance. But today's events made him fully understand how much fear lurked beneath the prosperity of Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Even if I, a transmigrator with cheat codes, wanted to live a peaceful life as a peddler, it probably wouldn't be so easy.
He turned over and looked at Xu Cheng on the opposite bed. The boy was lying down fully clothed, clutching his knife, breathing evenly, but Lin Zhou knew he wasn't asleep.
"Cheng'er," Lin Zhou called softly.
"Um?"
Thanks.
Lin Zhou spoke from the heart. If Xu Cheng hadn't stopped him, he would either have gone straight back, or he would have been tied up like a dumpling.
There was a moment of silence on the other end before a muffled voice came: "It's my duty. My father told me to protect you, even if I die, I'll die before you."
"So who do you think sent those people just now?"
Xu Cheng pondered in the darkness: "It's hard to say. Maybe they saw you had dealings with the Imperial City Guard and wanted to find out more. Or maybe they're just eyeing your goods. Your ironware, medicinal herbs, this spitting stuff, even your bowl of soup noodles—every single one of them would attract envy."
He paused for a moment, then said, "You'll have to be more careful from now on. The Imperial City Guard isn't the only force in Lin'an City; there are countless people trying to find out your background."
Lin Zhou hummed in agreement, his mind racing with thoughts...
It seems I should send the letter back as soon as possible and hear what "home" thinks. Also, next time I come, should I bring some more practical self-defense items? Just pepper spray and a handgun that I dare not use easily seem really not enough.