Chapter 25

Why can't the heavens let people be good?

Even if it was just half a minute later, he could have gone home with a full purse, but a bunch of knife-wielding and gun-toting lunatics suddenly appeared. Zhang Ke was not one to easily accept his fate; his hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

However, someone was even faster, the large man called "Thirteen." He suddenly roared and smashed a fist into the table on his left. The inch-thick hardwood tabletop was shattered into eight pieces. The large man grabbed two table legs and, like a fierce tiger, blocked the way for these people.

"You Tartars want to rebel? Ask me first!"

The Mongols who rushed in were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter: "What good is one man? Today, whoever dares to stand in our way will die."

"Right, the Han dogs are shameless, using fake silver notes to deceive us, they all deserve to die!"

"Stop talking nonsense, kill them all."

These people clamored and moved forward step by step, surrounding the large man. The middle-aged man behind him tried to remain calm, but sweat was already beading on his forehead. No matter who it was, facing a bunch of gleaming scimitars, it wouldn't be a pleasant experience! Zhang Ke knew the principle that two fists can't match four hands. With just one charge, they would surely be turned into a pile of minced meat. Relying on the large man's invincibility was clearly unrealistic.

Save your own life!

Zhang Ke suddenly sprang up, leaped onto the counter, and shouted loudly: "Listen to me!"

"Wrongdoings have their origins, if you have any issues, talk to the shopkeeper. We are just ordinary guests and have nothing to do with this shop. Please distinguish clearly."

The middle-aged man was also awakened by Zhang Ke's shout and hurriedly said: "Thirteen, don't rush into a fight. This has nothing to do with us, don't fight blindly."

The Mongol leader wore an old sheepskin coat, his chest exposed, revealing a patch of chest hair. He glared and sneered: "Nothing to do with you? We worked hard to bring furs to the market, only to get a few pieces of paper that are too hard even for wiping our butts. It's an outrageous insult. All Han people are no good, they all deserve to die!"

The Mongols' eyes were red, like a pack of wolves ready to eat people!

Zhang Ke was on the verge of tears, this was a disaster out of nowhere! He suddenly looked down and saw the shopkeeper trembling and hiding under the table.

Zhang Ke was so angry that his nose was crooked. They were looking for you, and you hid under the table, wanting to let me die!

He reached out, grabbed the shopkeeper's collar, and pulled him up onto the table.

"Shopkeeper, they are looking for you, explain yourself quickly."

The shopkeeper's face was deathly pale, his lips trembling. After a long pause, he cried out: "I am innocent! My small shop may not be famous, but I have never cheated customers, especially Mongol heroes. This is a great injustice, I am wronged to death!"

"Bullshit!" The Mongol leader gritted his teeth, reached out, and pulled out several pieces of paper, throwing them at the shopkeeper.

"Still lying? These are the silver notes you gave us this morning. When I took them to the bank, they said the bank had closed and wouldn't exchange them for silver. You Han people are truly shameless, only by cutting off your heads will you tell the truth!"

The large man cursed, and Zhang Ke's eyes were fixed on the silver notes.

They were exactly the same as the ones in his chest!

These are fake, and the ones in his chest might not be real either. Could it be that Wang Huishui couldn't stay out of trouble and was up to his old tricks again? Zhang Ke's mind raced.

At this moment, more and more Mongols gathered, each one ready to fight. There was no doubt that almost every year at the market, people were beaten to death or injured, as common as a daily meal.

The small shop was surrounded, and the belligerent ones had pushed to the front, ready to rush in and chop Zhang Ke and the others into mincemeat!

At the critical moment, Zhang Ke suddenly had an idea. The fake silver notes given by Wang Huishui might become a talisman!

"Shopkeeper, I'm sorry, but saving my life is more important!"

Zhang Ke suddenly drew his short sword and placed it on the shopkeeper's neck.

Everyone was stunned by Zhang Ke's action. Clearly, the Mongols were the attackers, but he was fighting among themselves!

Thirteen gritted his teeth and spat: "You spineless thing, do you think the Mongols will spare you just because you vent their anger?"

Zhang Ke smiled indifferently: "I'm not venting their anger, I'm also a victim, just like them!"

Everyone was surprised, their eyes focusing on Zhang Ke.

"Please look!"

Zhang Ke threw the shopkeeper aside, pulled out three silver notes from his chest, and threw them on the table.

"Gentlemen of the Mongols, I have also been cheated. Look, this is 150 taels of silver, no less than yours! This is all my property, I wish I could swallow this swindler alive!"

Zhang Ke spoke with clenched teeth, even more fiercely than the Mongols. The shopkeeper, lying on the table, saw the silver notes Zhang Ke pulled out and immediately widened his eyes in disbelief.

He howled to the sky: "Young brother, when did I give you silver notes? You can't make false accusations against me!"

Zhang Ke slapped the shopkeeper hard: "Still lying? If you don't want to live, I'll tear you to pieces and scatter your bones, it would be a disgrace to the world!"

His fierce curses were even more emotional than the Mongols. Zhang Ke's actions made the Mongols unsure of what to do, unable to distinguish friend from foe, they could only stand there awkwardly.

The Mongol leader walked to the front of the counter and looked at the silver notes. They were indeed the same as theirs, all from the Yongchang Bank, three notes totaling 150 taels of silver, not a small amount!

"Hmm, boy, you speak the truth. Since you were also cheated, I'll let you off this time!"

Finally, he gained the Mongols' trust. This strategy of indirect salvation had worked halfway. Zhang Ke breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly pointed to the middle-aged man and the large man: "These two are also customers here, let them go too!"

"Daydreaming!" The Mongol licked his lips and said arrogantly: "If you don't leave, you'll die with these Han dogs!"

"Tartars, no matter how many of you, you're just a bunch of chickens and dogs. Thirteen has never been afraid of you!"

Thirteen's muscles suddenly bulged, like a mountain of meat, his clothes torn, and he assumed a fierce fighting stance.

"Mr. Hong, follow me, Thirteen will lead you out. A few Tartars are nothing!"

What a domineering hard skill, but his mind was a bit off! No matter how powerful, he couldn't fight a hundred. Now, they could only use intelligence, not brute force.

"The Mongol friends are generous, willing to let me go, but I have a few more words to say. Besides killing to vent anger, we should also recover your losses. Interrogate the shopkeeper and get the silver back, what do you think?"

Zhang Ke didn't wait for their response, staring fiercely at the shopkeeper: "You shameless swindler, speak up quickly, or I'll cut off your head!"

Thirteen snorted: "Shameless, working for the Tartars and bullying others, you deserve to die!"

The middle-aged man, now calm, smiled: "Thirteen, that boy is smart. If we want to get out of this, we need his help!" His eyes were full of approval.

Bang!

The short sword deeply pierced the counter, and the shopkeeper finally had a chance to speak, mustering his strength.

"How would I know? This morning, I gave them silver, not silver notes! And your silver notes are not..."

"Never mind me, focus on the key point. Did you really not give them silver notes?"

"Of course not! Everyone knows Mongols like silver. They came with silver notes, clearly to extort!"

With knives and axes at his throat, Zhang Ke didn't believe the shopkeeper had the courage to lie. So where did these silver notes come from?

The Mongol leader's face turned awkward, and he said: "After we left your shop, someone chased us and said silver notes were more convenient than silver. He said 95 taels of silver could be exchanged for 100 taels of silver notes, so we agreed! We didn't know the notes were fake. He said he was your employee, sent by you, and it was for our own good."

Now it was clear, the shopkeeper was on the verge of tears.

"You were the ones who fell for the trick and lost your silver, but you blame me."

The Mongol sneered: "Anyway, it was done by Han people, and the blame is on you. Give us the silver quickly!"

Zhang Ke was speechless. He thought the shopkeeper was unscrupulous, so he put on a fierce act to avoid being implicated. But now, the shopkeeper was the most unfortunate!

Sigh, let him be even more unfortunate, Zhang Ke thought.

"Shopkeeper, lose some money to avoid disaster. You don't want to be minced meat, do you?"

Seeing the fierce and unreasonable Mongols, the shopkeeper, with a mournful face, could only obediently take out the silver.

Zhang Ke quietly approached the middle-aged man and the large man, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Please don't blame me, I had no choice!"

The middle-aged man nodded and smiled: "Young brother, you are clever. If not for this, how could you gain the Mongols' trust? At such a young age, you can manipulate the Mongols like wolves and tigers, truly a young hero."

"Sir, you flatter me. I have no other strengths, just a love for my head!"

The shopkeeper finally trembled and brought out a large box of silver. The Mongols' eyes widened at the sight.

The Mongol leader's eyes sparkled with joy as he grabbed a heavy ingot and laughed: "Silver is still the best!"

Zhang Ke and the middle-aged man were eager to leave with the silver and escape safely. Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from outside, and countless people surrounded the shop, trapping the previously arrogant Mongols.

"Everyone listen, the Tartars dare to cause trouble in the Great Ming, defying the law and oppressing the good. This cannot be tolerated. Surround them, don't let a single Tartar escape!"

The sudden change stunned the Mongols inside. The leader suddenly widened his eyes and smashed the silver ingot on the table.

He gritted his teeth and stepped toward Zhang Ke.

"Brat, it was you who deliberately delayed us, bringing so many Han dogs. I'll kill you!"