Chapter 19

Zhu Guoyong swaggered through the bustling market. In the evening, both the north and south streets of the fortress were lively, and many shops had to pay him protection fees.

Two men stood to his left and right, and two more followed behind. These four bodyguards were his trusted confidants, always accompanying him wherever he went. Other gang members would be summoned only when needed, and they were expected to find their own ways to make money, which they had to share with him. In return, Zhu Guoyong provided them with protection, and as the head of the gang, he would step in if they encountered trouble.

His status in the underworld mainly came from his role as a lackey for the Qing army. A regular official always received his offerings and would protect him in times of trouble. The authorities had never arrested him, and even if they pretended to, they would warn him in advance to hide. After the storm passed, he would return, and over the years, he had never been caught.

This morning, he had caused a commotion at the Zhang family's place, expecting to extort a substantial amount of money from He Yusheng. Zhu Guoyong was in a very good mood.

Zhang Han pulled down the brim of his warm hat and followed from a distance.

Liang Xing and Yang Qiu followed even further back. They were familiar faces and had already turned against the Xinping Gang. Zhu Guoyong would recognize them immediately and be on high alert.

After following for a while, Zhang Han fell back a bit, and Liang Xing and Yang Qiu came over. Liang Xing whispered, "He's too well-guarded; we can't find an opportunity on the street."

Zhang Han asked, "What about his house?"

Yang Qiu replied, "It's even harder there. These people all live in his house, and he keeps several large dogs. They bark fiercely when anyone approaches."

Zhang Han gritted his teeth and said, "Then we'll have to find a way on the street. We need to kill him here on the north street."

Yang Qiu pursed his lips and said, "It's easy to say, but hard to do, Young Master..."

Liang Xing also said, "Why don't we gather more people and start a fight on the street? That would also serve as a warning to other forces."

"No," Zhang Han said. "If we leave, Zhu Guoyong will definitely retaliate. I can't leave my mother and the business here unprotected."

"What should we do then?"

"Send two people to go ahead and create a diversion. One pretends to be robbed and shouts to catch the thief, while the other scatters some coins to cause chaos. We'll see if we can take advantage of the situation."

It was a crude plan, but effective for creating chaos on the street.

Yang Qiu was impressed. He took the coins and led one person to go ahead.

Zhang Han then took an iron hammer from a nearby iron shop, hiding it in his sleeve, and slowly walked forward.

Liang Xing and the others also concealed short knives and dispersed in the crowd, moving slowly forward.

Zhang Han's mind was calm. When he made the decision, he had some hesitation, but now all his doubts were gone. He had often been in fights before, but this was the first time he was targeting someone to kill, and he was surprisingly calm.

In this era, one had to adapt to the times. Gangs in various places often engaged in killings, and human life was not valued. The law enforcement and investigation standards in the Ming Dynasty were even worse than in the Song Dynasty, let alone compared to the future. Even centuries later, many murder cases remained unsolved.

After about fifteen minutes, it was getting dark. Zhu Guoyong was walking arrogantly, and many people greeted him with flattering smiles. Zhu Guoyong looked proud. A cavalry officer passed by with several guards, and Zhu Guoyong stepped aside. The officer glanced at him and ignored him. After the officer left, Zhu Guoyong spat on the ground and continued swaggering forward.

At this moment, Yang Qiu and the others finally arrived at the north street intersection, which connected to the south street and had a drum tower. It was the busiest area in the fortress, with a large crowd. Yang Qiu shouted, "Damn, someone stole my money, I'll beat you to death."

He lunged forward and started punching another person, who threw a small bag into the air, shouting, "Pick up the money, everyone gets a share."

The bag contained over a thousand copper coins and some silver pieces. The coins and silver scattered on the ground, and the crowd immediately became chaotic. It was the time when shops were closing, and the apprentices rushed to grab the money. Pedestrians also joined in, and soon some people picked up dozens of coins, shouting in joy. No one thought of returning the money to the owner. Some people fought over a silver piece, exchanging insults and then starting to fight.

More people rushed over, making the area extremely crowded. Zhu Guoyong was pushed to the side of the street, near the south street, facing the drum tower. He saw people running down from the drum tower and started cursing.

Two of the bodyguards were trapped in the crowd, struggling to move back. Some people thought they had picked up money and deliberately blocked them, making it hard for them to get out. The other two bodyguards behind Zhu Guoyong cursed and moved forward.

At this moment, Zhang Han and Liang Xing took the initiative. Liang Xing rushed forward, and Zhu Guoyong immediately tried to draw his waist knife. Zhang Han emerged from his left side and swung the iron hammer. Zhu Guoyong, with his street-fighting experience, twisted his body to avoid the hammer, which hit his left arm instead of his chest. The hammer was so powerful that it broke Zhu Guoyong's left arm with a crack.

Liang Xing then stabbed with his short knife, and the other gang members rushed forward, each grabbing one of Zhu Guoyong's bodyguards from behind. They stabbed the two men in the left chest and right abdomen, and blood spurted out, soaking their clothes. The two men's eyes rolled back, and they collapsed like limp noodles.

The gang members knew exactly where to strike, targeting non-fatal but disabling points. Timely bandaging and stopping the bleeding would save their lives and immediately incapacitate them.

On the other side, Liang Xing missed his stab. Zhu Guoyong quickly drew his knife and slashed. Liang Xing dodged and stepped back. Zhang Han swung the hammer again, hitting the same broken arm. Zhu Guoyong, in pain, crashed into the wall but still swung his knife with his right hand, trying to cut Zhang Han.

Liang Xing saw his opportunity and slashed at Zhu Guoyong's right wrist. The knife flashed, and Zhu Guoyong's right hand, along with the knife, fell to the ground.

Zhang Han swung the hammer at Zhu Guoyong's chest. The heavy iron hammer, weighing about five or six pounds, was a mason's tool. After a few swings, Zhu Guoyong's chest caved in, and blood spurted from his mouth and nose. His eyes rolled back, and he was clearly dead.

Liang Xing dropped his short knife, drew a dagger, and stabbed Zhu Guoyong's neck several times, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

"Let's go!"

Zhang Han dropped the hammer. Someone had already shouted "Murder!" The crowd became even more chaotic. He pulled down his hat to cover his face and, along with Liang Xing and the others, fled into the alley. After about fifteen minutes, it was completely dark, and the surrounding houses had lit oil lamps. Housewives were cooking in the kitchens, and a few children were playing in the doorway, looking at Zhang Han and the others with curious eyes.

Zhang Han's hands were covered in blood. He squatted down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and rubbed it hard, turning the dry soil into mud and washing the blood off his hands.

"Young Master is truly remarkable."

Liang Xing and Yang Qiu joined Zhang Han, standing in front of him with admiration on their faces.

"In the future, you can help me with such tasks," Zhang Han said with a smile.

Yang Qiu slapped his chest and said, "Of course, Young Master, I'm all yours."

Liang Xing said, "Today's operation went smoothly. Zhu Guoyong was a powerful gang leader. After this, others will know what to do, and at least for a while, no one will dare to cause trouble for the family."

Zhang Han nodded lightly, his eyes filled with deep fatigue. He said softly, "That's exactly what I wanted."

...

The next morning, Zhang Han ate breakfast as usual. Although the household was anxious, everyone was still in their places, and there was no chaos.

Speaking of porridge, Zhang Han didn't really like the yellow millet porridge that people in Shanxi loved. He preferred glutinous rice, but it was scarce in Shanxi, and trade with the Mongols mainly involved various grains and millet, with less glutinous rice. Zhang Han had to endure it.

The side dishes were still pickled vegetables like snow cabbage and pickled radish. Zhang Han now understood that there were no off-season vegetables in this era, and if there were, they were extremely rare and valuable. People preserved vegetables in the summer and autumn to last through the winter. If they wanted fresh vegetables, they had to wait until late spring.

Eating pickled vegetables all the time, Zhang Han found it very monotonous. But for ordinary families, a jar of pickled vegetables lasted the entire winter. Without it, they would have no side dishes, lack of vitamins, and no enjoyment. So, a jar of pickled vegetables could be exchanged for a horse, and the Mongols didn't really lose out.

After breakfast, Liang Hong arrived with Liang Xing and Yang Qiu. They were dressed for a long journey, carrying luggage, and the two gang members had their legs bound, looking agile and efficient.

Seeing Zhang Han, the two gang members smiled and greeted him, while also observing his expression.

Seeing Zhang Han calmly wiping his mouth with a relaxed expression, the two gang members' smiles froze.

Even they needed time to adjust after such a killing, especially since the target was not an ordinary person but a powerful gang leader.

While they were talking, Zhang Han's luggage was also ready. The four men left together. They had planned to take a carriage, but Zhang Han insisted on not using one. He had learned to ride a horse and was a horseback riding enthusiast in the future. Riding a horse was easy for him, and while a carriage was more comfortable, the roads were poor, and a two-wheeled cart had no shock absorbers and limited space. Sitting in it for a day would make one's bones rattle, so for Zhang Han, riding a horse was more comfortable.

Chang Shi also got up to see them off. The situation was urgent, and it concerned the survival of the family and the business. Although she was worried about her son's hardships and the possibility of failure, she knew that this trip was better than sitting at home and waiting for disaster.

...