Chapter 45

"我不怪你，只你也别怪我！"

Suddenly, these unexpected words came from an unexpected place, startling the couple who were just rejoicing. When everyone hurried to look, they saw the refined man actually sitting up, his face showing a look of pity as he gazed at them.

This kind of gaze, as if looking at someone about to die, was all too familiar to the woman. She used to look down on the lambs on the剥人凳 (peopling bench) with such a condescending eye. Now, being looked at with such a gaze, how could she bear it? She was furious and shouted, "Xiao'er, Xiao San, everyone, attack! Capture this fellow and skin him alive!"

Several cooks rushed forward to grab the man, but suddenly a gust of wind blew past their ears. Before they could react, one of their companions was struck by the 62-jin water-polished monk's staff, flying out like a broken kite and crashing into the wall, clearly dead. The remaining few were terrified and quickly turned to fetch their weapons. Seeing the situation was not good, the couple abandoned these people and fled to the back yard.

Lu Zhishen, furious, followed with his monk's staff. The cooks still tried to纠缠 (entangle) him, but how could they be a match for this mighty official's staff? Wang Lun saw that Lu Zhishen was not holding back, knowing that this monk was clearly enraged.

In a moment, all the evil men who had aided the tyrant were dispatched by Lu Zhishen. Zhang San and Li Si clapped in celebration. At this moment, the couple burst out from the inner room. Seeing the situation, the man hurriedly called out, "Master, please calm down! Spare us, I have something to say!"

"What do you have to say? Speak to my brother!" Lu Zhishen roared, planting his monk's staff firmly on the ground.

Seeing this, the man was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "I wish to hear the names of the four heroes!"

Seeing that Zhang Qing still dared to act arrogantly and grandly ask for their names, even trying to control the situation, Wang Lun stood up, both amused and exasperated, and asked, "Is this your last words?"

The woman, hearing this, was furious and said, "You scoundrel, what a big mouth! My husband kindly tried to make friends with you, but you are courting death! We run an inn, and every day we encounter a few like you who seek death. Now, with so many of us, we are willing to spare your lives, but you refuse and even speak arrogantly?!"

Wang Lun coldly laughed and glanced at the seductive woman, saying, "Have you finished your speech?"

The woman, seeing Wang Lun's expression, felt inexplicably panicked. A wave of shame and anger surged in her heart, and she almost wanted to turn hostile. The man, however, had some discernment and knew that the fat monk standing next to the scholar was not to be trifled with. He quickly held back the woman, suppressing his anger, and stepped forward, saying, "This time, our inn was wrong, but you also injured many of our cooks. Let's call it even. Guests, please leave. We are all people of the江湖 (jianghu), and I will keep my word. We will not seek revenge today!"

Hearing this, Zhang San, who was standing aside, could no longer contain himself. He was a ruffian from the capital, with a high spirit. Seeing these people still putting on a show at the brink of death, he shouted at Lu Zhishen, "Master, they say they have many people and will spare our lives. If we let it go now, will it look like we are afraid of them?"

Lu Zhishen burst into a hearty laugh, saying, "Let them see who has more people!" Zhang San and Li Si smiled cunningly and pretended to wave at the window. The couple, seeing this, hurriedly looked out, thinking there were more people in ambush.

But at this moment, Lu Zhishen picked up his monk's staff and charged into the crowd. The couple realized they had been tricked and cursed inwardly. Seeing the monk's ferocity, they quickly fled. The remaining cooks desperately tried to block Lu Zhishen's monk's staff, but in no time, all the henchmen of the couple were lying on the ground, clearly dead.

Seeing only the two leaders cowering in the corner, Lu Zhishen rushed forward. The woman, showing some ferocity, tried to fight back with a knife but was kicked to the ground by Lu Zhishen. She lay on the ground, shouting, "Hero, spare me! Hero, spare me!"

The man was already terrified, bowing his head like a pestle and shouting, "Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life!"

Wang Lun laughed coldly and said, "At the Crossroads of the Great Tree, who dares to pass? The fat ones become bun fillings, the thin ones are thrown into the river! Zhang Qing, Sun Ergniang, you two treat human lives like grass and murder for profit as if it were nothing. Did you ever think there would be a day like this?"

"Since the hero knows our names, my wife and I are willing to serve the hero! We are not indiscriminate killers. Four heroes, you must know, we do not kill three types of people in our inn..." Zhang Qing, seeing that the four were looking at him, felt slightly more at ease and continued, "We do not kill passing monks and Taoists, courtesans, or criminals in exile. These people travel from place to place, and it is not easy for them. We pity them..." As he spoke, his tone became more steady and his eyes more determined. A ray of sunlight shone through the broken window, casting a righteous glow on the face of this murderous innkeeper.

Wang Lun and the others remained silent after hearing his words. Zhang Qing, growing anxious, stared at the scholar, hoping his past experiences would work again, waiting for the scholar to speak words of praise and approval, and then they could turn enemies into friends.

Wang Lun, seeing his state, could not help but laugh in anger, "What? Do you expect me to be moved by your lies and become brothers with you by cutting a chicken's head and burning yellow paper?"

After saying this, without regard for Zhang Qing's stunned expression, Wang Lun stepped forward and shouted, "You two dogs, you treat killing like a game, robbing people's wealth and then defiling their bodies! You harm countless people and pretend to have three no-kill rules, truly acting like beasts and setting up a facade! I ask you, do passersby owe you their lives? If I do not take your lives and burn this black inn today, heaven will not forgive me!"

Zhang Qing was even more despicable than Sun Ergniang. She was purely a butcher, no need to say more. But Zhang Qing tried to create a facade to deceive the straightforward men of the jianghu, even spreading good names for these two beasts, truly infuriating.

Lu Zhishen, initially deceived by Zhang Qing's words, thought he was a man of principle. Suddenly, hearing Wang Lun's scathing rebuke, he felt as if he had been enlightened, and holding his monk's staff, he shouted, "You two beasts dare to use smooth talk! If it weren't for my brother, I would have been deceived. Take this staff!"

Zhang Qing, seeing this, turned pale and muttered, "How can this be... How can this be..." Suddenly, Lu Zhishen walked to his wife and, amidst Sun Ergniang's screams, beat her until her brains splattered. Zhang Qing, as if mad, shouted, "You do not follow the code of honor! You do not follow the code of honor!!" Lu Zhishen coldly laughed, "We will sort it out before the Buddha!" and with another staff, he finished him off.

Zhang San and Li Si, watching from the side, felt extremely satisfied and shouted, "Sir, let's burn this black inn!"

Wang Lun was about to nod when he suddenly remembered something and said, "From their words, there were two more lives in their hands this morning. Let's search, and if we can save these two, it will be a good deed!"

Zhang San and Li Si nodded in agreement and ran into the yard. Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen exchanged glances and followed.

"Sir, Master, there is a green stone slab here, very strange!"

Hearing Zhang San's report, Wang Lun and Lu Zhishen quickly rushed to a dark room. Inside, the room was filled with chamber pots, and the stench was unbearable. At the back, there was a smooth green stone slab that did not match the environment. Lu Zhishen stepped forward and used his strength to lift the stone slab and throw it aside, revealing a dark hole.

Wang Lun, seeing this, was suspicious and said, "Perhaps they knock people out and throw them in here. Let's go down and see!" As he said this, a rough hand stopped him. Looking back, he heard Lu Zhishen say, "Brother, I will go down first!" Without waiting for Wang Lun's reaction, he held his monk's staff and slid down the hole. Wang Lun, seeing this, hurriedly followed, and Zhang San and Li Si, exchanging glances, also went down.

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