owlsbooks #121 - I don't want much.
#121 - I don't want much.
Yellow Tooth lowered his head and looked at his right hand.
Yes, the blade was still there, and it exuded a biting chill, looking very sharp. It would definitely be quick when chopping off heads!
Then he looked behind him.
His seven brothers had also climbed onto the boat one after another. They were all so big and had such fierce faces that they looked intimidating just standing there.
Looking into the cabin again, he first saw a fat merchant. This was the most standard of fat sheep, the beloved of all robbers.
It was even more delightful than seeing a courtesan in a brothel.
Next to him stood a young man whose background was unclear, but he wasn't holding any weapons and wasn't very old, so he probably wasn't a threat.
A few scholars... well, they usually didn't have much money, but they also didn't have much resistance. Scholars were useless, after all.
Two craftsmen, they should be able to squeeze out some small money.
A group of young women, hehe hehe...
Yellow Tooth scanned around and felt that the only ones who could bring them some trouble were the two guards with knives.
Fortunately, they didn't look very old and seemed dull-witted. When they saw them boarding the ship, instead of protecting their employers at the first moment, they stood there dumbfounded.
Yellow Tooth raised the knife in his hand again to make sure everyone noticed it, then lowered his voice a bit and sneered, "What are you still standing there for? If you don't take out your money, don't blame me for being heartless!"
Yellow Tooth felt that his threat should be enough this time.
However, none of the people on the boat moved.
Then he even saw the few scholars, who should have been the most timid, gathering together excitedly, "Wow, these are robbers!"
Another one added, "There are constant bandit disasters everywhere, which shows that there must be treacherous officials in the court! Gentlemen, we scholars should work harder at this time, and in the future, when we are on the list and become officials, we can eliminate treacherous officials for the Holy One!"
"Brother Zongju is right! Alas, speaking of which, it is also pitiful for these people to become bandits. Most of them are forced by life. The local government must also be responsible. If I am sent out as an official, I will definitely educate them more and implement benevolent governance, which can make the banditry disappear on its own."
Yellow Tooth was completely dumbfounded.
At this moment, even he himself felt deeply confused.
Did I come aboard to rob, or to tutor these dull scholars in policy essays?
Looking at the other people in the cabin again.
There was still no fear on their faces, as relaxed as if they were on an outing.
Yellow Tooth was finally enraged!
Even a clay figure has three parts fire, let alone Jiang bandits like them who kill without blinking an eye.
A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he was planning to kill two people first to vent his anger, and also to deter this group of ignorant guys, so that they would know how to write the word 'respect'.
But just as he raised the steel knife in his hand, his eyes blurred.
He saw that the young man who was originally standing next to the fat merchant had suddenly come in front of him somehow.
Yellow Tooth subconsciously wanted to swing the knife.
However, just as he raised the blade, he saw the man reach out and pat him on the shoulder casually.
Yellow Tooth only felt a burst of numbness in his body, and he could no longer hold the guy who made a living in his hand.
With a clang, the steel knife fell to the ground.
With Yellow Tooth's eyesight, he naturally couldn't see how high Lu Jing's martial arts were.
But just looking at the movement technique Lu Jing just used, and that casual pat, Yellow Tooth understood that he had kicked an iron plate. Even if the eight of them went together, they would definitely not be a match for this person in front of him.
So then he directly bent his knees and knelt on the ground.
Without saying a word, he kowtowed to Lu Jing a series of loud thuds, and while kowtowing, he cried, "Young hero, we were originally fishermen from the same village. Because the village has a strong martial arts atmosphere, we have all practiced some village-style moves."
"As a result, we caught up with the bad years in the past two years. The fish are still the same fish, but the rice, noodles, salt, and firewood are all soaring in price. My old mother and young children are so pitiful that they don't even have a new piece of clothing all year round, and they can't even afford wheat meals."
"As a result, we also caught up with the government increasing taxes, saying that everyone should pay for the suppression of the rebellion. But we really have no money, and coupled with my wife's illness, I finally made up my mind and took a few villagers to become bandits."
"Who would have thought that the first time I robbed, I would meet a young hero like you! Young hero, I know I have done something wrong. You can kill me or cut me, and I won't have a word of complaint. Before I die, I only ask the young hero to let go of my brothers. They were all dragged into the water by me."
"If you let them go, they can take care of my wife, children, and old mother for me when they go back. Please, young hero!"
Yellow Tooth kowtowed his forehead until it bled, and the final voice was also full of sorrow.
The few scholars in the cabin showed compassion.
The two waiters who left their hometown to earn money in the capital seemed to have also thought of their families, and they were even more sympathetic.
Even the two young guards were quite moved and wanted to say something, but they finally held back.
Only the fat traveling merchant who had chatted with Lu Jing before was expressionless and silent.
In addition, the youngest girl in the group of women pouted and showed a disapproving expression.
Her grandmother, who had been chanting Buddhist scriptures all the time, sighed and said, "Young hero Lu, these villains have committed evil first, which is difficult to tolerate under the law, but there are some reasons that can be forgiven in terms of emotion, and they have not hurt anyone since boarding the ship, so why not... just let them go."
"Okay, I will follow the old lady's words." Lu Jing agreed very readily.
Yellow Tooth couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this. He kowtowed to Lu Jing three more times, and then kowtowed nine times to the group of women, excitedly saying, "Thank you, old lady. We will definitely turn over a new leaf and start a new life when we go back, and we will never do this business of robbing houses again!"
"That's very good." The old lady also showed a gratified look when she heard this, and recited the Buddha's name.
A crisis was thus eliminated invisibly, and even more rare was that it ended in a happy ending for everyone.
Yellow Tooth got up from the ground, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and happily prepared to turn around and get off the boat, but no one expected that Lu Jing would speak again at this time.
"People can leave, but you have to leave something behind."
The fat traveling merchant couldn't help but burst out laughing, ignoring the surprised eyes of others, and the young girl's eyes also lit up.
"Thi... thing, what thing?" Yellow Tooth was stunned.
"I don't want much, just one arm and one leg per person will be fine," Lu Jing said lightly.