HLnovel Chapter 378
Chapter 378
Zhang Peng was a local ruffian in Shaoxing. A ruffian who could get by in Shaoxing must have some tricks up his sleeve and connections.
Although those wealthy and powerful families looked down on him, there were many things that he was really needed to do. After all, there were some dirty jobs that only someone like him was suitable to do, as many people would find it too dirty to do them themselves.
Zhang Peng knew almost everyone in Shaoxing, including the hunter Zhang Damin, whose hunting skills were renowned throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Several times Zhang Peng tried to get some wild game from Zhang Damin, but he failed because Zhang Damin only sold the wild game he hunted to a wealthy family in the city, a family that Zhang Peng couldn't afford to offend.
Zhang Peng couldn't afford to offend the wealthy families, but he could afford to offend Zhang Damin. Zhang Peng harbored resentment towards Zhang Damin for his lack of tact, so every time Zhang Damin came to the city, Zhang Peng would stare at him with ill intent, looking for an opportunity to teach Zhang Damin a lesson.
Recently, Zhang Peng noticed that Zhang Damin seemed a bit off. This guy suddenly became rich for some reason, and every time he went to the city, he would buy a lot of things, even things he wouldn't have bought before, like maltose.
This made Zhang Peng realize that Zhang Damin might have suddenly struck it rich.
At first, Zhang Peng wasn't quite sure, but when Zhang Damin came to the city again these past two days, he simply brought a horse-drawn cart with all the things he bought. This time, not only Zhang Peng noticed, but many people in the city also noticed Zhang Damin's unusual behavior.
Zhang Damin bought a lot of things in his car, including many expensive items. Even things that someone like Zhang Peng wouldn't normally buy were loaded onto the car by Zhang Damin, making it hard not to attract attention.
Zhang Peng naturally noticed the others as well.
"Should we follow them and see?"
After Zhang Damin left, Zhang Peng looked at the others and said.
As a hunter, Zhang Damin was strong and robust. Even if Zhang Peng had any ideas, he couldn't beat Zhang Damin by himself.
The people in front of them had similar ideas to Zhang Peng, and upon hearing Zhang Peng's words, they naturally hit it off immediately. The group found a horse-drawn carriage and followed Zhang Damin all the way to the outskirts of the village.
Zhang Damin was being followed all the way, so it was impossible for him not to notice. However, Zhang Damin didn't care at this point, and he even hoped that Zhang Peng would come along.
He and Zhang Peng had been at odds for a long time, and he was well aware of Zhang Peng's ill intentions. Originally, he couldn't do anything about Zhang Peng, but now things were different. He didn't know who Chu Ge'er was, but these past two days, many soldiers in armor had come to their house.
Zhang Damin wasn't too surprised by the appearance of these people, after all, Zhou Chu was wearing armor when he first appeared here.
Even with his limited knowledge, Zhang Damin knew that this type of armor was not something ordinary soldiers could wear.
Zhang Damin was very smart. From the time Zhou Chu regained consciousness until now, he had never asked a single question about Zhou Chu's identity. Although he was just a hunter and a farmer, he understood a principle very well: sometimes knowing too much is not a good thing.
Just like the wealthy family he often delivered game to, there were many sordid things going on in their inner quarters, but Zhang Damin always pretended to be deaf and blind, never looking or listening to anything. After delivering the game to the hunter and receiving the money, he would never linger.
Zhang Damin was a hunter, and he could even vaguely sense that many people were hiding around his village. These people were likely all Chu Ge'er's men, and this was Zhang Damin's greatest source of confidence.
After the Xuanwu Army found Zhou Chu, Zhou Chu was relieved and gave Zhang Damin a lot of money, telling him to buy things without worry. This led to Zhang Damin entering the city.
Zhang Damin naturally understood Zhou Chu's subtext: if you have any trouble, someone will help you solve it. That's why Zhang Damin thought of taking this opportunity to teach Zhang Peng and his thugs a lesson.
After Zhang Damin drove the carriage into the village, Zhang Peng and the others got off the carriage, wanting to sneak into the village to see what was going on. If Zhang Damin had really made a fortune, they would definitely try to seize it by force.
The Xuanwu Army sentries hidden outside the village saw this and looked at the centurion beside them.
"Do you want to take action?"
The centurion shook his head.
"There are only a few of us, we can't cause any trouble. The superiors have ordered that we must not expose ourselves unless absolutely necessary."
The centurion had reason to say that; in fact, there were nearly two hundred Xuanwu Army soldiers around the entire mountain village, and more than a dozen around Zhang Damin's house.
They found Zhou Chu immediately and relayed the information back. The rest of the Xuanwu Army and Yun Jin were on their way.
Even if more people came, let alone Zhang Peng and his gang of thugs, Zhou Chu wouldn't be in any trouble.
Zhang Peng and his group reached the vicinity of Zhang Damin's house and were about to continue walking in when they were blocked by several fully armored Xuanwu soldiers as soon as they turned a corner.
"Who are you?"
The Xuanwu Army looked at Zhang Peng and the others and demanded an explanation in a stern voice.
They had met most of the people in this village before, and judging from Zhang Peng and his group's clothes and sleazy demeanor, they didn't seem to be from this village.
When Zhang Peng and the others saw these fully armored Xuanwu Army soldiers, they were immediately startled. They never expected that there was an army hidden in this small mountain village.
"Sir, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. We've taken the wrong road."
Zhang Peng was a local thug, whose greatest skill was bullying the weak and fearing the strong. He was most afraid of officials, not to mention soldiers in the army. He knew very well that even if these people killed him on the spot, they wouldn't cause any trouble.
At this moment, Zhang Peng carefully bowed, his face full of a forced smile.
Others echoed.
"Yes, sir. We were just passing by and got thirsty, so we came here to find some water."
No matter what they said, these Xuanwu soldiers were not so easily fooled. They simply grabbed the men and brought them before Zhou Chu.
"Sir, these men look shifty and suspicious. I wonder which side they are spies from."
Several Xuanwu Army soldiers brought Zhang Peng before Zhou Chu and said.
Zhou Chu glanced at Zhang Peng and the others. His accumulated imposing presence over the years was enough to nearly make Zhang Peng and the others wet their pants with just one look.
Zhang Peng was so frightened that he immediately knelt down.
"Grandpa, spare us! We're not spies, we're not spies!"
Zhang Peng kowtowed repeatedly.
The others also kowtowed. If they were mistaken for spies, they would be killed on the spot without hesitation. They didn't want to die.
Zhou Chu glanced at Zhang Peng and the others, then at Zhang Damin, and finally at Dazhu and Erya standing to the side.
Zhang Damin was quick-witted; he understood what Zhou Chu meant with just a glance.
"Dazhu, take Erya to your third grandfather's house to get medicine for Chu Ge'er."
Zhang Damin looked at Dazhu and said.
"Er Ya can go by herself."
Dazhu said somewhat discontentedly, "Since there's excitement to watch, I naturally don't want to leave."
"Just go when I tell you to. Why all the nonsense?"
Zhang Damin glared at Dazhu, who immediately cowered. He had been beaten by his father since he was a child and was most afraid of Zhang Damin.
After Zhu Zi and Er Ya left, Zhou Chu's smile vanished instantly, and he looked at Zhang Peng and the others.
"Take military court against him."
Zhou Chu said expressionlessly.