Chapter 142: Mad Zhao

“Old Li, what are you whispering to that brat? Has he not finished his meal yet?” With a sharp, shrill voice, Nian Hou called out from a distance.

“Oh… nothing much… nothing at all!” Li Dayin quickly turned around, speaking timidly to Nian Hou.

Then, turning back with a stern face, he urged Zhou Zhi, “You brat, why are you taking so long to eat? Hurry up, finish your meal!”

As he spoke, Li Dayin’s gaze toward Zhou Zhi shifted through many emotions, mostly pity. Sigh! Such a young age, and yet they were going to kill him—this was all the cursed handiwork of that damned Taoist.

Nian Hou hopped and jumped over quickly. At the same time, Li Dayin took the food container from Zhou Zhi’s hands. Without looking at him anymore, he turned silently and left.

Nian Hou sneered darkly, “Zhou Zhi, brat, are you full now? Heh heh! Do you know what kind of meal you just ate?”

“Decapitation rice.”

“Never thought, really never thought, that you’d have a few days left. Come on, the big boss wants to see you. Just wait—after the boss meets you, that’ll be your death sentence.”

As he spoke, he took out a key and was about to unlock the wooden door when suddenly he realized something. Hastily, he put the key away and shouted loudly up the mountain, “Brothers, come quick! This brat’s not easy to deal with!”

After the shout, four burly men suddenly appeared, running swiftly from somewhere, each holding a machete. Upon reaching Nian Hou, they sneered, “Monkey, you really can’t get anything done, huh? I don’t understand why the boss likes you so much. You don’t even dare touch a brat like this. I’m impressed, really impressed!”

“You don’t know jack! This brat hits hard—be careful!” Nian Hou’s expression darkened.

Clearly, this kid had some standing on the mountain, at least these four were somewhat wary of him.

Nian Hou then took out the key again and opened the door. The four burly men entered and immediately forced Zhou Zhi to the ground. Nian Hou handed over a rope, and the men quickly bound Zhou Zhi’s hands and torso, leaving only his legs free so he could still walk.

Though Li Dayin had told Zhou Zhi it would be difficult to escape the mountain, he had been looking for a chance all along. Unexpectedly, the bandits came for him so quickly, filling him with growing anxiety.

One man against four strong men and a wiry Nian Hou—Zhou Zhi knew he didn’t have the skill to fight them off and could only submit to being tied up.

His heart wailed in despair. Damn! Could it be that Zhou Zhi’s fate would end here today?

Risking an incursion into a wolf’s den was no easy matter, and though he was unwilling to be captured, he simply couldn’t beat them.

Being helplessly beaten left Zhou Zhi feeling colder and colder inside.

Luckily, there was still a glimmer of hope. According to Li Dayin, the mountain boss was somewhat interested in him. Now, all he could do was rely on luck and leave his fate to the heavens.

Nian Hou led the way, with four burly men escorting Zhou Zhi behind. They climbed a jagged mountain path for over two hundred steps. Among the bare trees appeared several stone-built houses.

In Zhou Zhi’s impression, bandits’ lairs should be caves or something similar, with a gathering hall of sorts. But this gang’s dwelling was surprisingly simple, much like common houses on the plains.

Pushed roughly inside one of the houses, Zhou Zhi looked up. The room was sizable, oriented north to south, with three chairs neatly arranged. Three men sat on them.

The one in the center was a somewhat lean man, dark-skinned, about thirty years old.

To his left sat a ruddy-faced, robust man, wearing a scholar’s square kerchief—clearly a scholar, about twenty years old. Without a doubt, this was Zhao Fu.

On the right was a burly man, likely the one who had captured Zhou Zhi the previous night—called Third Master Wang, a tall fellow.

As Zhou Zhi entered, the three men, especially Ma Qianli and Zhao Fu, scrutinized him carefully.

Seeing Zhou Zhi’s calm face, showing no hint of fear, all three were slightly surprised.

“You dare meet our Third Master and not kneel?” Nian Hou barked.

Zhou Zhi glared fiercely at Nian Hou, retorting, “Get lost, who the hell do you think you are!”

“You…” Nian Hou pointed at him, tongue-tied.

Ma Qianli’s face darkened. “Nian Hou, step back!”

Silently, Nian Hou withdrew to the side, still glaring venomously at Zhou Zhi.

Ma Qianli fixed cold eyes on Zhou Zhi. “Do you know why I caught you?”

Zhou Zhi stood proudly. “Obviously, you were incited by that thieving Taoist to catch me.”

“Slap!” Ma Qianli slammed the table heavily. “What thieving Taoist? How could I be incited by a Taoist? I caught you because I heard you have a nickname—‘Cold-Faced Butcher’—and you’re ruthless. I wanted to see for myself.”

“Today, you do seem tough. Men, show this brat some color! Let’s see if he still dares talk to me like that!”

Ma Qianli’s face darkened, radiating a certain imposing authority.

The four burly men immediately stepped forward, ready to lay hands on Zhou Zhi.

At that moment, Zhou Zhi’s mind raced. Suddenly, he shouted fiercely at Zhao Fu, “Crazy Zhao, are you just going to watch them beat me without lifting a finger? Don’t you know who I am?”

Zhao Fu was stunned, hastily raising his hand to stop the four men. Zhou Zhi’s use of “Crazy Zhao” struck a chord.

Because “Crazy Zhao” was a nickname only used by people in Zhao Fu’s hometown, Daliushu Village in Wen’an County, Bazhou. Here, six or seven hundred miles away in the Taihang Mountains, no one would know such a name.

Zhao Fu looked Zhou Zhi up and down carefully and asked sternly, “You know me?”

The mention of “Crazy Zhao” had clearly caught Zhao Fu’s attention. Zhou Zhi was secretly pleased and resolved to press on.

With a cold face, Zhou Zhi feigned anger. “Of course I don’t know you, but someone else does. You remember Liu Liu from Bazhou, right? I’m close with Liu Liu—he’s told me about you, Crazy Zhao. He said I’m his brother, that is, your brother too. What, don’t you acknowledge Big Brother Liu Liu?”

Zhou Zhi was bluffing utterly; he had never met Liu Liu. But as a time-traveler, he knew from history that Liu Liu, Liu Qi, and Zhao Fu were lifelong close friends, so he risked this gambit.

As he spoke, Zhou Zhi’s sharp eyes fixed intently on Zhao Fu, watching his expression closely.

Fortunately, this ruse worked well. Indeed, Zhao Fu and the two Liu brothers had grown up together as inseparable sworn brothers, though Zhao Fu had become a scholar while the Liu brothers were warriors.

Zhao Fu’s tiger-like eyes flicked thoughtfully, then asked, “How do you know Liu Liu? Tell me.”

As a scholar with keen insight, he clearly wouldn’t believe Zhou Zhi’s simple words so easily.