The tea stand was very quiet. Gust of Wind stared wide-eyed at Gou Zi walking toward him. The veins on his neck bulged, but his body wouldn’t move at all. Bean-sized sweat droplets slid down from his forehead. His mouth gaped wide open, yet he couldn’t make a sound.

Gou Zi placed his index finger before his lips, making a gesture for him to be quiet. He moved Gust of Wind down from the chair and used long-unused wet rawhide rope to bind him up tightly. Wet rawhide rope had one advantage—as moisture evaporated, it would bind tighter and tighter.

After completing all this, Gou Zi used the knife in his hand to stab Gust of Wind’s thigh twice, then carefully bandaged it. He’d received training—these tasks were easy for him.

He checked the binding ropes again before finally breathing a sigh of relief. One couldn’t be too carried away when doing things. Even a lion uses full strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone when facing a killer.

He immersed Gust of Wind’s head in well water. After quite a while, Gust of Wind discovered his tongue could move. Opening his mouth, he hastily said: “Good fellow, all the copper coins and silver on me are yours. The ox cart too—just show mercy and spare me. At home, there’s still an old mother and young child who need care. If you kill me, you kill my whole family!”

Gou Zi smiled as he watched Gust of Wind perform, then suddenly said: “No wonder the Marquis says wandering knights are all idiots who can’t even speak properly. You should say it like this: ‘Spare my life, sir! Above me is an eighty-year-old mother, below me a wailing infant at the breast. I beg you, good fellow, spare my life!’ See, saying it this way is much more eloquent. If you met someone soft-hearted, they might even let you go.”

“I’m not a wandering knight—I’m a farmer. Good fellow, you’ve got the wrong person,” Gust of Wind hastily said.

“A farmer? If you’d disguised yourself as anyone else, you might have fooled me. But to pretend to be a farmer before someone whose family has farmed for generations—don’t you think you’re missing something? A farmer who doesn’t even cherish his ox? Which farmer doesn’t take care of his ox first before himself? The mud spots on the ox aren’t even cleaned off, haven’t fed it, haven’t even unhitched the cart, yet you’re shouting at me to hurry up and pour you water. Damn it, such a good ox is wasted following you.” Gou Zi was very angry. He liked oxen and had always hoped to have one himself. He most couldn’t stand trash who abused livestock.

“The ox is borrowed—naturally I don’t care. After using it, I’ll just return it to them.”

Gou Zi whipped Gust of Wind across the head. A purple welt immediately appeared on his head. “Looking at you, you’re just a beast. For farming families, livestock are more important than father or grandfather’s lives, yet you still say such heartless words. Being whipped to death would serve you right! And you say you’re going to the Yun estate to find work? Can’t you make up better lies? In the city, they’re building houses like crazy. Steward Wang practically wants to drag even month-old babies to construction sites. Yet here you are driving a good cart, and you can’t find work in the city?”

Gou Zi kicked him hard twice. His heart felt much better. The Marquis had been bad-tempered lately. The two times they’d met, he’d kicked him twice. He didn’t know what was wrong—the way the Marquis looked at him was strange and frightening.

He pulled out a small unstrung crossbow from Gust of Wind’s bosom. From a bamboo tube about a foot long, he poured out several crossbow bolts. Seeing the arrowheads were blackened, he sniffed them at his nose, then flew into a rage. He frantically whipped Gust of Wind with the lash. In moments, Gust of Wind was beaten bloody all over, screaming miserably.

Gou Zi frowned, worried about waking Mother. He picked up a cloth, pinched Gust of Wind’s jaw, and stuffed the cloth into his mouth. Gust of Wind made muffled sounds from his mouth—surely he must be begging for mercy.

“Scum like you should be thrown in a vat of boiling oil! Coating arrowheads with poison—aconite at that! You’re not giving the Yun family’s Old Matriarch any way to live! Such a kind old person, yet you use such damnable things against her. Are you even human?”

After searching Gust of Wind’s entire body, Gou Zi kept laughing. Especially when he pulled out two large silver ingots from his crotch, he laughed even more joyfully. He could already see his happy life beckoning to him.

“Good skill! You’re the first to hide silver in your crotch. Aren’t you afraid of hurting your brother?” As he spoke, he loosened Gust of Wind’s hair and found a small saw and two steel needles from it. He didn’t spare the shoe soles either—using a dagger to pry open the cowhide, he found another small knife inside. Only then did Gust of Wind dejectedly hang his head. His professional secrets seemed to hold no mysteries before this young man.

“Don’t be surprised. This master grew up in the auxiliary soldier camp. I’ve seen strange things you can’t even imagine. Playing games in front of this master—you have the nerve to keep pretending!”

While speaking, an old farmer carrying a hoe walked over from the fields. He went straight into the tea stand, poured himself a bowl of cold tea, and tilted his head back to gulp it down. Very natural, just like returning to his own home, as if he didn’t see Gust of Wind on the ground constantly writhing, hoping to attract the old farmer’s attention. He lifted his clothing hem to fan himself. Though it was only early April, Guanzhong’s sun was gradually becoming fierce.

Gou Zi ran over to fetch the palm-leaf fan for the old farmer, diligently fanning him. After the old farmer rested awhile and drank another bowl of tea, he pointed at Gust of Wind on the ground and asked: “This is the scum the Marquis mentioned?”

“Yes, Old Uncle. This fellow even said he was a farmer, trying to trick me. From the start I felt he didn’t seem like someone who drove ox carts, but wasn’t certain. So I pretended to accidentally spill tea on his waist. While wiping the water, I discovered he had weapons. So I mixed Doctor Sun’s mafeisan anesthetic in the tea and gave it to him to drink. Only then did I capture him.”

Gou Zi leaned beside the old farmer like a proud child reporting achievements to an adult. Showing off all he could, head raised, hoping for the old farmer’s praise. Who knew he’d get a slap on the head? Rubbing his head, he looked at Old Uncle uncomprehendingly.

“Everything taught to you over the years went into a dog’s belly. Still showing off, still uncertain? Look at those boots—do they look like what a farmer wears? Look at his hands, then look at your old uncle’s hands. Are the calluses the same? Look again at his tiger’s mouth, his wrists. Gou Zi, this is a master knife-fighter. You’re still not his match. If you hadn’t used mafeisan, and this fellow hadn’t looked down on you, when I came back I would have only seen both your and your mother’s corpses.”

After Old Uncle finished speaking, he stood up and used his foot to press down on Gust of Wind’s jaw, pulling out the cloth. From his waist, he took out a hook, hooked Gust of Wind’s upper jaw, and pulled his mouth wide open at once. Old Uncle turned back to Gou Zi and said: “Pull out his tongue.”

Gou Zi didn’t understand but still obediently used fire tongs to pull out Gust of Wind’s tongue. “Pull it longer,” Old Uncle urged him again. Gou Zi pulled hard, and Gust of Wind’s bright red tongue stretched out long.

“Look under his tongue—is there a small knife?” Gou Zi rolled up Gust of Wind’s tongue and only then discovered under this fellow’s tongue root was actually a thin blade. Startled, he removed the blade and cut it across a strip of cloth. The cloth immediately became two sections. What a sharp little knife!

“If this were between two armies and we’d captured a spy, this master would even check his anus. Gou Zi, sever his hand tendons. This son of a bitch had no good intentions. He didn’t follow the residence’s convoy—probably had designs on you mother and son, preparing to assassinate the Old Matriarch tomorrow.”

Gou Zi’s eyes turned red. At home, there was only one mother, and she was blind, posing no threat to him whatsoever. Yet this fellow wouldn’t spare her. His hand showed no hesitation as he used the small knife to cut across Gust of Wind’s wrists. Two red lines slowly oozed out. His wrists hung down powerlessly. Seeing everything was settled, Old Uncle sat back in the chair and said to Gou Zi: “Now this fellow is money. In a bit, you and Lengzi will go together to the Yun residence to deliver him to the Old Matriarch. Tell the Old Matriarch not to go out these days. I’ll tell the brothers to pay more attention to outsiders.”

Piling all the silver and copper coins searched out onto the table, Gou Zi ran out to find Lengzi, preparing to use the ox cart to deliver Gust of Wind to the Yun estate. Gust of Wind’s tongue still hung outside his mouth—the tongue root had been pulled and injured by Gou Zi and couldn’t go back.

While using fire tongs to poke the tongue back into the mouth, Old Uncle said to Gust of Wind: “Over these years, this master has seen many wealthy families. If you troubled other families, this master would pretend not to see. But a family like the Yun household—this master hopes they’ll be lords and marquises for ten thousand generations. A whole family of good people. Even the most spoiled Young Miss in the household knows to give way to old men collecting manure, and helps market women who can’t calculate accounts figure out their vegetable bills.”

“Don’t disbelieve it—this master saw it with his own eyes at the market. Even their horses know to pay for food. Setting up stalls at the marquis residence gate, when it rains and there’s nowhere to hide, people stand under the main gate. You try standing under other noble families’ gates—if they don’t set dogs on you, count yourself lucky. The Yun family even gives ginger soup to drink. For dozens of li around, the neighbors’ lives are all getting better. These are all changes the Yun family brought. You want to kill people? First ask the neighbors within these ten or so li.”

Gust of Wind hurt all over his body, especially his tongue—waves of pain drilled into his brain. His ears were ringing. He only saw the old farmer’s mouth opening and closing, not knowing what he was saying. He only knew he was completely finished this time.

Gou Zi returned quickly, followed by a sturdy farm lad. Only both their clothes were extremely tattered, their faces smeared chaotically. Arriving at the stand, they said nothing and dipped their hands in Gust of Wind’s blood to smear on themselves. This time it was Old Uncle’s turn to be puzzled. He asked: “Why this? Good clothes not worn, but specially finding these tattered field clothes—what’s the reasoning?”

“Old Uncle, you don’t know about this. The Marquis said before that everything needs packaging—merits too. If Lengzi brother and I arrive at the Yun residence clean and tidy, perhaps the residence will think we captured the killer very easily and give less reward. Now we smear ourselves with blood—anyone can see we brothers fought a bloody battle to capture this fellow. I estimate this way, the reward will increase by thirty percent. Lengzi brother’s marriage money will be settled.”

Gou Zi tore the hole in his clothing corner larger, looking even more miserable. Finally, gritting his teeth, he said to Lengzi: “Brother, punch me in the nose—not too hard, just draw blood.”

After saying this, worried Lengzi couldn’t bring himself to do it, he first punched Lengzi in the nose. Lengzi with his nosebleed streaming of course wouldn’t let him off—one punch, extremely solid.

Old Uncle stood under the tea stand watching the two youngsters gradually depart, shaking his head. He couldn’t understand modern youth, didn’t know what they were thinking.

Only when their figures could no longer be seen did he walk home with hands behind his back to find his old wife, asking her to go care for Gou Zi’s blind old mother.