Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 70 Hidden Crisis

The moonlight, cool and clear, spilled into the alley.

The two stood facing each other, their expressions as deep and unwavering as a mountain.

He clearly heard Zheng Tu's footsteps fade away, and then waited quietly in the same spot for a long time.

How could this person return after leaving?

What's even more terrifying is that I didn't even notice when this person appeared behind me, or how long they'd been there. They were so close, yet I hadn't noticed them at all!

Thinking this, Huang Silang's expression changed repeatedly.

But he was a seasoned veteran, and he quickly calmed down.

Right now, he was only a few feet away from this man, which was the perfect position to fire his crossbow at the fastest and most accurate time!

The crossbow bolts are so fast that they arrive in the blink of an eye, and no matter how skilled you are in martial arts, it is difficult to dodge them.

His mind raced, and he made a decisive decision without hesitation.

He forced a smile at Zheng Tu, saying in a low voice, "Sir, you jest, I..." His voice trailed off. Before he finished speaking, his other hand, like a viper's tongue, drew a crossbow from his waist and pulled the trigger!

The mechanism clicked, and several short arrows shot out, heading straight for Zheng Tu's heart!

Huang Silang's movements were fluid and effortless; from drawing the crossbow to firing it, it was only a matter of a snap of the fingers, clearly indicating that he had practiced it no less than a hundred times.

This method is extremely insidious; first, it distracts people with words, then it launches a sudden, unexpected attack.

If it were an ordinary skilled fighter, upon hearing him speak in a low voice, he would inevitably be distracted and listen, and by the time he reacted, the arrow would have already pierced his chest.

Huang Silang had tried this method several times, and none of the heroes with some reputation in the martial arts world could escape it; they all became his dead under his crossbow.

Although Huang Silang was quick, Zheng Tu reacted even faster!

The moment the arrow left the bowstring, the burly figure suddenly swayed, ripped off his outer robe and flung it out, catching all the arrows in one go, and then burst into action.

It pounced straight down like a tiger descending a mountain, bringing with it a strong gust of wind!

Huang Silang felt a blur before his eyes, and in almost an instant, Zheng Tu was already in front of him!

"Bang!"

Zheng Tu kicked Huang Silang in the wrist of his crossbow.

This strike was powerful and heavy; with a crisp crack, the wrist bone shattered! The hardwood crossbow flew out of his hand and broke into several pieces in the air.

Huang Silang groaned, his right hand hanging limply at his sides, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his heart filled with horror: "How can this fellow, with such a massive build, possess such ghostly speed? Could it be Zhou Tong's Jade Ring Step and Mandarin Duck Legs?!"

With one hand crippled and Zheng Tu closing in on him, he was in dire straits.

But Huang Silang was, after all, a ruthless and ambitious man. Although he was terrified, he was still able to keep his composure.

Because he still has a backup plan!

Huang Silang was already thin, and he endured the excruciating pain, pushed off with his feet, and retreated three zhang (approximately 10 meters) to create distance between himself and Zheng Tu.

Zheng Tu was not about to let him go, and he pressed on, attacking vital points with every move.

The two began to fight in the narrow alley.

Zheng Tu was initially cautious, but after debunking more than ten moves, he gradually figured out Huang Silang's tactics.

After another three or five exchanges, Zheng Tu spotted an opening, suddenly leaped up, and pounced on Huang Silang like an eagle hunting a rabbit!

Huang Silang's eyes flashed with a sharp light; this was the moment he had been waiting for!

Zheng Tu's pounce was powerful and heavy, but he had nowhere to put his strength in the air, just when his old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated!

Huang Silang's face revealed a ruthless expression, and he suddenly flipped his remaining left hand over!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two short arrows shot out from his sleeve; it turned out he had hidden a hidden arrow in his other arm!

This was his last resort to save his life. The sleeve dart on his arm was ingeniously designed and launched by a spring mechanism. Although its power was not as great as that of a crossbow, its advantage lay in its surprise attack.

However, this mechanism is made of thin materials and can only be used once before it is damaged by the recoil. It should never be used lightly unless it is a matter of life and death.

At such close range, the short arrow is so fast and swift that even a great immortal would find it difficult to dodge!

Zheng Tu was in mid-air when he saw the dark light coming towards him and was terrified! He tried to twist his body, but he couldn't dodge it.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Both arrows struck Zheng Tu squarely in the heart! Zheng Tu's body stiffened instantly, and he fell heavily from mid-air!

Seeing this, Huang Silang's lips curled up, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes, and he murmured to himself, "In this game, I have ultimately won..."

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!

When Zheng Tu landed, he rolled on the spot like a badger stealing melons, leaping in front of Huang Silang and throwing out his right fist like a cannonball, hitting Huang Silang in the chest!

"Click."

Huang Silang's chest visibly caved in, and he flew backward, crashing heavily into the wall.

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief, staring intently at Zheng Tu's chest.

Those two arrows clearly hit their targets! How could this be...?

The whole operation happened in the blink of an eye, and in just a moment, the outcome was decided.

At this moment, Zheng Tu slowly straightened up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Huang Silang was a formidable figure; those last two arrows were truly unavoidable and nearly cost him his life.

He looked down at his chest and pulled out a bulging money pouch from his pocket. It was a pouch containing ten taels of silver that he had stolen from that group of ruffians earlier that day.

Two short arrows were sticking out of the purse, their arrowheads deeply embedded, striking the silver ingots inside.

Zheng Tu shook the arrow off, and saw that the arrowhead was bluish-black, clearly poisoned.

"That was close..."

Zheng Tu breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for his improved martial arts skills and more refined techniques, allowing him to forcefully twist his body in mid-air and use the money pouch to catch the two arrows, he would probably have died from the poison by now.

Zheng Tu stared at Huang Silang, who was lying paralyzed on the ground, and asked with a frown, "We have no grudge against each other and are complete strangers. Why did you resort to such a vicious attack?"

Blood foam gushed from Huang Silang's mouth as he gasped for breath, but his face returned to its calm, wooden expression.

He looked quietly at Zheng Tu, a forced smile appearing on his lips, and said softly, "Cherish your time... You... will be coming to see me soon."

Zheng Tu frowned: "What do you mean? Who sent you?"

Huang Silang stopped answering and simply looked up at the night sky, the light in his eyes gradually fading.

Huang Silang was a ruthless and heroic figure. He had spent most of his life as a carpenter, but he secretly devised this ingenious crossbow that could fire in rapid succession, and he even kept several of them hidden in his home.

In his daily life, he is extremely cautious and strives for perfection in everything he does.

Whenever he makes a move, he aims for a decisive victory. He never expresses his anger in any way, but remains silent and bides his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

In his previous life, Huang Silang saw Zheng Tu drunk and passed out in the room and immediately knew that this was a golden opportunity. Therefore, he stopped planning and immediately used two crossbows to end Zheng Tu's life. Afterwards, he calmly sneaked into the room and wiped away all the crossbow marks with a flurry of knives without any panic.

In times of chaos, a man like him might very well achieve great things.

Unfortunately, he encountered Zheng Tu and ended up in this state.

Knowing he wouldn't get any information, Zheng Tu became even more wary, worried that this man might have other tricks up his sleeve.

Therefore, he didn't get close; he simply flicked his toe, and a piece of gravel flew up with a thud.

The weapon struck Huang Silang precisely on the head, instantly extinguishing his life force.

Zheng Tu's brows remained furrowed, and the sense of crisis in his heart had not yet been resolved.