Scabby-head Zhang was a tyrant, snatching a fish from this family's basket today, another from that family's basket tomorrow.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to make everyone nauseous.
Not a single fisherman in Righteous Prosperity City hadn't been troubled by him; no widow hadn't been harassed.
He had long become a boil on the town that everyone hated.
Nobody dared say anything to his face, but in private, even Li Libo expressed his disdain.
Liang Qu's expression shifted, and he asked, "He got beaten up, when did that happen?"
"Possibly this morning? Anyway, when I saw him, he had a big bruise around his eye, and he was limping, clearly beaten badly."
"Who would dare hit him?"
"No idea," Li Libo shook his head, then whispered, "Actually, he’s not all that tough. He only went to the Martial Hall for two days before being kicked out for causing trouble. What could he have possibly learned? He couldn’t even set up a decent form. It's just that no one bothers to expose him as the paper tiger he is."
Liang Qu glanced at him sideways, "If that's how you feel, why don't you expose him?"
"Even if he's a paper tiger, he's still got the body size," Li Libo chuckled awkwardly.
"But today, he snuck out on his boat. I think he's afraid someone might seek revenge, so he's gone to the lake to recover. If it wasn't for me going to the toilet by the reed marsh, nobody would know about it. You're only the second person I've told."
Liang Qu understood.
"Are you done asking? I've said so much, and this meat..."
"It's all yours."
"Ha, generous, so generous! My family has been saving money so long that I haven't eaten meat in ages, hehe."
"Wait a moment," Liang Qu pressed on the dish.
"What now?"
"Never mind, go ahead and eat."
Li Libo was puzzled but didn't bother to ask, wolfing down the meat.
Liang Qu shook his head.
He initially thought to keep the news locked down, but then he reconsidered, realizing it wasn't necessary.
He was making too much of himself.
In the Jianghuai Marshlands.
A small fishing boat lay quietly upon the lake's surface, with Zhang Tieniu slumped inside, his pustule-covered scarred head notably conspicuous.
The usual fierce and untamed scabby-head Zhang now looked like a plucked chicken, listlessly lying there, with the bruise around his eyes almost comical.
"Damn it, just fine yesterday, how could it suddenly turn around like this? Damn that Zheng Xiang, hitting me so hard, my kidneys..."
Zhang Tieniu clutched his waist, face full of misery.
He'd done so many despicable things that he didn’t dare recover at home, fearing retaliation, so he took to hiding on the lake with his small boat.
Zhang Tieniu sighed deeply, "This is the only safe place."
"Not necessarily," came a voice.
Zhang Tieniu's heart skipped a beat.
As he began to rise, a mass of clear water smacked his face.
The water seemed alive, forcing its way into his lungs.
Caught off-guard, Zhang took a deep breath, only to feel his lungs fill with water, making breathing impossible.
He saw a figure climb aboard the boat, hair disheveled, flipping nimbly into the boat.
The figure efficiently got up and delivered a savage kick to his lower body, a pain beyond comprehension overwhelmed him.
Seeing the pig-liver colored face of scabby-head Zhang, Liang Qu dared not rest, gripping a stone with bulging veins and using all his might to strike at that pustule-covered head.
Thud!
Zhang Tieniu's eyes rolled back, fainting.
Seeing him unmoving, Liang Qu tossed the stone aside, with it rolling to the corner as it hit the boat's board.
Just like that?
With a slight move, the village bully, once a Martial Hall attendee, fell?
Liang Qu gasped heavily, staring at his own hands, and the water blob that was dissolving from Zhang's face.
Before he came, he had meticulously planned, but hadn't expected it to go so easily.
Just finding the guy had taken quite some time.
He had even prepared to be wounded, carrying a piece of lotus root in his pocket, warming up 'The Immovable' with hot water, crouching in the water below.
In the end, none of it was needed!
Water manipulation is so effective against ordinary people!
As long as you catch them off guard, smothering them with water, no matter what skills they have, they can't help it.
Staring at scabby-head Zhang lying unconscious, Liang Qu took out hemp rope from his waist, binding the man's hands and feet, and rummaged through his possessions, surprisingly finding two taels of silver, an unexpected bonus.
Tidying up the boat, Liang Qu put away all sharp objects, found another rope to further secure the bind, and then rowed the boat into a secluded reed marsh.
Resting in the reed marsh for a while, after munching some lotus root and regaining his energy, Liang Qu commanded the water to splash onto Zhang's face again.
"Hmm..."
Zhang Tieniu groggily woke up, seeing the swaying reeds, with the setting sun casting the sky into a fiery red.
He coughed, spitting water and seemingly aggravating his wounds.
Intense pain from his lower body overwhelmed all his other injuries.
It took him a while to realize what had happened.
His bloodshot eyes turned to Liang Qu.
"It's you!"
Receiving such a glare, Liang Qu merely kicked Zhang in the abdomen, nearly making him pass out.
Zhang, reeling in pain, finally understood his peril.
This place, a remote reed marsh, meant he could be killed with no one the wiser, and quickly changed his tone, "Water Brother, I was wrong, hit me as you should."
"I liked your arrogant act earlier."
"You must be joking, Water Brother," Zhang grinned awkwardly, caught in disbelief.
How could he have imagined that his attacker was Liang Qu!
This wretched soul who couldn't even afford meals, how had he changed so drastically?
Clearly, two days ago when he saw him, he seemed lifeless!
And the living waters, was it sorcery?
Liang Qu sat at the boat's head, his foot tapping Zhang's forehead, "Speak, where's my black canopy boat? What happened to it?"
Zhang hesitated, until Liang Qu made as if to kick again, "I-I sold it."
"Sold it?" Liang Qu quickly asked, "To whom?"
"T-The fish market."
This was bad!
Liang Qu felt an urge to drown Zhang right there.
If it were any fisherman, it could still be dealt with, but the fish market was another matter entirely! It was essentially run by people like scabby-head Zhang, turning into an organization!
The fish market was a place solely to rent out fishing boats and gear, but at exorbitant rates.
Many who rent never escape its clutches, working there their entire lives.
But if you don’t rent, you would starve within days.
Righteous Prosperity City was relatively better; elsewhere, the fish market was a fishing overlord’s domain.
Whether you rent or not, you have to rent!
Seeing Liang Qu's rising anger, Zhang Tieniu hurriedly pleaded, "Fishing boats are hard to sell, and I urgently needed money to drink, so I had to sell it at a discount to the fish market."
"How much did you sell it for?"
"F-Four, four taels."
"God damn it, you sold a black canopy boat at a small fishing boat’s price!?" Liang Qu kicked him again.
Blood rose up Zhang Tieniu's throat, but he couldn't speak against being battered.
When the beating paused, he finally wheezed out, "Still, still have two taels... in my... my pocket."
Damn it, so that two taels I found on him were originally mine!
Filled with fury at realizing the gained two taels were his own, Liang Qu seethed.
The wool came from the sheep indeed.
"What about the Zhao Manor?"
"Th-That was also me."
Liang Qu's suspicion was correct, it was Zhang Tieniu who leaked the information!
After robbing the boat, Zhang observed Liang Qu’s decent looks and, knowing Master Zhao's preferences, thought it could be another good bargain.
He directly informed Steward Zheng Xiang of Zhao Manor.
Thereafter, Zheng Xiang came calling.
At first glance, he agreed Zhang had been right, but Liang Qu asked for time to consider.
The deal fell through, and Zhang received no reward.
But Zheng Xiang detested wasted trips, and heavily implied to Zhang that he should help Liang Qu decide quickly.
Thus, Zhang Tieniu rushed to seize the last few gallons of rice Liang Qu had left, carefully calculated the timing, and made another report.
Which led to Zheng Xiang’s realization of being misled, seeking out Zhang that very night for a thorough beating.
Although Zheng Xiang was just an average man with modest build, his being part of Zhao Manor meant Zhang dared not retaliate.
Afterward, he could only hide and nurse his wounds on the lake, providing Liang Qu the chance to strike.
(End of Chapter)