Chapter 33: A Chance to Choose Again

Li Sheng's body stiffened instantly. The chill radiating from the blade pricked his pores, making the hair all over his body stand on end.

He turned his head with great difficulty and asked, "Lin Zuo, are you trying to rebel?"

"I think it is you who are trying to rebel," Lin Zuo said expressionlessly.

Before the words had even faded, Heipi, standing behind and to his side, suddenly drew the blade at his waist and thrust it viciously toward the center of Lin Zuo's back.

This strike came with great urgency, and since Lin Zuo was facing away from Heipi with his attention focused entirely on Li Sheng, it should have been impossible to dodge.

Yet, the moment Heipi moved, Lin Zuo shifted his body half a foot to the right as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Heipi's sure-fire strike grazed right past him.

Heipi, having used too much force, could not stop his momentum. His body brushed past Lin Zuo's, and Lin Zuo took the opportunity to kick him in the backside. The latter flew like a cannonball, smashed through the railing, shot off the high platform, and fell into the water with a shrill scream, splashing up a massive spray.

Throughout this process, Lin Zuo did not even glance at Heipi, and the sword in his hand never left Li Sheng's neck.

Li Sheng's heart sank; he knew he had encountered a master. The skills Lin Zuo had just displayed were absolutely not something a mere scholar could possess.

But he still wanted to put up a desperate fight.

"I am the Water Transport Supervisor Deputy Commander of Zhenjiang Prefecture, I..."

"Enough chatter." Lin Zuo interrupted him, pulled a gold medal identical to the one Tang Zheng had previously shown from his bosom, and shook it in front of Li Sheng.

"Do you recognize this token?"

"Hmph, trying to fool people with a fake gold medal again?"

"You may verify it." As Lin Zuo spoke, he held the gold medal over the candle burning on the table, letting the flame lick the bottom of the medal.

A moment later, he moved the medal away from the flame. It remained completely undamaged, and even its color had not changed in the slightest.

Li Sheng's face changed color, and he stammered, "This... is this... real?"

Lin Zuo smiled and tucked the gold medal back into his bosom.

"Let us reintroduce ourselves. I am Lin Zuo, Commander of the North Suppressing Faction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. By order of the Emperor, I have come to Zhenjiang Prefecture to investigate the case of water transport corruption and the rampant River Bandits. All officials of Zhenjiang Prefecture, great and small, are under my command."

Before he finished speaking, many government soldiers holding torches suddenly swarmed out from the surrounding banks, surrounding the entire high platform. The soldiers who had been holding bows and arrows lowered them upon seeing this.

Even at this point, Li Sheng remained stubborn: "Even so, that does not prove I am guilty."

He pointed at the trapped Fish-skin People and shouted, "What those people did has nothing to do with me, and I have never participated in any of their actions."

"Is that so?" Lin Zuo smiled. "If I am not mistaken, you should have a wound on your right shoulder right now. I shot you at the shipyard two days ago. Shall we take off your clothes and inspect it?"

Li Sheng said nothing. Lin Zuo's sword suddenly flickered, and Li Sheng's clothes split open from the center, revealing the wound on his shoulder and a hideous Ghost Face Tattoo on his chest.

Seeing that familiar Ghost Face Tattoo, the corner of Lin Zuo's eye twitched, and memories from ten years ago instantly surfaced before his eyes.

"I didn't expect an unexpected harvest." He looked at Li Sheng coldly and said, "What is the meaning of this River Bandit tattoo on your body? Explain yourself."

Li Sheng was speechless.

"Men, bind Li Sheng for me." Lin Zuo shouted. Several soldiers stepped forward and used ropes to tie Li Sheng's hands behind his back.

Lin Zuo then walked over to Su Shanhe, personally removed the rag stuffed in his mouth, and while untying him, said, "Commander Su, you have been wronged these past few days."

Su Shanhe shook his head and was about to speak when he heard Li Sheng let out a violent roar. He shoved aside the two soldiers binding him with his shoulder, vaulted over the railing, and dove headfirst into the canal.

In that instant, Lin Zuo hesitated.

If he struck now, he could certainly kill Li Sheng. But this man was, after all, a crucial witness. The entire water transport corruption in Zhenjiang Prefecture was linked to him; by following this vine, one could surely unearth many big fish. If he killed him now, the leads would all be broken.

In the blink of an eye, Li Sheng had already plunged into the river. The next second, Lin Zuo felt a gust of wind brush past his ear; the newly untied Su Shanhe had also leaped over the railing, diving into the canal in hot pursuit of Li Sheng.

For a moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on the two rolling shadows beneath the water. Even Lin Zuo, who had seen his fair share of major events on the high platform, could not help but break into a cold sweat.

Fortunately, a moment later, the upper half of Su Shanhe's body suddenly surfaced. One hand dragged the drowned, limp Li Sheng like a dead dog, while the other paddled toward the bank.

Cheers erupted all around. Lin Zuo, on the high platform, could not help but clench his fist. He walked quickly down the platform as soldiers stepped forward to help Su Shanhe drag Li Sheng onto the bank, where they tied him up like a rice dumpling.

"Commander Su, what excellent swimming skills."

"It is nothing. I grew up playing in this river; it is only natural that I swim well." Su Shanhe laughed heartily and pointed at the limp Li Sheng: "Being able to capture this scoundrel with my own hands has settled a matter of concern for me."

At the same time, the small boat Tang Zheng was riding in docked nearby. Tang Zheng directed the fishermen to escort Abao and the later-captured Fish-skin People off the boat, then walked toward Lin Zuo.

They looked at each other from a distance, but the emotions in their eyes now were far more complex than when they had first met.

A moment later, Tang Zheng stood before Lin Zuo, and they stood facing each other.

"Commander, you hid your identity well!" Tang Zheng said with a serious face, but the next moment, he could not help himself and burst into laughter: "Did you know my identity all along?"

Lin Zuo also laughed: "From the moment you first took out that fake Embroidered Spring Blade, I knew."

"And you didn't expose me? Was it fun watching me make a fool of myself?"

"It was alright." Lin Zuo smiled and asked in return: "Didn't you decide to leave Zhenjiang Prefecture? Why did you come back?"

"If I didn't come back, how could you have found the truth about the River God and so much evidence?"

"So, are you leaving now?"

"If you don't drive me away, I suppose I don't have to leave."

This time, Lin Zuo stared at him for a long time before suddenly asking: "Impersonating an Embroidered Uniform Guard is a capital offense, but I think I should give you one more chance to choose?"

"Alright!" Tang Zheng said decisively: "This time, I won't choose wrong again."

"Set off the firecrackers, send the signal." Lin Zuo ordered those behind him.

A moment later, the crackling sound of firecrackers rang out, carrying far away on the river breeze.

Afterward, Lin Zuo slid a Sleeve Arrow from his sleeve and threw it to Tang Zheng, saying: "Your martial arts are not good enough. Tie this Sleeve Arrow to your wrist; it might save your life at a critical moment."

Tang Zheng tied it on as instructed, showed it to Lin Zuo, and asked: "What do we do next?"

"Let's go, we are going to catch the turtle in the jar!" ### CHAPTER 34