Chapter 4

Zhai Tongjin lost his nerve. Only now did he realize that the person across from him was no little novice monk — beneath those loose robes was a body of solid muscle, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested.

And judging from the move just now, this monk was absolutely a seasoned fighter on the battlefield. He had been fooled by that blank, foolish expression and the wide monk's robe.

Zhang Chao, however, felt his confidence surge. Never believe the saying that martial arts were stronger the further back in time you went.

Martial arts are something refined and revised generation after generation. It was only because the ancients lived in harsh conditions that, when facing life and death, they could push their bodies' potential further than modern people. After all, later generations practiced martial arts for sport, while the ancients did it to stay alive!

Of course, it was also because modern martial arts, for the sake of competition, had voluntarily cut away some of the vicious killing moves.

This bastard's going to run!

Zhang Chao made an accurate judgment just from the look in Zhai Tongjin's eyes — this trash-talking big brother was actually a coward. Sure enough, Zhai Tongjin suddenly hurled the short knife in his hand at Zhang Chao, then spun around and bolted for the outer room.

Too late! Zhang Chao, fully prepared, dodged the thrown knife, took one long stride, and just as Zhai Tongjin turned but before he could run, grabbed the Uyghur by the collar, then yanked again and wrapped his arms around his waist.

Zhang Chao was over one meter seventy, with arms like forged iron, while the Uyghur Zhai Tongjin was at most one meter sixty-five. This move — the strong man locking the man — locked him up so tight he couldn't move.

Zhai Tongjin was just about to shout for the people outside to save him when Zhang Chao let out a great shout first, lifted Zhai Tongjin off the ground as if cradling a baby, then executed a back-arch waist throw!

'Thud!' 'Crack!' Two crisp sounds rang out. Zhai Tongjin came down headfirst onto the ground, his neck twisted at a sixty-degree angle. The Uyghur didn't even grunt — he simply went silent, leaving only faint twitching, as threads of blood slowly seeped from his mouth and nose.

"Aaaah!" The people outside hadn't even come in yet, but the little maidservant Shanniang was already shrieking — not entirely from fear, but more because of Zhang Chao.

It turned out the monk's robe Zhang Chao had found was never good cloth to begin with, and it was somewhat tattered. More importantly, Zhang Chao didn't know how to wear the clothes of this era and had just tied it on haphazardly. Now, after all the fighting, something had come loose, and the robe simply slipped off his body.

And so, the stark-naked Great Transmigrator Zhang appeared before Lady Cao Sanniang and her servant, and both of them hurriedly covered their eyes with their hands.

Uh! Though the gaps between their fingers seemed just a little too wide.

Shanniang stared at Zhang Chao's bulging chest muscles, her eyes burning with envy — this monk's certain part was actually bigger than hers.

Lady Cao Sanniang was different. She had already borne a child, and with considerable experience she fixed her gaze on Zhang Chao's industrial-grade abdominal muscles and wasp waist. In her eyes, the stark-naked Zhang Chao was no little novice monk, but a guardian deity descended to the mortal world, come to save her.

"You cheap little wench, what are you screaming about?" The Uyghurs outside heard the noise, and a short, fat one came in to check.

But he never imagined the two Uyghurs inside were already finished. No one believed a little novice monk and two women could have dealt with Zhai Tongjin and his companion, so when this Uyghur came in, he carried no weapon at all.

'Thud!' Zhang Chao lay in ambush by the door inside the hall, and the moment the Uyghur entered, he slammed into him with full force!

Though the Uyghur who came in was a short, fat man, his bulk and strength were no match for Zhang Chao's — let alone with surprise on Zhang Chao's side. The short, fat Uyghur was sent flying straight out.

Before the man even hit the ground, Zhang Chao lunged, and with the Tibetan knife in hand, stabbed him in the waist. The sharp blade pierced straight through his kidney.

"Aiya! You little bald thief...!" Only then did the short, fat Uyghur let out a miserable scream, his face full of terror. He grabbed desperately at the Tibetan knife lodged in his waist with both hands, thrashing violently like a fat rat, while Zhang Chao, even more ruthlessly, gripped the hilt and twisted it around.

The piercing screams finally drew the attention of the Uyghurs outside. If they hadn't paid much mind to the first scream from the Uyghur assigned to keep watch, this time was different. The remaining five Uyghurs' faces changed, and they drew their weapons and rushed over.

Zhang Chao swiftly pulled his blade free and hacked hard at the first Uyghur charging in.

'Ah!' With a scream, the charging Uyghur hadn't expected a blade to come at him so quickly. In his carelessness, his right arm was slashed, blood streaming down, but he also saw who had cut him.

"It's that little bald thief! The bald thief killed Captain Zhai!"

"Bring a shield! Shagou'er, bring a shield, quick!"

A shield wrapped in oxhide appeared at the doorway.

Captain? These fellows really are soldiers!

Zhang Chao immediately switched the knife to his left hand, leaned his body to the right, and suddenly drove forward with all his strength. The doorway was narrow, allowing only one person through at a time, so although there were five Uyghurs outside, they could only enter one by one.

Shagou'er was guarding against blades slashing out from inside, but he hadn't expected Zhang Chao's violent charge. In an instant, he felt as if he'd been rammed by a mad bull.

With a thud, Shagou'er's feet left the ground and he flew backward, knocking over two of the men behind him, who were caught off guard. Zhang Chao seized the chance to hack wildly, and several screams rang out — he couldn't tell how many he'd hit.

"Young lord, get out of the way!" Lady Cao's voice came from behind. Zhang Chao looked back — while he had been blocking the doorway, Lady Cao had directed the little maidservant Shanniang to put out the fire in the hall, and the two of them had carried over a large vat. The vat held heated water, still scalding hot.

Zhang Chao quickly dodged to the side. A Uyghur who had just charged in, his head half through the doorway, took the full pour right on his head.

"Aiya! The pain is killing me!" The boiling water hit his face, and instantly the Uyghur's face and hands were scalded bright red. Zhang Chao immediately rushed forward, hacking and stabbing furiously, and the Uyghur screamed even louder.

Of the eight Uyghurs, Zhang Chao had taken out two when he first exploded into action, ambushed one, wounded one with a slash, and now scalded one with boiling water to the head. Only three outside remained unwounded.

By now the fire in the hall was out, and it was pitch black inside. The door allowed only one person through at a time, so the Uyghurs didn't dare rush in again.

At the same time, Zhang Chao didn't dare charge out recklessly either. In a bare-handed fight against three, he might not be afraid, but with weapons involved and the enemy holding a shield while he had only one shabby knife, he couldn't take that risk.

Those inside didn't dare go out, and those outside didn't dare come in. Inside and outside fell into a deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing of both sides audible to each.

"Shagou'er! If you lot still remember even a shred of the kindness my Cao family showed you, then you should withdraw now. Wherever you go, there may still be time. But if you're too late — hah! My elder brother will personally lead a great army, and he'll be here in an instant!"

Lady Cao Sanniang launched straight into a psychological offensive. This woman was capable! Zhang Chao secretly gave her a thumbs-up. Most women would have been scared out of their wits by now, but Lady Cao Sanniang still knew how to appeal to their interests.

"Does Third Lady take me for a suckling child? We've abducted you — would Judge Cao let us off? If we don't get you, we're dead no matter where we go!"

"As long as you leave now! I promise I'll persuade my elder brother. He doesn't want this matter spread around too much either!"

Lady Cao Sanniang resumed her composed demeanor. She touched her hair, and with a 'ding-dong,' tossed something out.

"This is the golden hairpin from my head, worth thirty strings of cash. Take this money and go, quickly!"

Outside the door, the silence deepened — clearly they were tempted. But things did not develop in the direction Lady Cao Sanniang hoped. Shagou'er let out a long sigh.

"Third Lady, don't waste your breath. Do you really think Captain Zhai abducted you just because he couldn't marry a Cao family daughter? That would be looking down on us too much. We took you because a person of high station specifically demanded a Cao family woman. Blame only your bad luck!"

"A person of high station? What person of high station? Where does this person of high station come from?" Lady Cao quickly shot back, but no matter how she asked, the outside fell silent.

The more time passed, the paler Lady Cao's face grew. This was clearly no simple abduction — there had to be some scheme behind it.

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