Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After his fruitless mission, Huang Qi's anger grew even stronger. He knew that if he didn't bring Zhao Tianming and his men to justice as soon as possible, his position would be in grave danger. So, he meticulously planned a trap, determined to ensure that Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong would not return alive.

Huang Qi returned to his residence and summoned his trusted advisors and capable subordinates.

"This time, we will make sure they have nowhere to escape!" Huang Qi said, sitting in his armchair with a gloomy expression.

The strategist stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, in my humble opinion, we can set up an ambush in places where they are likely to appear. For example, the only way through that forest, and the nearby villages."

Huang Qi nodded: "Yes, you're right. Send people to these places disguised as ordinary people, and send a signal as soon as they are spotted."

After his subordinates took their orders and left, Huang Qi instructed them again: "Set up checkpoints at several key intersections and strictly check all passersby. Also, spread the word that we have given up the pursuit, so that they will lower their guard."

The strategist chimed in, "Your Excellency is wise; this plan will surely lure them in."

Huang Qi sneered, "Hmph, this time I'm going to personally oversee things and see where they can run to!"

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong hid in the cave all night, and after confirming that there was no movement outside, they cautiously came out.

“Brother Wu Yong, we need to regroup with the others as soon as possible and then figure out a way to deal with Huang Qi,” Zhao Tianming said.

Wu Yong nodded and said, "That's right, but we need to be careful. Huang Qi will definitely not let us off easily."

The two made their way carefully through the forest, cautiously observing their surroundings as they went.

When they arrived at a village, they noticed something unusual about the atmosphere. The villagers looked at them with fear and wariness in their eyes.

Zhao Tianming grew suspicious: "Brother Wu Yong, something seems off about this village."

Wu Yong also sensed something was amiss: "Be careful, it might be a trap. Let's not reveal our identities yet."

Just then, a child ran over, handed them a note, and then quickly ran away.

Zhao Tianming opened the note, which read: "Huang Qi has set an ambush, leave quickly!"

The two men's expressions changed drastically, and they turned to leave. However, it was too late; a large number of soldiers suddenly surged out from all around.

"Haha, Zhao Tianming, Wu Yong, you've finally fallen into my trap!" Huang Qi laughed triumphantly.

Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong drew their swords and faced each other, ready to fight to the death.

"Charge! Capture them alive!" Huang Qi gave the order, and the officers and soldiers rushed towards them.

Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong fought back fiercely, but the number of government soldiers increased, and they gradually fell into a desperate situation.

Just then, Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong suddenly appeared from the side, disrupting the formation of the government troops.

"Brother, we're here to help you!" Shi Xiu shouted.

The four reunited and fought desperately, trying to break through the encirclement.

Seeing this, Huang Qi roared, "Whoever let them go, bring me your head!"

The officers and soldiers attacked even more frantically, and all four men were wounded.

"This can't go on, let's retreat up the mountain!" Wu Yong shouted.

The group fought and retreated, running towards the mountain. The complex terrain on the mountain slowed down the pursuit of the government troops.

However, Huang Qi was prepared; he sent a team of archers to ambush him on the mountain.

When Zhao Tianming and his men entered the ambush, the archers unleashed a volley of arrows.

"Watch out!" Zhao Tianming shouted.

Everyone tried to dodge, but many were still hit by arrows and injured.

"Charge!" Zhao Tianming led the charge towards the archers' ranks.

After a fierce battle, they finally eliminated the archers, but at a heavy cost.

By this time, they were exhausted, but Huang Qi's pursuers were still hot on their heels.

"Am I really going to die here today?" Yang Xiong said, panting heavily.

Zhao Tianming gritted his teeth and said, "Even if I die, I'll take a few of them with me!"

Just as Zhao Tianming and the others were filled with despair, thinking they were doomed, a shout of battle suddenly came from afar. Pang Wanchun and Pang Qiuxia led a group of chivalrous heroes galloping towards them on horseback, raising clouds of dust.

Holding a bow and arrow, Pang Wanchun's eyes blazed as he shouted, "Huang Qi, you scoundrel, today is your death day!" Before he finished speaking, an arrow flew from the bowstring, heading straight for Huang Qi.

Huang Qi was gloating over having cornered Zhao Tianming and the others when suddenly an arrow shot towards him. He tried to dodge in terror, but it was too late; the arrow struck his hat, knocking it to the ground.

Huang Qi was so frightened that his face turned ashen, his body went limp, and he almost fell off his horse.

He shouted, "Protect me! Protect me!"

Holding a long sword, Pang Qiuxia, with a heroic and spirited air, shouted, "Huang Qi, you have committed many evils, you will not escape today!"

The chivalrous heroes, filled with righteous indignation, brandished their weapons and charged towards the government troops. Some were strong and burly, wielding broadswords and displaying unparalleled bravery; others were agile, wielding short swords and targeting the enemy's vitals. For a moment, the shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Zhao Tianming and the others were invigorated when they saw the reinforcements arrive.

"Brothers, reinforcements are here! Let's fight our way out!" Zhao Tianming shouted.

Wu Yong shouted, "Let's all press on and break through this encirclement!"

Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong were even more bloodthirsty, seemingly forgetting their own injuries, and they charged towards the government troops together with Zhao Tianming.

Huang Qi's soldiers, who had initially thought victory was assured, were thrown into disarray by the sudden arrival of reinforcements. They began to panic, and some even considered turning and fleeing.

"Don't retreat! Anyone who retreats will be killed!" Huang Qi shouted hoarsely, but by then no one listened to his orders.

Pang Wanchun continuously drew his bow and shot arrows, each one accurately hitting the government troops, causing great panic among the enemy. Pang Qiuxia led a group of chivalrous individuals to join forces with Zhao Tianming and others to fight against the government troops.

“Brother Zhao, we’re here to help you!” Pang Qiuxia said.

"Thank you, Miss Pang!" Zhao Tianming replied.

With everyone united, their morale soared, and they fought like tigers descending a mountain, routing the government troops who fled in disarray.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Huang Qi disregarded everything else, turned his horse around, and tried to escape with a few trusted men.

Pang Wanchun, with his sharp eyes, saw that Huang Qi was about to escape, so he nocked another arrow, aimed at Huang Qi, and shot it again.

With a "whoosh," the arrow grazed Huang Qi's shoulder, startling him so much that he almost fell off his horse.

"Hurry, hurry!" Huang Qi whipped the horse's rump desperately, wishing he could fly away from the battlefield immediately.

Pang Wanchun was not about to let him off easily. He rode after him, shouting as he went, "Huang Qi, where are you going?"

Huang Qi's confidants turned to block Pang Wanchun in an attempt to protect him. However, Pang Wanchun was highly skilled in martial arts and quickly defeated them.

As Pang Wanchun drew closer, Huang Qi was terrified and kept begging for mercy: "Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life!"

Pang Wanchun roared, "You villain, I won't let you get away with this!"

In the blink of an eye, Pang Wanchun leaped from his horse onto Huang Qi's back and pulled Huang Qi down.

Huang Qi fell to the ground and rolled several times, looking utterly disheveled.

Pang Wanchun stepped on Huang Qi's back and said, "You've finally met your match!"

At this moment, Zhao Tianming and the others also dealt with the remaining soldiers and arrived.

"We've finally caught that corrupt official!" Shi Xiu exclaimed.

Zhao Tianming looked at Huang Qi on the ground and said, "Huang Qi, your end has come!"

Huang Qi lay on the ground, trembling: "Spare me, spare me!"

Wu Yong said, "We cannot let him go. He has committed numerous evils and must be punished accordingly!"

After discussion, the group decided to expose Huang Qi's crimes to the public and report them to the imperial court to seek justice for the people.

The spies responsible for surveillance in the city took immediate action upon seeing Huang Qi's arrest. They quickly gathered together, led by a man with a long beard wearing a straw hat pulled low so that his face was obscured.

"Huang Qi has actually fallen into the hands of Zhao Tianming and his men. What should we do?" one of them said anxiously.

The bearded man snorted coldly: "Hmph, if Huang Qi reveals our affairs, it will definitely be detrimental to Lord Tong Guan. We must not give him the chance to speak."

The others nodded in agreement, their faces showing a fierce expression.

"Then what should we do?" someone else asked.

The bearded man pondered for a moment, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes: "Find an opportunity to finish off Huang Qi to eliminate future troubles."

“But Huang Qi is currently being held captive by Zhao Tianming and his men, and the security must be tight. How can we make a move?” someone raised a concern.

The bearded man said sinisterly, "We need to plan this carefully. First, send someone to find out where they are holding Huang Qi and the surrounding guards."

The group accepted the order and quickly dispersed to carry out their mission.

Soon, the scout returned and reported: "Sir, we have found out that Huang Qi is being held in a dungeon in the city, and Zhao Tianming and his men have sent a lot of men to guard him."

The bearded man frowned: "It seems that forcing our way in won't work. We need to think of a way to distract the guards."

He paced back and forth, when suddenly a brilliant idea struck him: "I've got it! We'll create chaos on the other side of the city to distract some of the guards, and then we can take advantage of the situation and storm in."

Everyone thought the plan was feasible, so they began preparations.

As night fell, a fire suddenly broke out at the other end of the city, and the people panicked and cried out in alarm.

"Oh no, there's a fire!"

Hearing the commotion, some of the guards responsible for watching over Huang Qi became uneasy.

"What should we do? What if the fire spreads..."

Just then, Zhao Tianming arrived: "You guys, come with me to put out the fire, the rest of you continue to guard."

So, some of the guards left with Zhao Tianming.

Seeing that the time was right, the bearded man led his men to quietly approach the dungeon.

"Who goes there?" The remaining guards spotted them and shouted.

Without a word, the bearded man drew his sword and attacked. The two sides instantly engaged in fierce combat.

The guards fought desperately, but were ultimately outnumbered.

The bearded man rushed into the dungeon and found Huang Qi, who was being held captive.

When Huang Qi saw them, it was as if he had seen a lifeline: "Quickly, get me out of here!"

The bearded man looked at him coldly: "Huang Qi, you're useless now."

Huang Qi stared wide-eyed in terror: "You...you can't kill me!"

However, before he could finish speaking, the bearded man swiftly brought down his knife, killing Huang Qi instantly.

"Go!" The bearded man led his men and quickly retreated.

When Zhao Tianming and the others returned after putting out the fire, they were shocked to find that Huang Qi was dead.

"Damn it, someone must have sabotaged us!" Zhao Tianming said angrily.

Wu Yong pondered, "It seems that Tong Guan's henchmen will not let this go easily. We must be even more careful."

A new crisis is looming over them.