Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Just as Niu Er and his gang of hooligans were about to attack Song Jiang, Yang Zhi suddenly appeared and shouted, "Stop! You scoundrels, do you have no regard for the law?"

Niu Er glanced at Yang Zhi sideways, spat disdainfully, and said, "Kid, where did you come from, you black-eyed brat? You dare to meddle in your business, Niu Er? You're tired of living, aren't you?"

Yang Zhi crossed his arms and sneered, "What can you bunch of trash do to me?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Er flew into a rage and snorted, "Heh heh, you black-eyed bastard, I'll teach you a lesson right now!" With that, Niu Er brandished his chubby fist and charged menacingly at Yang Zhi.

Yang Zhi didn't move an inch, a contemptuous smile on his face. He easily grabbed Niu Er's fist, like an eagle seizing a chick. Niu Er struggled desperately, but found his fist clamped in a vise, completely immobile.

Yang Zhi's lips curled slightly as he said, "Is that all you've got?" With that, he kicked Niu Er hard in the lower back. Niu Er's fat body instantly lost its balance and fell flat on its face with a "thud," its mouth landing squarely on a rock on the ground, knocking out two of its front teeth.

"Ouch! My tooth!" Niu Er clutched his mouth, rolling on the ground in pain, cursing incoherently.

Seeing that Niu Er had been wronged, the other hooligans exchanged glances and, steeling themselves, charged forward.

A tall, thin ruffian swung his fist at Yang Zhi, shouting, "Take this!" Yang Zhi dodged to the side, and the ruffian missed his target. Due to the excessive force, he fell flat on his back, landing right on top of Niu Er.

"Ouch! You idiot, you're crushing me!" Niu Er was so crushed he could barely breathe.

Another short, fat ruffian seized the opportunity to grab Yang Zhi from behind around the waist, trying to throw him to the ground. But Yang Zhi didn't budge. He looked down at the ruffian who was holding him and laughed, "You little fatso, you're quite strong!" Then he suddenly swung him around, and the short, fat ruffian was thrown out like a ball, crashing headfirst into a tree, immediately raising a large bump on his head.

Two more ruffians, seeing this, were too frightened to approach and stood trembling on the spot. Yang Zhi stepped forward and kicked each of them, sending them flying far away.

"Ouch! Spare us! Great hero, spare us!" The two ruffians begged for mercy as they scrambled toward Niu Er.

Niu Er finally managed to get up from the ground, his mouth full of blood, looking utterly disheveled. He pointed at Yang Zhi and stammered, "You...you wait, don't you dare run away!"

Yang Zhi laughed loudly, "I'll be waiting right here, let's see what you can do to me!"

Niu Er and his men helped each other up, limping backward. Niu Er didn't forget to threaten, "You...you just wait, I'll go get my brother to deal with you!"

Yang Zhi said disdainfully, "Go quickly, I want to see what kind of person your elder brother is!"

Niu Er and his men slunk away, glancing back as they ran, afraid that Yang Zhi would catch up.

Yang Zhi then turned around, untied the sack from Song Jiang's head, and said, "Brother Song, I'm sorry to have startled you."

Song Jiang rubbed his eyes and said, "Thank you for your help, Brother Yang. If it weren't for you, I would have suffered a great loss today."

Yang Zhi waved his hand and said, "Brother Song, you are too kind. It is the duty of chivalrous people like us to help those in need."

The two exchanged a smile and left the troubled place together.

Song Jiang and Yang Zhi chatted and laughed all the way, the atmosphere quite harmonious. Not long after, they saw a Taoist priest smiling and walking towards them from a grove. Song Jiang was startled, then a joyful smile appeared on his face. This man was none other than the Cloud-Piercing Dragon, Gongsun Sheng, the Taoist priest.

However, upon seeing Gongsun Sheng, Yang Zhi's face instantly darkened, and he was filled with rage. His eyes widened in fury as he glared at the Taoist priest Gongsun and said, "You wicked Taoist! It was you and Chao Gai who robbed my birthday gifts, causing me to lose my job!"

Seeing Yang Zhi's anger, Gongsun Sheng remained calm and said slowly, "Commander Yang, don't be angry. That birthday tribute was originally the people's hard-earned money that Liang Zhongshu plundered. We took it unjustly and used it for the people. What's wrong with that?"

Yang Zhi snorted coldly and said indignantly, "Take it my ass! Now I can't even keep my official position, what am I supposed to do in the future?" As he spoke, he clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Gongsun Sheng burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the forest: "Commander Yang, you come from a military family and possess all these skills. Are you afraid of not being able to find a place to make a living and settle down?"

Yang Zhi glared at him and shouted angrily, "You make it sound so easy! My family has been officials for generations, and all I ever wanted was to serve the court and bring honor to my ancestors. But now, because of your affair, I've ended up like this, my future ruined!"

Gongsun Sheng put away his smile and said seriously, "Commander Yang, this world is dark and the officialdom is corrupt. What can you possibly accomplish in it? Even without the birthday tribute incident, can you guarantee that you won't be harmed by villains in the future?"

Yang Zhi gritted his teeth and retorted, "That's still better than being in such a sorry state! I, Yang Zhi, have always lived an upright life, and I've done the right thing, but you bunch of bandits have ruined my future!"

Seeing this, Song Jiang quickly stepped forward to persuade him: "Brother Yang, Master Gongsun meant well. The current situation is indeed not as we thought. Why don't we all calm down and discuss a way out together?"

Yang Zhi glanced at Song Jiang and said, "Brother Song, I respect your righteousness. But this matter is not over between me and this evil Taoist!"

Gongsun Sheng spoke again: "Officer Yang, please hear me out. There are many injustices in this world. We robbed the birthday tribute to help those suffering people. If you can put aside your past grievances and work with us for justice, your skills will not have been wasted."

Yang Zhi remained unmoved, his neck stiff as he said, "Hmph, that's easy for you to say! How could I, Yang Zhi, associate with a bunch of bandits like you!"

Gongsun Sheng shook his head and sighed, "Commander Yang, your stubbornness will only get you into trouble. Why not put aside your prejudices for now and think things through?"

The three stood frozen in the woods, the atmosphere tense. Even the birds seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere and fell silent. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, as if sighing for their argument.

Gongsun Sheng knew that Yang Zhi was still angry with him, so he softened his tone and said to Yang Zhi, "Commander Yang, you follow Clerk Song, you should trust his character, right?"

Yang Zhi nodded and said, "Song Jiang is an upright and righteous man, so of course I trust him."

Gongsun Sheng nodded and said, "In that case, let Clerk Song find a way out for you."

Song Jiang looked at Yang Zhi and said sincerely, "Brother Yang, I recently met a good friend named Zhao Tianming. He is generous and righteous, and has a good reputation in the Jianghu. Many brothers in the Jianghu are close to him. A few days ago, he even returned the land deed of Lin Chong's ancestors to him. I think you should go to him when you have the chance. Perhaps he can help you find a place to settle down."

Upon hearing that Lin Chong was also helping Zhao Tianming, Yang Zhi's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "Alright, I'll go find him when I'm desperate." But then he glared fiercely at Gongsun Sheng and said, "Hmph, I can't help but feel annoyed by this sorcerer." After saying that, Yang Zhi picked up his knife and stormed off.

As Yang Zhi's figure receded into the distance, Song Jiang shook his head helplessly.

Song Jiang turned to Gongsun Sheng and said, "Master Gongsun, what important matter brings you here?"

Gongsun Sheng's expression was solemn as he said, "I already know about this. Gao Lian, relying on his magical abilities, has been committing evil deeds and oppressing the people. I have come here today to lend you a helping hand."

Song Jiang frowned and said worriedly, "Gao Lian's magic is very powerful, and he is quite troublesome. I wonder if you have any good ideas?"

Gongsun Sheng took out a talisman from his pocket and handed it to Song Jiang, saying, "Take this talisman back with you first; it will ensure your safety for the time being. I need to go back and make some preparations. Tomorrow I will personally go and meet this Gao Lian."

Song Jiang accepted the talisman and said gratefully, "Thank you, Taoist priest. If this calamity can be eliminated, it will truly be a blessing for the people."

Gongsun Sheng said, "Sir Song, there's no need to be so polite. It's our duty to uphold justice. However, Gao Lian is treacherous and cunning, so we must not let our guard down."

Song Jiang nodded and replied, "Rest assured, Daoist, I will be careful."

Gongsun Sheng then instructed, "You must keep this talisman close to your body and never let it leave your side. I will go back and prepare some magical implements; tomorrow I will definitely teach Gao Lian a lesson."

Song Jiang thanked him again, and Gongsun Sheng turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the mountains and forests.

Song Jiang gazed in the direction Gongsun Sheng had left, silently praying that he could successfully resolve the troublesome situation with Gao Lian. He carefully put away the talisman and hurriedly embarked on his return journey, preparing to face the challenges to come.

The night wind blew gently, and the leaves rustled, as if they too were tense about the upcoming battle between good and evil.

When Song Jiang returned to Zhao Tianming's tavern, he found it in complete chaos. Tables and chairs were overturned, customers were shouting, and the waiters were frantically trying to keep up. Zhao Tianming's tavern was in turmoil once again, and the consecutive days of losses left Zhao Tianming with a worried expression.

Song Jiang strode into the restaurant and called out loudly, "Brother, I'm back!"

When Zhao Tianming turned around and saw Song Jiang, he rushed over as if he had seen a savior, saying, "Brother Song, you're finally back!"

Song Jiang patted Zhao Tianming on the shoulder and comforted him, "Brother, don't worry, I already have a plan."

Zhao Tianming's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Brother Song, really? I've been so worried these past few days. If this continues, the restaurant won't be able to stay open."

Song Jiang said firmly, "Brother, rest assured, keep the restaurant running as usual. I have a way to deal with the person who is using sorcery. I have already found a master to help me, and we will definitely be able to solve this problem and restore the restaurant to its former peace."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming felt a glimmer of hope and said, "Alright, we'll have to rely on Brother Song. If this matter can be resolved, I will certainly repay you handsomely."

Song Jiang smiled and said, "There's no need for thanks between brothers. Let's get ready to reopen."