Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

He Tao, leading a group of constables from the yamen, arrived at Shijie Village in a menacing manner. Their purpose was clear: to capture Ruan Xiaoqi.

The group boarded a boat and headed along the river towards the mysterious reed marshes. The river flowed gently, and the oars churned the water, making a "whoosh" sound. The reeds all around swayed in the wind, as if whispering some secret.

He Tao looked tense, his eyes constantly searching through the reeds. As the boat ventured deeper, the reed beds became increasingly secluded and silent.

Suddenly, a fishing boat appeared ahead. Two people stood on the boat, both wearing straw hats, so their faces could not be seen.

He Tao's heart tightened, and he raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. He shouted, "Who goes there?"

The two people on the fishing boat did not respond, but stood there quietly, as if they had become one with the reeds.

Seeing that the other party did not move, He Tao shouted again, "We are from the government, acting under orders. Quickly identify yourselves!"

At this moment, one of them slightly raised his head, revealing a pair of sharp eyes, and said coldly, "Sir, why make such a fuss in this desolate wilderness?"

He Tao frowned and said, "Enough nonsense! You guys seem suspicious. Are you accomplices of Ruan Xiaoqi?"

The other man burst into laughter: "Sir, don't frame innocent people so easily. We are just ordinary fishermen."

He Tao refused to believe it and waved his hand: "Surround them!"

Upon receiving the order, the officers rowed their boats toward the fishing boat.

Just as they were about to get close, the two men on the fishing boat suddenly moved. They were quick and agile; one grabbed a harpoon, and the other picked up a bamboo pole, instantly assuming a defensive stance.

He Tao roared, "You still dare to resist? You must be one of Ruan Xiaoqi's henchmen!"

Having said that, he drew his sword first and slashed at the people on the fishing boat. The man with the harpoon dodged to the side, and the harpoon suddenly thrust out, almost hitting He Tao.

A fierce battle erupted between the two sides in the reeds. Water splashed everywhere, reeds flew, and shouts of battle echoed through the tranquil waters.

The fishermen jumped into the river shortly afterward and vanished without a trace. He Tao gazed at the vast expanse of the river, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

"This reed marshland is completely deserted, not a soul in sight. Could it be a trap?" He Tao frowned, his face grim. "Everyone, be on your guard!"

The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, watching their surroundings intently. However, apart from the rustling of the reeds in the wind and the gurgling of the river, there was no other sound.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. He Tao's heart pounded faster and faster, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Just then, He Tao suddenly felt the boat beneath his feet begin to shake violently.

"Something's wrong! Something's happened!" He Tao shouted.

But it was too late. Suddenly, several dark figures emerged from under the ship and began ramming it forcefully. The once stable vessel began to sway precariously under this powerful force.

"Ah!" A soldier lost his footing and fell into the river, instantly being submerged.

Immediately afterwards, more soldiers were thrown into the river one after another. He Tao tried to steady himself, but the boat rocked more and more violently.

"Help!" The soldiers struggled desperately in the water, their cries for help echoing throughout the water.

He Tao was horrified to discover that a mysterious force seemed to be controlling everything in the water. He tried to command his soldiers to resist, but in the chaos, it was all in vain.

Suddenly, a huge wave crashed in, capsizing the boat He Tao was on. He Tao felt dizzy and fell into the icy river.

He struggled desperately, trying to surface, but the river seemed to have countless hands pulling him down.

At this moment, the dark figures darted through the water, relentlessly attacking the soldiers and He Tao who had fallen in. He Tao's vision blurred, he felt difficulty breathing, and his strength was gradually fading away.

"Am I going to die here?" He Tao was filled with despair.

Amidst the chaos, the reeds continued to sway in the wind, seemingly mocking He Tao and his companions' sorry state.

He Tao struggled in the water for a long time, but finally exhausted, and was captured by the two fishermen and their companions, who dragged him ashore. The two fishermen were both burly and strong, exuding a kind of brute force.

One of them strode up to He Tao and said with a disdainful look, "Oh, so it's you, you corrupt official, daring to swagger into Shijie Village to arrest people!"

He Tao lay on the ground, panting heavily, staring at the person in front of him with a mixture of shock and anger.

At this moment, another fisherman stepped forward and sneered, "Hmph, open your dog eyes and see if you recognize the Tong brothers?"

He Tao was startled. After a careful look, he exclaimed, "Heh heh, so it's you two, Tong Wei and Tong Meng! How dare you obstruct the government from handling a case!"

Tong Wei spat at He Tao and roared, "You bastard, you're aiding and abetting evil! Do you know how much these exorbitant taxes have harmed us?"

He Tao forced himself to sit up and shouted, "This is an order from above; we are just following orders!"

Tong Meng stepped forward and kicked He Tao, cursing, "Ordered? That corrupt court only knows how to levy exorbitant taxes and doesn't care about the lives of the people! We're in this Shijie Village, braving wind and rain every day, barely surviving by fishing, yet we're being suffocated by those endless exorbitant taxes!"

He Tao, pale-faced, argued, "I had no choice. If I didn't comply, I wouldn't be able to protect myself either."

Tong Wei glared angrily and pointed at He Tao's nose, saying, "Stop pretending to be pitiful! You officials live a life of luxury, but you don't care about the lives of us common people!"

Hearing the commotion, the surrounding villagers gathered around. Everyone looked angry and pointed at He Tao.

"It's these corrupt officials who make our lives unbearable!"

"Throw him into the river, let him taste the bitterness too!"

Looking at the agitated crowd, He Tao felt a deep sense of fear.

Tong Meng shouted, "We arrested you today to let you know that the people of Shijie Village are not to be trifled with!"

Tong Wei continued, "Go back and tell those officials that if they don't behave themselves, we will definitely not let them off the hook!"

He Tao was now ashen-faced and trembling all over, unsure how to deal with the angry crowd.

Tong Meng looked at He Tao, who was being restrained, and turned to ask Tong Wei, "Big brother, what should we do with them?"

Tong Wei frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Hand him over to Seventh Brother and have him take all these people to the yamen. Before bringing them back, have Wu Xuejiu interrogate them thoroughly, make them sign confessions, and see how much bribe we've secretly taken!"

Tong Meng nodded and replied, "Alright, we'll do as you say, elder brother."

Hearing their conversation, He Tao was shocked and struggled to shout, "Stop this nonsense! I am an official of the imperial court. Treating a public servant like this is a serious crime!"

Tong Wei sneered, "Hmph, you corrupt official, you usually act like a tyrant, bullying the people, and now you dare to use the imperial court to intimidate us. Let me tell you, we are not afraid!"

He Tao's face turned ashen, and he continued to argue, "I...I haven't done anything immoral or heinous. I was just following orders."

Tong Meng roared, "Ordered? Then tell me, aren't those exorbitant taxes and levies just a means for you corrupt officials to plunder the people's wealth?"

He Tao was speechless for a moment and had no words to reply.

Tong Wei waved his hand and said, "Don't waste your breath on him, take them away!"

The group escorted He Tao and his soldiers towards Ruan Xiaoqi's location. Along the way, He Tao was filled with anxiety, wondering how to escape his predicament.

Soon after, they met Ruan Xiaoqi. Tong Wei recounted the whole story to Ruan Xiaoqi.

Ruan Xiaoqi looked at He Tao and the others, a flash of anger in her eyes: "Hmph, you bunch of scoundrels, you usually bully the people, but now that you've fallen into our hands, we'll make you pay the price!"

He Tao trembled with fear and begged, "Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life!"

Ruan Xiaoqi remained unmoved and said, "Take her back and interrogate her properly!"

The crowd escorted He Tao and his accomplices back to the yamen and began a detailed interrogation. Under harsh questioning, He Tao and his group finally confessed to the numerous benefits they had secretly received, as well as their wicked deeds.

As Tong Wei and the others looked at these confessions, their resolve to fight against this dark world became even stronger.

Just as Ruan Xiaoqi, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng were pressing down on He Tao and preparing to leave Shijie Village, the previously quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken.

Several sharp whooshing sounds rang out, startling everyone who quickly looked up. They saw over a dozen dark figures leaping down from the trees lining the road, moving like ghosts.

These men in black were all masked, revealing only their cold and fierce eyes. Without a word, they raised their hands and fired a barrage of darts at Ruan Xiaoqi and the others.

Darts rained down, each one accompanied by a sharp gust of wind. Ruan Xiaoqi reacted swiftly, shouting, "Watch out!" and simultaneously wielding her weapon to deflect the darts hurtling towards her.

Tong Wei and Tong Meng quickly dodged to the side, their sticks flashing so fast they blocked many of the darts. But some darts still struck nearby soldiers, and some fell down screaming.

"Who dares to launch a sneak attack!" Ruan Xiaoqi roared angrily at the man in black, his eyes wide with fury.

The man in black did not answer, but continued to fire darts while his figure flashed as he approached the group.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Ruan Xiaoqi shouted, "Brothers, don't linger in the fight, protect He Tao first!"

The crowd gathered around He Tao, forming a standoff with the man in black.

Seeing that the darts were ineffective, the man in black put away his hidden weapons, drew his sword and knives from his waist, and charged forward.

These men in black used bizarre and unpredictable moves. Their attacks were cunning, swift, and ruthless.

Although Ruan Xiaoqi was brave, she was momentarily overwhelmed by these strange and unfamiliar moves. Taking advantage of a gap in Ruan Xiaoqi's defense, a man in black suddenly thrust out a sword. Ruan Xiaoqi was unable to dodge in time, and her arm was slashed, with blood instantly staining her sleeve.

The brothers Tong Wei and Tong Meng were also caught in a fierce battle. Tong Wei had just parried an attack from one man when another ambushed him from the side, stabbing him in the leg and causing him to stagger. Seeing this, Tong Meng tried to help, but he was tightly entangled by several men in black and unable to break free.

The men in black pressed their advantage, launching increasingly fierce attacks. Their seamless teamwork, as if they had rehearsed countless times, left Ruan Xiaoqi and her companions struggling to keep up.

Ruan Xiaoqi gritted his teeth, enduring the pain to fight back, but the pain from his wounds gradually slowed his movements. Tong Wei and Tong Meng were also gradually exhausted due to their injuries, making it difficult for them to withstand the attacks from the men in black.

"This can't go on!" Ruan Xiaoqi was extremely anxious. But the men in black didn't give them a chance to breathe, and wave after wave of attacks surged in like a tide.

Tong Wei, panting heavily, shouted, "Brother Qi, these people are too powerful, we're afraid..." Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a fierce attack from the men in black.

At this moment, Ruan Xiaoqi and the others had more and more wounds on their bodies, and blood kept gushing out, making the situation increasingly critical.