The little girl shrank back, clearly frightened by the people on the shore, but also worried about her parents. She blinked, then suddenly noticed a long sword beside the black-clad swordsman, and her eyes lit up: "Big brother, are you a hero? Can you save us?"
The swordsman in black didn't answer, but just chuckled and patted the little girl's head: "Kid, I'm not a great hero, I'm just a bandit hunter."
The little girl, bewildered, didn't know what a thief catcher was. She simply felt her pocket, pulled out a copper coin, placed it in front of the black-clad swordsman, and stammered, "This, this is what I secretly saved up while helping out at work. I'm giving it to you; can you save us? My father didn't mean to owe him money. He stole my father's fishing boat first, and then when it capsized, he demanded compensation from my father. We really didn't owe him anything..."
The black-clad swordsman glanced at the copper coin in the little girl's hand, his smile fading slightly. Whether it was the little girl's behavior that displeased him, or the noise behind him that bothered him, he picked up his sword and stood up.
"Hey kid over there, I'll give you five numbers. Get over here right now, or you're in big trouble!"
The people on the shore were still shouting and even waving, threatening the small boats on the shore to come over and borrow them.
The swordsman in black glanced at the burly man over there, picked up the little girl beside him, and with a leap, the two of them stepped onto the top of the awning boat and lightly jumped to the shore.
The little girl quickly ran to her mother's side.
The burly man stared at the swordsman in black, then suddenly narrowed his eyes, his expression changing slightly: "You are—Jiang Rushuai, the bandit hunter?"
Jiang Rushuai sized up the burly man in front of him with interest: "Oh? You actually know me? People who know me are usually either officials or bandits. Which gang are you from?"
The burly man, feeling guilty, dared not hesitate and took the initiative, drawing his broadsword and slashing directly at the black-clad swordsman in front of him.
Jiang Rushuai did not draw his sword, but merely raised the scabbard to block the other's blade. Then, he took out a booklet from his robes: "Since you ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) know me, then I should get to know you better—"
The burly man's expression was ferocious. He suddenly pulled his broadsword from Jiang Rushuai's scabbard, twisted his waist and slashed horizontally, as if he wanted to split Jiang Rushuai in two.
Jiang Rushuai simply leaped backward, wielding his sword sheath in his right hand to deflect the burly man's attack, while flipping through the book in his left hand. His movements were graceful and unhurried, and his gaze never left the book.
The next moment, his gaze narrowed slightly: "Bandit Zhang Lin, about thirty years old, burly, less than seven feet tall, with thinning hair, a face like a red date, and a scar on his left cheek shaped like a bow... Oh, only one hundred strings of cash? Oh well, it's still a reward, after all—"
As he finished speaking, the black-clad swordsman's expression finally turned serious. He twisted his wrist, and his longsword was suddenly drawn, attacking the bandit Zhang Lin.
He was horrified at the mere touch of the burly man, and regretted it in his heart—he shouldn't have provoked this guy; he was no match for Jiang Rushuai at all!
However, it was too late! Jiang Rushuai's sword was already upon them, and the burly man had no choice but to brace himself and take the hit, eventually being forced to retreat in defeat.
-
In this storyline, even though there is a difference in strength between the two sides, it is not like many martial arts dramas nowadays that are perfunctory, where the protagonist stands still and defeats people with sword energy by casually swinging his sword, or flies around lightly suspended by wires. Instead, it is a real and intense battle. From the strong man's gradually strained expression and his retreating movements, as well as the protagonist's agile and nimble movements, the audience can truly feel the difference between them.
Furthermore, this gap doesn't create a sense of disappointment just because there's no "one-hit kill." Instead, as the protagonist's elegant and sharp sword light shines, the image of a master is gradually built in the audience's mind, making it more convincing.
He Miao was completely immersed in the plot. The sword fighting was so smooth that it was a rarity in the current Chinese entertainment industry. She didn't even notice when her mother had quietly sat down on the sofa to watch with her.
He's father, who was reading in the study, came over upon hearing the noise, plopped down in the chair next to him, and stared intently at the television screen.
After dealing with Zhang Lin, Jiang Rushuai did not linger. He picked up Zhang Lin's head and prepared to go to the local government office to receive a reward. However, before leaving, the little girl, who seemed to have found courage from somewhere, broke free from her mother's embrace, ran to Jiang Rushuai, and presented him with the copper coin.
Jiang Rushuai paused for a moment, then chuckled, picked up the copper coin, casually waved his hand, and jumped back into his awning boat with the severed head in his hand.
The covered boat continued to sail along the river, but the scenery along the way was very different from the Jiangnan water towns that everyone had in mind. There were few pedestrians on both banks. Although the once bustling streets and shops were still open, the people coming and going were in a hurry or had a weak gait. The once prosperous city scene was now desolate and bleak.
As the camera slowly rises, the desolate scene follows the river downstream, and the small boat that is gradually moving away becomes a dot, landing on the character "客" (guest) in the title. The three large characters belonging to "捕盗客" (The Thief Catcher) officially appear before everyone's eyes.
He Miao finally calmed down a bit and wanted to find a more comfortable position to watch the movie, but when she turned her head, she found that her parents were already sitting next to her.
The seedlings were startled: "You—"
"Pee-pee—"
He's mother raised a finger to interrupt her, her eyes still glued to the screen, "Go and draw the curtains over there, quick—"
He Miao: "...Okay."
He Miao quickly drew the curtains, then darted back onto the sofa.
The story has now moved to a few days later. Jiang Rushuai is following the instructions in his self-drawn booklet to capture the people on the wanted posters, and finally chooses the nearest government office to submit their heads.
What Jiang Rushuai did not expect was that Zhang Lin, whom he killed, was carrying an important token. The yamen had been searching for him for several days, but unexpectedly, he had already been killed by Jiang Rushuai, and the token on his body had naturally disappeared.
The registrar, sitting in his chair, gave a wink to the yamen runner beside him, and the originally wide-open main gate of the yamen slowly closed, with the runner even "thoughtfully" lowering the bolt.
Jiang Rushuai became alert and gripped his longsword tightly: "Registration Officer Ma, what do you mean by this?"
Ma Zhubu smiled at Jiang Rushuai, but his cheeks were so fleshy that his eyes were almost squeezed into slits: "Oh dear, what are you afraid of, Master Jiang? Let's go to the backyard, and I'll get you the reward."
Jiang Rushuai narrowed his eyes and decisively refused: "People of the martial arts world are too bloody and usually quite vulgar. It's best not to enter your backyard, lest we offend you. I hope you will forgive me."
Clerk Ma's face immediately fell, and a cold glint appeared in his small eyes: "That's not up to you—"
Immediately, the surrounding constables with knives rushed forward, intending to kill Jiang Rushuai on the spot!
Thus began a relentless manhunt.
