The bandit stared wide-eyed, his hand clamped tightly over his throat, blood gushing from his mouth as he opened it to speak.
Only when he hit the ground did the other bandits snap out of it.
Bang, bang, bang...
At that moment, bullets flew like they cost nothing, firing from both sides of them.
The five men on lookout duty were shot into sieves on the spot.
The bandits behind hurriedly cocked their rifles.
But as soon as they moved, several more bamboo arrows shot out.
With a series of thuds, three more bandits fell instantly.
The remaining bandits were completely panicked, unsure which direction to shoot.
Bang, bang, bang...
Bullets flew again from both sides, and bandits and horses alike all hit the ground.
Fifteen bandits died under the guns of the seven men before they could even react.
Yang Hua led the group out, immediately finishing off any bandit still twitching with a shot.
Only after confirming all the bandits had met their maker did they start searching the bodies.
Over ten minutes later, the group grinned broadly.
From the fifteen bandits, they found over three hundred dollars, and two pieces of gold on one of them.
Besides this cash, there were also two hundred rounds of ammunition and eight uninjured horses.
This haul had Zhang Hailong and the others overjoyed.
In just a few minutes, they'd made several hundred dollars—something they wouldn't have dared dream of before.
"The gold goes to Brother Zhu, and we'll split the three hundred-plus among ourselves. Any objections?" Yang Hua asked loudly.
No one spoke, silently agreeing with Yang Hua's decision.
Seeing no one objected, Yang Hua handed the gold directly to Liu Tiezhu, then ordered a few men to butcher the dead horses and haul the meat back.
Seven horses meant several thousand pounds of meat, enough to last them a long time.
Back at Liu Tiezhu's place, the group salted the butchered horse meat.
Yang Hua cut off thirty pounds of horse meat and set it to roast over a fire.
Zhang Hailong fetched three bottles of strong liquor and passed them around.
Liu Tiezhu didn't drink; he ate some horse meat and then went back to his room to rest.
In these times, he had to stay sharp.
He trusted Yang Hua's character, but he didn't know the others well enough to let his guard down.
The next day, Liu Tiezhu and Yang Hua returned to the cornfield.
This time, Chen Hailong arrived before them.
As soon as Liu Tiezhu and Yang Hua sat down, Chen Hailiang's report came through.
"Brother Zhu, Brother Hua, I've got info on the guy in charge of the grain and tickets."
"He's Zhang Mingtao's cousin, Zhang Zhicheng."
"This guy has a habit: every two days, he goes to town to buy a batch of apricot blossom wine."
"Give me a rough description of his appearance."
"And also, what time does he usually leave the camp?" Liu Tiezhu said.
Chen Hailiang replied, "The boss is about five-foot-seven, with a long face, shaved head, and a long scar over his right eye."
"He usually leaves the camp after handing out the grain and pay in the afternoon."
"But every time he goes out, he brings four militiamen with him."
"How many people are in the camp now, what are their duties, and where are they stationed?" Liu Tiezhu pressed further.
Chen Hailiang said, "I haven't gotten that yet; you'll need to give me more time."
"By the way, investigate carefully whether the camp has any hidden sentries or escape tunnels—make sure you find out," Liu Tiezhu said.
Given the cunning nature of the Zhang brothers, hidden lookouts were a given.
Chen Hailiang nodded: "No problem, I'll give you a satisfactory answer when the time comes."
"It's getting late, I should head back."
After seeing Chen Hailiang off, Yang Hua asked, "Brother Zhu, what's our next move?"
Liu Tiezhu said, "Stake him out. We're going to tail Zhang Zhicheng."
"By the way, are those five men with you reliable?"
Yang Hua was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to capsize in a ditch at the last minute. You get what I'm saying?" Liu Tiezhu said.
Yang Hua replied, "Don't worry, Brother Zhu. These guys have solid character; they're trustworthy."
"Good, then let's head back and prepare now," Liu Tiezhu said.
The two returned home and arranged for the five men to take turns keeping watch, to prevent the bandits from raiding the place.
After securing the house, they grabbed their gear and some meat and headed to Denglou Village.
About forty minutes later, they stopped in a small grove twenty meters across from Denglou Village.
Less than thirty meters to the right of the grove was the camp entrance.
If Zhang Zhicheng came out of the camp, they'd spot him immediately.
Yang Hua lit a fire and set the meat to roast, while Liu Tiezhu kept his eyes fixed on the camp entrance, not daring to relax for a second.
Whether they could get the Zhang family's grain and tickets hinged on Zhang Zhicheng.
After over an hour of watching, the meat was done.
They finished the roasted meat, and Yang Hua took over the watch.
By the time dusk fell, there was still no sign of Zhang Zhicheng leaving the camp.
"Looks like Zhang Zhicheng isn't coming out today. Let's head back."
Liu Tiezhu sighed, but he wasn't disappointed.
Chen Hailiang had said Zhang Zhicheng only came out every two days.
So not catching him was expected.
Back home, Liu Tiezhu found all five men in the yard, roasting meat and drinking, with no one on watch.
The sight immediately darkened his expression.
"Everyone, are you joking with your lives?"
Hearing this, the five who had been laughing and joking fell silent.
Yang Hua's face also turned grim.
Before leaving with Liu Tiezhu, he had specifically told them to take turns keeping watch to prevent a bandit raid.
Now, the five had completely ignored their words.
And they chose nighttime, the most vulnerable period, to skip the watch.
If he and Liu Tiezhu were bandits, these men would all be dead.
Zhang Hailong frowned, showing displeasure: "Brother Zhu, isn't that a bit much?"
"The brothers just finished their watch shift. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it?"
"Making a big deal?"
Liu Tiezhu stared at Zhang Hailong's face and said, "If Yang Hua and I were bandits, do you think you'd still be standing here talking?"
"If you think I'm overreacting, or that what I'm saying is unreasonable, then let's just part ways and each do our own thing. No point wasting time."
"You—"
Yang Hua cut off Zhang Hailong before he could say more.
"Enough. Brother Zhu is right. You're all getting too cocky."
"At a time like this, daring to leave no one on watch—do you think the bandits are made of paper, or that you're invincible?"
"Whose turn is it to watch? Get out there now."
Seeing Yang Hua angry, no one dared to speak up.
Zhang Minglao obediently picked up his rifle and headed toward the village entrance.
"I hope you all understand who we're up against."
"We're dealing with bandits. One moment of carelessness, and we could all end up dead from their guns."
"They've lost so many men. Do you think they'll let it slide without finding out what happened?"
Liu Tiezhu reminded them once more, then turned and went back to his room.
Damn it, these bastards were nothing but ungrateful wolves.
If it weren't for needing them to get Zhang Mingtao's grain, he'd have kicked them out right now.