On Zhang Minghai's side, everyone's faces were as pale as corpses, indistinguishable from the dead. Watching their companions convulse before them, the brutal scene made their hearts twitch uncontrollably. At that moment, they only wanted to escape this godforsaken place as quickly as possible. But faced with the ghost-like Liu Tiezhu, they dared not move an inch.
"Damn it, your little master is right here," Er Gouzi's voice rang out again before Zhang Minghai could snap back to reality. Zhang Minghai, seething with rage, immediately ordered everyone to open fire.
Swish, swish, swish...
Almost simultaneously as Zhang Minghai's men fired, Liu Tiezhu pulled the trigger on his compound crossbow. Three burly men screamed in alarm, but by the time they sensed the danger, bamboo arrows had already pierced their necks, blood instantly terrifying their nearby comrades. Zhang Minghai realized he'd been tricked again. He quickly ordered his men to swing their guns around and fire wildly in Liu Tiezhu's direction. But by then, Liu Tiezhu had already shifted position, moving three meters to the right. As Zhang Minghai's men sprayed bullets recklessly, Liu Tiezhu reloaded his crossbow with bamboo arrows. Without hesitation, he emptied the quiver again. This round took down two more men.
Zhang Minghai was completely numb. He immediately ordered a ceasefire, telling everyone to hug the ground tightly. Liu Tiezhu attacked from all directions, and they couldn't pinpoint his exact location. Continuing to fire would only waste bullets. Two rounds of shooting had eliminated five more. Now, Zhang Minghai had only eight men left, and their ammunition was nearly spent. At this rate, they'd soon be trapped like turtles in a jar, at Liu Tiezhu's mercy.
"Liu Tiezhu, how about we talk?" Zhang Minghai shouted into the void after some thought. In this situation, only begging for mercy gave him a chance to walk out alive. Of course, he knew the terms wouldn't be cheap.
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu perked up with interest. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Let us go, and I swear I'll never come back here or tell anyone about this place," Zhang Minghai said.
"Are you still dreaming, you bastard?" Gouzi cursed without any courtesy. Zhang Minghai's face darkened with rage at the words, but he dared not talk back. Now they were the prey, and only pleading could earn them a sliver of hope.
"What do you want to let us leave?" Ma Guoying shouted from the side. He'd agree to any condition now, as long as his life was spared.
"Simple. Put down your weapons and walk out in a line," Liu Tiezhu said while quietly slipping back to Er Gouzi's side. "Gouzi, there are eight of them left. We'll strike together. Don't aim—just empty the arrows and switch positions immediately." Liu Tiezhu had no intention of letting these people go. Their so-called promises were worthless. Once they left, they'd surely bring more men back. For his family's safety, even if it cost him his life, he had to keep them here today.
Hearing Liu Tiezhu's words, Zhang Minghai and his men turned pale. Put down their weapons and walk out? That would make them sitting ducks. Only a fool would agree to that. Ma Guoying shouted back, "Liu Tiezhu, don't take us for idiots. If we put down our weapons, do we have any chance of survival? Give us a demand we can all accept. As long as it's not too much, we'll agree."
Liu Tiezhu replied, "I'm not negotiating with you. If you don't agree to my terms, none of you are getting out of here."
Bang, bang, bang...
No sooner had he spoken than several bullets whizzed over. Since negotiations had failed, Zhang Minghai decided to go all out. Now that he'd pinpointed Liu Tiezhu's location, they just needed to charge quickly to capture him. Ma Guoying and the others understood Zhang Minghai's plan. They scrambled to their feet and followed his lead.
"Damn it all, even if I die, I'm not letting you bastards have it easy!" they cursed, looking like they had nothing to lose.
"Want to make it hard on us? Let's see if you've got what it takes," Liu Tiezhu sneered, quietly circling around to the right with Er Gouzi, crawling behind the group.
Zhang Minghai and his men didn't dare move too fast. It took them five minutes to reach Liu Tiezhu's previous position. When they saw the giant tree riddled with bullet holes, Zhang Minghai immediately ordered everyone to drop and swing their guns toward the rear. His reaction was swift, but against a prepared Liu Tiezhu, it was still too slow. Almost as soon as the order left his mouth, a hail of bamboo arrows flew in. Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi didn't bother aiming; they emptied their quivers and quickly shifted positions. They rolled left along the ground, finally stopping in a patch of weeds three meters to Zhang Minghai's left. As they halted, screams erupted. Two men clutched their chests, blood streaming from the corners of their mouths. Almost simultaneously, dirt sprayed from their previous hiding spot as countless bullets tore into the soil, kicking up blinding sparks.
"Damn it, these bastards are fast, and their aim is deadly. They're no ordinary men," Er Gouzi gasped, patting his chest and sweating as he watched the flying dirt.
Liu Tiezhu said, "These must be elites from the Zhang family army. Looks like the Zhangs are dead set on killing us." Judging by their reflexes, they weren't comparable to ordinary recruits.
"Once we deal with these guys, we'll give the Zhangs a taste of their own medicine," Er Gouzi gritted his teeth, ready to circle behind Zhang Minghai's group again. Liu Tiezhu grabbed him. "Three strikes and you're out. Zhang Minghai has fallen for it twice; he'll be on guard. We'll stay here and watch, not move."
Zhang Minghai's men fired and quickly turned around. He predicted Liu Tiezhu would be somewhere behind them by now. "Fire!" he ordered as soon as they turned. Bang, bang, bang—a barrage of bullets sprayed the rear, sending broken branches and debris flying. After the volley, there was no movement. Seeing this, Er Gouzi's face went white. If he'd followed his earlier plan to sneak behind them, he'd have been shot. Good thing Liu Tiezhu had anticipated the enemy's move. "That was close," Er Gouzi breathed, still shaken.
Staring at the empty rear, Zhang Minghai's heart sank. He hadn't expected Liu Tiezhu to be so tough, predicting his every move. With only six men left, they couldn't withstand Liu Tiezhu's harassment. After a moment of silence, Zhang Minghai shouted, "Liu Tiezhu, I agree to your earlier demand. Will you keep your word?"
Ma Guoying panicked. "Captain, are we really going to put down our weapons and walk out?"
"Would I walk out to die? Listen up, cooperate with me, and we'll..." Zhang Minghai lowered his voice, outlining his plan to the others.
"Brother Zhu, be careful—it might be a trap," Er Gouzi warned.
Liu Tiezhu shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry. If they dare to come out, I've got a way to handle them. Here's what you do..."