Inside the sack was actually a woman. Her clothes had been stripped off, leaving her only in a red bellyband. A cloth was stuffed in her mouth, and her hands were tied behind her back. Her firm, full breasts were truly striking. That’s why Liu Tiezhu and the other guy had that “really big” remark. The woman’s face was pale, and she shivered from the cold. The leading thug pulled out a dagger and pressed it against her cheek. “Liu Cuihua, stop struggling. Be good and serve the three of us well, and we won’t treat you badly.” “If you dare resist, I’ll make you taste what it’s like to have your skin split open.” “You don’t want to suffer in this cold, do you?” Liu Cuihua nodded frantically. “Good. Zhou Niu, give her the clothes.” “Huang Kai, start a fire and roast some meat. We’ll eat up before getting to work.” The leading thug drooled as he spoke, not forgetting to reach out and give Liu Cuihua a rough squeeze. Zhou Niu and the other guy’s eyes lit up at the mention of “work.” They quickly draped a cotton coat over Liu Cuihua and started the fire to roast meat. “Damn it, these three bastards are kidnapping a decent woman?” “Should we step in?” Er Gouzi said. “Don’t rush. Let’s see how things play out before deciding.” After Liu Tiezhu spoke, he continued watching. By then, the leading thug had already pulled Liu Cuihua into his arms, his hands kneading and pinching nonstop. Liu Cuihua clenched her teeth, utterly unable to resist. Zhou Niu and the other guy laughed loudly beside them, cheering their boss on. “Damn it, Gouzi, let’s go beat them up.” Liu Tiezhu couldn’t hold back anymore. He cursed and charged out first. From his observation, the three were just ordinary bachelors, posing no real danger. So Liu Tiezhu didn’t bother hiding. The trio was having a good time when Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi suddenly appeared, startling them. “You three animals deserve to die.” Er Gouzi pointed at the leading thug’s nose and cursed without holding back. Hearing this, the leading thug flew into a rage. He shot back, “Oh, fuck your grandpa! We’ve got two fearless little punks here today?” “Zhou Niu, you two go over and let these brats taste what a fist as big as a wok feels like.” Zhou Niu and the other guy sneered at the order. Though Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi stood about 1.75 meters tall, their frames looked thin—one punch could break Liu Tiezhu’s bones. “Little punk, you—” Zhou Niu opened his mouth to curse. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… Liu Tiezhu couldn’t be bothered to waste words with the two idiots. He pulled out his compound bow and fired arrows straight at their crotches. Ahh, ahh, ahh… Zhou Niu and the other guy’s faces turned ashen, bright red blood soaking their cotton pants. Their eyes bulged as they clutched their groins, collapsing to the ground with wails like ghosts and howls like wolves. The remaining leading thug panicked completely, dropping to his knees without a second thought to beg for mercy. Er Gouzi walked over and kicked him down. “Fuck your grandpa! Now you know you’re wrong?” The thug scrambled up from the ground and started slapping his own face. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have kidnapped a decent woman.” Er Gouzi didn’t want to waste words either. Following Liu Tiezhu’s lead, he shot an arrow into the thug’s crotch. The thug convulsed wildly, rolling his eyes and foaming at the mouth. Liu Tiezhu ignored the three animals and quickly untied the ropes on Liu Cuihua. “Thank you.” Liu Cuihua wrapped the cotton coat around herself, still looking shaken. “You’re welcome. Where are you from? How did they kidnap you?” Liu Tiezhu asked. “I’m from Chen Family Village. My husband’s Chen Hailiang, a guard at Zhang Jia’s new camp.” “Those three animals have a grudge against my husband. They knocked me out while he was on duty and brought me here.” Hearing Liu Cuihua’s words, Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi were both stunned. What a coincidence. Just last night, they were figuring out how to quickly find Chen Hailiang to spread the word to Zhang Jingyang. Now, they’d saved Chen Hailiang’s wife—this made things much easier. “You don’t believe me?” Seeing Liu Tiezhu and the other guy silent for so long, Liu Cuihua grew nervous again. Liu Tiezhu said, “No, we just think it’s too much of a coincidence.” “Actually, we’re friends with Chen Hailiang.” “We were planning to find him today, and then we ran into you here.” Friends? Liu Cuihua paused, then said, “Are you Liu Tiezhu?” Liu Tiezhu nodded. “You know me too?” Liu Cuihua said, “No, but my husband often mentions you.” “He says you’re a good guy with integrity, and he’d like to repay you someday.” “Are you looking for my husband for something?” Liu Tiezhu said, “Yeah, something, but it’s not convenient to talk about here.” “Can you take us to your place?” “Of course, no problem. But Brother Tiezhu, you’re in a dangerous spot right now.” “Zhang Jingyang’s put out word around our village area—anyone who sees you and gives him info gets a hundred bucks,” Liu Cuihua said. “Sister Cuihua, how about this?” “We’ll wait here. Do you dare go back alone to tell your husband?” Liu Cuihua nodded. “No problem, but my husband won’t be back until afternoon.” “Alright, I’ll wait for him here.” “Be careful when you go back.” After they finished talking, Liu Tiezhu walked Liu Cuihua a good distance before turning back to the bamboo grove. “Gouzi, keep watch for a bit. I’ll rest first.” After instructing Er Gouzi, Liu Tiezhu started a fire and fell asleep. He slept straight until dark, when the smell of Er Gouzi’s roasting meat woke him up. Er Gouzi handed over bamboo-leaf wine and grilled meat. “Brother Tiezhu, you’re awake. Have some to warm up.” Liu Tiezhu didn’t stand on ceremony. He took it, took a few gulps, and then tore into the meat. Half an hour later, Liu Tiezhu told Er Gouzi to sleep while he kept watch. Not long after Er Gouzi lay down, noises came from not far off in the bamboo grove. Liu Tiezhu didn’t wake Er Gouzi. Instead, he grabbed his compound crossbow and crept out quietly. After moving a distance, he quickly dropped to the ground. About ten meters away, seven figures were slowly surrounding his position. “Damn, we’ve been sold out.” Liu Tiezhu cursed under his breath, keeping low as he swiftly retreated. “Gouzi, get up quick. We’ve been sold out.” Hearing this, Er Gouzi snapped awake and grabbed his gear. “Brother Tiezhu, what’s going on?” Liu Tiezhu’s face darkened. “We’ve been sold. It’s not Chen Hailiang coming—it’s seven big men.” “What’s with that woman? We saved her life, and she repays us with betrayal?” “If I’d known, I’d have let those three bastards have their way with her.” Er Gouzi’s face turned cold as he couldn’t help cursing. “No more talk. Put out the fire quick. There aren’t many of them—we’ll take them out while we can.” Er Gouzi nodded, smothered the fire with sand, and moved behind Liu Tiezhu. Then, the rustling sound of footsteps on bamboo leaves came closer. From the noise, they were already very near. Liu Tiezhu and the other guy quickly lay flat, hiding under the thick layer of bamboo leaves. Just as they got ready, the seven men walked in.