Upon hearing this, Liu Tiezhu and the others stopped what they were doing. They had originally planned to give Liu Yusheng a good torment before granting him a quick death. They never expected such an unexpected surprise.
"Where is the bandits' supply depot, and how many guards are there? You'd better confess honestly, or I'll make you taste death by a thousand cuts. Know what that is? It's slicing off your flesh piece by piece." Liu Tiezhu's face darkened as he threatened coldly.
Liu Yusheng said, "The bandits' supply depot is in the sweet potato field behind Liu Family Village. They've dug two tunnels and a large cellar there. It used to be guarded by fifty men, but after the battle with the Zhang family a few days ago, I was captured. I don't know how many are guarding it now."
"How do you know the bandits' supplies are stored there?" Liu Tiezhu pressed on.
"My sister told me. She's now the wife of the second-in-command of Tiangang Stronghold. The second-in-command tells her many things."
Er Gouzi was stunned, then laughed and cursed, "Damn it, that woman really has some skills. She was messing around with Liu Gang before, and now she's latched onto the second-in-command of Tiangang Stronghold so quickly."
Liu Yusheng said, "I've told you everything I know. Now give me a quick death."
Liu Tiezhu replied, "Don't be in such a hurry to die. Answer one last question: what's stored in the cellar?"
"Rifles, grenades, and cash—all of that. These supplies were originally meant for the bandits of Tiangang Stronghold to train new forces. Now that Liu Family Village has been wiped out by the Zhang family army, Tiangang Stronghold can only store them here temporarily." Liu Yusheng dared not hide anything and truthfully revealed all he knew.
"Good. You can go reunite with your ancestors now." As he spoke, Liu Tiezhu shot an arrow into Liu Yusheng's head, ending his life.
"Tiezhu, we can't let this batch of supplies slip away." Er Gouzi grinned, almost drooling.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Of course we can't let it go, and we need to speed things up." According to Liu Yusheng, the bandits had emptied their stronghold for that night's battle. The cellar storing the supplies surely had few guards left. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity couldn't be missed. However, now that the Zhang family army had moved to garrison Liu Family Village, they'd need to think carefully about how to sneak the supplies away.
The two returned to the stone cave, where Uncle and the others gathered around. "Tiezhu, who broke in?" Uncle asked.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Still people sent by the Zhang family. Liu Yusheng was the guide, but I took care of him."
"What about the other Zhang family men?" Big Brother asked nervously.
Er Gouzi said, "All taken care of. They were tricked by Liu Yusheng and didn't know our hiding spot." Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Tiezhu added, "Uncle, before he died, Liu Yusheng told me about a bandit supply depot. I plan to scout it out when I go into town tomorrow."
Uncle frowned and said, "Can that be trusted? Could Liu Yusheng have set a trap for you before dying?"
"So I'll first confirm if it's true. Then I'll plan how to strike," Liu Tiezhu said.
After chatting for a while, Liu Tiezhu took out the spoils from this raid to count. They had gained over four hundred rifle bullets, one pistol, and thirty pistol bullets. Besides the ammunition, they also found over four thousand yuan on those men. Liu Tiezhu planned to take this money into town tomorrow, give some to Huang Xiumei's family, and use the rest to buy more essentials. Everyone agreed with Liu Tiezhu's plan.
After finalizing the plan, Liu Tiezhu went to his room to rest. At daybreak the next day, Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi left the stone cave. With the Zhang family, bandits, and horse thieves all looking for them, they had to act secretly and time their entry into town to avoid these people.
Leaving the mountains, the two rode horses, galloping toward the town. No sooner had they left than six burly men emerged from the foot of the mountain. They were scouts from Tiangang Stronghold, gathered there waiting for the main force to come out of the mountains. They hadn't expected to run into Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi.
"Guo Zhi, Guo Hui, you two go back quickly and report to the chief that we've found the ones we're looking for. The rest of you, follow me." The bandit leader, Li Zhenshan, was brimming with excitement. After giving the order, he immediately mounted his horse. The bandits behind him split into two groups: one to report back, and the other to follow Li Zhenshan closely.
Ahead, after running a few hundred meters, Liu Tiezhu spotted the bandits trailing far behind. "Gouzi, we're being watched again."
Er Gouzi was startled and turned to see four burly men riding hard in pursuit. Realizing they'd been spotted, the bandits stopped hiding and spurred their horses to charge faster.
"Damn it, they really think I'm easy prey. Gouzi, follow me." Liu Tiezhu called out and rode into the dilapidated Tupo Village. The village, repeatedly looted by horse thieves and bandits, was long deserted. All that remained were broken houses and crumbling walls.
Liu Tiezhu led Er Gouzi to a ruined house. They tied their horses in the yard and quickly dashed to the wall opposite the house, crouching down to hide. The yard had no gate, and one wall had already collapsed. Unless the bandits were blind, they'd spot the horses as they passed.
Soon, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came. Li Zhenshan spotted the horses tied in the yard from a distance. He immediately reined in his galloping steed and raised his hand. The three bandits behind him dismounted, took out their rifles, and loaded them.
Seeing this, Liu Tiezhu sneered from his hiding spot behind the wall. Four men daring to come after them—they were asking for death.
"Tiezhu, we'll take two each. I'll handle the two on the right; the rest are yours." Er Gouzi lowered his voice, slowly extending his compound crossbow.
Liu Tiezhu grabbed Er Gouzi. "Gouzi, keep your cool. They're too far away. Wait until they come closer before making a move." The four bandits were about eleven meters away, wearing thick cotton coats. At that distance, the compound crossbow lacked penetrating power. Er Gouzi nodded and slowly retracted the crossbow.
The four bandits were very cautious. After dismounting, they didn't rush into the yard. Li Zhenshan waved his hand, and the three bandits advanced crosswise with their rifles raised. They carefully approached the broken wall outside the yard, pressing their bodies against it, peeking out to observe the yard's activity. After waiting over ten minutes, the bandits made no further move.
Er Gouzi couldn't help cursing under his breath, "Damn it, just come in already. What's there to be afraid of?"
On the bandits' side, Li Zhenshan, who had been observing for over ten minutes, also lost patience. He pulled a grenade from his bosom, pulled the pin, and without a word, tossed it into the house. This move sent a chill down Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi's spines. If they hadn't been hiding here but anywhere else in the house, they'd have been caught in the blast.