In the stone cave, Liu Tiezhu, who had just woken up, had no idea that his flawless scheme had ultimately aroused Zhang Mingtao's suspicion.
After dinner, Liu Tiezhu voiced his idea of joining a major faction.
For now, the family had no worries about food or clothing, but to survive more safely, they needed to obtain new information promptly. To get that information, joining a major faction was necessary. Liu Tiezhu, adhering to the principle of "if you can't beat them, join them," aimed to gather more valuable intel to better protect his family. Moreover, the current situation was changing daily. Relying solely on their small group's abilities, they couldn't ensure the family's peaceful life. If they could gain the protection of a major faction, the family's safety issues would be easily resolved.
After hearing Liu Tiezhu's thoughts, Uncle and the others frowned one after another.
Joining a major faction didn't necessarily guarantee the family's safety. It might even put Liu Tiezhu in extreme danger. After all, the leaders of these factions weren't fools. As their subordinates, they'd have to risk their lives for them. Without making significant contributions to the faction, no one would casually offer protection.
After a moment of silence, Uncle advised, "Tiezhu, your uncle thinks living in the present is most important. Right now, we're doing fine. There's no need to take this risk."
Big Brother chimed in, "Uncle's right. No one can predict how things will develop in the future. The mountain is safe for now. Our family can just stay here, hunt some game, and live peacefully."
"Uncle, Big Brother, the mountain isn't safe anymore." Liu Tiezhu sighed and laid out the current distribution of forces in Dianhai Town. He had considered living a simple life hunting in the mountains, but judging by the current situation, that kind of life wouldn't last long. The Zhang family was strong and well-equipped, and the Li and Ming families were also forces to be reckoned with. Besides these three giants, various villages had formed small factions. If this trend continued, once resources ran low, these factions would inevitably set their sights on the mountain. How long could the stone cave's location stay hidden? Ten days? Half a month? Or three months?
So he had to take precautions and pave the way in advance. With a major faction's protection, the smaller ones naturally wouldn't dare to covet the stone cave. Besides, his plan to join a major faction wasn't about blindly risking his life like some guard. He aimed to establish a foothold and become someone with a voice in the faction.
After hearing Liu Tiezhu's words, Uncle didn't dare say anything more. If such a situation really arose in the future, even with heavy machine guns and grenades, they couldn't withstand an attack from a large-scale force. Since Uncle had fallen silent, the others didn't dare to add anything.
"When do you plan to leave?" Yang Yulan, who had been quiet all along, asked.
Liu Tiezhu thought for a moment and said, "After the fifth day of the new year. Don't worry, I'm not joining a major faction and never coming back. I'll still need Dog's cooperation then."
Over the next few days, everyone gathered together, doing nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun. Er Gouzi repeatedly clamored to go out of the mountains with Liu Tiezhu, but he was always refused. Joining a major faction meant living with one's life on the line. He could handle that kind of life alone, but bringing Er Gouzi along would be dangerous.
Time flew by, and soon it was the fifth day of the new year. Amid everyone's worried expressions, Liu Tiezhu geared up, mounted his horse, and galloped swiftly out of the mountains. Once out, he raced toward the town. Since he wanted to join a major faction, he first needed to understand their strength and the character of their leaders. Zhang Guorui, knowing the three major families, would surely be familiar with their capabilities. Liu Tiezhu's goal this trip was to find Zhang Guorui. To avoid being recognized, he deliberately smeared his face with charcoal.
Four hours later, Liu Tiezhu arrived at the town's north gate. His luck was good—Zhang Guorui was still on guard duty. Seeing Liu Tiezhu in this state, Zhang Guorui was completely stunned.
"Brother Liu, what happened to you? If it weren't broad daylight, I wouldn't have recognized you."
Liu Tiezhu forced a bitter smile. "Brother Zhang, it's a long story. I've offended some people, and to avoid their retaliation, I blackened my face. Do you have time? I'd like to have a few drinks with you."
At the mention of drinking, Zhang Guorui's eyes lit up immediately. He nodded and said, "Sure, go ahead to the Apricot Blossom Tavern and wait for me. I'll be right there."
"Then I'll head over first. Brother Zhang, don't stand me up." Liu Tiezhu smiled, led his horse, and left first.
A few dozen minutes later, Liu Tiezhu entered the Apricot Blossom Tavern. He booked a private room, ordered several dishes, and three jugs of apricot blossom wine. By the time the food and drink were ready, Zhang Guorui had arrived.
"Brother Liu, my apologies for being late. I'll punish myself with three cups." Zhang Guorui sat down, downed three cups, and then started talking. "Brother Liu, in these chaotic times, you've traveled a long way—surely it's not just to treat me to a drink, right? We're like family, so speak your mind."
Having secured the position of guard captain, Zhang Guorui wasn't foolish. He knew Liu Tiezhu's invitation must have a purpose.
"Brother Zhang, since you've put it that way, it wouldn't be right for me to hold back. To be honest, I came this time to ask for your help." Liu Tiezhu was also shrewd. He didn't rush to bring up inquiring about the factions. He wanted to test Zhang Guorui's attitude first before deciding whether to reveal his true intentions. If Zhang Guorui outright refused at the mention of help, he'd have to find another way to gather information. If Zhang Guorui hesitated or asked him to elaborate, he could probe further. After all, this was only their fourth meeting—he needed to gauge whether Zhang Guorui was trustworthy.
Hearing this, Zhang Guorui paused, then said, "Brother Liu, what kind of help? If I can manage it, I definitely won't back out."
Liu Tiezhu replied, "It's nothing major. I just want you to help me secure a position. Of course, once it's done, I won't shortchange you."
Zhang Guorui laughed. "I thought it was something serious. Come see me tomorrow, and I'll arrange a spot for you in the guard team."
Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Zhang, you've misunderstood. I want to join the Li family. Do you know anyone who could introduce me?"
Zhang Guorui immediately gave a wry smile. "This... I'm afraid I can't help with that. The Li family doesn't accept recommendations from anyone. They only recruit capable people. If you want to join the Li family, brother, just go sign up directly."
Seizing the moment, Liu Tiezhu pressed on. "Brother Zhang, since you know the Li family so well, tell me about their situation." The earlier talk was just a setup; Liu Tiezhu's real goal was to extract the Li family's actual circumstances. After all, he'd be living with his life on the line, so he had to thoroughly understand the true state of each major faction.