Yang Hua was stunned by Liu Tiezhu's way of thinking.
By normal logic, no one would choose the middle path out of seven options. But Liu Tiezhu's thinking went completely against the grain. If he hadn't witnessed Liu Tiezhu's skills firsthand, he would've cursed him out.
Once the route was decided, the two didn't waste any more time. They quickly darted out of the alley and ran toward the street on the left.
Reaching the opposite side of the alley, Liu Tiezhu raised his gun and emptied the pistol magazine into the alley.
"Brother Zhu, aren't we exposing ourselves by doing this?" Yang Hua asked, bewildered, not understanding Liu Tiezhu's move.
"Yeah, that's exactly what I want—to reveal our position."
"Take cover now. The Li family's men will be here soon."
After saying that, Liu Tiezhu quickly ducked back.
After waiting two minutes, the sound of heavy footsteps approached. A squad of fifteen Li family soldiers swiftly surrounded the alley. Staring into the pitch-black alley, none dared to enter.
After a tense standoff at the alley's entrance for several minutes, the squad leader finally lost patience. With a wave of his hand, the men crouched low and cautiously stepped inside.
Every move of the dozen or so men was under Liu Tiezhu's watchful eye. Once they were deep into the alley, Liu Tiezhu immediately led Yang Hua out and headed back in the direction the Li family soldiers had come from.
After walking about ten meters, they stopped again and hid in a dim corner.
No sooner had they taken cover than another set of footsteps echoed. After that group passed, Liu Tiezhu and Yang Hua carefully emerged from the corner.
They continued this stop-and-go pattern for about forty minutes until they finally reached the alley Liu Tiezhu had pointed out earlier.
The alley was roughly fifty meters long and about two meters wide. It was more of a narrow path than an alley. Under the dim night, it was impossible to see what lay inside.
"Brother Zhu, the Li family might be hiding in there. How do we get past?" Yang Hua whispered, his heart racing as he stared into the dark alley.
"Fall back first."
Liu Tiezhu signaled, then picked up two bricks from the left side of the alley and, without a word, hurled them inside. After that, he quickly retreated back to the corner.
The bricks hit the wall, making a noise that immediately caught the attention of the Li family soldiers. A five-man team was guarding this alley. Hearing the sound, they sent three men to investigate.
These three were no fools; they moved cautiously. Every few steps, they stopped to scan their surroundings, only advancing when they were sure it was safe.
A few minutes later, the three reached the spot where the bricks had landed. Seeing the bricks on the ground, they grew alert, exchanged glances, and then pressed forward.
From the corner outside the alley, Liu Tiezhu stared intently, watching the alley's movements. Spotting three figures slowly approaching, he tensed up, aimed his crossbow, and silently calculated the distance.
The three Li family soldiers were on high alert too. After reaching the alley's entrance and finding no one, they cautiously retreated back into the dark.
"Brother Zhu, should we—" Yang Hua started to speak but was immediately silenced by Liu Tiezhu's gesture to keep quiet. He dared not say another word.
After waiting about ten minutes, the three men who had retreated poked their heads out again. This sudden move sent a chill down Yang Hua's spine. He hadn't expected them to be so cunning—the retreat was just a ruse. Their real goal was to lure out anyone hiding and then ambush them.
He had been thinking of sneaking up on them as they turned back. If he had done that, he would have fallen right into their trap.
The three men scanned the area for a moment longer before retreating again into the dark alley.
"Let's go. We need to move quickly."
Liu Tiezhu waved his hand, dashed out from the corner, and sprinted toward the dark alley. Yang Hua didn't hesitate and followed close behind.
After covering about five meters, they spotted the three men ahead. Liu Tiezhu raised his crossbow, aimed, and fired all the bamboo arrows in one go.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
The sharp whistling sound startled the three, their faces turning pale. By the time they turned around, the arrows were already upon them.
*Thud, thud, thud...*
They had no time to react before being struck down by the arrows, blood pooling on the ground.
"Brother Zhu, nice moves." Yang Hua stripped the three of their belongings, not holding back his praise.
"Save the talk. Keep moving."
Liu Tiezhu warned, reloading his crossbow as he pressed forward. The alley had no cover; if spotted, they'd be dead. He couldn't afford any delays.
After safely covering over thirty meters, Liu Tiezhu stopped again. About ten meters ahead was the alley's exit. Just three meters beyond the exit stood a two-story red-brick house. Through its dim lights, Liu Tiezhu spotted two Li family soldiers stationed there.
"Yang Hua, wait here. I'll sneak over and take them out."
After a moment's thought, Liu Tiezhu decided to go alone. Instructing Yang Hua, he quickly dropped to the ground, pressing his body flat as he crawled forward.
When he was about seven meters from the two soldiers, Liu Tiezhu stopped. He readied his crossbow, took a deep breath, and aimed at the soldier on the left.
With a *whoosh*, the bamboo arrow shot out, striking the soldier's neck with deadly precision. Liu Tiezhu quickly adjusted his aim for a second shot.
But by then, the soldier on the right had spotted him and fired without hesitation. Liu Tiezhu didn't wait to see the result; he rolled to the side, firing off all his arrows in one go.
Bullets hit the ground, sending up sparks. The arrows he fired missed the soldier.
"Yang Hua, get over here!" Liu Tiezhu shouted, drawing his pistol and exchanging fire with the soldier.
They were exposed now. The best move was to kill this soldier quickly and escape. Hearing the gunfire, Yang Hua knew Liu Tiezhu's plan had failed. He pulled out both pistols, charged over, and unleashed a barrage of fire at the alley's entrance.
Overwhelmed by the sheer firepower, the soldier realized he was outmatched and fled the scene. Liu Tiezhu and Yang Hua didn't linger either. Bursting out of the alley, they dashed toward the residential area on the right.
After running several dozen meters, Liu Tiezhu stopped. Ahead lay the Ming family's territory—they were finally safe.
"What's wrong, Brother Zhu?" Yang Hua asked, puzzled by the sudden halt.
Liu Tiezhu said, "I won't go with you. I'll come to the Ming family for the assessment tomorrow. Remember, don't let our relationship slip, and don't mention tonight's events."
He had his reasons. The Ming family was crawling with spies. Until he could tell friend from foe, revealing their connection would only put Yang Hua in danger. Besides, he had a bigger plan that required Yang Hua's cooperation. Exposing their bond too early would hinder it.