After analyzing Liu Tiezhu's scheme, Zhang Tielin broke out in a cold sweat.
He had previously arrogantly believed himself to be quite clever. Only after encountering Liu Tiezhu did he realize that his own intelligence was nothing short of a joke.
Time was tight, and Zhang Tielin dared not delay. After bidding farewell to Liu Tiezhu, he quickly brought the news back to Jiang He.
Upon learning that Jiang Tianliang was going to destroy the evidence, Jiang He immediately grinned and swiftly sent someone to inform Third Master.
As the instigator of all this, Liu Tiezhu returned to the barracks, retrieved over sixty thousand yuan from Guo Qixing, then got a horse and rode straight to the Apricot Blossom Tavern in town.
When he arrived at the tavern, Yang Hua was already waiting for him at the entrance.
With time pressing, Liu Tiezhu pulled him into a private room on the second floor and directly revealed that the Li family was planning to kill them both. Now, Liu Tiezhu could do nothing to help; everything depended on Yang Hua being careful on his own.
After chatting for a while, Liu Tiezhu mounted his horse and galloped out of town.
Once outside the city, Liu Tiezhu didn't head straight for the mountains but instead turned toward Liu Family Village.
He had barely ridden a kilometer when eight burly men on horseback chased out from the town. They were the Li family's eyes and ears in the town, and upon spotting Liu Tiezhu leaving the city, they charged at him without hesitation.
About forty minutes later, Liu Tiezhu entered Liu Family Village. After tying up his horse, he immediately hid in a dilapidated corner.
In truth, he had noticed he was being followed as soon as he left the Apricot Blossom Tavern. That's why he didn't head toward the mountain home but returned to Liu Family Village, where he knew the terrain well.
He had been hidden for less than five minutes when the neighing of horses came from outside. The eight men were well-trained; upon reaching the village, they stopped at once.
The leader, Li Tian, signaled for everyone to dismount and split into two groups to enter the village on foot.
"Damn it all," Liu Tiezhu muttered under his breath. The moment they dismounted, he decisively pulled the triggers of his twin guns.
Bang, bang, bang...
In just a few breaths, Liu Tiezhu emptied both magazines. The dense hail of bullets instantly killed three men and five horses.
The remaining five, terrified out of their wits, quickly retreated to find cover.
Seizing this opportunity, Liu Tiezhu dashed out from the corner and ran toward his home.
"Chase him and kill him!" Li Tian roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage. As the leader of the Li family's elite squad, being taken down by a mere brat was an insult he couldn't stomach.
At the command, everyone charged forward.
Liu Tiezhu, sprinting ahead, couldn't help but sneer. In truth, he didn't need to bolt from the corner at all; he did it to lure these men into a bigger trap.
Though his home had been blown apart by Zhang Jingyang, the traps were still there. When he last returned, he had deliberately reset them, just in case he might need them someday.
Two minutes later, Liu Tiezhu vaulted over the crumbling earthen wall and landed in the yard. After landing, he quickly dashed behind the collapsed house.
No sooner had he hidden himself than footsteps sounded nearby. The men in front saw Liu Tiezhu climb the wall, and without a second thought, two of them followed suit.
They seemed eager to show off to their comrades, grabbing the wall for leverage and leaping over. But the moment they landed, they screamed in agony.
Looking down, they saw their feet pierced by rusty iron spikes, their shoes soaked in bright red blood.
Bang, bang...
Liu Tiezhu aimed at their heads and fired two shots without mercy.
The remaining three, about to climb the wall, immediately stopped in their tracks.
Li Tian made a hand signal. One man stayed put, pulling out a grenade, while the other followed him, pressing close to the wall and slowly moving toward the yard gate.
Once Li Tian reached his designated spot, he quickly gestured to the man behind him.
That man immediately pulled the pin on the grenade and tossed it over the wall.
Boom!!
The deafening explosion shook the entire yard. Sand and debris sprayed several meters high, completely obscuring Liu Tiezhu's view.
His eardrums ringing, Liu Tiezhu pressed tightly against the earthen wall, shaking his head repeatedly.
At that same moment, Li Tian kicked open the yard's broken wooden gate and rolled in with the man behind him.
Once inside, they aimed their guns at the spot where their comrades had died, scanning carefully but finding no trace of Liu Tiezhu.
Li Tian signaled the man behind him to move forward.
The man swallowed hard, staring at the two dead comrades, his face slick with cold sweat. He advanced slowly, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings, but he didn't notice the trap underfoot.
After cautiously taking a dozen steps, he was nearly at his comrades' position. Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way, and his body uncontrollably plunged downward.
A massive pit appeared, rolling dust and smoke blocking Li Tian's view.
Ah...
The screams from the pit were chilling. The man who fell in was impaled through and through by rusty spikes. Worse still, he didn't die instantly; the piercing agony kept him screaming incessantly.
Li Tian was utterly stunned. He hadn't expected so many traps in the yard. Now he finally understood why Liu Tiezhu, perfectly fine hiding in the corner, had chosen to run here. It wasn't that Liu Tiezhu was fleeing—he was luring them in to kill them.
At that moment, Li Tian abandoned his screaming comrade. Only one thought filled his mind: escape.
As soon as this thought struck, he turned without a word.
But he didn't realize that every move he made was under Liu Tiezhu's watch.
The instant Li Tian turned, Liu Tiezhu decisively pulled the trigger.
With a bang, the bullet pierced Li Tian's chest. Li Tian looked down, and before he could react, another bullet tore through his head.
Liu Tiezhu charged out from behind the earthen wall and slowly moved to the yard gate.
Then, more footsteps approached—light steps, pausing for a few seconds each time.
The remaining man raised his gun, his hand trembling. He stared fixedly at the yard gate, stopping about two meters away.
Seeing this through the crack in the gate, Liu Tiezhu quickly retreated and headed for the earthen wall behind the house.
After climbing over the wall, he circled around to the man's rear.
At that moment, the man, drenched in cold sweat, had no idea Liu Tiezhu was behind him. He took a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and prepared to rush forward and kick open the wooden gate.
But before he could act, gunfire rang out from behind.
The man turned his head just in time to see the bullet flying toward him.
Thud...
Blood splattered. The man's eyes went wide as he toppled straight back, a hole in his forehead gushing blood.
Liu Tiezhu quickly looted the bodies of the men, ready to leave. But after taking a few steps, he hurried back.
Dozens of meters away, over a dozen burly men on horseback were galloping toward him.