Now that Ming Jiacheng had begun to trust him, Liu Tiezhu had to seize this opportunity to figure out Ming Jiacheng's strongholds and some of his connections. With this detailed information, he could escape more safely in the future.
After leaving Jinyuan Pawnshop, Liu Tiezhu wandered around the nearby streets. Once he was sure no one was following him, he entered Xinghua Tavern. In a private room on the second floor of Xinghua Tavern, Er Gouzi had been staying for several days.
"Gouzi, how's the task I assigned you coming along?" Liu Tiezhu got straight to the point when they met.
Er Gouzi replied, "It's done. Yang Hua has gathered a total of 113 people. They're all martial arts disciples and are now intensifying their training with the combat methods you taught me."
"Good work. Notify Yang Hua to speed things up. If he needs any supplies, just ask."
Hearing this, Er Gouzi frowned immediately. The funds Liu Tiezhu had given him earlier were almost spent. Besides the soldiers' pay, expenses for various trauma medicines, tents, and daily costs were all huge outlays. Er Gouzi was even considering persuading Liu Tiezhu to disband the team.
Noticing Er Gouzi's unease, Liu Tiezhu asked, "What's wrong, Gouzi? Why the long face?"
"Brother Tiezhu, I don't get it. Why are you forming a team? When we didn't have one, we lived high on the hog. Now we have to tighten our belts. The funds you gave me are nearly gone. If this continues, we'll run out soon." Er Gouzi didn't hold back and poured out his thoughts.
"You'll understand the purpose of forming a team when the time comes. Don't worry about the funds; the initial costs will be high. Once these people are trained, you'll see I was right." As he spoke, Liu Tiezhu pulled out a plastic bag filled with banknotes. "This money should keep the team going for a while."
Er Gouzi took the bag, opened it, and was startled. In just over ten days, Liu Tiezhu had gotten his hands on so much cash again.
"Go back and tell Yang Hua to improve these people's marksmanship as quickly as possible. Don't skimp on bullets. I want to see effective results in a month," Liu Tiezhu said.
Er Gouzi nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them."
"Is everything okay with Uncle and the others?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
Mentioning Uncle and the others, Er Gouzi grinned. "The old man's living pretty well now. In his spare time, he goes hunting near the stone cave with Brother Tian and the others, using the hounds and the white-headed eagle. Animals are gradually returning, and there are many herbivores in the pine forest near the cave. They've had great hauls. But Yaoyao keeps asking for you. Shouldn't you take some time to go back?"
"Maybe in a few days." Liu Tiezhu waved his hand. He wanted to go back and spend some quality time with Yang Yulan, but given the current situation, he couldn't get away. Ming Zhenglong and Ming Jiacheng were about to make a move on Ming Tianfeng. If he missed this golden opportunity to profit, it would never come again.
After calming down, Liu Tiezhu continued, "By the way, has Dashan seen any unfamiliar faces recently?" There had been no news of the Zhang family or the Golden Knife Bandits for a while. Thinking about the Zhang family's previous actions, he couldn't help but worry. Although many traps had been set around the stone cave and an escape tunnel had been dug, these defenses were only effective against small groups. Against a large force, they wouldn't hold up.
"No unfamiliar faces, but many villagers have moved to the foot of the mountain," Er Gouzi said.
Liu Tiezhu warned, "When you go back, take time to visit the stone cave and tell Uncle and the others to be extremely careful. Don't leave the trap area unless necessary, and be wary of those villagers." In this lawless era, it was practically "man-eat-man," and the villagers had no conscience. He had to make sure Er Gouzi warned Uncle not to let compassion drive him to help these people. If any of them had ill intentions, the consequences could be the family's total destruction.
"Brother Tiezhu, don't worry. I already gave them specific instructions before I came down." Though Er Gouzi wasn't very sharp, after all he'd been through with Liu Tiezhu, he understood the cruelty of the times.
"By the way, Brother Tiezhu, when I came down this time, I saw the Zhang family sending many people toward Maotou Ridge."
Liu Tiezhu was taken aback and then asked, "Are you sure it's the Zhang family?" Maotou Ridge was a former stronghold of Ming Tianfeng. What were the Zhang family doing there?
Er Gouzi nodded. "Positive. The markings on their clothes are easy to recognize. Those bastards even brought heavy machine guns, like they were preparing for a big fight."
"How many were there? Do you know their exact location?" Liu Tiezhu pressed on.
Er Gouzi answered truthfully, "About two hundred or so. I didn't dare get too close, so I couldn't pinpoint their exact position."
Liu Tiezhu patted Er Gouzi on the shoulder. "Alright, I understand. Go back to the bamboo grove first. Remember, keep training hard. I'll have a task for you soon. Be very careful on your way back. Watch your surroundings and make sure no one's following you before you enter the grove."
After sending Er Gouzi off, Liu Tiezhu didn't waste any time. The sudden appearance of the Zhang family army at Maotou Ridge made him feel something was off. He had to hurry back and find out their purpose and deployment.
Leaving Xinghua Tavern, Liu Tiezhu headed to the bamboo grove Ming Zhenglong had mentioned. There, a 25-man intelligence team was stationed. Sending them to scout the Zhang family was the best move. It would test their abilities, and he wouldn't be responsible for any casualties.
Entering the bamboo grove, Liu Tiezhu pushed deeper to the right. After about fifty meters, he shouted into the empty air, "I'm Liu Tiezhu, the new leader appointed by Third Master. All of you, come out and see me!"
Soon after, over twenty men emerged from various spots in the grove. They raised their guns, not lowering their guard despite Liu Tiezhu's call.
"Do you have a token?" the team leader, Jiang Jianming, asked coldly, aiming at Liu Tiezhu's head.
Liu Tiezhu didn't hesitate. He opened his palm, revealing the token Ming Zhenglong had given him. Recognizing it, Jiang Jianming waved his hand, signaling everyone to lower their weapons.
"Sorry about that, Brother Tiezhu. It's just protocol. Hope you understand."
Liu Tiezhu nodded. "I understand. I assume Third Master has briefed you. I won't waste words. There's an urgent mission—I need you to gather intelligence." He then explained the Zhang family army's move to Maotou Ridge.
After listening, Jiang Jianming asked, "Brother Tiezhu, you mean we should take them out?"
Liu Tiezhu shook his head. "No, I need their exact location. And absolutely no tipping them off."
"No problem. I'll have precise intelligence for you in three hours." Jiang Jianming waved his hand, and the men behind him dispersed, vanishing into the bamboo grove in a few bounds.