As soon as Liu Tiezhu stepped into the alley, he immediately sensed something was off.
The entire alley was far too quiet.
Years of hunting experience instantly put him on high alert.
He pondered for a moment, slowly crouched down, then picked up a small pebble and hurled it forcefully into the alley.
Smack...
A dull thud echoed from within, followed by a burst of curses.
"Damn it, which blind bastard threw that?"
Hearing the cursing, Liu Tiezhu was startled.
He hadn't expected that Ming Shanhai showing up here was a trap.
If he hadn't been cautious, he'd probably be surrounded by now.
Inside the alley, the burly man who had cursed immediately realized his mistake and shut his mouth.
The dozen or so men behind him wore grim expressions, murderous intent flickering in their eyes.
"Everyone, move quietly. That kid probably hasn't figured out we're lying in wait here."
The leading man waved his hand, and all of them followed his lead.
This was a residential area with dozens of households.
A pebble hitting someone and drawing curses was normal.
Besides, Liu Tiezhu had no idea about their plan.
So the leading man was gambling that the pebble thrower wasn't Liu Tiezhu.
His guess was right, but unfortunately, Liu Tiezhu had already uncovered their scheme.
As they crept silently toward the alley's entrance, Liu Tiezhu had already slipped out and circled around behind them.
By the time the dozen men emerged from the alley, Liu Tiezhu had reached the front door of a house.
The door was unlocked, with no one guarding it.
After a moment's hesitation, Liu Tiezhu loaded his crossbow and slipped inside quietly.
The house had two floors, with a living room and three rooms on the ground level.
It was dark inside, with no lights on.
Liu Tiezhu pressed himself against the wall, using the faint light from next door to scan his surroundings.
After a few minutes, he was certain the living room was empty.
But the three room doors were closed, and he had no idea if anyone was inside.
Just as he was deciding whether to check the rooms, footsteps came from the stairs.
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu quickly ducked behind the wall on the right side of the stairwell.
No sooner had he hidden than a burly man slowly descended.
The man grumbled curses about the ambushers being useless as he walked.
After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
"Damn, have I been spotted?"
Liu Tiezhu's heart leaped into his throat. He pressed tightly against the wall, not daring to move.
If he were discovered now, he'd have no way to escape.
The man paused for over ten seconds, then turned and headed back upstairs.
Seeing this, Liu Tiezhu breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
If he'd been exposed, the man would have opened fire by now.
Since that didn't happen, Liu Tiezhu guessed he'd forgotten something.
Sure enough, after a few dozen seconds, footsteps came again.
The man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, fumbling with a lighter as he walked.
His attention was entirely on the cigarette, and he didn't notice Liu Tiezhu at the corner.
Liu Tiezhu silently calculated the distance. As the man stepped off the last stair, he aimed his crossbow at his forehead.
The man's hand jerked, and the lighter clattered to the floor. His face turned deathly pale.
"Don't want to die? Then do as I say." Liu Tiezhu warned coldly.
The man, already paralyzed with fear, nodded numbly.
Seeing his surrender, Liu Tiezhu asked, "How many people are in the house?"
"Three. They're all upstairs," the man answered truthfully.
"Who are they, and where are they positioned?"
The man said, "Ming Shanhai, Liu Fushan, He Mingchu."
"All three are standing by the window in the living room."
Under the threat of death, he dared not hide anything.
"Good. You can go now."
Liu Tiezhu sneered and pulled the trigger of his crossbow.
As the man's face twisted in terror, the cold bamboo bolt pierced straight through his throat.
He opened his mouth to struggle, trying to make noise, but Liu Tiezhu held him down firmly.
Minutes later, the man stopped twitching, having gone to join his ancestors.
With the man dealt with, Liu Tiezhu crept quietly up the stairs.
Reaching the second floor, he crouched low and continued observing.
After five minutes, he slowly extended his crossbow.
The situation on the second floor matched what the man had said—only three people.
Swish, swish, swish...
In just a few dozen seconds, the crossbow's bamboo bolts were spent.
Liu Fushan and He Mingchu clutched their throats and collapsed stiffly to the floor.
Ming Shanhai, untouched by the bolts, was frozen in terror.
He opened his mouth to scream for help, but Liu Tiezhu's cold gun barrel was already aimed at his forehead.
"Shut up if you want to live," Liu Tiezhu warned.
Recognizing Liu Tiezhu, Ming Shanhai's tone turned icy.
"Liu Tiezhu, what are you trying to do? Do you know the consequences of killing me?"
The consequences of killing you?
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu couldn't help but laugh. "Who would know I killed you?"
Ming Shanhai snorted. "Hmph, you think you're foolproof?"
"Every move you make is under Second Master's watch."
"If anything happens to me, Second Master will have your head first."
Liu Tiezhu sneered. "You think I don't know Ming Tianfeng is watching me?"
"Otherwise, would you still be alive to talk?"
He hadn't killed Ming Shanhai outright because he needed to force out the identity of the watcher.
Hearing this, Ming Shanhai's face changed.
From Liu Tiezhu's tone, he had no intention of letting him go and didn't fear Ming Tianfeng at all.
Realizing this, Ming Shanhai panicked. "Liu Tiezhu, what do you want?"
"Tell me who's watching me," Liu Tiezhu said flatly.
Ming Shanhai raged, "Liu Tiezhu, you're forcing me to my death."
"If I betray Second Master, will he spare me?"
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu laughed.
He tore a strip of cloth from Liu Fushan's body and walked toward Ming Shanhai.
With the gun aimed at him, Ming Shanhai dared not resist.
Liu Tiezhu roughly gagged Ming Shanhai's mouth, then pulled out a dagger and stabbed it deep into his right arm.
Before Ming Shanhai could scream, the dagger slashed down again.
In an instant, Ming Shanhai's right arm was torn open, blood gushing out.
Liu Tiezhu kicked him to the ground and stepped on him to keep him still.
Ming Shanhai's eyes bulged, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
He thrashed his head wildly, letting out muffled cries.
Then, Liu Tiezhu moved the dagger to Ming Shanhai's left hand.
Mmm...
Before Ming Shanhai could beg for mercy, the dagger stabbed in again, blood spurting.
Ming Shanhai's body arched up, convulsing violently.
"Who's watching me?"
Liu Tiezhu's face was cold. As he spoke, the dagger slowly shifted toward Ming Shanhai's groin.