Liu Tiezhu followed the sound and ran over twenty meters in one breath.
Before him, Taro, Cassava, and a pack of hounds from the Biaoqi Gun crew had surrounded three burly men.
"Damn it, have these animals turned into demons or what?" said Yang Hua from Yang Family Village.
He carried a sack on his back, containing the giant sweet potato he had shot and wounded. Beside him were two others—one named Yang Mingkai, the other Yang Haifeng. All three were notorious thugs in Yang Family Village, known for their shady dealings in the dark.
They had originally planned to scout around, see if anyone else had set animal traps, and snag some wild game. But before they got far, they heard dogs barking and decided to go after them instead.
"Brother Hua, these animals must be trained; otherwise, they wouldn't coordinate like this," Yang Mingkai said.
"Who cares if they're trained or not? Let's take them down and have dog meat tonight." Yang Hua drooled, his face lit up with excitement.
Just as the three were about to strike again, Liu Tiezhu charged over.
"Fuck you, you idiots! Let my dogs go right now!"
His furious roar caught Yang Hua and the others off guard. Seeing it was just Liu Tiezhu alone, they exchanged glances and sneered with malicious intent.
"Idiot, who the hell are you cursing at?" Yang Hua said coldly.
Liu Tiezhu didn't hold back, firing back, "I'm cursing at you, you big moron. Fuck you, what's it to you?"
"Fuck you, do you know where you are?"
"Nobody's dared to curse at me around here, you little punk. You looking to die?"
Yang Hua's temper flared, and he shot back at Liu Tiezhu.
"Fuck your whole family, I'm cursing you, so what?"
"You idiot, try making a move if you've got the guts."
Having lived two lives, Liu Tiezhu wasn't about to let these guys walk all over him. If he did, he might as well just off himself.
"Damn it, we've run into a real hothead today."
"Haifeng, go slap some sense into this idiot. Teach him why flowers are so red."
At Yang Hua's command, Yang Haifeng immediately rolled up his sleeves, showing no respect for Liu Tiezhu.
"You big idiot, are you just asking for it?"
"Picking a fight for no reason—what, your balls itching?"
"Running into us is your bad luck."
"Go to hell."
Liu Tiezhu struck first, landing a punch right on Yang Haifeng's eye as he was still cursing.
"Ow, damn you!"
"You bastard, sneaking up on your dad, I'll—"
"Fuck you!"
Liu Tiezhu roared, cutting off Yang Haifeng's tirade, and punched him square on the nose.
"Wahhh..." Yang Haifeng clutched his nose, snot and tears streaming down.
"Idiot, stay down for your grandpa."
Liu Tiezhu kicked Yang Haifeng in the head. Blinded by rage, he didn't care about the consequences anymore.
Yang Hua and the other guy's eyes twitched—they knew they'd met a real tough nut. In village fights, people usually held back to avoid killing anyone. But Liu Tiezhu was going for Yang Haifeng's life.
One kick, and Yang Haifeng was out cold.
"You big idiots, come on!"
"Weren't you all high and mighty just now? Come on, fuck your grandpas!"
Liu Tiezhu stomped on Yang Haifeng's face, continuing to provoke them.
"Fuck you, who dares touch my Brother Zhu? I'll chop off your dicks!"
Er Gouzi rushed up, pointing at Yang Hua and the other guy without hesitation.
Yang Hua and his buddy were stunned. They thought they were tough, but now they realized compared to these two, they were total pushovers.
"Bro, let's talk this out."
With it now two-on-two, Yang Hua had no chance of winning, so he had to back down.
"Bro my ass, who's your bro, you idiot?"
"Want to fight? Come at me both at once. Dog爷 here will teach you how to behave today."
Er Gouzi was full of swagger, taking his act to the max.
"Misunderstanding. We admit defeat."
Yang Hua was a sly one, knowing when to cut his losses. In the countryside, once the other side backed down, things usually ended there. He'd already recognized Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi—there'd be plenty of chances for revenge later.
"Stop yapping. Let my dog go and get the hell out of here."
Liu Tiezhu didn't want to waste time with Yang Hua, his face full of impatience.
"Bro, you—"
Liu Tiezhu cut him off: "Fuck you, can't you understand plain talk?"
"I said let my dog go. You want me to make you, you idiot?"
"Damn it, don't push it. I know who you are."
"You're Liu Tiezhu, right? Same village as Liu Gang."
"You're tough now, and we'll take it. But next time, I'll bring my boys and surround your house. Let's see if you're still so tough."
Yang Hua stared straight at Liu Tiezhu, issuing a cold threat.
"Shit! You big idiot, threatening me?"
Liu Tiezhu's temper exploded. He rushed at Yang Hua and threw a hook punch.
The move was so fast that Yang Hua didn't even react before he hit the ground, losing several front teeth.
"Ow, damn... ah..."
Yang Hua's curse died in his throat as he screamed in pain.
Liu Tiezhu twisted one of his arms back, making him cry out like a baby.
Before Yang Hua could beg for mercy, Liu Tiezhu spat in his face.
"Fuck you, still so tough?"
Yang Hua glared: "I'll— ah..."
Liu Tiezhu's face turned vicious: "Idiot, keep yapping."
"I'll break this arm of yours, believe me?"
This time, Yang Hua was truly scared, nodding frantically.
"You close with Liu Gang?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
"He's my cousin."
Slap! Liu Tiezhu smacked Yang Hua across the face, leaving him bewildered.
"No wonder you're cut from the same cloth, you idiot. Must run in the family."
Yang Hua's face burned with anger, but he dared not speak.
"Still planning to surround my house?" Liu Tiezhu pressed on.
"No, what I said before was a joke."
Yang Hua didn't dare act tough anymore, forcing a smile.
"Got any money on you?"
Yang Hua nodded quickly: "There's one yuan and eighty cents in my pocket."
Slap!
Liu Tiezhu hit him again.
"What now, big bro?" Yang Hua was on the verge of tears from frustration.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Damn it, a grown man with only one yuan and eighty cents in his pocket."
"You idiot, how do you even call yourself a leader?"
"I... I..."
Slap!
"Shut up with the stuttering. Hand over the money."
Yang Hua's eyes reddened with rage. Gritting his teeth, he tremblingly pulled out the one yuan and eighty cents.
"Big bro, is this robbery?"
"What do you think?" Liu Tiezhu stared back at him.
"No." Yang Hua thought for a moment and shook his head firmly.
"Good. Now smile for me," Liu Tiezhu said.
Anger flashed in Yang Hua's eyes: "You... don't push it..."
Slap!
Liu Tiezhu smacked him again, twisting his arm harder, making Yang Hua scream in agony.
"Hee hee!"
Finally, Yang Hua endured the searing pain and bared his yellowed teeth in a forced grin.