This was a massive black-haired wild boar, easily over four hundred jin. It charged straight at them without giving Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi any time to react.
"Holy shit!"
Both men cursed almost in unison, planting their feet firmly on the ground, gripping their steel forks tightly, and thrusting them toward the boar. They had no choice but to fight head-on.
The steel forks pierced the boar's skull with precision, but the immense impact sent both men flying. Liu Tiezhu tumbled several meters, snapping several small saplings before coming to a stop. Er Gouzi fared no better, crashing into a rock before halting.
Even though they wore padded cotton jackets, their backs and waists ached terribly. Still, luck was on their side—at the critical moment, five heavy hunting dogs arrived in time, pouncing on the boar and tearing into it savagely.
Ignoring their pain, the two grabbed their hatchets and rushed over, straddling the boar and stabbing its neck repeatedly. The boar's vitality exceeded their expectations. Even after several blows, it still struggled to get up and flee.
It took a full ten-plus minutes before the boar finally stopped moving.
After taking down the big boar, Liu Tiezhu called the dogs to wait on the spot.
"Damn it, that beast nearly killed me," Er Gouzi grumbled, rubbing his sore waist.
Liu Tiezhu wasn't much better off, leaning against the boar and panting heavily.
After resting for over ten minutes, the two worked together to butcher the boar. This one was old, with thick hide and meat. Some parts took several chops to cut through. The effort left them drenched in sweat again.
By the time they hauled both boars out of the thicket, the sky was darkening. That's when Liu Tiezhu noticed a group of uninvited guests gathered around where the mule was tied.
"Dog, we've been ambushed," Liu Tiezhu said, pointing toward the mule with a grim face.
Er Gouzi looked up, his expression darkening as well. Beside the mule, six burly men stood holding knives. As Liu Tiezhu spotted them, they spotted him and Er Gouzi too. The men weren't in a hurry—they had the mule, so they knew the two would have to come over.
"Dog, keep the compound bow behind you. Watch my signal. If we can talk, we don't fight. If not, we go for the kill." Liu Tiezhu's tone was cold, murderous intent clear. The mule was their lifeline for survival; it couldn't fall into anyone else's hands. If these men didn't know their place, he'd have no choice but to act. With the compound crossbow, he wasn't afraid of six men.
Er Gouzi nodded, tucking the compound crossbow into his belt at his back and grabbing his hatchet.
"Let's go," Liu Tiezhu said, leading the way.
"Hey, that's my mule cart. Mind stepping aside?" Liu Tiezhu stopped three meters from the lead man, speaking calmly. Three meters was a safe distance—close enough to attack, far enough to retreat.
"Your mule cart?" The man glanced at Liu Tiezhu and grinned. "Got any proof it's yours?"
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu's face hardened. "What's your game? Trying to rob me?"
The man sneered. "Rob you? Damn right I'm taking your stuff. So what? I heard pig squeals earlier—you bagged a boar, didn't you? Hand it over now."
All six men were strong and built, dismissing Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi as easy marks.
"Hand over my ass, you idiot. Who the hell do you think you are?" Liu Tiezhu's temper flared as he cursed the arrogant man. He'd planned to negotiate, maybe give them some boar meat to send them packing. But now these bastards wanted not just his meat but his mule too. How could he swallow that?
The six men were stunned, never expecting the underdog Liu Tiezhu to talk back. They were real bandits—they'd seen it all. Zhang Zhigang was furious, pointing at Liu Tiezhu's nose. "You little punk, looks like you've got a death wish. Don't you know I'm from Tiangang Stronghold?"
Liu Tiezhu shot back coldly, "Moron, even if you fell from heaven, so what? I don't give a damn about your so-called Tiangang Stronghold. Get lost, now."
"Damn, we've got two stubborn fools today. I was going to let you live, but since you're asking for it, I'll oblige. Wu, Hou, go chop them up." Zhang Zhigang waved his hand, and two burly men stepped forward.
"Idiots, my blade doesn't waste time on trash. Today's your unlucky—"
*Swish, swish...*
Liu Tiezhu whipped out the compound crossbow from behind him and fired at the two men. Before they could finish their grandstanding, bamboo bolts pierced their chests, and they collapsed to the ground, twitching.
The sudden turn of events stunned Zhang Zhigang and his crew. They'd never imagined the sheep before them were actually tigers. The hunters had become the hunted, throwing them into panic.
Er Gouzi was shaken too, his hands trembling as he drew his compound crossbow. Though he usually wasn't afraid of death, seeing actual corpses still stirred a deep fear. Liu Tiezhu, however, remained cold and detached, watching the twitching men like they were animals. In his past life as a mercenary, he'd killed plenty—his mental fortitude was rock-solid. Killing these two bandits felt no different from slaughtering beasts.
One of the bandits snapped out of it, screamed, and turned to run. Liu Tiezhu aimed the crossbow at his back and fired another bolt.
"B-boss... let's... let's talk this out..." Zhang Zhigang's face was pale with terror, his soul seemingly fleeing his body. He'd thought himself ruthless for having killed before, but now he realized his brutality was a joke next to Liu Tiezhu. The compound crossbow was something he'd never seen—a weapon deadlier than a gun, and it had shattered his courage.
"Talk my ass. Drop all your knives and kneel," Liu Tiezhu ordered coldly, aiming at Zhang Zhigang's head.
The three remaining men dared not resist, obediently tossing their knives and kneeling. Liu Tiezhu didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger and piercing Zhang Zhigang's skull instantly.
The last two bandits panicked, rolling on the ground to grab their knives and charging at Liu Tiezhu. But he'd anticipated this, having kept an eye on them while taking out Zhang Zhigang. The moment they moved, bamboo bolts tore through their chests.
Leaving enemies alive only bred future trouble—a simple truth Liu Tiezhu understood well.
As the blood stained the white snow, Er Gouzi's legs gave out, and he vomited violently.