Hearing this, Second Uncle and the others turned pale with fear, their hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.
Bang, bang, bang...
The harsh gunshots echoed through the silent night.
Second Uncle and the others snapped awake, frantically grabbing their gear.
Er Gouzi quickly picked up a thick log and braced the courtyard gate.
When the bandits neared the entrance of Liujia Village, they spread out.
They split into five groups, officially beginning their plunder of the nearby villages.
Panic gripped the Liujia Village area.
None of the villagers expected that in this day and age, bandits would still dare to raid a village.
They all grabbed long logs to bar their doors.
Some took their wives and children and fled their homes, hiding in secluded spots.
The countryside was full of woods, making it easy to hide.
In no time, the nearby villages descended into chaos, filled with cries and screams.
"Zhuzi, what do we do now?"
Second Uncle, momentarily forgetting he was the backbone of the family, asked Liu Tiezhu with a panicked face.
"Second Uncle, don’t panic. We’ve got weapons and traps set up all around."
"If these bandits break in, we’ll go for the kill."
After saying this, Liu Tiezhu turned his gaze to Er Gouzi.
Er Gouzi was still in a state of shock, his hands trembling as he held the compound crossbow.
"Gouzi, steady yourself."
"These bandits coming into the village are killers without blinking an eye. If you chicken out, we’re dead."
Er Gouzi gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Zhuzi, I won’t let you down."
"If these bandits dare to harm our family, I’ll kill them."
At that moment, he knew there was no turning back—if he didn’t take out the bandits, he’d be the one dead.
Bang, bang, bang...
More gunshots rang out, followed by screams and wails.
The bandits were brazenly arrogant—if they couldn’t find meat, they’d raise their guns and shoot without a word.
People were dying.
The clear gunshots made Liu Tiezhu realize the bandits would soon reach their home.
All the hunting dogs started barking wildly at the sound of gunfire.
Inside the room, Yaoyao was crying in terror.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Second Uncle, hide behind the hall door. If things go wrong, fire your gun right away."
"Big Brother, you don’t have a weapon, so you can’t stay outside."
"Take Sister-in-law and Yulan and the others, and hide in the dog shed’s cellar."
Liu Tieshan said, "Zhuzi, what are you talking about?"
"In a situation like this, if I hide, am I even a man?"
"Big Brother, this isn’t the time to play hero."
"These are bandits coming, and they’re carrying rifles from World War II."
"You have to think about Sister-in-law and Yaoyao’s safety," Liu Tiezhu said.
Second Uncle chimed in, "Shanzi, listen to Zhuzi."
"Take everyone and hide in the cellar. If you keep dawdling, it’ll be too late."
Liu Tieshan hesitated for a moment, then turned and went into the room.
"Second Uncle, Gouzi, keep your eyes peeled. I’m going to climb up and check the situation again."
Just as Liu Tiezhu climbed the carambola tree, more gunshots reached his ears.
Judging by the sound’s distance, the bandits were on the southwest side of the village, less than twenty meters from their place.
If all the neighbors fled, the bandits would soon be at their door.
After observing for a while, Liu Tiezhu quickly climbed down from the tree.
By the faint light in the distance, he saw the bandits in Liu Guomin’s yard.
There were three of them, carrying not only rifles but also large chopping knives.
"Zhuzi, how many bandits are there?" Second Uncle asked.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Only three bandits, with rifles and knives."
"Second Uncle, we need to strike first."
Only three bandits—that was good news for him.
The bad news was that they had rifles.
These rifles were relics from World War II, with immense penetrating power.
If a bullet from one of those rifles hit you, your life was basically over.
At that moment, Liu Tiezhu had already thought of a plan.
He intended to take the initiative, ambushing the three bandits halfway.
Catch them off guard and kill them.
But to pull this off, he needed Second Uncle and Er Gouzi to cooperate.
"Zhuzi, how do we strike first?" Second Uncle asked.
Liu Tiezhu said, "We’ll take the initiative and ambush them on the path."
"There are only three bandits. We’ll hide on both sides of the path at the corner of the wall and strike when they’re not expecting it."
"Second Uncle, Gouzi, are you up for it?"
This was the safest and most reliable plan he could think of.
The bandits would never expect anyone to dare ambush them halfway.
But for Second Uncle and Er Gouzi, it required strong mental fortitude.
"Let’s go for it." Second Uncle was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Er Gouzi followed up, "Brother Zhuzi, I won’t let you down."
With the plan set, the three quickly moved to the corner of the wall.
In the countryside, houses were built side by side, leaving a one-meter-wide walkway for people to pass.
For the bandits to get from Liu Guomin’s house to theirs, they had to go through this path and turn the corner.
The corner was the perfect hiding spot. As long as they stayed low, the bandits wouldn’t spot them in the pitch-black night.
Liu Tiezhu wasn’t taking any chances. He had Er Gouzi and Second Uncle hide on opposite sides of the corner, then walked away to see if he could make them out.
After checking, he confirmed that even from five meters away, he couldn’t see them, so he felt reassured.
"Second Uncle, you and I will take the left side."
"When I tell you to fire, aim for the middle of the path."
"Remember to raise the gun a bit—no need to aim."
The path was only a meter wide. Unless they were incredibly unlucky, the scattered bullets would hit the bandits.
"Gouzi, after Second Uncle fires, you handle the bandit on the right."
"Stay calm and aim at the bandit before Second Uncle shoots."
After giving his instructions, the three quickly lay down, blending into the dark night.
They waited nearly twenty minutes before hearing hoofbeats on the path.
"They’re coming. Stay calm."
Liu Tiezhu lowered his voice, aiming his compound crossbow ahead.
Second Uncle’s shotgun also shifted, pointing at the middle of the path.
Er Gouzi swallowed hard, his compound crossbow aimed to the right.
It was too dark; they could only hear the hoofbeats without seeing clearly.
As the hoofbeats grew louder, the outlines of several figures appeared before them.
Three bandits led tall horses, their backs loaded with meat and rice.
They had their rifles slung over their shoulders, chatting and laughing as they strolled along.
Seeing this, Second Uncle felt both excitement and tension.
On the other side, Er Gouzi’s palms were slick with cold sweat, his adrenaline spiking.
Liu Tiezhu’s reaction was different.
When he saw that the three bandits had their rifles slung over their shoulders, he immediately changed his plan to have Second Uncle fire.
With the bandits’ rifles on their shoulders, he and Er Gouzi could handle them with the crossbows—no need to fire and attract more bandits.
"Second Uncle, fall back. Don’t fire."
"Gouzi, when I say ‘fire,’ shoot your arrow."
As Liu Tiezhu’s words fell, the three bandits were already within five meters.
"Fire!"
As he spoke, Liu Tiezhu quickly pulled the trigger.
With a whoosh, the bamboo arrow struck the left bandit’s head with deadly accuracy.
Almost simultaneously, Er Gouzi’s bamboo arrow shot out, hitting another bandit in the face.
The sudden attack terrified the bandit in the middle. He quickly shrugged off his rifle to prepare.
But before he could act, another bamboo arrow flew in, piercing his eye.
Silently, the three bandits lay dead from the bamboo arrows.