Three hours later, Liu Tiezhu's hands and feet were numb from the cold, yet there was still no sign of the bandits. At that moment, the lights in Liu Jingshun's courtyard went out, and the noise finally died down. "Damn it, those bastards finally shut up." "Are the bandits from Tiangang Stockade having the runs or what? It's this late, and they still haven't shown up?" Shivering from the cold, Liu Tiezhu couldn't help but curse. Just as he was grumbling, a figure flickered past the mouth of the alley. The figure moved swiftly, heading straight for the village entrance. By the moonlight, Liu Tiezhu saw a silhouette that looked strikingly like Liu Gang's. "Son of a bitch, that guy must have been watching too." "Now that Zhang Jingyang and his men have just settled down, he's rushing to the village entrance—definitely to tip off the bandits." It finally dawned on Liu Tiezhu why the bandits had been taking so long. It seemed these bandits were extremely cautious. They were waiting for Zhang Jingyang to fall asleep before making their move. That was fine by him—if the bandits took care of Zhang Jingyang, he wouldn't have to risk it himself. Ten minutes later, the sound of footsteps approached. Led by Liu Gang, the bandits quickly surrounded Liu Jingshun's courtyard. These bandits were so cautious they didn't even ride their horses, jogging in instead. Liu Tiezhu was taken aback by the sight. "Second-in-command, there are twenty-seven people inside, all asleep now," Liu Gang said in a low voice. "You've done well. Once Zhang Jingyang is dealt with, I'll fully support you." Ma Zhenhao waved his hand, signaling Liu Gang to leave. After sending Liu Gang off, Ma Zhenhao raised his hand, and two sturdy bandits immediately came to his side. "You two, climb over and open the door. Everyone else, get ready and fire on my command." The two burly men nodded, sprang up, grabbed the top of the wall, and vaulted over. Once the wooden door was open, all the bandits swarmed in. "Damn it, daring to steal from Tiangang Stockade's treasures—I'll send you all to hell tonight." Ma Zhenhao sneered and immediately made a signal to surround them. The bandits spread out, raising their rifles and aiming at the house. Ma Zhenhao slowly raised his hand, ready to bring it down, but gunfire erupted from inside the house first. Bang, bang, bang... Blinding sparks blazed brilliantly in the night, as countless bullets flew out from the house. The surrounding bandits, caught off guard, had seven shot dead on the spot. Another nine were hit, writhing and screaming in pain. Ma Zhenhao panicked and immediately ordered a retreat. He never dreamed that Zhang Jingyang wasn't asleep but was lying in ambush inside the house. In truth, Zhang Jingyang had gone to sleep, but he was not only cautious but also cunning. When he moved into Liu Jingshun's house, he had secretly ordered four tunnels dug beneath the courtyard walls. Each tunnel led into the house and connected to the woods behind it. This allowed for hidden sentry posts and, in a pinch, an escape route. Before bed, he had assigned four men to hide in the tunnels and keep watch. As soon as the bandits entered, the sentries spotted them. The hidden sentries didn't raise an alarm but quietly slipped back through the tunnels to report inside the house. That's how the opening scene unfolded. In the first round, the bandits took a heavy hit. But these were Tiangang Stockade's elite; even with a bad start, they didn't retreat. Taking advantage of the dim night, they quickly found cover in the courtyard. Zhang Jingyang and his men reloaded, but when they looked out, there was no sign of the bandits in the yard. "Everyone, be careful. These bandits are still in the yard—don't stick your heads out." No sooner had Zhang Jingyang spoken than a bullet whizzed past his face, its searing heat making his hair stand on end. With a thud, a militiaman behind Zhang Jingyang collapsed, convulsing, a bullet hole in his chest gushing blood. Zhang Jingyang dropped flat, his soul nearly leaving his body, trembling uncontrollably. Staring at the still-twitching militiaman, his eyes were filled with terror. These bandits were dead shots—they could pinpoint sounds and kill through the window. If not for his incredible luck, he'd be the one lying on the ground now. "Zhang Jingyang, I'll fuck your mother!" "Don't be a coward—come out and face me!" Ma Zhenhao aimed his rifle at the gap in the window, taunting him. Zhang Jingyang dared not reply. He crouched low, crawled to the earthen wall beside the window, and leaned against it, gasping for air. "Damn it, if you don't get the hell out, I'll toss a grenade your way!" Ma Zhenhao threatened. At the mention of a grenade, Zhang Jingyang's hair stood on end. If a few of those were thrown in, the whole house would be leveled. Furious and terrified, Zhang Jingyang shouted, "Bandit chief, what did I do to offend you? Why are you coming to kill me?" "Bullshit! You're playing dumb with me, aren't you?" Ma Zhenhao sneered and pulled the trigger again. A militiaman who had just poked his head out was shot in the head, blood splattering everywhere. The remaining militiamen panicked, shrinking back into the corners, none daring to show themselves. Ma Zhenhao continued, "I'll count to three. If you don't hand over Tiangang Stockade's stuff, I'll throw a grenade!" "I didn't take anything from Tiangang Stockade—you must be mistaken!" Zhang Jingyang yelled. "Mistaken my ass!" Ma Zhenhao fired another shot through the window and began counting. When he reached three, he pulled out a World War II-era grenade and hurled it. With a thunderous boom, a huge hole was blown in the house. "Kill these bastards!" Ma Zhenhao gave the order, and all the bandits quickly closed in. "Fuck you! You think I'm a pushover?" "Everyone, fight to the death—shoot them!" Zhang Jingyang shouted coldly, but he was already backing away. Bang, bang, bang... Gunfire rang out incessantly. The half-trained militiamen were no match for the bandits. On a normal day, these men only knew how to wave their rifles around to scare common folks. Against these trained bandits, they were complete rookies. They kept firing, but it was all wild shots. The bandits, on the other hand, were calm and collected, with deadly accuracy. After ten minutes of fighting, the militiamen had lost eight men. Adding the two earlier casualties, only seventeen remained. The bandits had also taken a few stray bullets, but with those killed in the ambush and the wounded, they were down to eleven. Though outnumbered, the bandits' fierce combat skills kept the militiamen on the defensive. In the blink of an eye, another ten minutes passed. The militiamen lost four more, leaving just thirteen. The bandits, however, had all eleven still standing without further injury. Using their marksmanship, they had pushed right up to the house's entrance. The fourteen militiamen's hearts were in their throats, ready to ask Zhang Jingyang for orders. But when they turned around, Zhang Jingyang was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it, that bastard Zhang Jingyang abandoned us and ran!" "Why the hell are we still fighting? Let's get out of here!" Someone shouted in the dark, and the fourteen quickly dove into the tunnels. The bandits stormed into the house five minutes later. Seeing the empty rooms, Ma Zhenhao flew into a rage and ordered a search. Soon, they discovered the hidden tunnels inside the house. "Chase them down! I'm killing that son of a bitch Zhang Jingyang tonight!" Ma Zhenhao's eyes were bloodshot as he leaped into the tunnel, leading the charge. The others didn't hesitate, following him down and launching a frenzied pursuit of the militiamen.