Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard), shoved Li Laosi aside and instantly drew his sword, cutting the arrow in half.
Li Laosi rolled on the spot and hid behind a large rock, then took out his bow and arrows and began to fight back.
But the people in the woods were clearly also experts.
The two sides exchanged blows, and soon their quivers were empty.
Silence, an eerie silence, flowed between the mountains and the stream.
Perhaps more confident, those who remained in the woods slowly revealed themselves.
They were three martial arts practitioners, each carrying a long sword, and one of them was also holding a bow.
The thin man on the far left was the waiter from the teahouse.
Both Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) and Li Laosi felt a chill run down their spines; thankfully, they hadn't been tempted to eat.
If you had eaten that bowl of rice noodles, you would probably be fish on someone else's chopping board by now, at their mercy.
The two exchanged a glance, picked up their knives, and walked out as well.
The waiter sneered, a hint of annoyance in his expression.
"You two are quite alert. If you had eaten my rice noodles, it would have been over by now."
The fat guy next to him chimed in, "That's right, why waste my time!"
The burly man, however, scrutinized Li Laosi and Liu Biaotou with a fierce look before speaking.
"Hand over the red goods you have, and I'll spare your lives."
Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard), subconsciously shook the bundle on his back, his face grim.
They thought their trip was very secretive, but they were still spotted by people in the martial arts world.
Losing the goods is one thing, but losing everything to compensate the owner is another.
Even if they can't afford to pay the compensation, they won't lose their lives.
But these江湖人 (jianghu people) have absolutely no sense of morality. Whether they hand over their goods or not, they will probably die anyway!
He turned his head and glanced at Li Laosi, his heart pounding.
He can die, but Li Laosi can't!
He brought Li Laosi out, and he had to bring him back alive; otherwise, he would be ashamed to face the Li family even if he died.
"Brother, I'll go stop them! You hurry up and leave. In a critical moment, you can throw your things away; escaping is the most important thing."
He whispered a few words to Li Laosi, then picked up his long knife and rushed out.
The three martial arts figures smiled contemptuously and stepped forward, swords in hand.
But to everyone's surprise, Li Laosi suddenly pulled two more long arrows out of his boots.
His gray tail feathers were the same color as his trousers, so no one noticed.
Moreover, the arrowhead was actually made of refined iron, gleaming with a dark light.
He drew his bow again and nocked an arrow; in an instant, both arrows flew out together!
The three martial arts practitioners hadn't expected him to have a backup plan; at such close range, they couldn't react in time.
The guy was shot directly in the shoulder, and the fat man dodged to the side but also injured his arm.
Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard), was prepared to fight to the death to cover Li Laosi's escape.
Unexpectedly, Li Laosi was so brave; the hope of survival made him even more valiant.
Moreover, the long knife in his hand was surprisingly effective; he cut the other man's long knife in half in just a few exchanges.
Blade then ripped open the man's stomach, causing him to scream in agony and faint.
The other fat man and the burly man were filled with hatred and fought him to the death.
Li Laosi also threw down his bow and arrows and rushed forward to help.
His swordsmanship was mediocre, but he possessed superhuman strength. He lured the fat man aside and fought him to a standstill.
The burly man's eyes were red with regret; he had truly been caught off guard and his fortunes had soured.
I originally thought they were just two bodyguards, and since they were both unprepared, intercepting the goods would be a piece of cake!
To their surprise, one of their brothers was killed right away, leaving them in a two-on-two situation, and they were slowly falling into a disadvantageous position.
He grew increasingly impatient, made a miscalculation, and was slashed in the back by Liu the镖头 (bodyguard).
Although he dodged most of the force, his clothes were still torn at the back, leaving his skin ripped open!
The pain was so intense that his vision went black!
Turning his head again, he saw that Liu Biaotou had already rushed to Li Laosi's side and together they had cornered the fat man.
The fat man panicked and, in the blink of an eye, had the knife knocked from his hand.
Li Laosi actually grabbed his belt, swung him around like a stone, and threw him away violently. He was instantly silenced.
The burly man gritted his teeth, plunged into the forest, and fled for his life.
Li Laosi wanted to chase after him, but Liu Biaotou pulled him away.
"Don't pursue a desperate enemy; be careful they might have a backup plan!"
Li Laosi was exhausted and felt weak in the limbs.
They usually hunt in the mountains, and at most they encounter wild boars or black bears.
This is the first time I've ever fought a life-or-death battle with someone like this.
One wrong move and you could lose your life; it's incredibly dangerous.
He was breathing heavily, and sweat finally poured out, instantly soaking his back and hair.
Liu, the head镖师 (bodyguard), patted his shoulder, hesitated for a moment, and then walked towards the fat man and his assistant with his long sword.
The two were only seriously injured, not completely dead.
He wanted to beg for mercy, but when he opened and closed his mouth, he couldn't utter a single word.
With a heavy heart, Chief Escort Liu slit their throats one by one, sending them to meet the King of Hell.
Li Laosi felt a mix of emotions and lingering fear.
"Let's go dig a hole and bury them." Chief镖头 Liu didn't dare to delay. "Although they are robbers, it's still hard to explain if they are discovered."
Li Laosi forced himself forward and, together with Liu Biaotou, dragged the two men to the foot of the woods.
The soil here was soft, and the two of them quickly dug a large kang (heated brick bed), threw the two of them inside, and covered them tightly.
Finally, the two sat back to back and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother Liu, what should we do? One of them escaped just now. What if he goes to find help? We're not afraid, we'll just pay with our lives, but if he comes to our house..."
Li Laosi regretted it more and more; he should have kept that man even if it meant getting injured.
Chief镖头 Liu was also worried, but he still tried to comfort her.
"Don't worry, these kinds of江湖人 (jianghu people) have a lot of lives on their hands. There are plenty of people who want to kill them while they're injured. They probably won't think of taking revenge on us so quickly."
Li Laosi was still worried, so he said...
"Then let's hurry up and deliver the goods, and then get home as soon as possible."
"Alright, we should also investigate when we get back to find out who leaked the information about this shipment."
Liu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), was also furious. They were secretly delivering goods, and leaking the news was tantamount to deliberately taking their lives.
Logically speaking, only three or four people in the escort agency knew about this, and they all got along well with him…
The two dared not delay any longer. After drinking a few sips of water, they spurred their horses on and continued running.
They somehow managed to get to the place when it got dark.
The two men stood guard outside the city gate, and went in to hand over the goods as soon as the gate opened the next morning.
Then they bought provisions and fed the horses before heading back.
Unaware that Li Laosi had just survived a life-or-death ordeal, the rest of the Li family continued with their own busy lives.
Old Mrs. Li spoke privately with Li Lao Er, instructing him to strictly discipline Jiaxi and Jia'an recently.
When Li Lao Er heard that the academy was going to open elementary school, he knew it was an opportunity for his nephews.
As a result, Jiaxi and Jia'an's lives immediately became difficult, as they had to study both morning and afternoon.
My second uncle was stricter than ever before. He would hit my hand if I couldn't recite the book, or if I didn't sit up straight.
Jiaxi farted, and Jia'an laughed. Both brothers were going to get their hands slapped.
They are only allowed to go out and play around at noon, but then their scalps ache from the sun.
My friends stayed home to avoid the heat and wouldn't come out no matter how much I called them.
Playing without anyone to accompany you is no fun at all.
The two boys quickly wilted, looking pitifully at their grandmother, not daring to say anything, just surrounding her, hoping she would plead for them.
Grandma Li didn't care about any of that. She fed her granddaughter three meals a day plus two special meals, and then the two of them would go for a stroll at the village entrance.
Villagers would chat for a bit, while those who weren't would gaze into the distance, hoping that Li Laosi would return soon.
That night, the sky was ablaze with red clouds, turning the world into a beautiful orange hue.
Jiayin was holding her grandmother's leg, watching happily.
A horse-drawn carriage approached from the distant intersection; its black, flat-topped roof was quite impressive.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com