Chapter 0005: Encountering Danger Again

Longyuan merely smiled without speaking

Liu Xiu was not without caution; upon suddenly hearing a malicious wind behind him, he immediately realized something was amiss and swiftly darted sideways.

He raised his arm outward, and the flower snake flew out, heading straight for Liu Xiu

If I had truly been bitten by that patterned snake just now, the consequences would be unimaginable

Liu Yan furrowed his brows even tighter. If the other party was after food, there was no need to resort to murder! If they were seeking revenge, how could A Xiu, who had always been honest and worked the land at home, possibly have any enemies?

Two men first exchanged a glance, and then gazed deeply at Liu Xiu. One of them, with a smile that did not reach his eyes, said: "I have heard that you have a lot of grain in your possession and often take it to the market to sell. My brother and I haven't had a decent meal in several days. Liu Xiu, how about sharing some of your grain with us?"

The leader, a tall and robust figure, had a muscular build and bronze skin that glistened. He possessed thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, a straight nose and square jaw, and a face adorned with a full beard, exuding a rugged and bold demeanor

Seeing two villains ambushing his own subordinate, both wielding knives, Liu Yan was filled with rage, his eyes bulging like copper bells, his hair standing on end, resembling a ferocious beast ready to devour.

Upon witnessing this, the two burly men secretly frowned, unable to suppress their murmurs of something sinister! According to their investigation, Liu Xiu was merely a rural lad who worked the fields; how could his movements be so swift and so strange?

Liu Xiu came to his senses and replied, "Elder brother, I understand now." After a brief pause, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Elder brother, how did you all come here?"

His expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed: "You all..."

As he watched two daggers flying towards him, Liu Xiu made a swift slide with his feet, moving sideways like a spinning top.

Liu Xiu also did not recognize the two strong men, and he shook his head and said: "I do not know them, but they seem to know me, as they not only called out my name but also knew that I often go to the market to sell grain"

He then called out to his companion who was launching a surprise attack on Liu Xiu from the front

The two of them exchanged a glance, said nothing, abandoned Liu Xiu, and turned to run away

He does not wish to wield an axe in battle; his idol is a great hero like Jing Ke, and naturally, the weapon he envisions is a sword

The man who spoke had a flash of cold light in his eyes. Suddenly, his right hand swept back, and a gleaming dagger appeared in his palm, aimed at Liu Xiu's back, silently and fiercely stabbing forward.

The one who has come is none other than Liu Xiu's elder brother, Liu Yan. Following Liu Yan are his two close friends, Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun

Liu Xiu instead felt that the matter was not so simple

There are many vagrants now, and Liu Xiu did not pay much attention to these two individuals. Just as both sides were about to pass each other, a man suddenly spoke up: "Liu Xiu!"

If it were more than a month ago, Liu Xiu would probably not have been able to last even a single round in front of the two of them, but at this moment, under Longyuan's guidance, Liu Xiu's skills have surpassed those of the past

Longyuan solemnly said: "The lord has saved my life, and I absolutely cannot implicate the lord. By adding this scar, I can better conceal my identity."

The burly man suddenly ceased his attack and bent down. At that moment, the man behind him withdrew his hand from the pouch, holding a red and white striped flower snake in his grasp.

In Liu Yan's view, it must be that his younger brother frequently goes to the market to sell grain, which has aroused envy and jealousy, leading to this calamity.

Upon seeing this, the two burly men were secretly alarmed, realizing that there would be no opportunity to take Liu Xiu's life today

Liu Xiu supported his arm, helping him to rise, and then he asked, "You have always taught me to practice with the axe, does this mean that I will use the axe as my weapon in the future"

Liu Xiu secretly admired him, Long Yuan truly was a meticulous person! Nevertheless, he still patiently reminded him: "This journey is perilous, Zhong Bo must be extra cautious."

Just as Liu Xiu was being forced to retreat repeatedly by the two of them, suddenly, a loud shout came from the country road: "Stop!"

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Xiu and two strong men simultaneously turned their gaze in the direction of the sound, only to see three individuals swiftly approaching along the country road

Liu Xiu continued, "They both asked me for food, and I said I had none, then they suddenly attacked me with a knife!"

Liu Xiu sighed and said, "I fear that even Jing Ke back in the day could not reach the point of harming with mere leaves, could he?"

On Longyuan's forehead, there was originally a prominent diagonal scar, which was also the most noticeable feature on his face. Now, there is an additional scar intersecting with the diagonal one, forming an 'X' shape.

Liu Xiu continued to stay in his hometown of Chongling, and his life underwent little change. He still engaged in farming and practiced martial arts, leading a simple yet fulfilling life

Liu Xiu nearly laughed out loud upon hearing this, feeling both amused and exasperated. He had encountered shameless individuals before, but he had truly never seen anyone as brazen as this person.

Seeing his elder brother arrive, Liu Xiu was filled with both surprise and joy, and he shouted loudly: "Elder Brother—"

Bang

Two burly men gritted their teeth in silence. The one who had crouched down stood up again, continuing to wield his knife to attack Liu Xiu, while the other man quickly stepped forward to the flower snake, picked it up from the ground, and stuffed it back into the leather pouch. After that, he took off his deer skin gloves, let out a loud shout, and joined his companion in besieging Liu Xiu

Liu Xiu exclaimed, "Can a dagger also cut down trees?"

Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun both drew their short swords, charging towards Liu Xiu with a fierce killing intent

Hearing the other party call out his name, Liu Xiu couldn't help but be taken aback, instinctively stopping in his tracks, and asked, "Do we know each other?"

Liu Xiu furrowed his brows and said: "Both of you are young and strong, with hands and feet. Whether you work long-term or short-term, even if you do not have enough to eat, you should not starve to death!"

Liu Yan, along with Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun, would not let the two of them go, and then they gave chase. However, these two were remarkably swift, running at great speed. In just a short while, they had already covered a considerable distance. After pursuing for a while, Liu Yan and the others noticed that the distance between them was not only not closing, but was instead increasing. Ultimately, the three of them had no choice but to abandon the chase

The colorful snake that was just thrown by the other party was unfamiliar to him, and he could not discern its species, but he understood one thing: the more vibrant and beautiful the snake's colors, the greater its toxicity

He pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "From now on, you are not allowed to sell grain at the market. The world is currently experiencing a severe drought, and many people will do anything for a bite to eat"

Longyuan solemnly stated: "A strong foot can also harm with its leaves"

Liu Xiu subconsciously asked, "When did you get another scar on your head?" He remembered that when he had just rescued Longyuan, he did not have this new scar on his head

As Liu Xiu swiftly darted away, a burly man with a knife pursued him, while another burly man quickly donned a deerskin glove. He unfastened a pouch from his lower back, opened the pouch's seal, and his gloved hand reached inside.

The opponent's moves were too swift, so fast that Liu Xiu could not see them clearly; he instinctively sensed danger and reflexively leaned back.

The man missed with his knife, and another man immediately rushed forward, also brandishing a dagger in his hand. The dagger sliced through the air like a flash of lightning, heading straight for Liu Xiu's neck.

The dagger's edge grazed under his rib, tearing a slit in the side of his garment

As he spoke, he shook his head, feeling that these two individuals were truly unreasonable, unwilling to engage in further conversation, and wished to continue moving forward

Liu Xiu did not clearly see what was flying towards him, but over a month of practice had conditioned his body to instinctively rotate to the side and swing a hoe in response.

Zhang Ping and Zhu Yun asked anxiously: "A Xiu, what on earth is going on? Who are those two people?"

Long Yuan said: "The axe is heavy, practicing with the axe is suitable for enhancing arm strength. Once the lord has mastered the axe, he can switch to using swords. When the lord can easily cut down trees with swords, " At this point, he smiled, drew a dagger from his lower back, and handed it to Liu Xiu, saying: "The lord can then switch to using the dagger."

Two strong men worked in perfect coordination; as the former bent down, the latter threw out the flower snake

After having breakfast, Longyuan bid farewell to Liu Xiu and set off for Lantian County to search for Longzhun and Longbo

On that noon, Liu Xiu finished his farm work and was about to return home for lunch. As he walked a short distance, he encountered two people coming towards him

The hoe struck squarely on the head of the flower snake flying towards Liu Xiu, causing the snake to fall to the ground, its red and white body immediately curling into a ball

Upon seeing a snake on the ground, Liu Xiu felt a tremor in his heart, and his complexion changed.

Liu Xiu shook his head and said, "Elder brother, I am fine"

Upon hearing these words, Liu Yan furrowed his brows. It sounded like they were locals, but in his memory, he had never seen these two individuals before

It seems that the other party is not after one's food, but rather one's life; asking for food is merely a pretext.

Hearing Liu Xiu's outright refusal, the expressions of the two men darkened simultaneously. The one who spoke raised his eyebrows and asked, "So, are you saying that you want to watch us starve to death right before your eyes?"

Seeing Liu Xiu with his head lowered, he remained silent for a long time, and it was unclear what thoughts were occupying his mind. Liu Yan, feeling irritated, said: "A Xiu, did you hear what your elder brother said to you?"

He said: "There is some grain in my home, but it is barely enough for personal use, and there is no surplus grain available to give to others"

The cold gleam of the dagger almost grazed his throat; in that instant, the bone-chilling cold caused the skin on Liu Xiu's neck to break out in goosebumps

Both individuals are around thirty years of age, of medium build, with unremarkable appearances. They are dressed somewhat sloppily in coarse cloth and hemp trousers, adorned with numerous patches, and it is difficult to tell how long it has been since they were last washed, as they appear dirty yet shiny with a dark hue

I have never provoked anyone, so why do these two want my life?

This voice is like thunder in a clear sky, shaking the heart even from a great distance, causing it to skip a beat or two

They returned to Liu Xiu's side, sizing him up from head to toe. Liu Yan asked with concern, "A Xiu, are you alright?"

Longyuan cupped his hands and bowed deeply to the ground, expressing with emotion: "It is my fault that the lord is so concerned."

Without giving him a chance to speak, two burly men, each wielding a dagger, charged at Liu Xiu once more. Their strikes were swift and fierce, each aimed at Liu Xiu's vital points.