Chapter 97: Narrow Road Encounter! Lu Qingshan Trio vs Three Outlaws!

Now!

Lu Qingshan silently chanted in his heart, and almost at the moment he let out that imitating beast's low growl, he had already raised the gun barrel.

This low growl was the signal he had agreed upon with Zhao Tiezhu and Zhao Er Zhuang!

「Whoosh! Whoosh! 」

On both sides of the woods, two fist-sized stones flew out almost simultaneously.

One stone struck the ground not far from Lu Jia Ying's feet, kicking up a cloud of dust; the other, with a muffled "Thud!", hit the nearby pine tree as thick as a bowl's mouth.

「Who goes there?! 」

Lu Jia Ying and the two others, like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, instantly bristled, swiftly turning their guns and gazes, looking warily in the direction the stones came from.

The stocky man directly held his machete across his chest and shouted fiercely, "Who? Get out here!"

Just as their attention was completely drawn away, Lu Qingshan moved!

Without the slightest hesitation, he steadily pulled the trigger!

「Bang! 」

A gunshot rang out, sharp and piercing, completely shattering the mountain forest's silence!

The bullet, as if endowed with life, pierced with uncanny precision into Lu Jia Ying's right wrist, where he gripped the Type 54 pistol!

「Ah—! 」

Lu Jia Ying let out a shrill scream, blood spraying from his wrist; the black pistol flew from his hand, tracing an arc in the air, and with a "Clang!" fell into the grass several meters away.

He never imagined that in this seemingly safe deep mountain forest lay such a deadly strike!

「Big Brother! 」

Seeing this, the tall thin man and the stocky man were both horrified, almost instinctively lunging toward Lu Jia Ying.

「Bang! 」

Another shot!

The bullet whistled past, grazing the thin man's scalp and burying itself deep into the birch trunk behind him, wood chips flying.

The thin man felt a burning sensation on his scalp, then an indescribable fear seized him, his legs went weak and he plopped onto the ground, a foul-smelling liquid quickly soaking his crotch.

「Don't move! Drop your weapons! Otherwise the next shot won't be a warning! 」

Lu Qingshan's voice came from behind the tree, icy cold without a trace of warmth.

He held his gun and slowly emerged from behind the large pine tree, his eyes sharp as an eagle, locked firmly on the two remaining men.

Seeing Lu Jia Ying shot down, the stocky man, while his companion was terrified to the point of losing bowel and bladder control, realizing they had met a tough opponent, a flash of killing intent crossed his eyes; instead of retreating he advanced, like a wolf driven to desperation, he let out a roar, eyes red, swinging his machete wildly and charging at Lu Qingshan like a madman: "I'll fight you to the death!"

Lu Qingshan's eyes turned cold in an instant, the gun muzzle dipped slightly, and he was about to fire again.

「Courting death! 」

In the blink of an eye, a burly figure burst out from the side—it was Zhao Tiezhu!

He was like an enraged black bear, his palm-leaf-sized hands gripping the oily, gleaming elm wood stick, bringing a howl that tore the air as he smashed it hard into the exposed waist of the stocky man!

「Thud! 」

A muffled sound that made one's teeth ache.

The stocky man only managed a short grunt before his body, like a sack hit by a heavy hammer, flew sideways uncontrollably, slamming heavily into the trunk of a large tree and then sliding limp to the ground.

He opened his mouth, and large gushes of bright blood mixed with dark chunks of flesh spewed out; it was clear he wouldn't survive.

「Tiezhu, nicely done! 」

Lu Qingshan praised him, his gun barrel still steady, aimed at the trembling, ashen-faced thin man and at Lu Jia Ying, who clutched his bloody right wrist and rolled on the ground in anguished howls.

Zhao Er Zhuang also rushed out from the other side of the woods, gripping a gleaming machete; although his face still showed a trace of lingering fear, his eyes revealed a ruthless resolve as he warily watched the two outlaws now incapable of resistance.

「Don't… don't shoot! Spare us, heroes! We surrender! We surrender! 」

The thin man completely collapsed, throwing away his machete, raising both hands high above his head, his knees buckling as he knelt on the ground, his body trembling like leaves in an autumn wind.

Lu Jia Ying also knew the tide had turned; the excruciating pain in his right wrist nearly made him faint, his face as pale as paper. He glared at Lu Qingshan with venomous hatred, as if wishing to devour him alive, but finally he slumped his head, letting cold sweat soak his forehead hair.

Lu Qingshan signaled Zhao Tiezhu and Zhao Er Zhuang to step forward, binding Lu Jia Ying and the thin man tightly with the coarse hemp rope they had brought.

As for the stocky man knocked unconscious by Zhao Tiezhu's blow, Lu Qingshan checked his breath—there was none.

Only then did the three simultaneously let out a great sigh of relief; that brief, frantic exchange had been truly heart‑pounding, and any carelessness would have led to unimaginable consequences.

「Brother Qing Shan, your marksmanship… is simply divine! It's like the god‑gunner from the storyteller's tales! 」

Zhao Tiezhu looked at the bloody, mangled wound on Lu Jia Ying's wrist and praised him sincerely, his honest face full of admiration.

Zhao Er Zhuang also nodded repeatedly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: "No kidding, my heart almost jumped out of my throat just now!"

Lu Qingshan smiled, offering no further explanation. Without the powerful aid of Mountain Wild Heart, plus the experience accumulated over two lifetimes and his familiarity with firearms, today's outcome would truly be uncertain.

After about an hour and a half, chaotic footsteps and voices finally came from down the mountain, interspersed with a few dog barks.

「Qing Shan! Lu Qingshan! Where are you? 」

Chen Zhiguo's voice came from afar, laced with obvious anxiety and a barely perceptible tremor.

Soon, Chen Zhiguo led more than a dozen armed public security officers and militiamen wielding clubs and hunting rifles charging up.

When they saw the scene before them, everyone was stunned.

One outlaw lay dead on the ground, the other two—including the notorious bandit chief Lu Jia Ying, whose name struck fear on the wanted notice—were all trussed up tightly, a sorry sight.

Lu Qingshan, Zhao Tiezhu, and Zhao Er Zhuang, aside from some dirt and grass on their bodies, were completely unharmed!

「Qing Shan! 」

Chen Zhiguo lunged forward in a single stride, grabbed Lu Qingshan's shoulder, examined him from head to toe, and seeing he was indeed unharmed, he let out a long sigh of relief, then gave his shoulder a heavy thump, his voice tight: "You little rascal! You… you did great!"

He turned his gaze to the tightly bound Lu Jia Ying on the ground, a flicker of relief and apprehension crossing his eyes: "This is the ruthless bandit with an A‑level wanted notice from the provincial department! He still had a gun! You… you three, how did you manage this?"

Lu Qingshan briefly recounted what had happened, of course concealing the existence of Mountain Wild Heart, saying only that it was due to familiarity with the terrain, prior preparations, and the trio's seamless cooperation.

Even so, Chen Zhiguo and the assembled public security officers and militiamen clicked their tongues in amazement, their gazes toward Lu Qingshan's trio filled with admiration and disbelief.

This is not only bravery, but also extraordinary wisdom, courage, and strength!

"Good! Great!"

Chen Zhiguo firmly patted Lu Qingshan's shoulder, then turned to Zhao Tiezhu and Zhao Er Zhuang, giving a thumbs-up: "You two are also great! Shanwan Village has made another great contribution! This time it's a major merit!"

He immediately directed his subordinates to tightly guard the injured Lu Jia Ying and another captive, preparing to escort them down the mountain, while also sending people to handle the bandits' corpses, carefully collecting evidence at the scene, especially that captured police Type 54 pistol.

Seeing the public security officers busy in an orderly manner, Lu Qingshan's heart finally let go of the stone that had been weighing on it.

Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, dappled and shining down, falling on Lu Qingshan's young and resolute face, and also illuminating this patch of forest that had just experienced a life-and-death struggle but quickly regained its tranquility.