Late autumn wind was urgent, the dense thicket in the forest was washed by the morning dew, and the damp air carried a sense of chilliness drifting between the trees. Just as Zhang Feng decided to go down the mountain, there was also a group of people coming up the mountain.

  "Crack!" A withered branch was ruthlessly trampled, and this was just one of the countless ones that had been trampled by this foot along the way. The owner of this foot stepped on the broken trunk, wiping the sweat from his forehead with one hand.

  "Hiss! Old Chen, is the road you're leading us on correct or not? We've walked so far and haven't even seen a single hair!" said a stout middle-aged man with a short stature, resembling a raccoon dog, in a complaining tone.

  "Wu, just follow me honestly, you think it's easy to get into the North Mountain? If not for us brothers exhausting our efforts and going through twists and turns over the years, we wouldn't have roughly figured out the positions of the traps set by those people on the mountain. You think you can walk here safely?" A young guard leading the way in front of Wu Pangzi said with a bad tone.

  "Hey, you little brat! How dare you talk to me like that? You think I'm afraid of you? Just a few of you have been wasting your energy all these years. What's the point of putting in so much effort and ending up like this? Did you guys use up all your energy on those women in the brothel? Otherwise, why are you all as weak as a soft-shelled shrimp? Brothers, am I right?! Hahahaha!" Wu Pangzi loudly jeered, his underlings also joining in to mock.

  "You!" The man who had just spoken was furious, subconsciously drawing the knife from his waist.

  This caused a chain reaction, and Wu Baozi's men quickly took out their weapons, shining cold steel everywhere. Meanwhile, the captors on this side swiftly closed in on Chen Lao, each gripping the hilt of their knives, poised to strike.

  "Alright! You little brat, what's the point of arguing with him? What's his background you don't know, right? Just let him talk, in the end it's still up to you and me, brothers, to take care of things. Why bother with him and get into trouble?"

  "There's also Wu Pangzi, you've got your men to collect too. This time you're doing it for the money, don't tell me you want to fight us first and see who wins before completing Lord Zhao's task?" At this critical moment, it was still Old Chen, the veteran constable, who spoke up and scolded both sides.

  "Come on, we brothers are first-class in credibility. Since we've taken Zhao's money, we must do things neatly and properly. Come on, brothers, put away your tools for now, let's not scare the kids opposite us, or Old Chen will come after me with his life! Haha!" Wu Pangzi said with a smile.

  "Hey!" The young policeman wanted to say something else, but Old Chen pulled him away first.

  "Dad! Why are you pulling me? I'll fight him to the end, this guy is really too much, damn it, what kind of thing is he?! It turned out that this young man was Old Chen's son, and both father and son were catchers in Pinggu County, and they were also people who did dirty work for Zhao Chuhai. However, this young Chen was cooperating with Wu Pangzi and others for the first time, and couldn't stand their tone, so he opened his mouth in a fit of rage, which led to the commotion just now."

  "Cut the crap! If I didn't hold you back, you'd be going up there to fight with them. Have you forgotten that our main task is to complete Master Zhao's instructions? Other trivial matters are of no importance. Moreover, we still need to rely on these people to help us out, no need to turn against them now." Old Chen said sternly.

  "But Director Zhao also said that when necessary, they can be taken care of first and the remaining ones will be left as evidence. After this time's thorough cleanup, there will be a lot fewer troubles." Xiao Chen still brought up Director Zhao with dissatisfaction, actually he had been displeased with Wu Baozi for a long time and wanted to kill him, it wasn't just one or two days ago. This time, with Zhao Chuhai's direct order, it was exactly what Xiao Chen wished for, even if Wu Baozi didn't provoke him, he would still find an excuse to get rid of him.

  Looking at his own son, Chen couldn't help but shake his head and say: "You, you've been told to think things through before acting, but you never listen. Is this really the time to kill Wu Zhui? Wouldn't it be better to wait until we find Iron Mountain's gang and let them destroy each other? Then we can take out Iron Mountain first and then slaughter Wu Dog, killing two birds with one stone."

  "Ah! So you've been wanting to kill him all along, Father. Heh heh, with your intervention, Wu Pangzi won't be leaving this small North Mountain alive." Little Chen sneered.

  "Hmph, do you think Lord Zhao really wants to pay another reward? Let me tell you, kid, learn a thing or two. Lord Zhao said that if we can make Zhu Jiu and Wu Pangzi unable to leave the mountain, not only will we get a generous reward, but also the remaining half of their payment." Old Chen's face was gloomy, and his eyes gleamed with malice as he glanced at Wu Pangzi and the others behind him.

  "Big brother, I think this group of yamen runners doesn't consider us as their own people. That Chen kid has been looking at us with an attitude all the way here, and that old Chen is also suspicious. These two father and son are not good stuff, our deal might not end well." Wu Baozi's trusted subordinate whispered.

  "Tell the brothers to be careful, hold their things firmly, we are people who eat with our heads on, and our names are all registered in the government office. If it weren't for Zhao Chuhai's offer being really tempting this time, I wouldn't care about his Northern Mountain bandits or whatever. In short, be careful, don't capsize the boat in a ditch." Wu Pangzi reminded aloud.

  "Alas, if it weren't for Master Xiang's urgent need for money at this critical moment, I would be living a carefree life. Why must I risk my own life to help Zhao Chuhai...?" Wu Pangzi thought to himself in frustration, but he had no choice.

  "Big brother, we should go, Old Chen and the others have already gone far away. If there's really a trap or something, we can follow them to avoid it." Wu Pangzi's underling hurriedly called out to wake up his big brother.

  "Slap!" Short and stout Wu Pangzi jumped up, slapped the back of his own head and said: "I knew there was a trap, but you guys didn't follow me, if you get lost, I won't be responsible for you."

  The underling rubbed his own head in a wronged manner and didn't dare resist, he could only follow his boss to chase after them.

  Wu Pangzi and Lao Chen, who are temporarily in the same camp, now have different thoughts. Both sides probably also understand each other's minds. After this matter is over, it is still unknown who will live or die.

  ……

  On the mountain, Zhang Feng, who was stopped by Tie Shan's words, scratched his head in annoyance. When he went up the mountain, he got lost and walked in circles. Now that he's going down the mountain, it would be better to have someone guide him, otherwise, if they get lost again, they will miss their appointment.

  "Old Three, you find someone who knows the way and take Zhang Brothers down the mountain with him." Tie Shan instructed.

  "Third brother, come with me. Remember not to wander off when the time comes. I suppose you've all seen traps on your way here, so be sure to follow me closely." A thin man said respectfully.

  "Alright, alright, trouble you to lead the way." Zhang Feng and Old Liu exchanged a glance, recalling the trap-filled pit that Ding Wu had led them into before. They decided it was better to follow quietly this time. Liu Six, who had been brought along bound, looked confused, his head hung low as he wondered what traps they were talking about...

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