A One-Man Bandit Hunt

Chapter 16: One-Man Bandit Hunt

Bald Sanpao, with his gleaming shaved head and uncanny aim with a Box Cannon, was the most notorious bandit for a hundred miles—ruthless and cunning. He led a gang of brothers rampaging through several counties of Gaomi, dealing exclusively in no-cost business. Countless men were said to have died by his hand.

Now he was returning from Lin County with two underlings. The Beef Shop wasn't his lair, but one of his bolt-holes in Gaomi; the woman at the Liquor Shop was his kept woman there.

That woman—he'd never really paid her much mind. A helpless country girl, a widow besides—couldn't stir up any real trouble.

Three horses entered a narrow mountain hollow, their pace slowing to a clop-clop. Suddenly, a chill shot through Bald Sanpao's heart—an instinctive sense of danger. He ducked low, and the next instant, a gunshot cracked out.

"Ah—" Bald Sanpao tumbled off his horse.

His two men knew they were under attack. They reined in hard, rolled off their mounts, and hit the ground. One spotted Bald Sanpao lying motionless and shouted, "Elder Brother! Elder Brother, you alright?"

That guy had just started to stand up.

"Bang!"

Another gunshot.

The bandit crumpled, a bullet through his chest, blood spurting out. He wasn't going to make it.

The other bandit was terrified. He yanked out his gun and fired wildly at the slope—"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Jiang Hao was about a hundred meters away on that hillside. The man couldn't hit him, but a few bullets still smacked into the dirt, making Jiang Hao duck his head.

Then Bald Sanpao moved. He thrashed and rolled into a ditch beside the road.

Jiang Hao's shot had hit him, but the dodge saved his vitals—it caught his shoulder instead, wounding him.

"Elder Brother! Elder Brother!"

That underling slid into the ditch too, hiding with Bald Sanpao.

"Elder Brother, you're hit."

Bald Sanpao clutched his shoulder, panting from the pain, and cursed viciously: "Damn it, who the hell's ambushing Laozi?"

"Is it one of our enemies—Old Xin of Xishan King's crew?" the underling asked.

"Damn whoever it is—don't let me get a chance. If I get out of here alive, I'll dig up his whole family, not a one left." Bald Sanpao's face twisted with menace as he ground his teeth.

On the hillside, Jiang Hao lay behind the dirt bank, staring at the ditch where Bald Sanpao and his man were hiding. He couldn't see either of them. But the area was wide open—that ditch was the only cover, and they didn't dare come out.

Jiang Hao's heart was pounding. He'd just dropped one with a single shot. Killing a man didn't scare him—it made his blood run hot.

First time using a real gun on a person, and the result was solid. Just like his shooting instructor said, Jiang Hao had a Shooting Talent—perfect for a sniper.

Jiang Hao kept his eyes on that ditch. Bald Sanpao and his man didn't dare show themselves. The scene went quiet.

Only the wind blew gently, kicking up dust now and then.

Bald Sanpao couldn't afford to wait. He was wounded—if he didn't get treatment, he'd bleed out. Gritting his teeth, he said to his man, "Heitou, it's just one guy. Find a way around him. We'll hit him from both sides. If we're pinned here, we're both dead."

"Elder Brother..." Heitou was scared. That sharpshooter was too good.

"Go on, I'll cover you." Bald Sanpao patted his shoulder.

The man called Heitou steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and bolted out. Bald Sanpao had no intention of a two-sided attack—he was using the guy's life for a chance. Let Heitou draw the enemy's attention; if that bastard showed himself, Bald Sanpao was confident he could nail him with his own marksmanship.

He couldn't care less about a brother's life.

Jiang Hao saw a figure burst from the ditch, sprinting for another slope just thirty or fifty meters away. If he made it there, he'd have cover.

Jiang Hao raised his gun and aimed.

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out. The running figure crumpled, rolling to the roadside. The bullet punched through his back. He didn't move.

At that moment, Bald Sanpao seized his chance. He leaned out, his Box Cannon barking once at Jiang Hao's slope. Jiang Hao heard a whoosh past his ear—the bullet grazed his cheek. He ducked down fast.

Bald Sanpao cursed under his breath. He'd missed. The wound messed with his aim, and the distance was too far—over a hundred meters, beyond a pistol's best range.

Jiang Hao cursed too. He knew the danger of the battlefield—that bastard had nearly blown his head off. He racked the bolt to return fire, but Bald Sanpao had already slipped back into cover.

They were deadlocked again.

Bald Sanpao didn't dare show himself; Jiang Hao couldn't see him. Both were crack shots; neither dared move recklessly.

But the situation was grim for Bald Sanpao. He was wounded, his shoulder still bleeding. He couldn't afford to wait.

Feeling himself grow weaker, Bald Sanpao clutched his shoulder, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Which mountain's brother is this? We're all on the road for money—no need to fight to the death. Let me off today, and I'll offer a thousand Silver Dollars. How about it?"

He was trying to buy his life.

"Bang!"

His answer was a bullet. It smacked into the dirt bank beside him, kicking up a puff of dust.

"Brother, is there some misunderstanding?"

"Bang!"

Another shot.

"Out here, it's all about profit. Brother, I'll make it two thousand Silver Dollars."

Bald Sanpao was barely holding on. All he wanted now was to live. Then a voice rang out: "Bald Sanpao, we have no real grudge. Someone paid for your head. Of course, if you offer a higher price, I might let you go."

Bald Sanpao's ears perked up. He shouted back, "Three thousand! Three thousand Silver Dollars, brother. Let me go. Three thousand is enough to buy a house, land, and a woman in the countryside—or live like a king in the city for two years. I swear I won't come after you. I mean what I say."

Bald Sanpao shouted and waited a long time without hearing a reply, growing anxious. Then the voice spoke again: "Fine, but I have a condition."

"Name it, brother," Bald Sanpao said quickly.

"Put down your gun, walk out slowly, and do as I say. Once I feel there's no danger, I'll make this deal with you. Don't try any tricks, or I'll go straight to the employer to collect the money," the voice said.

A flicker of ruthlessness passed through Bald Sanpao's eyes. "Alright, I agree."

Bald Sanpao struggled to climb out of the ditch, clutching his shoulder as he stood on the dirt road, half his body covered in blood and grime. He had none of the swagger of a bandit chief left; only his triangular eyes kept narrowing and widening, unable to hide the viciousness within.

Damn it, once I get close, I'll riddle you with bullets!

That was what Bald Sanpao thought, but Jiang Hao had no intention of playing along. He didn't show himself at all, keeping his gun trained on Bald Sanpao as he shouted from his prone position on the slope: "Throw away the gun on you. Far away."

Bald Sanpao obediently tossed his gun aside.