9: Are you really going to push things to the extreme?

“So, Yaner, you're home? Who were you talking to?”

Another voice sounded outside the door. Zhang Yan's eyes widened again, and she whispered, “Brother Chu Yuan, did I cause trouble?”

“Don't be afraid, I'm here!”

Chu Yuan comforted her softly, then stood up, holding his machete.

“Brother Chu Yuan, where are you going?” Zhang Yan quickly grabbed Chu Yuan, looking panicked.

“Don't worry, I'm going outside to guard you!”

Chu Yuan said softly. The little girl in front of him was only twelve years old; he couldn't let anything happen to her.

Besides, her family had been very kind to him. Chu Yuan could not agree to stand by and watch something happen to her.

“I'm coming with you!”

Zhang Yan stood up, her small hand still tightly gripping the corner of Chu Yuan's clothes.

Although she was familiar with both voices outside, her father's previous warning, coupled with Brother Chu Yuan's obvious tension, made it difficult for her not to be afraid.

Just then, Zhao Shitou's voice came from outside the house again.

“Yaner, you're not being good. Do you really have the heart to watch your Brother Shitou bleed to death?”

As the voice rang out, a slight sound of prying at the door was heard.

Chu Yuan frowned. Were these two guys truly insane?

To act like this?

They would die and be done with it, but weren't they afraid that their families would be ostracized by the villagers?

Damn it!

Chu Yuan took a pair of scissors from the dressing table and handed them to Zhang Yan, “Take this, and protect yourself!”

Zhang Yan took the scissors, her small face filled with tension and fear.

Chu Yuan walked outside the room, his gaze fixed on the location of the main door.

Zhang Yan followed closely behind him.

Chu Yuan turned to look at her, “If things go badly later, and I tell you to run, don't hesitate, understand?”

Zhang Yan grew increasingly nervous, her eyes welling up with tears, “Brother Chu Yuan...”

“Listen to me!”

Chu Yuan patted her head, then turned back to face the main door.

“Brother Shitou, we are all from the same village. Is what you are doing really appropriate?”

“Oh ho! Listening to that outwardly fierce but inwardly timid voice, it seems to be Ergou!”

Zhao Shitou's voice came, “I heard your Yang Qi is too weak, and you can no longer perform the Dao of man?”

“So it is Ergou! Hurry and open the door, let us come in and take a look at you!”

Another voice came. Chu Yuan knew the owner of this voice was Zhao Shitou's cousin.

Tieniu!

“Brother Tieniu, you both have parents, and you even have a wife and daughter. Are you truly not considering them?”

Chu Yuan spoke again in a deep voice, his words stabbing directly at their hearts.

But what he didn't expect was laughter coming from outside the door.

“Haha, Ergou, you really are naive. We are all going to die anyway, why should we care about what happens after? Shouldn't we indulge ourselves a bit?”

Zhao Shitou's voice came, filled with mockery.

“Exactly, Ergou. You should hurry up and let us in, or else we'll have to drag you along to be buried with us prematurely.”

Tieniu's voice immediately followed in agreement, full of menace.

“Ergou, don't bother thinking anyone will come to help you. The two seriously injured people in the Medical Hall are already on their last breath, and the other two who were only lightly injured have already been dragged out into the wilderness to fulfill their final value.”

“As long as you let us in, we'll treat you as a good friend and share Sister Yaner with you. How about that?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yan's eyes widened, having understood the intentions of the people outside.

Her body trembled slightly, and tears spun wildly in her eyes.

Chu Yuan turned, comforting her softly, “Don't be afraid. I won't let them succeed.”

Zhang Yan nodded. Looking at the young man before her, there seemed to be a light in her eyes.

Chu Yuan turned back toward the door, “I cannot agree with your filthy actions. Get lost immediately!”

“Bang!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud crash sounded, startling both Chu Yuan and Zhang Yan.

It turned out the two people outside had pried open the door bolt but found the door blocked, so they were now kicking it.

“Bang!”

Another loud crash came. The main door was swaying precariously, liable to fall at any moment.

Chu Yuan's brows furrowed. He hadn't expected these two to act so maniacally.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

With two more consecutive crashes, the main door fell inward, and dust billowed throughout the room.

Chu Yuan gripped the machete tightly, his gaze fixed on the doorway.

Outside the door, two pale-faced young men, grimacing in pain, were raising their hands to fan away the dust.

Once the dust had cleared slightly, Tieniu saw Chu Yuan's pale face and couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile.

“Oh, I was wondering why Ergou sounded so energetic just now. So he was just putting on an act!”

Zhao Shitou also sneered, “Ergou, who doesn't know Uncle Zhang's diagnosis? Looking at your utterly weak state, was that necessary?”

Chu Yuan gave a bitter smile and shook his head, “Are you truly going to push things to the extreme?”

Zhao Shitou said coldly, “Stop talking nonsense. Hand over Yaner, and we'll leave your corpse intact.”

Chu Yuan gripped the machete tightly, his eyes sharp and cold, “You two beasts, if you want to harm Yaner, you'll have to step over my dead body first.”

Zhang Yan hid behind Chu Yuan, her small hand clutching the scissors tightly, her eyes filled with terror.

But upon closer inspection, a hint of determination could be seen within her fear.

“Stop wasting words on him. Kill him first. I've been coveting that little wench from the Zhang family for a long time.”

Tieniu snorted coldly and lunged toward Chu Yuan.

Chu Yuan trembled all over, shouting with false bravado, “Don't come closer! Be careful, or I'll hack you to death!”

“A joke! With just you?” Tieniu sneered, completely unimpressed.

Although his left shoulder was injured and his right foot was sprained, he was not afraid of the weak Chu Yuan in the slightest.

Behind him, Zhao Shitou also hurried over, a sinister smile appearing on his face.

Chu Yuan narrowed his eyes. Seeing Tieniu rapidly approaching, he raised the machete and swung it toward his left shoulder.

Seeing this, Tieniu couldn't help but sneer.

“He doesn't know how to use a blade, and his strength is so weak! What trash!”

As he spoke, he raised his hand to grab Chu Yuan's blade.

But suddenly he felt a pain in his shoulder, only then remembering that his left shoulder was injured.

Still, he didn't panic. After all, even if this strike hit, with such weak force, it would at most just scrape the skin on his shoulder.

Of course, that's what he thought, but he still took a step to the right.

Yet at this moment, an unexpected change occurred.

Just as Chu Yuan's blade was about to miss, the edge suddenly curved, and the force abruptly intensified.

“Not good!”

Tieniu cried out in alarm, but it was too late to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the machete sliced across his neck.

“You... hck... didn't... hck...”

Tieniu covered his neck with his right hand, struggling to speak, but unable to utter a complete sentence.

Chu Yuan ignored him, suppressing the fear in his heart, and holding the blade, he stepped past Tieniu and slashed directly at Zhao Shitou.

Zhao Shitou had just recovered from his shock and quickly tried to dodge.

But at that moment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, causing his body to stiffen involuntarily.

In that instant, Chu Yuan's machete sliced directly across his chest.

His hemp clothes were instantly torn open, and a hideous bloody gash appeared on Zhao Shitou's chest.

Blood poured out wildly from the wound.

“You bastard, you weren't injured at all! You were playing tricks!”

Zhao Shitou clutched his chest and quickly retreated, a hint of withdrawal in his eyes.

Just then, Zhang Yan suddenly shouted, “Brother Chu Yuan, watch out behind you!”