Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

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Chapter Two: Gunfire

"Slap, slap slap..."

Seven or eight gunshots rang out like popping beans.

Blood suddenly gushed from the bodies of the men at the front, and without uttering a sound, they fell straight down.

The corpse crashed onto the blood-soaked rocks with a dull thud.

With a loud "bang," the iron pot on Li Cheng's chest shook violently, and his running steps suddenly stopped.

The impact of the bullet slowed his forward momentum slightly.

Several men yelled and dashed past him, heading straight for the mountain pass.

"Luckily, I have an iron pot." Li Xin huddled in the basket on his back, his head bowed low.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of sparks flying from the iron pot, and he heard Master Zhao's roar.

"Don't stop! Stopping means death!"

At this moment, Master Zhao's movements became unusually agile, and his eyes turned blood red.

With one hand resting on his brow and the other wielding a black iron rod that made a whooshing sound, he leaped and bounded like a mad monkey.

As the iron rod swept across, several men who turned to run away were struck on the head, the "crackling" sounds like watermelons being smashed.

Brain matter mixed with blood splattered out, and the corpse collapsed to the ground, blocking the way out.

No one dared to turn back. The remaining people shouted at the top of their lungs, "The ancestral master protects us; we are invulnerable to swords and spears!" They brandished knives, forks, and wooden sticks, charging forward through a hail of bullets.

Li Xin narrowed his eyes to slits, staring intently at the mountain pass more than 30 meters away.

Without even blinking.

Gunfire continued, and flashes of light filled the air...

Xiaoyue shrank her head as far as she could into her arms, her small body trembling uncontrollably, clearly knowing that she couldn't show her face at this moment.

The bamboo basket bounced violently with Li Cheng's footsteps, and suddenly a clang rang out, making Li Xin's eyebrows twitch slightly.

The eldest brother's iron pot was hit by another bullet.

"One, two, get down!" came the shout from the foreigner in the distance, carrying an urgent command.

Li Xin raised his hand and slammed it heavily on Li Cheng's shoulder, then roared in a deep voice, "Get down!"

Li Cheng seemed to be used to following his orders. Without thinking, he lunged forward and slid across the grass using the momentum.

The iron pot on his chest scraped against the ground with a screeching sound that wouldn't stop.

Bullets whizzed overhead, and three or four more people fell to the ground beside me...

"Charge! Speed ​​up!" Li Xin gripped his little sister's shoulders tightly to prevent her from falling out of the bamboo basket.

Upon hearing this, Li Cheng kicked his feet like grasshoppers, leaped up, and ran swiftly with a thick wooden stick in his hand.

He had practiced Chuojiao kung fu and was extremely fast on his feet. His Mad Demon Staff Technique was also quite skillful, and it was difficult for seven or eight ordinary people to get close to him.

At this moment, he sprinted at full speed and caught up with the person in front of him in the blink of an eye, becoming the vanguard instead.

"Get down!"

Li Xin's command sounded again, and Li Cheng ducked to avoid another wave of intense gunfire.

The few leaps and bounds not only greatly boosted Li Cheng's confidence, but also ignited hope in the eyes of the dozen or so men remaining beside him.

That last burst of gunfire almost wiped them all out.

Of those still alive, only eleven or twelve remain, including Master Zhao; the casualties have been devastating.

"Snake-like steps! Charge left and right!" Li Xin changed the command.

In his past life, he had a wide range of interests, having attended university, served in the military, and traveled to Southeast Asia and the sea. He was proficient in the Five Elements, Bagua, boxing, and Sanda (Chinese kickboxing).

He was well aware of the firing principle and drawbacks of foreign guns from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

They also knew their firing rhythm...

There are ways to specifically avoid it.

Upon hearing the command, Li Cheng's pace changed:

He took a step to the left, then a step to the right, his body moving in a serpentine pattern.

With a few undulations, the thirty-meter distance was rapidly shortened.

"kill!"

Like a wild boar driven to desperation, Li Cheng charged headlong into the gunfire.

With a thick wooden stick in hand, they pounded down on the heads and faces of more than ten Anssa soldiers, and three or four of them fell down in the blink of an eye.

The foreigners were thrown into disarray; some shouted orders, while others hastily opened fire.

Some people simply used their guns like clubs and fought on the spot.

"Oh!"

With a loud thud, Li Cheng was shot again in the chest.

He groaned and fell to the ground, the iron pot on his chest shattering into seven or eight pieces with a crash.

Fragments flew everywhere.

Before he fell, he didn't forget to kick the knee of the leading officer, Anssa.

The wooden stick was swung back and smashed hard into the officer's temple... The officer fell like a log, blood gushing from his head.

Four or five men with bloodshot eyes rushed up from behind, brandishing knives and forks, fighting to the death.

This journey was practically a bloodbath.

There were initially more than thirty people, but more than twenty died along the way, and two or three more fell during the close-quarters combat.

Fortunately, Master Zhao was indeed formidable, with astonishing staff skills.

He stayed in the back to provide cover, letting others draw fire. He himself didn't hit a single shot, and even killed five or six people.

Li Xin, without even checking his elder brother's injuries, had already pressed his hand to the ground and darted out of the bamboo basket.

He reached out and unholstered the gun at the officer's waist, hooking two fingers together.

Holding a heavy revolver in my hand immediately brought me a sense of peace.

"Go to hell!"

A foreign soldier threw down his rifle, pulled a short knife from his boot, gripped it tightly, and charged menacingly at Li Cheng.

He clearly hated the young man who had knocked down his superior.

Li Xin suddenly looked up, raised his revolver, and with a "bang," blood splattered everywhere.

The soldier was shot in the head on the spot.

He blew on the muzzle, swung the cylinder, glanced at it, and then turned and fired four more shots...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Four Angus men were shot in the head and fell to the ground dead.

These foreigners didn't take the small-statured Li Xin seriously at all.

He was caught off guard and fired a shot in the crowd... from a distance of just a few meters, he hit the bullseye every time.

Seeing this, Zhao, the leader of the altar, and the last two remaining men beside him were greatly encouraged and raised their clubs and swords. They quickly wiped out the remaining three Angusa soldiers.

"Search him! Hurry up!" Li Xin breathed a long sigh of relief, the cold sweat on his vest turning icy cold in the night wind.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiaoyue had already climbed out of the bamboo basket, supporting herself on her arms, and was taking a wristwatch from the officer's hand, her thin little face full of smiles.

The girl seemed quite skilled at body searches, quickly untying a heavy money pouch from the officer's waist. She weighed it in her hand, then walked towards the other soldiers' corpses, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Brother, you've been shot?" Only then did Li Xin notice that Li Cheng, who was panting heavily, was frighteningly pale.

"It's nothing, just a scratch. I wasn't hit head-on. Second brother, if it weren't for you, today..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cold shout came from the side: "Bring it here!"

Turning his head, he saw Master Zhao staring at the money bag and watch in Xiaoyue's hand.

The blood-stained black iron rod was slightly raised, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"I picked this up!" Xiaoyue looked up, her big eyes full of grievance, clearly not understanding why this bearded uncle had suddenly become so fierce.

"Just take it when I tell you to!" Master Zhao brandished his iron rod with a whoosh.

"Snapped!"

A gunshot rang out.

Master Zhao staggered, turned his head to look in Li Xin's direction, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The iron rod fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Blood was gushing from a small hole in his temple.

Li Xin, holding his gun, swept his cold, icy gaze over the remaining two men.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" The two men trembled violently, their greed completely extinguished by the single shot.

With a shout, he turned and rushed into the vast darkness of the night.

They now understood that the so-called ancestral talismans and invulnerability were all a joke.

This child, who looks only eight or nine years old, is so fierce it's chilling.

He fired six shots, killing five Anssa people and also killing Zhao Tanzhu; he was simply beyond my ability to withstand.

Having barely escaped from the guns of foreigners, there's no need to risk your life for a little money.

……

Chapter Three: Faith Born of Love, Boundless Spirit

The sound of horses' hooves grew more urgent.

The road they had come from was shrouded in shadows, and with Li Xin's keen eyesight, he could already see the fierce eyes of the Angus soldiers on horseback.

Some soldiers even tried to hold their muskets horizontally on horseback.

Li Xin crouched down, patted Zhao Tanzhu's arms, and pulled out a small cloth bag. Without hesitation, he scooped up his younger sister, Li Xiaoyue, with his left arm and hoisted her onto his shoulder...

"Big brother, this way."

He did not follow the two men fleeing ahead in the same direction.

Instead, it darted diagonally into the forest, climbing trees and traversing the thicket, walking among the branches and bushes.

Even though thorns scratched her body and left her covered in bloody marks, she didn't care.

Li Cheng clutched the wound between his ribs, not asking any questions, but simply followed silently, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes from time to time...

Li Xin knew that his elder brother probably thought his actions were a bit strange.

However, judging from his reckless appearance, he was probably only slightly puzzled, and the wind would blow away all his confusion.

After walking about a hundred meters, there is a mountain hollow in front of you.

Li Xin then put Xiaoyue down.

Seeing that she was still clutching a money pouch tightly, her bright black eyes looking at him curiously, not afraid at all, he couldn't help but ruffle her dry, yellow hair and said with a smile, "Xiaoyue is so smart, our family's good life depends on you."

The money bag found on the officer was heavy; there was no need to empty it to check, one could guess that it contained a considerable amount of silver.

The little girl's eyes crinkled with laughter after being praised like that.

"I just follow my second brother's orders."

Li Xin turned his head and said, "Brother, lie low and don't show your head. We'll run when there's no more noise."

He took a few deep breaths, feeling his heart pounding wildly.

He seems to be quite strong, but he is actually quite thin.