"Ah?" Meng Shaode's pupils contracted. This was a contract of indenture.
The journey had already been difficult enough. If they were to get entangled in legal trouble, their opponents wouldn't just be the refugee militia.
A Jiu instinctively clutched Tuoba Yan's clothes, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
It was because of a similar indenture contract that she had tried to escape once. She was caught by the officials, beaten ten times with a cane, and nearly died.
She would never dare to run away again.
"Let me see if it's real or fake. Who knows if you old geezer is trying to trick me."
Cai Lihua had already understood the situation, but she didn't have the original owner's memories and didn't dare to speak until she fully grasped the circumstances.
At this moment, she took two steps forward, a plan forming in her mind.
"Don't try any tricks. You want to take it and destroy it? No way."
Old Master Li saw through Cai Lihua's intentions. He folded the contract and tucked it into his embrace, then walked away with a smug, pigeon-toed swagger.
"With all these natural and man-made disasters, I don't want to waste any more time with you. Li Hutou, seize them."
Saying this, he leisurely returned to his carriage and ordered them not to close the door, wanting to watch the unfolding drama.
"Yes." Li Hutou gave the order, and several burly men on horseback dismounted. Each wore a bull-horn knife at his waist.
The curved, upward-pointing tips gleamed like the scythe of death when drawn.
Meng Shaode's face darkened. It was clear they were serious this time.
Indeed, if their family were to be killed in such a place, who would know? Coupled with the chaos of war and the many deaths outside, who would pay attention to his family?
"Fine, if you have the guts, come on then."
Meng Shaode roared in anger.
The scar on his face turned crimson from the rush of blood, making it look exceptionally ferocious.
Cai Lihua, trembling, took a cleaver from the basket, gripping it with both hands, and fiercely protected their daughter behind her.
"Whoosh!" A sound sliced through the air.
A sharpened wooden strip, honed from the previous day's cleaver work, struck the chest of the first Li family retainer who charged forward.
With limited materials, Meng Shaode had clearly used all his strength, but it hadn't achieved the effect of piercing through.
His pupils constricted. Back then, he had used iron-tipped arrows; clearly, the lethality of this sharpened wooden stick was insufficient.
"Lihua, take A Jiu and go quickly." He watched as Li Hutou, brandishing his bull-horn knife, charged forward with the other three, a sense of heavy despair washing over him.
"Old Meng," Cai Lihua was too terrified to cry.
Tuoba Yan also flinched, instinctively tightening his grip on A Jiu's trembling hand.
Li Hutou also paused in shock. As expected of someone who had traveled the land as a caravan guard, he killed without batting an eyelid.
Meng Shaode was also afraid. He had a new consciousness now. If he hadn't been pushed to this extreme, the original owner's ingrained instincts wouldn't have erupted like this.
At this moment, his breathing quickened, but even in death, he would use his body to block these men, creating an opportunity for his wife and child to escape.
"Today, if I don't take your dog's life, I swear I'm not human. Attack!"
The three behind him charged forward with their knives.
Meng Shaode shouted, "Run!"
He pushed his wife and daughter forward a few steps, but as he turned to draw his bow again, he was a beat too slow.
That bull-horn knife swung down towards his head.
With a deafening clang.
The bull-horn knife in Li Hutou's hand flew into the air, spinning in the bright sunlight.
The scene froze.
The men watched in disbelief as the bull-horn knife, which had flown into the sky, spun and began to descend.
Tuoba Yan stood ramrod straight in front of Meng Shaode, raising his palm upwards, as if he had predicted the knife's trajectory.
Indeed, the bull-horn knife landed smoothly in his palm.
Li Hutou clutched his injured right arm, staggering back several steps, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at the young man.
How had he blocked that blow with his bare hands?
He seemed to have used his arm, but why was there a metallic clanging sound?
At this moment, his arm was so severely shaken that it was likely useless. He couldn't control its trembling, and it felt numb.