Pang Tianshuo casually answered that the people sent out hadn't come back yet, and then he saw Pang Zi's face change immediately. Then he saw Pang Zi staring at him with a ferocious look. Pang Tianshuo had never seen such a gaze; it was a gaze of shock, uneasiness, and suspicion. At this moment, Pang Zi was no longer the big brother close as family, but another completely strange existence. Such a gaze made Pang Tianshuo shiver.

However, this was only a matter of a moment. Pang Zi had figured out the key point in a blink of an eye. He asked: "Who exactly among the brothers has left the county town in the past two days?" Since getting the news that the Defense Battalion wanted to attack the Escort Agency, Pang Zi gathered all brothers back to the county town and strictly ordered everyone not to leave without permission. Pang Tianshuo couldn't be a traitor; although it couldn't be completely confirmed yet, if Pang Tianshuo were a traitor, he would have no need to tell the truth that the Escort Agency's spies hadn't returned. He didn't even need to be so troublesome; he only needed to let the spies report fake news.

So Pang Zi's gaffe was only a momentary thing. He had concluded that if Pang Tianshuo wasn't a traitor, then the traitor must have gone to contact the Defense Battalion personally, or at least sent someone out of the city to contact. Sure enough, Pang Tianshuo pondered for a moment and answered: "Gao Songling went out of the city for half a day. When I asked him, he said something happened at his home."

"Anyone else?" Pang Zi pressed.

"There were also a few boys who secretly went to visit brothels and were caught by me. I slapped each of them twice."

Pang Zi asked the names of these people clearly one by one, then Pang Zi ordered: "Good, you tell the brothers we are setting off now. You call these people who have been out of the city over first; don't say anything. Just call them over first."

"What's wrong, Big Brother Pang?" Pang Tianshuo saw Pang Zi's face was unkind.

"Don't say anything; just call them and the people connected with them over for me. Go."

The brothers of the Escort Agency were gathered together originally, so it was quite convenient to assemble. Soon, the big courtyard was full of people. Pang Zi asked to close the gate, then said: "Brothers, I'll tell you something. The Defense Battalion is preparing to target us. I heard these people are bringing men over now."

Most of the crowd didn't know this news. Suddenly hearing Pang Zi say this, almost everyone's face changed.

Pang Zi knew everyone was panicked in their hearts. He laughed: "Brothers, we conduct business and escort goods properly; whom did we provoke? The Defense Battalion wants to target us; why do you say?"

"They must be eyeing our money." These brothers of the Escort Agency were not stupid. Everyone ate big chunks of meat and drank big bowls of wine every day; everyone saw the envious and jealous eyes of the people in the county town usually. If such a life didn't incur jealousy, that would be a big joke. Many brothers of the Escort Agency came from idle backgrounds. Although they didn't know Marx classified them as "lumpenproletariat," the neighbors indeed didn't think they were good people. If they didn't mix in the Escort Agency but were on the street, meeting a team like Pang Zi's, they would definitely want to extort some contributions too. So they knew very clearly why the Defense Battalion wanted to act against the Escort Agency.

Because they knew the Defense Battalion's thoughts very well, after a brief panic, these people returned to normal, "Big Brother Pang, what do you say we do? You mark a path, and brothers will follow you." The crowd shouted.

"People say extending the head is a slash (*death*), shrinking the head is also a slash. Since that gang eyes our money, they won't stop easily. Wait until they hit our door; they are officials, we are commoners. Where can we have a place to speak? Instead of waiting for death here, we might as well act directly. Now the Defense Battalion has already set off; let's beat them halfway. Once they know our power, they definitely won't dare to act rashly again." Pang Zi shouted loudly.

"Big Brother Pang, if we beat them, what if they report to the officials?" Someone asked uneasily.

"We cover our faces. As long as we win, and no one falls into the Defense Battalion's hands, when they say we did it, who can prove it?" Pang Zi laughed.

Fairly speaking, this idea was really lousy enough. If the Defense Battalion really wanted to report to the superior, let alone Pang Zi and the others covering their faces, even if it really wasn't Pang Zi and the others who hit them, they could pin the crime on Pang Zi's head. But these brothers actually just wanted an excuse to convince themselves. As for whether the excuse was really reasonable, it was not the most critical instead. Hearing Pang Zi's idea of attacking the Defense Battalion with masked faces, many people already cheered.

"Exactly, we cover our faces. When those people ask, we just don't admit it." Someone already shouted happily.

"Everyone is my good brother; how do I, Pang Zi, treat everyone usually?" Pang Zi shouted.

"Nothing to say! (*Great*)"

"Big Brother Pang, we were right to follow you."

Listening to the brothers expressing loyalty greatly, Pang Zi nodded with satisfaction, "After beating the Defense Battalion, we'll go to Gaojia Village to avoid the limelight. If it really doesn't work, we'll go to Shandong. I won't be stupid enough to insist on resisting to the end."

Hearing this, the brothers felt they had a way out and were even more relieved.

Seeing morale had stabilized, Pang Zi laughed: "But we must fight this battle. If we run away for nothing, the Defense Battalion will only reach out for a yard after taking an inch; we will never have peaceful days again. So this time, it's not to kill many people either, just to beat the Defense Battalion away. This way brothers won't have any big trouble either. If the Defense Battalion doesn't lose many people, it's not easy to blow things up. But we have to let them know that Lord Ma has three eyes; it's not that the Defense Battalion can do whatever they want!"

"Beat them! Let them know our power."

"Have to let them know we are not easy to provoke."

These brothers of the Escort Agency were originally pugnacious or ruffians. Knowing there was a way out and not really risking their lives, this gang immediately got energetic.

"Good, then everyone take your guys and go out in separate ways now. Gather at ten *li* north of the county town. Gao Songling, you and these few brothers follow me." Pang Zi ordered.

The brothers of the Escort Agency responded and went to lead horses and bring guys one after another. Pang Zi took some confidants and Gao Songling and a few other unreliable people to wait at the last. When other brothers set off in groups, Pang Zi suddenly sank his face fiercely. He asked Gao Songling and others to stand in front of him, saying with a fake smile: "How do I, Pang Zi, treat everyone? You say."

These people didn't know why Pang Zi suddenly looked like this; almost everyone showed a strange expression on their faces. Pang Zi stared at these people's eyes one by one, then shouted: "Someone sold me behind my back! This person is among you!"

This shout made all these people change their faces. Pang Zi said nothing and kicked out. The person beside Gao Songling couldn't dodge in time and was kicked right in the lower abdomen. He retreated a few steps *deng deng* and fell on the ground on his back. Pang Zi saw clearly that when he stared at these people's eyes just now, other people's eyes were baffled, only that person tried to avoid his eyes. And after that shout, others couldn't help standing straight, only that person stepped back subconsciously.

"Li Kun! You have such bold guts!" Pang Zi waved his hand, "Tie him up!"

Brothers on both sides immediately went up to press Li Kun on the ground and began to find ropes to tie him up. Pang Zi stared at Gao Songling's eyes deadly but didn't speak. Gao Songling already knew why Pang Zi looked at him like this. He immediately defended himself with a red face and thick neck: "Big Brother Pang, I didn't sell you. My family really has something. I brought some farm tools sold outside to my family. This time knowing the Defense Battalion wants to be disadvantageous to us, I took the farm tools home. You must believe me."

After saying these, seeing Pang Zi still looking at him coldly, Gao Songling hurriedly said again: "I was indeed afraid we couldn't beat the Defense Battalion. I specially asked my family to bury these farm tools in the ground. I can take you to see. It's really not me."

Seeing Gao Songling neither implicating others nor dodging, just defending himself desperately, Pang Zi could already determine that Gao Songling was not a traitor. Being able to tell even the matter of hiding farm tools, Gao Songling should be telling the truth.

"I don't disbelieve you. This concerns the lives of our hundreds of people. Moreover, we very likely have brothers who have fallen into the hands of the Defense Battalion. I can't take risks anymore." After speaking, Pang Zi walked to Li Kun who was already tied up firmly, "Li Kun, do you say it or not? I won't scare you either. If you say it, I'll let you go after defeating the Defense Battalion. If you don't tell the truth, I'll take you to the brothers to ask. See if they dare to slice you alive piece by piece!"

Li Kun knew Pang Zi was absolutely not scaring him. Reaching such a state, he had nothing to hide either. "Big Brother, I let you down."

"Don't talk nonsense. What exactly happened?" Pang Zi shouted angrily.

"I took a fancy to Xiao Tao Hong (*Little Peach Red*) and went many times. Money was all spent. Borrowed a lot too. Later the boss suddenly asked me if we actually knew the Defense Battalion was preparing to act against us. He said as long as I told him our affairs, he wouldn't ask for money and would let Xiao Tao Hong accompany me for a few nights. So I told about us sending spies."

"Motherfucker!" Hearing this, Pang Zi couldn't hold back anymore and slapped Li Kun on the face, "The lives of so many brothers are fucking worth a whore accompanying you for a few nights? Are you fucking human?"

This slap was extremely heavy. Li Kun's head looked like it was about to be fanned away. Nosebleed splashed out *ceng*. Words he originally wanted to say could no longer be spoken.

"Stuff his mouth, pack him in a sack and take him away!" Pang Zi shouted.

Pang Zi hated it in his heart! He was actually still wondering why the Defense Battalion acted so quickly. It turned out they really learned the intelligence from his side, knew he was prepared, and then acted suddenly. Pang Zi actually felt brothers should talk about *Jianghu* loyalty anyway. Even the most good-for-nothing guy wouldn't sell brothers so easily encountering such things. And this Li Kun was usually a guy very regarded, and the money distributed was not small. Unexpectedly, for a whore, he dared to sell everyone.

Several people packed Li Kun, whose mouth was stuffed tightly, into a sack, then mounted horses and went towards ten *li* west of the county town.