NOVEL NEXT 11 A-Qiang
A-Qiang nudged Little Hong， who caught on and winked back. The two quietly slipped under the cart， inching towards the grass under the cover of the dim firelight.
Nearby， the bandits had clearly drunk too much. Though they sat leaning against the cart wheels， they had long since fallen asleep， with crystal-clear drool hanging from their mouths and their chests soaked.
Cautiously， the two crawled through the grass and then bent low， making their way to the forest. Everything went smoothly. Once they reached the woods， they dashed towards the direction they had scouted earlier in the day.
A-Qiang whispered excitedly，“Heavens are watching over us! Everything's going perfectly!“
Little Hong frowned，“Brother Qiang， don't say it's going smoothly. That's bad luck!“
A-Qiang's excitement didn't wane，“What's there to fear?! Though you're right， better not say it. We'll talk once we're out!“
They continued to advance quickly through the dark forest. Branches scratched their skin like ghostly hands blocking their path. Their clothes soon turned to tatters， and blood streamed from their wounds. Yet， their heightened nerves pushed them onward， ears straining to catch any sound of water.
“Brother Qiang， why is it so far? We haven't seen the river yet.“
A-Qiang was getting nervous too.“Fatty said it's this way. Once we cross the river， we'll be on our clan's land!“ They were breathless， surrounded by nothing but forest.
“Brother Qiang， let's change directions. What if that fat guy tricked us?“ Little Hong panted， trying to convince A-Qiang.
“Fatty doesn't seem like he'd deceive us. Let's keep going a bit longer!“ A-Qiang's resolve was wavering， but he refused to give up.“We don't know the way. Changing direction might get us lost in the forest.“ A-Qiang remembered Fatty's honest face and the way he secretly handed food to the children， convinced he wouldn't betray them.
“Little Hong， listen! I hear water!“ A-Qiang suddenly shouted in delight.“The forest feels thinner too. We're almost out!“
Little Hong also heard the water and felt a surge of relief， grateful that A-Qiang hadn't listened to him. Wandering aimlessly in the dark forest was no joke.
They finally broke out of the woods， finding a shallow stream. Under the moonlight， it glimmered like a wide， white belt. The two brothers shouted in joy， believing they had escaped the tiger's den.
But suddenly， a ring of torches lit up around them. Wild Horse and his gang stood not far off， watching them leisurely. The Chubby ganster's grinning face was particularly glaring in the firelight.
“Hey， took you long enough. We've been waiting a while!“
The two froze in terror， looking around. Wild Horse's men emerged from the woods on either side.
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The two were shoved to the ground at the bandits' feet like sacrificial lambs. Bloodied， Little Hong and A-Qiang had tried to flee in different directions， but it was futile.
Wild Horse stood before them， whip in hand， a cruel smile playing on his lips.“Run? Still want to run? Do you want to live or die?“
“B-Boss， please... give us a chance. We won't... run anymore!“ A-Qiang's voice came out in gasps， his stomach still aching from a brutal punch.
Wild Horse sneered，“Let you go? Not impossible! But letting both of you go， that's another story. Who should I let go?“
A-Qiang hesitated， spitting out a mouthful of blood.“Boss， isn't there any other way? We'll serve you faithfully!“
“Do you think so?“ Wild Horse's face was a mask of indifference， pockmarks etched deeply into his skin， making A-Qiang suppress his revulsion.
Little Hong， struggling to lift his swollen eyes， was about to speak when A-Qiang pulled him back.“Boss， this kid is still young. Please， spare his life!“
“Oh?“ Wild Horse's gaze turned playful as he looked at the two young men. The Chubby ganster， feeling bored， suggested，“Wild Horse， how about this? Let them fight. The winner gets to live， the loser doesn't eat for three days!“
Wild Horse shot Chubby a glare，“Who are you to make decisions? But... not a bad idea.“ He turned to the two young men.“If you fight well， I may change my mind.“
A-Qiang panicked， shouting at Little Hong，“Little Hong， let’s fight! Quick! Give our boss a good show!”
But Little Hong remained crawling on the ground， head bowed， unmoving.
“Kill me! Sorry， boss， he was always like this!” A-Qiang begged. Wild Horse， indifferent， grabbed a knife from a nearby bandit and slashed it through the air.
In desperation， A-Qiang slapped Little Hong， who still didn't move.“You cursed fool! You cost me my escape and got your mother killed!“
He slapped Little Hong again and again， each strike fiercer than the last.“You should've died in your mother's place! Fool! Fool!“
The blows rained down until Little Hong， red-eyed and tear-streaked， finally fought back.“Brother Qiang， don't push me!“
The bandits laughed and circled， watching the fight with glee. They placed bets on the outcome， using money， wine， and women as stakes.
“I bet on the big one. Looks tougher than the little guy!“
“The little one's got spirit. It's hard to say who'll win!“
Little Hong's eyes were filled with despair. They had been good friends for months， now forced to face each other's fists. A-Qiang slapped him， spewing vile insults， yet never using his fists.
They wrestled in the dirt， each blow adding to their inner agony， knowing the outcome would be unbearable either way.
Wild Horse watched coldly， savoring the cruelty. He seemed to thrive on their despair and pain.
Suddenly， Little Hong rammed his head into A-Qiang's stomach， knocking him down. A-Qiang lay on the ground， clutching his belly， unable to rise.
This unexpected outcome left Wild Horse， who had bet on A-Qiang， utterly stunned.