Chapter 4 Tactical Deployment

  Among the thirteen Arhats of Zhongyitang, Li Zhongyun, also known as "White-eyed Wolf", had the best marksmanship. He was once a personal bodyguard for a division commander in the Northwest Army, and unlike other bodyguards, he carried not only a pistol but also a German-made Mauser rifle on his person. In Li's own words, he preferred using long guns because they could shoot farther and more accurately. Ye Tufei had evaluated Li Zhongyun's shooting skills before, saying that Old Four fully met the requirements of an excellent sniper.

  With the support of Ye Tufei, Li Zhongyun trained and led a team of sharpshooters, not many in number, only about fifteen people, but these dozen or so people showed unparalleled superiority in each battle. It can be said that in several fierce battles between rival gangs, it was his sharpshooter team that played a decisive role, either turning the tide of battle or deciding victory or defeat at once.

  As the most important combat unit of Zhongyitang, he has become accustomed to being a mysterious force that only plays a role at the most critical moment.

  But this time, Ye Tufei pushed him to the forefront.

  "About twenty miles east of Erlang Mountain, there is a reed marsh. Old Fourth, you are still familiar with this terrain, right?" After getting Li Zhongyun's affirmative reply, Ye Tufei continued to arrange: "If the little devils want to enter the Erlang Mountain valley passage, this reed marsh is a must-pass place. Old Fourth, you bring your men and ambush here."

  Ye Tu Fei casually picked up a tea bowl and placed it on the table, pointing to the bowl and saying: "Divide your men into..." Ye Tu Fei narrowed his eyes to calculate, suddenly opening them again to ask Zhang Luo Hui: "Do you have any brothers who are good at shooting guns?"

  Zhang Luo Hui retorted: "What standard does Sixth Master want?"

  Ye Tu Fei said: "A hundred meters away, a shot in the head!"

  Zhang Luohui shook his head and said, "This requirement is something even I can't achieve."

  Ye Tu Fei let out a sigh and stopped paying attention to Zhang Luo Hui, turning instead to Li Zhong Yun to continue deploying: "Divide your men into five small groups. With the enemy as 12 o'clock, you will be ambushing in the reeds at the 4-8 o'clock direction. The group at the 6 o'clock direction will fire first, then the group at the 4 o'clock direction will conduct the second round of sniping. After two rounds of sniping, it's up to you to decide whether or not to proceed with a third round."

  Li Zhongyun was somewhat puzzled but he still held back and didn't ask any questions.

  Ye Tufei saw Li Zhongyun's doubts and patted him on the shoulder, saying: "Old Fourth, this time we're facing a different kind of opponent, we must change our way of thinking. Your first shot is crucial, if it hits, my plan will be half successful, but if you miss, we'll have to use our bodies to block the Japanese machine guns and artillery."

  Li Zhongyun still didn't say a word, he just nodded silently and went to carry out his orders.

  Ye Tu Fei's second arranged person was Lao Wu Luo Zhong Gang.

  "Are your bombs all set?"

  Luo Zhonggang nodded and said: "Yes, as instructed by Sixth Master, I've made over a hundred of them, and they've all been tested, every single one is effective."

  Ye Tu Fei nodded slightly and said: "You bring your brothers to the back of Lao Si, that is, the edge of the reed marsh, yes, here, put all those explosives in place..."

  Lu Zhonggang silently took note of it, and after Ye Tufei finished arranging, he asked: "Sixth Master, can't we go back with Fourth Brother and the others after we finish our work?"

  Ye Tu Fei smiled and said, "That's not going to work. Your task may be simple, but the danger that follows is the greatest, so you must follow my instructions, go in the opposite direction of Little Japan, and wait at Geng Cun Town."

  Lu Zhonggang pouted and reluctantly accepted the order.

  Next, Ye Tufei called over Xiong Zongren, also known as Xiong Dazui.

  "Blind man, the task arranged for you is your strongest suit and also what you like to do most. Here, come over from this reed marsh, make a big turn, there's a small hill package by the roadside."

  Xiong Zhongren narrowed his eyes and leaned in close to the tea bowl that Ye Tufei had placed on the table as a hint, saying: "Hmm, I know that Bald Mountain Bundle."

  Ye Tufei held out his hand to block Xiong Zhongren's head, which was getting closer and closer, and said: "Alright, stop pretending to be blind, let's talk business. Bring thirty brothers with you and build a circular fort on that small hill for me."

  Xiong Zhongren suddenly opened his eyes wide and said, "Thirty people, not even two hours, to build a circular fortification. Sixth Master, you're not going to let the blind man play a trick on you, are you?"

  Ye Tufei smiled and said: "The blind man is right, I just want you to change a trick. That ring-shaped structure, I only need the shape, not the quality."

  Xiong Zhongren narrowed his eyes again and replied: "That's easy, twenty brothers will be enough to help."

  After Xiong Zhongren, Ye Tufei arranged for Pang Huzi to surrender to Zhonggui.

  "Monkey, you remember that bald mountain bag coming from our Erlang Mountain, there is a small river, right?"

  Xiang Zhonggui didn't think twice and blurted out: "Got it, got it, alright Sixth Master, I'll go now."

  Ye Tu Fei smiled wryly and said, "What are you doing?"

  Xiang Zhonggui opened his eyes wide and said: "Go blow up that wooden bridge!"

  Ye Tu Fei let out a sigh and said: "Why did you have to blow up that wooden bridge?"

  Zhonggui's eyes widened even more and he said: "Blocking Little Japan from crossing the river?"

  Ye Tu Fei smiled bitterly and asked: "How deep is the river now? How wide is it? A ten-year-old kid can wade across, and you're still trying to stop Little Japan?"

  Xiang Zhonggui's eyelids drooped down, scratching the back of his head and said: "Then, Sixth Master, what do you want me to do by that river?"

  Ye Tufei said: "Take two hundred brothers with you, go to the downstream of that wooden bridge about one mile away, choose a more convenient section, and block that river for me, at least block it to three meters high."

  Xiang Zhonggui understood Ye Tufei's intention and excitedly said: "Don't worry, Sixth Master, I guarantee to meet your requirements."

  Xiang Zhonggui walked away with a flourish, and Zhang Luohui couldn't sit still. He went to Ye Tufei and asked, "Sixth Master, can you also arrange some tasks for us?"

  Ye Tu Fei glanced at Zhang Luo Hui and said, "Do you have any fearless brothers on your side? Pick thirty of them to come over, the kind with quick movements and fast legs."

  "Alright, Sixth Master, I can do it."

  Yè Tú Fēi picked up a tea bowl and placed it after the one representing the wooden bridge, saying: "Here is a wheat field. Let your brother dig ten or twenty large pits in this wheat field and hide those thirty fast-running brothers in these large pits."

  Zhang Luo Hui nodded and asked: "Then what's their next task?"

  Ye Tu Fei said: "Wait for the little Japanese to pass by, let these hidden brothers sneak up from behind and give him a few hard slaps on his butt!"

  Zhang Luohui smiled and nodded in agreement, then turned to leave.

  "Let your brother go, you have to stay here."

  The last one to accept the task was Bian Ma Que's Zhong Ju.

  "Do you still have some laxatives?" Ye Tuofei asked first.

  Xiang Zhongju replied: "Many indeed."

  "What about the antidote?"

  Xiang Zhongju said: "There are also quite a few."

  Ye Tu Fei laughed and leaned in close to Xiang Zhong's ear, saying this and that.

  After finishing, Ye Tufei made another request to Zhang Luohui: "Commander Zhang, arrange for another company of brothers to act with us and the old eleven. After encountering the little devils, we must make a desperate blocking appearance, don't be stingy with bullets and hand grenades, just make it lively. When the little devils take the bait, hurry up and withdraw, don't let them get a bite."

  Zhang Luohui didn't understand the meaning of Ye Tufei, but seeing Ye Tufei's confident and self-assured appearance, he didn't ask any more questions and nodded in response.

  After Xiang Zhonggui took a company of brothers and ** to go, the remaining brothers went one by one to ask Ye Tufei for instructions. Ye Tufei said: "The outside work is very important, but our family's work also needs someone to do it? Let's go! To Fenghuang Ridge, we also need to set up an emergency place, right?"

  On the road, Zhang Luohui and Feng Zhongliang walked together.

  Zhang Luohui smiled and asked Feng Zhongliang: "Big Brother Shantu, may I ask you a question?"

  Feng Zhongliang smiled and said: "Go ahead and ask, I'll tell you anything I know."

  "Among your thirteen Arhats, why are two brothers missing?" asked Zhang Luohui.

  Feng Zhongliang smiled and took a look at Zhang Luohui, saying: "Old Eight is in the east, Old Eleven is in the west, neither of them are on the mountain."

  Zhang Luohui murmured an "oh" and seemed lost in thought.

  After a while, Zhang Luohui asked again: "Why didn't Sixth Brother get ranked among your thirteen Arhats?"

  Feng Zhongliang glared at Zhang Luohui and said, "Sixth Master is our master's younger brother, how can he be lined up with the rest of us brothers?"

  At this time, the wind stopped, but the moon didn't know where it had run to. The night grew darker and darker, and a hint of rain began to appear in the air.

  Zhang Luohui looked up at the sky and said, "Sixth Master was right, this weather is really unpredictable, it's going to rain."

  Feng Zhongliang smiled and said, "Our Sixth Master has never spoken wrongly or done anything wrong. You're not familiar with him, so you don't know that our Sixth Master has had many incredible things happen to him."

  Zhang Luohui didn't want to dampen Feng Zhongliang's admiration for Ye Tufei, so he perfunctorily replied: "Yeah, your Sixth Master indeed has some skills."

  Feng Zhongliang, however, detected Zhang Luohui's discontent and looked at him sideways, saying: "What is meant by having two skills? Sixth Brother led us thirteen brothers, with only a few guns, yet we were able to destroy the Jia family and avenge our master. What was it based on? Our Zhongyitang went up to Erlang Mountain, and in less than a year, we became the dominant force. What was it relying on? After our Sixth Brother became the overlord of Erlang Mountain, your government army didn't dare come to our Erlang Mountain again. What's the reason for that?"

  Zhang Luohui was speechless.

  At this time, raindrops floated in from the sky.

  Ye Tu Fei shouted loudly in the front: "Brothers, hurry up! Look, God is helping us. With a little rain, those Japanese tanks won't be able to move!"