Chapter 40: Rebuke

  Mei Huan-yu gazed at the scene before him, flames rising upwards. From the day he became a traitor, he had never expected a good outcome for himself. But even if the Wu Gong team was dealing with him, did they have to leave no chicken or dog alive? Many of the people in front of him were strangers to him. They were mostly employees and bodyguards hired by silk shops. These people weren't sacrificing themselves for the Japanese, were they? Thinking this, he couldn't help but sneer coldly. "Hmph, killing these people is what I'm afraid of? I was worried about not having an excuse, now someone has sent me a ladder. Let's see if those hypocrites are scared to death or overjoyed." Mei Huan-yu had been taught from a young age to prioritize himself and his family, rarely putting others in his sights. Even if many people died, what did it have to do with him?

  Lei Yatong's mind was a complete blank as she stared at her Second Uncle's corpse, tears streaming down her face. This man had often carried her on his back and taken her out to play when she was young, and every time he returned from the south, he would bring her fun and delicious things. It could be said that in their family, no one had treated her as well as this man, not even her own father. But now, this man lay on the floor, his skull thrown to one side. Lei Yatong couldn't shake off the feeling that this was all just a dream, that she must be having a nightmare.

  Xue Qing gently patted Lei Ya Tong, interrupting her thoughts. Lei Ya Tong's gaze shifted to Er Shu's second wife, who was already dead in bed, with eyes filled with fear and panic.

  Lei Ya Tong sighed and turned to walk out, Xue Qing and Shui Xiang exchanged a glance, finding it strange that their mistress had recovered from her sorrow so quickly.

  Lei Ya Tong glanced at Mei Huan Yu outside and said, "The funeral must be grand, the rest is up to you, husband." Then she floated away.

  Mei Huan-yu let out a sigh, filled with remorse towards the woman. He had not done his best and had gotten her Second Uncle killed on their wedding night. This grudge was going to be deep-seated between him and the Wu Kung Chui.

  "Brothers, look at these people in front of us, look at these guys, they are all poor and miserable, but they were also killed by the Workers' Corps. Do you think their propaganda is deceiving? Let's wipe out these rebel parties completely, and after we have settled with Japan, our lives will be better. Whoever dares to provoke us, we'll screw them." Mei Huan-yu seized the opportunity to make propaganda and mobilize. The puppet army responded with a thunderous chorus of oaths of loyalty.

  The news of the Wu Gong team killing Lei Jia's second master spread like wildfire throughout the city the next day. People were talking about it, with some cursing the traitor to death and others shouting that they shouldn't have all died. For a time, the sound of voices was endless, and the Lei family, as the victim, was dressed in plain white, mourning, with the red wedding decorations still not hastily removed from the door, which was particularly eye-catching in the snow-white surroundings. The families of several killed accomplices were also crying outside the door.

  Yamamoto Kitaro brought several Japanese soldiers to the scene, mourning the deceased and loudly praising Lei Zhenghai's contributions to the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere in front of the crowd. He also promised the Lei family that he would severely punish the culprits who disrupted public order and committed murder and robbery. A reward of 1,000 taels was offered for information leading to the capture of the perpetrators, and a prize was awarded to those who provided tips. The city of Tongcheng was thrown into turmoil.

  "Look at you, acting like a hero after causing such a big mess outside! Who gave you permission to kill Laijia's second son? Who gave you permission to kill the partner of the silk store? Do you still have any discipline in the organization? Do you think revolution is just a game for you? With your great skills, why haven't I seen you go kill the Japanese devils? You're killing people and looting, are you still an army of the people? Even if one person deserved to be killed, you went ahead and killed his wife too! Those partners were just trying to make a living, how could you bring yourself to do it? Where is your humanity? Where is your awareness? Where has your party spirit gone?"

  "Your grandma! How will the people of Tongcheng look at us? How will others look at us? Will those who secretly supported us in the past dare to continue supporting us? Are they not afraid that you'll cut off their heads in the middle of the night? You're such a big man, how can you still be so short-tempered? Our party's creed is to unite all the poor and suffering people under heaven, to unite all patriotic people. That's why it's called the Unity Party. First, you've killed off all those poor household servants, you can't even tolerate a merchant who sold a few days' worth of Japanese silk. Who will dare approach us? You yourself use the enemy's Type 38 rifle, why don't you just kill yourself? The puppet troops haven't been able to do what you accomplished in one night. You're really talented, you're so capable! Our People's Unity Party's reputation, accumulated over many years, was ruined by you overnight. You're a good-for-nothing, you're an idiot!!!"

  Chen Jian hung his head, crying and pouting: "I wasn't trying to avenge the whole row of people, was I? Originally, I wanted to kill Mei Huan Yu, that big traitor. But that bastard was too heavily guarded, so I couldn't do it. In the heat of the moment, I ended up killing Lei Er instead. To be honest, I've been regretting it a bit since we got on the road. What's done is done, what can I do now? Why don't you just turn me in?"

  "Damn it, if I hand you over, the Japanese devils and puppet troops won't take revenge? Their people died for nothing? The comrades and women who died at your hands can come back to life? If only I wouldn't mind handing you over, you idiot! But is that possible now? Please use your brain next time, fighting the devils is not just a military issue but also a political one! This needs long-term consideration. Now go organize the soldiers and villagers to prepare for battle, this time the Japanese devils and puppet troops will definitely take advantage of the situation to surround us, we can only make the worst preparations." Zhang Yun Tian slapped his thigh in anger.

  He scolded for half a day and his mouth was dry, but the fire in his heart did not decrease at all. This guy usually looked quite clever, how could he make such a big mistake? This time, the revenge of the devils will definitely get the strong support of the gentry of Tongcheng. They have various intricate relationships locally. This time, it's likely that he himself will suffer a great loss. Forget it, being angry is useless, let's see how to make up for it.

  Chen Jian walked out of the house with his head hung low, this time he had impulsively brought about a great disaster, and even led the devils to their doorstep. He regretted writing "Wu Gong Team Stay" on the wall, which gave the enemy a target without even needing to investigate. Although they had obtained several short guns, Japanese swords, and a large amount of gold and silver, he didn't know if the various landmines he had set up would be useful if the devils and puppet army were to attack. Alas, how could he have been so blinded by hatred? To say that Lei Er didn't deserve to die, he hadn't done anything particularly evil, it was all because Chen Jian had been momentarily blinded by hatred, and with Old Zhang not by his side, he had acted impulsively and done something incredibly foolish.

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