Volume 1: The Fierce Tiger Leaves Its Leash Chapter 13: A Dark and Windy Night (Part 1)

  Outside the village, Ling Tianxiang quietly lurked beside a boulder. Ever since someone had informed the US military last time, Ling Tianxiang became much more cautious. Not everyone here saw the US military as an enemy, and with the US military repeatedly increasing the bounty, not everyone saw money as dirt either.

  Behind a village house, the glow of a cigarette tip flashed several times, and Ling Tianxiang immediately recorded this location, and then saw a gray figure. Afghanistan is an Islamic-dominated country, in the era when Muhammad founded the religion, tobacco was only a grass in the hands of American aboriginal shamans, so Islam strictly forbids alcohol but not smoking. Within five minutes, Ling Tianxiang discovered several more hidden sentries, and the villagers' vigilance was not bad, perhaps last time entering the village, Ling Tianxiang was discovered by these hidden sentries, leading to the exposure of his trail.

  After waiting patiently for nearly half an hour, taking advantage of the opportunity when the two sentries facing him both walked away, Ling Tianxiang quickly jumped up and rushed to the side of a village house. After adjusting his pace, he went around the house and slipped into the village from behind one of the sentries who had just turned back to his post. With Ling Tianxiang's skills, even the heavily guarded US military base couldn't stop him, let alone the few sentries in this small village.

  Relying on his daytime memories, Ling Tianxiang quickly found the residence of the middle-aged woman who took away the girl. In the house built with rocks, a faint light was shining, the village did not have electricity, and the villagers were still using primitive oil lamps that used animal fat as fuel, families that used candles were very rare because candles were much more expensive.

  There were two people in the house, a man and a woman, still whispering to each other. Ling Tianxiang drew his pistol, fitted it with a silencer, and then took a peek inside through a gap in the stone wall. The middle-aged couple sat on a kang similar to those found in northern China, while the girl slept inside, tightly hugging the middle-aged woman's leg, like a frightened little rabbit. It was clear that this middle-aged couple were the girl's relatives, and close ones at that, or they wouldn't be taking care of her. Ling Tianxiang went around to the front door and quietly pried open the latch. The dog was in the yard behind the house, so he didn't choose to enter from the back door. When he reached the front door, Ling Tianxiang hesitated for a moment, still not putting away his pistol.

  The door was not locked, Ling Tianxiang held the pistol with his right hand and gently pushed open the door with his left hand. The middle-aged woman was still sitting on the kang, unaware of the danger behind her, and didn't even turn around. The flame on the oil lamp flickered slightly, and Ling Tianxiang immediately sensed danger. His left hand swiftly reached out and grabbed a gun barrel, and then the pistol in his right hand aimed at the middle-aged man hiding on the left side of the door.

  The two parties locked eyes, and both were shocked. The middle-aged man was probably startled by the camouflage paint on Ling Tianxiang's face. Ling Tianxiang quickly aimed his gun at the middle-aged woman who had stood up, then made a "shh" gesture. The middle-aged man immediately nodded to his wife and released the hunting rifle in his hand. He pointed to the girl lying on the bed, then looked at Ling Tianxiang again. Ling Tianxiang immediately understood what the middle-aged man meant, but he didn't put away his gun right away. Instead, he quickly checked the situation in the room, making sure there was no fifth person before putting away his gun and placing the hunting rifle more than two meters away from the middle-aged man in a corner of the wall.

  Both sides no longer suspected each other and knew each other's identities, but the biggest problem was that Ling Tianxiang only spoke a little broken English, which the middle-aged couple clearly didn't understand either. After a while of dumb riddles, the middle-aged man pointed to the door and then to his mouth, gesturing for a long time before Ling Tianxiang finally understood that he wanted to go find an interpreter. Ling Tianxiang hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the middle-aged woman, indicating that she should go find an interpreter to come over. The middle-aged man immediately nodded, and then chattered on to his wife, who hastily left.

  The room quickly fell silent, and the two adult men looked at each other for a moment before Ling Tianxiang turned to look at the still sleeping girl. The middle-aged man probably also guessed what Ling Tianxiang was thinking, so he lightly stroked the girl's arm to indicate that she was fine. Then he reached into his clothes, and Ling Tianxiang reflexively stood up, drawing his gun even faster. The middle-aged man hastily pulled out his hand, shaking it excitedly, and Ling Tianxiang slightly furrowed his brow, turning off the safety on his gun but not putting it away. This time, the middle-aged man's movements were much slower, and when he finally pulled out a pack of handmade cigarettes from his clothes, Ling Tianxiang let out a sigh of relief.

  After Ling Tianxiang refused, the middle-aged man lit a cigarette himself, and the atmosphere relaxed a bit. The girl was choked by the smoke and coughed several times, Ling Tianxiang felt a little impatient, the middle-aged man smiled awkwardly, then threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it to extinguish it. At this time, Ling Tianxiang also noticed that the middle-aged man's hand was slightly trembling, obviously very afraid. In fact, whoever it is, at this time, facing a stranger with weapons on his body, who can strike at any moment, will feel fear in their heart.

  A sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and Ling Tianxiang quickly jumped up and leaned against the wall on the left side of the door. The footsteps belonged to two people, one lighter than the other.

  When Ling Tianxiang pulled out his gun, the middle-aged man immediately stood up and whispered something, then stood behind the door. Ling Tianxiang didn't let him hurry to open the door, but instead signaled him not to do anything stupid. The middle-aged man immediately understood this simple gesture, and he nodded slightly, indicating that everything would be done according to Ling Tianxiang's arrangement.

  The footsteps stopped outside the door, and Ling Tianxiang nodded to the middle-aged man, who opened the door. First, a middle-aged woman walked in, followed by a man around 35 years old. Before he realized the danger, a cold gun barrel was pressed against his temple. Ling Tianxiang quickly searched the man's body, found no weapons, then looked outside the house to make sure there were no other people hiding, before pulling him into the room and closing the door.

  "Sir, we are on the same side!" The man's English wasn't very standard, but at least Ling Tianxiang could understand him. "My name is Maidede, I'm a teacher here, and I don't have any weapons."

  Ling Tianxiang had put away his weapons and let out a sigh of relief. At least now they could communicate normally.

  The Blade's Edge, Volume 1: The Fierce Tiger Unleashes Its Fury, Chapter 13: A Dark and Windy Night (Part 1)