Chapter 40: A Critical Moment

  A hair's breadth

  Ono Jiro pressed the gun against Kawano Takeko's head, shouting "Long live the Emperor" at the same time. Unno Tsunetō pulled the trigger of his pistol and a bullet flew out, hitting Kawano Takeko's leg. The pain caused Kawano Takeko's body to fall rapidly in Ono Jiro's arms. At this moment, Ono Jiro also pulled the trigger, and the bullet grazed Kawano Takeko's scalp. Kawano Takeko's fall exposed Ono Jiro's head. Huang Min and Ye Zichun took aim at the same time and fired simultaneously, two bullets hitting Ono Jiro's head at the same time.

  Yun Xiang threw away his gun and rushed to the side of Chuan Xiong Mu Zi, lifted her up and held her in his arms, tore open her pant leg and pressed his hand on her wound, saying: "Sorry, it's an emergency, I can only do this, bear with it." His face was full of guilt and concern.

  Chen Xiong Mu looked at Yun Xiang Tian, she didn't have a painful expression, and calmly said: "It's not that I'm sorry, but rather I should be grateful to you, thank you for saving my life. I don't feel pain."

  Huang Min and Ye Zichun also came over to assist in simply treating the wound of Chuan Xiongmu. Qi Guo ran to the door and shouted at the soldiers, "Quickly, get a doctor for me!"

  After simple treatment of the wound, Yun Xiang Tian picked up Chuan Xiong Mu Nai Zi and shouted at Qi Guo who was blocking the door: "Let go!" Then he rushed to the prison medical room like crazy. Chuan Xiong Mu Nai Zi leaned her head on Yun Xiang Tian's shoulder, her face suddenly turned red, no one knew what she was thinking?

  The doctor examined and said: "It's okay, just a flesh wound, no bones were injured. Rest for a while and it will be fine."

  Yun Xiang let out a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness, I was really scared that the gunshot would shatter your leg bone and leave you disabled, what would we do then?"

  "What's the worst that could happen? If you really cripple me, I'll cling to you every day and make you fetch water and cook for me. If you don't behave, I'll whip you with a lash until you dare not be lazy."

  Yun Xiang Tian didn't expect Chuan Xiong Mu Nai Zi to be so strong, he accompanied the ghost face and smiled: "Oh, is that so? If I had known earlier, I should have let you shoot my leg off with one shot, and then say; 'Miss Mu Nai Zi, you're so cruel, breaking my leg for no reason, and making me do laundry, fetch water, and cook for you. Where's the justice in that?'"

  Chuan Yu Mu's laughter grew even louder, she pushed Yun Xiang and said: "Alright, once my leg is healed, I'll find a big stick, about the thickness of chopsticks. I'll use it to break your legs, then keep you in bed, cook Japanese food for you, fatten you up, and when New Year's comes around, I'll get Zhu Er Miss to find a butcher, and we'll...

  Xiuzhu walked in with a dish of food, smiling and asking: "Yuer, I heard you say outside the door that you want to find a butcher with me, what's going on? Are we going to slaughter a pig? It's still early for Chinese New Year."

  Chuan Yu's laughter grew louder, and she took a deep breath before saying: "Let's fatten it up first, and then slaughter it after the New Year?"

  Xiu Zhu thought for a moment and said: "That's right, but where can we raise it?"

  Yun Xiang Tian said with a mixture of good and bad luck: "Isn't this going to be a disaster?"

  Xiu Zhu was taken aback, then suddenly understood and covered her mouth to laugh. Chuan Xiong Mu Ke Zi hit Yun Xiang Tian with his hand and laughed: "You scold me, you're the pig!"

  Three people were playing around when Hu Sancui walked in and said: "Boss, Feng Tianxiong is looking for you."

  Yun Xiang Tian turned his head and said: "Old Feng, what does he want to find me for? Oh, right, Old Hu, has Wang Qi come back?"

  Hu Sancui said: "Wang Qi hasn't come back yet. But Feng Tianxiong seems to be in a hurry."

  Yun Xiang furrowed his brow and said, "Is that so? Let's go take a look."

  Feng Tianxiong rubbed his hands together, his face full of anxiety. Seeing Yun Xiangtian coming out of the hospital, he hastily went up to him and said: "Boss, help me save someone, it's extremely urgent, if we're late, there won't be time."

  Yun Xiang Tian asked in surprise: "Who? What's going on?"

  "Feng Tianxiong said anxiously: 'My elder brother, Wang Zhuangshan.'"

  Yun Xiang Tian repeated: "Wang Zhuang Shan? What's wrong with him?"

  Feng Tianxiong pulled Cloud Soaring Heaven's hand and said, "Boss, hurry up and get on the carriage. Once we're on, I'll tell you again." He then pulled Cloud Soaring Heaven onto a horse-drawn carriage.

  Yun Xiangtian had barely sat down when Feng Tianxiong cracked the whip and shouted, "Drive!" The horse carriage sped out quickly, Yun Xiangtian stumbled, almost falling off the carriage. He thought to himself: "What is the relationship between Wang Zhuangshan and Feng Tianxiong?"

  Feng Tianxiong said while driving: "Boss, there's something I've been hiding from you. Today, I'll tell you about it."

  Yun Xiang Tian felt it was a big deal and asked: "What's going on? Is it about Wang Zhuang Shan?"

  Feng Tianxiong said bluntly, "That's right, it was him. He wasn't a traitor, I'm the one he rescued from the little devils when I was young. Actually, I didn't want to tell you, what did Wang Dage write on the table? It was actually Wang Dage who didn't let me say. I was deceived into entering Wenxiangzui, originally with the determination to die together with my mother. One day, Wang Dage walked into the place where I was being held, followed by two people. Wang Dage spoke a few words in Japanese with them, and they left. Later, Wang Dage told me that after leaving the mountain stronghold, he went to Northeast China. He worked at a Japanese trading company there. One time, the boss's daughter fell into the water, and he rescued her. From then on, the boss looked at him differently, seeing that he had some ability, so he made him the manager of the trading company. One day, bandits came to the trading company, not only robbing it but also wanting to take away the boss's daughter, Sakata Junko. Wang Zhuangshan relied on his good martial arts skills, taking advantage of the opportunity to subdue the bandit leader Kui Long, saving Sakata Junko and the goods. He then discussed with Sakata Hongshi, Sakata Junko's father, that if they killed Kui Long, the bandits from Shangshan would definitely come for revenge, and in the end, neither side would benefit. It was better to spare their lives and show them kindness, which would also avoid a lot of trouble later on. Sakata Hongshi listened to Wang Zhuangshan's suggestion and spared Kui Long's life. Kui Long was grateful for Wang Zhuangshan's mercy and became sworn brothers with him. From then on, the business of Sakata Hongshi's trading company flourished even more. He didn't stop his daughter Sakata Junko from interacting with Wang Zhuangshan, and later they got married.

  The horse carriage galloped forward with a loud noise. Feng Tianxiong looked up at the sun, estimated the time, and continued to speak. Wang Zhuangshan didn't say why he came to Lingfeng this time, but only said that he saw Feng Tianxiong's name on a book here, so he came to take a look, unexpectedly it was really his sworn brother. After Wang Zhuangshan finished talking about his own affairs, he started chatting with Feng Tianxiong, advising him to surrender to the Japanese, but on the table, he wrote in water: "I'm in a difficult situation. There is a Japanese spy in Anmin Village, Kawabata Koji, codename Sakura, please return quickly and capture him, don't reveal my identity."

  Feng Tianxiong urged the horse to run faster, shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way. He said: "You already know what happened later, so I won't say more. Just before I came looking for you, I saw Deputy Ji of the 2nd Regiment leading Wang Dage towards the execution ground. I asked Deputy Ji what was going on and he said that Wang Dage was a Japanese spy who would be executed. I didn't dare to go forward and acknowledge him, so I came to find you to ask for help, see if there's any way to explain things and get him released."

  "Alright, I'll think of something."

  Wang Zhuangshan on the execution ground, was tied up with five flowers, he looked up at the sky, facing a dilemma.

  Jia Zhongyong walked up to Wang Zhuangshan and said: "I'll ask you one last time, what's the purpose of going to Lingfeng?"

  Wang Zhuangshan smiled wryly and said: "I'm a businessman, coming to Lingfeng is just for business, no other purpose."

  Jia Zhongyong sneered and said: "A Chinese man, willing to be a dog for the Japanese. Even when death is near, he still doesn't know to repent. I'll send him to see King Yan." He turned around, raised his hand towards the law enforcement team and shouted: "Raise your guns, take aim, prepare..."

  Wang Zhuangshan let out a long sigh, gazing up at the azure sky where an eagle was soaring. Then he heard a crisp gunshot.