Chapter 58: Sudden Calamity at Linping

  Eliminate treacherous officials

  Yexiang said, "It's not easy to kill Yue Gaoxuan. He married nine wives and every three, six or nine days he comes to Mudanfang just to let others know that he is a man."

  Xiu Zhu smiled and said: "Is he a woman?"

  Here is the translation:

  "Women are all the same. This scoundrel was originally a young master from a wealthy family, leading a group of hoodlums, indulging in food, drink, prostitution, and gambling, doing all sorts of evil things. He not only drove his father to death, but also drove his mother mad, and sold off his wife and children just to get a smoke and spend the night in a brothel. As the saying goes, 'Heaven's wrath can be forgiven, but human wrath cannot be tolerated.' In the end, he squandered the family fortune and contracted venereal disease, once becoming homeless and wandering the streets. Later, when the Japanese came, he followed them like a dog, searching for anti-Japanese patriots everywhere, brutally killing them one by one. After his power grew, he framed people with false charges, harming those who had offended him, saying they had anti-Japanese sentiments and connections with anti-Japanese elements, confiscating their property and exterminating their families, with cruelty rivaling that of the Japanese devils. He was afraid of being ridiculed for lacking masculinity, so he forcibly married nine concubines and kept them idle at home, often visiting the brothels to show off, just to deceive others and himself. Knowing his sins were deep and his enemies many, he was extremely cautious, always carrying bodyguards with him. Even when eating and drinking at the brothel, he would only eat and drink after the people who brought the food and drinks had tasted them first. So, it's not easy to kill him. But this plan of yours is almost foolproof." She played with the cigarette in her hand, smiled at Cloud Toward Heaven, and said: "Young Master, leave your friend at my door, and erase the sign that led you here. The man surnamed Yue is always suspicious and on guard everywhere. Don't let him discover any weaknesses and ruin our plan."

  As soon as the lanterns were lit, the Peony Lane became lively, but this liveliness was filled with a rotten atmosphere. Red sleeves fluttered about, and obscene language echoed back and forth. The evil demon opened its big mouth, mercilessly devouring the souls of those who came to seek pleasure. This added a heavy stroke to the royal land under Japanese occupation.

  Yue Gaoxuan arrived, bringing four bodyguards who burst into the room of Ye Lai Xiang. The four bodyguards quickly checked every corner of the house to ensure safety before Yue Gaoxuan sat down at a table filled with wine and dishes. He waved his hand, and the four bodyguards tactfully left the room. Yue Gaoxuan poured himself a full cup of wine, pulled Ye Lai Xiang into his arms and said: "Come, baby, let's have one first."

  "Master Yue, every time you come, you always make me drink a cup first. Is this a punishment or a reward for me?" After finishing the wine in one gulp, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of each dish.

  Yue Gaoxuan hugged Ye Lai Xiang, who was pouring wine, and smiled lewdly: "Of course, it's a reward for you, baby." He didn't drink or eat immediately, but kept teasing Ye Lai Xiang with ambiguous words.

  After a while, Ye Lai Xiang picked up the wine cup and placed it at Yue Gaoxuan's lips, speaking softly: "Yue, stop teasing me, you're making my heart itch with your words. Why don't you really take me home and let me sit in the position of the eldest madam? It would be worth all the deep feelings I've had for you. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, just drink." She slowly poured wine into Yue Gaoxuan's mouth.

  Yue Gaoxuan was eating the dishes that Ye Lai Xiang had served him, while saying: "Master Yue won't deceive you, in a day or two, I'll use a flower sedan chair to take you back home. Let you become my legitimate tenth wife." As he spoke, his head tilted and he was about to fall over.

  Jasmine hurriedly helped him up, but with a smile on her face, she said: "Ah yo yo, brother-in-law, brother-in-law. Why are you in such a hurry today? Alright, alright, let's go to bed." Then there were sounds of movement coming from inside the room.

  Outside the door, four bodyguards heard the commotion inside and smiled knowingly. Inside, Yun Xiangtian, who had crawled in through the back window, tied up Yue Gaohuan with a rope around his waist, then lowered him out of the window. Liang Dayong and Wei Sanxi caught him below and stuffed him into a sack, which they threw onto a rickshaw that had been prepared in advance. Yun Xiangtian also slid down the rope from the window and joined Liang Dayong and Wei Sanxi in pulling the rickshaw away quickly. Ye Lai Xiang tidied up the rope, sat on the edge of the bed, smoothed out her hair, then pulled the quilt over a pile of clothes to make it look like someone was sleeping underneath. After doing all this, she calmed down slightly and stood up, saying: "Master Yue, you rest first, I'll go get some silver ear soup with ice sugar to nourish your body." She opened the door, smoothed out her hair again, picked up her handbag, and walked outside. As she opened the door, two of the bodyguards at the entrance glanced inside towards the bed. Ye Lai Xiang closed the door behind her, facing the bodyguards' prying eyes, and said: "Shoo, get out of my way."

  In an abandoned house in the city, Yue Gaoxuan was tied to a chair. His face felt cool and he slowly came to. Yan Xue held a water scoop in front of him. Seeing that he had woken up, she turned her head to say to Yun Xi Tian: "Young Master, he's awake."

  Yue Gaohuan, who was suddenly awakened by the cold water, opened his dazed eyes to look at everything in front of him. Xiuzhu fiercely kicked him and said: "Take a good look, take another look and I'll gouge out your dog eyes."

  Yue Gaoxuan stared at Xiu Zhu's stunning figure with his beady eyes, her beauty surpassing that of a peach blossom without the need for makeup. He still didn't know life or death and said: "Good little chick, let Grandfather Yue go, I'll take you as my tenth concubine. Follow me to enjoy endless wealth and glory, what do you say?"

  Xiu Zhu's face turned pale, her lips trembling, just about to erupt. The door opened and Ye Lai Xiang walked in with a smile, she came to Yue Gao Xuan's side and said in a soft voice: "Yue Ye, how can you not keep your word? Didn't we agree that I would be the tenth concubine? Why did it become her instead? You're so heartless. How should I punish you? Maybe I'll sew your mouth shut." She took out a steel needle from her handbag and stabbed it into Yue Gao Xuan's mouth.

  Yue Gaoxuan, with a mouthful of blood, cursed: "You stinky ***, do you think you can escape? Quickly let Grandfather go, Grandfather will settle the score. Otherwise, when Grandfather gets out, he'll strip you all naked and send you to the Japanese, letting you know what it means to be unable to live or die."

  Yun Xiang Tian walked up with a smile and said: "Hey, is that Mr. Yue? Did you think you'd be able to get out today?"

  Yue Gaoxuan looked at Yun Xiangtian who was calm and composed, and suddenly became tense. He nervously asked: "Who are you? What's the purpose of catching me?"

  Yun Xiangtian played with the dagger in his hand, still smiling and saying: "General Yue, I am Yun Xiangtian of the Eight Route Army's Fengling Mountain Li Gui Brigade. I came here just to borrow something from you."

  "Borrow, borrow something? Borrow what?"

  "Want to borrow your head for a moment to pay respects to those you killed, otherwise why would I invite you here for no reason?"

  Yue Gaoxuan panicked: "Officer Yun, Master Yun, spare my life! I have money and guns, just let me go, and I'll do whatever you want."

  Yun Xiangtian put the dagger on the table and said, "What? Now you're afraid. Alright, I'll give you a chance. You draw me a map of the Japanese garrison's deployment in Linping, then we'll see."

  Yue Gaoxuan hesitated for a moment, and in order to save his life, he said: "I'll draw, I'll draw. But you have to keep your word."

  Yun Xiang Tian smiled and said: "Paint, as long as what you paint is true, I will never kill you."

  After some effort, Yue Gaoxuan finally drew out the city defense map. He handed the map to Yun Xiangtian and said: "This is the deployment of Linping's military strength. Can I go now?"

  "Of course. As long as they agree, you can leave anytime."

  Yue Gaoxuan felt a sense of foreboding and shouted loudly: "Yun Xiangtian, you, you don't keep your word, you said you wouldn't kill me."

  "Ah, yes, I said I won't kill you, but they want to rid the people of evil, what can I do? You'd better ask them! Ask the innocent souls you've killed! Asking me is useless, I'm not going to kill you anyway." He turned around and shouted towards the door: "Brother Wang, come in for a moment!"

  Yun Xiang Tian was about to speak to Wang Qi when a mournful cry came from the other side. He turned his head and saw that Yue Gaoxuan was kneeling on the ground with blood all over his mouth, knocking his head and shouting: "Aunties, spare my life! I won't dare again, please forgive me!"

  Yun Xiang furrowed his brow and said, "A fine old fellow, learning to be a dog, still has the face to call out. Zhuer sister, our Eighth Route Army killing devils and eliminating traitors is a righteous deed, but we are humans not little devils, we follow humanitarianism." He pulled Wang Qi towards the outside of the door, while softly muttering, "His face is all bruised up, will anyone still recognize him tomorrow morning? What a fuss, also afraid to alert the little devils."

  Yun Xiang Tian asked Wang Qi as they stepped out of the door: "Do you remember the names of those four people that Ye Lai Xiang told you about?"

  "Remember, absolutely no mistake."

  "Alright, you take Liang Dayong and Wei Sanxi with you, proceed according to plan, don't expose your identities, and return to the warehouse immediately after the action."

  "Alright, boss. Everything goes according to plan, no exposure of identity, and return to the warehouse after the action is completed."