Chapter 3 South of the Mountain and North of the Mountain (Third Part)

  Since entering the Liang Zhuanghui, Zhang Songling has never mentioned the matter of Hu Lu Island again, nor has he ever revealed to anyone his intention to avenge his classmates. In order not to attract attention from others, he didn't even ask how many bodies were carried into Hu Lu Island that day. He wanted revenge, he wanted to learn from Yu Rang and Jing Ke, thinking he had hidden his hatred deep enough, but unexpectedly, it was seen through by the old military advisor at a glance.

  Fortunately, the old military advisor did not stop his intention, but instead clearly expressed his appreciation and support for his plan. "A man who has suffered hardship will be rewarded by heaven, and you have been able to swallow your anger and avenge your fellow student's death. You are indeed a remarkable person! As for the current situation, don't worry, even if Qin Deguang finds out that you're in Weijiazhuang, as long as I don't give my consent, he won't be able to take you away!"

  This is not the old man bragging, according to Zhang Songling's observation over the past few days. The hunchbacked old military advisor is almost the second most powerful person in the Liang Zhuang Association. He is wise and resourceful, and can convince others. Even the master of the house, Wei Zhan Kui, has to weigh his words carefully and dare not refute them lightly.

  "But from now on, it's up to you!" The hunchbacked old military advisor continued without waiting for Zhang Songling to express his gratitude: "The person behind Qin Debang is his distant cousin Qin Deping. He's a big shot in the 29th Army, second only to Song Zheyuan. If you don't have any real power yourself, just relying on empty words as a poor student, do you think Song Zheyuan will take your side?"

  The answer is simple, even if Zhang Songling was not worldly-wise, he could still figure it out clearly. However, as for how to quickly improve his own strength, the old military advisor refused to give more guidance. He only told him that a gentleman can avenge a nine-generation feud. As long as he was willing to be patient, he would always find an opportunity.

  Zhang Songling didn't have the opportunity to avenge himself anywhere. At least, from the current situation of the Iron Blood League, he didn't have any hope of revenge. This self-defense organization established by the people themselves had more than 300 strong men in name, but most of them hadn't received any regular training. The total number of long and short firearms they held was only over 60, including the big bird guns made during the Gengzi year. Among them, there were more than a dozen hunting rifles with a range of less than 50 meters, and each time they loaded black gunpowder, it took at least half a minute.

  At this moment, the Lianzhuanghui account has a lot of money, under the name of defending the country and protecting the family, Wei Zhan Kui had repeatedly forced the villagers to pay. Whoever dares not to donate anti-Japanese rations to the Lianzhuanghui on time, Zhao Erzi and others will immediately take guns to block the door, tear down the house, dismantle the stove, and sweep away all the belongings of the family. In the end, they will also drive the whole family out of the village and never allow them to come back.

  "We are the anti-Japanese troops, do you understand what it means to be anti-Japanese?" More than once, Zhang Songling heard Wei Zhan Kui yelling at his fellow villagers who came to request a few more days to donate money. "If you don't pay up, our brothers will have to fight the Japanese on empty stomachs! You farmers, can you swing your hoes on an empty stomach? If our brothers lose because of hunger, whose fault is it?! You're not thinking of keeping the money and grain for the Japanese, are you?! Sabotaging the resistance is a capital offense! Fellow villagers, don't say I didn't warn you first!"

  Poor fellow villagers, how could they have seen such an array? Although no matter how hard they thought, they couldn't understand why their late payment of "donations" would become a disruption to the resistance against Japan. But when they saw the two blue-gray pistols on Wei Zhan Kui's waist, their legs softened by three points. Thinking carefully again, if the Japanese really attacked, maybe nothing would be left in their homes. It was better to donate some money to the Iron Blood Society, at least they could get through this current crisis.

  So, those with silver and copper coins donated them; those without donated food and livestock. Anyway, if you didn't donate, Wei Zhan'gui would send Zhao Erzi with a gun to search your house. It's better to take the initiative, lest others say "you refused the wine offered and ended up drinking the penalty wine!"

  For the four village squires and wealthy households, Wei Zhan Kui changed his approach. Money was a must for the village squires and wealthy households; otherwise, Wei would not be able to suppress others. However, the specific amount could be negotiated. Those with ample financial resources could donate more, while those who were less well-off could donate less. If someone had a thick face and wasn't afraid of being scolded as a miser, they could use grain as payment instead. If they didn't trust Wei's character and feared he would embezzle funds under the pretext of resisting Japan, they could send a trusted representative to supervise. In any case, the account books were in the hands of Wei Ding, the old military strategist of the Iron Blood Society, who was also the only old scholar within dozens of miles. Every expense was listed in detail, and everyone could check at any time.

  Many wealthy families and dignitaries have a lot of property, and they are even more afraid that the Japanese will come over and leave them with nothing. Moreover, Wei Zhan Kui is rough and generous in his behavior, but his heart may not be as broad-minded as he appears to be. If one offends him, he might pretend to be a bandit and show up at their doorstep in the middle of the night, and everyone can only swallow their teeth and keep quiet.

  So, the gentry and wealthy households of the four villages of Wei, Xiao, Lu, and Yang did not dare to really offend Wei Zhan Kui's face. The donated money and grain could only be more than the bottom price offered by Wei Zhan Kui, and they dared not be less than the bottom price offered by Wei Zhan Kui. Anyway, even if this kid Wei Zhan Kui is not trustworthy, there is still Old Military Advisor Wei Ding over there. He is a dignified Xiucai Gong, who has read a bellyful of sacred books, let alone his conduct in the ten-mile village is also obvious to everyone, and it's unlikely that he would cheat everyone under the banner of resisting Japan.

  With money and grain, wanting to develop and expand, the next two things are naturally recruiting soldiers and purchasing weapons. The first one is easy to say, since the village is called Lianzhuang Village, the young and strong men in the village have the obligation to join the army. But the second thing is more difficult, the 29th Army was originally the Second Group Army of Feng Yuxiang's National Revolutionary Army, after being reorganized by the Central Government, it has been neglected. It doesn't even have its own arsenal, and it won't sell weapons that are hard to come by to local militias. As for smugglers, because of the war in North China over the past two years, military equipment is extremely expensive. A half-new Hanyang rifle costs 10 silver dollars. As for a box cannon that can hold 20 rounds, it costs more than 150 yuan, and you have to pay half of the deposit several months in advance just to have a chance to get one. Compared to the exorbitant prices of guns, bullets are relatively cheap. Those from Shanxi province that "fell" into civilian hands from the arsenal, or those from Hengzhou county that were "destroyed" due to being defective, can be supplied at any time. But each bullet still costs 5 cents, equivalent to the price of a kilogram of white flour.

  Even if the Tiexuehui had ample funds, Wei Zhanqi did not dare to be too extravagant. The long guns were only purchased once, and he no longer contacted the unscrupulous merchants. As for the box cannons, so far, only seven have been bought. Two of them belong to him, one each for the three deputy leaders and Old Military Advisor Wei Ding. Another is hung on the wall of the conference hall as a morale booster. It was agreed that whoever kills Japanese people with the most bravery in the future will be rewarded with it.

  As a young man bearing a deep grudge, Zhang Songling yearned for a gun of his own. But the one hanging on the wall of the Iron Blood Union's conference hall was something he didn't dare to hope for. It wasn't just that he had no hope for that box cannon, but also for the future of the Iron Blood Union, which made him feel extremely uneasy. Moreover, this gloomy impression deepened with time. In other words, the longer he stayed in the Iron Blood Union, the more he understood the organization, and the more he felt that the team's prospects were bleak.

  "Just buying won't do. The money in the club didn't come easily, we have to be frugal!" Old Military Advisor Wei Ding was also worried about the current predicament of the Iron Blood Club. After running around for a while without getting good results, he again placed his hopeful gaze on Zhang Songling, "Little fatty, you've read many books and have broad knowledge. Can you help me think of something? How can we arm our brothers without spending money or spending less money? This would be a great achievement! If you can accomplish it, I'll go talk to Wei Zhan Kui and get him to promote you to deputy captain!"

  "You're an old man, what can I do?!" Zhang Songling couldn't afford to provoke or avoid the old military advisor in front of him, who was exuding a sinister aura. "Unless I write a letter home and ask my brother to help me out in Shandong Province. But then you'll have to agree to let my brother come and take me back home!"

  "No, no! Our Iron Blooded Brotherhood isn't a group of bandits who kidnap for ransom. How can we exchange you for military supplies?!" After hearing Zhang Songling's words, the hunchbacked old military advisor Wei Ding immediately shook his head like a rattle drum. "Think again, is there any other way? And another thing, your father being the owner of the warehouse is a secret, don't let anyone else know about it. Otherwise, one day when I'm not paying attention, who knows, someone might use your fingers to extort ransom from your family!"

  "Still saying it's not a bandit!" Zhang Songling sulkily pouted.

  "Think again, think again. You're not an ordinary person. Since the day I first laid eyes on you, I've been certain that you'll become a great talent in the future. And throughout history, those who have achieved greatness have always had good fortune that others can't even hope for!" The old military advisor Wei didn't seem to be joking at all, and continued to mutter to himself beside Zhang Songlin's ear.

  "If you don't have anything else to do, just sit here and rest for a while! I still have several accounts that need to be settled today!" Zhang Songling was too lazy to pay attention to this old man again, and turned his gaze back to the account book on the table. Due to his good abacus skills and clear handwriting, the old man had already handed over most of the accounting work to him. As a result, he had almost become the Iron Blood Society's full-time accountant, with countless silver and copper coins rolling in the darkness every night before he fell asleep.

  "It's just three pigs and a dozen or so stones of rice, what's the point of calculating it so clearly? Anyway, it won't run into someone else's belly!" Old General is extremely bored today, intentionally picking a quarrel out of nothing.

  "If I don't settle the account clearly, I'm afraid you'll take me for a fool in the future!" Zhang Songling looked up and glared at the old man with great dissatisfaction. As time passed, he became more and more convinced that the old man in front of him was an old lunatic who had gone crazy from acting. He always wanted to play the role of Zhuge Kongming, but couldn't find a Liu Bei, so whenever he saw someone, he wanted to put a pair of big ears on them.

  "No, no!" Old General Wei Ding repeatedly assured, at the same time a pair of old eyes began to shine brightly. "How would I take you for Li Yan? If I were Zhuge Liang, you would be Liu Shan. Whether or not you can be supported, I will exhaust my loyalty in assisting you!"

  Zhang Songling was so angry that he couldn't help but laugh, and with a push of the account book, he pointed out the window: "Your Liu Adou is outside fighting with someone, isn't it?! If you have nothing better to do, why don't you go give him some advice instead? Let him not always hide his bullets, every now and then shoot a couple of rounds at his brothers, so that when the day comes to fight against the Japanese, they won't even know how to hold their guns!"

  " Him?" The old military advisor patted his own waist, glanced at Wei Zhan Kui who was wrestling with Zhao Er Zi and others in the empty courtyard outside, shook his head very disdainfully, "He's at most a Liao Hua, not even qualified to be a general! I won't waste that spiritual energy on him!"

  Zhang Songling was shocked, never expecting that Wei Zhan Kui would be looked down upon so much in the eyes of this old thing. He furrowed his brow and refuted in a very small voice, "Then why did you push him out to be the president? Don't tell me, the Iron Blood Society's affairs are all manipulated by him alone. You can deceive me for one or two days, but not for a month!"

  He originally wanted to say "you can't fool me for a lifetime", but suddenly realized that it would give the other party the illusion that he was already prepared to take root in the Iron Blood Society. The words reached his lips, and he hastily changed his mouth. Old military advisor Wei Ding sneered, neither admitting nor denying, "It's not even a month yet, from the time you were tied up by Zhao Erzi and others, it's only been more than 20 days. Besides, if I treated you as an outsider, I would definitely not let you see so many things! Do you think you're smart? From the beginning, Wei Zhan Kui had a clear understanding of this matter in his heart! But he and I have our own goals, and we tacitly understand each other!"

  "I'm not interested in getting involved in your messy affairs!" Zhang Songling said, having gradually figured out the old man's temperament. He no longer spoke with caution as he had when he first joined the group. To avoid being forced to think of ways to get guns again, he stretched his waist and deliberately steered the conversation towards the topic that interested the other person the most. "I remember you said last time that the current situation is like the Three Kingdoms period of Wei, Shu, and Wu. But I recall that during the Three Kingdoms era, it was the Sima family who ultimately gained control of the world. The three surnames Cao, Sun, and Liu were busy for decades but ended up with nothing! You've matched the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu perfectly. But what about the Sima family? Who do you think will be the Sima family?"

  As soon as the overall situation was mentioned, Old Military Advisor Wei Ding's spirit lifted. His back straightened and his voice cleared up, he stood upright with a mysterious expression on his face, shaking his head, "This? Hehe, hehe. The heavenly plan cannot be revealed. Unless you little one promise to stay in the Iron Blood Society forever!"

  Zhang Songling didn't bother to negotiate with the old man, and immediately pretended to turn his head back to the account book. Anyway, he knew that in the entire Iron Blood Society, he was the only one who could patiently listen to the old man's "analysis" of the world situation, and wasn't worried about the other party being able to hold it in.

  As expected, after only half a stick of incense, Old General Wei Ding was already sweating profusely. He first ran to lock the door, then carefully checked outside again, making sure there was no one eavesdropping on his revelation, before leaning in close to Zhang Songling's ear and saying nervously: "I'm only telling you this, but you mustn't tell a third person."

  "Alright!" Zhang Songling casually agreed, just humoring the old man.

  "Enough!" The old military advisor only used three words to easily pierce Zhang Songling's heart. The account book in his hand fell to the ground with a "slap".

  Yu Rang, a famous assassin of the Warring States period. To avenge his friend, he changed his name and appearance, even burning his throat with hot charcoal and covering his whole body with black lacquer.

  Note 2: From Zuo Zhuan, Duke Zhuang of Lu's fourth year, spring. Duke Xiang of Qi destroyed the state of Ji. The ninth ancestor of Duke Xiang was once slandered by the Marquis of Ji and boiled to death in Zhou, so Duke Xiang destroyed Ji.

  PS: The 500-person QQ large group has been upgraded, welcome to join 7496, Jiutu is inside.