Chapter 4 The Flag Flutters (Part 1)

  Zhang Songling didn't dare to look back, he was afraid that if he looked back, he would give up. The numb people behind him weren't worth dying for, but if he also turned around and joined the fleeing crowd, he would become like them, from then on struggling in a dark world without dignity, living without any dignity, and dying without any dignity.

  So he could only resolutely go against the tide, walking towards where the smoke was rising. Even if in his heart he clearly knew that alone, he couldn't stop the Japanese devils' footsteps. Even if in his heart he clearly knew that doing this would have no other meaning besides sending himself to death.

  There must be one or two things in this life that are worth protecting with one's own life, otherwise what is the point of living?! Zhang Songling knew that his Blood Flower Society comrades were watching him from behind a certain cloud in the sky. He didn't dare to shame their heroic spirits. So even if it meant death, he would face the direction of the bullets and fall. At least later when he met Tian Huanzi and his wife, he could smile and say, "Tian brother, Han sister, how was I? Not too cowardly in my death, right?"

  On the main road leading to the east entrance of the village, there were Iron Blood Society members fleeing everywhere. When they saw Zhang Songling walking towards them with big strides, those guards instinctively wanted to dodge and avoid him. But when they saw Vice Captain Zhang walking past them with his head held high, they suddenly felt ashamed and almost couldn't show their faces.

  But their wives and children were all in Weizhuang, not like Zhang Songling who was a lone wolf! So they were ashamed to follow him to send themselves to death with Zhang Songling. Some of them grasped the Hanyang rifle in their hands and bid farewell to Zhang Songling's back with a watchful eye. Others simply threw away the fully loaded Hanyang rifle by the roadside, lest it would bring unpredictable disaster to themselves in the future.

  For these fleeing villagers, Zhang Songling did not make any stops. Unless he directly fired at the villagers, otherwise, with his current prestige, he could not stop anyone. And even if he took the boxed cannon to fight against the Japanese with these villagers, this team probably had no combat effectiveness at all. A group of cowards who scattered without even seeing the number of enemies, what effect can they have when forced up with a boxed cannon?! At most, it would add a few more points to the enemy's battle achievements.

  As he walked, someone suddenly pulled his arm. Zhang Songling was slightly stunned, quickly turned his head, and saw Zhao Erzi's eyes were completely red. "I'll go with you!" Zhao Erzi, who had already wiped away his tears, shouted loudly, "Our Iron Blood Society can't just eat other people's braised pork noodles for free!"

  "Then let's go together!" Zhang Songling nodded, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He was no longer alone, although the strength of two people was still not enough to build a defense line.

  There's the first, then there's the second. Soon after, two more Iron Blood Society members, Zhuang Ding, caught up. One was named Cui Tusheng and the other Cui Laoba. Each of them had four or five Hanyang-made guns slung over their shoulders, and each wore a flattering smile on their face. "Deputy Captain Zhang, don't go so fast, take us two with you. Anyway, we still have brothers at home, no shortage of labor!"

  They knew they would die, so their voices were trembling. Zhang Songling didn't dare to look down on them anymore, and he stretched out his left hand to take the two Hanyang-made guns from the other's shoulder, "Alright! Let's go together and let those little devils know our strength!"

  Four people, more than a dozen guns, enough to scare the devils half to death. The only question is where to set up the battlefield for maximum advantage. Still need to deliberate carefully. Best would be a relatively narrow place, where the enemy is exposed and we are hidden, making it harder for the little devils.

  Zhao Erzi was familiar with the terrain around the village and saw Zhang Songling's gaze wandering around. He immediately understood what he was looking for. After thinking for a moment, he quickly proposed, "There are several piles of rotten stones at the east entrance of the village, which were specifically piled up by the Xiucai grandfather. If the Japanese devils come from the east, that is the only way to go."

  At his reminder, Zhang Songling immediately remembered. The stone mill at the east entrance of the village was a public facility for the whole village, adjacent to the only main road that traversed the village. In the past, every day passing by there, Zhang Songling always felt that the several piles of rotten stones nearby were very unsightly. Now it seems that Old Military Advisor Wei Ding had long been prepared to fight the devils to the death.

  "Then let's go to the roller room!" Nodding in approval of Zhao Erzi's proposal.

  Although he was much older than Zhang Songling in terms of qualifications and position in the Iron Blood Society, Zhao Erzi was still delighted that his advice had been recognized by the other party, smiled and continued: "Later you will be the commander in the grinding room, and we three will be your subordinates. You say where to fight, and we three will fight wherever you say!"

  "This..." Zhang Songling instinctively wanted to decline, but before he could say anything, he heard Cui Tusheng shouting in a hoarse voice, "The little devils are coming! No, not the little devils, it's the Imperial Scholar, it's the Imperial Scholar!"

  The one who can be called "Xiucai Gong" by the villagers of Cuizhuang is none other than the hunchbacked old military advisor. Zhang Songling was overjoyed and didn't bother to argue with Zhao Erzi about command authority anymore, he quickly grabbed his rifle and ran out to greet him, "Military Advisor, Military Advisor, come this way, come this way, we're over here..."

  "Look, look!" The old hunchbacked military advisor put one arm on Xiao Wu's shoulder, his face covered with mud and blood. "Where is Yang Laosi? Where is he?"

  Zhang Songling hesitated, not knowing how to explain to the old man that Deputy Director Yang Dashun had already led people to raid the warehouse and escape. At such a close distance, he could clearly see that the old military advisor's injuries were severe. Half of his pant leg was soaked in blood, and under the cloth wrapped around his head, dark red blood continued to seep out.

  The old military advisor is what kind of person? Just from Zhang Songling's expression, I guessed that something might have happened to Zhuangzi. He waved his other arm and laughed generously: "Forget it, let him go. Everyone has their own ambitions, no one can force them. How many people did you bring out? Did you also bring enough bullets?"

  Another question that cannot be answered. Zhang Songling, Zhao Erzi, Cui Tuseng and Cui Laoba stared blankly at the old man, their faces filled with bitter smiles.

  "Alright, our Iron Blood Society still has a few seedlings left!" The old military advisor with the hunched back waved his arm again, declaring acceptance of reality. "Four people isn't a small number either, add me to that and we can form the Five Tigers General!"

  "And me, six!" Cui Xiaowu raised his sweaty head from under the old military advisor's armpit, protesting reluctantly.

  "Six, you five are the Five Tiger Generals, I am Old Zhuge!" The old strategist smiled, struggled to get around the pile of stones, leaned on a discarded millstone, and slowly sat down. "Today we'll stay here and put on a show for those little Japanese devils - Mt. Dingjun!"

  "You just deploy your troops and give orders, we'll follow your command!" Zhang Songling was worried that he didn't understand commanding, seeing the old man's bold words, he quickly responded with a Peking Opera-style singing tone.

  "Good!" The old military advisor laughed loudly, his voice like a bell. "Come on, beat the drum and raise the banner!"

  "Agreed!" At this moment, everyone had already put life and death aside and joined hands in harmony.

  The old general patted the abandoned millstone under him, and indeed had a bit of the style of a famous corner. "Come on, little Wu Zi, go and light up the beacon tower on the back mountain for me!"

  "Got it!" The fifth son dragged out his voice in response, trying to comfort the old man as he left. He accepted the order but didn't immediately go to light the beacon fire. Instead, he smiled and whispered, "Military strategist, Grandfather Military Strategist, even if we light the beacon fire, what's the use?! Our own villagers have all run away, let alone expecting others from neighboring villages!"

  "Go and light the beacon if you're told to, otherwise, it's military law! The old general with a hump on his back glared with his eyes, unangered yet authoritative. "Doesn't the old man know there are no reinforcements? Lighting the beacon earlier can also let the surrounding villages know that the Japanese devils have come. Let them hurry up and escape!"

  "Yes!" Understanding the old man's painstaking efforts, Xiao Wuzi respectfully cupped his hands and ran swiftly to the back mountain to light the beacon fire. Watching the young figure's back, the old military advisor softly sighed, "This child, if he truly is clever, then he will know not to return!"

  It's probably clear in his heart that Xiao Wuzi is not "cunning" enough, shaking his head, he turned his gaze to a few others, "Ersi, Tusheng, you two, put all the guns behind the stone pile, the devils are coming soon. They don't know how many of us there are!"

  "Hmm!" Zhao Erzi and Cui Tusheng responded in unison, jogging off to set up the guns. In an instant, over a dozen Hanyang-made rifles poked out from behind several large rocks, their black muzzles pointing straight at the main road leading into the village. At first glance from outside, one would definitely think that the village had already been set up with a trap, just waiting for the foolish birds to fly right in.

  "This, take it!" The old military advisor trembled as he took out his original imported box cannon from his bosom, along with two clips of ammunition, and handed them to Zhang Songling. "It shoots farther than the one in your hand and is less likely to jam."

  "What about you?!" Zhang Songling didn't go to pick him up, but instead asked softly in return.

  "Nonsense, of course I'm sitting safely in the middle tent! When have you ever seen Zhuge Liang go to battle and fight with his life?!" The old military advisor smiled, and with a flick of his wrist, he slapped the pistol case into Zhang Songling's palm. "I tried it out just now, but it's completely inaccurate. No point in wasting bullets. You take it, you can still use it to kill a few more little devils!"

  With the old man's current injuries, it is indeed not suitable to continue shooting and killing enemies. Zhang Songling nodded in understanding, inserted the box cannon into his waist, and then stretched out his hand to explore the old man's armpit, "I'll send you to the room with the bed, that's our command center!"

  "I'm not going anywhere!" The old military advisor's legs exerted force simultaneously, as if a thousand pounds had fallen on the abandoned millstone. "I'll stay here and watch you guys kill the devils, cheering for you! Once you're gone, I'll..." He sneered, opening his black overcoat to reveal hand grenades at his waist. The covers were already unscrewed, with three-inch-long fuses exposed, shining brightly white.

  "General!" Zhang Songling felt a surge of hot air rush from his heart to his brain. He took a step back, sincerely bowing to the old man with a genuine gesture.

  "What's there to discuss?! Alright." The old man suddenly put on a sly face, smiling awkwardly as he drew closer to Zhang Songling.

  "You said!" Zhang Songling sniffled and responded in a low voice.

  "Call me Grandpa!" The old military advisor said quickly, and immediately turned his head, not daring to look at Zhang Songling's reaction.

  "Grandpa!" Zhang Songling rushed towards the old man and bowed again, shouting sincerely.

  "Good boy!" The old man stretched out his hand and tentatively touched Zhang Songling's occipital bone, as if he had gained a great advantage. His wrinkled face was full of satisfaction.

  He immediately put away his smile and stood up straight with all his might, "Brothers, the enemy army is coming, let's form a battle array to meet them!"

  "Got it!" Zhang Songling and the others dragged out their voices in unison, responding. They wiped away tears and quickly hid behind a pile of stones.