Chapter 22: Who's Afraid of Whom?

  Behind us, a dozen or so luxury crawlers were closing in on us, their formation was quite impressive. The familiar luxurious crawler led the way, and that bastard was still at the forefront of the charge. Shān Hǔ looked at me with admiring eyes, "Xiǎo Qiū, awesome! You're really good at this, you can predict when they'll come!" Of course, that little brat wasn't one to give up easily, he had taken a huge loss and wouldn't just let it go. If he didn't come, it wouldn't be like him. These young masters were all like this, they couldn't take even the slightest loss. In the future, we need to think things through carefully, especially Shān Hǔ, who can't afford to be careless. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I briefly explained to them why I thought they would come. The few of them listened intently, nodding their heads, and I took the chance to instill some basic tactical theories and ways of thinking in them, which would be greatly beneficial for their growth. After all, these few were the backbone of the team and would have to share the heavy responsibilities with me in the future.

  The wind grew tighter, the sound of horseshoes and bells could be heard, we ran on the snowy ground. You know, they are mechanized, four legs! If you're not careful, you'll be caught up in a joke, even if you win, it's a miserable victory, our few will be injured and bleeding, isn't that a blow to my reputation?

  From a distance, all they saw was our backs as we fled in panic. This guy's role is to perform to the fullest, and he did so with even greater swagger. The sound of shouting and laughter carried on the wind, something like "Quickly chase them! Don't let those little rascals get away!" I'm guessing there were also some threats about breaking legs or arms, and after it's all over, they'd go back to drink and have fun with the girls at the brothel. I didn't quite catch everything that was said, but it was definitely not kind words or human language. They jumped down from their rickshaws and chased after us without stopping, like a swarm of bees, fueled by fine wine and beautiful women. The evil fire they stirred up was quite potent! I turned my head back to look, and "hahaha" laughed out loud. Ahead of me, several people were fleeing in disarray, while behind me, a large group of over a hundred people were shouting and screaming like wolves, eager for blood. What a scene!

  Three days can't climb to the riverbank, stupid turtle! Don't even think about it with your hind brain, if you want to run, you would have been gone long ago, and you still let me catch up! Are you waiting for me to bring a large team to wrap dumplings? Since you're not running away, but still waiting for me here, that means you're confident and prepared. Damn it, what bad luck, how did I meet this treasure of an opponent, a complete weak-minded brainless person! As the saying goes, "What you get is not what you want, what you lack is not what you need!" I, Tang Qiuli, am a peerless master, lonely and sad. This virgin battle is not exciting enough, let's just consider it an appetizer to warm up my teammates!

  This run and chase, in the conversation, has already passed more than ten miles, we have no business, this road is like a game, but later it's not okay. At first, the momentum was quite good, and the distance was opened up, dragging on for a long time, and from time to time there were a few who made some dog-like movements. Later, we didn't run either, keeping a distance, leading them into the ditch. With this tactic of waiting in ambush, this battle has no suspense!

  As we entered the mountain pass, seeing them follow us, we quickened our pace and disappeared ahead in a few strides. The ones behind, probably getting anxious, started making louder noises again. After turning around a mountain foot, we ran into companions who were hurrying back with sleds, everyone gathered together and stopped at Guī Tóu Yá (Ghost Head Cliff) to wait for them. I gestured upwards towards the mountain, Autumn Spring Brother poked his head out, gave me a hand signal, and hid again. I took a closer look, ah, he was well hidden, I intentionally observed carefully but couldn't figure out where the person was hiding, not bad, has skills, has the talent of a special forces soldier.

  As I turned my head, I saw Yun Fei and Yun Peng, those two little brothers, also following back. Good kids, not listening to orders anymore! But now is not the time to deal with them. "You two step back, we'll settle accounts when we get back," I glared at them with a huff of anger. The two kids shrunk their necks and hid behind the crowd. At this moment, the sun was about to set behind the mountains. Autumn Brother, Mountain Tiger, and several older comrades with excellent martial arts skills stood in front, while the rest of us formed a battle array behind them. The crowd fell silent, with only the increasingly strong cold wind blowing, causing the treetops to creak and sway. The sky was overcast, and it seemed that there would be a big snowfall tonight. Mountain Tiger stepped forward, but I stopped him with my hand. Good brother, I understand your intention - you want to sacrifice yourself to protect me, but today, I must take the lead in battle. If my comrades behind me are like a bow full of power, then Tang Qiuli will be the arrow shot out, never looking back, only for the responsibility on our shoulders and the faith in our hearts! Silence is the accumulation of explosive energy. I felt the rising battle spirit from my comrades behind me, like a thick wall standing behind me, making me feel extremely secure. My hot blood was burning again, and my silent eyes stared intently at the open space ahead, the winding snowy road stretching far into the distance. A chaotic mixture of footsteps and shouts broke the silence in front of us... they were catching up!

  The leader was none other than Young Master Gou, who was surprisingly enthusiastic, taking the lead with his chest out, holding a white fox fur cloak in his hand, panting heavily, his oily hair disheveled and dripping with sweat. His appearance was quite something! He looked like he had been chased by dogs for miles, and the people behind him caught up and stopped about ten meters in front of me. With both hands on his knees, he panted for a while, finally catching his breath. He raised his head, staring at me intently with an air of triumph and ferocity in his eyes.

  "Run, yeah, run! Why aren't you running? You're so slow that even a young master can catch up to you. Those poor kids dare to hit me? Don't they know who the young master is? In an area of hundreds of miles, no one dares to touch my finger, but you guys are so bold! How dare you provoke me?" After finishing speaking, he laughed triumphantly, forgetting how cold the wind was, and choked, coughing violently. Luckily, he didn't pass out from lack of breath. It's really worrying that I might cough up my lungs!

  It turns out that this is where the idiom "the strong winds have slapped his tongue" comes from. Ugh, I strongly despise these kinds of weak and brainless people. Oh, this is called running away? Can't you even see that? These twenty years of experience are all for nothing, and you're still pretending to be a big shot in the Jianghu world? This is called waiting in ambush, just wait until you come to my door!

  The people who fell behind, they also caught up, stopped behind Xiao Shao, there were more than a hundred people, each one panting like a train head, emitting white steam, almost sticking out their tongues. Look at this, it's exhausting enough, what a pity! You guys don't take physical exercise seriously, or you've been drained by wine and women, the consequences are severe, right? Your lungs are about to explode! I reckon if we run another ten miles, we'll all die from spitting blood.

  I carefully scanned the thugs brought by Xiao Shao, and first saw the nine armed men. They were all robust and fierce-looking, with no signs of fatigue despite having run a long distance. They stood in a straight line behind the crowd, wearing black trousers and jackets, with four-inch-wide leather belts around their waists. I couldn't help but worry about whether Autumn Spring and his men could handle them.

  What caught my attention was the rifle slung over each of their shoulders. The guns looked brand new, with no signs of wear on the brown leather holsters and ammunition belts. This was a rare commodity in our country at that time, especially since we didn't have automatic weapons or submachine guns. These rifles were not well-received in Europe because they were too large to be carried as pistols, had a low capacity of 20 rounds, and had a shorter range compared to submachine guns.

  However, in our country, particularly on the battlefield against the Japanese, these rifles shone brightly, especially in close combat or street fighting. The Japanese Type 38 rifle was no match for them. I couldn't help but drool at the sight of these guns, just like seeing a beautiful woman lying on a bed. It was unbearable.

  I had to think of a way to get my hands on one of those rifles. No need to elaborate on that. These few men were Xiao Shao's trump card, and it seemed he didn't plan to start shooting right away, or else they would have been standing at the front. Good, the situation was still under my control!

  Look at Gou Shao's gang, what a mess! They're all mixed together, with some looking like big shots and others dressed in all sorts of attire. The whole group looks like a bunch of thugs! But they all have one thing in common - a face that says "I'm a hoodlum" with eyes gleaming with malice and an expression that says "I'm ready to fight". It's clear that these are Gou Shao's buddies, his drinking and eating companions. As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together", and it seems that those who follow Gou Shao aren't any good either! Fighting against this trash doesn't weigh on my conscience at all. This kid has really brought out the big guns, gathering so many people in such a short time. It looks like he's got some charisma after all! Each of them is carrying something - some have cleavers, some have iron rods, and two are even holding nine-section whips. Have they practiced before? Don't get too cocky or you'll end up hurting yourself! This lineup might be enough to bully ordinary citizens, but against us brothers, do you think you can get away with it?

  "What's wrong, little brat? Afraid now? Why don't you dare to make a sound? This little brat's arrogance is getting more and more out of control. It's true that when there are many dogs, they become bold, and when there are many people, they start to riot." The one surnamed Gou said, "Today, what do you want to do? Draw a line and we'll continue from there. You're not the only one who can bully others!" I retorted.

  "What do you want to do?" he asked. "It's simple. Kneel down and apologize, return the fish that was taken away, take those few little brats with me, and each of them will pay 30 big yuan as a fine. This is still the young master showing mercy. If not, there won't be such a good deal!" The little brat's mouth was foaming at the corners, spitting out conditions.

  "Go dream! No way! Not one of those conditions can be met," I replied calmly.

  "Aiya, don't give face to someone who doesn't deserve it. Can't even do these few things? Today, no one will be able to leave! Where are those few girls, especially the little girl who hit me in the face? Where is she hiding?" He turned his head and leered at this group of people, saying: "Brothers, these few little girls are really lively, with delicate skin and tender flesh. If you pinch them, they'll ooze water. Later, when we catch them, we can do it on the spot. Everyone will have a share, don't do anything bad, or else we'll sell them to the brothel and make money for the young master! I've already said that the most attractive one is mine, the young master wants to play with her well, after playing enough, he'll give her to you as a reward. You haven't seen this little girl, she has big breasts, a slender waist, and a seductive appearance. She's sure to make you lose your souls, thinking of doing it with her ten times in one night."

  A burst of lewd laughter erupted, and several of these guys were almost drooling. This group of scum, trash, and degenerates, with their minds full of lust, had come back for revenge, partly because they coveted the beauty of Ling Jie and the other girls. Just based on this conversation, heaven wouldn't forgive this trash, and Tang Ye would take care of him today. Why leave him to harm others, waste food while alive, and occupy land when dead?

  Language can't solve practical problems, it's time to take action. "Go!" I shouted loudly, my internal force surging into my legs, and with a swift movement, I dashed out, this one step covering five or six meters, has my lightness skill improved? Rushing straight towards the villain, catch the king first! This trash is mine! The mountain tiger beside me let out a loud roar, like a heavy tank, charging directly into the crowd, surprisingly even faster than me by a step. Our companions behind us all shouted and followed us in the charge, for a moment, clubs flashed everywhere, a chaotic battle finally unfolded...

  （）