Chapter Thirty-Three: Encounter with the Enemy in Wind and Snow

  The fierce wind howled, and the snowflakes danced wildly. Outside the cave, it had become a world of raging blizzards. The heavy snowfall was accompanied by strong gusts that swept through the valleys and forests like an enraged silver dragon. The sky and earth were a blur, making it impossible to see anyone in front of you. In this kind of weather, all living creatures hid in their chosen dens, escaping the wrath of heaven.

  This is a blizzard, what the people of Kanto commonly call "big smoke bubble" snow. Often after one snowfall, every household's doors and windows are buried, and the door can't be pushed open at all. You have to wait until the snow stops and the sky clears up, then the young and strong men in the village climb out through the window, hurry to clear the snow in front of the door with tools, dig a path, first open the door, and do this house by house. Only then can the people inside be considered safe. As for houses collapsing under the weight of the snow, that's a common occurrence. The snow alone isn't deadly; the key is the wind, which blows so hard it's impossible to stand upright or keep your eyes open. If you're outdoors and can find something like a cave, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, just wait for death.

  At the moment, Tang Qiu and his group were extremely lucky because they had foreseen it, had ample time, prepared thoroughly, didn't lack food at all, and even had a sumptuous feast. The bonfire was burning brightly, and no matter how strong the wind and snow were outside, nothing happened inside the cave, letting the storm rage on outside with all its might.

  In this "big smoke bubble" snowy day, there is such a good hiding place, with things to burn and things to eat. It's probably the blessing of the previous life. At the entrance of the cave, Autumn Spring brother blocked it with branches he had chopped down, so that the snow wouldn't pour in. As a result, outside was chaotic, but inside the cave, the fire was burning brightly, peaceful and serene. The mutton was being roasted on the fire, filling the whole cave with fragrance.

  Near the entrance, there is a new neighbor. What's this? A mother wolf with a litter of wolf cubs. In the first half of tonight, the mother wolf led her children and rushed in. Perhaps the violent snowstorm outside made the mother wolf panic and lose her way. To save their lives, they saw a place to hide and rushed in. As soon as they entered the cave, both humans and wolves were stunned, staring at each other foolishly.

  The wolf reacted first, its body charged forward, blocking the wolf cub behind it. Its fangs were bared, the hair on its back stood up, and a low growl came from its throat. The wolf had never expected to encounter humans here, just as Tang Qiuli had not expected wolves to rush in. Shan Hu stretched out his hand to grab his gun, but was stopped by Tang Qiuli's gesture. In this way, the wolf occupied one side, while the humans occupied the other, and for the time being, they coexisted peacefully.

  It's clear that this female wolf hasn't eaten for several days, her belly is sunken. Tang Qiuli was observing a wild wolf at such close range for the first time, feeling extremely curious.

  Although the two sides are temporarily at peace, they dare not guarantee that when everyone is asleep, the wolf will suddenly become wild and make a move on someone's throat, so it was decided that except for Xiaoling, the four boys would take turns keeping watch, and this time it was Tang Qiuli's turn.

  It's already the second half of the night, Tang Qiuli's eyes are fixed on the wolf, and the wolf is also vigilantly watching Tang Qiuli. Both sides are mutually vigilant, but there is absolutely no hostility. Instead, those few little wolf cubs have aroused his great interest. These little guys, with their fluffy bodies, are only about two or three months old, just like ordinary small dogs. They look like they're starving, and when they smell the meat fragrance in the cave, they move forward, ignoring even the mother wolf's low warning growl.

  The mother wolf stood up and assumed an attacking posture as the little wolves approached the fire. Just as they were about to get close, the fire suddenly crackled loudly, sending a burst of sparks high into the air, scaring the little wolves so much that they tumbled over each other in their haste to turn around and run away. Their short legs moved clumsily as they rolled around on the ground like furry balls. These wild animals are naturally afraid of fire, so when camping outdoors, it's essential to keep a safe distance from the fire.

  Tang Qiuli burst out laughing, his childlike innocence and magnanimity on full display as he tossed the leftover mutton bones to the wolf cubs. The little ones immediately began to devour them voraciously, their hunger still not sated even after finishing. They crept closer, and Tang Qiuli continued to feed them with some remaining meat scraps, also tossing the mutton's internal organs to the mother wolf. As they interacted back and forth, the wolf cubs grew bolder, eventually rubbing against his legs. Tang Qiuli finally got to pet the wolf cubs, feeling an unexpected surge of affection in his heart. He hastily pulled out more meat to feed them, while the mother wolf ate on one side, watching him with cautious eyes. Seeing him feed her children, perhaps due to animal instinct, she felt that this person wouldn't bring harm to them and began to eat with abandon.

  These little guys were full, probably feeling warm by the fire, and actually fell asleep next to his legs, still snoring happily. Tang Qiuli couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, this was too ridiculous! The mother wolf also put her mind at ease, lying down with her eyes closed, but the corner of her eye was still watching Tang Qiuli.

  Outside the cave, the cold wind howled and snowflakes danced, while inside the cave, the bonfire crackled warmly. The air was cozy, and at his feet were a few adorable little creatures with fluffy fur, their mother sleeping peacefully nearby. The scene before him filled Tang Qiuli's heart with serenity and emotion. He had once doubted himself, wondering if he was a bloodthirsty killer, especially during those days at Sanhe River when he beheaded the enemy. The question had lingered, subtly troubling him.

  He also knew that this disturbance would affect the determination of important issues in the future and even affect the fate of this team.

  But Tang Qiuli had also found excuses for himself, that he was still inexperienced, and at this moment, he had a feeling of sudden enlightenment, that all things coexisted in harmony, just like the few small wolf cubs sleeping soundly by his leg, trusting him so much, without any killing or violence between them, with a peaceful heart.

  But the Japanese devils are different, they are invaders, brutal beasts. When this group of armed-to-the-teeth beasts breaks into your beautiful and peaceful home, burning, killing, and looting at will, if you show them tolerance and forgiveness, it is indulging their beastly nature. Your mercy and kindness are only fueling their ferocity, handing over your life unconditionally to the beasts, letting them slaughter at will. Is such tolerance, forgiveness, and kindness a virtue?

  No, I, Tang Qiuli, do not want such virtue, do not want to win a bit of false reputation. To retaliate with teeth for teeth, with blood for blood, and to rule with violence is the best way to deal with beasts that have lost their most basic humanity! In my team, we will never accept the surrender of Japanese devils, nor will we take prisoners. Our treatment of them is to exterminate them all, not a single one left!

  With these thoughts, Tang Qi's mood became more relaxed and he began to feel drowsy. In a daze, he felt a rough, warm tongue licking his face and hands, lightly and ticklishly, as if it had circled around him several times, sniffing at his body. This feeling made him very comfortable.

  Suddenly, a burst of energy, woke up from the daze, heard the wind outside seemed to have decreased a lot, rubbed his eyes, that female wolf and several wolf cubs had disappeared without a trace. He almost suspected that the previous scene was just a dream, but seeing the broken bones on the ground, he understood that everything that happened earlier was real. On the other side of the tent, Autumn Brother came over to take over the shift, saw that the wolf was gone, and curiously asked where it went, Tang Qiuli really had no way to answer, could only say I don't know.

  Back in their own tent, Xiaoling also woke up. He told Xiaoling about what had just happened, and Xiaoling teased him by pointing at his forehead with her fingers, saying that she had never seen anyone who could fall asleep while guarding a wolf. This was exactly why he was so reckless. Tang Qiuli reached out to scratch Xiaoling's itchy spot, and the two of them laughed and played for a while before falling asleep in each other's arms.

  The next morning, the snow was still falling and the wind had picked up again. Xiaoling told everyone about Tang Qiulei sleeping soundly despite being guarded by a wild wolf all night, and they were all on the verge of laughing to tears. Shān Hǔ stuck out his thumb, "I'm impressed, Xiao Qiulei, you're my idol! Thinking about it now gives me chills. Do you know when that wolf would get angry? If it were me, I wouldn't dare, and I'd keep a close eye on it!" The others thought the same way and gave him serious warnings, especially Xiaoling, who almost twisted Tang Qiulei's leg off, her worried eyes almost killing him. He hastily made a self-criticism and promised not to make similar mistakes again, and only then did they spare him.

  Tang Qiuli understands everyone's concern and care for him, and is also clear about his position and weight in their hearts. For any adventurous actions of his, he will try to avoid them as much as possible, acknowledging that he should bear this danger himself and not let Tang Qiuli have any mishaps.

  In the late afternoon, the wind and snow still showed no signs of weakening or stopping.

  A few people sat around the bonfire, enjoying a delicious dinner.

  Today, Tang Qiuli personally took charge of the stove and stewed a pot of delicious wild chicken with monkey head mushrooms and mountain mushrooms. Xiaoling is a thoughtful girl, these past few days while on the road and camping, whenever she found edible wild vegetables and mountain goods, she would put them in her pocket. She knew that Tang Qiuli was a little glutton, especially loving to eat the wild mountain vegetables on this mountain, so she had an extra thought, and really managed to get quite a few for him.

  What a bunch of mushrooms, including pine boletus, birch boletus, chicken leg mushrooms, and small yellow mushrooms. The whole bag is full, but they're all dry and don't take up much space. Are you kidding me? In this cold winter, with the snow blocking the mountain, how did you manage to find these mushrooms? It's really only kids who grew up in the mountains and forests who can find them. They know where to look, in the cracks of rocks, on cliff edges, where the snow hasn't covered them. Others wouldn't even think to look there. Tang Qiulian didn't see a single mushroom, and he has no idea when Xiaoling picked these.

  Seeing Xiaoling take out these mountain goods, he was overjoyed and couldn't wait to hug Xiaoling tightly in his arms and kiss her a few times. But how dare he? You see, it's okay to make a fuss in a tent, but in front of everyone, he really didn't have the guts!

  With these mushrooms, Tang Qiuli's heart was more at ease. He used all his skills to make the cave full of fragrance, and those who didn't know would think that a new restaurant had opened here.

  Everyone took a sip, and then drank another mouthful of soup. The cold air all over their bodies was swept away in an instant. Ah, it's hard to describe how delicious it was! The meat was tender, the soup was fragrant, and the mushrooms were soft. Everyone ate with relish, saying that even when they had wild chicken stewed with mushrooms before, it wasn't as delicious as this.

  Especially Xiaoling, with her shining eyes looking at Tang Qiuli almost dripping with water, not because this girl eats a lot of delicious food, but girls don't care about eating and drinking as much as boys do. The main thing is that everyone praises the person she likes, making her happy. This girl hopes her boyfriend will stand out from the crowd, and at the same time, she's more and more curious about Tang Qiuli's endless abilities. This guy is like a book, with new content every time you open it. Xiaoling doesn't know that Tang Qiuli has two lifetimes of experience, which makes her even more determined to spend her whole life by his side, wanting to read this book thoroughly, understand it, and figure it out. At this moment, Tang Qiuli is only focused on eating with his head down, unaware of the many thoughts turning in Xiaoling's little brain.

  After dinner, as the sky was still not late, everyone sat around the bonfire. Tang Qiuli explained his plan and future plans to everyone in detail, including the purpose of finding a hidden cave. He also arranged the next step of the plan and the things that needed to be done currently, and assigned specific tasks to each person.

  Because the few people present were the core and backbone of the team, they had to connect with his thinking. A few people expressed their opinions one after another, put forward their own views on the plan, and supplemented the defects in the plan by combining reality. The atmosphere was warm and lively. Through this conversation, Tang Qiuli was surprised to find that the thinking and perspectives of these people were not to be underestimated, they were absolutely capable people, with them by his side, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

  Everyone was discussing heatedly, when suddenly the branches blocking the entrance of the cave were moved away. At that moment, the sound of the raging wind and snow outside became loud and clear. Several figures, covered in snowflakes and thick cold air, rushed in. As soon as they entered, a sense of foreboding rose up in Tang Qiuli's heart, because his keen senses told him that these people carried an aura of danger. Who were they? Where did they come from on such a terrible day? What did they want to do?

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