Chapter Forty-six: Leading the Donkey into the Mountains

  Qiuquan and the other three waited at the original place until noon on the second day, gnawing on some dry rations and chewing a few mouthfuls of snow, which was considered lunch. They were getting anxious from waiting, not knowing when Zhan Jiang would return. A team member who was responsible for observing from a high place made a hand gesture to Qiuquan, who quickly ran over and took the binoculars to look in the direction the team member pointed.

  In the distance, more than a dozen horse-drawn sleds appeared on the big road at the end of the snowy plain. It was already noon, and visibility was good. Perhaps when the sled team reached the top of the mountain slope, they saw the camp below still emitting faint smoke, and clearly accelerated their speed. Based on this point alone, Qiuquan could basically judge that this was indeed the Zhānmǎn Jiāng's party returning from the city, because if it were another team, seeing the smoke and fire in front of them, they would at least stop to investigate the situation, not daring to advance recklessly, or send out a small team to scout ahead.

  Like this team of soldiers, they rushed to the scene as if they were attending a funeral. The soldiers quickly arrived at the campsite, which was still smoldering with embers and thick smoke. The team immediately went into chaos, with chickens flying and dogs barking, some holding guns and others on high alert. A few even crawled under the vehicle, making it seem like they were in a state of emergency. From the middle of the vehicle, a short man emerged, staring blankly at the burnt-out campsite. He stood there for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a gun and began shouting loudly, but from a distance, it was impossible to make out what he was saying. It was as if he had lost his last pair of pants in a gamble and was now frantic. His subordinates scattered around, searching for something, but it wasn't clear what they were looking for. After a while, several people carried a severely injured person to the short man's side. Ah, this guy was lucky enough to have survived the previous day's ordeal and hadn't frozen to death overnight, probably thanks to the warmth of the big fire.

  The little guy crouched beside the injured person, asking something, only to see him nodding frequently, suddenly raising his gun and shooting at the injured person with a few "bangs". The sudden gunshot startled Chūnquán and others hiding in the snow nest on the mountain slope, thinking they had been discovered.

  "Hey, what a close call! That little guy was shooting at his own partner. Autumn Springs saw it all clearly through the telescope and confirmed that the little guy was indeed the notorious "Zhan Manjiang". But he didn't live up to his reputation - he looked like he was only about 1.6 meters tall, standing there like a half-burnt tree stump. It's true what they say, 'you can't judge a person by their appearance'. Too bad this little guy is using his skills for evil."

  Poor that injured comrade, saw the big boss and thought his own family had arrived in front of him. He was so excited, having endured bullets and hand grenades, having endured the freezing night before. This time, big brother came, it's a pity, I should be rewarded well by my little brother. But this big brother is a life-taking big brother, he lost his life, who to blame? You followed "Zhan Manjiang" (a notorious person) and still have good fortune? Probably only his own life is valuable, the lives of others, including the brothers who pulled together, are worthless. Isn't it said that younger brothers are used as sacrifices?

  Under the shouting that filled the river, this group of people scrambled to get on their horses and carts, all in a hurry. Didn't they see that the master was getting anxious? Following the path they came from, they galloped away quickly, as if there were hundreds of hungry wolves chasing after them. The boldness they had shown earlier had turned into cold sweat running down their spines. This was a place where over a hundred brothers had lost their lives, and staying here for even a moment made their hearts feel like they were seeping with fear, their butts were frozen in terror. If the boss said to run, who wouldn't? Only an idiot wouldn't!

  As they gradually disappeared into the distance, Qiuchuan and his three companions put on their snowboards and followed far behind. By midnight, Zhanmanjiang had entered the city, and Qiuchuan's group also tried to sneak in. However, instead of going anywhere, Zhanmanjiang directly entered a Japanese army barracks. Qiuchuan and his three companions stayed at an inn across from the barracks, paying twice the usual price for a room that faced the barracks directly. With money, one can live as they please. The owner saw that these few were wealthy gentlemen and attended to them diligently, almost as if he was going to call over some popular courtesans from the brothel. However, he was kicked out by Qiuchuan.

  They didn't sleep all night, several people stared at the gate of the devils' barracks without blinking, afraid to miss any situation. The two ghostly searchlights swept back and forth from time to time. When it was just dawn, a urgent assembly sound came from the devils' barracks, and soon a large group of devils marched out of the barracks, with bayonets gleaming in the cold light, like a pack of wolves that had been hungry for several days. Qiuchuan carefully checked and found that there were more than 600 people, with light machine guns, heavy machine guns, mortars, and grenade launchers, carrying guns and cannons on horse-drawn carts, the troops left the city and rushed towards Hei Mangzi Gou in a murderous manner.

  You think this little devil should be mechanized, why not take a car? That thing is much faster than a horse-drawn cart, and with a canvas cover, it's both windproof and warm. Is the little devil full and idle? On a free tour? Doesn't seem like it, these devils are killing intent, evil spirits, as if they want to fly to Hei Mangzi Gou and skin those people alive.

  It's not that the little devil doesn't want to take a car, it's just that thing is not working in this northeastern bump.

  In the Northeast, especially in the Greater and Lesser Xing'an Mountains and Changbai Mountain forests, it is a place of high mountains and dense forests, with steep slopes and treacherous roads. In winter, heavy snowfall blocks the mountains, making it impossible to see the original path. The vast expanse of white snow looks flat but hides dangers everywhere. In the 1930s, if there were three days without snowflakes, it was a rare sight. According to older generations, temperatures as low as minus 55 degrees Celsius appeared, unlike now when winters are warmer and only light snow falls that can't even accumulate.

  There's no way to get through, the first person in front either crawled or walked past, that's considered opening up a path. Those who came after followed this path, and there was nothing wrong with that. When many people or vehicles passed by, they opened up a path, but often a big snowstorm would come and bury the entire path. As a result, cars couldn't drive on mountain roads at all. Unlike now, when asphalt roads have been built, even the biggest snow can't cover them. But back then, it was impossible. The car got stuck in a snow pit, don't even think about pulling it out. If things went wrong and the car flipped over while following the path, underneath was a cliff over 100 meters deep. If someone fell off, they'd be smashed to pieces!

  So, the horse-drawn cart was the main means of transportation in the forest and mountain areas at that time. It was stable, safe, and saved leg strength. Places with gentle slopes and sparse forests could all be reached.

  Qiuquan Ba said, "Those devils shouldn't be allowed to ride in cars. It would be great if they all fell into the mountain ravine and died. That way, it would save Commander Zhang and the others a lot of effort. Then, we can just go down and pick up their ready-made guns and cannons." But those devils aren't stupid yet, they know how to ride horses and climb carts.

  Qiuquan and the other three, disregarding their fatigue, rushed ahead of the little devils by more than half a day's journey, arrived at the gold mine, and reported this intelligence to Tang Qiuli.

  Tang Qiuli analyzed the intelligence and found that this time, the little devils had dispatched a reinforced battalion with heavy weapons. This was not just in response to Zhang Manjiang's request, as he didn't have such great influence. The main reason was that the Japanese were afraid of losing the gold mine and logging camp, which would mean losing resources. This place had never seen any anti-Japanese armed forces before, and it had always been considered a very safe area for public security and a stable rear supply base by the Japanese. Suddenly, a group of people appeared out of nowhere and wiped out Zhang Manjiang's mountain forest police team in one move, which shocked the Japanese leaders greatly. The fighting strength of Zhang Manjiang's mountain forest police team was well-known to the Japanese, unlike the newly formed Manchukuo National Army soldiers who were like fledglings.

  They were annihilated in an instant, this group of people is not simple and should be taken seriously. No matter what, the fire that has just started must be extinguished, otherwise, the rear of the Japanese Kwantung Army will have no peaceful days, clearing out, continuously clearing out.

  So, Tang Qiuli judged the intention of the devils from the troops and equipment they brought out, otherwise, it would have been enough to send just one squadron of devils, why bother with such a large force. This reinforced battalion commander of the devils must have received a death order to eliminate this mysterious armed group.

  That's easy, after the "9.18" incident, the Japanese Kwantung Army took over the three northeastern provinces without much effort, and from top to bottom, they were wildly arrogant, thinking that the Kwantung Army was the most powerful army under heaven, and dealing with Chinese people was a piece of cake. Moreover, the devil's troops had such a tradition: if a unit failed to complete its task or felt guilty towards the Emperor, the officer in charge would have to commit seppuku to apologize to their damn Emperor!

  With an arrogant and domineering mentality, coupled with the eagerness to complete tasks and receive rewards, Tang Shao had no worries about leading the Japanese devils by the nose. Alright, let's lead this Japanese wild donkey into the deep mountains and old forests of Guandong for a good stroll.

  After meeting with Qiuchun and the four scouts, the entire team now has twenty-one people. However, the intensity of firepower is likely to exceed that of one or two small teams of Japanese devils. The ratio of forces is thirty to one, which is a huge disparity.

  This battle is going to be tough, Tang Qiuli has a plan in mind. He tells his team members to hurry up and eat, stock up on dry rations, mainly meat-based ones. Fortunately, they had prepared for this, and when the main force left, he kept most of the meat supplies behind. In the next few days, this small unit will be going through a cat-and-mouse game, with no time to start a fire and cook meals, and without meat, it's hard to guarantee the team members' physical strength.

  After dinner, Tang Qiuji gathered the team members and detailed the combat method for this special battle, with special operations as the main focus. He especially emphasized obedience to command, calling for retreat and immediate departure, calling for defense like a nail stuck in place. Without Commander Chang's order, no one was allowed to fire, especially Mountain Tiger, who must not be impulsive and could not put the entire team in danger because of personal reasons. Anyone who violated this would be executed on the spot, with no leniency. The team members had never heard Commander Chang give such an order before, and they felt the importance and danger of this mission from his severe tone.

  Calculate the time, Tang Qiu led the team back to the place where the Mountain Forest Police Team was annihilated, selected an ambush site, left two team members, brought binoculars as a lookout, on the mountain slope, each person dug a snow cave, disguised themselves, and rested inside. As long as no one stepped directly on it, no one could discover that there were people hiding under the snow.

  Lying in the warm and sheltered snow pit, with a fur mat under him, he wasn't cold at all. Tang Qiuli forced himself to sleep for a while, as he hadn't rested well for several days at the gold mine, busy with personnel reorganization, weapon distribution, and also having heart-to-hearts with new team members, which was quite tiring.

  At this moment, his mind was still racing with many things to consider, and he gradually felt a bit tired. The snow hut was an independent small space, surrounded by silence, with only the howling north wind blowing through the branches, occasionally a cluster of snow falling on it, making the space even more serene. In a daze, he saw again Xiaoling's slender figure and misty eyes, that deep kiss, the lingering fragrance on his lips, the burning passion in his heart, how could he forget? The gaze that almost melted him when they parted, the deep love in her eyes, and her figure gradually disappearing into the distant mountains and snowy fields.

  Xiao Ling's smiling face appeared in front of him again, "Hey, didn't you leave? How are you still here? No way, you have to go, there will be a fierce battle here soon, I don't want you to get hurt!" Come on, I'll arrange for someone to send you away. Tang Qiulai reached out to grab Xiao Ling's hand, but it was always just out of reach, that soft and delicate hand that they often held, was now untouchable. No time, Tang Qiulai's heart was racing, what are you doing, joking around at a time like this? The devils will be here soon! He suddenly took a step forward, trying to grab Xiao Ling, but she had already disappeared behind a boulder. Below them was an endless chasm, "No, Xiao Ling fell!" he shouted, as he jumped down into the chasm without hesitation. Behind him, he heard the sound of chaotic footsteps. Tang Qiulai suddenly woke up with his body drenched in cold sweat.

  The shout of "Director, what's wrong with you? The devils are coming!" came from outside the snow cave. It was just a dream, and he didn't know what was going on. Ever since Tang Qiuli entered the base, he would sometimes have strange dreams related to Xiaoling. Either Xiaoling would suddenly disappear in front of him, or she would turn into mist in his arms, making him wake up with a start every time. Although dreams don't necessarily mean anything, this lingering shadow made him feel uneasy in his heart all the time. Was heaven hinting at something in secret?

  Tang Qiuli exerted himself to shake off the scenes from his dream, forcing them out of his heart. He crawled out of the snow cave and saw Autumn Spring Brother looking at him with a concerned gaze. He smiled calmly at Autumn Spring, "Autumn Spring Brother, what's going on?" "Yes, Commander, the devils have arrived!" Autumn Spring replied.

  Tang Qiuli hastily ordered the sentry to wake up the others, and they entered the ambush site. He, Qiuquan, and Shantou went to a high place. By this time, it was already completely dark. In the telescope's viewfinder, a winding fire dragon was moving towards them. It was the little devils carrying torches on the march. The devils' arrival time was nearly two hours later than he had expected. Perhaps it was because of the snow accumulation on the mountain road, which made it difficult to walk. The weather was cold and frosty, and they had been sitting for a long time without coming down to move around. It would be strange if their feet didn't freeze!

  The fire dragon quickly swam to this place, and indeed it was a small ghost, in the courtyard where the walls had collapsed and the black ash covered the ground. The ghostly troops stopped here, under the light of the torches, and saw that many ghosts were covered in snow, with frost on their hats, making them look like white ghosts. They ran and sat, following the leader's style, through the deep snow that reached up to their knees. The little ghosts were having a hard time, wearing their standard issue fur-lined boots, which made every step a struggle in the snowy terrain. Some of them fell and injured themselves, breaking their arms or legs, which made the ghostly commander furious. He didn't investigate whether it was the fault of the shoes, but instead vented his anger on "Zhan Man Jiang", blaming him for leading them on a bad route, constantly scolding him with "Ba Ga, Ba Ga". Later, he couldn't bear it anymore and shouted at Zhan Man Jiang's "Shan Bin"!

  Occupying the entire river with a smile, like a grandson who doesn't dare to show any dissatisfaction, in his opinion, being scolded as an idiot and slapped by the imperial army is an honor, ordinary people don't have this treatment. Why not hit those brothers under him? Is it because the imperial army thinks that Occupying the River has weight, is a figure! Look at this dog, having level, ability, depth, and connotation! Indeed despicable!

  We've arrived at the location, and this Japanese commander is still fuming with anger, slapping the interpreter's mouth. I found out that this guy's name is Yamada, a lieutenant colonel, and he's also a trusted aide of the Japanese regimental commander Matsumoto. The Japanese troops started setting up their tents, it seems they plan to camp here for the night and don't intend to move forward. That's right, nighttime marching and combat are not the strong suits of the Japanese, that's the specialty of our Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army. During the day, it's the Japanese who dominate, but at night, it's the stage of the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army.

  Tents were pitched, bonfires were lit, and the devils ate and rested. In a large tent, Yamada led several officers, interpreters, and Zhang Manjiang to drink wine. Of course, the wine and dishes were prepared by Zhang Manjiang in advance. After drinking and eating meat, Yamada completely forgot his dissatisfaction with Zhang Manjiang and kept praising him as the best friend of the Japanese Kwantung Army, very good! With the interpreter whispering beside them, for a while, it seemed like Zhang Manjiang and Yamada were like father and son, extremely close.

  Inside the tent came bursts of manic laughter, conversation and clinking glasses. For a time, the shadows danced wildly, like a horde of demons.

  The devil's campsite was not far from where Tang Qiu and his men were ambushing, only about 100 meters away. So, whatever the devils said, he could hear clearly. Yamada planned to rest here for a night and rush to the gold mine tomorrow. After finding clues there, they would launch a clearing operation and must eliminate this group of bandits who ignored the majesty of the Great Japanese Imperial Army. They also wanted to occupy the Jiangshan Lin Police Team's remaining people to cooperate, mainly as guides. Jiangshan agreed, he couldn't wait! He wanted to eliminate these people, first to vent his anger, secondly to become the big boss in this area again!

  After listening to their conversation, Tang Qiuli was thinking about a problem. The devils were easy to handle, but the local police who knew the geography of the area were not. They had experience marching in the mountains and would not be easily fooled by the signs left behind by the bandits. Each bandit had their own way of leaving signs, which only they could understand. If these local devils followed them, it wouldn't be easy to shake them off, let alone make the little devils get lost in the mountains?

  No, the target of the first round of attack is not the Japanese soldiers, but the remaining sixty or so mountain forest police officers. If we blind the eyes of the devils, they will be like a blind donkey, and it's up to me to slaughter them or ride on them!

  After a commotion, it was already quite late, and with the fatigue of the day, the devils and policemen all rested, and the courtyard quieted down.

  These guys didn't even think of it, but on the cliff beside them, a deadly killer was lurking, ready to shoot fatal bullets at them at any time!

  A loud snoring sound came from inside the courtyard, and when heard from a distance, it sounded as if there was a group of large livestock penned up in this very courtyard.

  The tent of the mountain forest police, coincidentally, was set up on the outermost edge closest to Tang Qiu's ambush direction. Inside, it was warmer and more sheltered from the wind. As for them, that was the territory of the imperial army, Manchu people, all doing their jobs on the outermost edge!

  In the yard, there were only five sentries in that boring patrol. It seemed that the enemy's vigilance was quite lax. Also, on this land, no one had ever heard of a Chinese armed force daring to attack a large unit of the Imperial Army. In fact, posting sentries was unnecessary.

  Tang Qiuli arranged the shooting targets, that mortar could only fire two shells, each grenade launcher could only launch three hand grenades, light and heavy machine guns fired a full clip, shotgun cooperated with mountain forest police tent, long gun mainly shot devils' tent, Fu Gang and Fu Qiang brothers were specialized in shooting devils' sentry and devils who dared to counterattack.

  Put snowboards on your feet first. After one round of shooting, regardless of the effect, immediately retreat in the direction of the gold mine and do not allow lingering battles.

  The muzzles of the cannons and guns are aimed at those devils and policemen below, who are still ignorant of their impending death, unaware that the King of Hell has already sent them an invitation!

  Tang Qiuli glanced at the luminous watch on his wrist, it was already past two o'clock in the morning. Seeing that everyone was ready, he fired the shotgun in his hand first, just like an athlete hearing the starting gun. Suddenly, various weapons spewed out tongues of fire for revenge, and the first round of attack against the enemy finally began...

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