Chapter 146 The Moon of Yesteryear
Although they were going to the valley house, Xie Ning wasn't foolish enough to just run there with only a few guards. Instead, he took a side path and climbed to a high point. He had binoculars in his backpack, which gave him a clear view of the valley house.
It was unusually quiet. Usually at this time, every household would be filled with the smoke of cooking fires, but now there wasn't even a trace of smoke. Xie Ning's heart sank. This small village of Guwu might have fallen victim to the Japanese invaders.
The Kuomintang wouldn't go to such lengths, and this place is very close to the border between the Red Area and the occupied Area. If the Japanese get to this place... what would their purpose be?
If it were a mopping-up operation, it's clear that the Japanese haven't advanced this far yet, and the borders are guarded by troops. A large-scale troop movement would definitely be stopped, and they wouldn't be able to reach this area at all.
Suddenly, a group of about fifty people ran out from not far from the valley house. Each of them was riding a horse and wearing the uniforms of the Eight Desolate Army. However, Xie Ning noticed at a glance that there was something wrong with their weaponry. Most of their weapons were Japanese-made and looked very new, which was unusual.
Moreover, she had never seen any platoon equipped with so many horses. If she was not mistaken, those Eighth Route Army soldiers might be Japanese soldiers in disguise.
This explains how they managed to sneak up here.
But whatever their purpose, we cannot let them go!
The other side had fifty people, while they now had eleven including her. Xie Ning suppressed her adventurous impulse; her body was different now, and she needed to stay calm.
"Xiao Yang, you take two people and quietly follow them. I'll take Er Niu and the others down to the barn to check." Now that they had left, she naturally wanted to go down and investigate. If there were any survivors, she could rescue them in time.
From above, it wasn't so noticeable, but once inside the hut, the thick stench of blood lingered in the air, and the faces of the group turned pale. Shuanzi pushed open a door, revealing a pile of corpses inside, which immediately terrified him.
Even though he had seen many such scenes before, he still couldn't help but feel shocked. Erniu's eyes reddened, and she angrily cursed, "Damn those Japanese devils!"
"Woof woof—" Hei Zi tugged at Xie Ning's clothes, seemingly trying to drag Xie Ning somewhere.
The group exchanged glances and immediately started running, chasing Hei Zi all the way to a courtyard. There were still traces of blood on the snow, and Hei Zi was anxiously circling around the well, barking incessantly.
Xie Ning glanced into the well but didn't see anyone. Then she tugged on the rope, and the force of the pull confirmed that someone was inside.
"There are people down below."
Several people shouted from above, and after a while, faint "ah ah" sounds came from inside. It turned out that there was a gap in the well wall, and the little mute boy had just hidden inside, thus escaping the massacre by the Japanese army.
However, he is now freezing, after all, it's the dead of winter and most of his body is submerged in water, it's a miracle he didn't die.
Xie Ning gave the little mute boy a few acupuncture needles, then put his spare cotton-padded clothes on him. He also had a lot of wood burned in the house to warm him up.
Hei Zi nestled quietly at the little mute's feet, whimpering in comfort.
Xie Ning rubbed the little mute boy's head and said, "It's good that you're alive. Your parents are hoping you'd live. If you're really upset, just cry. Cry it out. Don't make yourself sick by holding it in."
The little mute boy's lips trembled, tears streaming down his face, his voice low and hoarse. Erniu wiped her face, left one person to guard him, and then led the others to collect the body.
The crying gradually subsided, but a gunshot rang out in the distance. Xie Ning's eyes narrowed, and he instructed the guards to keep an eye on the little mute. As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he bumped into Er Niu and the others who were rushing back.
"Sister Changning, it's the direction of Shuangxia Pass."
In just a short while, the gunfire became increasingly intense, and the sound of bombs exploding could be heard. Xie Ning mounted his horse, patted his rapidly beating heart, and pondered, "I wonder if Xiao Yang and the others have been discovered. We need to hurry over there."
Several routes flashed through Xie Ning's mind. He gripped the reins tightly and said, "Go around through Chuanxi on the right side of Shuangxia Pass."
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