Chapter 37: The general lost his lover and fell into the devil's cave, where Xiangyue was tortured.
Months passed, and there was no news of Xiao Xiangyue. Luo Guyun, as if his soul had been drained away, toiled day and night on the front lines, launching fierce attacks on several possible Japanese hiding spots. He fought several tough battles, annihilating many Japanese troops, but also suffering heavy casualties. Luo Guyun grew increasingly anxious, working tirelessly, personally supervising the battle, and not missing a single opportunity to glean even the slightest glimmer of information.
Besides direct offensive action, everyone was desperately trying to locate Xiao Xiangyue. Madam Daisy, through diplomatic means, lodged a solemn protest with the Japanese, protesting the abduction of innocent Chinese civilians. Ms. Daisy traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, urging pressure on Japan to release the deceitful civilians. Public opinion was in uproar, with newspapers and magazines publishing a barrage of articles righteously condemning the Japanese for their despicable actions.
As a renowned patriotic musician, Xiao Xiangyue enjoyed a high reputation among the people. People from all walks of life and students organized numerous protests and demonstrations, denouncing the Japanese and demanding their immediate release. However, the cunning Japanese refused to admit to kidnapping Xiao Xiangyue, stating only that he had been shot and that the Japanese had kindly taken him in for treatment. After he recovered, they allowed him to return on his own, claiming they had nothing to do with Xiao Xiangyue's disappearance.
Considering that Watanabe Hiko might transfer the people back to the mainland, Yi Shui specially arranged for spies to go to Japan to gather information. Yi Han is good friends with Mr. Du in Shanghai. He spreads a dragnet and digs deep into the ground, vowing to find Xiao Xiangyue's whereabouts.
After exhausting all possible means, no clues were found and the person disappeared like air.
Winter of 1944.
Nearly a year had passed since Xiao Xiangyue disappeared. As Spring Festival approached, Yi Han secretly returned from Shanghai to Hanchang to reunite with everyone, bringing with him several large boxes of red wine in oak barrels.
The French couple, William and his wife, knew that Xiao Xiangyue loved red wine. Last year, despite drought and a reduced grape yield, the resulting wine was exceptionally high quality, so they specially sent him a few barrels on an ocean-going freighter. The ship could only reach the port of Shanghai, so Yi Han took some back to Hanchang.
It's New Year's Eve again.
Luo Guyun's eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night, and he was emaciated, his beard unkempt, his hair past his ears, and his expression haggard, a complete departure from his former handsome self. Seeing the red wine Yi Han had brought back, his slightly dazed expression brightened up a bit. He picked up the bucket and gulped down the wine, soon becoming completely drunk. Yi Shui and the others hurriedly helped him back to the warming tent to rest.
Under the dim light, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen walked over. He was dressed in a moon-white robe, with handsome features and a graceful figure. It was the Yue'er he had been thinking about day and night! Luo Guyun was overjoyed and hugged the person in front of him. His voice trembled with excitement: "Yue'er, you're back... Where have you been all these days? I miss you so much!"
The person reached out her arms and hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest, without saying a word. A tipsy Luo Guyun thought, Yue'er must be mad at me for not protecting her properly! Drunk and drunk, he clutched the person in his arms, eagerly capturing her lips and sucking eagerly. His body gradually grew hot, and he quickly tore off his clothes, rolled over, and pinned the person down, tearing off the white robe covering him, revealing his smooth back, which he greedily stroked. His lower body was already hard as iron, and he was about to thrust forward... No! This person wasn't Yue'er! With his blood boiling, Luo Guyun's heart trembled...
That year, Xiao Xiangyue was shot by a sniper rifle while trying to save him, leaving a long, hideous scar on her back. Luo Guyun didn't think it was a big deal, not ugly at all. But Yue'er, with a natural love of beauty, insisted that Sun Mu tattoo a delicate crabapple blossom on the scar. Yue'er lay on his lap during the tattoo, watching the needle pierce his skin. Luo Guyun felt as if he were being stabbed himself, and the pain clenched his heart. Fortunately, Sun Mu's anesthesia skills were excellent, and Xiao Xiangyue felt no pain, and the tattoo was completed. The abrupt scar transformed into crabapple petals, dotted with buds, looking like a natural red crabapple, beautiful and unique, but still slightly uneven when touched. The man in front of him had a smooth back... In addition, Yue'er took traditional Chinese medicine all year round, and there was always a faint scent similar to agarwood on her body, but this man did not have that!
Luo Guyun kicked the man off the bed and roared, "Who are you? How dare you pretend to be Yue'er!" Without waiting for the man to answer, he was overwhelmed with grief and burst into tears like a child.
The cries shook the heavens, like the wailing of a wild beast, terrifying anyone who heard them... The pain that had long been pent up in my heart was like a flood, no longer suppressed... It was like losing a treasure, thinking it had been found, and after a moment of ecstasy, discovering it was nothing but a mirage! Then came even greater despair...
The wolf-like howling cries could be heard from far away in the quiet night.
Everyone heard the noise, and Yi Shui and the others rushed over to check. The young man who had been kicked off the bed was shivering and curled up in the corner, half-dressed. He looked at the legendary and powerful Commander-in-Chief Luo in horror, and was so frightened that he didn't know what to do.
Yi Han, having seen this, understood something and complained, "Don't you understand the relationship between Third Brother and Yue'er? How could you do such a foolish thing?"
Yi Shui sighed, took out a page of telegram from his pocket, handed it to Yi Han, and said with his face covered: "If it is not a last resort, who would resort to such a bad strategy..."
Yi Han took the paper in suspicion. It was a secret telegram intercepted by Commander Du in the north, sent from a Japanese base to the general headquarters. It clearly read "In accordance with the instructions of Commander-in-Chief Yamamoto, the prisoner Xiao Xiangyue will be executed on the spot."
For the past six months, Yi Shui and the others had watched helplessly as Luo Guoyun, driven madly by his search for Xiao Xiangyue, had become half dead. As time passed, everyone knew he was in grave danger, but no one dared to speak out, nor to offer any advice.
About a month ago, General Du in the north intercepted this telegram. Xiao Xiangyue's disappearance was already widespread knowledge. General Du, a close friend of Yi Shui, wasted no time in informing him. Fearing Luo Guyun would not accept the reality, Yi Shui concealed the news, secretly plotting to find the right time to tell him. Finally, he found a young man who bore a passing resemblance to Xiao Xiangyue, hoping to take advantage of his drunkenness and establish a fait accompli. This young man would at least provide him with temporary companionship. Then, he would let him know Yue'er's death, which would be a relief. However, the situation backfired.
The beast-like howling continued for half the night, echoing far into the silent camp, until his voice became hoarse and no sound could come out of his throat.
Commander-in-Chief Luo, known for his iron-like physique, developed an unprecedented high fever. He remained steadfast for days and nights, his mouth covered in blisters. With his eyes tightly shut, he slumped over, clutching the hand of anyone who approached his bed, calling out to Yue'er. Sun Mu, alarmed, rushed back to Hanchang from Jincheng day and night. It took several doses of strong medicine to finally force him to open his eyes.
Sun Mu stood in front of the bed, handed him a telegram, and said coldly: "Third brother, you are wise and intelligent, full of strategies. How come you are so confused about Yue'er's matter? In the past year, how many meaningless battles have you fought in search of Yue'er's whereabouts? How many brothers have sacrificed their lives? You probably know in your heart that Yue'er has met with an accident, but you just don't want to accept the reality! Now you can give up..." Before he finished speaking, he couldn't hold it back anymore, covering his face with his hands and crying.
Yi Shui and the others were nearby, their palms sweating, worried that Luo Guyun couldn't bear it. Everyone suggested waiting for him to recuperate for a few more days, until he was well again, before slowly telling him the truth about Xiao Xiangyue's death. However, Sun Mu believed that a heart disease needed a heart medicine, and that they had to make a desperate move to help him recover from his delirium and regain reality.
Luo Guyun's eyes widened as he stared at the three characters "Xiao Xiangyue" on the message. Erhu had quietly crossed to the bedside, ready to take action at any time to prevent him from suddenly going crazy and hurting himself. But he didn't move at first, his body stiff as a piece of wood, and remained silent for a long time. Then he sat up from the bed, threw the message lightly, and sneered: "Wrong! You are all wrong! Yue'er is not dead! Yue'er will not die!"
After saying that, he strode out of the house.
Everyone looked at each other, thinking he couldn't stand the shock and had gone insane. Erhu was about to chase him out. Sun Mu and Yi Shui exchanged a glance, stopping the anxious people in the room.
Yi Shui sighed, "The commander-in-chief has been living a life worse than death this past year... Now that he knows the outcome, it's inevitable that he'll be sad and miserable. Let him be alone for a while..."
After Xiao Xiangyue recovered from her injuries, she tried several times to find a path out, but found no way out. Jueyuan Temple was built on a cliff, surrounded by vast forest. There was only a small helipad a few miles away, and a horse trail connected to the temple. All supplies and personnel had to be transported by helicopter. Thinking of this secluded place, she couldn't help but secretly worry about what would happen if Brother Yun couldn't find it... She began to lose her appetite and gradually lost weight.
Junko Watanabe urged her brother to let him go, but Hiko Watanabe refused. However, he was also worried about Xiao Xiangyue's health, so he had Master Kongneng take his pulse daily and prescribe remedies. He also paid special attention to his diet, instructing the monks in the temple to prepare delicious meals in various ways, hoping that he would eat more. Even so, Xiao Xiangyue's spirits declined day by day.
It had been raining for several days in a row, and the weather cleared up that day. Junko Watanabe dragged Xiao Xiangyue, who had not stepped out of the room for a while, to bask in the sun on the cassock stone in the back mountain.
A hundred meters from the temple, there is a huge rock with a flat surface. Because the cracks on it resemble a cassock, it is named "Kassa Rock". Below the rock is a thousand-foot cliff.
Xiao Xiangyue sat on a rock, lost in thought as he gazed at the vast forest in the distance. He recalled climbing Eagle Rock with Luo Guoyun as a child. That day, everything changed dramatically: his father was gone, his aunt was gone, and his grandfather and eldest brother were also separated... All these years, he had been with Brother Yun by his side. Even if the sky fell, as long as they were together, they would not fear anything. Now that Brother Yun couldn't find him, he wondered how anxious he would be... Brother Yun, Yue'er misses you... Yue'er misses you... Xiao Xiangyue cried out in his heart, tears blurring his eyes.
A dark cloud floated over the horizon, and a light rain began to fall. The raindrops wet the ends of his hair, and there were some water droplets on his eyelashes. He couldn't tell whether they were rain or tears.
Watanabe Junko had originally wanted Xiao Xiangyue to go out for a walk to relax, but she hadn't expected to upset him instead. Just as she was trying to find a way to comfort him... a young novice monk from the temple came running in breathlessly. Before he even stood still, he shouted, "Miss Junko, there are two strangers in the temple! They say they're here to pick up Mr. Xiao on the orders of Mr. Watanabe!"
Watanabe Hiko was busy with military duties and didn't stay at the temple often, only coming every few days. He always came alone, never bringing anyone with him. Watanabe Junko asked in surprise, "Could it be that my brother agreed to let you go? Let's go!" She grabbed Xiao Xiangyue and rushed to the temple.
Although the visitors were dressed in civilian clothes, they were clearly well-trained soldiers. One of them bowed politely and said respectfully, "I'm here to pick up Mr. Xiao on the orders of Mr. Watanabe. Mr. Watanabe has instructed us to depart immediately without delay."
Chunzi asked repeatedly, "Did my brother send you here? Where are you taking Xiangyue-kun? Just him? Did he ask me to come too?" The man replied, "I'm just following orders. As for where, I don't know. The commander only ordered Mr. Xiao to be taken, and didn't mention Miss Chunzi."
This... Junko Watanabe hesitated. She felt her brother was a serious person and wouldn't hand him over to a stranger. She stepped forward, blocking Xiao Xiangyue's way, and demanded, "Do you have any letters or warrants from my brother?" The two men exchanged glances. The other, who had been sullen and silent, pulled a pistol from his waistband, pointed it at Junko, and said arrogantly, "Mr. Watanabe has an order! Anyone who prevents us from taking this man away will be killed!"
The monks in the temple also practiced martial arts. Seeing that the situation was not good, they took out their sticks and fought against the newcomers.
Xiao Xiangyue had always hated fighting and refused to let anyone sacrifice their lives for him in vain. He also felt that regardless of the intruder's intentions, if they left this isolated place first, perhaps they could still find a way to contact Luo Guyun. He immediately shouted to stop them, "Wait! Stop!" He said to the intruder, "As long as you don't hurt anyone, I'll go with you!"
Master Kongneng, who had been silent the whole time, stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha, well done, well done! Donor Xiao's gunshot wound hasn't healed yet. I'll apply some medicine to him. It will only take half an hour, and then I'll be with you on your way! Please have a cup of tea and rest for a while..."
Seeing that Xiao Xiangyue was willing to go with them, and that Master Kongneng was sincere and serious, not someone who would tell lies, the visitor relaxed, put away his weapons, and sat down in the corridor to wait.
Master Kongneng suffered from chronic insomnia, sleeping only two or three hours a day for years. Although he possessed some medical knowledge, he had tried many methods, with little success. Xiao Xiangyue, a master of music therapy, insisted on playing music for him every night before bed, once his injuries had healed slightly. She also prepared incense according to a secret formula created by Imperial Physician Sun. Incense always curled up from Kongneng's bedroom, filling it with a scent reminiscent of musk and agarwood. After a while, the master's long-standing insomnia was significantly alleviated. Xiao Xiangyue, deeply impressed by this handsome young man, became a close friend, regardless of age.
At this moment, Master Kongneng led him to the inner room, his expression solemn: "A person like Master Xiao should be perfect... Although the wound on your arm has healed, it has left an unsightly scar. Wait until I repair it for you before you continue on your journey."
Xiao Xiangyue undressed, and Master Kongneng quickly inked a pale blue tattoo shaped like a scimitar and a crescent moon where the scar had once been. While it wasn't as beautiful as the crabapple blossom tattooed on his back by Brother Sun, it was still much more beautiful than the scar itself. He thanked the master and put on his clothes. He simply draped around his neck the camel-colored plaid wool scarf that Luo Guyun had personally tied for him when they left Hanchang, and followed the man onto his horse.
A few miles away, at the helipad, a German-made Hummingbird helicopter was already waiting. Xiao Xiangyue boarded the aircraft calmly, asking no questions and simply closing her eyes to rest. After approximately an hour's flight, they landed at a military airfield. Without stopping, they were taken aboard a luxuriously appointed jet, apparently a private aircraft. After a three-hour flight, they finally landed at Nanjing's Ming Palace Airport.
Xiao Xiangyue was familiar with Nanjing, where he and Luo Guyun had their home, even though they had never been back since the city fell.
The black Ford bulletproof sedan drove straight to the former Presidential Palace, now the seat of the puppet Nationalist Government and the headquarters of the Japanese army in China.
A cheerful woman in a cheongsam was waiting at the door. Xiao Xiangyue recognized her; she was the wife of then-President Wang Jingwei, then-president of the puppet Nationalist government. She had met him several times during their time in Nanjing. Upon seeing him, Mrs. Wang took his hand and asked about his well-being. Although Xiao Xiangyue didn't understand politics, she often overheard Luo Guoyun and Yi Shui discussing the current situation with the soldiers. When the Wangs were mentioned, everyone's faces were filled with disdain. Now, facing Mrs. Wang's warmth, he only responded briefly, his coldness revealing a sense of distance.
Mrs. Wang didn't mind and warmly led him inside, praising Xiao Xiangyue's increasingly handsome appearance all the way. She also mentioned that Japanese General Yamamoto greatly admired Xiao Xiangyue's talent and had been waiting for a long time... They arrived at the first-floor banquet hall. Xiao Xiangyue was familiar with this banquet hall. Once, at Madame Chiang's invitation, he had performed a piano solo here, stunning the audience with his piece "Fate." Years later, people still reminisced about the astonishing moment.
In the banquet hall, a lavishly decorated VIP room sat a gaunt, mustachioed soldier in the center. He was none other than Admiral Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Army in Greater China. Xiao Xiangyue recognized several of the attendants, including a certain Wang, the former Vice Chairman of the Nationalist Government, and a certain Zhou, the Minister of Culture. Upon his entrance, they all rose to greet him. Flattery filled the air. Some remarked that Mr. Xiao had long been an honorary professor at the Tokyo Conservatory of Music, a true leader in Sino-Japanese friendship. Others declared their deep love for Mr. Xiao's music, saying they felt unwell without listening for a single day...
Xiao Xiangyue was not good at socializing, and his handsome face still had a faint and distant expression, but his every move and gesture exuded an extraordinary demeanor.
Mrs. Wang guided him to a seat on the right. Yamamoto spoke first, "I've long heard that you are exceptionally talented and unrivaled. Seeing you today, I can truly see that you are truly worthy of that title. As for your talent, it all depends on how you demonstrate it..."
Mrs. Wang understood and took over the topic, saying, "I have invited Mr. Xiao here today for no other reason. The Imperial Japanese Army has made great contributions to the establishment of a new order in Asia and the promotion of common prosperity between Japan and China. The cooperation between the two countries has been very effective. For this reason, the Emperor recently issued the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Message" and would like to ask you to compose it into a song, which must be known to everyone in the streets and alleys and sung by women and children." After saying this, she placed a framed calligraphy in front of him as if holding a treasure.
Xiao Xiangyue lowered her eyelids and said calmly, "I'm sorry, Xiangyue can't obey your command."
Yamamoto's expression changed slightly, and he said angrily, "Mr. Xiao, you didn't even take a look at it, and you rejected it outright. What does that mean?"
Xiao Xiangyue raised her head, staring at him with clear eyes, and said in a calm tone, "Composing music requires true feelings to move people's hearts. My lover is fighting bloody battles with you. He sees his beloved soldiers die on the battlefield and innocent people suffer. How heartbroken he is! I feel the same way... He works hard day and night, exhausting all his energy, just to drive you invaders out of our Chinese land. Let me ask you, even if Xiangyue reluctantly composes music for this poem, I'm afraid it will only be a funeral song..."
No one had ever dared to utter such words at the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army. The others sitting there were so frightened that their breathing became uneven. Yamamoto flew into a rage, smashing his wine glass to pieces. "Baga Yaro! How dare you curse the Empire of Japan!"
Mrs. Wang saw that the situation was not going well and was just trying to find a way to mediate when the curtain behind the main seat lifted, and a middle-aged man dressed in traditional Japanese robes emerged. It was none other than Watanabe Hiko's uncle, Watanabe Yu.
Watanabe Yu was a highly sought-after figure in the Emperor's presence, holding real power. Even Admiral Yamamoto was wary of him. He glanced around, waved his hand calmly, and said, "All of you, please step aside. I have a few words to say to Mr. Xiao alone."
Yamamoto was still furious and about to explode, but Watanabe Yu stopped him, saying, "I heard everything you just said. Xiangyue-kun's attitude was as expected. I hadn't expected him to compose music for this poem. I was just testing his luck."
Everyone left, leaving only Xiao Xiangyue and Watanabe Xiong staring at each other in the hall.
"Xiangyue-kun is still as elegant and lovable as ever..." Watanabe Xiong said, "You are so smart, I'm sure you have guessed why I came to China."
Xiao Xiangyue remained silent.
Watanabe Yu said to himself, "Yan'er is a man of great talent and wisdom. You are his only weakness. I was shocked when I received the battle report from General Yamamoto in Japan. I didn't expect him to do such a foolish thing! It took a lot of effort to find out where he hid you. Yan'er is the future hope of my Watanabe family. I will never allow him to go astray. I have known his mind for so many years. I am here to either help him or destroy you."
Seeing Xiao Xiangyue didn't respond, Watanabe Xiong continued, "I'll give you two choices. Either send you to Japan, so that my foolish nephew can have a thought and reunite with you in Japan after the war. Or kill you, so that he will have no ties and can focus on dealing with China."
Xiao Xiangyue stared into the void, still silent, not knowing what she was thinking.
Watanabe Yu showed a cruel smile at the corner of his mouth: "I know you are not afraid of death, it would be easy to kill you. If you choose the second path, I will not let you die easily. What I will destroy is your will. I will make you neither human nor ghost, devastated, taste all the pain, and suffer all kinds of torture. You can neither live nor die. But... to treat a perfect, popular and beautiful person who has never experienced the slightest suffering in the world like this... I really can't bear it..."
The room fell silent for a moment. After a long moment, Xiao Xiangyue seemed to come back to her senses from her detached state. Her voice was soft but firm: "Mr. Watanabe is wrong. Xiangyue is afraid of death, and she doesn't want to die. But betraying the one she loves and living in this world is more painful than death. I'm sorry Xiangyue can't go to Japan."
It was not until the afternoon of the next day that Watanabe Hiko received the message and arrived in Nanjing.
There was a radio transmitter in the temple for communicating with the outside world. As soon as Xiao Xiangyue left, Watanabe Junko sent an urgent telegram to Watanabe Hiko, informing him of the situation. As luck would have it, he was out on a field inspection, communication was difficult, and he didn't receive the news until the next morning. In the Chinese theater, the only person who dared to impersonate him and kidnap people was Admiral Yamamoto. Without a second thought, Watanabe Hiko was certain that Yamamoto was responsible. He immediately put aside his military duties and personally flew to Nanjing in a state-of-the-art fighter plane.
Watanabe Yu was already prepared, sitting upright in a high-back chair behind the huge desk of the Japanese Army Headquarters in China, waiting for his arrival.
Watanabe Hiko's parents died early, and the uncle and nephew have always been close. He treated Watanabe Yu with respect, just like a father. Seeing his uncle, even though he was full of anger, he had to suppress it. He asked anxiously, "Where is Xiangyue Jun? Where is Xiangyue Jun?"
"Hiko came even faster than your uncle expected." Watanabe Yu habitually tapped the table with one hand, speaking sarcastically.
Watanabe Yan took a deep breath, barely controlling his emotions, and asked, "What did you do to Xiangyue?"
"Yan'er, are you going to bring an army to hold you accountable? I will help you erase this only stain, you should thank your uncle!" Watanabe Yu said coldly, word by word.
Watanabe Hiko knew his uncle's tactics well, and he straightened his back unconsciously. "To me, Xiangyue-kun is like the bright moon. There is nothing more beautiful in the world than this! How can you say there's something tainted?" Watanabe Xiong said with disdain, "That Xiao guy has never even looked you in the eye. Are you possessed or have you lost your mind?"
"My nephew believes that sincerity can move mountains. One day, I will make him have only me in his heart and eyes..." Watanabe Hiko wanted to argue.
Watanabe Yu finally lost his temper. He stood up, slammed the table, and flew into a rage: "You, a great Japanese samurai, actually did such a foolish thing for your own selfish desires! Seeing that the century-old reputation of my Watanabe family is about to be destroyed, how can I tolerate him!"
"Uncle is wrong! Hiko is not stupid. I believe I have never made a single wrong step! But one must live for oneself at least once... I want him. I dream of possessing him. I want to be with him for the rest of my life..." Watanabe Hiko seemed to be muttering to himself...
"I have destroyed him! It was you who harmed him, it was your greed that harmed him!" Watanabe Yu roared.
No need to say more. Watanabe Hiko smiled bitterly, retreating as he said, "Why did my uncle personally destroy the only dream my nephew had in this world? Forget it... Forget it... From now on, I am just a puppet of the Watanabe family, a war machine..." He staggered out of the gate of the pseudo-presidential palace.
Across the vast expanse of white North China, an ordinary military truck struggled forward through the snow. When it reached a steep slope, the tires sank into the thick snow. It was freezing cold outside. The two Japanese soldiers in charge of the escort jumped out of the truck, rubbing their frozen hands. The taller soldier complained, "This awful weather is freezing us to death!" The shorter soldier chimed in, "Yeah! We've been traveling for days and nights, how long will it take to get there?" The soldier driving the truck leaned out and shouted, "The commander specifically instructed us to get the men there alive. Don't let them freeze to death on the road, or we'll fail our mission!"
The cargo box at the back of the truck was covered with thick military canvas. The short soldier lifted the canvas and found an iron cage welded inside. Inside the cage was a man with a face covered in dirt and whose appearance was unrecognizable. The short soldier threw in two black steamed buns that were as hard as iron. The tall soldier kicked the man who was curled up on the ground. The man twitched, perhaps in pain. The tall soldier turned around and shouted, "Don't worry, this man has a long life ahead of him. He won't die!"
The truck lurched into a valley. Deep within the valley lay a cliff face, embedded in it was an iron gate. The gate, the same black color as the rock, was so dark that if you didn't look closely, you'd think it was a solid rock wall. The gate slowly opened, revealing a massive cavern. The entire mountain had been hollowed out, with numerous passages extending in all directions. Yet, no trace of it could be seen from the outside.
The escorting soldier jumped off the vehicle, lifted the canvas, opened the iron cage, grabbed the person inside, and threw him out of the vehicle like an object, cursing, "Damn it! Finally, he made it here alive!"
A Japanese soldier with a mustache in the cave kicked a person curled up in a ball and frowned, "We need strong people for our live experiments. Why did you send a weak chicken this time? How can it withstand a few tossings? It will be dead in two days!" The escorting soldier said, "We don't care! As long as it is still breathing when you send it here, our mission is accomplished! Let's go back!" The iron door slammed shut.
That day, Xiao Xiangyue was secretly escorted from the pseudo-presidential palace to a prison van and locked in an iron cage. The cage was covered with canvas, so he couldn't see outside. He could only feel the colder the further he walked. He was already frail, and within two days, he had developed a high fever. Every day, someone would lift the canvas and toss in two black steamed buns, but how could he possibly eat them? He hadn't eaten anything for days and nights, and in a daze, he clutched at the camel-colored scarf he'd always worn around his neck, grasping at straws.
This entire cave was a secret biological weapons testing base. The Japanese army used living people for experiments on various bacterial infections, plague, and poison gas. Most people could not withstand the torture and died during the experiments. The few who survived were killed by injections of potassium cyanide or execution. Those sent here were nameless and died, their bodies buried with the livestock.
A mustachioed soldier grabbed Xiao Xiangyue by the collar and dragged her inside. Under the dim light, the corridor was lined with large glass jars filled with various human specimens soaked in formalin, creating a spooky and terrifying scene. At the end of the corridor lay a series of dark, damp cells, crammed with living beings who looked neither human nor ghost. Some were emaciated, their eye sockets bulging. Some had ulcerated skin all over their bodies, bloodied and exposed. Some screamed in agony. It was horrifying.
The soldier opened one of the cell doors, threw the man in, locked the iron door, and walked away. The cell was filled with a foul odor, and rats, cockroaches, and lice were crawling everywhere. Xiao Xiangyue, who was thrown heavily to the ground, woke up and uttered a weak sound: "Water...water..."
The young man closest to him, still able to move, trudged to the corner and placed a broken bowl of murky water before him. This young man, Xu Wangcai, had been imprisoned only a few days earlier. Despite his physical strength, he had been tortured to a pale complexion, though not yet on the verge of death like the others. Xiao Xiangyue forced her eyes open and uttered, "Thank you..." her voice hoarse and almost inaudible. Half-raising herself, she trembled as she scooped up the dirty water, bringing her now-crusted lips to it and sipping greedily.
Every day, heavily armed men wearing protective gear entered the cells and injected various viruses and bacteria into living bodies. Those being injected were powerless to resist, unaware of the substance being injected. New inmates were imprisoned daily, and seven, eight, or even ten bodies were dragged out daily.
Xiao Xiangyue and Xu Wangcai became close friends in times of hardship. Wangcai was from a nearby village. He had a sick mother at home who needed care, so unlike other young people, he didn't leave the house to make a living. One day, while chopping wood in the mountains, he was discovered by Japanese soldiers and was captured and imprisoned here. The two talked about everything. Wangcai was simple and honest, and his greatest wish was to marry a wife and let his mother have grandchildren before she died. He soon learned that this person, who looked completely different from him, had a brother named Yun, and for Yun's sake, he had to live. The two encouraged each other, and when there was rotten food, they would hide in the corner and eat it, barely staying alive. After a few months, almost all the people imprisoned with them had died. Although the two had been tortured to the point of being on the verge of death, they still stubbornly held on.
The fine camel-colored scarf around Xiao Xiangyue's neck was so dirty that its color could no longer be seen. Like the surrounding environment, it exuded a foul odor. But he held on to it tightly almost every moment, as if it was a life-saving straw. Until one day, Wangcai spat out several mouthfuls of blood and breathed his last in his arms. The bright red blood soaked the scarf that had already become stiff. Xiao Xiangyue sat motionless like a sculpture for half a night. Suddenly, he screamed and rolled on the ground holding his head. The whimpering in extreme pain was no longer a sound that a human could make. Then he fell into a coma. The jailers thought he was dead and were about to report to the superiors. After an unknown amount of time, he miraculously woke up again. But his eyes could no longer see and he became blind.
On this day, the Japanese army opened the prison door and drove dozens of living people in the cell into a closed warehouse. It turned out that today's experimental project was to test the physical changes of the human body under extreme pressure. Everyone was locked in a high-pressure chamber. In order to prevent the struggle before death from affecting the data recording, the Japanese army tied the subjects to a welded iron chair like meat on a chopping board. As the pressure increased little by little, the people inside had hideous expressions of pain, but they could not move. One by one, they convulsed and bled from their mouths and noses and died. After the experiment was over, the Japanese army untied the bodies from the iron chairs and prepared to drag them away. Suddenly, a soldier shouted: "Report to the commander, there is another living person here!"
Colonel Yoshino Takashi, the squadron leader in charge of the experiment, had already finished collecting data and was about to leave when he heard someone was still alive. He was incredulous. The pressure had reached 500,000 Pa, practically the maximum human endurance. Survival was impossible.
Yoshino Takashi approached the body, bleeding from the mouth and nose, and leaned over inquiringly. He found that the body's chest was still rising and falling slightly. He sniffed and found that it was indeed breathing faintly. As he was wondering, he suddenly saw that the sleeve of the man's right arm had been torn open due to his struggle, revealing a pattern that resembled a crescent moon and a scimitar... Startled, he quickly squatted down to examine it more closely.
This pattern, which resembles both a crescent moon and a scimitar, belongs to a mysterious and ancient organization in Japan called Aonishi Group.
The Aonishi-gumi existed during the shogunate era. Like a mysterious dragon, they were always present behind every major event. The Yoshino Takashi family was considered one of Japan's most prominent and influential families. When he was ten years old, his grandfather was defeated in a political struggle, and his entire family was slaughtered. It was a summer night, and the ancestral home was engulfed in flames, with the screams of servants echoing. His mother, holding him, huddled in a corner of the courtyard. As the flames threatened to engulf them, a figure suddenly appeared and carried them and their son away. He clearly remembered the man who rescued them, whose arm was tattooed with a crescent-shaped, scimitar-like pattern. Mother and son were sent to the countryside, where they hid for several years. Later, his mother told him that his grandfather and father were members of the Aonishi-gumi. All members of the Aonishi-gumi were marked by this totem on their arms. Back then, the Aonishi-gumi had offended the cabinet and was ordered to be eliminated. His grandfather and father were among those killed in the massacre. Fortunately, remnants of the group remained, and over the years, they gradually grew stronger. He also joined the Qingxi Group at the age of 20, and had the same totem on his arm.
"Could this be one of ours? Why would he be sent here..." Yoshino Takashi was puzzled and quickly ordered: "Quick! Send him to the emergency room!"
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