Chapter 39: The Remnant Soul Continues Life, Love Is Hard to Let Go, A Dream of Yellow Millet, A Warrior's Stomach Disembowelment
The spring of 1945 came particularly early.
Ever since seeing that telegram, Luo Guoyun seemed a changed man. His long-standing anxiety and decadence had vanished, his tempers and his unkempt appearance were gone. Every day, in his immaculate uniform, he energetically studied strategy and tactics, orchestrating several major offensives that crushed the Japanese. The General Luo, a master of strategy, a master of military tactics, and a fearsome enemy, had returned.
Everyone was secretly puzzled, and while they were relieved, they also had some complaints.
Seeing Mei speak her mind, she was the first to express her dissatisfaction. She grumbled to Erhu in private, "Brother Luo always seemed to have such a good relationship with Yue'er, but now that he heard the news of his death, he doesn't seem to be sad at all. It shows that all men are unfaithful and ungrateful!" Erhu was dull and honest. He scratched his head and said, "I watched the two young masters grow up together. It goes without saying how deep their relationship is. When the young master first disappeared, the young master was like a madman. I was afraid that one day the young master would really be gone, and the young master would follow him... Now that he really knows the news of his death, the young master is actually full of energy, like a completely different person. I'm also wondering..."
The spring air was chilly. Late at night, Luo Guyun, dressed in a single layer, was still reviewing war reports under the lamp. This year's Lantern Festival marked his thirty-fourth birthday. He had become increasingly composed, exuding an air of unspoken authority.
Erhu approached quietly, poured a pot of hot tea, and put his coat on him. Luo Guyun looked up and said, "It's enough that Secretary Wu and the others are on duty. It's the middle of the night, and you're not going back to accompany your wife..." Erhu agreed hesitantly and was about to leave.
Luo Guoyun glanced at him: "Erhu, do you have anything to say?" Erhu hesitated and said: "No... nothing... Young Master is now focusing all his attention on the war, which is good. But you also need to pay attention to rest. If the young master were still alive, he would be heartbroken to see you working so hard day and night..."
Upon hearing this, Luo Guyun threw the pen in his hand, stood up suddenly, and shouted: "You all thought Yue'er was dead, right? No! Yue'er is not dead! Yue'er will not die! He will not leave me alone! He will not leave me!"
Erhu opened his eyes wide, staring at him in surprise. Luo Guyun also felt that his voice was too loud and scared Erhu. After calming down a little, he continued, "Do you think I'm crazy? Don't worry, your young master is not mentally ill! You don't understand Yue'er. How could he bear to leave me alone to suffer in this world? For me, he would fight to live! Even if he only had one breath left! But now I don't know where he is? What kind of pain he is suffering... If I just stay sad and depressed, how can I find him? Besides, I promised Yue'er that no matter who dies first, the one who survives will live well for the other! So... if Yue'er is really gone, I will live the rest of my life as if Yue'er is still here! I will see the scenery he has never seen for him, and fulfill his unfulfilled wishes for him... Do you understand?!"
Erhu was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He tried hard not to let them fall and nodded desperately: "Master, you are absolutely right! The feelings between Master and Little Master are higher than the sky and deeper than the sea. How can others understand..."
In the heavily guarded Japanese Central China War Zone Command, a mysterious three-story building, medical experts of different skin colors hurried in and out for several days.
From the study on the second floor came the clattering sound of shattering porcelain, followed by Watanabe Hiko's roar: "Good-for-nothings, all of them! They need treatment even if they can't be cured... What are you talking about euthanasia?! Who dares to mention death in front of me? I want him buried with me!"
A group of dejected experts stood before Watanabe Hiko, watching him rage like a madman. The leader, Dr. Jono, a renowned Japanese doctor of medicine, boldly declared, "General Watanabe, please calm down! The doctors' advice makes sense! The devastation and torture the patient has endured is unimaginable! Every organ is severely damaged, and living is a million times more painful than dying! With current medical technology, there's no way to wake him up, and there's no point in saving him. It's better to let him pass away peacefully..."
Watanabe Hiko, having learned from his previous mistakes, dared not let Xiao Xiangyue out of his sight for a single moment. He brought her directly from Base 731 back to the Central China Theater Command and placed her in the three-story Western-style building where he lived. He set up tight security around the area to prevent any leaks. He secretly organized a medical consultation with experts to assess and revive the patient, who had fallen into a deep coma. Days passed. The experts, at their wit's end, unanimously recommended abandoning any attempts at resuscitation, preferring euthanasia, allowing the patient to pass away peacefully and with less suffering.
How could Watanabe agree to this? Every day, besides being furious, he kept looking for new authoritative experts to treat Xiao Xiangyue.
Dr. Shirono frowned and continued, "In my thirty-plus years of medical practice, this is the first time I've encountered a situation like this. Judging from the damage to the patient's organs, his heart could stop at any moment. But the patient's will to live is so strong! It seems like there's a spiritual force supporting him. It's truly a miracle that he's still alive! Current medical knowledge can't explain it... Oh, regarding spiritual power, there's a Jewish medical expert, Dr. Kobe, who's done extensive research on this aspect..."
"Kobe? Hurry... bring Kobe to me!" The desperate Watanabe Hikoru grabbed a life-saving straw and immediately ordered Adjutant Inoue who was standing beside him.
Some time ago, Watanabe Hiko had placed Dr. Kobe, He Qisheng's doctor, under house arrest to investigate his background and force him to hand over He Qisheng's medical records. To prevent the news from leaking out, he had been held in a villa northwest of the headquarters, and had almost forgotten about it.
The weft curtains were hanging low, and a body like a living dead lay quietly on its back in the bedroom on the third floor.
"Fascists! Demons... Oh, God! Please forgive their sins!" The last time Dr. Kobe saw Xiao Xiangyue was at her twentieth birthday party. He couldn't believe the zombie-like figure before him was the elegant young man he remembered as possessing all the best in the world. A devout believer in God, he kept making the sign of the cross and prayed desperately.
Watanabe Hiko, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, was shocked and frightened: "What's going on? Please explain it clearly!"
The Kong Neng Mage standing nearby sighed and said, "Fortunately, Miss Junko returned to Japan. If she had seen Xiangyue's current state with her own eyes, she would have been very sad..."
Kobe angrily cursed: "You bunch of devils! You tortured Mr. Xiao like this, and you're still pretending to be so hypocritical!"
Adjutant Inoue shouted, "How dare you be so disrespectful to Commander Watanabe! If it weren't for my general's timely rescue, Mr. Xiao would have been killed!"
"Forget it...forget it..." The haggard Watanabe Hiko waved his hands dejectedly, "Mr. Kobe, please take a closer look at what's going on with this person..." His voice was full of pleading.
Kobe was genuinely surprised to see the legendary God of War in this state. He barely managed to calm his anger and said with deep sorrow, "I've just carefully studied the medical records provided by Dr. Shirono... Mr. Xiao was blind before entering the hyperbaric chamber. The reason for this is unknown. He had a congenital heart problem, and the months of torture have led to severe heart failure, with his heart threatening to stop at any moment. His liver has been severely damaged by long-term bacterial and viral attacks. The hyperbaric chamber ruptured both lungs, damaged his eardrums, and completely lost his hearing. Even if he wakes up, he will be deaf and blind, and will have to endure endless physical pain..."
"I don't care! I just want him to be alive!" Watanabe Hiko's face was distorted and he shouted almost crazily.
Kobe Bryant sighed, "Perhaps he still has things he cares about in this world, so he doesn't want to die. He's holding on tenaciously with willpower... All we can do now is maintain his vital signs and do our best to treat him. Whether he can wake up depends on God's will..."
After everyone left, Watanabe Hiko sat alone on the edge of the bed, staring blankly.
Ever since Xiao Xiangyue was brought back, experts have been organized to rescue her day and night, and there is no time to sit quietly and take a good look at this sleeping face... Although she is so thin that she has lost her shape, you can still vaguely see her former appearance from the bones... In his trance, he was charmed like the time at Kobe Hot Springs, and he got closer and closer. His warm lips held the pale and cold lips, sucking and licking greedily. After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Xiangyue's Adam's apple moved, as if she wanted to make a sound. Two lines of tears flowed from the corners of her tightly closed eyes. Watanabe Yan was so excited that he was incoherent and shouted: "He's awake! He's awake! Quick! Call a doctor!"
The experts gathered around the bed. Xiao Xiangyue's vein-baring hand tightly grasped Watanabe Yan. His lips moved slightly, and although the sound was faint, everyone could hear it clearly. He was calling out for Yun... Brother Yun...
Kobe's eyes were wet, and he looked at Watanabe meaningfully: "If I'm not mistaken, the person he can't let go of is General Luo. I witnessed with my own eyes how beautiful the relationship between him and General Luo was! Now that he regards you as his lover, you should make the best of it, accompany him, comfort him, give him strength, and perhaps save his life..."
Early summer of 1945.
Xiao Xiangyue's health improved day by day. Aside from his military duties, Watanabe Hiko spent almost all his time with him. Sometimes he would hold him by the window, from dusk to sunset, and then to a starry sky. Or he would carry him on his back for a walk in the wild, breathe in the fresh air, bathe him, change his clothes, and then fall asleep in their arms. Xiao Xiangyue became very clingy, needing to be close to him at all times to feel at ease. At night, she would lie on top of him like an octopus to fall asleep peacefully.
Although Xiao Xiangyue couldn't see or hear, his senses were quite sharp. When Watanabe Yan carried him outdoors, he would ask, "Brother Yun, are we at the river? I can smell the scent of the flowing water..." When there were wildflowers by the roadside, he would say, "Brother Yun, are we in the garden? I can smell the fragrance of the flowers..."
Even though he knew he couldn't hear, Watanabe Hiko would answer every one of his words seriously.
Most of the time, it was Watanabe Hiko who was listening, listening to him recalling stories from their childhood, telling interesting things about studying in Sweden, and expressing his longing for Brother Yun during the time they were apart... Once, he was vomiting blood and was almost fainting. The doctors were scrambling to save him. Watanabe Hiko rushed back after hearing the news. As soon as he held his hand, Xiao Xiangyue immediately regained some consciousness and put on a big, friendly smile: "Brother Yun is back? Yue'er is fine... It's okay... Don't worry..." The doctors were all amazed at Watanabe Hiko's magical healing power over him.
That year, Luo Guoyun and Watanabe Hiko fought several major battles along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Japanese, leveraging their air superiority, bombed several coastal cities into a scorched earth, leaving ruins and rubble everywhere, with hardly a single intact building. The Chinese launched surprise attacks, wiping out several Japanese regiments. The battle remained stalemate, with both sides winning and losing.
Despite paying a heavy price, the city where Luo Guyun was stationed was impregnable. The Japanese army was blocked in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and could no longer advance into the southwest, northwest, and rear areas.
On the battlefield, Luo Guoyun is Watanabe Yan's sworn enemy. Privately, Watanabe Yan becomes the person he hates the most, spending time with Xiao Xiangyue, becoming incredibly close. Every day, she hears him calling her "Brother Yun" countless times...Brother Yun...
Watanabe Hiko grew increasingly haggard, his expression growing increasingly gloomy. The villa in the northwest corner housed a number of military prostitutes, both male and female. Sometimes, drunk, he would go there to vent his anger. He would always enter from behind, never even glancing at the face. Once done, he would draw his bayonet, slash the victim to death, and then walk away. Rumors abounded that Watanabe Hiko was a ruthless, merciless demon who killed without blinking an eye.
One day, Watanabe Hiko emerged drunk from the villa, and Kobe stopped him. "General Watanabe, why are you tormenting yourself like this? As a doctor of psychology, I sense something's wrong with your mental health. Could you please talk to me?"
To prevent the news from leaking out, all the doctors who had treated Xiao Xiangyue were placed under house arrest in a villa in the northwest corner. A team of experts, led by Dr. Kobe and Dr. Shirono, was formed to be on call at any time.
Watanabe Hiko staggered and pushed him away: "Go away! I have to take a bath quickly to wash off the smell of alcohol on my body. Be careful not to stink Yue'er at night..." Adjutant Inoue, who was following closely behind him, hurriedly supported him.
Kobe continued, "Today, the expert team has discussed the possibility of Mr. Xiao undergoing eardrum repair surgery. If successful, he may be able to recover his hearing."
Watanabe Hiko instantly sobered up and grabbed Kobe, his voice trembling, "Are you serious?" Kobe said, "Of course it's true. Dr. Shirono has already drawn up a surgical plan. Previously, because Mr. Xiao was still weak, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to withstand it. Now he's recovering well, and the time for surgery has come."
Watanabe Yan fell down on the stone steps outside the villa, looking like he was half sad and half happy: "Okay... okay... when he can hear me, I will tell him in person that the one who hugs him, kisses him, caresses him, and whispers in his ear every day is not Luo Guyun, but me, Watanabe Yan... My Great Japanese Empire will eventually occupy China, Watanabe Yan will eventually defeat Luo Guyun, and Yue'er... from body to soul, will eventually belong to me completely..."
In the height of summer, bad news came one after another. On August 6, Hiroshima, Japan, was bombed by an atomic bomb. On August 8, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. On August 9, Nagasaki was bombed again.
Adjutant Inoue found Watanabe Hiko in the trenches, having been awake for days and personally supervising the battle on the front lines. The message was from Watanabe Yu, stating that the cabinet was secretly discussing surrender and urging him to prepare for retreat. Watanabe Hiko tore the message to shreds, his eyes bloodshot as he roared, "Surrender? The word 'surrender' is not in my vocabulary!"
By mid-August, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Watanabe sent him several telegrams daily to update him on the situation: Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been razed to the ground, hundreds of thousands had been killed or wounded, the Soviet Red Army had completely annihilated the 700,000-strong Japanese Kwantung Army, and the Pacific Fleet's combined air forces had destroyed all Japanese warships...
The Holy Virtue Cathedral was close to the front line, where Watanabe Hiko would conduct his daily operations and handle military affairs. He had been sitting in his study all night.
Watanabe's final telegram read: "The Emperor's personal reading of the surrender edict has been recorded. It will be released on August 15th, broadcast to the world, announcing Japan's unconditional surrender..." He knew it was over... His dream of spending his life under the cherry blossoms, burning incense and playing the zither, drinking wine and practicing swordplay, with that figure in flowing white, was ultimately just a dream, a beautiful dream that would never come true.
At daybreak, Watanabe Hiko calmly instructed Adjutant Inoue, "Please invite Master Kong Neng here. I have something to tell him."
Several strange things happened to Luo Guyun a few months ago.
After Xiao Xiangyue disappeared, Luo Guyun was busy with military affairs every day and hardly had a good meal. Ah Fu, the Yangzhou cook who was brought from Nanjing to Hanchang, had nothing to do, so Yi Han gave him a sum of money and allowed him to retire and return home. However, his nephew in his hometown said that he had not returned home and has been missing since then. Qionghua wrote to say that the old house in Anyang was robbed, but other property was not lost, only the Japanese zither hanging in the piano room was missing. A few months ago, Sun Mu went to the Shanghai Concession to discuss the import of penicillin with the French and was almost kidnapped by a group of unidentified people. Fortunately, Yi Han's influence in Shanghai spread to every corner, and he got the news in time, so the criminals did not succeed.
From early spring to midsummer, Luo Guyun was completely absorbed in his duties, garrisoning the enemy and commanding the battle day and night, leaving him with no time for anything else. By mid-August, the Japanese were doomed to defeat, and our victory was in sight. On this day, Luo Guyun and his generals, including Yi Shui, were planning to cross the river the next day and capture the Japanese stronghold.
The guards arrived, reporting that a monk outside had delivered a visiting card addressed to the commander-in-chief. Yi Shui casually took it, and upon seeing the handwriting, he jumped to his feet, shouting, "Third brother! Third brother!" Everyone knew Yi Shui was known for his composure, the anchor of the army, and they were puzzled as to what had caused him such panic. Luo Guyun, who was studying a map, looked up and, upon seeing the large inscription on the envelope, "Personally addressed to General Luo Guyun," he froze.
Knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. For the past two years, Watanabe Hiko had been their number one rival, and Luo Guoyun and Yi Shui had already thoroughly studied him. Even his handwriting was incredibly familiar. One glance at the words on the envelope revealed that the visiting card was written by Watanabe Hiko, which was astonishing.
Luo Guoyun opened the envelope, and in the middle of the card was a line of large, graceful characters:
People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes.
There is a line of small words in the lower left corner: Tomorrow at noon, Shengde Church.
The signature is: Watanabe Hiko.
The monk folded his hands and said, "Amitabha, General Watanabe asks General Luo to go alone."
Shengde Church is the largest Catholic church in Central China, located over a hundred miles from Hanchang City. Previously, it had been under Japanese control. Yi Shui pondered, "Watanabe Hiko's invitation to my third brother at this time must be a trap. What conspiracy is he planning..."
Luo Guyun said, "Watanabe Hiko's words have a meaning, and it must be related to Yue'er. For Yue'er, I will go through a dangerous place, even if it means a dangerous place!" Yi Shui said, "Then let Erhu take more guards to accompany my third brother to the Holy Virtue Church. I will lead the troops to attack the Japanese invaders' lair as planned. The Japanese are doomed, and they can't turn the tide!"
The majestic Holy De Cathedral stands majestically on the bank of the Yangtze River.
Luo Guyun stopped Erhu and other guards who wanted to follow him in and ascended the high stone steps in front of the church alone. From a distance, he saw Watanabe Hiko, no longer in uniform, now dressed in traditional Japanese samurai robes. He leaned against a tall pillar outside the church, sitting cross-legged. As he approached, he was shocked to see a dagger lodged in his abdomen, blood soaking the hem of his shirt that dangled to the ground.
Luo Guyun was shocked: "Watanabe Yan...you...what are you doing? Where is Yue'er?"
"General Luo, you are finally here... I thought I would not be able to see you anymore..." Watanabe Hiko's voice was weak, with a hint of a miserable smile.
Luo Guyun stepped forward, grabbed him, and yelled, "You...you can't die. Where is Yue'er? Give me back my Yue'er!"
Watanabe Hiko sneered and said with difficulty: "Your Yue'er? No... no... Yue'er is mine. I hug him, kiss him, and caress him every day... He needs me and cannot live without me... Without me, he would have been dead long ago... He is my Yue'er, not yours..."
"Brother Yun." A soft, gentle voice called from behind, a voice that haunted him. Luo Guyun turned sharply and saw Xiao Xiangyue, dressed in a light blue gown and a loose military uniform, standing not far from the steps. Her large, hollow eyes seemed to be looking at him, yet seemed to see nothing. Her face was filled with uncontrollable astonishment, confusion, and fear. He said quietly, "Brother Yun, why did you come so late..." His foot stepped on empty air, and his body fell backward like a dead tree, tumbling down the high stone steps of the church like a kite with a short string.
"Yue'er!" Luo Guyun let out a heart-wrenching scream, crawled down the stairs, picked up the man whose face was covered in blood, and rushed out.
"Yue'er!" Watanabe Yan, who was sitting cross-legged, struggled to rush towards the direction where Xiao Xiangyue fell, as if trying to catch him, but in the end he was too far away. He fell to the ground, watched Luo Guyun run away with her in his arms, and slowly closed his eyes.
Xiao Xiangyue's eardrum repair surgery was a success. The moment he could hear again, he was so excited that tears streamed down his face, and he kept calling out, "Brother Yun, where's Brother Yun? Yue'er can hear now!"
The doctors surrounding the bed were also very excited.
Kobe asked, "Mr. Xiao, do you still remember who I am?" Xiao Xiangyue's ability to recognize voices was extraordinary, and she could almost remember them after hearing them. Although the last time she saw Kobe was at his birthday party more than eight years ago, she recognized his voice immediately. She said in surprise, "You are Mr. Kobe!" Ah Fu, the head chef of Yangzhou Hotel, was also waiting nearby, and said with tears in his eyes, "Master, can you recognize who I am?" Xiao Xiangyue smiled brightly, "You are Ah Fu! Yue'er eats the food you cook every day. Even if I can't hear you, I know it's you!...Where's Brother Yun? I want to see Brother Yun!"
It has been several days since my hearing was restored, and Luo Guyun has not appeared once.
On the third floor sat a guzheng. Although he couldn't see it, he knew by the sound that it was the Japanese zither Watanabe Hiko had given him. He often sat by the window and played it blindly, for entire days. The mournful, melancholy melodies seemed to express his deepest worries and endless longing.
Just after breakfast that day, a familiar voice appeared again, saying they were ordered by the general to take him somewhere. Though the voice was deliberately speaking Chinese, he recognized it as Adjutant Inoue. He remembered the voice from the night Watanabe Hiko suddenly appeared in the Hanlin Hall, when the voice had twice spoken out to stop the people around him. Later, Junko told him it was Watanabe Hiko's adjutant, Inoue Zaki.
Xiao Xiangyue silently followed Inoue Qi into the car. The car bumped along for several hours. After getting off, Adjutant Inoue helped him walk a short distance and let him sit on a long wooden chair. The reason he knew the chair was long was that after he sat down, he felt around and didn't touch the armrests.
Adjutant Inoue was very respectful. Even though he knew Xiao couldn't see him, he still saluted and said, "Please wait here, Mr. Xiao. Someone will come to pick you up shortly."
The surroundings were silent and still. Xiao Xiangyue sat for a moment, then felt a chill and shrank back. It was as if someone had silently approached, draped a garment over him, and a pair of warm lips had pecked at his slightly cold ones, then left in an instant. He started, and cried out, "Is that Brother Yun?" He reached forward, but caught nothing. Deathly silence returned.
After an unknown amount of time, he heard the sound of someone climbing the stairs. It was Brother Yun's footsteps! With his keen sense of sound, he had no doubt he had heard Brother Yun's footsteps wrong! Xiao Xiangyue was extremely excited. He stood up suddenly and groped his way towards the sound. Then he heard the conversation between Luo Guyun and Watanabe Yan. His mind was in chaos. What...what was going on? He was terrified and wanted to ask Brother Yun to find out what was going on... The last thing he heard was the two people's screams, and then he lost consciousness.
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