Bloodstained Azaleas
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Volume 4, Chapter 4
Winter in North Korea is even harsher than in Northeast China. Snowstorms, thick with the smoke of battle, blanket the land in a vast, desolate expanse. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, clad in thin cotton-padded coats and rubber-soled boots, waged a desperate battle against the heavily armed "United Nations forces" in the icy wilderness.
Gu Tieshan was assigned to a reinforced regiment in the vanguard, serving as the company commander of the spearhead company. It was as if he had returned to his days in the Northwest Army's broadsword unit, but his weapons had changed to a Soviet-made PPSh submachine gun and a still-sharp broadsword. His Xingyi Quan skills proved invaluable in close combat, night battles, and mountain infiltration; his footwork was steady, his reactions swift, and he could always find the enemy's weaknesses in the most treacherous environments, delivering a fatal blow.
His company became the sharpest blade in the entire regiment. In every assault, blocking, and infiltration, Gu Tieshan was always at the forefront. He was taciturn, his tactical instructions were concise and clear, and his leading by example earned him both respect and fear from the entire company. The soldiers privately called him "Iron Demon," referring both to his fierce fighting and to his eyes, which seemed perpetually frozen in coldness.
Only he knew that beneath the ice lay boiling magma. He was constantly observing and listening. He paid attention to every detail that might be unusual: an illogical order from a commander, a shifty look in a communications officer's eyes, unexpected losses on the supply line... He was like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting for the "black fox" to show its tail.
The fighting was exceptionally fierce. In one battle against elite American troops, Gu Tieshan's company was ordered to hold an unnamed hill to cover the main force's retreat. Enemy aircraft and heavy artillery practically razed the hill to the ground, and then hordes of infantry, under the cover of tanks, launched a relentless attack.
On the front lines, casualties were heavy and ammunition was running low.
"Company commander! We're almost out of bullets!"
"Fix bayonets!" Gu Tieshan roared hoarsely, leaping out of the trench, a gleaming broadsword gripping his hand! "Comrades! We'll hold the position as long as we live! Fight with me!"
"Kill—!" The surviving soldiers, like tigers released from their cages, followed their company commander, bayonets in hand, entrenching tools and demolition charges, and launched a desperate counter-charge against the enemy's hail of bullets!
Gu Tieshan seemed possessed by a war god, his Xingyi Quan movements perfectly integrated with battlefield combat. His figure flashed among the shell craters, his broadsword wielding a storm of death.
"Xingyi - Piquan!" The blade flashed like an axe, cleaving down an American soldier along with his gun.
"Drill Fist!" The tip of the knife probed out strangely, piercing into the neck of another enemy from an unbelievable angle.
"Crushing Fist!" With a combined strike, the shoulder and elbow, imbued with internal force, directly caused a tall American soldier's sternum to collapse, sending him tumbling off the cliff.
He was covered in blood, some of his own, but mostly from his enemies. When his broadsword became dull, he picked up an enemy's weapon and continued fighting. His ferocity greatly boosted morale, and the soldiers, with their own flesh and blood, repelled an enemy force several times their size.
A temporary silence returned to the highlands, save for the smell of burning tree trunks and scorched earth. The roots of the azaleas lay buried deep beneath the frozen earth, awaiting the coming spring, but at this moment, they might already be soaked in blood.
Gu Tieshan leaned against a shell crater, breathing heavily, haphazardly bandaging a deep, bone-revealing wound on his left arm. He took out a pocket watch, Lan Jun's keepsake, with a clear bullet mark on its case. He stroked the watch, his eyes momentarily glazed over.
"Lan Jun... wait for me..." he murmured.
Just then, the regimental communications soldier braved the artillery fire and rushed onto the position, bringing bad news and an urgent order.
"Company Commander Gu! We've lost contact with the brother division that's infiltrated in Area 3! Their walkie-talkies are under severe interference and completely malfunctioning! Command suspects... suspects enemy agents have infiltrated, damaged communication equipment, or provided incorrect coordinates! The higher command has ordered our unit to go forward at all costs to investigate the situation and find a way to restore communications!"
Gu Tieshan suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light!
Communication interference? Incorrect coordinates? Could this have led to an entire division being surrounded?
This technique... this level of familiarity with internal processes and communication nodes...
"Black Fox!" He practically squeezed the words out from between his teeth.
Old and new grudges exploded at this moment! This traitor not only killed Tingzhi, but now he has extended his poisonous hand to tens of thousands of volunteer soldiers on the Korean battlefield!
"You can still move! Come with me!" Gu Tieshan's voice roared like a wounded beast. He grabbed a rifle with a bayonet fixed, glanced at his fallen and seriously wounded comrades on the battlefield, engraved their images in his heart, and then rushed down the hill without looking back, heading towards the No. 3 area where signals were cut off and danger lurked everywhere.
Too much blood has been shed. Whether the azaleas can bloom next year depends on whether they can sever the hidden hand lurking in the shadows. Gu Tieshan's pursuit of the murderer has entered its most tragic and crucial final chapter on this foreign land.
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