war
The biting wind whipped up snowflakes, stinging their faces like knives. Shen Lanjun helped Gu Tieshan wade through knee-deep snow, finally reaching an abandoned hunter's hut in the back of the mountain. The hut was low, cramped, and drafty, but it was their only refuge.
Gu Tieshan had lost too much blood, his face was as pale as paper, and the wounds on his left shoulder and leg were gaping and grotesque, but he still managed to stay conscious, his eyes burning with suppressed anger. "Xiao Chen... Xiu Niang and the others..." his voice was hoarse and dry.
“I know.” Shen Lanjun tore off a clean strip of cloth from his inner shirt and tightly bound it around the bleeding wound on his leg. His movements were swift and steady, but his eyes were as cold as iron. “They’re capturing people to lure us out, or for interrogation. They won’t kill us for now. But we can’t wait.”
She settled Gu Tieshan on the ground covered with dry grass and covered him with his blood-stained cotton-padded coat. "You wait here, I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Gu Tieshan grabbed her wrist suddenly, with surprising force. He couldn't let her take any more risks.
"Find Geng Dashan, find Zhao Xiaoshuan, find everyone we can still trust!" Shen Lanjun looked at him, her gaze resolute. "The two of us alone cannot save anyone, nor can we avenge them. We must ignite this flame of war!"
Gu Tieshan gazed at her, then slowly released his grip. He knew she was right.
Shen Lanjun's figure disappeared into the snowy night. Gu Tieshan leaned against the cold earthen wall, coughing violently. Each cough aggravated his wounds, bringing excruciating pain. He closed his eyes, struggling to regulate his breathing, using his remaining internal energy to protect his heart and fight against blood loss and the cold. He couldn't fall, he absolutely couldn't fall!
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of rustling footsteps and hushed conversations came from outside the shack.
Is this the place?
"That's right, the mark left by Sister Shen points here!"
The straw curtain of the shack was lifted, and Geng Dashan's rough and anxious face peeked in, followed by Zhao Xiaoshuan with bloodshot eyes and carrying a wood-chopping knife, as well as two other villagers who had received favors from Gu Tieshan and were known for their bravery and fighting spirit.
"Brother Gu!" Geng Dashan gasped when he saw Gu Tieshan's blood-soaked state and rushed forward. "Those damn Japanese devils! And that bastard Hao Rende!"
Zhao Xiaoshuan knelt down in front of Gu Tieshan with a thud, his voice trembling with tears: "Uncle Gu! I'm so sorry! I couldn't protect the shop..."
"Get up!" Gu Tieshan's voice was weak, but carried an undeniable strength. "This is none of your business. Now, save people and avenge them."
Shen Lanjun was the last to enter. She had somehow obtained some wound medicine, clean cloth, and a few frozen cornbread buns. She quickly cleaned and bandaged Gu Tieshan's wounds, her movements professional and efficient.
“We’ve got the situation figured out,” Shen Lanjun said quickly while bandaging her wound. “Xiao Chen and Xiuniang are being held in the cellar of the general store. Hao Rende and that 'customer' with glasses are there, along with about seven or eight secret agents guarding them. Zhao Shouren, that old fox, is hiding at home and doesn’t dare to show his face. They’re assuming we’re either dead or have escaped, and they’re currently taking stock of the things they’ve taken out of the cellar, preparing to leave before dawn.”
"We can't let them leave!" Geng Dashan roared. "Kill these beasts!"
"Yes! Let's fight them!" Zhao Xiaoshuan and two other villagers were also excited.
Gu Tieshan swallowed the cornbread that Shen Lanjun handed him; the cold food brought him a bit of strength. He looked at Shen Lanjun: "How do we fight?"
Shen Lanjun's gaze swept over everyone, and she said in a deep voice, "They outnumber us and have better guns, so a direct confrontation won't work. We need to outsmart them. Uncle Dashan, you take two men and go to the east end of the village to make a big commotion, set a fire, and attract their attention. Xiaoshuan, you're familiar with the backyard of the general store, so lead us around there. Tieshan, are you still able to move?"
Gu Tieshan leaned against the wall, struggling to stand up. Although his body swayed, his eyes were sharp as knives: "Yes."
"Alright! Once things get chaotic up front, we'll storm in from the back, rescue the people, and retrieve the evidence!"
With the plan set, everyone split up and took action.
Geng Dashan and his men quietly left. Soon after, several loud explosions suddenly rang out at the east end of the village (possibly from igniting a woodpile or gunpowder barrel), flames shot into the sky, and the village erupted in a cacophony of shouts, cries, and calls to put out the fire!
The spies inside the grocery store were indeed alerted, and most of them were transferred to the front yard and windows to check the situation.
Just then, supported by Shen Lanjun and Zhao Xiaoshuan, Gu Tieshan appeared like a ghost at the foot of the back wall of the general store. Gu Tieshan took a deep breath, mustered his inner strength, and ignoring the excruciating pain of his reopened wound, forcefully lifted Shen Lanjun onto the top of the wall. Shen Lanjun climbed into the courtyard, silently dealt with the spy left at the gate, and opened the back door.
The three quickly infiltrated. There was a secret agent guarding the entrance to the cellar, but Zhao Xiaoshuan slashed him down from behind with a machete.
Upon opening the cellar, Xiao Chen, Xiu Niang and her daughter, and Shuanzi were found with their hands and feet bound and their mouths stuffed with rags. Seeing Gu Tieshan and Shen Lanjun, Xiao Chen cried out excitedly.
They were quickly untied. Xiao Chen picked up the gun from the ground, his eyes bloodshot: "Brother Gu! Sister Chen!"
"Let's go!" Gu Tieshan shouted in a low voice.
However, as soon as they stepped out of the cellar, they bumped into Hao Rende and the man with the gold-rimmed glasses who were hurrying back from the front yard! They clearly realized they had fallen for a diversionary tactic!
"Baka!" The man with the gold-rimmed glasses was both shocked and furious, and he raised his hand to fire!
Gu Tieshan abruptly pushed Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen away, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to stumble.
"Iron Mountain!"
"Brother Gu!"
Just at this critical moment, a dark figure swooped down from the roof beam like an eagle! It was Geng Dashan! He had sneaked in without anyone noticing, and slammed his fist hard into the wrist of the man with the gold-rimmed glasses!
"Click!" The pistol fell to the ground.
Hao Rende was terrified and turned to run away, but Xiao Chen kicked him to the ground and held him down tightly.
Gu Tieshan, enduring excruciating pain, leaned on his broadsword, his gaze as sharp as an ice blade fixed on the gold-rimmed glasses. The glasses tried to struggle, but were held firmly by Geng Dashan and Zhao Xiaoshuan.
Shen Lanjun quickly retrieved the map and codebook from under the counter of the general store, coldly staring at Hao Rende, whose face was ashen, and the gold-rimmed glasses man with a face full of resentment.
"Your 'country change plan' should come to an end here."
The fire at the eastern end of the village was gradually extinguished, but the real flames of war had just been lit in Linjiang Village. That night, Gu Tieshan and Shen Lanjun, with their indomitable will and the unity of their hearts, launched a counterattack in dire straits, forging their indomitable spirit on this northern border.
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