Slick Commander Du
The sun slowly rose from the horizon, leaping over the mountaintop and emitting dazzling light. Large patches of sunlight shone on the soldiers as they followed the instructor's commands: "At ease, attention, draw your swords."
The rows of soldiers drew their gleaming broadswords from their sheaths with a "whoosh," and if it weren't for their white shirts and gray-blue military trousers, Chen Yao would have thought he had accidentally wandered into the military camp of a previous dynasty.
Gao Junxiao beside him remained calm, but Chen Yao couldn't understand why they were training with broadswords so early in the morning. Broadswords couldn't even stop bullets; what era were they living in? These days, gangs fighting over territory was a bloody battle.
As the sun rose, the temperature on the entire drill ground slowly increased under the sunlight. Sweat soaked the soldiers' shirts, splashing onto the soil along with the swinging broadswords. Whistles sounded, and shouts of "Hey-ha!" rang out. Their movements were orderly and disciplined, displaying the air of a regular army.
The rostrum was almost within reach. Chen Yao whispered a reminder to Gao Junxiao to watch his words. That Du Ying, Commander Du, was a cunning and shrewd old fox who didn't like the Central Army. He had visited several times but had only made things difficult and refused to discuss joint operations.
call out--
Suddenly, a large knife flew straight towards them. Gao Junxiao shoved Chen Yao aside and took a step back himself. The knife then embedded itself deeply in the mud at their feet, waving in the sunlight. Chen Yao cursed, "Who was so blind as to throw a knife like that?"
Gao Junxiao's expression changed drastically. He pulled the large knife out of the mud with a backhand. A flash of cold light, and then a clang—the shattered light reflected off Chen Yao's face. The blade was only inches away from Chen Yao's neck. Fortunately, Gao Junxiao reacted quickly and managed to block the slash.
Shocked, Chen Yao realized that the man wielding the knife was Commander Du, easily recognizable by the scar under his left eye. Du Ying struck first, his attacks growing increasingly fierce. Chen Yao could only see two streaks of white light swirling around the whirling figure. Although Gao Junxiao could barely hold on, he was bound to suffer losses if things continued this way.
Commander Du is going to give them a taste of their own medicine!
Sure enough, the subsequent sword strikes became increasingly ruthless, as if they wouldn't stop until they had torn people to pieces. Gao Junxiao wasn't having an easy time either. With a loud clang of the swords clashing, the impact made his hands go numb, and he immediately took a step back. Du Ying, on the other hand, wasn't in a hurry either, as if he was looking forward to Gao Junxiao's fierce attack.
Gao Junxiao rotated his wrist to adjust his grip on the knife, a cold glint in his eyes. He then slashed down diagonally like a shooting star. Du Ying had no choice but to block with the blade. The white blade scraped against the blade, creating golden sparks and making a sound like fingernails scratching a blackboard, a sound that made one's heart clench.
The blades of the two men were locked in mid-air, neither able to penetrate even an inch. This time, Gao Junxiao learned to strike first, launching a lightning-fast kick at Du Ying's lower body. Du Ying was forced to retreat repeatedly. Taking advantage of Du Ying's momentary lapse in attention, Gao Junxiao swiftly moved and used the hilt of his sword to press against Du Ying's back.
The impromptu battle finally came to a conclusion. Du Ying, despite losing the match, burst into laughter, clasped his hands, and bowed to Gao Junxiao in the salute of a swordsman. Gao Junxiao also sheathed his broadsword and bowed to Du Ying, saying, "Junxiao greets Commander Du."
The attendant beside Du Ying immediately put away his broadsword and lit a cigarette for him. Du Ying exhaled two smoke rings, turned around and patted Gao Junxiao's shoulder heavily, teasingly saying, "Kid, you're not bad. Your virginity hasn't been wasted. Could it be that you're still a virgin? Hahaha."
"Commander Du, please don't make fun of Junxiao. You are the number one swordsman in the Northwest Army. It was only because you let me win that I was able to win by chance." Gao Junxiao flattered him at the right time.
"Hahaha, I taught you that last move. I'm getting old and my reactions are slower, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to steal my moves. So, what do you want?" Du Ying was clearly pretending to be confused when he knew the truth.
Hearing that the two were old acquaintances, Chen Yao was surprised that Gao Junxiao knew Du Ying. Gao Junxiao didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "Junxiao has come to visit today to thank Commander Du for assisting our bandit suppression team in setting up camp. Also, please forgive Commander Chen for his rudeness earlier."
"Oh, no, no, you are the Central Army, assisting the Central Army in its garrison is the duty of the city defense commander. We are just a ragtag army, how dare we have any objections?" Du Ying suddenly became polite, without a trace of the ruthlessness he had shown before, but he still managed to gain the upper hand verbally.
Gao Junxiao didn't refute, he just smiled and let Du Ying lead the two of them to another place. He quietly pulled the dazed Chen Yao to follow Du Ying.
White steam filled the room. Chen Yao was inexplicably led into the bathhouse, where Junxiao and Du Ying began undressing without a word. "Hey! Big brother. Why aren't you taking a bath so early in the morning? You can talk, but why are you taking a bath like this?"
Seeing this huge public bathhouse, Chen Yao felt a chill run down his spine, which reminded him of his time studying in the north. Back then, a bath towel was his last act of defiance, and then nothing more.
The image of the former Gao Junxiao overlapped before his eyes, both looking impatient and saying the same thing: "Stop dawdling, we're all grown men, take your clothes off."
The fog grew thicker and thicker. Chen Yao loosened his belt and cursed under his breath, "Damn it! I'll risk everything to wipe out the bandits!"
Fortunately, it was a private bathhouse, and there was no one else besides the three of them. Once the three of them were soaking in the pool, Du Ying seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and slowly said to the two of them, "I'm sorry, there are some idle people outside, so it's not convenient to talk business."
"Commander Du, you're too kind. You've only been here for six months, and you've already been busy with both defense and bandit suppression. You must be exhausted," Chen Yao said politely. Of course, Du Ying was indeed quite capable.
"Yes, I heard there used to be a curfew, but with your arrival, the bandits in the east were driven away and the curfew was lifted. Commander Du deserves all the credit," Gao Junxiao added, offering his compliments.
Du Ying, flattered by the two men, said somewhat lightly, "Brothers, we are not very capable. We can only push the battle line to twenty miles outside Xuzhou City. Further west is your task."
"Of course, military orders are absolute. It's just that we know you, Commander Du, have fought against those bandits from Mangshan and Fengshan, and we want to learn from your experience so we don't go astray again," Gao Junxiao said earnestly.
Looking around and seeing no one else, Du Ying didn't hold back and patiently explained that the bandits in Xuzhou were not much different from ordinary bandits. They all relied on the natural barriers of the mountainous terrain, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. He personally suggested bringing a local villager as a guide to avoid getting lost.
Moreover, they were numerous and powerful, all desperate criminals, and each had excellent marksmanship. Du Ying had suffered losses against them when he was suppressing bandits, so he had to be careful to stay hidden. Of course, they also had some differences from ordinary bandits, such as their guns being well-made and their ample supply of bullets.
He was so envious that he deliberately raided the mountain strongholds a few times, seizing a lot of good stuff. At this point, Commander Du cursed, "You son of a bitch, your equipment is better than our regular army's! What kind of world is this!"
These words alerted Gao Junxiao. Thinking of the unidentified firearms on the black market, he asked in confusion, "Is that so? Commander Du, have you investigated their supply channels? If you cut off their supply, wouldn't they be trapped like turtles in a jar?"
"It's not that easy. I've investigated, and I haven't found anything at all." At this point, Du Ying started cursing the idle people outside again, "Useless dog spies. They know exactly who the new concubine is, what color her undergarment is, but they can't find any useful information."
The mere mention of the spy Chen Yao caused his relaxed state of mind to tense up again. The two of them started cursing the dog spy, one after the other. Gao Junxiao listened helplessly, but managed to glean some useful information. Du Ying's army had a detective department, whose members were essentially spies. Besides surveillance, they would also help the commander gather intelligence.
Gao Junxiao frowned slightly. He thought of the informants at the train station. It seemed that Du Ying's informants were everywhere, not just at the station. This was a troublesome matter.
Before they knew it, the conversation had turned to Gao Junxiao. Chen Yao was very curious about the relationship between Du Ying and Gao Junxiao. They had known each other since they were in military school, but he had glossed over their past.
"You two went to Guangzhou together, right?" Du Ying suddenly asked after learning that they were classmates at military academy. After receiving Chen Yao's affirmative answer, he suddenly realized and pointed to Gao Junxiao to explain their relationship.
It turns out that Du Ying and Gao Junxiao's brother-in-law are sworn brothers. Du Ying started following Gao Junxiao's brother-in-law when he was thirteen. Back then, Gao Junxiao's brother-in-law kindly let his brother-in-law stay behind as a senior advisor after graduation.
But Gao Junxiao went to Guangzhou without a word to join the revolutionary army. Only after arriving in Guangzhou did he send a letter home, which infuriated his father and brother-in-law. Oh, his brother-in-law didn't have a beard, so he could only stare helplessly. Chen Yao was amused by Du Ying's humor and laughed heartily. Gao Junxiao also chuckled awkwardly.
"Back then, we all thought he was a blockhead, but now it seems he really did choose sides," Du Ying remarked, pouring water on his hands.
Gao Junxiao didn't want to hear the two of them argue any further, so he steered the conversation back on track: "Junxiao is just doing what he feels like. Commander Du, is the 205th Security Regiment under your command? These people might be colluding with bandits."
"Oh, it's all the trouble left behind by Lao Liu. That pig left behind so many problems. I hadn't even had a chance to take over when I was ordered to clean up the disciplinary issues. I haven't even seen anyone yet, what am I supposed to clean up?" Du Ying complained with a bitter face. "How about I delegate authority to you guys?"
In the misty fog, Gao and Chen remained silent. Gao Junxiao knew this was a problem left over from his predecessor, and handling it poorly could offend someone. Du Ying was quick-witted, passing the hot potato to someone else while keeping himself out of trouble.
After some polite refusals, none of the three mentioned the matter again. To liven up the atmosphere, Du Ying politely asked the two if they wanted a back massage. After saying that, he clapped his hands, and two heavily made-up beauties wearing only underwear (you know what I mean) gracefully stepped forward and sat around Du Ying, massaging his shoulders.
The scene was so sensual that the two of them instinctively sank into the pool, only their necks and above showing. Du Ying stroked the beauty's small hand and said, "Your brother-in-law's brother-in-law is my brother-in-law. You can each take one of these two concubines. They'll take care of you during the bandit suppression. They're very good at serving people."
The room fell silent. Gao Junxiao and Chen Yao exchanged a glance and replied in unison, "No need to be polite. We have military discipline; women are not allowed in the barracks."
"Right, right, look at my memory, I forgot to set up a command post for you. I'll have my adjutant clear out an empty house for you. Don't mind the shabby appearance, it's my good intention. And you can take your aunt with you too?" Du Ying was still pushing out the gifts he had chosen.
"We'll respectfully accept your offer to the command post. As for the concubine, there's no need. Commander, you can keep her for yourself." Chen Yao shook his head vigorously, probably worried there was something fishy going on. Gao Junxiao also glanced to the side; if his darling found out, how could he confidently demand responsibility in the future?
Inside the bathhouse, only Du Ying was surprised. The two young men were clearly in the prime of their lives, yet they didn't even glance at the alluring beauty in front of them. This was a big problem.
After dismissing the two concubines, Du Ying gasped and asked hesitantly, "You two wouldn't... be... bastards, would you?" Upon hearing this, the two immediately distanced themselves from each other and rolled their eyes at each other with disgust.
"Uh... no, Commander Du, don't be so polite. We don't lack women," Chen Yao hurriedly explained, nudging Gao Junxiao underwater with his elbow to tell him to say more and stop playing dead.
Gao Junxiao retaliated with a quick elbow, his gaze meeting Du Ying's with unwavering certainty as he replied firmly, "Absolutely not. I have a girlfriend."
"Oh, you're still young and carefree, aren't you? But Xiu, you're not young anymore. It's time to settle down. Playing around is fine, but someone still needs to take care of the family. You're getting on in years and still don't have any children. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no descendants. Since you have someone, you should get married as soon as possible." Du Ying transformed into a gossipy and caring older brother and began urging him to get married.
"I've been busy suppressing bandits and haven't had time to settle down. I hope Brother Du can help me return as soon as possible to report back and then complete this important life event. When I pass the imperial examination, I will personally deliver the wedding invitation to your esteemed residence." Gao Junxiao changed his form of address and brought the topic back on track.
"Haha, brother, I can't wait to drink your wedding wine. Tonight, I'll host a welcome banquet for you. How about it?" Du Ying didn't reply directly, but waited with great interest for Gao Junxiao's answer.
I don't know what Du Ying meant by throwing such a grand banquet. Was he telling the bandit leader that someone else was coming to wipe them out, and that they should be on guard or assassinated if necessary? This isn't a welcoming banquet; it's clearly a trap.
Thinking about this, Gao Junxiao hesitated, but refusing the banquet would be disrespectful to the host. He raised an eyebrow and agreed, "I must give you face."
"It's settled then. I'll call my staff officers over later and tell you about the battle situation. We'll have dinner together tonight, brothers." Du Ying said excitedly, as if afraid that Gao Junxiao would change his mind, and hurriedly stepped out of the bathhouse to find his adjutant to make a restaurant reservation.
As soon as Du Ying left, Chen Yao's smile vanished, and he said to Gao Junxiao in an annoyed tone, "He didn't talk to us about the mission, he just chatted with you and bragged, and even sent his aunt in the name of his brother. He obviously had ulterior motives."
“You noticed that bragging is fine, as long as he doesn’t cause us any trouble, we should thank him.” Gao Junxiao explained to Chen Yao, “They are all revolutionary troops reorganized from the Beiyang warlords, carrying the old military style, emphasizing brotherhood, and using a patriarchal leadership style, so they try to build relationships with them as much as possible.”
"You're stupid too. Can't you tell it's a trap? We're letting you draw the bandits' hatred away. Then any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to come and kill you. Let's see how you handle that." Chen Yao warned him with a look of exasperation.
“If he doesn’t hold a banquet, won’t the bandits’ spies know we’re here to suppress them? It’s only a matter of time. We might as well seize the initiative first, and use a feint to covertly advance our own territory.” Gao Junxiao glanced meaningfully at Chen Yao and drew two straight lines in the air with his hand.
"You brat, you're full of bad ideas. No wonder you let Shan Hai and the others go out to visit their relatives." Chen Yao gave Gao Junxiao a look that said "You'd better watch yourself" before stepping out of the pool, leaving Gao Junxiao alone, staring at the water in deep thought.
For several days in a row, Du Ying treated them to food and drinks, chatting casually but ignoring any talk of defense. Today was no exception, and Gao Junxiao and Chen Yao had no choice but to risk their lives to keep the "gentleman company." The liveliest place in the evening was the tavern, where courtesans sang sweet songs on stage while guests clinked glasses and toasted each other below.
As darkness fell, the moon, adorned with a golden halo, finally rose! Only the entrance to the Liuli Fang was deserted, with two fierce-looking guards standing like door gods. It turned out that Commander Du had booked the entire place, leaving only one table of guests in the entire hall.
This time, Gao Junxiao not only brought his adjutant Lu, but also his war correspondent Xiao Li. Since they were going to expose the situation, they wanted to do it thoroughly, fearing that the bandits' informants might not report in time. By actively stepping into the spotlight, they were sure to be seen.
After several rounds of drinks, Du Ying collapsed onto the table, unable to hold on any longer. The innkeeper, trembling, came forward to check on him and found that he was drunk. He patted his wildly beating chest and ordered his servants and the guards at the door to carry the drunkards back to their respective residences.
When the waiter tried to lift Gao Junxiao up, he slightly opened his eyes and glanced at the waiter. His eyes were clear and bright. The waiter saw that he was unsteady on his feet and wanted to help him, but Gao Junxiao pushed him away and indicated that he was fine. "When everyone is drunk, you must not be the only one sober; when the world is muddy, you must not be the only one pure. This is the way to live in the world today."
Too lazy to comment, Gao Junxiao chuckled, took a sip of tea to clear the taste of alcohol from his mouth, grabbed his clothes with one hand, and staggered out the door. The streets were deserted in the dead of night, the milky moonlight and neon lights blending into a hazy world, indistinct and indistinct, with only a deep outline remaining under his feet.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at the hanging flower gate of Longquan Pavilion. I hadn't seen her for several days. I wondered if she had eaten on time today. The sun was strong in the mining area; I wondered if she had gotten a tan. She cares about her appearance; I wondered if she would be unhappy if she got a tan, or if she would miss me...
After passing through several archways, Gao Junxiao suddenly hesitated. "Forget it, I shouldn't disturb her at this time. Let Qingcheng rest well." The long corridor seemed endless. He walked through the corridor alone, listening to the breeze rustling through the bamboo forest, dispelling the sweltering heat of the summer.
He must have drunk too fast earlier, because the effects of the alcohol made his head feel increasingly heavy. Gao Junxiao leaned against the pillar, as if all his strength had been drained away. He slid down the pillar to the ground, his head kept drooping, and his eyelids closed involuntarily. As soon as his head touched his body, he immediately lifted it up because he heard familiar footsteps coming from afar, but his eyelids were too heavy to lift.
A comfortable warmth emanated from his forehead, and he instinctively grasped at that comforting touch. Yes, it was chamomile mixed with orange—his darling's perfume. Gao Junxiao forced his eyes open and found the person he had been longing for crouching beside him, staring at him expressionlessly, seemingly angry. But why would she be angry? He hadn't done anything.
Just now, Qingcheng and Hu Yukun were discussing the mission. After searching for a long time, they finally found the old cartwheel's "warehouse" on the hill outside Goose Village. After the group arrived, Caitou decisively killed several guards and cut the chains.
It was another scene she would never forget: disheveled girls, barefoot and with chains around their necks, their eyes filled with terror, were crammed together in a small room of less than ten square meters. The room was empty except for a few corpses pushed to the corner, beginning to rot and oozing yellow fluid.
Whether it was the pungent smell or the frail and forlorn figures of the girls that stung her, she felt a lump in her throat, tears welling up in her eyes, afraid to let the other men laugh at her.
Every day in Xuzhou was pushing Qingcheng's limits of understanding. The real scenes she witnessed were a hundred times more shocking than anything she had read in the newspapers. She couldn't imagine what heinous things these girls would go through once they were handed over to the buyers. Ugh, that damned Che Gulu deserves to die a horrible death! He deserves to become bird food.
After counting the number of girls, Cai Tou used a coded message to contact a hidden guerrilla group nearby and led the girls away. He had planned to scout out the area near the delivery point, but unfortunately, he ran into Shan Hai and his group in plain clothes in the fields. Shan Hai was an expert in disguise, so he couldn't let him discover his disguise. He had no choice but to pull Hu Yukun and Cai Tou away in advance.
However, finding a new source of goods and a deliveryman became a problem. Just as everyone was discussing who to impersonate the old cartwheel, the lookout rushed over to report that a man who looked like an officer had quietly entered the courtyard. They were afraid that it was a spy and that everyone should evacuate first.
Everyone else left through the secret passage, but Qingcheng felt something was off. What kind of spy would secretly go on a mission while wearing a military uniform? It turned out to be a big misunderstanding. In the corridor, Gao Junxiao looked half-dead and reeked of alcohol; he was probably drunk.
She felt sorry for him, having been out socializing so late, but was also annoyed that he didn't know how to take care of himself. Thinking of this, Qingcheng pinched his cheek in anger. "Has the injury from last time healed completely? Taking advantage of his youth and high alcohol tolerance to act recklessly, humph! I might as well throw him into a vat of wine and drown him."
Seeing him blinking and grinning at her, looking pitiful, Qingcheng's heart softened again. Life in the government was not easy, and she sighed and resignedly pulled the man's arm over her shoulder. Gao Junxiao leaned against her.
Qingcheng tidied Gao Junxiao's bangs. He was usually quite well-behaved when he was drunk, not the kind of annoying drunkard. But she didn't notice the slight upturn of Gao Junxiao's lips and his hand that kept moving down...
Finally, they managed to drag this burly man, weighing about 100 pounds, to the armchair in the lobby. Qingcheng collapsed onto the chair, panting heavily, while Young Master Gao sat upright with an ambiguous smile on his face. Was this guy drunk or not? Oh well, it's too late. Let's get him a room first.
Whether he was drunk or not, only Gao Junxiao knew the truth. Qingcheng was so soft and fragrant, and most importantly, she wasn't wearing a chest binder that night. As Qingcheng got up and walked past him, he grabbed her from the side and hugged her around the waist, resting his burning head against her waist, muttering that he was uncomfortable.
Qingcheng seemed not to have thought of anything else. She patted his back, opened his palm, and put something in. Gao Junxiao opened it in confusion and saw that it was a crystal clear fruit candy. He almost burst out laughing. Pshaw, does she think he's a child? She thinks she can just give him a piece of candy and be done with it? It's not that easy.
"At least it has to be a treat in the carriage," Gao Junxiao said dismissively, stuffing the candy back into his mouth and continuing to act spoiled. Qingcheng had no choice but to peel off the colorful candy wrapper and hold it to his lips, patiently persuading, "It's for sobering up."
The sweet fragrance wafted from her delicate hands to his nose, and that faint scent stirred his heartstrings. Since it was Darling feeding him herself, there was no reason to refuse.
The sweet and sour taste of the orange spread in his mouth; sweets really do make people happy. Gao Junxiao couldn't help but think: Qingcheng, you've made me only able to eat sweets; I won't be able to eat anything bitter anymore.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sudden gunshot in the street startled the two, followed by a piercing whistle that broke the silence of the night. Qingcheng shook off Gao Junxiao and rushed out of the house, leaving Gao Junxiao no choice but to follow. Could a gunshot at night possibly mean anything good?
It turns out that it's not possible!
A speeding carriage veered wildly through the street, knocking over many stalls along the way. The driver was probably drunk, holding a bottle and occasionally letting out roars like a gorilla. Behind him were police officers on a two-seater tricycle.
One of them was firing wildly at the carriage with a gun. He thought it was just a common drunken disturbance, but when the carriage sped past Gao Junxiao, his blood seemed to freeze. He clearly saw a bloodied and mangled figure being dragged behind the carriage by a rope—no, the figure was at most a five or six-year-old child.
Everything happened so suddenly that Gao Junxiao hadn't expected this to happen, but he quickly recovered and decisively drew his gun and aimed at the rope. With a few gunshots, the rope snapped, and the carriage continued to move forward at high speed.
As the rope snapped, Qingcheng turned and glanced at Gao Junxiao, her eyes full of doubt. Gao Junxiao touched her pale face and gestured for her to go see the child.
The chubby police officer driving the car stopped and thanked Gao Junxiao repeatedly, but was too intimidated by Gao Junxiao's sharp gaze to speak. Gao Junxiao didn't waste any more words with him, pulled him off the motorcycle, and sped away with the officer who hadn't gotten off.
Long trails of blood stretched along the road, a horrifying sight. Following the trails, Qingcheng found the lost child. The child's hands were bound, and there was hardly any intact flesh on his body. Blood stained his face, making even his features indistinct.
Kiyosumi touched the child with trembling hands and found that he was still alive, so she began to call for help.
The chubby policeman ran up, panting, and took a few steps back in fright at Qingcheng's hoarse shouts. He then nodded vigorously: "The hospital is on this street. Let's go quickly."
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