Chapter 119: Spies in Neijiang?
As time went on, he became like a shadow, and the villagers saw him less and less.
At least not like before, when I could catch a glimpse of him every day at the village entrance and alleyway.
This elusive and deliberately low-key nature perfectly matches the characteristics of a covert spy, making them easy targets for delivering messages like ghosts.
Along with five other people who have been frequently seen in the mountains behind the village recently, they all seem unusual.
The long hours spent handling guns and practicing shooting resulted in countless repetitive frictions between their palms and the gun handles, causing thick, yellowed, and hardened calluses to form on the base of their thumbs and the inner sides of their palms.
This is completely different in location and shape from the calluses that villagers develop on the lower part of their palms and knuckles from years of holding hoes and sickles.
This subtle yet crucial difference is irrefutable evidence that they are involved in dangerous activities.
Wow, who would have thought that this small Xiangyang Brigade, with its seemingly peaceful mud-brick houses, actually harbors so many demons and monsters? It's really something else!
What are they plotting by lurking here?
Xu Zhili held her breath and carefully parted the drooping branches blocking her way, trying to make her movements as light as possible.
The thick, soft layer of decaying leaves underfoot absorbed all footsteps, leaving only the damp earth and the dull smell of rotten wood in the air.
Xie Yunce followed closely behind her like a nervous little tail, even his breathing was light and slow.
Xu Zhili suddenly turned around and almost bumped into Xie Yunce's chin.
The sudden closeness made Xie Yunze freeze, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Xu Zhili reacted quickly, covering his mouth with one hand and pressing her other index finger against her own lips sternly, her eyes sharp as knives: "Shh! Don't make a sound."
Xie Yunze's face instantly turned bright red, and his ears looked like they were about to bleed. He nodded stiffly, biting his lower lip tightly, his breath caught in his throat, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Xu Zhili then slowly released her hand, stopped looking at him, and quickly turned her head back, focusing all her attention on the source of the sound.
The light touch was like an electric current, instantly striking Xie Yunze and making his heart pound uncontrollably.
Xie Yunze vigorously wiped his face, suppressing the palpitations and lingering fear in his heart, and forced himself to concentrate.
Xu Zhili's mind was entirely focused on the perilous situation, so she naturally had no time to pay attention to him.
Suppressed voices could be faintly heard from ahead; they were deliberately lowered rebukes and fierce threats.
She stopped and listened carefully.
The sound came from a secluded clearing behind some jagged rocks.
She moved with utmost care, almost blending into the shadows, holding her breath, and using the cover of several large rocks to peek out with extreme slowness and caution.
Five people.
They were all dressed in faded old military uniforms or patched village clothes, forming a semi-circle.
In the middle of the ground, curled up, was an "old man" wearing a tattered dark cotton-padded coat. His gray hair was covered with grass clippings and mud, and his face was so dirty that his original appearance was unrecognizable.
A tall man raised his foot as if to kick, his voice low but full of malice: "Old man, you've got some backbone. I'll give you one last chance. Hand over the stuff."
The foot remained suspended in the air, not actually landing.
Another burly man squatted down, grabbed the "old man" by the collar and lifted him up, almost lifting him off the ground. He shook him violently and squeezed out words through his teeth.
"Don't push your luck, just be quick about it."
"I...I really don't know what you want, please let me go, I'm just a farmer from Xiangyang Brigade..."
The "old man's" voice was trembling and tearful, sounding incredibly weak.
A thin, hot-tempered man next to him growled irritably.
"Boss! Why waste words with him? I think this old coffin-head just needs to be taught a lesson. If we don't make him suffer a little, he won't know how many eyes the Horse King has."
As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to throw a punch.
Just then, the "old man" curled up on the ground suddenly stopped all groans and trembling.
A deep, cold, and undeniably authoritative rebuke rang out clearly, instantly freezing the air: "Enough!"
Time seemed to stand still.
The tall man who was kicking suddenly pulled his leg back, his movement frozen in mid-air.
The burly man who was grabbing the collar immediately let go as if he had been burned, quickly straightened up, and lowered his head slightly.
The figure curled up on the ground moved.
The "old man" braced himself against the ground with his hands, and stood up steadily with a nimbleness and strength that was completely inconsistent with his previous frail appearance.
He casually brushed the mud and grass off his tattered cotton-padded jacket with crisp, powerful movements, his cloudy eyes now sharp as an eagle's.
Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows of the bushes behind the rocks.
He was lean and wiry, with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He was the leader of the five-man group, responsible for keeping watch on the perimeter.
He glanced at the "old man" standing ramrod straight in the center of the open space and his men's stiff postures, and instantly understood that the interrogation was making no progress.
His face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, and he walked closer.
"Comrade 'Old Locust Tree'..."
The tall man, a member of the team that captured "Viper," immediately lowered his head, his voice filled with suppressed fear as he tried to explain.
"waste!"
"Old Locust Tree's" voice was extremely low, "You can't even handle this small matter properly. The 'postman's' line is broken, the item is missing, and you're still here dawdling around like a shadow?"
His sinister gaze swept across the dark woods once more, each word laced with chilling wariness: "Where's the tail? Have you swept it all away?!"
The lean member in charge of the lookout immediately straightened his back and said in a short, deep voice, "Report! We checked repeatedly when we went into the mountains, there's absolutely no one following us. This is deep in the old forest, you might not see a soul for ten days or half a month..."
"snort,"
"Old Locust Tree" snorted coldly, no longer looking at his subordinates, and slowly walked to the standing "old man". He slowly bent down, a chilling smile on his face, and reached out to gently tap the other's muddy cheek with his knuckles.
"Viper"
His eyes were now icy cold, devoid of any pretense of old age or cowardice. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and his voice, though low, was clear and distinct: "Trying to pry my mouth open? 'Old Locust Tree,' you and the 'gentleman' behind you are playing too big a game."
The old man's sinister smile vanished instantly, his eyes turning as dangerous as a venomous snake: "Enough nonsense, hand over the stuff, and out of consideration for our past relationship, I might leave you with a whole corpse."
"otherwise……"
With his other hand, he slowly drew a gleaming dagger from his lower back, its blade flashing with a deathly cold light in the dim forest light.
"...I'll show you what true 'disappearance' really means."
Viper showed no fear, instead letting out a low chuckle: "You guys? Hahahaha."
The air was taut, like a fully drawn bowstring, filled with murderous intent.
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