LRAB Page 50
Page 50
Blood-red eyes flashed through the forest, a huge black shadow roared under the moonlight, and a shrill scream came from the depths of the dense forest...
These visions, coupled with the gruesome corpses of soldiers gnawed by wild beasts, made the legend of the "cannibalistic monster" seem incredibly real.
For a time, the Japanese army was in a state of panic, and morale plummeted to rock bottom.
Many soldiers were too afraid to sleep at night, their mental state was on the verge of collapse, and there were even cases of soldiers committing suicide due to excessive fear.
What surprised the three temples and four families even more was the all-pervasive intelligence network of the Quanxing sect.
In the following days, captured anti-Japanese patriots and innocent civilians who had been abducted were rescued in various unbelievable ways.
Some were packed into grain sacks and sent out of the city;
Some of them walked out of the prison with great brazenness under the cover of "vengeful ghosts";
Others were brought out directly from underground by those extraordinary individuals from the Quanxing sect who were skilled in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of martial arts technique).
These rescued people eventually arrived at the temporary stronghold of the Three Temples and Four Families, where they recounted everything that Quanxing had done in detail.
Zhang Yunyuan listened quietly to the news, his heart filled with mixed emotions. The stagnant water of that ancient well, which had been still for a long time, was now rippling with waves.
He recalled Wugensheng standing before the campfire in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, pointing to the starry sky, and making his bold vow to transform the entire society.
"As long as I, Wugensheng, am the acting leader of Quanxing, Quanxing will no longer be a place where filth and evil reside!"
I will re-establish the rules and purge the scum!
In the future, with Quanxing in my hands, it will still be a force to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path!
When they see injustice in the world, they will still draw their swords to help and uphold justice!
Those resounding words still seem to echo in my ears.
In retrospect, this man is a man of his word, and he is indeed fulfilling his promise in his own way.
The methods he used included polluting water sources, creating panic, and resorting to superstition...
All of these were despicable tactics that would be condemned by so-called prestigious and upright schools.
These methods, however, achieved results that were difficult to achieve even with thousands of troops on the front lines.
They caused the enemy the greatest chaos and casualties with minimal cost, and saved countless innocent lives.
How exactly do we distinguish between good and evil?
His master's words echoed in his mind once again.
"True good and evil do not lie in sects, stances, or the techniques you use. They lie here, in the human heart."
Zhang Yunyuan raised his head and looked at the land in the distance shrouded in war and panic, a complex yet bright light flashing in his eyes.
He suddenly realized that Wugensheng was perhaps more interesting and more worthy of getting to know than he had imagined.
This man is truly a tough guy.
His understanding of Wugensheng was completely refreshed at this moment.
This seemingly cynical and unrestrained leader of the Quanxing Sect has his own set of principles and a strong sense of national responsibility.
Chapter 58 Assassination of the Ninja Leader
The bloody battle between the three temples and four families and the Hiei ninja clans ended with the Hiei ninja clans' hasty retreat.
In this battle, the three temples and four families paid a heavy price.
Lu Ren, the eldest son of the Lu family, died in battle, and elite disciples from various factions also suffered losses, with everyone bearing injuries.
Although the Higanbana ninja suffered heavy casualties, they relied on their fearless frenzy and unpredictable ninjutsu to tear open a gap in the encirclement and escape into the vast mountains and forests, ultimately managing to escape.
The situation at Longhu Mountain is equally dire.
The Golden Light Mantra is not inexhaustible. When the Qi painstakingly cultivated within the body is exhausted, the indestructible protective golden light will dissipate like a bubble.
As the battle lines stretched out, more and more disciples were injured or even killed due to insufficient Qi.
Zhang Jingqing had no choice but to order a retreat.
The casualties were tallied, and the entire Longhu Mountain was draped in white mourning clothes.
Several of Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Yunyuan's disciples, who were of the same generation, also remained forever on that land stained with blood.
In the solemn mourning hall, rows of memorial tablets stood silently, and newly added white banners fluttered in the mountain wind, silently telling the story of the cruelty of war.
The sorrow on the mountain is just a small microcosm of this chaotic world.
In June, the main battlefield against the Japanese pirates reached a stalemate.
With superior firearms and logistical support, the Japanese army advanced step by step, launching a fierce offensive.
Although the Chinese army fought desperately and its soldiers gave their lives, the country was too weak and suffered repeated defeats, resulting in heavy losses and the loss of large swathes of territory.
The Tang Clan, located in Sichuan.
In an elegant tea room, the air is filled with the gentle fragrance of incense.
Tang Bingwen, the head of the Tang Clan, was brewing tea for the guest in front of him.
"Mr. Zhao, with such a large business, immense wealth, and a house full of children and grandchildren, why not just enjoy your retirement as a wealthy man and get involved in this mess?"
Tang Bingwen pushed a cup of hot tea in front of the guest, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone.
The man he referred to as "Boss Zhao" was a square-faced man dressed in an elegant silk robe and wearing a large jade thumb ring on his finger.
He picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and wore the shrewd smile typical of a businessman.
"Master Tang is joking. Merchants are only after profit."
Mr. Zhao took a sip of tea, squinted his eyes, and pondered for a moment. "I'm a hugely greedy person. When I was young, I profited for myself; in middle age, I profited for my family. Now that I'm old, it's not enough, not enough at all."
He put down his teacup, and a fire ignited in his usually sharp little eyes.
"Only when I benefit the country do I feel like I've made a profit! Only then is the deal big enough and worthwhile!"
Tang Bingwen's smile faded slightly. He took out a commission form from the drawer beside him, on which a name was written in vermilion ink, along with a staggering amount of reward money.
"To openly kill the leader of the Bihe Ren, and to do it right here on the main battlefield of Mianshan, in front of both armies, is quite an ambition, Mr. Zhao."
Boss Zhao laughed heartily: "The price I offered is quite high!"
Tang Bingwen looked at the power of attorney and suddenly smiled. He shook his head, crumpled the power of attorney into a ball, and threw it into the brazier at his feet.
"Mr. Zhao, you call yourself a businessman? How did you amass such wealth?"
Mr. Zhao was taken aback:
"What does Master Tang mean by this? You think the money is too little? The price can be negotiated!"
"No, it was you who paid for it, that's ridiculous."
The smile on Tang Bingwen's face vanished completely, replaced by a deep-seated arrogance and coldness.
"Our Tang Clan does have some rules when it comes to taking on jobs, such as what kind of jobs we don't take and what kind of jobs require extra payment."
But didn't the person who introduced you explain our special rules?
He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the young disciples in the courtyard who were practicing assassination techniques, and his voice suddenly turned cold.
"These people have invaded our beautiful land, killed our innocent compatriots, and humiliated our sisters and brothers! Their lives are worthless!"
Tang Bingwen suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, aimed directly at Boss Zhao.
"Their lives are not worth this much gold and silver!!"
Mr. Zhao was startled by his sudden aura and was speechless for a moment.
"This business deal, I, Tang Clan, will take it."
Tang Bingwen sat down again, took out a new commission form from the side, picked up a pen and wrote the target's name on it. In the reward column, he only wrote two words.
He pushed the order form in front of Boss Zhao, his tone returning to calm.
"Their worthless lives are only worth ten gold bars."
Looking at the commission form, at the humiliating reward, and then at Tang Bingwen's calm face, Boss Zhao felt a surge of suppressed passion and fervor that had been building up inside him.
He suddenly stood up and bowed deeply and solemnly to Tang Bingwen.
"The Tang Clan leader is truly righteous! I, Zhao, admire him!"
Tang Bingwen waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to do that.
"Mr. Zhao, you are a good businessman."
He paused, then added, "He's a good person too."
After seeing Boss Zhao off, Tang Bingwen's face lost all emotion, leaving only a heavy, impending storm.
He rang the bell in the Tang Clan's council hall.
Soon, ten of the most elite inner disciples of the Tang Clan quietly assembled.
Among them were elderly people with white hair and young people in their prime.
The decision to keep or leave is made by drawing lots. There are ten people in total, four of whom are pre-selected, and the remaining six are drawn by lot.
The four chosen were Tang Jiaren, the eldest master, because he was Tang Bingwen's senior brother and the oldest in the family. Everyone called him the eldest master. His actual combat strength was close to that of the old master Zhang Jingqing and several other masters of the Tang Clan: Li Ding, Tang Tongbi, and Gao Yingcai.
The six people drawn by lot were Dong Chang (later the Thief of 36), Yang Lie (later the leader of the Tang Clan), Tang Mingyi, Wang Li, Du Fosong, and Xu Xin (later the Thief of 36, the modern leader of the Tang Clan), all of whom were the top talents of the new generation of the Tang Clan.
They are the sharpest blade and the deadliest poison of the Tang Clan.
Tang Bingwen looked at the ten people in front of him, and without saying anything unnecessary, simply placed the commission form with "Ten Gold" written on it on the table.
"Mission: open assassination. Location: Mianshan. Target: Bihe Rentou."
"This journey is a fight to the death, a one-way trip."
His gaze swept over everyone, his voice not loud, yet as heavy as Mount Tai.
"The head of the thugs must be killed!"
Ten people stepped forward in unison without the slightest hesitation.
"We will fight to the death, and I will die without regret!"
The sound was not loud, but it was like the clang of metal, decisive and resolute.