Three Types of “Book of Changes”: “Lianshan Yi,” “Guicang Yi,” “Zhou Yi”

Zu Ye seemed to have thought of something. He furrowed his brow, his eyes staring motionlessly at the oil lamp as various clues intertwined together in the flickering lamplight.

“Sir? Sir?” Boss Hong looked at Zu Ye’s dazed appearance, very puzzled.

Liu Congyun also gazed at Zu Ye. As fellow disciples of Jiang Xiang Sect, they shared an unspoken understanding. He knew that this master of “Muzi Lian” was about to make a major discovery.

Zu Ye suddenly slapped his forehead, his shrewd bright eyes flashing: “Corpse-driving teams… maps… feng shui… dragon veins… dragon acupoints… could the Japanese be searching for…”

“Death acupoints!” Liu Congyun immediately understood. “Looking for the death acupoints of China’s dragon veins!”

“Once the death acupoints are struck, China’s vital energy will be completely lost!” Zu Ye added.

“That’s it! The ‘Lianshan Yi’ mentioned that there are dragon-traveling tunnels beneath the land of China!” Liu Congyun said urgently.

“‘Lianshan Yi’? Dragon-traveling tunnels?” Everyone was shocked.

Zu Ye smiled and glanced at Liu Congyun, then said to everyone: “When it comes to feng shui matters, Military Advisor Liu is an expert in this field. It’s better to let the Military Advisor explain.” Zu Ye knew how to handle people. He deliberately praised Liu Congyun, letting him show off in front of Boss Hong.

Liu Congyun understood his intention. He took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and said: “Everyone, don’t be anxious. Let this old man explain slowly! Most people today know about the ‘Book of Changes,’ but don’t know that there are three types of ‘Book of Changes.’ In ancient times, the ‘Book of Changes’ consisted of ‘Lianshan Yi,’ ‘Guicang Yi,’ and ‘Zhou Yi.’ Later, both ‘Lianshan Yi’ and ‘Guicang Yi’ were lost, and only ‘Zhou Yi’ was passed down. The ‘Book of Changes’ that people speak of today actually refers specifically to ‘Zhou Yi.’ Later, it was said that when the Dunhuang Scripture Cave was opened, there was a copy of ‘Lianshan Yi,’ but after the列強 came, it was lost. Could it be… could it have fallen into the hands of the Japanese devils?” Speaking of this, even Liu Congyun himself became anxious.

“If it falls into the hands of the devils, what would happen?” Boss Hong asked.

“Ancient legends say that ‘Lianshan Yi’ records that after Pangu separated heaven and earth, when the basic pattern of heaven tilting to the northwest and earth sinking to the southeast was established, twelve dragon-traveling tunnels were hidden within the earth! The ancients believed that dragons shuttled between the five lakes and four seas, among mountains, rivers, and streams. Once the death acupoints of the dragon-traveling tunnels are struck, that place will obstruct the qi of the Five Elements, thus losing all vital energy, causing heaven to collapse and earth to cave in!”

“Hehe, Military Advisor, your words are somewhat absurd!” Boss Hong interjected. “If there are dragon-traveling tunnels underground, wouldn’t we have already fallen down long ago! The Japanese devils’ massive military invasion—tank brigades, infantry brigades, cavalry brigades—penetrating thousands of kilometers into our country, yet we haven’t seen a single tank fall into a dragon-traveling tunnel.”

Liu Congyun thought for a moment, then said: “Perhaps later generations misunderstood. The dragon-traveling tunnels that the ancients spoke of are not the kind of tunnels we understand, but rather a type of qi, like the qi in the human body—invisible, intangible, yet circulating throughout the body. Traditional Chinese medicine says: Blood flows where qi leads, qi is the commander of blood; where qi flows, blood follows, blood is the mother of qi. It truly exists! When qi and blood are vigorous, a person has vitality. When both qi and blood are deficient, a person becomes ill. It probably means this. The wisdom of the ancients cannot be casually comprehended by people today.”

“Mm, when the Military Advisor puts it this way, it makes some sense.” Boss Hong nodded in agreement.

The moon was dark and the wind was high. The mountain cave echoed with the howling wind. Zu Ye, Liu Congyun, and Boss Hong analyzed the situation carefully.

Boss Hong had established himself in the deep mountains as a bandit since the Central Plains War began. Now, having ruled the mountains as king for nearly ten years, after the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese army had occupied Hubei and would soon likely attack Hunan. As the major bandit stationed at the Hunan-Hubei border, he too began contemplating his future.

The survival of this special group called bandits was also very difficult. Whether they were utterly heinous major bandits or righteous bandits forced up Liangshan Mountain, none had it easy. The Kuomintang suppressed bandits, the Communist Party suppressed bandits, and even the Japanese suppressed bandits. Sometimes in occupied territories, the Japanese would launch large-scale bandit suppression operations, and ordinary people would applaud. Ordinary bandits only wanted to seize a share in this chaotic situation, while ambitious bandits would constantly develop and expand, like Zhang Zuolin in the Northeast, carving out territory and forcing the court to legitimize themselves, eventually becoming extraordinary heroes who influenced the course of Chinese history.

But bandits, after all, were a weak gray-area group. Ruthless methods could not compensate for their shortage of cunning strategies. Though brave, they ultimately could not escape the fate of being eliminated. If any bandit group had people as intelligent and brave as Boss Hong and Liu Congyun, or had a think tank that could rival various other forces, they would not be far from achieving great things.

Boss Hong carefully contemplated his future. As a schoolteacher—learned, refined, educating posterity—it was originally a gentle and elegant profession. Yet things did not go as he wished. Forced to take up the knife and gun, he occupied mountains as king and became rough as a bandit. Boss Hong had broad vision. He saw that Zu Ye was excellent material and wanted to recruit him.

“What are your plans for the future, sir?” Boss Hong suddenly asked Zu Ye.

“Hehe,” Zu Ye smiled. He expected Boss Hong would ask this. “Commander, my brothers and I are people of the Jiang Xiang Sect in life, and ghosts of the Jiang Xiang Sect in death. Although we are currently in a dangerous situation, our nature of controlling heaven and earth, divining the heavens and earth, hasn’t changed. Today, being able to meet Commander Hong, such a person of wholehearted sincerity, is already a blessing of three lifetimes. When daylight comes tomorrow, my brothers and I will naturally go south, leave your territory, to avoid adding more trouble for the Commander.”

“Sir is too polite. Sir is under the tutelage of Ninth Master. I have always respected Wang Yaqiao. Sir has a heroic yet tender heart, learned in both ancient and modern knowledge, and the Military Advisor has also mentioned you many times. Now that the situation is chaotic and the devils are relentlessly pursuing, sir, why not stay at my humble abode for a while? After the situation becomes clearer, it won’t be too late to make plans.”

Before Zu Ye could speak, Boss Hong continued: “Just now we analyzed the dragon veins and discovered the matter is becoming increasingly serious. Although I have become rough as a bandit, I am Chinese. Even if I don’t cooperate with the Kuomintang or Communist Party, I don’t want the Japanese to flatten China! If there truly are dragon veins, and if the Japanese devils truly find the dragon-traveling tunnels, wouldn’t our Chinese nation suffer a great disaster? Therefore, we must work together to clarify this matter, so as not to dishonor our identity as descendants of the Yellow Emperor!”

Zu Ye was waiting for Boss Hong to say exactly this. Zu Ye understood that relying solely on his own strength to fight the Japanese and that group of “secret society” people would leave him isolated and weak. If he could bring Boss Hong in, things would become much easier.

Both old foxes wanted to use the other for their own purposes.

Zu Ye nodded: “Commander Hong profoundly understands righteousness. I admire and respect that! However, my brothers and I are all fortune-tellers and diviners. I don’t know what help we could provide under Commander Hong’s command. Eating and drinking for free? Not to mention me, even my subordinate brothers wouldn’t be willing.”

“Hehe, sir is too modest. My subordinate brothers and I are all ordinary people. Pick up guns, kill people, and we become bandits. Sir stirred up quite a storm in Shanghai—we’re all people of the same path. After the devils occupied the Wuhan Three Towns, next they will attack Hunan. I won’t hide it from you, sir. We are also considering whether to fight the devils to the death, retreat, or surrender and be recruited by the devils as puppet troops. Over a thousand brothers, over a thousand mouths to feed—I must be responsible for them.”

“Mm,” Liu Congyun nodded beside them. “The devils are in the open, we are in the shadows—this is one favorable condition for us. The devils’ invasion of China has stretched their battle lines too long. Although they have accurate maps, they still inevitably suffer from acclimatization—this is our second favorable condition. Especially these several mountains with treacherous terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. When the devils come, if we fight while retreating, self-preservation is completely no problem. Of course, the devils have excellent equipment—airplanes bombing from above, tanks advancing from below. If we fight a protracted battle, we’re no match. Moreover, the devils have chemical weapons. Once a north or northeast wind blows, this mountain pass ahead becomes our gate of death. If the devils take the opportunity to release poison gas, none of us can escape.”

Zu Ye nodded: “There’s another point in our favor. The devils’ invasion of China focuses on occupying large cities and main railway lines. They rarely station troops in remote poor places—they don’t have that many people. A brother under my command said that in his hometown in Henan, a county only has a few real Japanese people; the rest are all puppet troops and traitors. So even if the devils attack Hunan, they’ll attack large cities like Changsha. To put it bluntly, the devils will only march on this ground. Once the main force passes and enters the frontal battlefield, we can perfectly ambush them from behind, just like the Communist Party’s guerrilla warfare teams behind enemy lines—appearing and disappearing mysteriously, suddenly striking. Fight when we can win, run when we can’t. Focus on seizing weapons and strategic materials. This way the Commander’s troops will grow larger and larger, and will also be praised by the common people.”

“Hahaha, what the Military Advisor and sir say is extremely right! Fleeing and surrendering are both inferior strategies! Eliminating the devils’ effective forces and strengthening ourselves is the superior strategy.” Boss Hong said with a laugh.

“Of course, if there truly is a dragon vein map and we can obtain it, that would be the best!” Liu Congyun said.

“Are there any records throughout history about dragon-traveling tunnels?” Boss Hong shifted the topic back to feng shui.

“Of course there are. Both Zu Ye and I study this field, so we know quite a bit about it.”

“This thing called feng shui has been passed down mysteriously through the ages. How much effect does it really have?” Boss Hong pressed.

Zu Ye smiled: “The effect of feng shui—speak of it as large and it’s large, speak of it as small and it’s small. It can determine life and death, or have no effect at all!”

“How so?” Boss Hong was startled. Even Liu Congyun felt that Zu Ye’s words were somewhat biased.

“Feng shui, called geomancy in ancient times, simply put, is the study of where people should live to be auspicious. From large imperial palaces to small thatched cottages, their orientation, direction, surrounding geographical conditions including the trend of mountains and rivers, the position of trees—all are within the scope of feng shui examination.”

Feng Shui Schools Throughout History

Zu Ye took a sip of tea and continued: “This technique originated in the pre-Qin period, developed in the Han Dynasty. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Guo Pu wrote the ‘Book of Burial,’ which is the foundational work of feng shui studies. Throughout all dynasties, there have been people specializing in feng shui research. Those with good reputations even entered the court, responsible for palace construction. Ordinary feng shui masters mixed in the countryside, serving the common people. The development of feng shui theory has roughly three stages. The first stage is the development period of ‘Form School’ feng shui. The so-called ‘Form School’ focuses on observing ‘form,’ such as the appearance of buildings, the dragon vein shapes presented by mountains and rivers, the direction of rivers, and so on. Later, people gradually discovered that even if the ‘form’ of buildings was exactly the same, if built in different places—say one in the north, one in the south—the fortunes would be different. Thus, ‘Qi School’ feng shui emerged naturally. On the basis of examining ‘form,’ it added elements of the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, and directions. It not only looked at form but also at the Eight Trigrams position, solving the problem of different fortunes for identical buildings in different locations. For example, the north belongs to water, the south belongs to fire. If you find the same terrain in the north and south to build the same houses, because water qi is strong in the north and fire qi is strong in the south, the qi of the Five Elements around the two buildings is different, creating different fortunes. Later still, people discovered that even in the same location, building the same structure, even the same building with different people living in it produces different fortune effects. Thus, ‘Fate School’ feng shui was born. Besides examining form and Five Elements qi, it must also examine individual birth charts, combining feng shui’s Five Elements qi with individual Five Elements qi, achieving a dialectic between feng shui and the human body. For example, a house facing north, in a high position, a place where water qi is strong—if a person whose fate lacks water lives there, it will naturally be like a fish in water, very auspicious. Conversely, if a person lacking fire lives there, the feng shui is reversed, naturally very inauspicious. Throughout history there have been many feng shui schools, but classified broadly, all feng shui schools can be categorized into three major schools: Form, Qi, and Fate feng shui!”

“Makes sense! Makes sense!” Zhu Jin couldn’t help but applaud.

“But does everyone know where the best feng shui is?” Zu Ye suddenly asked back.

“Where?” Everyone asked.

Zu Ye pointed at his chest and said: “The best feng shui is in the human heart. When the state of mind is good, everything will turn misfortune into fortune! This is the principle I mentioned earlier about feng shui being useful yet also useless!”

“Please explain in detail!” Everyone eagerly awaited Zu Ye’s explanation.

“I’ll explain through a real example. During the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a merchant in Anhui named Wang Shan. Three generations of his ancestors were vegetarian Buddhists. He himself was also charitable and benevolent. In his business dealings, he was honest with young and old alike. His trade was very prosperous. The only regret was that he was nearly forty but still had no son. One day, he asked a Daoist priest to tell his fortune. The priest looked at his birth chart and exclaimed in shock: ‘Sir, although your wealth star is very strong in your eight characters, your life foundation is unstable, and your children’s palace is even more conflicted. Not only do you have no son in your fate, but this year you have a death disaster. You belong to the type who has money to earn but no life to spend it. Sir, your fate avoids water. This year don’t go to places near the sea or rivers to do business.’ After hearing this, Wang Shan laughed heartily and said: ‘If my fate dictates I should die, I cannot escape it. I haven’t done bad things in my life, so I have no regrets.’ That year, Wang Shan went to Suzhou to collect goods during the plum rain season when it rained incessantly. At a ferry crossing, the river water surged. Wang Shan was pondering whether he should still cross the river when he suddenly heard someone shouting ‘Save someone!’ Looking around, a woman had fallen into the water. The current was very swift at the time, and everyone was unwilling to go in. Wang Shan himself couldn’t swim, so he shouted loudly: ‘Whoever can swim, save her and I’ll reward twenty taels of silver!’ The fishermen heard this and all jumped in. The woman was saved. Later, Wang Shan asked the woman why she fell in the water and learned she had attempted suicide. It turned out the woman’s husband was working away from home, and she had raised a pig at home. Yesterday she sold the pig to pay the land rent, but unexpectedly all the silver was counterfeit. Fearing her husband would blame her when he returned, she couldn’t think it through for a moment and jumped in the river. Wang Shan quickly asked how much the pig sold for and immediately gave her double the silver. After the woman returned home, her husband happened to have just come back, so she told him about this matter. After hearing it, not only did the husband not sympathize with his wife, he actually cursed the woman for having an affair with Wang Shan, otherwise why would he give double the silver for nothing—where in the world is there such a foolish person? Then he forcibly dragged his wife to confront Wang Shan. That night Wang Shan happened to be staying at an inn not far from the river. That night there was torrential rain and the river water surged violently. In feng shui terms, for people whose Five Elements avoid water, this is very inauspicious. But Wang Shan himself didn’t take this matter to heart and was reading by lamplight in his room. Hearing someone knock on the door, Wang Shan asked who it was. The woman answered, saying she was the woman who fell in the water during the day and had come specially to give thanks. Wang Shan said loudly: ‘This small matter is nothing to mention. A woman coming here at night—men and women should maintain propriety. Madam, you need not come in. I accept your sentiment. Return home early.’ The woman’s husband, upon hearing this, immediately had his doubts dispelled. He quickly shouted loudly: ‘Benefactor, I am this woman’s husband. We husband and wife have come specially to thank you!’ Hearing this, Wang Shan quickly came out of the room to greet them. Just as he walked out of the room, because the rain was too heavy and the house was old, with a crash, the entire room collapsed. Because Wang Shan single-mindedly did good deeds, in the most inauspicious room he unknowingly ‘escaped!’ This is the principle that feng shui cannot overcome the human heart!”

“Good, good, very good.” After listening, Boss Hong kept nodding. “The human heart, the human heart—the human heart is most important. How many people in the world exhaust all their efforts to adjust their feng shui and change their fortune, yet in the end it’s all for nothing. Little do they know the best feng shui lies in the human heart.”

“Moreover, later Wang Shan had eleven sons. Two achieved imperial examination success. Wang Shan himself lived to ninety-eight years old and died peacefully of natural causes.” Zu Ye added.

Liu Congyun also kept nodding.

After listening, Boss Hong’s eyes brightened: “We people have become bandits. We cannot let our descendants become bandits too. Originally I was still hesitating whether to interfere with the Japanese map matter. Now it seems this matter must be done. If there truly is a dragon vein map, we must obtain it. We cannot let the devils ruin China’s feng shui.”

Liu Congyun said: “Right! Previously when I was in western Sichuan, I met an old monk. He told me about something—he said in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang there is a large cave that is the outlet where the true dragon breathes qi. Every year at Qingming Festival, one can hear breathing sounds from that great cave. Years ago, the Xinjiang warlord Sheng Shicai’s troops once investigated there. It’s said that a team of several hundred people went in and never came out again. Could it not be one outlet of the dragon-traveling tunnels mentioned in ‘Lianshan Yi’?”

Zu Ye nodded and said: “This matter, I’ve also heard Daoist Peng mention. Regardless, the devils going to such great lengths for this matter shows it’s extremely important to their entire strategic deployment. As long as we obtain the national dragon vein map the devils have drawn, the matters that follow will be easier to handle.”

“How do we get it?” Wang Jikun, “Hundred-Step Piercing Yang,” said.

“A disciple of mine, Fan Yifei, said the devils established a new spy organization in Jinan, Shandong—Meihua Mansion. That place is responsible for collecting maps from all over the country. All maps from corpse-driving teams will continuously be transported there…” Zu Ye said.

Before Zu Ye finished speaking, Yan Laoqi, “Flying Across Grass,” suddenly stood up and asked loudly: “Which Fan Yifei? ‘Sai Huohou’ from Henan?”

Zu Ye looked at him, not knowing why he was so excited, then nodded: “However, he’s not called ‘Sai Huohou’ anymore. To avoid attention, the brothers gave him a new nickname—’Little Shi Qian.'”

Yan Laoqi continued: “I heard that Henan’s Fan Yifei became a traitor. All of us in the profession were deeply shocked. Did he truly become a traitor?”

Zu Ye chuckled and said: “He was also forced. After Henan fell, Fan Yifei was captured. The Japanese threatened him—if he didn’t join the ‘Maintenance Association’ they would cut him to pieces. He had no choice but to work for the devils, responsible for transmitting blueprints in the Hunan-Hubei region. Not long ago he was captured by me and joined us. His nature is still good.”

Yan Laoqi nodded: “Two years ago, Fan Yifei and I met once in Wuhan. At that time no one knew each other. Coincidentally, we both wanted to steal the treasure box of a brothel madam. An informant said this madam had close ties with Military Statistics people. After being a madam for many years, she had many valuable treasures. That night after I entered the madam’s room, I finally opened the box, only to discover it was completely empty with nothing inside. Just as I was about to turn back, I noticed the curtain flutter and a black shadow flew out the window. I immediately gave chase and discovered this fellow was extremely agile—clearly someone from the profession. We went back and forth several rounds on the rooftop, but he couldn’t shake me off. Finally he smiled and said: ‘Brother, stop chasing. Half for each person.’ As he spoke, he held up a bag and poured half the jewels into the courtyard. I asked: ‘Brother, which path are you from?’ He answered: ‘”Sai Huohou” Fan Yifei.’ After speaking he fled rapidly. Just then the brothel’s manager discovered someone on the roof and shouted to catch the thief. We took off running. Coincidentally, Japanese planes roared overhead and dropped several bombs. With a thunderous explosion, the madam, the prostitutes, the managers—all went to heaven!”

“Hehehehe,” Zu Ye laughed. “No wonder when Fan Yifei was mentioned, Seventh Master Yan got so excited.”

“The fellow has good skills. He’s excellent material.” Yan Laoqi said.

“Mm, military strategy says: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. To truly understand what this dragon vein map is about, we must infiltrate the Japanese interior, otherwise we’re just sitting and waiting for death.” Liu Congyun stroked his beard and said.

Zu Ye nodded: “I have a plan. I wonder if I can get the Commander’s support?”

“Please speak!” Boss Hong said.

“Now Fan Yifei has joined us, but the Japanese side doesn’t know. Because the traitors who traveled with him were all killed by me, the devils don’t know whether Fan Yifei is dead or alive. Why not have Fan Yifei return to the Henan-Shandong area, pretending he escaped? His qinggong is good and he runs fast, so it’s quite credible. Have him infiltrate the Japanese spy organization and see if he can steal the China dragon vein map?”

“Mm, good strategy, but…” Liu Congyun said. “Fan Yifei just pledged allegiance to us. Whether he’s reliable is still uncertain. If he returns to the Japanese and is threatened or bribed by them, finally telling them all our situation, wouldn’t that be a catastrophe?”

“This is where I need to request the Commander’s instruction,” Zu Ye said with a smile. “If Commander Hong is willing to lend Seventh Master Yan’s services, this matter has a sixty percent chance of success.”

“How so?” Boss Hong asked.

“Seventh Master Yan, as one of the four guardians under the Commander, must be a person of loyalty and righteousness. Having Seventh Master Yan accompany Fan Yifei can provide an opportunity to test Fan Yifei’s loyalty. Commander, hear me out. Using this strategy, we can kill two birds with one stone…” At this moment, Zu Ye lowered his voice.

Boss Hong and the others listened carefully, nodding frequently: “Mm, good strategy.”

“It’s just… it’s just that it will require Seventh Master Yan to personally take action. The risks involved cannot be predicted. If there’s any mishap…”

“Hehe, sir worries too much. Yan Laoqi is not one who fears death. With the cases I’ve committed, being executed a hundred times would be enough.” Yan Laoqi laughed.

Thus, several people carefully plotted together. The next day, they began acting separately…

Two Master Thieves Infiltrate the Japanese Spy Organization

At Meihua Mansion, Noda Kaichi was racking his brains in distress: The Jiang Xiang Sect was truly difficult to deal with. He had originally thought that after digging up their ancestral graves, that Zu Ye would desperately rush back to Jianghuai like a cornered dog, and then he could catch a turtle in a jar, achieve fame and success, and wouldn’t even need to enter Yasukuni Shrine! Now not only had he failed to capture anyone, but Zuo Yongchan’s ancestral grave in Shanghai had been destroyed, and he had lost a dharma protector! Now the Jiang Xiang Sect was biding their time and not making a move. What should he do? The deadline set by Kodama Yoshio was getting closer and closer. Had his death date truly arrived?

“Jiang Tiancheng has arrived,” someone announced outside the door.

“Let him in!”

“Your Excellency…” After Jiang Tiancheng entered, he kept his head lowered.

“What now?” Noda’s face was full of resentment. He thought to himself: You’re still waiting for your Duke of Zhou to meet King Wen at eighty? With your old bones and granite head, you’re only fit to deceive illiterate common people. What kind of idiotic ideas have you come up with?

Jiang Tiancheng hemmed and hawed, wanting to speak but not daring to.

“Speak!”

“Your Excellency, please calm your anger… Uh, actually… this old fool’s ancestral home is also in Shandong. In 1899, my entire family, due to livelihood issues, followed the great wave of people venturing beyond the pass to Fengtian…”

“All this is written clearly in your file. Why are you talking about this?!”

“Therefore, this old fool’s ancestral graves are still in Shandong…”

“And then?”

“Your Excellency!” Jiang Tiancheng’s tears flowed down his face as he fell to his knees with a thud. “Your Excellency, save my life!”

Noda Kaichi was startled: “What’s the situation?”

“That scoundrel Zuo Yongchan’s ancestral grave was dug up by Zu Ye. He’s taking his anger out on this old fool, saying if I can’t persuade Your Excellency to eliminate the Jiang Xiang Sect, he’ll tell Zu Ye the location of my ancestral graves. If we’re going to die, we’ll all die together! That scoundrel is vicious and ruthless—he’s capable of anything. If he truly becomes desperate and really reveals the location of my ancestral graves, my family ancestral hall has enshrined seventeen generations of ancestors since the Yan King swept north. If this gang of desperados from the Jiang Xiang Sect destroys them, wouldn’t I become the sinner of my entire clan? Your Excellency, save my life…”

Noda was stunned: That scoundrel Zuo Yongchan was truly despicable. But upon reflection, if his own family cemetery were destroyed and his parents’ remains scattered, he would probably do the same thing.

He looked up at Jiang Tiancheng with his face full of white whiskers: “You may withdraw. I’ll speak to Zuo Yongchan personally about this!”

“Thank you, Your Excellency!” Jiang Tiancheng kowtowed repeatedly, then turned and left wiping his tears.

Noda sat indignantly on the sofa: Damn it, the blueprints were lost, the corpse-driving teams were successively destroyed. You’re just hiding at the border between Hunan and Hubei, right? Can’t the great Imperial Army of Japan deal with you bunch of bandits?!

Thinking it over and over, there was no other solution. He’d better write directly to Kodama Yoshio requesting orders!

This letter requesting orders was more like a desperate military command. In the letter he frankly stated: Our great Imperial Japanese Army has already captured the Wuhan Three Towns. Currently, Wuhan alone has stationed 400,000 troops. This gang of vagabonds from the Jiang Xiang Sect is hiding at the border between Hubei and Hunan. Please have military headquarters dispatch a force from Wuhan to directly enter the border between the two lakes. When the time comes, the air force will coordinate, and ground forces will directly sweep through with a “carpet-style” advance to thoroughly eliminate the Jiang Xiang Sect. I volunteer myself to serve as commander-in-chief of the bandit suppression campaign. The required troops are not many—a force of 1,000 men is sufficient! This time, if I don’t succeed, I will die for the cause, remaining loyal to the great Empire of Japan until death!

After Kodama Yoshio received this letter, he thought Noda Kaichi had been driven mad! The one-month deadline given to him to eliminate the Jiang Xiang Sect seemed hopeless.

Kodama Yoshio also pondered: Our great Empire of Japan has raised armies southward, invincible and unstoppable. One-third of China is now in our hands. Why can’t we deal with the small Jiang Xiang Sect? The more he thought about it, the more his head ached, the more distressed he became. He turned and went to headquarters to consult with several big shots from military command.

Several days later, Noda Kaichi received a reply telegram: Noda-kun must not act rashly. Attacking Hunan is part of our strategic deployment. Military headquarters has long had plans. You absolutely must not act impetuously, lest you ruin the military’s overall arrangements. Moreover, the terrain of the Hunan-Hubei region is complex, and there are many bandit groups in the mountains. If you advance deep alone, you might fall into an ambush! The one-month deadline is temporarily suspended. Noda-kun should devise other strategies.

After reading this, Noda was moved to tears. He suddenly felt affection for this ruthless superior of his.

When he calmed down to think about the problem, the world took on a different appearance. His head was preserved, his heart was at ease. Carefully sorting through everything, Noda suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!”

“Summon Jiang Tiancheng for me!” Noda ordered.

Jiang Tiancheng was in the middle of consuming an immortality pill he had refined. Before he could swallow what was stuck in his throat, he received the order and hurried over stumbling.

“I have a solution…” Noda said to Jiang Tiancheng.

Jiang Tiancheng’s eyes lit up: “What brilliant plan does Your Excellency have?” His voice was faint as gossamer, shrill and thin as if he’d been violated.

Noda was startled: “What happened to your voice?”

Jiang Tiancheng’s face was full of fear: “Just now eating the immortality pill, it was too big, haven’t swallowed it yet…”

Noda quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to him: “Quickly wash it down!”

Jiang Tiancheng took it and gulped it down, tilted his neck back, smacked his lips: “Better now.”

Noda felt both angry and amused. He thought to himself: What kind of people do I have under my command?! Then he said: “Immediately notify Zuo Yongchan to find a way to transmit the location of your ancestral graves to that Zu Ye in an appropriate manner…”

“Ah?” Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiancheng’s whiskers immediately began trembling. “Your Excellency, what do you mean…”

Noda smiled cunningly: “Master Jiang, listen to me. To catch this person Zu Ye, we must force him to show himself. Even if we catch one of his subordinate brothers, that’s good. As long as we catch his people, we won’t fear he won’t come out. We deliberately tell them the location of your ancestral graves. He will certainly send people to destroy them. This person values both loyalty and filial piety. We destroyed his ancestral graves, so he absolutely won’t let this rest. At this moment, he’s also waiting for an opportunity. If we spread the word, saying that you and Zuo Yongchan have fallen out, and Zuo Yongchan deliberately leaked the location of your family’s ancestral graves, what will he do? When the time comes, I’ll naturally dispatch people to guard near your family’s ancestral graves and ancestral hall, waiting at ease for an exhausted enemy, catching a turtle in a jar. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

“Uh… hehe… hehe…” Jiang Tiancheng finally understood. “Good idea, good idea. Your Excellency is brilliant, brilliant! Then why not simply have Zuo Yongchan announce it in the newspapers? That way the other party will know quickly!”

“No! When setting up a trap, it must be made real. With that bastard Zu Ye’s intelligence, if we overdo it, he’ll see through it, and then he won’t take the bait!”

“Then how should we notify them?”

For a moment, both men had no ideas.

Just at this moment, a soldier came in to report: “Fan Yifei has returned!”

“What?” Noda suddenly stood up.

“Your Excellency—I’m back! I’m back!” Fan Yifei rushed in.

“Who is he?” Noda noticed there was another person following behind Fan Yifei.

“Your Excellency, don’t be anxious. Please listen to me!” Fan Yifei was out of breath from running. “Our corpse-driving team was wiped out by a gang calling themselves the Jiang Xiang Sect! Everyone was killed. They saw that my qinggong was good and I’d be useful, so they didn’t kill me and made me work for them. Later, when they weren’t careful, I found an opportunity and escaped!” Then he pointed to the person beside him. “Your Excellency, I’ve also brought back a master for you. This is Yan Qi, the famous thief ‘Flying Across Grass’ known throughout the great rivers and north and south. The great heist of two hundred taels of gold from Zhengzhou Bank in earlier years was done by him…”

Noda looked at Fan Yifei and Yan Qi with a sinister expression, sizing them up and down. Suddenly he said: “Drag them out and shoot them!”

“Ah? Your Excellency, what do you mean?” Fan Yifei cried out in alarm.

Two Japanese soldiers walked in, seized the two men and shoved them toward the door.

“Your Excellency! Your Excellency!” Fan Yifei shouted like a pig being slaughtered.

“Hahahaha!” Yan Laoqi laughed loudly.

“Stop.” Noda shouted. The two soldiers released them. Noda walked up to Yan Laoqi: “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing that Fan Yifei is blind!”

“Blind?” Noda looked at Fan Yifei. “Where is he blind?”

“Fan Yifei, Yan Laoqi, Duan Yunpeng, You Gezi—the four great thieves of the martial world. Duan Yunpeng pledged allegiance to Dai Li, You Gezi died. Now various forces are trying to recruit the remaining two, but I remained unmoved. Fan Yifei told me that only by following the Imperial Army is there a future. China will soon perish, and then there will be Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity. He said the Imperial Army treats people sincerely, with humility and courtesy toward the worthy. That’s why I, Yan, came with him. Seeing things today, Fan Yifei has misled me!” Yan Laoqi said.

“Hehe, let me expose you two before you die.” Noda glanced at Yan Laoqi and said, “You two, one playing the good cop, one playing the bad cop, must be spies from the Jiang Xiang Sect, deliberately feigning surrender to extract information from me. Am I wrong? Also, Fan Yifei, you’re smooth-tongued. You say everyone was killed and only you were spared. Who would believe such lies?”

Yan Laoqi still laughed loudly: “Fan Yifei, you’ve misled me! This is the enlightened ruler you spoke of? I brought the map of the Hunan-Hubei border region for nothing. It clearly marks all the bandit strongholds and hideout locations of the Jiang Xiang Sect. Hehe, now it seems useless!”

“Hmm?” Noda cocked his head. “You say you have a map?”

“Treating me so rudely, why talk about maps!” Yan Laoqi said indignantly.

“Uh… Fan Yifei, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Noda asked Fan Yifei in a mocking tone.

“Ah?” Fan Yifei was also bewildered. He thought to himself: Wasn’t it agreed we came to steal the dragon vein map? Why are you giving them your own map? Could it be that Yan Laoqi is going to betray them?

“Quickly! Seventh Master Yan, please take the seat of honor!” Noda had someone bring a chair. “Please—”

Yan Laoqi looked at Noda and sat down indignantly.

“Serve tea!” Noda ordered again.

“Seventh Master Yan, I’ve long heard of your great name. Today I was remiss. Of course, as you Chinese say, the martial world is treacherous, and one must be on guard.”

Yan Laoqi accepted the tea, took a sip, and glanced at Jiang Tiancheng on the side.

“You may withdraw!” Noda immediately understood Yan Laoqi’s meaning and instructed Jiang Tiancheng to leave. Jiang Tiancheng nodded and withdrew.

Yan Laoqi put down the teacup, pulled a map from his bosom, and handed it to Noda.

Noda took it and examined it carefully. Greatly delighted inwardly, he then said: “How does Seventh Master Yan have these maps?”

“Hehe, Your Excellency doesn’t know. I was originally under the command of the great bandit Boss Hong…”

“Boss Hong?” Noda couldn’t help but tremble. This name was too famous.

“Correct! All these years I’ve served him loyally and diligently. Not only does this person not show gratitude, he’s suspicious of me everywhere. The ancients said: Don’t use those you doubt, don’t doubt those you use. I’ve risked life and limb, stolen countless treasures for him, yet he practices nepotism. Those with real power under him are only his sworn brothers. We all have to stand aside. I, Yan Qi, am at least a man. How could I submit to such humiliation? So I suggested voluntarily withdrawing. Unexpectedly, Boss Hong flew into a rage, had people bind me, and wanted to kill me. Fortunately, I performed my bone-escape technique, stole the map, and escaped under cover of night. Not knowing where to go, I saw a black shadow flying through the forest, so I followed. Turned out I fought several rounds with Fan Yifei. In the end, no discord, no concord. Who would have thought two master thieves were both fleeing for their lives and ran into each other—heaven’s will, heaven’s will! Yifei persuaded me to abandon darkness for light. I thought it made sense, so I came along.”

“How did you know about the Jiang Xiang Sect?” Noda pressed.

“The Jiang Xiang Sect has colluded with Boss Hong! Your Excellency, listen to me…”

Noda listened with great interest. Fan Yifei listened dumbfounded, thinking to himself: What’s happening? Why is he telling them everything?

“You two have worked hard. Rest here for now.” After Noda finished speaking, he turned and left the room.

After Noda left, Fan Yifei lowered his voice and said viciously: “You traitor! You’ve betrayed Zu Ye and Commander Hong! You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces, you beast!”

Yan Laoqi smiled slightly: “Being a master here is better than being a bandit in the mountains. If you don’t agree, you can leave on your own!”

“You… are you even human? Damn it! I’ll kill you!” Fan Yifei raged.

“Hehe, our martial arts and qinggong are evenly matched. Now I’m a man of the Imperial Army. Between us two, who’s killing whom?” Yan Laoqi laughed sinisterly.

“Zu Ye and Commander Hong won’t let you off!” Fan Yifei said harshly.

“We’re all mixing in the martial world. Who’s afraid of whom?” Yan Laoqi said. “Let’s work together. The Kuomintang’s millions of troops can’t hold out anymore. Boss Hong’s few men will be eliminated sooner or later. I’ve long thought it through—following anyone, isn’t it still living a lifetime? Here there’s food and drink, better than being stuck in a poor mountain valley!”

Fan Yifei looked at Yan Laoqi and suddenly said: “If it’s truly like this, then it’s mutual destruction!”

“Hmm? What can you do?” Yan Laoqi challenged.

“I’ll tell Noda directly that we two were sent by Boss Hong and Zu Ye. We’ll die together!”

“Will he believe you?”

“Hehe, this Noda is the most cunning person. Even if he doesn’t completely believe it, he’ll be extremely wary of you and certainly won’t trust you with important tasks! Haha, you think being a traitor is so easy?”

Yan Laoqi stared at Fan Yifei without blinking.

“Will you do it? Want to silence me now?” Fan Yifei took two steps back.

Yan Laoqi suddenly said in a low voice: “Bing jian zi, zong piao ba zi nong dian zi!” Yan Laoqi used thieves’ cant to tell Fan Yifei that they were setting up a trap for the Japanese.

“Ah? Really?”

Yan Laoqi nodded.

“Damn it, you should have said so earlier. You scared me to death.”

At this moment, Noda Kaichi was reporting to Kodama Yoshio in the northeast, saying he had obtained the hiding location of the Jiang Xiang Sect, and had unexpectedly gained the hiding place of Boss Hong, the great bandit.

After listening, the first thing Kodama Yoshio told him was: Trust your instincts—this is a trap. You need to be extremely careful.

Noda hung up the phone and found Jiang Tiancheng.

Jiang Tiancheng was pondering the matter of Fan Yifei’s sudden return: “Your Excellency, there’s deception in this matter!”

“Of course I know there’s deception! The military has already dispatched a reconnaissance team from Wuhan to investigate the situation according to the markings on the map. If we find the bandit strongholds according to this blueprint, we’ll strike first to gain the upper hand.” Noda said.

“What are these two people here for this time?” Jiang Tiancheng asked doubtfully.

“Hmph, I guess it should be the dragon vein map. That group from the Jiang Xiang Sect has some real skills. They probably guessed something through the blueprints, but aren’t certain, so they’re using espionage methods to probe our actual situation.” Noda said.

“Then why don’t we eliminate these two threats?” Jiang Tiancheng asked.

“No,” Noda shook his head. “Master Jiang is well-versed in the ways of yin and yang. Don’t you know that military tactics emphasize feints and realities? We were just worrying about having no one to act as intermediary, and now—people have come!”

“A counter-espionage stratagem!” Jiang Tiancheng understood.

“Hehe, originally there was no one to pass information, but now there is. Notify Zuo Yongchan to come to Shandong immediately!”

“Mm.” Jiang Tiancheng nodded.

That night, Noda held a banquet to entertain Yan Laoqi and Fan Yifei, greatly praising the two for “abandoning darkness for light.” During the feast, Noda, emboldened by alcohol, said: “The Imperial Army will soon capture all of China! When the time comes to reward merit, you two have distinguished achievements and will certainly be greatly rewarded!”

Several days later, Zuo Yongchan from Shanghai came to Meihua Mansion in Shandong.

Noda personally told him about the entire trap he had set up and had him act according to the plan.

After listening, Zuo Yongchan secretly admired Noda’s brilliance. That night, Zuo Yongchan came to the residence of Yan Laoqi and Fan Yifei.

“Gentlemen, I have a matter that requires your help. If it succeeds, it will be a great achievement.” Zuo Yongchan said with a smile.

“Please speak!”

“Do you two know? The idea to dig up Zu Ye’s grave came from Jiang Tiancheng. This old fox is deeply cunning and calculating. He thought it could force Zu Ye out. Who would have thought—alas, who would have thought I’d also be implicated by him. Now Zu Ye has retaliated by digging up my ancestral graves. Both sides are hurt, but Jiang Tiancheng sits on the sidelines watching. I hate Zu Ye, but I hate Jiang Tiancheng even more. I secretly sent people to investigate Jiang Tiancheng’s background. Turns out his ancestral home is in Shandong. His hometown also has ancestral graves and an ancestral hall. I’ve written down the addresses. You two can spread the news, let Zu Ye also destroy Old Thief Jiang’s grave sites! At the same time, you two can personally bring some people to set up defenses around the area. When Jiang Tiancheng’s ancestral graves are completely destroyed, you can suddenly strike and capture the people Zu Ye sent. This way you kill two birds with one stone—both resolving the hatred in my heart and capturing Zu Ye’s people, a great achievement before the Imperial Army! How about it?”

Fan Yifei and Yan Laoqi looked at each other and said in unison: “Excellent strategy!” Then they said, “We two have just arrived and our foundation with the Imperial Army is not solid. In the future, we hope Master Zuo will provide much protection and support!”

“Easy to say, easy to say.” Zuo Yongchan said with a smile.

After the three discussed matters, Zuo Yongchan left.

Noda was waiting. Seeing Zuo Yongchan come, he quickly asked: “How did it go?”

Zuo Yongchan said with a smile: “Absolutely foolproof.”

“Mm, as soon as people from the Jiang Xiang Sect come, immediately kill Fan Yifei and Yan Laoqi!” Noda said ruthlessly.

At this moment, a soldier entered: “Report, there’s news.” After entering, he handed Noda an encrypted telegram.

Noda opened it and read. After finishing, he laughed heartily: “The map is real! It seems to gain our trust, they’ve also paid a heavy price!”

“Is Your Excellency certain?” Zuo Yongchan asked.

“Of course. The Imperial Army’s reconnaissance team, according to the map’s markings, entered the mountains in the dark and truly discovered traces of Boss Hong and the Jiang Xiang Sect. Hmph, killing two birds with one stone. When the time comes, Wuhan’s troops will enter the mountains to catch bandits, while on our side we’ll invite them into the trap—achieving two goals at once, hahaha.”

“Hehe! My great revenge can be avenged!” Zuo Yongchan also laughed, dragging his lame leg.

But for several consecutive days, the ambush troops at Jiang Tiancheng’s ancestral graves in Shandong still discovered no movement. No one came to blow up the graves. Noda was somewhat confused: “What’s going on?”

“Could it be you’ve been watching those two too closely these past days? Were you discovered?” Noda asked his subordinates.

“No! We followed your instructions and made no defensive arrangements, allowing those two to come and go freely.”

“This is strange.”

As he was pondering, someone came to report that Yan Qi and Fan Yifei were requesting an audience.

“Mm, let them in!”

“Your Excellency, we came to pledge allegiance, yet why do you press us so hard?” As soon as he entered, Yan Laoqi said indignantly.

“What does Seventh Master Yan mean by this?” Noda pretended not to know.

Yan Laoqi looked at the people around. Noda ordered: “All of you withdraw.”

Yan Laoqi said: “Fan Yifei and I have pledged to serve the Imperial Army loyally unto death. We’ve even献上Boss Hong’s lair to the Imperial Army, yet the Imperial Army still doubts us!”

“This…”

“A few days ago, Master Zuo Yongchan visited in the night. Using his personal grudge with Jiang Tiancheng as an excuse, he deliberately told us a grave site address and had us pass the message out. Your Excellency, think about it—if we could release this information, wouldn’t that prove we’re spies? Your Excellency, we’ve devoted ourselves wholeheartedly, yet instead face suspicion. The Central Plains ‘Maintenance Association’ and police force all say the Imperial Army keeps its word like gold. Countless heroes from the greenwood are willing to serve under the Imperial Army’s banner. If the Imperial Army treats people this way, how can you use Chinese to control Chinese?”

These words from Yan Laoqi struck at Noda’s heart. After the Battle of Wuhan, the devils had suffered great losses and were temporarily unable to launch major wars. The war of resistance had also entered a stage of strategic stalemate. The devils had penetrated deep into China’s heartland with battle lines stretched too long. They didn’t have enough manpower. Even teenagers over ten years old in Japan had enlisted. To maintain rule over occupied territories, they could only adopt a policy of using Chinese to control Chinese. China had many traitors. By placing one Japanese soldier in each county, they could govern the entire county submissively.

Noda said nothing.

“Your Excellency, if you want to kill us, then kill us. To endure such humiliation and live—Yan Qi is unwilling! If you won’t kill us, if this place doesn’t keep us, there will be places that will. We’ll leave right now!” After saying this, he turned to go.

“Wait!” Noda raised his hand. “Hahahaha, Seventh Master Yan is truly loyal and righteous. These were all ideas from those ‘secret society’ people below. Seventh Master Yan has misunderstood! The Imperial Army absolutely keeps its word and cherishes talent above all! Tomorrow, you’ll both take positions in the police force as battalion commanders!”

“How dare we!” Yan Laoqi said. “No reward without merit! Unless we do something that makes those ‘secret societies’ tremble with fear, we’ll always have difficulty winning people over! Why doesn’t Your Excellency notify the Imperial Army stationed in Wuhan to follow the map index and directly take out Boss Hong’s lair? Fan Yifei and I are willing to lead the way. When the time comes, we’ll personally cut off the heads of Boss Hong and Zu Ye and present them to Your Excellency! What do you think?”

“Mm…” Noda was contemplating.

“What concerns does Your Excellency still have? That Boss Hong has only about a hundred men. The Jiang Xiang Sect is also just a rabble. Both sides together are only about two hundred people. Your Excellency need only dispatch a force of five hundred men for a nighttime surprise attack to wipe them all out! You should know, Boss Hong has ruled the mountains as king for ten years. The gold, silver, and treasures he’s plundered are countless. In just one cave in the back mountain alone, there are two sacks of silver ingots!”

“Mm, let me consider it. You two go back and rest first.”

After Yan Laoqi and Fan Yifei left, Noda summoned Jiang Tiancheng and Zuo Yongchan.

“What do you two think about this matter?”

“Your Excellency, it seems these two are not spies…” Jiang Tiancheng said, sucking on his teeth.

“Not necessarily!” Zuo Yongchan said. “Are these two requesting to suppress bandits trying to escape?”

“Escape? Is qinggong faster than bullets? When the time comes, I’ll arrange for people in the force to directly monitor them. If there’s any unusual movement, kill them without mercy!” Noda said ruthlessly.

“How many men does Your Excellency plan to mobilize for bandit suppression?” Jiang Tiancheng asked.

“I’m afraid what Yan Qi said has deception in it. We must mobilize at least one thousand men! I’m contacting the Wuhan garrison through military headquarters. The specific timing is still being discussed.”

“Your Excellency is brilliant.”

The Feng Shui Trap: Burning the Japanese Battalion

Ten days later, the Japanese army in Hankou began assembling, temporarily forming a bandit suppression regiment of over a thousand men. Fan Yifei and Yan Laoqi were also incorporated into the bandit suppression regiment as reconnaissance company soldiers.

That night, a thousand devils marched mightily toward the Hunan-Hubei border.

That day there was no moon and the wind was strong. The Japanese army feared exposure and turned off all vehicle lights, advancing recklessly into danger. The reconnaissance company was in front. Dozens of men nervously searched according to the map.

“We’re here!” Yan Laoqi shouted. “See it? That mountain hollow ahead is it. We’ll divide our forces three ways—one route goes straight there, the other two climb the left and right hills. From the high ground, we’ll fight a thorough battle of annihilation!”

The bandit suppression regiment commander examined the terrain and said: “Yoshi!” He thought to himself: This terrain is exactly the same as what his scouts had investigated earlier. There were indeed bandits active here. He then drew his military sword and deployed his troops.

At the third watch, the Japanese army deployment was complete.

“Begin the attack!” At the commander’s order, dozens of mortars fired into the mountain hollow. Shells exploded thunderously as fire blazed in the hollow. Then the central army charged in.

After advancing just over a thousand meters, the Japanese army suddenly fell into chaos. There were landmines underfoot exploding with bangs. The devils behind didn’t know what was happening and thought the mortar range calculations were wrong, accidentally bombing their own people.

Soon more landmines were detonated. Explosions connected into a continuous chain. Several hundred men entered the minefield and fell into complete disarray.

“Not good! There’s an ambush!” The Japanese army finally reacted.

The Japanese forces on the left and right hilltops couldn’t figure out what was happening and didn’t dare act rashly. Then they suddenly discovered people firing from behind in the mountain hollows.

“Bang bang” two shots.

“What’s happening?” “Not good! There’s an ambush! Quickly down the mountain!”

It was too late. Fire suddenly erupted at the base of the mountain. Those two shots were the signal. The people below began igniting sulfur-soaked straw. The fire borrowed the wind’s momentum, the wind borrowed the fire’s power. The great fire instantly swallowed halfway up the mountainside. At the same time, battle cries rose from both sides of the hollow as Boss Hong’s forces charged over.

Yan Laoqi and Fan Yifei saw the moment had come. “To hell with you!” They channeled power to their feet and with a whoosh leaped into the forest. Their steps rose continuously as they vaulted onto the treetops, moving like monkeys, shuttling through the forest sea. The devils raised their guns and fired randomly into the forest but didn’t hit a single shot.

On a distant mountain slope, Zu Ye, Boss Hong, Liu Congyun, Zhu Jin and others gazed intently. In a sea of fire, the Japanese army fell into complete chaos.

“In the past, the Shu chancellor Zhuge Kongming used this strategy to ambush Sima Yi. Today we use it to deal with the devils. When Kongming employed this tactic, Heaven wouldn’t destroy Sima. Suddenly it began to rain, and only then could the Sima father and son escape by chance. But today the weather is dry as tinder. Heaven absolutely won’t send rain now. Burn, burn.” Zu Ye squinted his eyes and said distantly.

“To set up this trap, we deployed for several months, walking over mountains large and small, and selected this place. This location naturally forms a Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams formation. The left and right hilltops slope with six beasts, the White Tiger probes forward. Only the Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise directions are wide open. The south wind is rising—perfect for using fire attack. Tonight’s battle was worth it!” Liu Congyun said with a smile.

“My several hundred silver ingots spent on tons of sulfur were also worth it!” Boss Hong said with emotion.

“Commander, don’t worry. After this disastrous defeat, the devils will certainly lose their helmets and shed their armor, leaving behind many weapons and ammunition. When we clean up the battlefield tomorrow, we’ll count and know.” Zu Ye said.

After daybreak, the bandit suppression regiment left behind over a dozen corpses and retreated. Boss Hong tallied the spoils of war—altogether they captured 15 rifles and 208 hand grenades.

“Withdraw.” At Boss Hong’s command, everyone disappeared into the mountains.

This place was still over ten li of mountain road from the real bandit lair. When everyone arrived, Fan Yifei and Yan Laoqi were already sitting in the mountain cave drinking wine.

Seeing the main forces arrive, they quickly stood up: “Commander!” “Zu Ye!”

“You two have worked hard! A great achievement!” Boss Hong said with a loud laugh.

“The China Dragon Vein Map—are there any leads?” Zu Ye asked.

Yan Laoqi and Fan Yifei shook their heads: “The blueprint is definitely in Meihua Mansion, but it’s heavily guarded. No one can get in.”

“Mm,” Zu Ye nodded. “It’s good that you’ve returned safely.”

“Zu Ye, should we still dig up Jiang Tiancheng’s ancestral graves? We obtained the exact address!” Fan Yifei said.

Zu Ye contemplated for a moment: “Forget it. The risk is too great.”

News of the bandit suppression regiment’s defeat reached Kodama Yoshio’s ears. Kodama Yoshio rushed furiously from the northeast to Shandong.

Noda was in the room polishing his military sword, preparing for seppuku.

“Noda-kun!”

“Hai!”

“What are you doing?”

“Repeated failures—I can only commit seppuku for the nation.”

Kodama Yoshio looked at him and sighed: “Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. The Chinese are full of deceit. Let’s record this account for now and make up for it with future achievements.”

“Yes!” Noda’s tears nearly fell.

“Are you certain that those who ambushed us were Boss Hong’s people?” Kodama Yoshio asked.

“Uh… who else could it be?”

“During the retreat, the bandit suppression regiment suffered a second round of ambush. It seems to have been done by the National Revolutionary Army’s New Fourth Army.”

It turned out that day after the bandit suppression regiment withdrew from the mountains, they happened to encounter a New Fourth Army force transferring to northern Jiangsu. The two armies suddenly met and fought an encounter battle. The Japanese bandit suppression regiment was severely damaged again, losing half its men and equipment.

Kodama Yoshio was somewhat baffled: “Military headquarters has issued a serious warning, telling us not to act on our own initiative anymore! Now in front we have Chiang Kai-shek’s army resisting, behind we have the Eighth Route Army ambushing. We need to act carefully. The Battle of Changsha is about to begin. You must manage the ‘secret societies’ under your command well. Once we capture Changsha, immediately set up operations to coordinate with the military occupation.”

“Yes!… What about the Jiang Xiang Sect matter?”

“If the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move. Otherwise, with them in the shadows and us in the open, we’ll always suffer losses. Never lose the greater for the lesser!”

“Yes!”

“After we take all of China, let’s see where the Jiang Xiang Sect can still hide!” Kodama Yoshio said viciously.