20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 647 Reinforcements [Thanks to the Merciless Leopard Head for his compassionate support]

As the evening breeze blew, the mountain fog gradually cleared, and the scenery in the forest suddenly seemed to have an outline.

Erma was startled, then gradually came to his senses. He hurried forward, looked around, and asked nervously, "Really, is it true?"

Zhao Guoyan drooped his eyelids, barely responding.

"Oh my God, you are Boss Jiang. I'm telling you, brother, I have always admired you. Really, really, this time I finally see you in person..."

Erma immediately clasped his hands together, his face beaming with joy. He was planning to take the opportunity to get closer to him, but then he thought again and felt that something was not right. Considering Jiang Lianheng's wealth, why would he risk his life alone and come to this desolate mountain?
If you keep thinking about things, you will inevitably become suspicious.

When Sun Xiangyang saw this, he immediately raised his eyebrows, widened his swollen eyes, and said with a little dissatisfaction: "What's the matter? You were the one who asked me to reveal the outline just now, and now that I have revealed the outline, you don't believe it. What does this mean? Don't you think about it carefully? Can the name of the Fengtian Jiang family be easily impersonated?"

Er Ma waved his hands hastily, not caring whether it was true or not, and apologized first, then he defended himself: "No, no, no, brother, I definitely didn't mean that, but you two... shouldn't be Boss Jiang, right?"

"I'm here to do some work for the boss!" Zhao Guoyan said, gesturing to Sun Xiangyang twice, "Besides, this matter of Lao Mang not only concerns the Jiang family, but also the 'horizontal boss' online, the bandit nickname 'Yanwang Li'. You should have heard of it. This is the brother of the head of the Li family!"

Upon hearing this, Erma slapped his thigh and said, "Oh my god, 'Yanwang Li'? I've heard of that before, brother. Let me tell you, I have always admired your boss. Really, really, please forgive me for my poor eyesight. I didn't expect you two to have such a great background. Today is the day for me to cheer you up. Let's shake hands!"

"Take it!"

Zhao Guoyan and Sun Xiangyang refused in unison.

Erma was not embarrassed. He held his right hand with his left hand, placed it across his stomach, and said with a flattering smile, "Look at how things have turned out. If the two elder brothers had come up with the plan earlier, I wouldn't have hesitated."

"In that case, are you willing to help now?" Zhao Guoyan asked.

"Wrong! How could I help the Jiang family? It's the Jiang family who helped me. With Boss Jiang and King Li backing me up, if you want to shirk responsibility, you're being shameless!"

Erma was a man of good eyesight and understanding. As soon as he heard the reputation of Jiang Lianheng and Li Zheng, he immediately sentenced Lao Mang to death in his heart.

The deserters and rebel generals were trapped in a deserted mountain, with government soldiers chasing them in front and gangsters fighting behind them. In the middle stood the Jiang family, which was involved in both black and white affairs. There seemed to be no chance of turning defeat into victory.

"only……"

Erma said worriedly, "After all, bullets don't have eyes. When the day of the fight comes, please be careful and don't shoot me as well... How about this, I'll be shirtless that day as a signal between us, how about that?"

"You're thinking too far ahead. Who says there will definitely be a fight?" Zhao Guoyan waved his hand. "Just do as I say. Walk the path when necessary and smash the kilns when necessary. Just stay in the camp and let the old mang and his men get in chaos first. Go back now before daybreak, or you'll have to explain yourself."

"Well, okay, I'll take my leave now, brother."

Erma turned around, walked a few steps forward, then suddenly turned back and asked, "No, brother, where can I find you in this desolate mountain?"

"You don't have to come to me." Zhao Guoyan said, "Isn't your camp at 'Niuxinding'? After you've checked the spots, won't you go back to the camp to call for help? We'll move over there in two days."

Erma was a little worried, but he had no other choice, so he just said a few words, "I was shirtless that day, so you guys should be careful," and then he turned around and returned the same way.

As his figure merged with the dark mountains, the distant sky gradually turned pale...

…………

Sun Xiangyang came over, pointed his gun in the direction where Erma was going, and asked quietly: "Old Zhao, can you trust this kid?"

"It doesn't matter. He can say whatever he wants." Zhao Guoyan sneered twice. "Anyway, I just want to cause chaos in Lao Mang's camp. Even if he tells the truth, it will have the same effect."

"Shua-"

There were rustling sounds of grass and trees, and Yang Lazi jumped down from the tree. Lao Shaozi also hurried over and asked about the results of the previous code.

Zhao Guoyan was about to explain when he suddenly realized that someone was missing from the team. He turned around and asked, "Where's Haichaoshan?"

Several people looked up and saw a figure swaying not far away. It was Haichao Mountain approaching.

The old whistle shouldered the rifle, raised his head to the old hunter, and asked impatiently: "Hey, old man, are you still okay?"

Haichaoshan's face looked a little strange.

Just now, he had been running all the way and was already extremely tired, and he had not slept all night. What happened was that there was a heavy fog in the mountains. He lay on the grass, his clothes were already soaked, and now when he moved, he seemed to be staggering even more.

Even so, Hai Chaoshan still waved his hands, leaned back against the tree pit, and said, "It's okay, you guys talk, I'm listening!"

Zhao Guoyan took a look and hesitated a little, but finally he described the whole process of the code-touching and counting truthfully.

As expected, upon hearing that the rebels were going to attack Shenjiadian, Hai Chaoshan could no longer hold back and was ready to quit his job on the spot. He stood up and said, "No, I have to go back first."

Seeing this, the old whistle raised his hand to stop him: "Eh? You're helping people to the end, helping them to the end, how can you do this? How can you give up halfway? Is that right?"

Hai Chaoshan glanced at him, his nasal tone suddenly became very heavy, but he said: "I was the armed captain of the Lianzhuang Association first, and then I became something else."

"Come on!" Sun Xiangyang sneered, "Didn't Old Zhao just say that the rebels have mountain artillery? Do you really think that the blockhouse in Shenjiadian is made of iron?"

"My presence is better than my absence!"

"No, if you leave now, who will take us to Niuxinding?"

"I can show you the way."

"Stop it. It's a waste of time in this wilderness. If you just point your finger, who knows how to get there? If you run into a blind bear or a Siberian tiger along the way, I'm not afraid, but it will just waste time!"

The sea tides and mountains are silent.

Seeing this, everyone encouraged Zhao Guoyan and said, "Old Zhao, please try to persuade this old man."

Zhao Guoyan did not stop them, but called out from behind Haichaoshan: "Erma just said that Lao Mang will send people to destroy the kiln soon. It took us three days and two nights to get here. Even if the way back is easier than the way here, with your current strength, will you still make it in time?"

"I've also said that I was entrusted by someone and I can't go back on my word."

"But don't forget, you still owe the Jiang family a life!" Hai Chaoshan suddenly stopped - if people keep their promises, they will sooner or later face a dilemma.

Zhao Guoyan stood still and finally warned, "Haichaoshan, I'm not threatening you. You just don't understand my boss's temper! That night, the gang challenged you and you handed us over. My boss may not bear a grudge for this because you never promised anything to the Jiang family. But this time is different. You owe the Jiang family money. If you want to go back on your word, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Sun Xiangyang and Lao Shaozi followed suit and said, "Old Bangcai, I advise you to think about it carefully. You may not understand Boss Jiang's character very well."

Yang Lazi went even further, simply raised his gun and said coldly: "You can leave now, but you owe the Jiang family your life, so pay it back right here."

Zhao Guoyan stepped forward, gently pushed the gun away, and continued: "Haichaoshan, my boss thinks highly of you, so we should all respect you. Don't push it to that point, it will be embarrassing for everyone. In the current situation, I tell you clearly that helping the Jiang family is equivalent to protecting your Lianzhuang Association."

"Can we really save the Shen family store?"

"If you can't save it, I'll give you my head!"

Zhao Guoyan made some harsh remarks.

Hai Chaoshan recalled the scene when he rushed into the dense forest just now. After all the calculations, he actually owed the Jiang family two lives, so he finally stopped moving forward.

"So what are your plans now?" he asked.

Zhao Guoyan looked at the sky which was already breaking at dawn, and then said, "Before daybreak, you take us down the mountain and find a shortcut. Let Lao Shaozi and Yang Lazi go back first to report the news and ask people to come over. Then you take Sun Xiangyang and me to Niuxinding."

"Wait!" Yang Lazi interrupted, "Brother Yan, it's okay for us to go back, but the key is that I don't know where the 'Niu Xin Ding' is!"

"Let my second son take you there!" Hai Chaoshan finally figured it out. "Tell him to take the shortcut, the same path I used to take him when he was a kid. Also, tell those bastards to let the second son come alone, and the others should stay away from the fun and keep watch over the tower. If anyone disobeys, their legs will be broken!"

"Hey, old man, have you figured it out?" Sun Xiangyang joked.

Hai Chaoshan had no choice, not only because he owed the Jiang family a favor, but also because he felt that with his current physical strength, he might not be able to return to Shenjia Store in time to report the news.

The matter was settled, and everyone immediately went down the slope.

But this time, Haichaoshan no longer chose the old path often taken by hunters. Instead, he found new ways everywhere, and went around in circles until daybreak, before he finally reached the mountain road he came from.

After tossing and turning for a whole night, the old hunter's body finally became hot when he was about to go down the mountain. Thanks to Zhao Guoyan's support all the way, he was able to hold on.

Yang Lazi and Lao Shaozi, relying on their youth and strength, did not rest after going down the mountain. After asking for the direction of Shenjia Shop, they followed the old road and went straight there.

While it was still daybreak, the remaining three people found a secluded place and rested for a while.

Zhao Guoyan quickly lit a bonfire, dried Hai Chaoshan's clothes, let the old hunter bask in the sun, and drank some dry food with mountain spring water. With food in his stomach, he gradually recovered.

It’s a pity that Haichao Mountain is old and it will take some time to recover, so the way to “Niuxinding” seems a bit bumpy.

Fortunately, the journey was not far, and we finally arrived on time the next morning.

"Niuxinding" is more like a ridge than a mountain. It can be seen from afar and is one of the highest peaks in Laoyeling. It can be reached by many mountain roads.

However, because the mountains are high and easy to observe from above, most wild roads are not safe.

Haichaoshan was experienced, so he naturally chose a forest path with the most lush vegetation. Although it was safe, it was not easy to walk on.

As soon as Sun Xiangyang arrived here, he immediately picked up the telescope and looked towards the "Niuxinding". He looked for a long time but did not see any trace of the camp. It was not until dusk when he heard faint smoke rising behind the mountain that he was sure that Erma was not lying.

"Don't light a fire at night!" Zhao Guoyan reminded, "There must be spies from Lao Mang on the top of the mountain. Just be patient for now!"

Sun Xiangyang put down the telescope and said nonchalantly: "I definitely don't care, it's just him -" he pointed at Hai Chaoshan who was slumped on the ground, "I don't know if he can hold on."

Zhao Guoyan shook his head and said, "We have to hold on even if we can't. We are right under their noses now. If we move a little, we will probably leak."

Sun Xiangyang turned around and took a look at the deep forest. He smacked his lips and muttered to himself, "I'm not afraid of Lao Mang. The problem is that if I don't light a fire every night, this forest..."

The two's worries were not unfounded. Every night, there were always all kinds of inexplicable noises in the deep forest, rustling and making noises that made people feel uneasy.

Late at night, half asleep and half awake, I often felt that there were wild beasts circling around me, coming over from time to time, sniffing and nudging me. I would suddenly sit up in shock and swing my knife, but always miss. I thought I had scared myself, but when I woke up the next morning, I could indeed see clear animal footprints around me, proving that last night's nightmare was real.

Old people often say that if you stay in the mountains for too long, you will easily go crazy.

Zhao Guoyan didn't believe it at first, but now that he is in the situation himself, he finally understands the reason.

For four whole days and four nights, the three of them did not have a single good night's sleep. They often felt that they were awake, but were actually asleep; and often felt that they were asleep, but were actually awake.

The boundary between dream and reality gradually blurred, and the three finally couldn't bear it anymore. Just at dusk that day, when it was just getting dark in the forest, they suddenly heard a rustling sound behind them.

Sun Xiangyang was already on edge, and when he heard the noise, his eyes widened bloodshot. He immediately jumped up from the ground, picked up the rifle, and cursed, "Fuck your mother, I'm going to shoot you dead." Then he pulled the trigger, but the gun body made a crisp "click" sound, and he had forgotten to turn on the safety.

After committing such a mistake, the bandit Lao Hu had naturally reached his limit.

Fortunately, Zhao Guoyan still managed to maintain a trace of rationality. He hurried over, lowered the muzzle of his gun, and said, "No, Niuxinding is behind you. It's not Lao Mang's man!"

Sun Xiangyang didn't care, he struggled with his arms, pushed Zhao Guoyan away, and said confidently: "Old Zhao, don't worry about it. I saw them circling behind us just now. We should strike first and fight them!"

"Don't talk nonsense, you were clearly asleep just now!"

"Impossible! I was watching them the whole time. There must have been a group of people coming down the mountain just now. It must be that Erma kid who was fooling people. Get out of the way!"

The two men were arguing, and even Hai Chaoshan was holding a shotgun, with a confused look in his eyes, as if he was about to pull the trigger at any time.

As soon as the gunshots are heard, Lao Mang’s camp on “Niuxinding” will definitely be aware of it!

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the depths of the forest: "Dad?"

Hai Chaoshan breathed a sigh of relief—it was Xiaoqing's voice. This girl had finally followed him...

(End of this chapter)