20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 847 In the Dark [Thanks to Wuhuan and Poxiao for their support as alliance leaders]

Halfway up the mountain, Lao Ye led about twenty men to ambush in the grove of trees by the roadside.

Everyone who arrived early had been waiting for a long time. Looking up, it was almost noon, and they figured the Jiang family's funeral procession would be arriving soon.

It was cold in the mountains, and everyone's faces felt tight from the cold.

Old Ye was quite old, over forty and a half. He had been squatting in the snow for half a day, and his shoes were all damp. He felt the cold rising straight up from the soles of his feet, and his bladder gradually swelled up. Finally, he couldn't help but say, "You guys stay here and watch over me. I'm going to relieve myself."

"Going again?" The guys frowned. "Old Ye, are you feeling a bit weak? Why do you need to pee as soon as you come up the mountain? How many times have you done this already?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Old Ye said. "It's about time. I'm going and coming back quickly. You all need to be alert. Remember, no matter what happens, we only have one goal, and that is—"

"Stab Jiang Lianheng!"

The others interrupted, looking very impatient.

The same words have been repeated countless times, to the point that my ears are practically calloused from hearing them. It's truly unbearable.

Old Ye was still worried, so he got up and took two steps out, then waved to a brother with naturally curly hair and said, "Old Chengzi, come here for a second!"

This man, named Wang Cheng, was the second-in-command of this assassination operation. He was young and impetuous, and quick in his movements. As soon as he heard the noise, he jumped up.

"What, need toilet paper?"

"Tsk, you're so thoughtful. Why would you need toilet paper!"

Old Ye waved his hand and repeatedly instructed, "I'll go down and take a look. You wait here for me to come back. Don't forget, as long as Master Qin wants Jiang Lianheng, as soon as the target shows his face, all the bullets will be aimed at him. As for other targets, try to get close if you can, otherwise forget it. Don't fight with the Jiang family, it's pointless."

Wang Cheng nodded and said, "Okay, I know what to do. You should hurry up and come back as soon as possible. That's more important than anything else."

After saying that, he turned around and squatted down on the snow in the forest, craning his neck to look down at the winding mountain road.

Old Ye pulled out a Type 14 Nambu pistol from his pocket, looked around, and then slowly walked down the mountain.

As luck would have it, not long after he left, a commotion was heard at the foot of the mountain.

First came the sound of gongs, followed by the playing of funeral music by a band of musicians.

In the depths of winter, all the trees wither and fall.

The mountains and forests were completely silent. Even the slightest noise could travel far, and if you listened carefully, the echoes would be layered upon each other, as if they were right next to your ear.

The guys immediately perked up, lying down on the snow and whispering, "They're here! They're here!"

"Shut the hell up!" Wang Cheng quickly reminded them. "Stay where you are, don't move, wait until we hear a sound before we talk!"

The crowd fell silent, then pulled out their sidearms from their waistbands, released the safety, chambered a bullet, and breathed hot air onto the gun.

Those in the know can tell whether someone is truly an elite member of the Qin family just by looking at these two skills.

There are two types of guns: the vast majority of the brothers use the Meiji Type 26, an old gun that the Nantie Independent Garrison has replaced; while people like Wang Cheng, who are straightforward and skilled, use the Nanbu Type 14, a new gun that Qin Huaimeng sent to them a few days ago.

Capture the thief first and capture the king!
With over twenty guns all aimed at one person, even a celestial being would find it hard to escape death, let alone Jiang Lianheng, a mere mortal.
Everyone was on high alert, already imagining what it would be like to make a name for themselves.

But after waiting and waiting, all they could hear was the funeral music; they couldn't see the funeral procession.

Gradually, some brothers became suspicious and whispered, "Why can we only hear noises but not see anyone?"

"Yes!" someone chimed in. "They've been blaring the trumpet for ages, and Dragon Mountain isn't even that high. Is it really necessary to walk for so long?"

"Could it be that the Jiang family is on guard?"

“It’s normal to be on guard, but the Jiang family’s main force is tied down, right? Zhao Guoyan isn’t here, so what’s there to be afraid of?”

The Jiang family's funeral was a grand affair, known to everyone in the city. Before Lao Ye and his men arrived to ambush them, they had already gathered information about the situation and knew that many of the Jiang family's "Zaibang" brothers were mixed in with the funeral procession. However, since this was bound to happen, no one paid much attention to it.

After all, no one expected Jiang Lianheng to go out without bodyguards.

But now, with mournful music filling the mountains and forests, the funeral procession is nowhere to be seen, which inevitably makes people feel a bit strange.

Wang Cheng also sensed something was amiss, so he nudged the brother next to him with his elbow and whispered, "Go down the mountain and see what's going on, and while you're at it, find Lao Ye!"

The brother nodded, but just as he stood up, he heard a gunshot behind him!
But then he staggered and fell headfirst into the snowdrift, his whole body convulsing and trembling, and a patch of blood immediately spread across his back.

Everyone was shocked and hurriedly turned around to look, but even with their eyes wide open, they couldn't see anyone.

Wang Cheng had good eyesight, but when he turned around unexpectedly, he only saw three or five people, all dressed in mourning clothes, slowly approaching them from the woods.

The other brothers didn't have his keen eyesight, and when they panicked, they wandered around aimlessly like headless flies.

"Where are you looking?"

A question came from afar; it was Zhao Zhengbei's voice.

As soon as a noise was heard, my eyes focused.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw several unfamiliar men dressed in mourning clothes slowly emerging from the woods in the distance.

Despite the north wind blowing hard, I came through the snow without any fear.

But the guards around him dared not let their guard down. They raised their large mirrors and shouted sternly, "Don't fucking try anything funny, just put down your guns!"

Wang Cheng frowned, silently considering how to respond.

We're all online, so we can't just hand over our weapons whenever you tell us to. Besides, we have the numerical advantage right now, so there's no reason for us to just give up like this.

The brothers next to him were even more hot-tempered. Seeing that there weren't many people coming from the other side, they had the idea of ​​starting a gunfight.

Just then, another gunshot rang out from diagonally in front!
"Da da da!"

The bullets lined up and hit the snow in front of Wang Cheng and the others, startling them so much that they quickly took a half step back.

Turning their heads, they saw three or five unfamiliar men dressed in mourning clothes slowly emerging from the grove of trees on the side. The leader of the group was carrying a flower-shaped weapon, which practically sealed their fate.

Seeing this, Wang Cheng and the others quickly moved two steps to the right.

Unexpectedly, gunshots rang out again, and several figures suddenly appeared from the other side, the leader of whom was also carrying a musket.

Surrounded by enemies on three sides, with the winding mountain road behind them, Wang Cheng and his men had already given up on the idea of ​​escaping.

No matter how fast you run on two legs, you can't outrun a bullet. If the machine gun fires a burst, we'll all be turned into a beehive on the spot.

The only result of turning around and running for your life is that you'll die faster.

"You dare move!" Zhao Zhengbei shouted sternly. "I told you to put the gun down, not to raise it. Do you understand?"

"understand!"

Wang Cheng took the lead in putting down his sidearm, then raised his hands and called out in a casual tone, "Hey buddy, I'm Tiger Head Man'er, just wandering around. I haven't yet asked your name, sir, to avoid any misunderstandings and ruining the harmony on the line."

Zhao Zhengbei strode over with his guards, looked Wang Cheng up and down, and then suddenly raised his hand and slapped him across the face with a loud "smack"—the slap was so crisp and clean!
Wang Cheng suddenly shook his head, spun around on the spot, turned his back, and immediately fell to the ground. When he got up, blood was gushing from his mouth and nose, and his cheeks were swollen.

In front of veteran soldiers, thugs and hooligans are like chicks, powerless to resist and left to be slaughtered.

The difference in manpower between the two sides is like heaven and earth; they are not even in the same league.

"Fuck your mother, stop pretending!" Zhao Zhengbei grabbed Wang Cheng by the collar, pulled him in front of him, and angrily asked, "Where is Qin Huaimeng hiding? Tell me now!"

"I do not know."

"do not know?"

Zhao Zhengbei immediately pressed the muzzle of his gun against Wang Cheng's chin: "Say it again, you don't know?"

However, Wang Cheng shook his head as if he were determined and said, "I really don't know. I'm not high enough. If you don't believe me, ask them. If you can find out where Master Qin is hiding, I'll kill myself without you having to lift a finger."

Zhao Zhengbei squinted, looked around, and suddenly asked, "How many of you are there?"

Wang Cheng sniffled twice, his nose bleeding, and said, "Not much, just this much right in front of me."

"So, how many people are there in front of you?"

"Twenty-four."

Zhao Zhengbei counted the number of people, and there were indeed twenty-four, no more and no less. But then he suddenly turned his gaze to the others and asked the same question: "I'll ask you one more time, how many of you are there?"

The men exchanged glances, a tacit understanding forming between them, and nodded in unison, saying, "That's right, twenty-four of them came—"

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Zhengbei raised his hand and fired a shot, which shattered the kneecap of one of the men.

The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his thighs and groaning in pain. Despite the cold weather, a fine layer of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.

"Holy shit! I'm done for... I'm done for!"

The man collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, looking utterly pathetic.

Zhao Zhengbei didn't even glance at him, but instead walked over to the others, lowered his gun, and pressed them again: "How many of you are there?"

Some people couldn't withstand the pressure and immediately gave in, kneeling down and kowtowing, saying, "Brother, I was wrong... There were a total of twenty-five people here, not twenty-four."

Where did the other one go?

“Old man has frequent urination at night. He just went to relieve himself. He also said he wanted to go down the mountain to check on the Jiang family…” Wang Cheng glared at him fiercely. The brother blushed, knowing that he had broken his promise, but after weighing the matter again and again, he finally decided to tell the truth.

There was no way around it; the assassination attempt had already failed the moment the Jiang family took control.

No matter how powerful the Qin family is, they are still a rising star. If they want to compete with the Jiang family, they can only rely on surprise tactics. Otherwise, if they engage in a head-on confrontation, they are ultimately lacking in experience.

When Zhao Zhengbei heard that Lao Ye was not there, he did not panic. He thought that the funeral procession consisted of two or three hundred people, and with Xi Feng leading the guard, there should be no trouble. So he sent two guards down the mountain to search for him and see if they could find him. If they could not find him, they should report the news to Jiang Lianheng as soon as possible.

Then he asked, "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

No one dared to hide anything. They exchanged glances before whispering, "There were landmines on the mountain road. We planted them the night before..."

Without them saying anything, Zhao Zhengbei had already anticipated this. He immediately snorted twice and said sarcastically, "Not much skill, but quite a complete set of tools."

As he spoke, he walked up to Wang Cheng and pressed him for an answer: "Are you the leader?"

"He's the second-in-command, Lao Ye is the real leader!" The brothers next to him were already busy distancing themselves. "Brother, I was forced into this. It's unethical to launch a sneak attack during someone's funeral. I've been against it from the beginning! Please plead with Boss Jiang for me. If you can spare my brother, I'll do whatever you ask!"

Wang Cheng replied, "It's no use. Their ranks are lower than mine. You won't get anything out of them."

"Stubborn, huh?" Zhao Zhengbei sneered. "Fine! Let me see later whether your mouth is tougher or your bones are tougher!"

After saying that, he immediately turned around and ordered the guards to confiscate the weapons, and escorted Wang Cheng and the others down the main road.

Zhao Zhengbei led his men behind, keeping a distance, and forced them to move forward, ordering them to clear mines along the way until the mountain road was completely flat before they would go down the mountain to find Jiang Lianheng.

……

At the foot of Longshan Mountain, the gunshots that had just rang out left the funeral procession feeling deeply bewildered.

The group's formation was a bit loose, and they all looked into the forest, wanting to ask but not daring to, wanting to leave but not daring to. So they could only turn their attention to Jiang Lianheng, hoping that the host could give some reasonable explanation.

However, Jiang Lianheng remained seated in the top position, with his back to everyone, and made no statement whatsoever.

Standing on his left and right were his eldest son Jiang Chengye and his adopted son Hai Xinnian.

To the left and right were Wang Zhengnan and Li Zhengxi, surrounded by a dozen bodyguards forming a human wall, tightly packed and impenetrable.

More and more cigarette butts were appearing on the ground. The two guards Zhao Zhengbei had sent to patrol the mountain were the first to return and report the situation on the mountain to Jiang Lianheng.

Although the forest was covered with heavy snow, the footprints of the two groups going up and down the mountain had long been blurred, so they did not find Lao Ye.

Before long, dozens of people could be seen faintly appearing on the winding mountain road.

After looking around carefully for a moment, it was indeed Bei Feng escorting Wang Cheng and the others, slowly coming down the mountain.

Seeing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The band also stopped playing and began praising Jiang Lianheng's wisdom and prowess.

Several people shouted in a serious tone, "See? I told you long ago, if we follow Boss Jiang, we have nothing to fear. We can just keep our minds at ease!"

A bystander laughed and said, "That's right, do you even need to tell me? That's exactly what I just said!"

As soon as the so-called danger was over, all sorts of flattery and sycophancy followed.

Jiang Lianheng, however, ignored it completely.

If he were ten years younger, he might have been complacent, but things are different now. He's heard so much flattery that he's become numb to it, and often uses it as a wake-up call.

He knew very well that this was thanks to his seventh uncle.

If the Jiang family still has to go through great lengths to win, knowing that the enemy is preparing an ambush halfway through the journey, then he is probably not far from death.

Turning the tide and reversing the downward trend is the expected outcome, and there is no reason to be secretly pleased.

As they were talking, Beifeng and the others had already approached.

The Qin family's thugs had their guns removed and were kneeling a short distance away, guarded by a group of soldiers. Two guns were aimed at the back of their heads from behind, and no one dared to make a move.

Zhao Zhengbei grabbed Wang Cheng and kicked him hard in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel in front of Jiang Lianheng. He then grabbed Wang Cheng's hair and introduced him loudly, "Brother, he's the second-in-command of this group. The leader is called Lao Ye. He probably heard the commotion and ran away."

Jiang Lianheng nodded slightly, glanced at Wang Cheng, and then asked, "Where is Qin Huaimeng?"

You've asked the wrong person.

"Did not say?"

Unexpectedly, Wang Cheng still had some backbone. Despite his defeat, he remained unyielding, shaking his head and saying with a wry smile, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's that I simply don't know. Boss Jiang, you're also the boss. Would you tell your men your itinerary? Master Qin isn't that stupid. If I really knew where he was hiding, would I be here doing this dirty work?"

"Oh!" Jiang Lianheng asked, "So you mean—I'm stupid?"

Wang Cheng laughed and retorted, "If you're not stupid, who is if you're going to oppose the Japanese in Fengtian?"

Before he finished speaking, Li Zhengxi's expression changed drastically. He immediately threw a hook punch and cursed, "Fuck your mother, you still dare to be so foul!"

Wang Cheng shook his head, spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, and said with a half-smile, "Who told you to be so foul-mouthed as to ask me?"

"What the hell-"

Li Zhengxi, with his fiery temper, could not stand such strange and sarcastic remarks. He immediately pulled out his pistol and made a move to kill Wang Cheng.

"West Wind!" Jiang Lianheng called out to him in time, waving his hand and saying, "This kid is deliberately provoking you. Be careful, don't let him get away with it!"

Li Zhengxi then lowered the muzzle of his gun, but his eyes remained fixed on Wang Cheng's every move.

Seeing that his intentions had been seen through, Wang Cheng knew that he didn't have much time left. So he found an opening, suddenly pulled a sharp knife out of his trouser leg, braced himself with his left hand on the ground, and pushed off with both feet, rushing straight at Jiang Lianheng.

This dagger is exquisitely shaped, not even qualifying as a dagger. Although it is only two fingers wide and three inches long, it is incredibly sharp. It can stab a person without piercing three layers of cotton-padded clothing, but if it slits their throat, it can take their life in the blink of an eye.

However, the distance between the two sides was simply too great.

Five steps away, with so many eyes watching, before Wang Cheng could even get up, Zhao Zhengbei tripped him from behind, causing him to stumble and fall flat on his face.

To think you can get back up is just wishful thinking!
The bodyguards on site were no pushovers either. As soon as they saw that the kid was still up to no good, they immediately split into two teams. One team rushed over and pinned him to the ground, while the other team formed a human wall to protect the owner behind them, fearing that something might go wrong.

Enraged, Li Zhengxi immediately shouted, "Fuck him! Break this kid's legs first, then let's see how he causes trouble!"

Jiang Lianheng remained firmly in his seat, completely disregarding Wang Cheng's actions.

However, Jiang Chengye was startled and hurriedly took two steps back, bumping into Nanfeng's arms. He swallowed hard, his face pale.

Wang Zhengnan shielded him, whispering a few words of comfort, saying, "Nephew, don't be afraid, even if they work themselves to death, they won't cause any trouble—"

"boom!"

Before the words were even finished, a gunshot rang out!
A bullet flew out of the forest, coming from the side of the funeral procession, and struck Xu Ruqing's portrait in the shadow pavilion—not far from where Jiang Lianheng was seated!
Everyone was shocked and hurriedly turned to look. Before they could see the figure clearly, two more gunshots rang out!
This completely threw the funeral procession into chaos.

The musicians and musicians scattered in panic, the monks, nuns, and Taoist priests fled in all directions, and the remaining stewards and young attendants, including Xue Liu, also cried out in alarm, dropped their equipment, and ran away as fast as they could.

However, the outskirts of the city were desolate and empty, so even if one wanted to run away, there was nowhere safe to go. In the end, one would just be wandering around aimlessly.

Wang Zhengnan, carrying Jiang Chengye, immediately lay down on the ground to avoid bullets, while crawling towards the soul-guiding sedan chair, preparing to find cover in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

Li Zhengxi and Hai Xinnian hurriedly stood guard beside Jiang Lianheng, raised their guns, and fired a few shots as cover, regardless of whether they could see the situation clearly.

Among the crowd, only Beifeng and his brothers remained calm amidst the chaos.

The guards continued to watch over the prisoners and did not make any rash moves. Zhao Zhengbei simply raised his gun but did not pull the trigger randomly.

No sooner said than done, a figure suddenly darted out of the woods.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Old Ye!

All alone, like a mad dog, Old Ye charged towards them recklessly, brandishing his Type 14 Nambu pistol.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, gunshots rang out. It was only because the accuracy of pistols was limited that the casualties would have been so great.

Old Ye has only one goal: to become the head of the Jiang family!
As long as Jiang Lianheng can be assassinated, no price is too high to pay!

However, bullets have no eyes, and the others dared not let their guard down. The funeral workers scattered in all directions, and the remaining "helpers" had no guns and were helping to carry the most conspicuous coffin cover. They were afraid of being implicated, so they were panicked and everyone was in danger.

As the formation became disordered, Xu Ruqing's coffin appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

On the other side, Lao Ye, fearless and willing to die for his cause, was shot and staggered slightly, but relying on the thickness of his cotton-padded coat, he continued to charge towards them using the momentum.

The funeral procession was already parked at the foot of the mountain, not far away. Just now, everyone's attention was drawn to Wang Cheng, causing them to lose focus and be caught off guard.

Lao Ye found an opening and rushed forward a few steps. He was getting closer and closer to Jiang Lianheng, and the assassination operation was now very promising.

But just then, a loud crash was heard – Xu Ruqing's coffin fell to the ground!

The Type 14 Nambu pistol in Lao Ye's hand suddenly jammed!

The bullet was stuck crookedly in the chamber, and no matter how hard he pulled the trigger, it was all in vain.

"boom!"

Zhao Zhengbei raised his gun and fired. The bullet struck Lao Ye squarely through the throat, and blood gushed out. Lao Ye stiffened and finally fell backward to the ground...

(End of this chapter)