Under the fist

Chapter 25 Deep in the Mountains, Enemies Meet Again

Vast mountains and boundless forests.

Under a clear blue sky, two figures walked through a dark green pine forest.

Lian Youming was wearing a Type 65 white shirt, green military trousers, a brown belt around his waist, and a pair of liberation shoes.

This entire outfit was given to him by Qin Yuhu. There was no way around it; his physique had changed drastically during this period, and the clothes he had brought before were all too small. Moreover, his strength had increased significantly, and he was constantly tearing his armpits or his back. Lian Youming could tolerate these things, but he was afraid that his crotch would tear when there were many people around.

Then look at Yan Lingyun beside him; she's simply beautiful.

This person used to be rather thin and tall. Although he was good-looking and had a refined air, he was still as thin as a bamboo pole. Now, thanks to Lian Youming's feeding, he has become much fuller, his complexion is much better, and he has fair skin and rosy cheeks with a plumper face.

Lian Youming walked ahead, his gaze deep and thoughtful, constantly scanning his surroundings. He had made thorough preparations for this trip, with a slingshot at his waist, a homemade gun in his hand, several loops of hemp rope draped over his shoulder, and a cloth bag containing water and some emergency food.

In addition, he specially obtained a three- or four-foot-long, thick-spineed butcher's knife, with a black body and white blade, a handle resembling a dog's leg, wrapped in animal hide, and slung diagonally across his body.

The depths of the Greater Khingan Mountains are extremely dangerous. The further you go in, the more ferocious beasts you encounter, and the easier it is to get lost. Moreover, as far as the eye can see, there is only an endless primeval forest, lush and verdant, with towering trees and plants. In the end, there are no paths at all, and you can only rely on some traces to find your way. If you are not careful, you may never come out again.

Yan Lingyun walked behind, with a long, black braid, wearing a shirt and cloth trousers, carrying a small shoulder bag, and holding a map she had drawn herself. She looked extremely relaxed.

After all, the items are all on Lian Youming's person.

But as this person walked, his eyes would occasionally sneakily glance forward, toward that broad and imposing figure.

She wasn't the only one stealing glances at that figure; usually, after work, any of the female educated youth with a bit of courage would take another look.

He's incredibly strong and muscular, seemingly with inexhaustible energy when working. To make matters worse, he has a great personality—positive, optimistic, never complains or shows signs of fatigue, is hardworking and reliable, and most importantly, is good-looking…

Before you know it, this person has become incredibly sought-after.

In this era, although people's thinking was still very conservative, these educated youths were in the midst of a wave of ideological liberation. In addition, influenced by some literary works and movies, some young people had almost abandoned traditional concepts of love and become bold and passionate.

Yan Lingyun snorted inwardly. Just a few days ago, she had seen Lian Youming helping a female educated youth move things. He really had too much strength to spare.

"Humph!"

For some reason, as she was thinking about it, she actually started humming it out.

Lian Youming was walking with his heart pounding and full of vigilance when he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He was startled and turned around to see Yan Lingyun unharmed. He immediately said in an annoyed tone, "What are you humming about in broad daylight?"

"I'm fine."

Yan Lingyun's eyes darted away, and she hurriedly looked to the side, feeling very guilty. She saw a blush instantly spread from her neck to her cheeks, and then even her ears turned red.

Lian Youming raised an eyebrow. "Who asked if you were alright? You should at least give me directions."

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingyun quickly glanced at her crooked map, looked around, and then pointed to a pile of stones, "Go forward."

Lian Youming moved closer to Yan Lingyun and said, "Stay close. Those leopards and lynxes are silent, fast, and ruthless. If they get too far away, I might snatch you away without me even knowing."

Unexpectedly, Yan Lingyun took out a medicine bottle from her bag. "This is a medicine powder I made with tiger bone. Sprinkle some on yourself too; it will ward off wild animals."

Lian Youming rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you take it out earlier?"

After the two ate something to replenish their energy, the sun was already setting.

Looking at the sky, Lian Youming quickened his pace. The forest grew denser and denser, but to his dismay, Yan Lingyun suddenly lost her bearings.

After all, when I came last year, the land was covered in winter snow, and many of the landscapes were hidden. Now, the trees are towering and the vegetation is lush. It looks completely different.

Fortunately, Lian Youming had left his mark along the way with his sword and spear, so he didn't get lost.

Moreover, they had considered spending the night in the mountains in order to obtain that wild ginseng with eight leaves.

The two discussed it briefly and then explored a little further in.

Yan Lingyun had previously gone up to a forest farm in a place called Songziling. Lian Youming went there before dawn to meet her, and then they went into the mountains and entered the Greater Khingan Mountains.

Perhaps it was because he had reached a high place, through the dense forest, that Lian Youming could see a vast sky and clouds before him, and towering mountains below, as if he had taken in the whole landscape. For a moment, his heart was filled with emotion.

Yan Lingyun compared the map she had drawn with the surroundings until she saw a birch forest in the distance. Delighted, she called to Lian Youming to come over. The two immediately hurried on their way.

As soon as you enter the forest, the sunlight overhead seems to dim a bit. The white birch trees, some thick and some thin, stand straight and tall, almost filling the field of vision and blocking out the sun.

The forest is filled with red flowers and green grass, and birdsong never stops.

Stepping on the soft soil, Lian Youming followed Yan Lingyun deeper into the area.

This walk took another half hour.

Suddenly, Lian Youming stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the grass not far away.

A doe lay there, eyes wide open, long dead.

Deep within the Greater Khingan Mountains, countless beasts roam, and the law of the jungle prevails—survival of the fittest is commonplace.

What truly changed Lian Youming's expression was that the doe was unharmed, but had a fist-sized hole in its chest, with exposed bone fragments and an empty interior, as if someone had used a powerful claw technique to pierce its chest and abdomen and remove its heart.

Not only that, the doe's neck was also broken.

Lian Youming instantly recalled how the doe had died: her neck had been broken by a kick, and her heart had been taken advantage of as she flipped over.

In a flash, he shielded Yan Lingyun behind him, while simultaneously scanning his surroundings with wary eyes.

There was an extraordinary master hidden deep in these mountains.

I wonder if they are still here, or if they have already left.

After a moment's hesitation and a glance at the sky, Lian Youming decided to continue forward for the sake of that eighth-grade leaf club.

The two walked deeper and deeper into the distance, and the sun on the horizon seemed to sink lower and lower.

As they reached the edge of the birch forest, Yan Lingyun suddenly showed delight, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she pointed into the distance, about to speak.

But when he turned his head, Lian Youming covered his head.

The two quickly lay down and followed Yan Lingyun's gaze. In the distance was a withered old tree.

This withered tree had been growing for countless years. It was as thick as four or five people could hug it. It was broken in half, its trunk was black and rotten, and it was covered with flowers and grass. From a distance, it looked lush and green.

But Lian Youming wasn't looking at the withered tree; he was looking at a stream not far from it.

Right beside the stream, three disheveled figures were squatting by the water, dressed in tattered clothes. Beside them were two skinned deer legs, and they were eating raw deer meat and drinking deer blood, making the scene particularly bloody.

However, what truly made Lian Youming's expression turn serious was that two of the three people had Han Chinese features, while the remaining one was actually Russian.

Yan Lingyun saw it too and quickly held her breath.

Lian Youming lay prone in the grass, his brows furrowed, greatly surprised, and pondering the origins of these people.

Looking at the other person's tattered clothes, which seemed to be out of style, and his appearance like that of a savage, with long, dirty hair that was almost matted, and a tangled beard, he was truly filthy.

Upon hearing the other party speaking in gibberish, specifically in Russian, Lian Youming's heart skipped a beat. Could these three have all fled from Russia?
That would be really impressive.

Besides the watchtowers and soldiers patrolling the riverbank day and night, one also has to travel upstream from the river, which is not something an ordinary person can do.

No, I can't act impulsively.

Lian Youming lay on the ground protecting Yan Lingyun, quietly watching the three of them drink water. He thought that after they left, he would first gather the wild ginseng, and then go down to call for help.

But just as Lian Youming was about to retreat temporarily, he faintly heard someone cursing over there: "Damn it, if it weren't for that kid, I wouldn't be suffering like this..."

"Ok?"

Lian Youming let out a silent "Huh" in his heart, because the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Upon further reflection, his expression immediately turned strange.

"Third Brother Xie?"

(End of this chapter)