Republic of China, 1922: Rise from the Post-Zhili-Fengtian War

The night wind rustled through the treetops, barely masking the breathing and movement of the crowd.

Everyone had their guns loaded, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the forest path, waiting for the group to step into the encirclement so they could take them down in one fell swoop.

Before long, the dozen or so men in plain clothes, led by the escorting soldiers, hurried to the vicinity.

Traveling through the night, everyone was panting heavily.

The leader raised his hand and ordered in a deep voice, "Let's rest here for a bit and then continue our journey!"

The group immediately dispersed, resting in twos and threes by the roadside... It was indeed a secluded spot sheltered from the wind, but those unfamiliar with the terrain were unaware that there was a grove of trees nearby that could easily be used for an ambush.

Gu Cheng sneered.

No wonder these idiots entered the pass and were wiped out by Wu Peifu in just a few days. The commander-in-chief even cursed them as more than 70,000 pigs... The troops didn't even bother to scout the terrain when resting, and there were no scouts to explore the route in advance. It would be strange if such a military unit, which has no military discipline, didn't suffer defeats.

However, as Gu Cheng was examining the soldiers, he suddenly frowned.

Mu Haisheng, unable to contain himself any longer, quietly approached Gu Cheng and whispered, "Master Gu, this is the perfect time to strike! If we don't act now, they'll be gone once they've rested enough!"

Gu Cheng waved his hand: "Something's not right."

The more he looked, the more suspicious he became.

Logically speaking, these seventeen soldiers who caused the trouble were fleeing for their lives. They would have been traveling outside the city overnight and would have brought some travel expenses, food, and clothing with them. But right now, all of them were empty-handed. Apart from their civilian clothes, they didn't even have a bag or bundle. They were so clean that it was almost abnormal.

The escorting soldiers were also completely unarmed, carrying only guns and broadswords, showing no signs of fleeing far away.

Gu Cheng lowered his voice to a whisper: "Look at these bastards, they should at least have brought some food, right? Escaping in the middle of the night without even a personal belonging is illogical. Let's stay calm and see what happens next."

Mu Haisheng was taken aback.

Actually, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong earlier, and now, with his superior's prompting, he realized that something was amiss.

"Know your brothers to stay put and be alert!"

Gu Cheng ordered him to relay the order: "No one is to move or make a sound without my command!"

While the troops were standing by in a state of high alert, the group of "deserted" soldiers began to complain: "Hey, Lieutenant Zhao, didn't you say a car was coming to pick us up? Where's the car? Our legs are about to fall off from running!"

"This guy has been running around all night and can't even walk anymore."

"Hmph, if you ask me, that guy surnamed Gu is the worst. He only took some stuff and slept with a few girls, and now he's bringing up military discipline... It's still better back home. If he takes a fancy to a girl, what can they do?"

"Oh, right, Lieutenant Zhao, the higher-ups said everyone would get five silver dollars and then go home to hide for a few months. Where's the money? Where's it?"

The officer, referred to as Lieutenant Zhao, was sitting on a large rock. Upon hearing their conversation, he first turned his gaze over, then gave a perfunctory smile.

"What's the rush? The car is just at the fork in the road not far ahead. Once we've rested enough, we can get on right away. As for the money, we'll give it to you when we get there. Commander Tang keeps his word; he wouldn't shortchange you, would he?"

That being said, he didn't give a signal to the dozen or so soldiers escorting him—

Good grief, this is murder to silence them!

Hidden behind the tree, Gu Cheng saw everything clearly. The doubts in his heart instantly dissipated, replaced by a chilling feeling.

He whispered to Mu Haisheng, "This Lieutenant Zhao is here to see them off!"

Mu Haisheng's pupils contracted sharply, but just as he realized what his master meant by "on the road," the situation on the other side suddenly changed!

The adjutant's face suddenly darkened. He abruptly drew a short knife from his waist and shouted sharply, "Enough nonsense! Brigade Commander Tang said that you bunch of good-for-nothings caused trouble in Jinzhou and still want money? Today we'll send you to your deaths, so you won't ruin the brigade commander's important plans!"

Before the words were even finished, the dozen or so escorting soldiers instantly changed their expressions, drew their knives from their waists, and pounced on the unsuspecting thugs.

The men panicked immediately. The few who had been complaining just moments before were now trembling with fear: "Lieutenant Zhao, what... what are you doing? Didn't you say you'd take us home?"

"Commander Tang said he'd give us silver dollars, you can't kill us!"

Only the cold blades could respond to them.

One of the men reacted quickly and turned to run towards the woods, but Zhao, the adjutant, caught up with him and plunged a short knife into his back. The soldier groaned and fell to the ground, his blood instantly staining the withered grass beneath him.

The rest of the unfortunate souls were terrified, running away in all directions crying and screaming, only to be surrounded by the escorting soldiers:

Instantly, screams, pleas, and the muffled thud of blades piercing flesh shattered the silence of the forest.

"Let's do it!"

Gu Cheng's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he no longer hesitated.

The moment the order was given, more than thirty guards who had been lying in ambush around the woods appeared, and torches were lit instantly, illuminating the entire secluded spot.

"Don't move! Drop your weapons!"

The stern shouts echoed through the forest, and the guards, all fully armed, quickly formed a circle around Zhao's group, their guns pointed at Zhao's adjutant and his party, their imposing presence intimidating.

Lieutenant Zhao and his men were caught off guard and froze on the spot.

They never expected that there would be an ambush in this desolate wilderness!

"Who goes there? How dare you interfere with the affairs of our 11th Mixed Brigade!" Lieutenant Zhao roared fiercely, gripping his short knife tightly, attempting to put up a last-ditch resistance.

"Those who govern you are naturally the ones who come to take you away!"

Gu Cheng slowly walked out from behind the tree. His black clothes accentuated his cold expression as he glanced at the corpses on the ground and the panicked soldiers.

Finally, the words landed on Lieutenant Zhao, his tone icy: "The brigade commander of the 11th Mixed Brigade is truly ruthless. He pretended to promise to help them escape and even offered them silver dollars... but in reality, he sent you to kill them halfway to silence them, hoping to make these criminals unable to testify and thus erase their guilt for their callous killings!"

Only now did Lieutenant Zhao realize that the person leading the group was actually Gu Cheng!

"Let's fight them!" Lieutenant Zhao knew that if they were exposed today, not only would he be in danger, but Tang Yulin would also be in big trouble... so he might as well try to take one person down with him!

Mu Haisheng reacted swiftly, raising his hand and firing a shot. The bullet grazed Zhao's shoulder as he shouted sternly, "Drop your weapon! Any further resistance will be met with death!"

The escorting soldiers were already panicked and confused. When they saw that Lieutenant Zhao was injured, they lost all will to fight. Some quietly put down their weapons and squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands. Others tried to resist, but were quickly subdued by the guards. In no time, all the escorting soldiers were disarmed.

Those unlucky souls who had miraculously survived were now paralyzed with fear on the ground, trembling all over. Their eyes, as they looked at Gu Cheng, held both terror and a hint of relief—only now did they realize that they had been pawns used by Tang Yulin to escape punishment from beginning to end.