Wandering the Heavens

Chapter 308: Sword 11

"Why are you panicking? Our primary task is to monitor the Japs and traitors so that our families can receive danger signals in time. The situation of this group of Japs and puppet troops is unclear. They stopped outside the range and didn't move. And we can't see what's on the flag. We can't act rashly, understand?" The militia captain analyzed the situation calmly.

If this armed force of unknown origin is determined to invade Zhaojiayu, the dozen or so people in my hands are not enough for them to send. But I don't know why they are staying outside.

"Go home immediately and say that the enemy was spotted at your doorstep. The situation is unclear. Please be prepared to evacuate at any time." The militia captain thought about it and decided to send someone back to report the news.

On this side, no one understood why Yu Xian didn't go in to Zhaojiayu when it was so close. Everyone had been running day and night for so long, thinking that they could rest in peace after going in, but now they could only rest outside with their backs to each other.

"I know you are all very tired, and I am tired too. We have been on a forced march for half a month, and have not eaten or slept well, but now is not the time to rest. Because from my observation, we are the first team of the independent regiment to arrive at Zhaojiayu. The regiment commander and the political commissar are currently missing. We are not simply resting here, but waiting for them. If possible, we need to go out to support them." Yu Xian told everyone the reason why he would not go in for the time being.

The soldiers who were originally confused noticed that Yu Xian did not rest but was using the captured map to calculate the marching routes that other troops of the Independent Regiment might take.

Along the way, Yu Xian's biggest hobby was collecting maps. Even in the two battles with the puppet army, he only exchanged the captured weapons for rifles and took away machine guns and grenades. He did not take anything else with him. Instead, he found places to hide them, and simply destroyed those that could not be hidden.

"Company commander, can we tell the marching route of the regiment commander and the political commissar from this? What if..." Wang Ping said this in a very depressed tone.

"If we can make it this far, the regiment commander and the political commissar can certainly do it too!"

We are still in a state of combat readiness and ready to fight at any time, but Wang Ping said something that disrupted the morale of the army. If it weren't for the impact, Yu Xian really wanted to criticize Wang Ping.

"Company commander, there are people coming from the south, they look like puppet troops!" A vigilant soldier reported in a low voice.

Everyone stopped resting when they heard this, and immediately took their guns and lay on the ground ready to shoot at any time. Yu Xian put away the map, climbed onto the stone in front, picked up the telescope and looked in that direction. He saw a group of more than 20 people in puppet army uniforms walking in a sparse group, and the leader in front was a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

"Comrades, it's Political Commissar Zhao and his men. We've found the organization!"

Yu Xian couldn't hide his excitement as he announced to everyone that after being displaced for the past half month, he finally found his backbone at this moment.

Zhao Gang was walking when he saw fifty or sixty people appearing on the road ahead. He saw that they were either Japanese or puppet soldiers, so he immediately ordered to prepare for battle. Then he saw that they were holding the flag of the Eighth Route Army, so he immediately picked up the telescope to take a look. Zhao Gang was filled with emotion at this moment.

"Comrades, work harder, the comrades from the first company are waiting in front!"

Zhao Gang and his companions walked faster and faster. When they got closer, they saw that everyone was already lined up. Yu Xian, dressed as a Japanese sergeant, was saluting them.

"Report to the political commissar, the first company should have 77 people returning from the breakout, but only 65 have actually arrived!"

Zhao Gang looked at the soldiers in the first company in front of him with tears in his eyes: "Everyone, you are all great! The first company of the first battalion is great!"

The First Battalion suffered heavy casualties in this anti-mopping-up battle in order to cover the evacuation of the masses, and there was no news of their subsequent breakout. Zhao Gang did not expect that Yu Xian could lead most of the soldiers out of the encirclement and come to Zhaojiayu.

Seeing the mess that Zhao Gang's team was in, Yu Xian hurriedly asked Wang Ping to take out the captured food and let them rest on the spot to replenish their energy.

Zhao Gang took this opportunity to call Yu Xian aside and asked them how they broke through. Yu Xian reported to Zhao Gang about the situation along the way and also asked why he didn't see the regiment commander and the political commissar together. There were too many people just now and it was not easy to ask this question. Zhao Gang's heart sank. When they broke through, they saw the people in a village were moving. They could only set up a position there with the regiment headquarters and hold on for a night. In the middle of the night, they decided to break through separately from Li Yunlong. The people he led arrived at Zhaojiayu without any danger, but there was no news from Li Yunlong.

"Political Commissar, I want to wait for the soldiers to rest for half an hour, leaving the seriously injured here to support them, and Deputy Company Commander Wang Ping and I will lead our men to search along these two routes."

Yu Xian saw that Zhao Gang was thinking of a solution, and immediately took out the map and gave his suggestion.

Zhao Gang frowned as he looked at the route Yu Xian drew on the map, then looked at the wounded and exhausted soldiers. When he was about to nod in agreement, the alert soldier reported that there were civilians coming towards this side at the valley entrance.

Yu Xian immediately put away the map and stood up with Zhao Gang to look towards the valley entrance. They saw a group of people dressed in civilian clothes rushing over there, two men and one woman walking in front, with about seven or eight people behind them, each carrying a basket.

"Put down your guns, you are a local comrade."

Zhao Gang saw their attire and combination clearly through the telescope and immediately ordered everyone to put down their guns and stand where they were and wait, while he and Yu Xian walked towards the people.

"Boss, where are you going?"

After about five or six minutes, the few people walked to a place ten meters apart and stopped tacitly. The middle-aged man in the lead looked at the two people in front of him and shouted the agreed code.

"Something happened at home, so I took my brothers home to check on the situation." Zhao Gang also gave the secret code.

"Boss, there is no road here."

"There is no road. My brothers and I will create one."

"Comrades from the Independent Regiment, I am Zhao Youcai, the village chief of Zhaojiayu!" The middle-aged man was very excited when he heard the secret code, and walked over quickly with the villagers.

"I am Zhao Gang, the political commissar of the independent regiment. Hello, Comrade Zhao Youcai!" Zhao Gang and Yu Xian also walked towards them.

After shaking hands, Zhao Youcai introduced the people who came with him, including the president of the Women's Rescue Association Xiuqin, the militia captain Zhao Hongxing, and other militiamen and members of the Women's Rescue Association.

"Political Commissar Zhao, why are you wearing such leather clothes? The comrades on the sentry post on the top of the mountain wouldn't be able to recognize you when they see you!" Zhao Youcai was a little confused when he saw what everyone was wearing.

"The Japanese and puppet troops have set up blockades layer by layer. We can only disguise ourselves like this and take advantage of the chaos on the battlefield to sneak past the blockades." Zhao Gang explained.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. We're already at the doorstep, let's go in quickly!" Zhao Youcai called out.

"Village chief, please take our wounded in first. We will have to go back to look for our lost comrades later." Zhao Gang said and turned to look at the soldiers who were resting.

"No problem, no problem, Sanwazi Xiuqin, let's go and take the injured comrades back first."

Zhao Youcai knew that everything was subject to Zhao Gang's arrangements at this time, so he immediately asked the militia and the Women's Rescue Association to go and see the injured soldiers.

A group of people came to the place where the soldiers were resting. Zhao Gang watched the comrades from the Women's Rescue Association checking the bodies of the injured soldiers and distributing hot meals to everyone. While they were busy, five or six soldiers in the gray uniforms of the Eighth Route Army ran over.

"Political Commissar, ..." The leader fainted before he could finish his words.

"It's Xiao Xie from the regiment. Bring some water!" Zhao Gang saw who it was and immediately ordered the soldiers to help him up. He then grabbed another soldier and asked, "Where's the regiment commander?"

"We encountered the Japanese in Zhangzhuang. Wei Dayong asked us to cover him while he carried the regiment commander on his back and left. We got rid of the pursuers and came here." The soldier didn't expect that the regiment commander could not escape and was so scared that he collapsed to the ground.

"Company One, take your weapons and set off. Follow me to rescue the commander!" Zhao Gang pulled out his pistol and gave the order without further ado.

"Comrade Zhao Youcai, I'll leave the injured soldiers to you." After Zhao Gang instructed Zhao Youcai, he and the soldiers of the company rushed forward.

In a village burned down by the devils, Wei Dayong took Li Yunlong away from the battlefield without paying attention to the direction and took the wrong road, encountering another group of devils chasing him. With nowhere else to go, he took Li Yunlong and ran into the ruins, intending to hide Li Yunlong here and then go out to lead the pursuers away.

Li Yunlong was infected with malaria during the breakout and is now unconscious, but he still knows what Wei Dayong is going to do and struggles to get Wei Dayong to kill him to avoid him falling into the hands of the enemy.

Wei Dayong ignored it and while he was pulling the strings, a burst of intensive gunfire was heard outside.

"Commander, listen to the gunshots. There are old Hanyang-made rifles and Type 38 rifles. They are from our brothers in the Eighth Route Army!" Wei Dayong shouted excitedly, holding Li Yunlong's shoulders.

Li Yunlong fainted the moment Wei Dayong finished speaking.