Chapter 2

When He Zhengdao, crouching in the bushes behind the house, was closely watching the every move of the peasant couple in the courtyard, the Xiang River, hundreds of miles away, was stained a bloody red.

This bloody river crossing, which drastically reduced the number of Red Army soldiers by more than half at the beginning of the Long March, was a heart-wrenching memory for many revolutionary heroes who survived the battle.

Unfortunately, He Zhengdao did not realize at that moment that the Xiang River Campaign was at its most arduous and brutal phase. His eyes were fixed on the Nationalist soldiers who were brandishing their guns and shouting at the couple who had taken him in.

Seeing these soldiers, who were of the same race and region, oppressing their own people, He Zhengdao finally understood why even the local civilians hated these soldiers from their hometown so much.

The fundamental reason was that they did not deserve to be called soldiers.

In He Zhengdao's view, a soldier needed not only excellent military skills but also good political qualities.

He would rather choose an ordinary soldier who knew how to care for the people and truly dedicated himself to the country and the people, rather than a fierce and skilled soldier who did not understand the greater good of the nation or the importance of protecting the country.

He originally planned to wait for the soldiers to disperse after their search and then come out to say goodbye to the couple before leaving. However, when he saw the soldiers dragging the woman who had just sighed into the room, he became furious. He knew very well what these soldiers, who were using the pretext of searching for Red Army soldiers, were about to do.

Considering he had no gun, He Zhengdao decided to fight them at close range. He quickly took out two willow-leaf flying knives from his package and crept up to the two soldiers who were holding the middle-aged man who was pleading bitterly.

When he was within range, He Zhengdao suddenly stepped out. As the two Nationalist soldiers were startled by his sudden appearance and prepared to raise their guns in defense, He Zhengdao, with a cold and stern face, twisted his body and threw the two flying knives like bullets, which directly pierced the throats of the soldiers.

Seeing the soldiers drop their rifles and clutch their throats, making gurgling sounds, He Zhengdao kicked open the tightly closed door, ignoring the pleading eyes of the blood-covered middle-aged man on the ground. Inside, he saw the two Nationalist soldiers who had dragged the woman into the room, now leering and tearing off her clothes, their rifles carelessly placed on the bed.

When they saw He Zhengdao kick the door open, the two soldiers' sneering faces froze. Realizing that He Zhengdao was not friendly, one of the soldiers, who had already half-undressed, asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

He Zhengdao sneered, "Weren't you just searching for Red Army soldiers? What do you think I am? Scum, beasts, you people are a disgrace to the uniform."

Realizing that He Zhengdao was a Red Army soldier, one of the soldiers who had been helping tried to grab the rifle lying nearby. But with a flick of his wrist, He Zhengdao threw a flying knife that pierced the soldier's thigh.

The soldier, who fell to his knees, looked at He Zhengdao, who was advancing step by step, and pleaded in fear, "Grandpa Red Army, don't kill me. I have an eighty-year-old mother and a child who hasn't been weaned. Please don't kill me! I haven't done anything, really nothing! Don't you Red Army treat prisoners well? I surrender, I surrender, please don't kill me!"

For this common plea for mercy, He Zhengdao coldly asked, "How old are you?"

The soldier, who had been stabbed, didn't understand why he was being asked this but quickly replied, "Twenty-two!"

Hearing the answer, He Zhengdao sneered, "It seems your mother is quite capable, giving birth to you at nearly sixty. Your parents should be considered lucky to have you in their old age, but how could they give birth to a beast like you? If I had a son like you, I would rather strangle you at birth to save face.

If you were carrying out military duties and searching for enemies, that would be understandable. But what are you doing now? Facing a woman who could be your mother or sister, you are doing something worse than beasts. Do you still have the face to call yourselves soldiers?"

Realizing that his plea for mercy had been exposed and his arguments refuted, the soldier was at a loss for words and could only keep kowtowing, repeating, "Don't kill me." He was clearly terrified.

In contrast, the older soldier, who had already pulled up his pants, remained calm and said, "Since I'm in your hands, you can do whatever you want. Even if you kill me, you won't escape. There's a platoon of my troops at the foot of the mountain.

If we don't return on time, they will know something happened. Not only will you die, but the family that hid you will also die. Ha, with you accompanying me, I won't be alone."

Arrogant! Cocky! A seasoned soldier!

Faced with the old soldier's bold laughter, He Zhengdao remained calm and said, "Really? Unfortunately, your threats don't scare me. You will die anyway. And I can assure you that even if you become a pile of bones, I and this couple will still be alive. Do you believe me?"

Seeing that He Zhengdao had a flying knife in his hand, the old soldier, who had hoped his threats would work, could no longer withstand the pressure of death. Looking at the woman crying and trembling on the bed, he prepared to rush forward to grab her as a hostage. He knew that the Red Army would not shoot at ordinary civilians, as it was a serious violation of military discipline.

Though his idea was good, his movements were no faster than the flying knife, which pierced his back and came out through his chest. The old soldier, who had just leaped up, fell onto the bed with a thud and struggled a few times before lying still.

Seeing the old soldier dead, the young soldier was even more terrified. He dragged his injured leg and crawled out, crying, "Don't kill me, I haven't harmed anyone, and I haven't killed any of your Red Army. I've only been a soldier for less than two months, I really don't want to die!"

Seeing the new soldier crying and pleading, He Zhengdao coldly said, "Stop crying, or I'll really kill you. Now answer my questions. If you answer well, I'll spare your life. If you lie to me, I'll make you die even more miserably than the other three."

"Grandpa Red Army, ask, ask, I'll tell you everything I know, I'll tell you everything!"

Being able to survive was undoubtedly the greatest luck. The new soldier quickly promised to tell everything he knew, which He Zhengdao, who was not very familiar with the current situation, needed to know.

After a series of questions, He Zhengdao learned that the main force of the Red Army was currently crossing the river, and the river they were crossing was the Xiang River. The information about this battle, which had caused heavy casualties to the Red Army, quickly surfaced in his mind.

However, when he heard that his current location was nearly two hundred kilometers away from the Xiang River, he knew that even if he had a car, he probably wouldn't be able to catch up with the main force.

Further questioning revealed that in the village at the foot of the mountain, the platoon of the Guangxi Army, to which the soldier belonged, was holding five Red Army soldiers who had become separated from the main force and was preparing to send them to Gongcheng, about ten kilometers away, to claim a reward.

These Guangxi Army soldiers were so enthusiastic about hunting down Red Army soldiers because they could receive five silver dollars for each Red Army soldier they captured from the officers in the city.

It was for these rewards that these second-line troops, who did not get to fight on the front lines, were frantically searching for Red Army soldiers who had become separated or scattered from the main force.

After learning this information, He Zhengdao kept his promise and did not kill the new soldier, who had answered all his questions honestly. He gagged and tied him up, pushed him into the bushes behind the house, and tied him to a tree, leaving him to his fate.

He took only five silver dollars as travel money from the guns, ammunition, and money on the four soldiers. The rest of the dozens of silver dollars he left in front of the couple, who were still somewhat shaken.

He sincerely said, "Brother and Sister, you can't stay here anymore. I'm very sorry for the trouble I've caused you. Time is urgent, so I'll be brief. Take this money, pack some things, and leave for a place where no one knows you. It's not safe here anymore.

I'm feeling better now and need to catch up with my unit. We can only part ways here. If we meet again, I will definitely repay your kindness. I have nothing to offer now, so I can only give you this money as a token of my gratitude.

I won't let those white dogs have it easy. You can leave through the back mountain without fear of being caught. Please believe that in a few years, our Red Army will ensure that all the people of China live a happy and peaceful life. I'm leaving, take care of yourselves!"

He pushed the money into the hands of the middle-aged man, who was reluctant to take it, bowed to the couple, and then quickly left with four rifles on his back.

The couple, holding the silver dollars He Zhengdao had left them, looked at the house they had lived in for decades with tears in their eyes. They then quickly entered the back mountain, disappearing into the mountains. They might never return.

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