Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Just as they stepped out of the bus's blind spot, He Wu's voice was barely audible, barely a whisper: "When will they arrive?"

Zhou Rui didn't move his neck, his gaze sweeping over the slightly swaying shadows of several trees in the woods.

"Wait. Don't panic. Remain calm and composed."

He Wu had already picked up the elm stick, as thick as a bowl, from the side of the sled, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

"Fine, anyway, there's no way to run away now."

Lin Qiuyue looked up at Zhou Rui and He Wu, wondering what they were whispering about.

Zhou Rui bent down and untied the thick hemp rope coiled on the sled, his fingers quickly making two loops around the knot.

"Later, follow the original plan and take the people to push the car first, so that most of the passengers' attention will be drawn to the front of the car."

I pulled the sled over so that Qiuyue and the others could sit inside.

If you see their people rushing out, don't move. I need to ensure my family's safety.

He turned and walked toward the fire not far away, whispering a few words to Zhou Ping and Lin Qiuyue.

Lin Qiuyue's eyes showed a hint of panic, but she quickly calmed down.

Zhou Ping was somewhat excited, his eyes even brightened, and he reached into his pocket and touched the dagger that Zhou Rui had given him.

When He Wu led the mule toward the bus, his voice was so loud it could drown out the north wind.

"Everyone, lend a hand! Young men, get down here, and if we shout in unison and pull hard, the car will be out in no time."

Several young men, who were shivering from the cold, immediately jumped off the vehicle, rolled up their sleeves, and rushed to the back of the vehicle. They hurriedly stuffed dry grass under the wheels.

The women who had been crying in the carriage gradually calmed down when they saw someone helping to push the cart.

Zhou Rui pulled the sled to the side of the vehicle, and the whole family got on, while he stood outside, waiting quietly.

The wind whipped snowflakes up and pierced people's necks, and the shadows of the trees in the forest swayed more and more violently.

The five people hiding in the shadows waited for a long time, watching as the passengers gathered around the back of the bus to push the carts, leaving only Zhou Rui standing by the side of the bus. Finally, they couldn't hold back any longer.

A group of people with rags covering their faces rushed out from behind the tree, brandishing crowbars and short knives, and pounced on the bus door.

They had calculated that as long as they controlled the driver in the cab and blocked the doors, all the wallets and New Year's goods belonging to everyone on the bus would end up in their own pockets.

I've done it this way every time before, and I've never failed.

The burly man at the front had his fingertips brushing against the cold door handle of the bus when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end.

He caught a glimpse of Zhou Rui standing by the sled. The boy had nothing in his hands, but a dangerous aura emanated from him.

"Something's not right, hurry up and get him!" Scarface roared, gripping his short knife and lunging straight at Zhou Rui's face.

The remaining four people spread out in a fan shape. Two went to block the back of the car and push the passengers, while the other two rushed towards the driver's seat, trying to take the driver hostage.

Zhou Rui dodged the gust of wind from the side, the short knife grazing past the collar of his cotton-padded coat, sending cotton wadding flying out instantly.

Instead of immediately drawing his gun, he grabbed Scarface's wrist and the two of them struggled as they stumbled into the snow.

The burly man reached for a wrench behind his waist with his other hand and smashed it into Zhou Rui's temple.

Zhou Rui turned his head to dodge the wrench, which grazed his ear and hit a tree behind him, the shards of ice that splashed up stinging his cheek.

Using the force of their struggle, he suddenly turned to the side, his knee slamming into the scarred man's abdomen. The man groaned, and his short knife clattered to the ground in the snow.

Before Zhou Rui could subdue the man, another robber wielding a crowbar pounced from the side, the crowbar whistling as it struck him on the back.

He Wu roared and swung the elm stick in his hand with great force, slamming it hard against the crowbar with a crack.

The robber was so violently shaken that his hand split open, and the crowbar flew out and smashed into the metal of the bus with a piercing thud.

At the back of the car, two robbers had forced several young men pushing the cart to retreat repeatedly, and one of them was holding an iron chain and trying to put it over the head of the young man who looked like a student at the front.

Zhou Ping suddenly leaped out of the sled like a nimble snow leopard, his dagger slicing precisely across the man's wrist.

The iron chain clattered to the ground, and the remaining robber, his eyes bloodshot, clenched his fist and pounded it into Zhou Ping's face.

Zhou Ping ducked to avoid it, but his shoulder slammed into Zhou Ping's lower back, and the two of them rolled into the snow ditch by the roadside.

The two guys rushing into the driver's seat were kicking the door, forcing the driver to turn around and grab the crank handle.

Suddenly, an elderly woman in the back row, wearing a dark blue headscarf, grabbed an aluminum thermos flask from beside her feet. The hot steam caused the stopper to fly off, and the scalding water splashed directly onto the face of the robber in front.

The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, covered his face, and rolled on the ground in agony.

Taking advantage of the moment, the driver gripped the crank handle tightly and slammed it down hard on the back of another person's head through the car window. The guy didn't even utter a sound before collapsing onto the steps.

The burly man who was leading the group had just gotten up from the snow when he saw his comrades lying on the ground or being pinned down. His eyes turned bloodshot.

He caught a glimpse of Lin Qiuyue, who was clinging tightly to An'an and Xiao Niangao on the sled, and instantly a wicked thought crossed his mind.

He bent down, picked up the short knife from the snow, and rushed towards the sled, bypassing Zhou Rui.

If we just grab any little girl as a hostage, we can get out of this hellhole unscathed today.

Zhou Rui's pupils contracted sharply. Without thinking, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and launched a flying kick towards the big man's shin.

Just as the knife tip was about to graz An'an's new cotton-padded coat, accompanied by a cry of pain, the big man fell to the ground, sprawling like a giant turtle.

Zhou Rui rushed over and, with a light tap of his toes, sent the short knife flying from the big man's hand.

Then his knee slammed into the man's back, and his large hand pressed down on the back of the man's head. Just two punches were enough to knock him unconscious.

The remaining robbers who tried to flee into the woods were swarmed by the passengers who had regained their senses and pinned down in the snow.

Thick hemp rope was wrapped around them, and even their ankles were tied together tightly by several people.

In just two minutes and forty seconds, a bunch of people were lying haphazardly on the snow.

Blood droplets dotted the snow, and the wind carried car exhaust fumes into the distance. The screams and roars from before gradually subsided, leaving only the heavy breathing of the crowd.

He Wu, supporting his knees, gasped for breath, his eyes a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.

The elm stick had just collided with the robber's crowbar and almost flew out of his frozen hand.

Zhou Ping gripped the dagger, his face beaming with genuine excitement.

My second brother's daily practice of stance training and repeated refinement of fighting techniques have finally paid off; today he is truly putting what he has learned to good use.

When he gets back to the village tomorrow, he'll definitely drag the Ping An and Sheng Li brothers aside and tell them everything that happened today.

The driver jumped out of the cab, still holding the crank handle.

He circled the robbers, who were tied up in a string on the ground, twice, then gently kicked the leader in the waist. Seeing that the man was still unconscious, he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"I've been driving this route for three years, and this is the first time I've run into these guys."

"I heard from drivers on neighboring routes a while ago that the roads have been quite dangerous lately. If it weren't for your help today, my whole busload of passengers would have suffered."