Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

Running at the front was Ma Feng, who was covered in sweat and panting as he reached Wei Dayong's side and whispered, "Battalion Commander, Shen Yan has arrived."

Then came Shen Yan. On her back was a small wooden box, containing the radio that had been saved by a hair's breadth.

Shen Yan strode to the middle of the two sides, first glancing at Wei Dayong with gratitude in her eyes, then turning to Kong Jie, standing at attention and saluting.

"Sir! I am Shen Yan, a radio communications officer from the 129th Division's communications platoon. This is my identification. We were unfortunately ambushed by bandits from Qingfeng Village during our escort mission, but thanks to Battalion Commander Wei and his men, we were rescued!"

Kong Jie looked her up and down several times, his gaze finally settling on the wooden box she was carrying.

He nodded to Shen Yan and looked at a soldier beside him. The soldier stepped forward, carefully checked Shen Yan's identification, and then turned to nod to Kong Jie.

The wariness on Kong Jie's face finally dissipated, and he said to the soldiers behind him, "Put your guns away!"

Zhao Hong immediately relayed the order: the soldiers of the Independent Regiment put away their weapons and retreated to the back, leaving only a few officers standing beside Kong Jie.

Kong Jie strode up to Wei Dayong, looked him up and down, and lingered for a moment on his tattered bandit jacket.

"So, you've wiped out Qingfeng Village?"

Wei Dayong nodded: "The three bandit leaders, Liu Bao, Zhao Wanhe, and Qian Gui, have been executed on the spot, and all the kidnapped villagers in the village have been rescued. Shen Yan was also rescued by us. It's just a pity that her three comrades-in-arms have already sacrificed their lives."

Kong Jie remained silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out his hand to Wei Dayong.

"Kong Jie, commander of the Eighth Route Army Independent Regiment. Thank you for saving our comrades, and thank you for eliminating the scourge of Qingfeng Village."

Wei Dayong grasped his hand; both of their palms were covered in calluses, and they could feel the strength in each other's hands as they held each other's.

"Wei Dayong, commander of the independent assault battalion. It's all part of fighting the Japanese invaders, it's his duty."

Kong Jie grinned, released his grip, and glanced at the well-equipped soldiers behind Wei Dayong. He couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "Your equipment is really good."

Wei Dayong said modestly, "We were lucky and captured quite a few good things. We watched the battle from a distance. The Japanese soldiers are indeed formidable; they managed to break through under those circumstances. It's a pity that a few of them escaped."

"Even if they escape, they'll suffer greatly. It's at least 80 or 90 miles of mountain road from here to their stronghold. Without supplies, they'll be in serious trouble just getting out." Kong Jie waved his hand, then changed the subject, "But how did you manage to take Qingfeng Village?"

"We used some tactics, but didn't launch a direct assault," Wei Dayong replied briefly, without elaborating.

Kong Jie didn't press the matter further; every unit has its own secrets, and it wasn't appropriate for him to inquire too much.

Shen Yan walked up to Wei Dayong and Kong Jie and solemnly saluted Wei Dayong.

"Battalion Commander Wei, thank you so much for saving my life. The radio is also intact, which is extremely important to me and to our division headquarters."

Wei Dayong waved his hand: "It was nothing, no need to be so polite. You risked your life to escort the radio; that courage is truly admirable."

Shen Yan blushed slightly, turned her head, and looked at Wei Dayong with sincere eyes.

"Battalion Commander Wei, the division headquarters is urging me to come quickly, so I have to leave with Regiment Commander Kong soon. If you have time, come and visit us at the division headquarters. Although I'm just a communications soldier, I can still cook you a hot meal."

Wei Dayong smiled and nodded: "Definitely. After the war is over, I'll come over to your place for a meal."

Kong Jie, who was watching this scene from the side, suddenly interjected, "Battalion Commander Wei, I, Kong Jie, owe you a favor. If you ever need the Independent Regiment's help in the future, just let me know."

Wei Dayong turned to look at him, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Commander Kong, you're too kind. It's fate that we met your army in this desolate wilderness today. I hope we'll have the opportunity to fight side by side in the future."

Kong Jie laughed heartily: "That's great! Alright, I won't delay your business any longer. I'll take Comrade Shen Yan back to the division headquarters to report."

He turned and called to Zhao Hong to organize the team. The soldiers of the Independent Regiment carried the captured weapons and ammunition on their backs and left along the mountain road.

Shen Yan took a few steps, then turned back, waved to Wei Dayong, and then quickly caught up with the group.

Wei Dayong stood there, watching them disappear into the depths of the dense forest.

Once the Eighth Route Army troops had completely disappeared from sight, Wang Xiao walked up to Wei Dayong and sighed, "Battalion Commander, what a pity, a few Japanese devils got away."

Wei Dayong withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards Qingfeng Village: "They can run away, but they can't hide. They were spared today, so let's just remember this debt."

I'm even more looking forward to the battle with the Sakata Regiment in two weeks; there will be plenty of opportunities to settle accounts with those Japanese devils then."

He patted Wang Xiao on the shoulder: "Let's go back to the stronghold. There's a ton of stuff waiting for us to deal with."

The assault battalion soldiers emerged from the dense forest one after another and returned along the mountain path towards Qingfeng Village.

By the time we returned to Qingfeng Village, it was already fully light. A thin mist hung over the valley, and new flags fluttered in the morning breeze atop the village walls.

The craftsmen were still hammering and tinkering to repair the mechanism. Most of the bullet holes on the gate had been filled with glutinous rice mortar, leaving only light gray repair marks.

Wei Dayong strode into the Hall of Gathering Righteousness. Old Wu was organizing the account books and quickly got up when he saw him come in.

"Battalion Commander, the supplies in the warehouse have been inventoried. I've already arranged for the brothers to transfer them to Black Cloud Village."

Wei Dayong waved his hand: "Never mind that for now, take me to see Liu Bao's body."

Old Wu paused for a moment, put down the account book, and led Wei Dayong into a side room next to the main hall. The room was chilly, and three corpses lay side by side on a wooden board, covered with straw mats.

Old Wu lifted the middle straw mat, revealing Liu Bao's fleshy face. There was a bullet hole on his forehead, the blood already congealed.

Wei Dayong looked down to check, confirmed there were no problems, and then turned around to start writing a letter.

After finishing writing, he handed it directly to Ma Feng: "Take this letter and Liu Bao's body to the headquarters of the 358th Regiment in Dagu Town. Tell Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong that the mission at Qingfeng Village has been completed and ask them to fulfill their promise."

Ma Feng took the letter and solemnly tucked it into his pocket: "Battalion Commander, I'm leaving immediately."

He selected two soldiers to wrap Liu Bao's body in straw mats, tie it to the back of a horse, and the three of them mounted the horse and galloped towards Daguzhen.

Although Daguzhen is about 60 li (approximately 30 kilometers) from Qingfengzhai as the crow flies, the entire route is mountainous. Ma Feng took nearly three hours to reach Daguzhen in the afternoon.

Dagu Town was a bustling town, with shops lining both sides of the street and people coming and going. The headquarters of the 358th Regiment was located in the town hall, with two sentries standing at the entrance.

Ma Feng dismounted, straightened his collar, strode up to the sentry, and showed him the token Fang Ligong had left behind.

"We are from Black Cloud Stronghold, and we are here on the orders of our Third Leader, Zuo Shandiao, to request an audience with Chief of Staff Fang and Regiment Commander Chu."

The sentry glanced at the token, then turned and went inside to report.

A moment later, an adjutant came out and looked Ma Feng up and down: "The chief of staff and the regimental commander invite you to come with me."

Ma Feng followed his adjutant through the front yard of the town hall and into a spacious reception room. Inside, a set of mahogany tables and chairs were arranged, and a huge military map hung on the wall.

Chu Yunfei sat in the main seat, holding a cup of tea, looking down at a battle report. Fang Ligong sat in a chair to the side, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

Ma Feng stepped across the threshold, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "This must be Commander Chu and Chief of Staff Fang! Ma Feng from Black Cloud Stronghold, here to deliver a message on the orders of the Third Leader!"

Chu Yunfei raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Ma Feng with a scrutinizing look. He put down his teacup and slowly asked, "What brings your third leader here? Has our previous agreement changed?"

Ma Feng took out Wei Dayong's letter from his pocket and presented it with both hands: "This is a letter from our third leader to Commander Chu."

We have fulfilled our bet with Chief of Staff Fang and wiped out Qingfeng Village. The body of Liu Bao, the bandit leader of Qingfeng Village, has been brought here; please, sirs, examine it.

Fang Ligong took the letter, looked up at Chu Yunfei, and his eyes were full of surprise. Chu Yunfei also frowned slightly.

The thought that flashed through their minds at that moment was surprisingly the same: Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Chu Yunfei stood up and walked towards the door: "Where's the body?"

Ma Feng followed him out of the reception room and to the entrance of the town hall. Two assault battalion soldiers were leading horses, with a corpse wrapped in straw mats lying across its back.

Ma Feng stepped forward, lifted the straw mat, and revealed Liu Bao's ferocious and rugged face.

Chu Yunfei lowered his head, examined Liu Bao carefully, then reached out and lifted Liu Bao's collar to check the skin on his neck, confirming there were no signs of disguise. He stood up and nodded to Fang Ligong: "It is indeed Liu Bao himself."

Fang Ligong gasped, nearly dropping the letter in his hand.

Fang Ligong walked to Chu Yunfei's side and said in a low voice, "Commander, this is too fast, it's unbelievable! We've besieged Qingfeng Village three times, and we've always been defeated."

Even if they managed to break through by sheer luck, how could they possibly take it down without ten days to half a month of preparation? They only received the mission yesterday afternoon, and they captured Qingfeng Village overnight?

Chu Yunfei's gaze fell on the bullet hole in Liu Bao's forehead. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "The facts are undeniable; we have no choice but to admit it. Liu Bao's body cannot be faked, and Qingfeng Village has already changed hands. This Zuo Shandiao (a notorious bandit leader) is truly a master of disguise!"

Fang Ligong was about to say something when Chu Yunfei raised his hand to interrupt him. Chu Yunfei turned to Ma Feng, his tone becoming more polite: "Brother Ma, where is your master now?"

"Our leader is currently handling the aftermath at Qingfeng Village," Ma Feng replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong exchanged a glance. Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, and Fang Ligong turned to Ma Feng and said, "Please wait a moment, let's discuss this."

The two returned to the reception room and closed the door. Chu Yunfei walked to the map, crossed his arms, and stared silently at the location of Qingfeng Village on the map. Fang Ligong stood behind him, repeatedly examining the letter in his hand.

"Commander, something seems off about this," Fang Ligong broke the silence first.

Chu Yunfei didn't turn around, still looking at the map, and slowly said, "To break through Qingfeng Village in one night, even if I personally led the team, I might not be able to succeed. What makes Zuo Shandiao and his gang of bandits think they can do it?"

Fang Ligong lowered his voice: "Does the regimental commander mean there's a trap involved?"

Chu Yunfei turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Fang Ligong: "Liu Bao's body is real, and the fall of Qingfeng Village is also real. But we don't know what methods he used. This level of ability isn't something an ordinary bandit leader could possess. This guy is interesting!"

"What does the commander mean?"

"Send that bandit back and tell him that I, Chu Yunfei, invite Wei Dayong to Dagu Town for a chat. I want to see if he dares to come," Chu Yunfei said, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

Fang Ligong understood Chu Yunfei's intention and nodded: "If he dares to come, we can give him the reward he owes while we're at it, to show that the 358th Regiment always keeps its word. These guys are quite capable; they'll surely come in handy someday!"

As the two walked out of the reception room, Chu Yunfei politely said to Ma Feng, "Brother Ma, please go back and tell your boss that I, Chu Yunfei, have invited him to come to Dagu Town in person so we can fulfill our bet. To be honest, I, Chu, am very curious about the battle at Qingfeng Village and would like to ask him for his advice in person."

Ma Feng was taken aback for a moment, but still agreed, "Okay! I'll definitely pass on the message!"

After saying his farewell, Ma Feng met up with his two companions outside the door. The three of them mounted their horses and rode away from Dagu Town.

Fang Ligong stood at the door, watching Ma Feng's departing figure on horseback, and suddenly said, "Commander, do you think that Zuo Shandiao dares to come?"

Chu Yunfei slowly strolled back to the reception room, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip of tea.

He pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked Fang Ligong, "Whether you call him a mountain bandit or a regular army, whether he dares to come or not is not the key. His attitude towards our Jin-Sui Army is the key!"

Fang Ligong thought for a moment: "If it were me, having just taken over Qingfeng Village, I probably wouldn't dare to leave my territory easily. After all, Qingfeng Village is easy to defend and difficult to attack; it's their biggest asset. Once they leave their stronghold, it's a different story."

Chu Yunfei put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "If he doesn't dare to come, it means that this person can only be a mountain bandit."

But if he really dares to come, dares to enter my Great Lonely Town, then it at least shows that he's confident and a truly capable person. Such a person is worth befriending.

Fang Ligong nodded: "The regimental commander is right. But what if he really comes?"

Chu Yunfei smiled but didn't answer directly. He simply said, "We'll talk about it when he arrives. Beforehand, tally up the money you've prepared for them, and also prepare an extra table of good food. You can't neglect your guests when they come."

Fang Ligong bowed slightly: "Rest assured, Commander, I will have someone prepare it immediately."

Chu Yunfei nodded, but secretly wondered to himself, "I've wasted my days singing wildly, arrogant and domineering for whom! Zuo Shandiao, who exactly are you? And the bandits of Qingfeng Village, even if they were just three hundred pigs, you couldn't catch them all in one night, could you?"