Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

Wei Dayong spurred his horse back to Black Cloud Village. Half a mile from the village gate, he could see two groups of men facing off with swords drawn.

The larger group consisted of about 120 people, all dressed in Eighth Route Army uniforms, and all of them looked travel-worn.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group was about thirty-five years old. He was tall, with a resolute face and wore black-rimmed glasses. Even in his faded military uniform, he could not hide the calm and composed aura of someone who had been through many battles.

The smaller group, numbering about twenty, wore the yellow-green uniforms of the Central Army, and were led by a colonel officer who was around thirty years old.

Behind him stood a young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, whose face bore a striking resemblance to Wei Dayong, only much more refined.

Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves, everyone present turned to look at Wei Dayong.

Wei Dayong came to the front of the group and pulled on the reins.

I knew I wasn't mistaken.

On the Eighth Route Army's side, it was none other than the brigade commander of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division.

A renowned figure in the world of "Bright Sword," he possesses the demeanor of a scholar-general, cherishes talent as if it were his life, yet is a fearless warrior when it comes to fighting.

This person had already carried Chiang Kai-shek himself on his back before others had even carried the Chiang Kai-shek rifle.

On the Central Army's side, the young man was actually Wei Dayi, the older brother of the original Wei Dayong. He was a captain and company commander of the 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 27th Division of the National Revolutionary Army.

Wei Dayong rode his horse up to the group, dismounted, and strode quickly toward the brigade commander.

"Sir, is there something you need to do at my Black Cloud Stronghold?" Wei Dayong asked bluntly.

As he asked the question, he nodded to Wei Dayi, though he felt somewhat guilty.

To be honest, if the brigade commander hadn't come in person, he would have gone straight to his elder brother.

As for others, they have to wait in line to see him.

Wei Dayong, who now has over 1000 brothers, is no longer the Wei Dayong of yesterday!

The brigade commander laughed and stepped forward: "You must be Chief Wei, right?"

"I am the brigade commander of the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army. I've heard a lot about your deeds from that kid Li Yunlong, and seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved! I've come here specifically to pay you a visit; I hope the chief won't be unwelcoming?"

Wei Dayong's heart skipped a beat. The brigade commander had actually come to see him specifically? Li Yunlong, that big mouth, must have boasted quite a bit to the brigade commander. He was genuinely afraid the brigade commander had come to congratulate him on his fortune.

Commander, it's good that you've come, but it would be best if you came less often!

Wei Dayong forced a smile: "You flatter me, sir. I was just doing my duty."

The brigade commander waved his hand, his gaze following Wei Dayong's line of sight to Wei Dayi, clearly having also noticed their similar appearances: "And who is this?"

Wei Dayong quickly introduced, "This is my brother, Wei Dayi, a company commander in the 27th Division of the Central Army."

Wei Dayi stepped forward, straightened his clothes, and gave a standard military salute: "Good morning, sir!"

The brigade commander returned the salute, his smile unchanged: "Company Commander Wei, you're too kind. Since he's Chief Wei's older brother, then we're on the same side! After all, I heard from Li Yunlong that Wei Dayong is his half-brother!"

The Nationalist colonel standing to the side, seeing that Wei Dayong was deliberately ignoring him, was not angry. Instead, he smiled and gestured to Wei Dayi.

Wei Dayi wore a helpless expression, but still introduced the other person: "Dayong, this is Staff Officer Zhang from the Second War Zone Command. He was also entrusted by the Command to discuss something with you!"

Wei Dayong then pretended to have just noticed the other person and apologized repeatedly: "Oh dear, it's Commander Zhang! I injured my eyes a while ago, so sometimes I can't see people clearly. Please forgive me!"

Staff Officer Zhang seemed oblivious to the mockery in Wei Dayong's eyes. Instead, he stepped forward, grasped Wei Dayong's hand firmly, and shook it a few times, saying in a feignedly friendly tone, "Not at all, Commander Wei, you're too kind! Good things come to those who wait, and I'm sure we'll get along very well!"

Wei Dayong was helpless against this smiling tiger; after all, one can't hit a smiling person. He could only call out to the others, "Officers, brother, it's windy here. Let's go inside the village and talk."

He turned and winked at Wang Xiao, who was standing guard to the side. Wang Xiao understood and immediately stepped forward: "Officers, please come with me."

Soon, Wang Xiao led Staff Officer Zhang and the others to the Hall of Gathering Righteousness, while Wei Dayong personally led the brigade commander and the others to a side hall. As he passed his brother, he whispered, "Brother, wait for me a moment."

Wei Dayi didn't speak, but nodded slightly, watching Wei Dayong's departing figure with a complicated expression.

Of course, at Wei Dayong's instruction, the soldiers brought by both sides were accompanied by Zhou Huaiyuan and Hou Yue to find a place to rest.

Upon entering the side hall, Wei Dayong had tea served and personally poured a cup for the brigade commander: "Commander, your personal visit to Black Cloud Village is truly an honor for me."

The brigade commander picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and looked at Wei Dayong with a hint of amusement: "Battalion Commander Wei, your Black Cloud Stronghold is quite famous now. The Battle of Luye truly taught everyone a good lesson!"

Who could have imagined that a captured Central Army soldier would, in less than a month, transform into the infamous leader of Black Cloud Stronghold, Battalion Commander Wei of the Anti-Japanese Assault Battalion!

Wei Dayong's heart tightened; the brigade commander really did know everything.

"You flatter me, sir. It was all thanks to the hard work of my brothers. I just happened to be there!" Wei Dayong said modestly.

"You don't need to be modest." The brigade commander put down his teacup, his tone becoming casual. "And don't feel any burden. Whether it's the Central Army, the Jin-Sui Army, or the Eighth Route Army, in the end, we're all fighting the Japanese."

You don't care what uniform you wear, you only care about whether you can kill Japanese soldiers, right?

Wei Dayong was slightly taken aback; the brigade commander's way of speaking was rather strangely pleasant.

He nodded: "Sir, you are right. That is indeed what I think."

"Good!" The brigade commander clapped his hands. "I like straightforward people like you. To tell you the truth, I'm here to add to your already stellar reputation."

"Adding flowers to brocade?" Wei Dayong was slightly taken aback.

"Knowing your assault battalion is short-handed, I've brought you a hundred battle-hardened Eighth Route Army soldiers." The brigade commander held up one finger. "They're all veterans who have fought alongside me for several years. They're accurate marksmen, skilled in tactics, and each one is capable of fighting independently. The only drawback is... they don't have a suitable weapon."

The brigade commander chuckled self-deprecatingly: "You know, the Eighth Route Army is poor, and guns are more precious than lives. These veterans are all good prospects, but they're lacking in equipment."

I was thinking, since you have a lot of equipment here, letting them come and work with you for a while would be a good use of their talents.

Wei Dayong's eyes lit up, but he quickly regained his composure. The brigade commander's words sounded nice, but in reality, he wanted these veterans to join the National Salvation Corps and increase the Eighth Route Army's influence within it.

But he did not refuse. Instead, he stood up and solemnly saluted the brigade commander: "Sir, I have never known the meaning of politeness! I will remember this favor!"

The brigade commander nodded in satisfaction: "You're a smart man, I wasn't wrong about you."

Wei Dayong turned and called out to the door, "Old Wu!"

Old Wu strode in: "Commander, what is it?"

"Go to the warehouse and move one hundred rifles and ten thousand rounds of ammunition. When the commander leaves, let them take them with them!" Wei Dayong ordered.

Old Wu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, Commander!"

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander's eyes lit up immediately: "Dayong! What's this...?"

"The commander has been so kind to me, how could I, Wei Dayong, not return the favor?" Wei Dayong smiled. "Besides, the Eighth Route Army needs weapons to fight the Japanese, and I just happen to have some extra. It's just a coincidence, isn't it?"

The brigade commander laughed heartily, patting Wei Dayong on the shoulder: "Good! Good! Wei Dayong, you're so sensible! I knew you were a smart man!"

He paused, then continued, "Wei Dayong, I heard that you planned to fight under the banner of the Eighth Route Army during the Battle of Luye?"

Wei Dayong's heart skipped a beat; he had a bad feeling.

He nodded: "To be honest, I did mention this idea."

"Good!" The brigade commander patted Wei Dayong on the shoulder. "Since you want a formal title, I'll give you one. Your unit can fly under the banner of the 2nd Independent Regiment of the 386th Brigade. That way, if there's a need again, we won't have to guess where this friendly force will suddenly appear from!"

Wei Dayong remained silent for a moment, but finally agreed: "Sir, then I shall respectfully accept your offer!"

As the saying goes, whether you graze one sheep or two sheep, it's all the same, so you might as well graze more!

However, after thinking about it, he still said frankly, "To be honest, Chu Yunfei has already let me fly the banner of the 358th Regiment's Independent Brigade, and I have already agreed."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good! Good! Great minds think alike! It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! We, the bride's family and the groom's family, will each have our own way of doing things!"

He stood up, waved to those behind him, and said, "Wei Dayong, these hundred veterans I brought with me will be under Cheng Shijie's command. He's a capable man; I'm sure you'll have something in common."

Wei Dayong then noticed the thin man standing behind the brigade commander. He was about thirty years old, with a gaunt face and deep eyes, and spoke with a touch of refinement: "Battalion Commander Wei, please guide me in the future."

Wei Dayong glanced at him, and Qiu Chan's premonition skill was subtly warning him that the other party was dangerous.

Indeed, it's not just beautiful women who are good at deceiving people; sometimes scholars are too.

This Cheng Shijie could very well be another Zhao Gang!

The Eighth Route Army was truly full of talented people who were of one mind and one heart. If such a team could not win, then who could?

"Captain Cheng, you're too kind." Wei Dayong extended his hand.

Cheng Shijie was slightly taken aback, then grasped Wei Dayong's hand with a light but steady grip: "Commander Wei, I hope we can cooperate happily."

The brigade commander watched the two shake hands and nodded with satisfaction: "Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer. Wei Dayong, come visit the 386th Brigade headquarters sometime. If you come, I can make an exception and treat you to a drink!"

"Definitely!" Wei Dayong nodded with a smile.

After seeing the brigade commander off, Wei Dayong asked Lao Wu to settle Cheng Shijie and the others.

He then took a deep breath, turned around, and strode quickly toward the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.

As they passed the courtyard, Wang Xiao approached them: "Regimental Commander, what about the Central Army..."

Wei Dayong waved his hand: "I understand, you can go ahead and get busy."

Wang Xiao nodded, then turned and left.

Wei Dayong stood in the courtyard and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds covered the sky, and a biting wind blew; it looked like it was going to snow.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the hall.

In the hall, Wei Dayi sat in a chair, holding a picture book, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word. His gaze kept drifting towards the door, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the table.

Staff Officer Zhang sat to the side, holding a teacup, looking relaxed and content, with a faint smile on his lips.

Wei Dayong noticed that his gaze was constantly scanning the furnishings in the hall, especially the Japanese officer's sword hanging on the wall—it was a trophy from the Luye Highway ambush, and the scabbard was engraved with exquisite patterns, clearly a fine sword.

"Big Brother," Wei Dayong called softly as he walked in.

Wei Dayi put down the picture album, stood up, and looked at Wei Dayong with some relief.

Staff Officer Zhang also stood up, smiling broadly, and said, "Regimental Commander Wei, I have come to visit you on the orders of Commander Yan."

Wei Dayong frowned slightly: "Staff Officer Zhang, what are Commander Yan's instructions?"

Staff Officer Zhang put away his smile and said seriously, "Regimental Commander Wei, when Regimental Commander Chu reported his achievements to his superiors, he mentioned your Black Cloud Stronghold, saying that you were of great help in the Battle of Luye. Commander Yan praised you highly upon hearing this."

He paused, then continued, "Commander Wei, I heard you also come from the Central Army?"

This is clearly a rhetorical question; Wei Dayi's presence here speaks volumes.

Wei Dayong's heart sank. Neither the Kuomintang nor the Communist Party were easy to deal with; they had managed to uncover his background in just a few days.

"Exactly." Wei Dayong nodded.

"Commander Yan is very interested in you," Staff Officer Zhang said. "He hopes you can lead your troops back on track, and he even asked Commander Wei for a favor."

He secured a regular position for you, the Provisional 7th Regiment of the 27th Division of the Central Army, and even granted you special permission to be stationed behind enemy lines!

Wei Dayong had a premonition, and with a resigned attitude, he repeatedly agreed: "Staff Officer Zhang, I have no problem on my end."

Staff Officer Zhang's face lit up with joy: "Regimental Commander Wei is indeed sensible! Commander Yan said that if you agree, your unit will be awarded an additional ten thousand silver dollars in recognition of your help to the 358th Regiment in the Battle of Luye!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Dayong immediately woke up from his sleepiness; what a wonderful thing!

In his eyes, he could no longer hate Staff Officer Zhang's smiling face; it was more like a walking ten thousand dollars!

"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Yan."

Wei Dayong's gaze fell on the officer's sword on the wall, and a thought struck him.

He walked to the wall, took down the officer's sword, and handed it to Staff Officer Zhang: "Staff Officer Zhang, this officer's sword is a trophy from the Luye ambush. Please deliver it to Commander Yan for me as a token of my appreciation."

Staff Officer Zhang paused for a moment, then took the officer's knife, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Regimental Commander Wei, this... how can I accept this?"

"It's just a knife," Wei Dayong smiled. "Commander Yan has worked hard for the country and the people, and it's only right that his subordinates present him with a knife as a token of respect."

Staff Officer Zhang gripped his officer's knife, his smile widening: "Commander Wei is indeed a straightforward man! If Commander Yan knew, he would value you even more."

"Commander Wei, now that the mission is complete, I'll take my leave. Commander Yan has granted me special permission to stay a couple more days; you brothers can catch up. Oh, and I'll send the silver dollars over soon!"

After saying this, Staff Officer Zhang led the delegation away from Black Cloud Village.

After seeing off two groups of guests, Wei Dayong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He really wasn't suited for this job of welcoming and seeing off guests.

Only then did he have the mind to think about his current situation.

Unbeknownst to them, everyone in their team had acquired five identities: Anti-Japanese National Salvation Corps, Black Cloud Village bandits, 358th Regiment Independent Brigade, 386th Brigade Independent Second Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, and Central Army Provisional Seventh Regiment!

Such a bizarre thing could probably only happen in occupied territories, right?

It's a pity I can't receive five salaries...

Soon, only the brothers Wei Dayong and Wei Dayi remained in the hall, sitting and drinking tea.

Wei Dayong looked at his brother, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

Wei Dayi sat opposite him, staring at Wei Dayong, also hesitant to speak.

Finally, he suddenly uttered a sentence that made Wei Dayong spit out the tea in his mouth!