Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

Zhou Tianyang squatted down next to him.

I briefly recounted what I had just heard from the old lady.

His voice was low and his speech was slow, as if he were stating a decision that had already been made.

"Fifty or sixty bandits wreaked havoc on the surrounding villages, robbing grain and people; they were even more ruthless than the Japanese devils."

"We'll stay here tonight and leave tomorrow, but the people will have to keep enduring this."

"Since we've run into each other, we might as well cook it."

Ma Yong sheathed his dagger, nodded, and said nothing more.

"What time should we start?"

"Two o'clock in the morning."

Zhou Tianyang also drew a dagger and twirled it in his hand.

"I'll ask that villager for the exact location of Blood Wolf Stronghold later."

"Let the brothers sleep first and get some rest."

"This time, try to use a dagger to get in; don't use a gun unless absolutely necessary."

Ma Yong nodded in agreement, turned around and walked to the doorway, where he lowered his voice and relayed the order.

Without further discussion, the soldiers immediately lay down and closed their eyes to rest.

A dozen minutes later, the room fell silent.

Zhou Tianyang stood up and walked out of the room.

Night had completely fallen.

The village was quiet, and the distant mountain shadows were faintly visible in the moonlight.

He walked to the tree at the village entrance, where the old man was still squatting on the stone, his pipe extinguished, squinting as he gazed into the distance.

"Fellow villager, I have something to ask you."

Zhou Tianyang sat down on the rock next to him, speaking casually.

"Where exactly is Blood Wolf Stronghold located to the north?"

The old man turned his head, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, but he didn't say anything.

He remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"Are you going to find them?"

"I just wanted to ask."

The old man stared at Zhou Tianyang for a long time.

As if trying to see through the young man, he finally pointed to the mountain shadows to the north.

"After crossing that ridge, follow the gully for about seven or eight miles, and there is a village halfway up the mountain, which is Blood Wolf Village."

"The village is not big, but the terrain is dangerous. There is only one road leading up to it, and both sides are steep slopes."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"You few are no match for them."

Zhou Tianyang didn't reply, he just nodded.

Thank you.

He stood up, turned around, and walked back to the empty house at the end of the village.

The soldiers were still resting, and the room was extremely quiet.

Zhou Tianyang sat down in the corner by the door.

He placed the dagger within easy reach and closed his eyes.

1:40 a.m.

Zhou Tianyang opened his eyes.

He stirred, and Ma Yong, who was beside him, also woke up immediately. He glanced at the sky outside but didn't say anything.

He simply stood up and gestured towards the room.

Within minutes, all thirty soldiers stood up without a word or hesitation.

Each person checked the dagger they carried, and after confirming that it was safe, they silently lined up.

Zhou Tianyang walked to the front of the line, his gaze sweeping over every face.

"Follow me, keep your distance, and don't make a sound."

The group left the village without making a sound.

Walk north along the dirt road at the entrance of the village.

We walked for about two miles.

The dirt road turned into a narrow path that could only accommodate one person at a time. The bushes on both sides grew denser and the pebbles underfoot became more and more numerous.

Zhou Tianyang walked at the front, trying to avoid the loose rocks.

When we crossed that mountain ridge.

Zhou Tianyang stopped and squatted behind a large rock, looking ahead.

Sure enough, halfway up the mountain, a few dim lights flickered in the night.

That must be Blood Wolf Stronghold.

He observed for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

They only got up and continued forward after confirming there were no more sentries.

The group moved silently forward along the ravine.

At 2:40 a.m., Zhou Tianyang finally saw the gate of Blood Wolf Village.

The gate was made of thick wooden stakes, and there was a simple watchtower on each side.

A bandit stood on each of the watchtowers.

Sharpened bamboo strips were stuck into the walls on both sides of the village gate.

Zhou Tianyang stared at the two watchtowers for a while, confirming that the two bandits were indeed not on guard, and then made a hand gesture behind him.

Ma Yong crouched down beside him from behind, and Zhou Tianyang said in a low voice:

"Send two men from each of the watchtowers on either side of the gate to sneak up and take out the two sentries from behind."

"Be quick, be quiet, and don't let them make a sound."

Ma Yong nodded and turned around to make a few hand gestures behind him.

Four soldiers silently broke away from the ranks, splitting into two groups, and crept towards the watchtower along the shadows on either side.

Their movements were extremely light, stepping on the edges of the earthen mounds and stones, each step landing in the least likely place to make a sound.

The two bandits on the watchtower were still dozing off. One of them stirred slightly, changed his position, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

A moment later.

The two groups arrived at the foot of the observation deck almost simultaneously.

Two people per group, one person holds the ladder steady while the other silently climbs up the ladder.

Under the moonlight, the two figures moved swiftly in the darkness, each gesture revealing a precise prediction.

The arc of the dagger flashed and disappeared in the shadows.

Immediately, both sentries went limp.

Then it was gently laid down on the table without making a sound.

In less than twenty seconds, the two sentry posts on the gate of the village were cleared away.

Without pausing, Zhou Tianyang got up and quickly made his way towards the gate of the village.

The village was larger than Zhou Tianyang had imagined.

In the very center was a rather simple council hall, with a row of low adobe houses on each side, which were probably where the bandits slept.

Several handcarts and piles of miscellaneous items were parked in the yard.

Zhou Tianyang quickly scanned the area, then gestured behind him, making a few simple hand gestures.

Ma Yong immediately understood his meaning and led the two groups toward the row of adobe houses on the left.

He then led the other two groups to sneak to the right.

Each group is divided into pairs, and each pair is responsible for one room.

The sound of snoring came from the room closest to the village gate.

Zhou Tianyang and another soldier stood on either side of the wooden door, and he gestured for the door to open.

Another soldier reached out and gently pushed the door open a crack without making a sound.

Zhou Tianyang slipped inside.

Three or four people were lying haphazardly on the earthen bed, all fast asleep.

He and his soldiers split up and rushed toward the two nearest targets, the sound of daggers slicing through the air drowned out by their snoring.

One person was stabbed in a vital area, and his body twitched slightly in his sleep before falling silent again.

Immediately afterward, another soldier completed the action.

Within seconds, the room returned to silence.

Zhou Tianyang didn't linger. He stepped out of the house and made his way to the next room.

The situation was similar in the other rooms.

The bandits had no idea that someone would sneak in at this time.

Most of the bandits were in a deep sleep.

Some people didn't even open their eyes at the last moment before a dagger slit their throat.

Occasionally, one or two light sleepers would be awakened by the slightest noise.

But before they could make a sound, they were dealt with immediately afterward.