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

Zhou Tianyang turned his gaze away from Yingchou Ridge and onto Ma Yong's face.

"Let's find out what Deng Chen's background is and see what his attitude is."

Ma Yong continued speaking, his voice remaining steady.

It's as if they are presenting a well-thought-out plan.

"He used to be a battalion commander in the regular army. People who lead troops shouldn't turn their backs on you so easily."

"Even if he didn't like the Eighth Route Army, it wouldn't mean he would do anything to our people."

"After all, although the Eighth Route Army and the Central Army had different stances, they were at least fighting the Japanese."

"I figured he wouldn't lay a hand on a messenger from the Eighth Route Army."

Zhou Tianyang did not rush to answer.

He tapped his fingers lightly twice on his knee.

Ma Yong's suggestion was something he had actually considered.

However, the other party had, after all, stayed on the mountain with more than 300 people for almost a year.

Isolated from the world, they had limited knowledge of the outside world.

Sending people up rashly could backfire if the other side misunderstands their intentions.

But if you don't make contact, you can just bypass it.

Those three hundred-plus veterans of the 88th Division were truly left with no choice but to continue being bandits on this mountain.

Zhou Tianyang raised his head, his gaze returning to Ma Yong's face.

"You can go."

"Take only two people, travel light, and do not carry weapons."

"Once you reach the foot of the mountain, don't rush up. First, find one of their people and deliver a message."

His tone was calm, but every word carried an unwavering certainty.

"After you state your purpose, whether they let you up the mountain or not is their business."

"If they ask about our origins, just tell them the truth."

Ma Yong listened and nodded repeatedly.

He stood up and patted the dirt off his backside.

His gaze swept over the few soldiers resting at the edge of the valley.

He quickly selected two people, both of whom were the most agile and quick-witted.

"You two, come with me."

Without asking any further questions, the two soldiers immediately stood up and strode over to Ma Yong.

Ma Yong turned around and nodded to Zhou Tianyang.

"Commander, let's go."

Zhou Tianyang also stood up, his gaze lingered on Ma Yong's face for a moment, and then he nodded.

"be safe."

"Whether or not we can see Deng Chen, we have to be back before dark."

"Yes."

Ma Yong didn't say anything more and led the two soldiers along the edge of the valley towards Eagle's Sorrow Ridge.

Zhou Tianyang stood at the edge of the valley, watching the three figures pass through the sparse bushes and around a ridge.

Then, follow the faintly visible path at the foot of the mountain towards Eagle's Sorrow Ridge.

Until the three figures grew smaller and smaller, eventually merging into the distant mountain shadows.

He then looked away and sat back down on the rock.

Time passed by, second by second.

The soldiers in the guard platoon had already eaten their rations and drunk their water. Some were dozing off against tree trunks, while others were chatting quietly by the stream.

Zhou Tianyang did not move.

He sat there on the rock, maintaining the same posture, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the path in the direction of Eagle's Sorrow Ridge.

When the sun sets.

The bushes in the distance finally stirred.

Three figures emerged from the alley.

His steps were light and his posture relaxed, showing no abnormalities.

A few minutes later.

Ma Yong and his two companions reached the edge of the valley.

"Commander, we're back."

Ma Yong's tone was calm, and his face showed no particular emotion.

But Zhou Tianyang noticed the light pace he was taking, which indicated that things were better than expected.

"You saw him?"

Zhou Tianyang's gaze lingered on Ma Yong's face for a moment.

"Um."

Ma Yong walked to the stream, bent down, scooped up a handful of water, drank a couple of mouthfuls, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then straightened up.

"Deng Chen is indeed much as Zhao Zhuzi described."

"After I arrived at the foot of Eagle Sorrow Ridge, I didn't rush up. I first found a hidden sentry post they had set up at the foot of the mountain."

Ma Yong paused, sat down on the rock opposite Zhou Tianyang, and continued:

"I explained why I came."

"I waited at the foot of the mountain for about half an hour before Battalion Commander Deng agreed to see me."

Ma Yong paused here, as if recalling the details of their meeting.

Zhou Tianyang didn't urge him, but just waited quietly.

Ma Yong paused for a moment before continuing:

"Deng Chen looks to be around 35 or 36 years old, of medium build, neither fat nor thin."

"When he saw me, he didn't stand on ceremony at all; the first thing he asked was, 'Where are you from?'"

"I told the truth, that we came from Shanxi and were passing through this place."

Ma Yong raised his gaze from the ground and landed on Zhou Tianyang's face, his voice a few decibels lower than before.

"I then explained my purpose."

"After listening, Deng Chen remained silent for a long time, and then said something that left a deep impression on me."

Ma Yong lowered his voice even further, as if repeating an extremely heavy sentence.

He said, "The 88th Division no longer exists."

"He's a battalion commander now, he's just a bandit leader."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze shifted slightly, but he didn't speak; he simply listened quietly.

"Later, Deng Chen and I talked for about half an hour."

Ma Yong continued, his tone even slower than before.

It's as if they want to repeat every single sentence accurately.

He said that after their team withdrew from Nanjing, they headed north until they reached this point where they could no longer go on.

"No supplies, no backup, no instructions from superiors, and no way back to the unit."

"Their unit number is still there, but the organization has long been disbanded, and only about three hundred people remain."

"At that time, during the massacre."

"Some people saw the fires and smoke in the city from across the river, but they could do nothing about it."

Ma Yong's voice grew softer and softer, as if he were using the smallest volume to carry overly heavy information.

"Deng Chen told me that quite a few people in their team are from Nanjing."

"After the Battle of Shanghai, they couldn't hear any news from home on the front lines. Only after the retreat did they learn that their families were gone."

"Some have lost their parents, some have lost their wives, and some have lost their children."

"There were also families of more than ten people, and not a single one survived."

"Deng Chen himself was from Nanjing. His parents and a younger sister all died in that massacre."

Zhou Tianyang's fingers tightened slightly on his knee.

He didn't speak, he just listened quietly.

Ma Yong paused for a moment.

It was as if giving those words a moment to pause before continuing:

"Deng Chen said that when they were in the 88th Division, they received all the instructions from the Nationalist government and believed what their superiors said."

"He led his men to defend the Zhabei position for nearly three months, watching his brothers fall one by one, and seeing the unit go from full strength to a company with only a dozen or so men left."