The Little Demonic Cultivator in the Courtyard: Borrowing 100,000 Japanese Pirates to Heal

Another person's mask was also torn off. He was also from this street. Xu Jiande wasn't sure what his surname was, but he had seen him before. He should also be Zhong Ge's neighbor or friend.

"So...it was you." Xu Jiande seemed very angry, and almost said, "So it was you."

Meanwhile, the screams of Zhong Ge and his companions carried far into the quiet night.

The neighbors in the courtyard were all awakened, and rustling and whispering sounds came from many of the houses.

But no one came out.

Normally things would be fine, but now that Beijing has become an occupied area, the smartest survival rule is to mind your own business.

A moment later, He Daqing came over with a kitchen knife and asked, "Jiande, what happened?"

Xu Jiande looked at the kitchen knife in He Daqing's hand and thought to himself that He Daqing was actually a pretty good person.

There were so many people in the courtyard, and he was definitely not the only one who had woken up, but he was the only one who dared to come and check.

"It's alright, Brother Daqing," Xu Jiande put down the stick, "Two thieves broke into the house, but I caught them."

"Ah!" He Daqing's voice was clearly tense, and he gripped the kitchen knife even tighter.

He glanced at the two people on the ground. Zhong was curled up on the living room floor, clutching his arm and gasping for breath in pain. The other was lying by the door, his back swollen and in tears.

The black cloths covering their faces were ripped off, and by the light of the kerosene lamp, He Daqing recognized one of them as Brother Zhong. He paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "Isn't this... isn't this Ah Zhong from the alley entrance?"

"Indeed, an old acquaintance." Xu Jiande sneered and said he would arrest the two and report them to the authorities.

Zhong Ge was in so much pain that tears and snot streamed down his face. He didn't care about saving face anymore. When he heard that He Daqing recognized him and that Xiao Dongju was going to report him to the authorities, he quickly got up from the ground and started begging for mercy.

He claimed he had elderly parents and young children to support, with five family members waiting to be fed, and that he was so hungry that he resorted to this evil scheme. He also said he was willing to pay compensation, any amount, just asking Xu Jiande not to report him to the authorities.

Xu Jiande leaned against the table, looking down at him.

He thought of reporting it to the authorities, but which authorities? The officials in Beijing now are the Japanese. If he handed two thieves over to the Japanese, they would most likely kill them without even asking any questions, and they might even threaten him.

For example, if the authorities are notified and the Japanese come to investigate, they might find something they shouldn't have, such as Bai Ling's identity or the pistol and grenades he hid under the bed.

That's the real problem.

Thinking of this, he waved his hand, his tone somewhat impatient: "Fine, you two, each pay me a hundred yuan, and we'll call it even."

Zhong Ge's face immediately fell.

One hundred yuan is a lot of money; it's equivalent to three or four months' living expenses for a family nowadays.

Especially now, at this critical time when rice prices are doubling every day, money is very important.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask if it could be less, but when he met Xu Jiande's cold eyes, he felt inexplicably afraid.

He swallowed his words and could only say yes, he was willing, but he didn't have any money on him right now.

That's understandable; who would steal something while carrying money?

Xu Jiande seemed a little impatient and said, "Fine, you can leave now. Come to the shop tomorrow and give me the money. If you don't come, I'll report you to the authorities immediately."

At this point, he threatened, "My rice shop was specially opened by the Imperial Army. If I report this to the authorities, you should think carefully about how the Japanese will deal with you."

Zhong Ge was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect Xu Jiande to let them go so easily.

Nodding repeatedly and saying "Thank you, Boss Xu," he and his companion helped each other up from the ground and limped toward the door.

Zhong's arm was swollen like a steamed bun, and the other person's back was so hunched that he couldn't straighten up and could only walk with his back bent.

The two men walked and groaned, their sounds carrying far through the alley in the dead of night, making one's teeth ache.

He Daqing watched the two figures disappear at the courtyard gate, shook his head, and didn't know what to say.

In this world, thieves are pitiful, and those who are robbed are angry; no one is having a good time.

He put the kitchen knife away and said to Xu Jiande, "Jiande, I'll head back now."

"Wait a moment." Xu Jiande turned and went into the kitchen, scooped out two jin of cornmeal from the rice bin, and handed it to He Daqing.

He Daqing was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, Jiande, what are you doing?"

"Take this." Xu Jiande stuffed the cloth bag into his hand and said in a low voice, "Brother Daqing, there will be a serious food shortage in the city in the future. Use this rice sparingly, and make sure it lasts for as many days as you can."

He Daqing looked down at the cloth bag in his hand, then at Xu Jiande, and his lips moved.

I recalled the sounds of the wind I heard at the steel mill during the day, and I realized that once the Japanese entered the city, it would indeed become increasingly difficult to buy food.

When Xu Jiande gave him food, it wasn't just about two jin of grain; it was about saving his life.

"Thank you, thank you." He Daqing tucked the cloth bag into his clothes, his voice a little hoarse.

Soon, the turmoil came to an end.

He Daqing returned to his room, and Xu Jiande closed the door and bolted it shut.

Okay, the bolt is broken, it needs to be repaired tomorrow.

At this time, the lights in the other rooms of the courtyard remained off, but Xu Jiande could sense that several pairs of eyes were peering out through the cracks in the doors and windows.

Alas, chaotic times.

A little while later, Xu Jiande returned to the bedroom, where Bai Ling was sitting on the edge of the bed, the kerosene lamp still lit.

Upon seeing Xu Jiande return, he couldn't help but say, "How could this person be so wicked? Stealing from the rice shop wasn't enough, he even sneaked into our house?"

"That's just how the world is now; all sorts of monsters and demons are coming out," Xu Jiande said. "Before, there was the law to keep things in check, so bad people didn't dare to do anything reckless. Now that the Japanese have come, the law is gone, and these people feel they can do whatever they want."

At this point, I couldn't help but sigh, lamenting, "There will probably be even more people like this in the future."

Bai Ling was silent for a moment, then nodded.

She naturally knew that in chaotic times, the first to emerge are often not heroes, but opportunistic villains who take advantage of the chaos.

Heroes need backbone and faith, while villains only need an opportunity.

Now that the Japanese have given this opportunity to everyone in the city, she understands Xu Jiande's words.

After a while, Xu Jiande lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

……

More than an hour later, around 1 a.m.

Xu Jiande opened his eyes and gently nudged Bai Ling beside him. Bai Ling was a light sleeper, and he woke her up immediately. She opened her eyes in the darkness and saw that Xu Jiande had already sat up and was fastening a grenade to his waist.

"I have to go out," Xu Jiande said in a low voice. "You keep watch at the door for me, and open it for me when I come back."

Bai Ling nodded, rolled out of bed, and moved even more nimbly than yesterday.

After three treatments, the injury to my left rib no longer affects my mobility. Although I still feel a slight pain when bending over, it is no longer a problem.

Xu Jiande checked the equipment.

He tucked two hand grenades into his waistband, a bayonet into his belt, and the five warning letters into his pocket.

He moved his wrists and shoulders in the darkness, his joints making a series of soft clicking sounds. Demonic energy circulated slowly in his meridians, and his muscles tensed and relaxed slightly, as if he were warming up.

He then walked to the door and gently pulled the bolt. The door opened a crack, and he slipped out, closing the door behind him.

Bai Ling listened to his footsteps disappear into the courtyard from behind the door, then bolted the door again and went back to bed.

Of course, she had to stay sober and wait for Xu Jiande to return.

Xu Jiande left the house, but still didn't go through the main entrance.

Arriving at the wall on the side of his house, he took a few steps back, ran, pushed off the ground, grabbed the top of the wall, used his waist and abdomen to lift himself over the three-meter-high wall, and landed silently in the alley.

There was no moon tonight; the clouds were thick, completely obscuring the starlight, and the alley was pitch black.

But for him, this was not an obstacle.

After his body was tempered by demonic energy, his eyes became as sharp as a cat's in the dark, and he could clearly see the outline of the wall and the debris on the ground.

He walked north along the base of the wall, a route he had planned during the day.

I have three goals tonight.

Our first goal is to go back and take another look at that mysterious courtyard house from last night.