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

But it's impossible not to mention it.

Qian Youfu was the first surrenderer to be killed since the establishment of the Business Cooperation Association.

His death was too sudden, too quiet, and too symbolic.

The person who shouted "Greater Asia Co-prosperity" the loudest in public was stabbed to death like a chicken in his own home.

That evening, several businessmen who had previously echoed Qian Youfu in the Chamber of Commerce changed their lifestyles without prior arrangement.

Someone locked the outhouse in the yard and put a chamber pot inside, refusing to go out at night no matter what.

Someone went to the military police headquarters to request protection, saying that he was a loyal supporter of the Imperial Army, had a wife and children at home, and pleaded with the Imperial Army to send two soldiers to stand guard at the gate.

The Japanese soldiers said it was possible, but the protection wouldn't be free; they would have to pay one silver dollar a day.

The man stood at the entrance of the military police station and did some calculations for a long time: one silver dollar a day, that's thirty dollars a month.

That's practically robbery; they're definitely going to complain about it.

So some people took leave from attending the meeting of the cooperative, saying that their old ailment had flared up and they were unable to walk due to leg pain.

Some people always bring two assistants with them when they go out, one on the left and one on the right, following them wherever they go, even when they go to the outhouse, the assistants have to stand guard outside.

Some people even went to Lou Bancheng privately, stammering as to ask if they could have their names removed from the association's list.

Lou Bancheng countered, "Do you think it's too late to cross it out now?"

The man remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed and left, his legs trembling as he went.

Xu Jiande knew nothing about these things.

He continued his patrols every day as usual, and whenever the rice shop opened, he would wear the blue short jacket with the word "manager" printed on it.

Soon, everyone noticed a change: the voices that usually talked about surrender in the streets disappeared overnight.

Someone in the teahouse said that since they couldn't win anyway, they might as well surrender sooner rather than later. Someone in the market said that although the Imperial Army was fierce, at least they could maintain order.

Now all those sounds are gone, as clean as if someone had cut off a tongue with a knife.

It's not that nobody wants to speak out, it's that nobody dares to speak out.

The tongue is still there, but the courage is gone.

On the fourth night, another merchant who had surrendered was killed.

The person who died this time was the owner of a pawnshop in Dongcheng, surnamed Sun. Manager Sun was one of the founding members of the Business Cooperation Association.

Among the first batch of merchants to join the Japanese side, he was one of the most active.

The most ironic thing is that, unlike Lou Bancheng who was forced into this situation by Japanese soldiers pointing guns at his head, this person actively sought him out.

On the third day after the Japanese entered the city, he went to the entrance of the military police station to queue up for a certificate of good citizenship. After receiving it, he went around praising the Imperial Army and saying that he had long been disgusted with those resistance fighters, who were all a bunch of crazy people who didn't know what was going on.

Later, he helped the Japanese take over three pawnshops in the East City that refused to cooperate. He led the Japanese to smash the doors, dragged the owners out of their homes, and announced in front of the neighbors that all these pawnshops would be under the unified management of the Cooperation Association.

One of the three bosses was reported by him as a harborer of resistance fighters. He was arrested by the Japanese that same day and has not been seen since.

Shopkeeper Sun died in the woodshed in his backyard. His neck had been severed with a single stroke, cutting his trachea and carotid artery simultaneously, and blood splattered all over the wall.

His courtyard wall was intact, just like Qian Youfu's, and there were no signs of forced entry on the doors and windows. How the murderer got in and how he left remained a mystery.

Four words were also written on the wall, written in his blood, and the handwriting was exactly the same as the one on Qian Youfu's wall four days ago.

On the morning the news broke, less than a third of the usual members of the Business Cooperation Association attended their scheduled meeting.

The remaining people each had their own excuses. Some said their old ailment had flared up and they couldn't walk, some said their elderly relatives had suddenly fallen ill and they had to go back to take care of them, and some simply didn't make up any excuses and didn't come at all.

The people who arrived sat in the conference room, none of them daring to speak first. Occasionally, someone would cough, then quickly lower their head, as if afraid their voice would be heard by those outside. The conference room was as quiet as a funeral parlor.

Lou Bancheng sat at the end of the long table, looking at the empty chairs in front of him. He wasn't thinking about Manager Sun's death; he felt a little scared, but mostly he was overjoyed.

Both of the murdered businessmen were among the most active members of the cooperative, had publicly proclaimed the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," and had worked for the Japanese.

The people who killed them clearly did not act on a whim; they had thoroughly investigated their backgrounds beforehand, knowing their roles in the cooperative association and what they had done for the Japanese.

They even knew their daily routines and habits. This intelligence-gathering ability and the precision of their actions were the same group of people who threw grenades at Caishikou and sniped at Japanese soldiers at the sentry posts.

Or the same person.

Lou Bancheng banished the thought from his mind.

He dared not think too much about it.

He now sits in the position of chairman of the cooperative association, ostensibly a business leader, but in reality a mouthpiece for the Japanese.

If his name is actually on that assassin's list, nothing he thinks about will matter.

So Lou Bancheng was also very scared.

But he was powerless to do anything about it; he had no choice in the matter.

Two days later, another surrenderist received a threatening letter at home.

The letter was found slipped under the door in the morning; it was unsigned, unregistered, and contained only one line of text.

The words were written with a brush, the ink was fresh, and the strokes were crooked, but the content was very clear: If you continue to work for the Japanese, you'll be next.

The person who received the letter was Zhao Guangcai, the owner of a rice and noodle shop in Xicheng, and one of the most active members of the Xieli Association.

He was quiet for a few days after Qian Youfu died, but he couldn't help but become active again after Manager Sun died.

This person was the most active speaker at the meeting within the Cooperative Association to discuss unifying grain prices, advocating for a uniform 50% increase in prices at all grain stores, with the difference to be paid to the Imperial Army as management fees for the Cooperative Association.

If this plan were to involve the city's residents buying grain, it would cost half again as much, and the extra money would go directly into the Japanese army's pockets.

He spoke passionately at the meeting, saying that the Imperial Army had protected our safety and that we should repay their kindness. The proposal was passed without question, and no one else present dared to object.

Three days later, Zhao Guangcai's body was found in an alley in the north of the city, his neck severed by a sharp weapon, and bloodstained words remained on the wall. After that, no one dared to openly advocate surrender.

In a teahouse on the street, someone whispered that this was done by the underground resistance organization, specifically to eliminate traitors.

Some said the resistance had finally made a move, which was great. Others said this couldn't go on; the Japanese would go crazy, and then it would be the ordinary people who suffered.

The person who said this spoke in the lowest voice, because they dared not offend either side and could only keep it to themselves.

By the end of the month, the progress of various affairs of the Business Cooperation Association had stalled, and many projects were forced to be shelved.

After receiving the latest progress report, Sasaki remained silent for a long time in the command post, tapping his fingers on the table repeatedly, so much so that none of the officers around the table dared to look up.

He finally asked a question: Who knows who did it?

No one answered.

Enraged, Sasaki intensified his intimidation of these traitors.

They even assigned special personnel to take charge.

This person's name is Yamamoto.