All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Each of them trained with over two hundred bullets. While they wouldn't claim to be able to hit a target every time, they surpassed most professional soldiers of that era. Among them were several skilled fighters who received special training from Bai Jiaxuan, making them perhaps even more skilled than Zheng Mang.

Zheng Mang is a good marksman, but his physical skills are average, not as good as Lu San's. However, he is quick-witted and is a good manager.

He was also extremely excited about this operation. They had started planning the ambush on the grain collection team two months ago, and now they were finally going to do it.

Two hours ago, after Zheng Mang led the twenty-two little devils down the mountain, the group stopped in front of the forest and began to plan their next move.

Behind Zheng Mang were two short men, both less than 1.5 meters tall, but with mature-looking faces. One of them took out a simple map from his pocket and spoke to Zheng Mang.

"Thumb, you take ten men and ambush them from both sides. I'll take five men and hold off the active ones in the surrounding wheat fields. Big Peng, take the remaining five men and cut off their retreat...!"

This short man spoke clearly and logically, his thinking was very tight, and he explained his plan in an orderly manner.

Zheng Mang nodded from time to time, while another short man grumbled somewhat discontentedly.

"Zhang Xiaopeng, why am I the one covering the rear? I'm the best marksman, why am I the one leading the men..."

Before the short man could finish speaking, he was scolded by the short man who was talking about the plan.

"Shut up! This is real combat, not a routine exercise. I must ensure everyone's safety!"

When Zheng Mang heard the short man reprimanding him, he not only didn't blame him, but also nodded in satisfaction. These two short men were indeed worthy of the boss's favor. Although Zheng Mang was leading the team for this operation, the one in command was this stern-tongued short man in front of him.

This man is called Zhang Xiaopeng, and the man he is scolding is called Zhang Dapeng, his older brother. These two brothers were taken in by Zheng Mang seven months ago. Originally, Zheng Mang was going to bring Zhang Dapeng back, but Zhang Xiaopeng was not going to bring him back. However, Zhang Dapeng hugged his leg and cried and begged, so in the end, he brought the two brothers back.

The two brothers were not from Zishui County, but from Huangcheng, which was hundreds of miles away. When they were young, their family was relatively well-off and they both went to school. Their father was a minor official in the local area, but that was a minor official in the Qing Dynasty.

As 1912 approached, their father was beheaded by the Communist Party. The two brothers followed their uncle to Xi'an for refuge, but were robbed of everything by bandits. At that time, Zhang Xiaopeng's left hand was cut off by a bandit while protecting his elder brother. For the next two years, the two brothers began to wander until they were found by Zheng Mang.

Yes, when Zheng Mang saw Zhang Xiaopeng, he noticed that Zhang's left hand was empty, indicating that he was just a disabled person, so he naturally didn't intend to take him up the mountain.

Bai Jiaxuan had told him earlier that people with physical disabilities, those who are lazy and shirking their duties, and those who have parents are all prohibited from being brought up the mountain.

The reason Zheng Mang made an exception for the short man in the end was not because Zhang Dapeng begged. There were so many starving people on the street, so he could just not have Zhang Dapeng.

The reason he brought Zhang Xiaopeng up the mountain was because he saw the determination in the eyes of the one-armed child. That look, calm yet ruthless, even gave Zheng Mang the illusion of mutual respect.

After Zhang Xiaopeng went up the mountain, his performance surprised Zheng Mang. The child was only thirteen years old, but he did not have the naivety of his age.

Even with only one hand, his training was above average, and he even showed his talent in just a few months. His strength was not in his physical skills, but in his intelligence, which made Bai Jiaxuan look at him differently.

Reprimanded by his own younger brother, Zhang Dapeng remained silent, pouting, not daring to argue. In the end, he obediently accepted his brother's arrangement and led the five of them away from the group, grumbling all the while.

Zheng Mang and his ten men also disappeared quickly, leaving only Zhang Xiaopeng and his five-man team behind him.

Zhang Xiaopeng put away the map, raised his right hand with a stern face, and made a gesture. The five people behind him, dressed in light yellow clothes, then began to disperse in all directions.

The group was dressed in tattered clothes, and their faces were smeared with a yellowish-gray substance, somewhat like camouflage in later times, but closer to the color of the wheat field outside.

Even the guns they carried were different from those of the others; some even had bandages wrapped around their hands. But everyone handled them with composure, and without uttering a sound, they quickly disappeared from the spot.

These were naturally taught by Bai Jiaxuan, and Zhang Xiaopeng further improved upon them. He also personally selected these individuals.

These men are all calm and collected, with excellent marksmanship. The bandages on their hands are mostly from wounds caused by gunfire during practice. These specially trained snipers have unlimited ammunition and will be trained to become special forces soldiers in the future.

After everyone had left, Zhang Xiaopeng looked in the direction his older brother Zhang Dapeng had gone, and a trace of worry finally appeared on his usually composed face.

Zhang Dapeng is fifteen years old this year. He is not tall, but he has a bad temper. When he was robbed by bandits, the thirteen-year-old Zhang Dapeng rushed forward without saying a word, wanting to fight to the death. In the end, Zhang Xiaopeng desperately hugged the bandits and even cut their crotch, finally driving the bandits away.

Zhang Xiaopeng was very worried about his older brother's temper, which had not changed over the years. In fact, after he went up the mountain, his skills improved and he ranked at the top in all training. He had a disdainful attitude towards everyone, which made Zhang Xiaopeng very worried.

However, a face quickly appeared in his mind, and he immediately calmed down. With that person around, perhaps his older brother's hot temper would be tamed sooner or later.

In fact, Bai Jiaxuan had no ulterior motives when he took a liking to the two brothers. He simply noticed that their names were similar to his own in real life, and the memory of Zhang Peng made him pay more attention to the two brothers.

Later, Zhang Xiaopeng did perform well, which made Bai Jiaxuan take notice of him. The little guy had a solid foundation in cultural knowledge, so Bai Jiaxuan simply took a break and let the little guy teach him.

Zhang Xiaopeng banished his emotions, and then, like a wild rabbit in the wilderness, quickly disappeared into the wheat field below the mountain.

Everything is ready; all that's left is for the bait to be taken.

Chapter 43

Tian Fuxian wiped the sweat from his forehead, then, with a fawning smile, spurred his horse forward and addressed the burly, dark-faced man in front of him.

"Company Commander Yang, we're just ahead of Bailuyuan Village. Tell the men to be careful, watch out for those scoundrels lying in ambush!"

The burly man with the dark face ignored Tian Fuxian and snorted in agreement.

His dark face was pockmarked and covered in sticky sweat, giving him a chill. He bulged out his big eyes and glanced at Bailu Plain ahead, where he saw many farmers carrying farm tools.

He grinned, drew his pistol from his waist, and shouted loudly to the fifty or so soldiers behind him.

"Brothers, let's charge in and steal the brides!"

A burst of laughter immediately followed behind him, and the group quickened their pace.

As the burly man with the dark face shouted, he pulled the trigger into the air. As soon as the gunshot rang out, he spurred his horse and charged toward Bailuyuan.

His gunshot was crisp and clear, as if it were a signal, and the other soldiers also raised their guns and rushed towards the village entrance.

After they had run more than a hundred meters, suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

The sudden gunshot caused the leader, a dark-faced man, to pause in his shout. He then fell headlong off his horse. The horse, having no owner, raised its two front hooves, let out a mournful neigh, and came to a stop.

The scene unfolded so suddenly that everyone stopped in their tracks, looking at each other in bewilderment, none of them knowing what had happened.

Two hundred meters away, Zhang Xiaopeng, with a cold expression, put down the Type 38 rifle in his hand with one hand and then shouted.

"Go ahead and do whatever you want! Give it your all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, four dark figures emerged from the surrounding wheat field and simultaneously raised their spears.

"Slap slap... slap slap...!"

Four gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and four soldiers fell to the ground.

Zheng Mang was half-squatting in the wheat field, about 70 or 80 meters directly in front of the group of soldiers. When he saw this scene, he smiled with delight, then stood up, raised his pistol, and shouted.

"Give them a good beating!"

As soon as he finished speaking, ten dark figures emerged, sparks flew from all ten gun barrels, and bullets rained down. The screams finally woke the remaining soldiers, and the group of about fifty men was instantly thrown into chaos.

From the moment Zhang Xiaopeng fired the first shot to the time Zheng Mang and his ten men opened fire, only three to five seconds passed. It was only after more than ten people had been killed or wounded that the crowd came to their senses.

The company commander, Yang, who was leading the attack, had already fallen and his fate was unknown. The remaining soldiers heard gunfire from both directions and, for a moment, they had no idea how many enemies there were. The scene descended into complete chaos.

Experienced soldiers began to fall to the ground, some new recruits started to run back in panic, and some soldiers picked up their rifles and fired wildly in all directions. All around were plains and wheat fields, and they were unfamiliar with the area, so they darted around like wild rabbits in the fields.

The little monkeys of Wuzhi Mountain, though young, far surpassed the warlord soldiers of this era in both marksmanship and training; their only deficiency was experience.

In just seven or eight minutes, the soldiers who had been running around like they were playing whack-a-mole were quickly knocked down in the wheat field with each gunshot, leaving only the faint groans of some wounded soldiers.

Seeing that all the soldiers who had shown their faces had been taken down, Zhang Xiaopeng showed no sign of a smile. He then coldly made a hand gesture in Zheng Mang's direction. Only after seeing a reply from the other side did the group slowly sneak into the wheat field.

Zheng Mang and his ten men also began to slowly retreat in the designated direction. In the blink of an eye, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the wheat field remained, and there was no further movement.

A few minutes later, a brave soldier finally slowly raised his head, looked around, and seeing that there was no movement around him, he whispered to the person next to him.

"Old Huang, wait... it seems like nobody's here!"

Upon hearing this, the soldier named Lao Huang quickly called out twice to the soldiers beside him, and two more soldiers slowly raised their heads and looked around.

After a long while, once they confirmed that no one else was around, Old Huang slowly raised his head.

Seeing that there seemed to be no more danger around him, he stopped and led the way to run back.

I don't know who shouted it.

"Brothers, let's run!"

After the shout, the remaining thirty-odd people in the wheat field all popped their heads out. Some wounded soldiers, disregarding everything else, cried out and ran after the crowd.

No one dared to run in the direction of the gunshots. They tried to run back to the county town, and dared not run on the bare road. They could only run wildly through the wheat fields along the direction of the county town.

Like sheep being chased by hunting dogs, everyone started running back, and in the blink of an eye, they had run seven or eight hundred meters.

On this sweltering day, and after being frightened, they ran seven or eight hundred meters with all their might, and then felt parched and exhausted. Seeing that there were no more gunshots around, the group slowed down.

Many men stood with their hands on their hips, casually wiping sweat with their sleeves. The remaining twenty or thirty men, though all veterans who had seen blood, were now leaderless. Company Commander Yang was dead, and they didn't know how many enemies there were. Besides, it was a wheat field on the plain, so naturally, they dared not fight. Their professional soldier's habits prevented them from throwing down their guns and running away.

Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaopeng was not about to let them get away so easily. From the very beginning, the group's actions were part of Zhang Xiaopeng's plan.

If they were to ambush each other in a wheat field and then engage in a direct confrontation, it would be uncertain who would win between twenty "Little Monkeys of Wuzhishan" and fifty soldiers.

But first, take out the leader, Company Commander Yang, then take out some of the new recruits, and finally, force the veterans to run backward until they are exhausted, and then slowly take them out.

"Clap clap clap... Clap clap clap!"

Gunshots rang out again, followed by screams. As seven or eight people fell to the ground with screams, the remaining men, like frightened birds, fired back randomly while lying down.

The gunfire ceased again after about ten minutes.

After the gunshots, silence fell once more. The remaining twenty-odd men didn't dare to show their faces this time. Half an hour later, they finally peeked out to check and, after confirming that the enemy had disappeared again, they stopped thinking and began to run back as fast as they could.

This time, the group ran for four or five miles until they saw a small ditch in the distance. Their eyes lit up, and they all jumped into the ditch, not caring that the water was dirty, and drank it in big gulps.

Only after everyone jumped into the ditch did a group of teenagers slowly emerge from the surrounding wheat fields, one of whom was Zhang Xiaopeng.

He slung his long spear over his shoulder, drew his short gun from his waist, and coldly stared at the dozen or so lambs waiting to be slaughtered in the ditch. With a gunshot, the bloody slaughter began!

A barrage of gunfire erupted across Bailu Plain, lasting for a full two minutes, and blood stained the entire irrigation canal red.

Zhang Xiaopeng looked at the corpses inside without the slightest pity, and then shouted.

"Clean up the battlefield!"

Everyone agreed in unison. Some jumped into the ditch to collect guns, while others looted the soldiers' belongings. The rest of the men, in groups of three, raised their rifles and began sweeping back along the path they had come from.

Occasionally, sporadic gunshots could be heard from the wheat field. After two more hours, as dusk gradually fell, there was no sound from the wheat field anymore. The group of teenagers had long since disappeared without a trace, as if everything that had happened a few hours earlier had never occurred.

Only in the ditch that had been refilled with water just two days prior, the red blood water still bubbled.

Looking at the sunset over Bailu Plain, Bai Jiaxuan's lips curled into a smile of fatherly satisfaction. These little monkeys had finally begun their journey of growth.

In the future, when these little monkeys grow into giants, Bailuyuan will have a layer of protection.

At this moment, on Wuzhi Mountain, Zhang Xiaopeng looked at the wounded on the bed with a grim expression. There were four people in the room bandaging the wounded. These four people were doctors and nurses from Wuzhi Mountain, and they were naturally taught by Bai Jiaxuan.

Suddenly, a young doctor who was bandaging someone sighed, stood up, and called out to Zhang Xiaopeng.

"This one's beyond saving!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaopeng walked over and saw that the white gauze bandage on the other person's chest was completely stained with blood. The other person's eyes were wide open, and he was no longer breathing.

Zhang Xiaopeng's eyes were cold and indifferent, as if devoid of any emotion. He reached out and bent down to smooth the other person's eyelids. However, everyone noticed that his hand trembled slightly at this moment, which was clearly inconsistent with his current mood.