The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 417: Encountering an enemy on a narrow road! The road to the secret camp is thrilling

The thick, inky darkness of night pressed down heavily upon the earth, as if to crush all resistance and struggle. In the mountain forests, the members of the "Ghost Squad" moved silently through the darkness like ghosts. Each step was taken with extreme caution, their soles scraping the ground lightly, trying not to make a sound, fearing to disrupt the dead silence and attract the attention of the Japanese. Moonlight struggled to penetrate the dense branches and foliage, casting mottled shadows on the ground, adding a touch of mystery and danger to their movements.

"Captain, the first Japanese stronghold is ahead." Meng Xiaoyu lowered her voice with a serious expression. The moonlight outlined her tightly pursed lips and firm features, and her eyes revealed undisguised vigilance.

Lei Tao nodded slightly, his gaze like a sharp dagger, fixed on the outline of the stronghold looming in the darkness ahead. His voice was low but powerful, as if carrying an unquestionable force: "Everyone must remain extremely vigilant and strictly follow the previous plan. Remember, the action must be silent and absolutely not exposed, otherwise we will all be doomed!"

The team members understood, nodded slightly, and quickly blended into the night, slowly approaching the stronghold. Their footsteps were as light as the night wind, barely causing a vibration in the air. However, just as they were about to reach the outskirts of the stronghold, a chaotic and heavy sound of footsteps suddenly shattered the silence. Liu Zishan stopped abruptly, nervously gripping his gun, his knuckles white from the strain, and said in a hurried, low voice, "Captain, there's a patrol coming!"

Lei Tao's heart tightened. He looked up and saw several flashlight beams flickering in the night, like a pair of eerie ghostly eyes, swaying as the Japanese patrol approached. He immediately gestured, and the team members instantly dispersed, each seeking cover under the surrounding sturdy trees and dense grass. They held their breath, even their heartbeats seemed to be deliberately suppressed.

The Japanese patrol, rifles raised, their flashlights blazing a glaring, pale light, sweeping through the trees, seemingly tearing apart every inch of darkness. Their steps were languid, yet tinged with the wariness of a soldier, as they slowly approached the "Ghost Squad." The footsteps grew closer, the flashlights increasingly glaring, each strike like a hammer hammering down on the soldiers' hearts, sending shivers of fear through their veins.

Meng Xiaoyu's finger rested lightly on the trigger, her breath rapid but suppressed, her chest heaving violently. Her eyes fixed on the Japanese patrol, a look of determination and vigilance, like a cheetah poised for action, ready to respond to any unexpected situation. The flashlight swept across the bushes where she was hiding, but she remained hunched over the ground, not daring to breathe, fearing that even the slightest movement would reveal her.

Lei Tao held his breath, his brain racing, analyzing the situation like a precision instrument, pondering a response strategy. If a firefight were to occur, not only would their whereabouts be completely exposed, but it would also likely attract a large number of Japanese troops from surrounding strongholds. At that point, they would be surrounded, with disastrous consequences and a high probability of total annihilation.

Just as the patrol was about to reach their hiding place, a startled hare suddenly shot out of the brush, its swift, swift swoosh shattering the suffocating, tense silence. The Japanese patrol, instantly alert, flashlights blaring in the direction of the hare's flight. They raised their rifles and shouted, chasing after it. Their cries were particularly piercing in the silent forest, startling a flock of birds.

"Huh..." The team members breathed a sigh of relief, their tense nerves temporarily relaxed. Lei Tao wiped the fine beads of cold sweat from his forehead and whispered, "That was a close call. Everyone, keep moving forward. Don't let your guard down again. The road ahead will only become more difficult and dangerous."

They continued on, deftly circumventing the stronghold and following the winding mountain road towards the secret camp. The path was rugged and difficult to navigate, and the surroundings were eerily silent, with only the occasional shrill cry of a night owl and the soft thud of their footsteps. But danger did not spare them. As they passed through a narrow valley, the silence was suddenly shattered by the distant roar of an engine, which grew louder and louder.

"Oh no, it's the Japanese motorcycle team!" Liu Zishan said with his face turning pale in an instant.

Lei Tao thought to himself that this was not going to happen. The valley was narrow, flanked by steep cliffs, leaving virtually no place to hide. If discovered, they would be trapped, with no chance of escape. He scanned the surroundings anxiously, like a trapped beast searching for a way out, and finally spotted a steep cliff on one side of the valley. Several protruding rocks jutted out from the cliff, covered in dense weeds. Without time to dwell, he lowered his voice and commanded quickly but calmly, "Quick! Use the weeds for cover and climb up the rocks. Don't make a sound, and move quickly!"

The team members acted quickly, with Liu Zishan taking the lead. He grasped the cracks in the rocks tightly with both hands and pushed hard. Relying on the powerful explosive power developed through years of training, he climbed up quickly like an agile monkey.

Meng Xiaoyu followed closely behind, her movements lithe, yet her breathing was rapid and raspy, like a bellows. As they climbed, a small stone slipped from her feet, tumbling down the valley with a gurgling sound. The sound was particularly piercing in the silence, like a bomb exploding in everyone's hearts. Everyone's heart instantly leaped into their throats, and Meng Xiaoyu, too, was so frightened that her face turned pale as paper. She froze in place, her mind blank, filled with fear and regret.

Lei Tao whispered soothingly, "Don't panic. Stay calm. Don't move. Believe in yourself. We can get through this crisis. If things don't work out, we'll just destroy them." He looked warily toward the valley entrance. The roar of the engines grew closer, and the glare of the headlights became faintly visible, like demonic eyes flickering in the darkness, growing brighter and brighter, terrifying. The team members dared not move, not even breathe, desperately hiding deeper in the rocks and weeds, wishing they could blend into the mountain wall, becoming one with the rocks and grass.

Soon, a Japanese motorcycle team rushed into the valley, and the dazzling headlights instantly illuminated the valley as bright as day, as if exposing everything to its scrutiny.

The leading Japanese squad leader narrowed his eyes like a cunning fox, vigilantly observing his surroundings, his rifle poised to fire at a moment's notice. His eyes betrayed a ferocity and cunning, a willingness to seize on any suspicion. The motorcycle team advanced slowly through the valley, each second feeling like a year. The team members crouched on the rocks, their hearts pounding as if ready to burst through their chests. Sweat soaked their clothes. In this tense atmosphere, each could hear their own pounding heartbeats and heavy breathing.

Just as the convoy was about to leave the valley, a Japanese soldier suddenly stopped, shining his flashlight toward the cliff where Lei Tao and his men were hiding. He then pointed his finger there and muttered something incoherently. He seemed to have noticed the rock Meng Xiaoyu had just fallen and became suspicious. The other Japanese soldiers stopped, pointed their guns at the cliff, and focused their flashlights. For a moment, countless beams of light shot toward the cliff, and the atmosphere instantly reached a peak of tension.

Just when everyone's hearts were in their throats, thinking they were about to be exposed, a frightened weasel shot out from the bushes on the roadside like an arrow. After seeing the Japanese army, it quickly turned around, making a sharp and piercing sound like a cat's meow, and desperately climbed up the hillside to escape. Its movements were panic and rapid, raising a cloud of dust.

This sudden change stunned the Japanese soldiers, and the tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed. The weasel's flight was loud, especially noticeable in the silent valley. Its claws dug holes in the rocks and soil, causing small stones to roll down with a crackling sound.

This sudden change of events overwhelmed one Japanese soldier, causing him to misfire. A loud "bang" echoed through the valley. A bullet struck the weasel's path, stirring up a cloud of dust. Startled, the weasel instantly released its foul farts. The strong, pungent odor quickly permeated the valley, like an invisible, poisonous mist, making one nauseated. Trembling with fear, it fled even faster, its figure flickering in the night before becoming a blur.

The Japanese patrol captain, his eyes wide with rage, slapped the soldier whose gun had misfired in the face, shouting, "Baga! Who told you to shoot?" Before he could finish his words, a strong, pungent odor filled his nostrils. His face suddenly changed, his features contorted into a ball, and he instinctively covered his mouth and nose. A sharp, urgent voice uttered through his fingers, "What the hell is this? Why does it stink so bad?"

Other Japanese soldiers were staggering from the fumes, tears and snot streaming uncontrollably. Some simply squatted on the ground, coughing violently, their shoulders heaving as if they were coughing their lungs out. Others waved their arms, cursing and stumbling backward, their formation in complete disarray. The soldier whose gun had gone off wore a look of terror and grievance, his head lowered, not daring to breathe. The bright red palm print on his face stood out against the chaos, his body trembling slightly, not knowing whether it was from fear or the stench.

At this moment, the weasel took advantage of the Japanese army's chaos and desperately climbed the hillside with all four claws. Its claws dug deep marks into the rocks and soil, its body trembling violently with fear, each movement imbued with the determination to burn its boats. It nimbly circumvented the protruding rocks and dove into the dense grass. Under the cover of darkness and vegetation, its figure gradually faded from view, gradually disappearing from the Japanese army's sight.

The patrol leader, still shouting in frustration, his voice almost hoarse, directed the soldiers to retreat, paying no attention to the "culprit" as it gradually disappeared from sight. The soldiers hurriedly jumped onto their motorcycles, their engines humming and creaking as they lurched out of the valley amidst the pungent stench, much faster than they had come, as if pursued by a monstrous beast, kicking up a cloud of dust that lingered for a long time.

The members of the "Ghost Squad," hiding behind the rocks on the mountainside, were also choked by the stench. Meng Xiaoyu covered her mouth and nose tightly, her brow twisted into a knot, her eyes slightly red from the smoke, tears welling up in her eyes. Liu Zishan's face flushed purple, his shoulders hunched as he fought to suppress a laugh, his body trembling slightly from the effort. Lei Tao was equally distressed, but remained vigilant, staring in the direction the Japanese troops had left. Only when the roar completely died down did he breathe a sigh of relief, his tense body finally relaxing as he slumped down on the rocks.

"Good boy, this weasel has done a great deed." Liu Zishan finally couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed in a low voice, with a hint of joy and relief in his voice for surviving a disaster.

Meng Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at him, feeling both angry and amused: "It's already late, and you're still laughing. Hurry up and think about what to do next."

Lei Tao waved his hand, his expression returning to seriousness. "Don't relax. This was just a fluke. Everyone, check your equipment and calm down. We must hurry up and get on with our journey. The secret camp is still waiting for us, and danger could come again at any time. We may not be so lucky next time."

The team members acted quickly, checked their equipment, adjusted their status, and set off again.