GHLCS Chapter54

Duan Zhanzhou climbed the mountain alone, so it only took him half a day to meet Duan Yelin.

 

“How is it?” Duan Zhanzhou also brought a bag of strong liquor for Duan Yelin to enjoy.

 

Duan Yelin bit open the leather bag with his mouth and said, “Fortunately, no one did anything behind the scenes. The people in the mountains were just a bunch of scum and could not fight.”

 

Duan Zhanzhou looked around and found that Duan Yelin and Qiao Song’s soldiers did not suffer heavy casualties. Although fighting in the mountains was not easy, but Duan Yelin was very experienced.

 

“Brother, there’s something I want to say and I’m afraid you won’t like it. From the start, I could tell Xu Hang is a smart guy. Don’t underestimate him just because he spends all his time in the medical hall — he’s definitely aware of what’s going on outside. The choices he made down at the mountain base weren’t ordinary at all!”

 

Killing someone is to destroy their heart, and that kind of psychological blow is the most lethal. However, what he said was what Duan Yelin was most unwilling to hear. He frowned: “You think too much.”

 

“We’re close relatives, but that doesn’t make us any different from everyone else. I’m only saying this for your sake. If you want to spoil him and keep him around, that’s your choice — just be cautious. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

 

“You ah…” Duan Yelin shook his head, it was unclear whether he actually took the words to heart or not. “Mind your own business first.”

 

Duan Zhanzhou pursed his lips, looked at his pocket watch, and asked, “Where did those people hide?”

 

Qiao Song answered for Duan Yelin and pointed ahead: “That valley. Don’t underestimate those bandits. They have many tricks, such as poisoning, arson, traps… there are so many tricks! We’re not afraid of a fair fight, but it’s these underhanded tactics that are hard to guard against. That’s why the Commander let us take a break!”

 

Thinking of the battle situation a few days ago, Duan Yelin couldn’t help but sneer and raised his head to tease Duan Zhanzhou: “After all, he is your subordinate, he has some skills. I haven’t met such a difficult person in many years.”

 

“Don’t bring him up to me!” Duan Zhanzhou snapped, his voice sharp with fury as he yanked a gun from his pocket. “I’m going to end him right now! Let’s see how he dares to hurt anyone else again!”

 

“Zhanzhou.” Duan Yelin reached out and grabbed him, sighed deeply, and wanted to say something, but he knew that his brother was the kind of person who would not turn back until he reached his goal.

 

At last, he patted his arm and said, “Don’t be so impulsive. Calm down. You’ll easily get confused if you do this.”

 

As expected, Duan Zhanzhou didn’t listen at all. He got on his horse and said with an attitude that he was determined to annihilate the enemy: “Alright, I’m not a three-year-old child. Whether it’s the battlefield or my own people, I can handle it myself.”

 

Duan Yelin, who had been fighting for days, was allowed to rest on the spot. Duan Zhanzhou waved his whip and led his soldiers to explore the way.

 

The dust stirred up by the horse’s hooves hung in the air for a long while, blurring the anxious eyes watching from behind.

 

Duan Yelin took another sip of wine and wiped his mouth. Qiao Song asked from behind him, “Commander, is it really alright to just let him go like this?”

 

Duan Yelin threw away the wine bag, leaned against a tree, took a rest, and replied, “If you are asking about handling the battlefield, I believe him; if you are asking about handling private matters…”

 

The wind brushed against his temples, causing a faint itch. Duan Yelin pulled his military cap lower over his eyes and leaned back, closing them for a moment of rest.

 

“…Some sufferings in life are unavoidable. With his stubborn personality, we can only let him go.”

 

Duan Yelin took a long breath and could only hope that Duan Zhanzhou would not end up in a situation where he would regret it in his heart.

 

————

 

The valley where the bandits were hiding was eerily quiet, as though few had ever set foot there. The trees stood tall and lush, their roots tangled together in a dense, wild network.

 

The quieter the place, the more likely it is to have traps.

 

Duan Zhanzhou rode his horse with caution, eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. A gun gripped tightly in his hand, he remained on edge, tense with unease.

 

Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss.

 

There were some subtle, extremely subtle sounds that always entered Duan Zhanzhou’s ears, but he couldn’t tell where the sound came from, so he shouted, “Stop—get off the horse!”

 

All the soldiers dismounted and followed Duan Zhanzhou forward step by step.

 

Duan Zhanzhou took every step carefully, fearing that he would fall into a trap. Past experience told him that there must be something fishy about this sound.

 

He didn’t know that just three steps away from his feet was a huge snake pot waiting to eat people.

 

Every snake in the pit had bloodshot eyes, glaring with fury. Their mouths gaped wide in hunger, tongues flicking out, while their thick tails lashed against the pit walls. The scorpions also crawled restlessly, their pincers snapping, even attacking the nearby snakes in their aggression.

 

They were all primed and ready, brimming with malice, driven by an insatiable desire to consume anything alive.

 

One step, another step.

 

Hiss, hiss, hiss… The sound grew nearer and more frantic, grating on Duan Zhanzhou’s nerves. The fear of the unknown gnawed at him, greater than any tangible threat. What kind of danger was lurking in the shadows?

 

“Military Commander, let us explore the way!” Said the scout behind.

 

“No need, just follow me! Stay alert!” Duan Zhanzhou, a skilled military commander, also valued the lives of his subordinates and never treated them lightly.

 

“Then… then let’s fire a warning shot?”

 

“Absolutely not. This will expose our coordinates. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. Be cautious.”

 

He took another step, carefully lifting his foot, shifting his body’s center of gravity from the back to the front. If he moved forward even an inch more, the momentum would be unstoppable.

 

Death is under the feet!

 

Just when he was about to take a firm step forward, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of him, rushing out with all his might, shouting with a force that almost broke through his chest and voice—

 

“Duan Zhangzhou!”

 

After shouting, Cong Lin found that his voice, which had been damaged by the charcoal fire, could not have any deafening effect at all. It didn’t carry any force, barely audible to those nearby, and it was swept away by the wind as soon as it left his mouth.

 

Like a broken trumpet, it was useless.

 

In desperation, he pulled out his gun and fired three shots at the sloping earth slope beside him!

 

The soil slope was loose and unstable, collapsing instantly as broken stones tumbled down. As soon as he heard the gunshots, Duan Zhanzhou quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the falling rocks. The stones hit the ground with a crash, and the earth sank, revealing a massive hole beneath.

 

After the dust cleared, the things in the cave became vaguely visible.

 

“Ah! Wh-what is this!” The sharp-eyed soldier saw the broken snake pieces smashed into a bloody mess by the rocks and the scorpion crawling around in panic and let out a strange cry.

 

Many of the severed snakeheads continued to snap their jaws open and closed, while the headless snake tails writhed and flicked, tangled in a grotesque dance of flesh and blood. The scorpions, drawn to the scent of blood, crawled and gnawed at the chaos, creating a scene that was utterly disgusting.

 

Duan Zhanzhou was sweating profusely. If he had been a second late, he would have been buried in the snake’s belly right now! What a vicious mind!

 

Cong Lin, still standing in the distance, held a gun with its black muzzle seemingly aimed directly at him. Duan Zhanzhou’s anger flared as he scrambled to his feet, raising his weapon and firing a sharp shot at Cong Lin!

 

‘Bang’!

 

Cong Lin was shot in the shoulder. His hand shook, and the gun fell far away. He fell on his back.

 

His own blood splashed on his face. It was warm and salty.

 

Fortunately, fortunately, I made it in time, He thought.

 

If it had been just a second later, Duan Zhanzhou would have fallen from that spot… the thought terrified him. He rushed over, drenched in sweat, but a cold shiver ran down his spine from the fear.

 

“Cough, cough… cough…” Cong Lin looked up at the sky and coughed up blood. He was completely defeated in this battle.

 

Xu Hang was right when he said that he was only afraid that he would lose too miserably. Looking at himself now, he couldn’t deny it—he was truly in a miserable state.

 

He heard the sound of footsteps. It should be Duan Zhanzhou approaching. What expression would be appropriate for such an awkward and sad meeting?

 

Cong Lin felt that this scene was very familiar, and when the severe pain in his shoulder rushed to his brain, he recalled it.

 

Yes, the first shot that hit him was also fired by Duan Zhanzhou.