Chapter Forty-Four: The American Springfield Rifle

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Every eye in the crowd turned toward Grand-Uncle. The wolves in the mountains had been howling like mad these past few days. Whoever drew the lot would be out of luck. Besides, between Little Huacheng from the Zhang family and Ergou from the Wang family, which of them had any experience as a mountain watchman?

Was he supposed to draw the lot and go feed the wolves alongside those two?

Grand-Uncle pulled out a folded scrap of paper and slowly opened it beneath the gaze of everyone present.

“Chen Biao.”

Grand-Uncle held the slip up for all the commune members to see.

At once, many people breathed sighs of relief. Quite a few gleeful, schadenfreude-filled gazes shifted toward Chen Biao. He had never imagined that it would be him. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“Biaozi, didn’t you say you’d go after Little Stammerer once Little Huacheng died? Don’t tell me you’re going to die first. Little Huacheng is right behind you, after all.”

The young man standing in front of Chen Biao turned around and threw him a maliciously gleeful remark.

“Shut your mouth!”

Chen Biao’s scalp prickled. He hurriedly turned to look at Zhang Huacheng.

Sure enough, Zhang Huacheng was staring at him with a dark expression. Chen Biao felt as though he had suddenly been thrown into an ice cave.

“What? You’re afraid of him?” The young man was startled when he saw the unease in Chen Biao’s eyes as he looked at Zhang Huacheng.

Who didn’t know that Little Huacheng was as soft as a persimmon? Chen Biao had bullied him more than once.

By all rights, it should have been Little Huacheng who was afraid.

Chen Biao, however, could not say a word. Being beaten up the last time had left a shadow in his heart. Still, when he remembered that Ergou would also be serving as a mountain watchman, he thought that although his relationship with Ergou was only ordinary, he could probably win him over.

The lot had been drawn by Grand-Uncle. No one’s objections would matter.

Even Chen Biao’s parents could do nothing but sigh.

“Quiet, quiet! Chen Biao, Zhang Huacheng, Wang Ergou—you three come to the warehouse to collect your rifles and ammunition. Everyone else, disperse!”

When Chen Gonglin saw that the unlucky one was Chen Biao, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was not his youngest son.

As for Chen Biao, he was hardly close to him.

Chen Yinshan, the warehouse keeper, followed them as well. He was responsible for all the supplies in the warehouse, including the brigade’s firearms, ammunition, and various weapons.

It was called a warehouse, but in reality it was merely an old house belonging to the brigade. More than a dozen rifles hung inside: several old hunting rifles, two Type 56 automatic rifles, two severely worn Type 38 rifles, one American Springfield rifle, and several others that were visibly half-ruined.

Zhang Huacheng immediately fixed his eyes on the American Springfield.

The American Springfield was also known as the M1903 Springfield rifle. It was finely manufactured, with a smooth bolt action and reliable feeding, ejection, and safety mechanisms. It used a five-round internal magazine, though five-round stripper clips could also be used. The rifle measured 1,115 millimeters in overall length, with a 610-millimeter barrel. It weighed approximately 3.9 kilograms and fired 7.62-millimeter ammunition.

With a telescopic sight, it could serve as a sniper rifle. Its accuracy was exceptionally high, and its power was formidable.

“Each of you gets one rifle. You may draw only fifty rounds a month. You’ll also receive one old sheepskin coat, which must be returned when you leave the mountain-watch unit. If you damage it, you’ll have to mend it properly. As for melee weapons, each of you may choose one.”

Chen Gonglin’s tone was utterly indifferent.

The melee weapons included bows and arrows, red-tasseled spears, broad sabers and bayonets from the War of Resistance, and even woodcutting knives and axes.

Zhang Huacheng snatched up the American Springfield and expertly inspected it. Apart from its poor maintenance, it had no problems whatsoever. Once he took it home and properly serviced it, it would be an absolute hunting weapon.

His practiced movements left Chen Gonglin momentarily stunned. Even Chen Yinshan could not help looking astonished.

“As expected of Old Zhang’s boy. He was born knowing how to use a gun.”

Chen Gonglin sighed.

Then he looked at Chen Biao, who was staring at the rifles with hesitation, and grew even angrier. How could the difference between them be so great?

Ergou picked up a Type 38 rifle, but then saw Zhang Huacheng gesture toward a Type 54 rifle. He understood and put the Type 38 back, taking the somewhat newer Type 54 instead.

For his melee weapon, Zhang Huacheng chose a two-meter-long red-tasseled spear. In open terrain, with the spear in hand, even several wolves attacking together would be unable to get close to him. It could also be given to Tiezhu for use.

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Ergou chose a bayonet.

Chen Biao also selected a Type 54 rifle. After agonizing over the choice of melee weapon for a long while, he settled on an axe.

The old sheepskin coats were all tattered, riddled with holes, and stained with blood. Zhang Huacheng took one look and abandoned the idea. He might as well make himself a coat from wolf pelts.

Ergou did not want one either. They reeked terribly.

Chen Biao, however, picked out an old sheepskin coat that gave off a foul, fishy odor.

“Ammunition can only be bought with money or exchanged for meat. As for the price, we’ll discuss it when you come back. Now for your work assignments.”

Chen Gonglin continued rambling on, explaining this principle and that one. The so-called work assignment was simply to patrol the mountains and drive away the wolf packs.

“This is the mountain-watchman policy. Familiarize yourselves with it. Although you’ll no longer receive grain from the commune, you may obtain resources from the mountains, including certain things the state does not permit.”

“Which of you three will be the squad leader?”

After speaking, Chen Gonglin looked toward Chen Biao.

“Let whoever has the better marksmanship be squad leader. Otherwise, what’s the point of having someone with no ability blindly giving orders?” Ergou interrupted just as Chen Biao was about to speak.

“I agree.”

Zhang Huacheng nodded immediately.

Chen Gonglin’s expression turned unpleasant at once. He had known from Zhang Huacheng’s inspection of the rifle that the boy’s marksmanship was probably not bad. Chen Biao, on the other hand, had never touched a gun in his life.

Chen Yinshan was good at reading the situation. He coughed and said, “We can’t judge by marksmanship alone.”

“That makes sense. Then let’s see who can fight.”

Ergou looked at Chen Biao. “One-on-one?”

Chen Biao’s eyes shifted evasively as he pretended not to hear.

There were only a few people in the brigade who could beat Ergou, and Chen Biao was clearly not among them. Even those who could beat him did not dare provoke him. No one wanted to be struck from behind with a club in the middle of the night.

“Then Ergou will be squad leader.”

Chen Gonglin understood the situation. Chen Biao was useless and incapable of contributing anything.

Ergou was just about to speak when he heard Zhang Huacheng agree. He immediately fell silent.

“Remember your task. Drive the wolves back into the mountains. All right, you may go home.”

In previous winters, mountain watchmen were not actually required to guard the mountains. Whoever wanted to stand watch could do so. After all, quite a few watchmen had been dragged away by wolves, so once winter arrived, they would hide in the brigade compound and refuse to go out.

This year was different. The wolves had been howling without pause. Two mountain watchmen had been pushed to the brink and found an excuse to quit. Chen Qiuyang’s actions had contributed to that as well.

On the way home, Chen Biao cursed Chen Qiuyang the entire time.

As soon as Zhang Huacheng returned home, he began disassembling the Springfield rifle, wiping it down, oiling it, and servicing it. He also maintained Ergou’s Type 54 rifle and inspected it thoroughly. There was not a single problem.

Tiezhu, however, watched him with yearning eyes.

“Brother, why didn’t you let me trade places with Chen Biao? I just tracked the sika deer to where they live.”

He wanted to become a mountain watchman. He wanted to enter the mountains.

“We’ll hunt the sika deer tonight. This afternoon, I heard wolves howling in the rear mountains. We’ll find a chance to make Chen Biao suffer a little first. As for why I wouldn’t let you trade places with him—if you became a watchman, what we hunted would be snatched away by your father and stepmother. That would be a huge nuisance. For now, you can only sneak into the mountains with us.”

Zhang Huacheng spoke frankly. He wanted nothing whatsoever to do with Tiezhu’s strange father and outrageous stepmother.

As for Chen Biao, the hatred Zhang Huacheng had felt in his previous life had still not faded. Chen Biao had also been scheming after Wang Lin for a long time. Even without this incident, Zhang Huacheng would never have let him off.

Tiezhu understood and awkwardly scratched his head.

“How about we call him along tonight and shoot him once?”

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When Ergou learned that Chen Biao had designs on Wang Lin, he wanted to enter the mountains and shoot his teammate first.

Over the past few days, Wang Lin had been teaching him and Tiezhu to read and had been cooking for them. Ergou was extremely protective of her, addressing her as “sister-in-law” every other sentence.

Sensing the demonic-beast aura that suddenly rose, Wei Wu’s expression shifted slightly. A feral grin flashed across his face.

What if Quincy, like Saidongdao, remained suspicious of his identity? What should he do then? He might as well directly implant a segment of memory in Quincy. In any case, he could not allow this matter to interfere with his search for the whereabouts of the Essence Stone.

Usman’s head buzzed. He was getting old; this was one sign of elevated blood pressure. Attacks had been launched from several directions at once, yet all of them had been blasted back by the Communist forces. What did that indicate? It meant that every defensive position of the People’s Liberation Army contained a large number of artillery pieces. The artillery had not simply been concentrated in one direction.

“Wood…”

Gu Xiangyi stared at him in astonishment as he approached. Wood was actually Mr. Wood’s surname, while Jacques was his given name. Gu Xiangyi had grown accustomed to calling him that and could not change it for the moment, so she simply stopped trying.

“Chu Lanxing!”

The name of his supposed younger brother from the Chu family, Chu Lanxing, suddenly flashed through Yunxuan’s mind.

The American people did not even care about the true number of Iraqi casualties on the same planet, nor about the persecution that took place every day.

Strangely enough, although Black Tortoise City and Water Emperor City were both major water-element sects, neither was particularly close to the Northern Sea. By rights, the Northern Sea region, rich in water energy, should have been an ideal place for a water-element sect to establish itself. Yet the Redcloud Sect, which was founded on fire-element techniques, was actually the closest of them all.

That single slash, whether in its angle of attack or its fierce momentum, shocked Chen Yun, who was watching from below the platform.

This kind of lion was one of the Ten Great Royal Clans of the demon race. Under ordinary circumstances, the combat power of a royal clan member had to be raised by an entire level.

“Phew!”

After finishing his call with Lin Han, Yunxuan felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep not long afterward.

The problem was that this was Suzhou City, and Suzhou City had Lord Lin, a new kind of powerful magnate who had broken with tradition.

His body and appearance had both changed. This was no longer a question of surgery or no surgery—it was an immortal technique.

Sect Master Liu and Zhao Wangtu’s master moved at once, appearing beside her in an instant and helping to offset some of the pressure.

Of the senior maids still serving beside Grandmother Jia, only five remained, including Yuanyang, Amber, and Emerald.

Inside the carriage, Qianxue and Qingwen sat on either side, both looking worriedly at Jia Cong, who had his eyes closed and was resting.

Although she now regretted it somewhat, Jia Baoyu’s willful outburst, carried out without regard for the consequences, had made the matter even more complicated. She was afraid she would suffer badly afterward.

Jia Lian, feeling no pain at all, secretly congratulated himself. Worried that he would be beaten, he had gone back and put on an extra layer of thick clothing. It had truly come in handy.

To cultivators, Primordial Violet Qi was an ultimate treasure. But to the witch clan, which refined its physical body by swallowing and exhaling turbid, baleful, and murderous energies while walking the Great Dao of Strength, it was of almost no use.

As for the reason, it was naturally because they wanted him to join the Godslayer Alliance and serve it. But these rogue martial artists were accustomed to freedom; how could they possibly join the Godslayer Alliance and submit to another’s authority?

Still, having been intercepted and taken away by Dongfang Huaiyin halfway there was not necessarily a bad thing. It was simply unclear whether her repeated interventions would cause trouble.

Indeed, Mu Ye needed five minutes to refine Black Jilin, whereas Lu Qi had transformed Black Jilin into a mass of black matter in less than three minutes. He had clearly forced the process to proceed, and in alchemy, the greatest taboo was rashness.

If all that had still not made Tong Nai suspect that she was suffering from a split personality, then what “Yile” said next nearly drove her to the point of collapse.

On the other side of the battlefield, Yin Shaoming had yet to recover from his earlier shock. If Lu Qi attacked him directly at that moment, he would not have had time to react. Fortunately, Lu Qi did not do so.

Sun Ce could not help spitting out a mouthful of blood. Struggling to keep himself upright, he no longer had the luxury of worrying about the other soldiers. Relying on his horse’s strength, he leaped over the boulder blocking the mouth of the valley.

Just as the battle between the two clans was nearing its decisive end, a streak of red sword light swept across Dawn-Morning Mountain and stopped on a barren mountain five thousand li to the south. Holding his sword and waiting there was Xi Ze.

After returning to their residence, Dean Duanmu organized the five hundred disciples who had come to the Central Province headquarters and held a celebration for Li Yuyun and the others, who had successfully entered the headquarters’ inner court.

Nan Wuxiang knitted his brows. It would not have been a problem if those people had truly escaped. What he feared was that they would fail to get away and be captured, revealing everything they had done. Based on his understanding of them, it was impossible for them to escape Jade-Kun Mountain with their abilities. He therefore slung two new swords over his back and chased out of the mine.

In the end, the top experts could only have Executive Officer Oma contact every expert they could invite and summon them all over, hoping that the combined efforts of everyone would solve the problem facing Vegetable Planet this time. Otherwise, they truly had no idea what else to do.

When Gongsun Zan learned of this, he flew into a rage. He sent an envoy to Xue Rengui, saying that he was heading south to attack Yuan Shao. Now that Xue Rengui had occupied every pass leading south, did he intend to protect Yuan Shao?

Afterward, Mu Ye and Lu Qi went together to the royal palace. The ministers and generals were still discussing ways to decipher “Ghost Night Swallowing Shadows.”

“It’s all right.”

Qin Shijin forced the door open, his action so domineering that she had no opportunity to resist.

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