Black Flag Army

Chapter 189 Sad Worship

At 3 a.m. on October 30, 1919, Bai Xiuling, a member of the Justice Party, president of the Zhengqing Association, and director of the Beihai Provincial Education Department, died at the age of 25.

Li Laoshi, the commander of the Beitang City Police Division, was sent to Beihai Hospital. Although the doctors tried their best to save him, he died due to his serious injuries at the age of 51. The joint action of the Japanese Kulun Intelligence Station Action Group and the Beitang Intelligence Group caused heavy losses to the Justice Party. The Justice Party's Supervision Department, Intelligence Department, and Police Department gathered all the experts in solving the case to crack the case, and finally caught the other four members of the Japanese Beitang Intelligence Group. Under torture, they confessed five informants including Zhan Yiqing. The Supervision Department and the Police Department caught Zhan Yiqing, who was tied up, at his residence.

In the cold and depressing interrogation room of the Supervision Office, Zhan Yiqing was like a deflated ball, confessing everything he knew. As his confession was completed, he was sentenced to death by the Beitang City Court.

On the eve of the execution, Zhan Yiqing's younger brother Zhan Erqing walked into the prison with a heavy heart. He was holding a paper bag containing Zhan Yiqing's favorite palace peach cakes. To Zhan Yiqing's surprise, Zhan Yiqing's uncle Wu Zhong and senior brother Tuo Qingyun did not come to visit.

Zhan Erqing looked at his haggard brother and couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Brother! Why are you so confused? Why don't you be a good person and choose to be a running dog for those Japanese devils? You are not only sorry for the country and the nation, but also make us relatives and friends heartbroken!"

After hearing his brother's words, Zhan Yiqing's face showed a trace of guilt, but it was soon covered by despair and regret. He lowered his head and remained silent, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. Facing the approach of death, he realized how serious the mistake he had made was, but it was too late. Zhan Yiqing closed his eyes, tears slid down his cheeks...

Zhan Yiqing wiped away his tears and said angrily, "It's because I have suffered too much injustice! I just made a small mistake, but I was exiled to such a desolate Dashu Village! I have to live with a group of rude, ignorant and dirty refugees every day, and I have to do all kinds of messy things! If I don't do something well, I will be scolded by the village chief! What's worse is that every time officials from the town government come to inspect, no matter who they are, they can order me around and insult me ​​at will! You can't imagine what kind of life I live! It's simply worse than death! "

Zhan Erqing sighed and said, "Didn't I ask someone to help me transfer you to the municipal government as a deputy section chief?"

Zhan Yiqing also responded helplessly: "Yes, I naively thought that good days were finally coming, but the facts proved that I was wrong. This so-called deputy section chief is not an official at all. To put it bluntly, he is just a miserable clerk. Among the members of the entire Beitang Municipal Government, the deputy section chief is simply the bottom. There is no section clerk to support him, and he has to obey the mayor, deputy mayor, director, deputy director and section chief above. I spin like a top every day, not only exhausted, but also have to endure those people's unwarranted accusations and abuse. What makes me even more painful is that the instructions they issued are often contradictory. No matter which side I follow, I will be denounced by the other side. Moreover, some people here are obviously not as capable as me, but they rely on their positions to oppress me at will. How can I accept it?"

Zhan Erqing said angrily, "That's better than begging in the Taoist temple! How can you be worthy of Uncle Wu's kindness in raising you for so many years by doing something like this?"

Zhan Yiqing's face turned pale, and he said with trembling lips: "The Japanese used a lot of money and beautiful women to seduce me. I admit that I was tempted. If I had wealth and a wife like others, perhaps I would not be shaken by them, but the reality is that I am just a poor bachelor, how can I resist such a fatal temptation? It's too late to say anything now. Can you think of a way to save my life?"

His voice was full of despair and fear, as if he had foreseen his own tragic end. Zhan Erqing felt grief and helplessness after hearing these words. He knew that his brother was in a desperate situation, and he was powerless to do anything.

Zhan Erqing said, "It's wrong to always put the blame on others. You are only 22 years old. What's the harm of suffering for a few years? You can't be a deputy section chief for life. You are too impatient. You killed Director Bai. Even gods can't save you."

When Zhan Erqing left the prison, he was not told that because he asked someone to help him transfer jobs, Zhan Erqing was punished and demoted from a division-level inspector general to a regiment-level inspector general, a demotion of four levels.

In the early morning, the sky was gloomy, and heavy snow fluttered down. The sky and the earth were all white, as if the whole world was shrouded in this endless white. In this quiet and solemn atmosphere, a solitary grave stood quietly in the snow, which was particularly eye-catching.

When I got closer, I saw a tombstone in front of the grave with a photo of a woman on it. The woman in the photo was Bai Xiuling, with a sweet smile on her face, as beautiful as a flower blooming in spring. However, now she has been buried in the ground, bidding farewell to this world forever.

Today is the seventh day since Bai Xiuling passed away. According to folk customs, this day is called "the first seven days". The young man Leng Hanbing and his five-year-old son Leng Zongbao came to Bai Xiuling's grave silently. They brought incense, paper money and some offerings to commemorate the deceased relative.

Leng Hanbing gently stroked the photo of Bai Xiuling on the tombstone, his eyes full of grief and longing. His hair had turned mostly white, and he looked much older than his actual age. The young Leng Zongbao held his father's hand tightly, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Mom... I want my mom..." Leng Zongbao said with a sob, his voice filled with endless sorrow.

Leng Hanbing held back her tears, hugged Leng Zongbao in her arms, and comforted him: "Good baby, mommy has just gone to a very far place, she will be there to watch over us and protect us."

After that, Leng Hanbing lit the incense, candles and paper money and began to pay respect to Bai Xiuling devoutly. While burning the paper, he muttered to himself, telling Bai Xiuling how much he missed her. The cold wind was so cold that it made people shiver, but Leng Hanbing and Leng Zongbao insisted on completing all the ceremonies before leaving. In their own way, they accompanied Bai Xiuling through this special day.

The snow was still falling, as if trying to cover up all the sadness in the world. But the pain in Leng Hanbing and Leng Zongbao's hearts could never be healed. They knew that although Bai Xiuling had passed away, her love and warmth would always remain in their hearts, accompanying them through every spring, summer, autumn and winter.

After Leng Hanbing and his son left, Di Xiong slowly walked to the tombstone in front of Bai Xiuling's grave. He gently placed a bunch of white chrysanthemums in front of the grave. This bunch of chrysanthemums was one of Bai Xiuling's favorite flowers when she was alive.

Di Xiong stood there quietly, staring at Bai Xiuling in the black-and-white photo on the tombstone. Her smile was still as bright as ever, and her eyes revealed a kind of gentleness and kindness. Di Xiong's thoughts gradually drifted back to the days when they met, knew each other, fell in love, and finally separated.

He recalled the first time he met Bai Xiuling, as if it happened yesterday. Bai Xiuling was beautiful at that time, and Di Xiong was attracted by her unique temperament. They gradually developed deep feelings in the process of getting along, and decided to go through the journey of life hand in hand. However, fate played a cruel joke on them, forcing them to separate.

Di Xiong closed his eyes, and the words Bai Xiuling had said echoed in his ears. Her voice seemed to still linger in the air. Every word and every sentence was deeply engraved in his heart. Bai Xiuling's voice and smile kept flashing in his mind, making him feel endless longing and pain.

In this silent moment, Di Xiong silently expressed his deepest feelings to Bai Xiuling. He told her how much he missed her and how much he wished he could see her again. Although he knew it was just a wish, his heart was filled with sorrow and pain.

Finally, Di Xiong took a deep breath and slowly turned away. He knew that although Bai Xiuling had left this world, her memory would always remain in his heart. He would continue to live strong, for himself and for Bai Xiuling.

Suddenly, a woman's loud cry came from a nearby grave. The cry was heartbreaking and moving. Di Xiong looked closely and found that the one crying was Li Laoshi's wife Lan Jinping. And that grave was naturally the resting place of Li Laoshi. Di Xiong was filled with grief. He knew that this was the place where he would worship next.

Di Xiong slowly turned his head and his eyes fell on Lan Jinping. She was crying bitterly, tears pouring out like a flood. Her body was shaking slightly, as if she was in great pain. Di Xiong took a deep breath, walked towards Lan Jinping, and gently advised: "Madam Li, please accept my condolences. Commander Li was brave and fearless, and sacrificed his precious life to save me. Such righteousness is truly a role model for our generation. I promise you here that I will avenge him and let the murderer get the punishment he deserves."

Lan Jinping looked back and saw that there was no one else around. Her guards and Di Xiong's guards were standing far away. She whispered, "Don't call me Madam Li, call me Lan Jinping or Sister Lan!"

Di Xiong asked, “Is there any difference?”

Lan Jinping whispered, "I don't really like Li Laoshi. I married him just to find a father for my son. He died. Although I am heartbroken, I am not that sad. I am definitely not as sad as you and Leng Hanbing lost Bai Xiuling. I was crying just now for Bai Xiuling. I feel sorry for her. If she had married you instead of Leng Hanbing, she would definitely not have died so early. She was only 25 years old!"

Di Xiong said: "Marrying Leng Hanbing was her own choice. What does it have to do with you?"

Lan Jinping said, "She broke up with you after I persuaded her repeatedly and then married Leng Hanbing. In fact, she didn't like Leng Hanbing. Leng Hanbing had been pursuing her before she met you, but she never agreed because Leng Hanbing was too introverted and paranoid. So she often lost her temper with Leng Hanbing after they got married. When she was with you, she was obedient to you. If she married you and you didn't allow her to move out of the dormitory area, she would not have disobeyed you. I persuaded her to leave you only out of selfishness. I wanted you to marry my sister. She finally chose to sacrifice herself and broke up with you. I am responsible for her sacrifice."

Di Xiong thought about how Bai Xiuling was very obedient to him when they were together before. He also remembered that the last time he was intimate with Bai Xiuling, Bai Xiuling was sleeping soundly. After being woken up, she not only did not blame him, but apologized to him, saying that she was only focused on work and ignored his physical needs. She also took the initiative to ask him if he wanted to do it again. With her encouragement, he did it four times in a row and made her faint. Before Bai Xiuling fainted, she did not ask him to stop.

Lan Jinping saw a strong murderous aura emerging from Di Xiong's face, and fear surged in her heart. She took a step back involuntarily, and whispered in a trembling voice: "I... I know you want to kill me now, but... but my son is still young and ignorant! Can you let me live a few more years for his sake? It won't be too late for you to take action after my son grows up! After all... after all, you are the supreme ruler of the Justice Party. It's much easier to find a suitable excuse to kill me than to kill a chicken!"

Lan Jinping's words were full of pleading and helplessness. She knew very well that she was in an extremely dangerous situation at the moment.

Di Xiong asked, "Why are you telling me this? Don't you know it will bring you fatal disaster?"

Lan Jinping said with tears in her eyes: "Because I really feel deeply guilty towards Bai Xiuling, my heart is tortured, and I really deserve to die! I am worried that after you find out about this matter in the future, you will implicate my sister with your anger, so I chose to confess all this to you. It is only right for you to kill me, but my sister is innocent, please don't hurt her!" After that, Lan Jinping was already crying.

Di Xiong said, "If I really kill you, how can I face Lan Jinchun? Even if Bai Xiuling knew about this, she would not agree. Although you are wrong in this matter, you are not guilty of death. The final decision was made by Bai Xiuling herself. If she really doesn't want to break up, no matter how you persuade her, it will be useless. The real murderer is those Japanese, so don't blame yourself anymore, and don't scare yourself."

At the Justice Party high-level meeting, Di Xiong said to Tian Mengxue: "Let the Kulun Intelligence Station identify all the Japanese intelligence personnel in Kulun and send the list over. The Supervisory Office will send out the Cheetah Column to kill them all."

Tian Mengxue said: "There are two intelligence stations set up by the Japanese in Kulun. One belongs to the Japanese Tianjin Garrison Command, with Iijima Na as the station chief, and the other belongs to the Kwantung Army Command, with Ono Ryunosuke as the station chief. There are more than 30 members in the two intelligence stations in total. This operation was also an order given directly by the Kwantung Army Commander to Ono Ryunosuke. The purpose is to kill you and Leng Hanbing."

Di Xiong asked, "What is the name of the commander of the Kwantung Army?"

Wu Chunfeng said: "Tachibana Koichiro. Big brother, you don't want to kill him too? This is too difficult."