Yan Tuo paused for a moment, then strode toward Natou.
When he was still about ten meters away, there was a sudden rustling sound from that direction. A disheveled man leaped up, brandishing what appeared to be a long rifle, and bellowed, "Halt! Hands up! Surrender your weapons and we’ll spare your life!"
Yan Tuo was startled.
But he quickly regained his composure. Within seconds, his eyes had already sized up the man several times over.
The man before him had tangled, matted hair, a face smeared with grime, and bare feet with blackened dirt around his toenails. The "long rifle" he held was actually a wooden carving. Around his neck hung a broken plastic toy telescope, and slung over his shoulder was a mess tin with a handle and a dangling rope. A stainless steel soup spoon was tucked into his waistband.
This guy was almost certainly a fool.
Yan Tuo stopped in his tracks and obediently raised his hands in surrender.
The fool was very pleased. He freed one hand to pull out the spoon, pressing the bowl of it against his ear like a radio: "Zero-One, Zero-One, this is Zero-Seven! Enemy spotted at the forest defense line! Enemy spotted!"
After "reporting," the fool glared at Yan Tuo and interrogated him fiercely: "How many of you are there? How many guns? Are you here to sabotage Banya Village?"
Yan Tuo was now certain this was indeed a fool, but to be thorough, he decided to test the waters further.
He gestured toward the quiet little village in the distance. "You live over there?"
The fool was displeased with his non-answer. "Cut the nonsense! Don’t think you can squeeze any intel out of me! Banya is fully prepared for battle! If you dare attack, you’ll be walking to your doom!"
Yan Tuo nodded. "You’re right. I’ll retreat immediately."
He took a few steps backward before turning to leave. The fool kept his "rifle" trained on him until he saw Yan Tuo get into his car, then finally exhaled in relief and raised the spoon to his ear again. "Zero-One, Zero-One, this is Zero-Seven! The enemy has been repelled! The enemy has been repelled!"
Yan Tuo started the car. When he reached the intersection, he turned the wheel sharply and headed straight for the village, occasionally checking the rearview mirror. Not only had he breached the "defense line," he was now advancing straight into enemy territory. He wanted to see how the fool would react.
Sure enough, a figure soon appeared in the distance, chasing after the car in a frenzy. The fool banged his spoon against the mess tin with a loud "clang-clang" and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Villagers! The enemy’s in the village! Run for your lives!"
Yan Tuo silently applauded the man’s dedication to his delusion.
Soon, the car reached the easternmost edge of the village, stopping beside a single-story house.
To be honest, many villages in southern Shaanxi—especially those in the mountains—were still quite underdeveloped, with houses made of rammed earth and stacked stones. But this village was relatively modern, accessible by road: the main paths were paved with concrete, and most of the buildings were single-story or two- to three-story houses. Antennas and power lines crisscrossed overhead, dotted with idle birds.
However, there were hardly any people in sight—a common trend these days. With the young and middle-aged gone to work elsewhere, only the elderly, women, and children remained. Small villages across the country were becoming hollowed out.
A woman in her fifties, having heard the commotion, stepped out of the house to investigate.
She had a short bob, wore a maroon blouse with striped pants, and square-toed cloth shoes. In her hand was a handful of sunflower seeds, which she cracked with a unique flair: while others casually tossed the shells aside, she would pinch each empty shell between her fingers, then flick it away with a twist—sending the shells fluttering through the air like petals.
Yan Tuo got out of the car and gestured toward the road ahead. "Ma’am, if I take this route, will it lead to the main road?"The woman shook her head. "You're going the wrong way. There's no path ahead; you'll have to turn back."
Yan Tuo gave an "Oh" and subtly steered the conversation toward the running fool. "That person... what's wrong with him?"
"Ah, that's Ma Hanzi. He's been like that since he was a kid—his brain's not right."
As they spoke, Ma Hanzi had already run up close, wailing as soon as he opened his mouth, "Fellow villagers, I'm too late!"
As if the villagers had already met some tragic end.
The woman clearly had experience dealing with Ma Hanzi. "You've got it wrong. This is the guerrilla unit... Captain Ma, the Japs are to the west. Go take a look over there."
Ma Hanzi straightened his back and clicked his heels together with great fanfare. "Yes, ma'am!"
Yan Tuo watched him scamper off into the distance and finally confirmed that the man was indeed a fool. Relieved, he thanked the woman and prepared to leave.
The woman was too busy checking a new message on her phone to even acknowledge him.
Yan Tuo opened the car door and was halfway in when the woman suddenly called out, "Hey, young man, wait a second."
What now? Yan Tuo turned back to look at her, puzzled.
The woman stared at him, hesitating for a long moment before stammering, "Young man, you look strong and... capable. Could you help me move a sauce vat? All the young men in the village are gone, and I can't manage it alone."
By the end, she forced an awkward smile.
Yan Tuo found the request a bit abrupt, but since she had just "pointed him in the right direction," it wouldn't hurt to return the favor.
Inside the house, there really was a sauce vat—nearly half a person's height and incredibly heavy. Even with Yan Tuo's help, it was a struggle to move, let alone for the woman alone.
The two worked together to shift the vat toward the door, but the woman fumbled the entire way, having to stop and restart several times. On top of that, Yan Tuo noticed her stealing glances at him at least two or three times—once, he deliberately met her gaze, and she flusteredly looked away.
Yan Tuo grew suspicious. While he wasn’t bad-looking and had caught admiring glances or even surreptitious photos from girls before, moving a sauce vat wasn’t exactly a dashing activity. The idea that this woman was smitten with him was downright absurd.
After much effort, they finally got the vat to the doorway. The woman brought a basin of water for Yan Tuo to wash his hands. As he lathered soap, he discreetly scanned his surroundings—and what he saw set off alarm bells in his head.
Just moments ago, the nearby road had been empty. Now, three people had appeared.
One was a limping old man in his sixties, with graying hair and a cane, standing about a hundred meters away. He seemed to be heading this way but had paused to click his lighter repeatedly, trying to light a cigarette.
Another was a burly man in his thirties, wearing a blue workman’s jacket. His head was large, his hairline nearly meeting his collar, giving the impression of no neck. He sat at the base of a crumbling wall opposite the woman’s house, noisily munching on a cucumber. Beside him was an open jar of sauce—he’d take a bite, then dip the cucumber into the sauce.The last one was a young man in his twenties, sporting a crew cut. He couldn’t exactly be called ugly, but his features were somewhat haphazard, all clustered toward the center of his face. If you painted the middle part white, he’d look just like a clown from Peking opera. He had already reached the car and was peering curiously inside.
Yan Tuo barked a warning in his direction.
The young man startled, his neck first shrinking back before stretching forward again, his face instantly breaking into a wide grin. “Oh, hey, bro, this your car? Looks real nice.”
With something suspicious in his own car, Yan Tuo naturally assumed the worst of people. He figured the worst-case scenarios were two:
First, that so-called “dimwit” Ma Hanzi was actually faking it. He had seen the person tied up in the trunk and what had happened, and had already tipped off the villagers.
Second, this village—what was it called, Banya—was shady to begin with. Maybe it was a modern-day version of Sun Erniang’s black-market inn, preying on lone travelers, robbing and killing them.
Either way, the best course of action was to leave.
He didn’t even bother saying goodbye to the woman. After quickly rinsing his hands in the water, he stood up and strode toward the car, shaking the water off as he went.
Behind him, the woman wanted to call out to him but couldn’t think of a good excuse.
Seeing him approach, the young man hastily took two steps back to make way, chatting eagerly as he did. “Bro, you here looking for someone?”
“Not looking for anyone. Just passing through, asking for directions.”
A sly glint crept into the young man’s smile. “Our village is way out here. Everyone who comes is here for a reason. No one just ‘passes through.’”
What a nutjob. Who cares if someone’s just passing through? Yan Tuo ignored him, pulling the car door open with one hand and lifting a leg to get in when the young man suddenly grabbed the door.
Yan Tuo’s heart sank. This was real trouble. The village, this guy—something was definitely off.
He looked at the young man, keeping his expression neutral. “What’s the problem?”
Under his gaze, the young man faltered, hesitantly letting go of the door before plastering on another grin and babbling, “No, no problem, bro. I was just wondering—I need to get to the main road. Mind giving me a lift?”
Yan Tuo was about to say “No” when a lazy voice cut in from the side. “Shanqiang, quit dreaming. Have some self-respect. Don’t go hitching rides just ’cause someone’s car is nice.”
It was the big-headed man.
Shanqiang’s face fell instantly, and he turned to curse at the man. “None of your damn business!”
The man stuffed the last bit of cucumber into his mouth, chewing slowly as he ignored Shanqiang but shot a sidelong glance at Yan Tuo. “Leaving already? After asking for directions, shouldn’t you pay a consultation fee?”
So, they’d run into village thugs.
Yan Tuo didn’t want trouble. “How much?”
The man clapped his hands and stood up, ambling over to Yan Tuo before holding up three fingers. “Three hundred. Cash only.”
These days, digital payments were everywhere, but Yan Tuo always carried a few hundred in cash just in case. Besides, three hundred wasn’t exactly highway robbery.
He lowered his head to pull out his wallet.
Just then, the man suddenly lunged headfirst into Yan Tuo’s chest, bellowing, “Quit pretending! Get him!”Yan Tuo had actually noticed the man's aggressive approach and instinctively stepped back. But almost at the same moment, the strong man behind him lunged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Yan Tuo's waist.
Two men—one charging from the front, the other clinging from behind—sandwiched Yan Tuo in the middle, much like the filling of a sandwich. Since he was already retreating, none of the three could steady themselves, and they all tumbled to the ground in a heap.
Yan Tuo cursed inwardly. Before he even hit the ground, he threw a sharp uppercut, knocking the man’s big head to the side. Just as he was about to roll to his feet, his waist was seized again—the strong man wasn’t trying to fight him, just desperately holding on from behind, refusing to let go no matter what.
The dead weight of over a hundred pounds pressing down on his back was unbearable. Yan Tuo groaned inwardly, and the next second, his vision darkened as the big-headed man lunged at him again.
The three of them immediately descended into a chaotic brawl.
As the old saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. Though Yan Tuo relied on his agility to make the two men suffer, he was still tangled up like vines, unable to break free. Just as his frustration peaked, he caught sight of another figure joining the fray.
It was the old man with the cane, his face fierce as he limped forward with large strides, raising his crutch high before bringing it down in a vicious swing.
In that split second, inspiration struck Yan Tuo. With all his strength, he twisted violently, flipping the strong man who was clinging to him on top. The old man’s crutch came crashing down—right onto the strong man’s head and neck.
The strong man let out a pained cry and released his grip, curling up and rolling away. Seizing the opportunity, Yan Tuo shoved the big-headed man aside and scrambled to his feet, darting toward the half-open driver’s door. Before he could even settle into the seat, a sharp pain pierced the back of his neck—the old man had caught up and jabbed a syringe into him.
Yan Tuo didn’t have time to assess the damage. He grabbed the car door and slammed it shut with all his might, nearly crushing the old man’s arm in the process. The old man howled in pain, clutching his arm as he staggered back.
Not wasting a second, Yan Tuo started the car. The vehicle had originally been facing the village, so he had no choice but to accelerate forward. After speeding ahead for about ten meters, he executed a sharp spin, finally turning the car around before speeding away.
The strong man and the old man were both injured and hadn’t recovered yet. The big-headed man had managed to get up and seemed ready to block the car, but at the last moment, he shrank back in fear of the oncoming vehicle. Surprisingly, it was the woman—who didn’t look like much—who charged forward with a long bench in her arms, screaming as she rushed toward the car.
What, did she think she could stop the car with a bench?
It was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Yan Tuo’s eyes darkened as he floored the accelerator, charging straight at her.
The woman had assumed she could force Yan Tuo to stop, but when the car showed no sign of slowing even as it closed in within a couple of meters, terror seized her. She scrambled backward in panic. The car roared past her, the sheer force of its momentum making her scalp tingle and her legs go weak. She stumbled and fell, bench and all, rolling away.
...
The car raced forward, kicking up clouds of yellow dust in its wake. Ma Hanzi, who had been patrolling the area with his rifle slung over his shoulder, spotted the speeding car from a distance. Puzzled, he stopped and stared, even waving from afar.
"Hey, guerrilla! Not staying for dinner?"
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