Chapter 132

After successfully leading the group out of the county town, Leitao sprinted for several miles until they reached the edge of the mountains before stopping. Everyone was out of breath, yet their faces beamed with the relief and excitement of having cheated death. Some of the Nationalist soldiers quickly tidied their uniforms and gear. Their officer, wearing a solemn and resolute expression, gave Leitao a standard military salute: "Brother, no words can express my gratitude. We need to find our unit and rejoin them; the war is urgent, and they need us." Leitao gave a slight nod in return: "Take care, until we meet again." The Nationalist soldiers then hurried off in the general direction of their forces. The mountain bandits gathered together. After deep thought, their leader spoke up: "Our lair has definitely been spotted by the little Japanese devils, so we can't go back. We need to find a new stronghold and rebuild our ranks—this blood debt must be avenged." With that, he turned to Leitao and cupped his fists in a salute: "Brother, today we owe it all to you. As long as the green mountains remain and the green waters flow, we shall meet again." The bandits then shouted and bolted into the deep mountains and old forests, quickly disappearing among the trees.