The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 233: Circumventing the Stream and Hearing the Sound of War

Soon, Lei Tao ran towards Liu Zishan's position. Liu Zishan kept his eyes fixed on the Japanese soldiers, keeping an eye on Lei Tao. When Lei Tao passed him, Liu Zishan quickly emerged from behind a tree, crouched low, and ran after him. As he ran, he kept glancing back to prevent the Japanese from catching up.

The smoke provided excellent cover, but the Japanese quickly reacted and fired blindly in the direction they were fleeing. Bullets whizzed past their ears, hitting the surrounding tree trunks and splashing wood chips.

Lei Tao observed the surrounding terrain while running. When he ran to a valley, he had an idea and shouted to the team members beside him: "Let's hide behind the huge rock over there first, catch our breath, and then find a way to get rid of the Japanese!"

Everyone quickly took turns taking cover, moving towards the boulder and hiding behind it, breathing heavily. Li Shuiyang, still in shock, tried to calm himself. Huang Hu, with a scowl on his face, would occasionally poke his head out, observing the Japanese army's movements from a low position, muttering, "Don't let me run into these little devils again, or I'll teach them a lesson!"

Lei Tao listened carefully to the Japanese troops' movements, assessing their position and direction of movement. After a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "The Japanese probably haven't discovered our hiding place yet, but they certainly won't give up. We need to find a solution quickly."

Liu Zishan thought for a moment and said, "Captain, there's a stream nearby. It's not deep, but the current is fast. If we follow the stream, we might be able to disrupt their pursuit."

Lei Tao's eyes lit up and he nodded, "That's a good idea. Let's do it! Everyone, be gentle and don't make too much noise."

Cautiously, they emerged from behind the boulder, adopting a low posture and alternating cover, as they moved toward the stream. By this time, the smoke had gradually cleared, and the Japanese soldiers began searching the forest. Their shouts and footsteps grew closer, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Everyone reached the stream, and Lei Tao was the first to step into it. The water was icy cold, instantly soaking his shoes and socks, but he ignored it and led the team members forward against the current. The stream constantly washed over their legs, and stones occasionally pricked their feet, but everyone gritted their teeth and persevered.

After searching the forest to no avail, the Japanese soldiers finally reached a stream. A Japanese officer, observing the footprints in the stream, frowned and mumbled something in Japanese. Some of the Japanese soldiers then pursued along the stream, while others dispersed to the back of the forest, attempting to flank the enemy.

Lei Tao and his companions had already walked some distance in the stream when they heard the movements of the Japanese army behind them and knew that the danger was not over. To confuse the Japanese, Lei Tao signaled everyone to go ashore at a place where the current was slower, then ran a distance in the opposite direction, deliberately leaving obvious footprints, and then returned to the stream and continued upstream.

Sure enough, the Japanese soldiers followed the footprints they had deliberately left, and Lei Tao and his men successfully escaped the pursuit of the Japanese guards. But they dared not slack off and continued to advance in the stream for a long time, only to be sure that the Japanese had been completely shaken off. They then went ashore and found a very secluded place in the forest. It was a small cave surrounded by dense bushes, with a narrow entrance that was impossible to find without careful observation.

At this time, everyone was exhausted. Their clothes were soaked by the stream and stuck to their bodies. The cold came from all directions, and everyone's lips turned purple and their teeth were chattering.

Lei Tao pulled a small bottle of liquor from his pocket (inside the Bagua spinning top space). The bottle gleamed faintly in the dim light. He twisted the cap, and a strong aroma instantly filled the air. He took a sip, and the familiar burning sensation spread from his throat all the way to his stomach, making him shiver, but also a hint of warmth.

He handed the bottle to Li Shuiniu and said, "Everyone, take a sip to warm yourself up." Li Shuiniu took the bottle, his hands stiff from the cold, and he almost dropped it. He tilted his head back and took a large gulp. The strong liquor entered his throat, and he couldn't help coughing, but a blush spread across his face. "Ahem, this liquor is really strong!" He said, handing the bottle to Li Shuiniu next to him.

After Li Shuiyang drank the wine, his body gradually warmed up. He handed the bottle to Huang Hu, who took a sip, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said with emotion: "After taking this sip, I feel alive again."

The bottle of wine was passed to Liu Zishan. After taking a sip, he narrowed his eyes slightly, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Brother Lei, I didn't expect you to have such a good thing. When I was soaked all over, this sip of wine was simply a life-saving straw." After that, he returned the bottle to Lei Tao with a grateful smile...

At this moment, a burst of grenade explosions, followed by a burst of intense gunfire, came from the distance...