novelhk Chapter 109: Accidentally Entering the General's Mausoleum's Eight Trigrams Formation
Chapter 109: Accidentally Entering the General's Mausoleum's Eight Trigrams Formation
After Lei Tao ran for several kilometers in the primeval forest below the cliff, a squad of Japanese soldiers and a combat team of Japanese special forces arrived.
He was on the top of the cliff where he had just blocked the battle. First, he was looking for some useful clues. Second, he was looking for traces of Lei Tao and his accomplices. The time bomb countdown reached zero and the thermite incendiary bomb shell exploded.
With a deafening roar, the mountaintop was instantly enveloped in a dazzling light and blazing flames. The thermite incendiary bomb was like a miniature sun, releasing a high temperature that quickly spread in all directions.
The trees on the mountaintop instantly ignited, and the raging fire, carried by the wind, quickly swept downward. The Japanese soldiers and special forces who had reached the clifftop were scattered by the sudden explosion and intense heat. Many were thrown directly by the blast and fell heavily to the ground, their bodies burned by the flames and the heat, causing them to scream in agony.
The fires caused by the incendiary bombs distorted the surrounding air, and the rocks began to melt and deform under the high temperature. Japanese equipment was not spared either, with the metal parts of guns burning red hot, and some ammunition even detonated in the high temperature, triggering secondary explosions, further exacerbating the chaos and casualties.
Lei Tao, running frantically below the cliff, felt the intense heat and vibrations behind him, knowing the thermite bomb had successfully detonated. He didn't dare stop and continued running desperately through the primeval forest, using the trees and the complex terrain to hide his tracks as much as possible.
Despite the heavy losses suffered by the Japanese army, despite being in disarray, Kazuya Uesugi still tried his best to organize his remaining forces and try to continue pursuing Lei Tao in the direction he might have escaped. While treating the wounded, they sent out small groups to search for him. However, the fire and explosions had severely hampered their movement, making tracking extremely difficult.
As Lei Tao ran through the jungle, he wondered what that group was. They weren't Eighth Route Army guerrillas; guerrillas wouldn't use heavy weapons like mortars. They weren't a National Security Army reconnaissance unit; the National Security Army typically operated in specific locations, so their presence here was unlikely. Their equipment and tactics weren't right either. Could they be a Military Intelligence Bureau operative? The Military Intelligence Bureau was known for its stealthy tactics, and they had the capability and motivation to operate here. Their equipment and combat style looked similar, but if they were the Military Intelligence Bureau, what was their mission? Why were they clashing with a Japanese special forces unit here? Lei Tao was puzzled. He needed to escape his pursuers first, then he could get to the bottom of the matter.
After Lei Tao got rid of the Japanese special forces in the jungle, he walked through the jungle for a few days and found that he was lost. As he walked, he found that he was back to the starting point...
When he climbed up a big tree to make his way around, he saw a young man hiding in a tree not far away, staring at him...
It turns out that Lei Tao is located in the Bagua formation in front of the entrance to the mausoleum of a great general of the Ming Dynasty. A tribe that has guarded the mausoleum has lived here for generations... The young man staring at Lei Tao is the mausoleum keeper of this tribe...
Lei Tao felt as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake. Startled, he looked around the tree warily and found the young man on the tree staring at him with wide eyes, while slowly pulling out a pistol from his waist. Seeing this, the young man also quickly pulled out a homemade bow and arrow from his back, the arrow flashing with a cold light, pointing directly at Lei Tao.
After a moment's silence, Lei Tao spoke first, "Friend, I didn't mean to enter here. I just lost my way in the jungle." The young man remained unmoved, his eyes filled with vigilance, "Outsider, this is a place protected by our ancestors and must not be violated."
Lei Tao had no choice but to slowly descend from the tree, keeping his eyes on the young man to prevent him from suddenly shooting an arrow. The young man also jumped down from the tree lightly, keeping his distance from Lei Tao. At this moment, Lei Tao's stomach suddenly growled, and he remembered that he had not eaten for many days.
The young man seemed to sense Lei Tao's embarrassment and frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he whistled towards the woods behind him. A moment later, a child ran out of the woods, holding some wild fruits and handing them to the young man. The young man took the fruits, threw a few to Lei Tao, and said, "Eat them, and leave quickly after you're done."
Lei Tao picked up the wild fruit and ate it while continuing to talk to the young man: "This place is so secret, why do you keep guarding here?" The young man glanced at him and said slowly: "This is our family mission. It is our responsibility to protect this pure land. We can't let outsiders know."
However, their conversation seemed to have alarmed the rest of the tribe. Several adults, armed with weapons, gathered around Lei Tao, surrounding him. An elderly man, the leader, examined him sternly and said, "Stranger, you must come with us. Let the elders of the tribe decide what to do with you." Lei Tao's heart tightened, but seeing the large crowd and the fact that he had no ill intentions, he decided to follow them to the tribe.