136: Chapter 46 Thunderous Sweep

The winter in Heilongjiang is cold enough to freeze one's bones until they are brittle.

Li Ling stood in the temporary command tent, his exhaled breath condensing into a cloud before him, only to be torn apart by the cold wind. A two-meter-wide military map was spread out on the folding table in front of him, densely marked with the positions of enemy and friendly forces; the red and blue markers shimmered vaguely under the faint light of the kerosene lamp. The tent was sewn from three layers of thick canvas, but in the severe cold of over thirty degrees below zero, the cold wind still crept in through every gap, freezing a thin layer of ice in the enamel cup on his table.

He picked up the cup and took a sip; the ice shards made his teeth ache. The tea in the cup had long since gone cold, but he couldn't bear to pour it out—in this godforsaken place, boiling a pot of water cost half a basket of firewood.

"This godforsaken place is much colder than our Jinling." Li Ling put down the cup and rubbed his stiff, frozen fingers. His fingertips were already turning red, and the calluses on his middle finger joints from holding a pen all night were aching slightly in the cold air.

A voice in his mind sounded with a hint of impatience: "Host, the people here have lived here for generations and are long used to it. You've only been here a few days, so stop complaining. Besides, if you hadn't insisted on coming to the front line yourself, you would be drinking hot tea in the warm command post right now." The system paused and added another sentence: "The generals under your command are not useless; if you insist on running over here to suffer the cold, who can you blame?"

"I'm just worried, that's all." Li Ling chuckled and rubbed his hands as he moved closer to the brazier to warm himself. The orange flames flickered, casting a warm glow on his frozen face. "Thirty thousand elite troops clearing out the remnants in the Northeast is a major undertaking. If something goes wrong, the previous battles will have been fought in vain. Besides, if I, the Emperor, don't visit the front line in person, where will the troops get their morale?"

"The host just can't sit still."

"You don't know a damn thing." Li Ling cursed jokingly, stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and lifted the curtain to look outside. Outside, it was a vast expanse of white; snow had been falling for a day and a night, piling up over half a foot thick, and stepping into it would sink up to one's knees. In the distance, the Xing'an Mountains loomed in the snowstorm like a sleeping white dragon.

The tent curtain was lifted again, and a gust of cold wind carrying snow spray poured in, causing the flames in the brazier to jump violently. Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan walked in quickly, wearing a thick military overcoat, with a layer of white frost on the brim of his hat and snow-mud covering his leather boots. He took off his leather gloves, rubbed his stiff, frozen fingers, and gave Li Ling a crisp military salute.

"Your Majesty, the scouts have returned!"

"Speak."

Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan walked to the map and pointed to several markings along the Heilongjiang River, tapping his finger heavily on the map: "The intelligence has been verified. There are about two thousand remnants of the rebel army entrenched in an abandoned gold mine at the foot of the Xing'an Mountains. The leader is a bandit chief named Wang Laoqi. This man has been operating in the Northeast for over twenty years. His subordinates are all desperate outlaws; they are accurate marksmen, ruthless, and commit every evil act from robbery to plunder. They have connections with Japan spies and just received a shipment of weapons and ammunition last month—three Heavy Machine Guns, five hundred rifles, and over a dozen crates of ammunition, all of which are standard-issue equipment from Japan."

"Three Heavy Machine Guns?" Li Ling raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer appearing on the corner of his mouth. "Japan is really going all out. Most of their own arsenals have been bombed to pieces by me, and they still have the heart to send weapons to others?"

"There's more," Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan continued, drawing a circle on the map with his finger. "Our people also discovered that they are expanding their camp, digging trenches, building bunkers, and have laid a minefield at the entrance of the gold mine. It seems they intend to hold out for the long term. Furthermore, they have captured civilians from several nearby villages as hostages, forcing them to build fortifications without feeding them; several have already starved to death. According to the scouts, those villagers are locked inside the mine, including men, women, and children, with the youngest being only five or six years old."

Li Ling's expression darkened.

He hated such scum who used civilians as human shields the most. If you want to fight, then fight; what kind of skill is it to harm the common people? When he traveled to this era, it was to change this state of affairs—to let those beasts who bully the weak know that there are still people on this land who can handle them.

"Have the Special Forces arrived?"

"They have. Commander Zhao Tieshan has brought two squads and has been lurking on the outskirts of the gold mine for three days. They sent two men disguised as hunters to scout the terrain near the gold mine and have drawn a detailed defense plan." Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan pulled a squarely folded piece of paper from his bosom and spread it out next to the map. It was a hand-drawn sketch; although the lines were rough, all the necessary details were there—bunker locations, the orientation of machine gun firing ports, sentry post distribution, minefield range, and hostage detention locations were all clearly marked.

"Have him come over; I want to deploy the plan myself." Li Ling bent over, staring at the sketch with eyes like blades.

Half an hour later, Commander Zhao Tieshan lifted the curtain and entered. He was wrapped in white snow camouflage, with icicles hanging from the brim of his hat and greasepaint on his face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes that looked like two ice-tempered blades. As soon as he entered, he brought in a chill, causing the flames in the brazier to flicker from the cold wind.

"Your Majesty."

"What is the situation?" Li Ling asked directly, without pleasantries.

Commander Zhao Tieshan walked to the map and circled the location of the abandoned gold mine with his finger, his movements precise and restrained: "The gold mine is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one entrance on the south side. The rebels have built two bunkers at the entrance, each equipped with a Heavy Machine Gun, and their crossfire covers the entire valley entrance. The bunkers are built with reinforced concrete, and the roof is over half a meter thick; ordinary artillery shells cannot penetrate them. The interior of the mine has a complex structure with six interconnected tunnels, like a maze. If we clear them one by one, casualties will be heavy."

"Your recommendation?"

"Cut off their water supply." Commander Zhao Tieshan's finger moved to the top right corner of the sketch. "The water source in the mine comes from a spring on the mountaintop, and we have already found that water vein. The spring is about fifty meters above the cliff, and there is a natural fissure leading into the interior of the mine. If we poison the spring or simply destroy the water source, they will have to come out and surrender within three days at most."

Li Ling pondered for a moment and shook his head: "No. They have hostages; cutting off the water will kill the civilians with thirst first. Come up with another plan."

Commander Zhao Tieshan was not surprised, evidently having anticipated this answer. He continued to gesture on the sketch: "Then we can only scale the cliff from the back mountain. The cliff behind the mine is over eighty meters high and almost vertical, but there are some cracks and protrusions on the rock face that can be climbed. If we can infiltrate from the back mountain and take out those two bunkers, the frontal force can charge in."

"What are the risks?"

"The risk is high. Climbing the cliff will take at least three to four hours, and it will be done in the night at minus thirty degrees; the rock face is covered in thick ice, and ice axes slip even when driven in. If we are discovered by the enemy, the brothers on the cliff will be sitting ducks with no path to retreat. Furthermore, the terrain inside the mine is complex. If the first group to enter gets blocked in the tunnels, it will be difficult for follow-up troops to provide support, and the entire force could be wiped out."

Li Ling stared at the map for a long time.

The tent was so quiet that only the crackling of burning wood in the brazier could be heard. The flames flickered, stretching the shadows of the people on the wall to varying lengths. Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan and Commander Zhao Tieshan were both waiting for him to make a decision; neither urged him, simply standing quietly in place, their breath condensing into white mist in the air.

"Use both plans." Li Ling finally spoke, his voice low and decisive. "But change the order. Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan, you lead the main force in a frontal feint, make a big commotion, and make the rebels think we are going to launch a full-scale assault. Have the artillery fire a few volleys to make some noise, but don't hit the core area; just hit the periphery. The Air Force will also circle in the sky and drop a few bombs to scare them. Commander Zhao Tieshan, while their attention is diverted, you sneak up from the back cliff."

"Your Majesty, if we perform a frontal feint..." Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan hesitated. "If the rebels really think we are launching a full-scale assault, they might act like a cornered dog and harm the hostages..."

"That's why you shouldn't actually attack during the feint." Li Ling tapped his finger on the map. "The artillery fire should only hit the periphery, not the core area. The planes will circle in the sky and drop a few bombs to intimidate them psychologically. Make them think we are probing, not launching a total assault. This way, they will hesitate and not dare to easily kill the hostages—they still want to use the hostages as bargaining chips to negotiate with us."

Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan and Commander Zhao Tieshan looked at each other and nodded simultaneously: "Understood."

"The operation time is set for tonight." Li Ling stood up and brushed the non-existent dust off his knees. "Two o'clock in the morning, start on time. Commander Zhao Tieshan, your men will start moving at five in the afternoon; you must reach the bottom of the cliff before dark. I'll give you six hours to climb the cliff, is that enough?"

Commander Zhao Tieshan estimated and nodded: "Enough. But we need extra climbing gear—pitons, ropes, quickdraws; the more, the better."

"There's plenty in the base, go to the warehouse to collect them." Li Ling waved his hand. "Move out."

The night was thick as ink; one could not see one's own hand in front of their face.

In the winter of the Xing'an Mountains, the night temperature can drop to over thirty degrees below zero. The cold wind scraped against their faces like knives, and even their exhaled breath froze on their beards. The snow in the forest was knee-deep, and every step was difficult, but Commander Zhao Tieshan led twenty Special Forces, wearing white snow camouflage, moving silently through the snowy forest like a group of ghosts. Everyone carried climbing gear on their backs—ice axes, ropes, pitons, quickdraws, harnesses, descenders—weighing a total of thirty to forty catties, pressing down on them until they could barely breathe. But no one complained, no one fell behind, and even their breathing was deliberately kept to a minimum. This team had been training together for three years, and every movement was ingrained in their bones.

At 1:40 AM, they reached the bottom of the cliff behind the gold mine.

Commander Zhao Tieshan looked up; the cliff face looked like a huge black curtain in the darkness, piercing straight into the night sky. The rock face was covered with a thin layer of ice, shimmering with a faint cold light under the moonlight, like a huge mirror. Those ice layers shimmered with a deep blue luster under the moonlight; where it was thick, it could cover a finger, and where it was thin, there was only a transparent film of water, but regardless of thickness, it was so slippery that it made one's scalp tingle. A slight carelessness would lead to a slip, falling from eighty meters high and being smashed to pieces. Even worse, the cracks and protrusions on the cliff face were far fewer than he had expected, and in some places, there wasn't a single point of leverage to be found for over ten meters.

"Captain, this thing is not easy to climb." The deputy lay beside him, lowering his voice, his exhaled white breath dispersing into the night sky. "The ice is too thick; the ice axe can't be driven in at all. I tried it just now; one strike only left a white mark, and the ice layer didn't budge."

Commander Zhao Tieshan drew a tactical knife from his waist and scraped the rock face. The blade scraped across the ice, emitting a harsh metallic friction sound, and ice shavings fell with a rustle, shining like broken jade in the moonlight. It revealed the grayish-brown rock underneath; the rock surface was rough and somewhat grainy, but when touched with fingers, it was bone-chillingly cold.

"Use pitons." He said in a low voice, sheathing his knife. "The first group goes up first; drive a piton every five meters and secure the rope. The brothers behind will climb up along the rope. Remember, move lightly and never make any noise. Wrap the hammer head with cloth when driving in the pitons to keep the sound to a minimum."

"Understood."

The three members of the first group began to climb. They clung to the ice like geckos, using ice axes to chisel shallow indentations as footholds, then drove pitons into the rock crevices. Every strike was made with a cloth-wrapped hammer, emitting a dull and faint "tap-tap" sound, which was almost inaudible in the howling wind. Every time they climbed a section, they would hang a rope, clip the quickdraws onto the pitons, and leave them for the brothers behind.

The speed was very slow. In twenty minutes, they had climbed less than twenty meters.

Commander Zhao Tieshan lay at the foot of the mountain, with a miniature earpiece in his ear, listening to the faint sounds coming from above. The sound of ice axes chiseling the rock was brittle from the cold and exceptionally clear in the silent night, but it was mostly masked by the wind. He worried that this sound would reach the mine, but on second thought, the wind here was loud, and the movement on the cliff face would be scattered by the wind, so it should be barely audible by the time it reached the mine. Moreover, the rebels in the mine were currently distracted by the frontal feint; who would pay attention to the back mountain?

Indeed, there was no reaction from the mine.

Forty minutes later, the first group finally reached the top of the cliff. They quickly secured the main rope and threw the ropes down. The remaining Special Forces grabbed the ropes one by one and climbed up silently. The ropes rubbed against the ice, making a slight creaking sound, but the climbers held the ropes with their gloves and used their bodies to block most of the sound waves.

Commander Zhao Tieshan was the third to last to go up. When he grabbed the rope, his hands were so frozen he could barely hold on—even with thickened cold-weather gloves, his finger joints were stiff, like ten icicles. But he gritted his teeth and moved upward bit by bit. The rope slid in his hands, the rough fibers grinding against his palms; even through the thick gloves, he could feel that burning sensation. He dared not look down, only staring at the slowly moving figure ahead, following his rhythm, step by step.

At 3:20 AM, all twenty Special Forces reached the summit.

Commander Zhao Tieshan lay on the edge of the cliff, observing the situation inside the mine with low-light night vision goggles. Everything in the night vision goggles was pale green; the two bunkers at the entrance of the gold mine were clearly outlined, the lights inside were dim yellow, and shadows could be vaguely seen moving. The rebel soldiers were clearly distracted by the frontal feint; most of them were concentrated in the defensive fortifications on the south side, and there was almost no defense in the direction of the back mountain. Occasionally, one or two sentries walked near the entrance, but they were all bundled in overcoats with their necks tucked in, sluggish and completely lacking vigilance.

"They took the bait." Commander Zhao Tieshan's mouth curled into a cold arc.

He made a few gestures, and the twenty Special Forces divided into four groups, sneaking silently toward the mine entrance. The footprints in the snow were carefully smoothed out by them with branches, leaving not a single trace.

When they were fifty meters away from the mine entrance, Commander Zhao Tieshan stopped. He raised his right hand and made a fist; all team members stopped immediately, lying motionless in the snow like white stones.

Twenty meters ahead, a hidden sentry was squatting behind a large rock, smoking. The light of the cigarette butt flickered in the darkness like a dancing firefly. The hidden sentry was wearing a tattered military overcoat, clutching an old-fashioned rifle in his arms, his neck tucked in, occasionally breathing into his palms to warm them. His attention was completely focused on the south—sporadic gunfire and artillery sounds were coming from there; it was Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan's feint.

Commander Zhao Tieshan pointed at the hidden sentry and then at himself. He pulled out a suppressed pistol, loaded subsonic bullets, and then crawled forward on the snow like a snake. The snow was cold, and the chill seeped into his bones through his combat uniform, but he remained motionless, only using his elbows and knees to advance alternately, his body pressed against the ground, almost blending in with the snow.

Ten meters. Five meters. Three meters.

The sentry seemed to sense something and was about to turn his head to check, but Commander Zhao Tieshan had already struck.

His left hand covered the sentry's mouth, and with a swift motion of his right hand, the sharp tactical knife precisely sliced across the throat, entering from the left carotid artery and severing the windpipe—clean and efficient.

Warm blood gushed out, splashing onto the snow, instantly freezing into dark red ice crystals.

The sentry's body slumped down softly, unable to even emit a whimper.

Commander Zhao Tieshan gently laid him flat and dragged him behind a boulder to hide him.

The entire sequence of movements was fluid and seamless; from the initial strike to hiding the body, it took less than ten seconds.

"Sentry eliminated," he whispered into his headset, his voice almost swallowed by the wind.

"Team One has reached the flank of the left bunker."

"Team Two has reached the flank of the right bunker."

"Team Three has sealed the main entrance of the mine."

"Team Four has secured the high ground."

Commander Zhao Tieshan took a deep breath. The cold air filled his lungs, making his mind exceptionally clear, as if doused with a basin of ice water.

"Execute."

Both bunkers were attacked almost simultaneously.

The rebel machine gunner in the left bunker was lying prone before the firing port, staring at the movement ahead, when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck—a steel wire garrote had looped around his throat and tightened violently.

He struggled desperately, his hands flailing in the air, his fingernails digging into the steel wire until blood flowed, but the force behind him was astonishingly strong, clamping his throat like iron pliers.

A few seconds later, his body went limp, his eyes bulging and his tongue protruding from his mouth.

The situation in the right bunker was similar, though the commotion was slightly louder.

Before dying, one rebel soldier kicked over a nearby tin barrel, emitting a loud "clang" that was particularly harsh in the silent night.

A disturbance immediately erupted from within the mine, with someone shouting, "What's that sound?! Go check it out!"

"We've been exposed! Assault!" At Commander Zhao Tieshan's command, twenty Special Forces soldiers opened fire simultaneously.

Suppressed submachine guns spat tongues of fire, their bullets carving brief trails of light in the darkness, flickering like fireflies.

The rebel soldiers rushing out of the mine were mowed down by the dense hail of bullets before they could even spot the enemy.

Some screamed as they fell into pools of blood, the scalding liquid splashing against the cold rock walls and sending up steam; others fled in panic, only to be struck in the back by pursuing bursts of fire; some simply fell to their knees and raised their hands, crying, "Don't kill me, don't kill me."

"Don't get bogged down! Push deeper!" Commander Zhao Tieshan, submachine gun in hand, was the first to charge into the mine.

The interior of the mine was darker than expected.

The overhead light bulbs had been shot out by the Special Forces beforehand, leaving only the faint red glow of emergency lights, bathing the tunnels in a dark crimson hue.

The tunnels were narrow and cramped, less than two meters wide, with damp rock walls on both sides and stalactites hanging from above like the teeth of a monster.

The air was thick with the smell of mold and blood, and the crunch of gravel underfoot sounded amplified to an infinite degree in the silence.

Commander Zhao Tieshan moved quickly along the rock wall, his submachine gun always pointed straight ahead.

Behind him, a dozen Special Forces soldiers filed in, maintaining a standard tactical formation—two-man teams, covering each other, pushing forward.

Their footsteps were deliberately kept to a minimum, with only the sound of rapid breathing echoing through the tunnels.

A figure suddenly emerged from a corner ahead. Commander Zhao Tieshan pulled the trigger without hesitation, and three bullets struck the target precisely in the chest.

Before the man could even react, he fell, his body bouncing once on the gravel.

Immediately afterward, two more people rushed out from behind the corner, only to be shot dead by the deputy following closely behind, the bullets striking their heads and the dull thuds echoing through the tunnel.

"Hostages spotted!" came the urgent voice of a team member in the headset. "At the end of the tunnel to the front right, about thirty people, locked in an iron cage!"

"Cover me!" Commander Zhao Tieshan quickened his pace, his boots making rapid sounds on the gravel.

When they reached the location where the hostages were held, they found three rebel soldiers standing outside an iron cage, pointing their guns at the shivering civilians inside.

The cage was welded from steel bars as thick as a thumb and was less than two meters high, packed with over thirty people, including men, women, and children.

An old woman was curled up in a corner, holding a sleeping child in her arms; her lips were purple from the cold, and her breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Seeing the Special Forces soldiers rush in, the people in the cage let out a wave of suppressed gasps and sobs.

One of the rebel soldiers heard the commotion and turned around, only to see the dark muzzle of a gun.

Terrified, his hand shook, and his gun nearly went off; a bullet grazed the steel bars of the cage, emitting a harsh sound of metal friction.

"Drop your weapons! Otherwise, you will be killed on the spot!" Commander Zhao Tieshan shouted through a loudspeaker, his voice echoing in the tunnel, causing gravel to shower down from the ceiling.

The three rebel soldiers looked at each other. One of them tried to raise his gun to aim, but Commander Zhao Tieshan shot him in the wrist.

The pistol flew a long distance, bouncing twice against the rock wall before landing.

The other two immediately threw down their weapons and squatted on the ground with their hands over their heads, trembling like sieve chaff.

"Open the door!" Commander Zhao Tieshan stepped forward and smashed the iron lock with the butt of his gun.

The lock broke with a loud "clang."

The hostages in the cage let out a burst of gasps and cries.

The old woman who had been curled up in the corner stood up shakily, holding onto the steel bars of the cage, and shuffled to the door step by step.

She fell to her knees before Commander Zhao Tieshan with a thud, tears streaming down her face: "Soldier... Soldier, help! My grandson... My grandson is dying..."

Commander Zhao Tieshan hurriedly helped her up and looked down at the child in her arms.

The child was about four or five years old, with a flushed face, rapid breathing, and a forehead burning with fever.

High fever, dehydration—if they delayed any longer, even if they were rescued, the child might not survive.

"Old lady, don't be afraid. We are the army of the Tang Country, here to save you. You are safe now."

Commander Zhao Tieshan turned and ordered his team members behind him, "Someone, escort the hostages out of the mine. Call for a medic; there's a child with a high fever who needs emergency treatment!"

"Yes!"

Just then, a burst of intense gunfire erupted from deep within the mine, crackling like popping beans, interspersed with the curses of the rebels.

"Report, Captain! We've discovered the main force of the rebels ahead, and they are organizing a counterattack!" came the urgent voice in the headset. "The firepower is heavy; they have a Heavy Machine Gun and have blocked the passage!"

Commander Zhao Tieshan's expression darkened.

The rebels indeed had a trump card. Those three Heavy Machine Guns provided by Japan had been hidden in the deepest part of the mine, waiting for the final counterattack.

Now that the rebels were driven into a corner, they had finally brought out their last resort.

"Team Three, Team Four, with me! Team Two, cover the hostages' retreat!" Commander Zhao Tieshan charged with his gun into the deeper tunnels.

A fierce firefight broke out deep in the mine.

The rebels' Heavy Machine Gun fire was ferocious, the "da-da-da" sound reflecting back and forth in the narrow tunnel, making eardrums ache.

Bullets struck the rock walls, sending gravel flying and sparks scattering, while the air filled with the smell of gunpowder and sulfur.

The Special Forces were pinned down at the corner of the tunnel; every time they poked their heads out, a burst of bullets whizzed past their scalps, making it impossible to advance.

Commander Zhao Tieshan hid behind the rock wall and quickly observed the terrain.

The rebels' Heavy Machine Gun was set up at the corner at the end of the tunnel, with a tricky firing angle that almost completely blocked the passage.

The machine gun was mounted behind a large rock, exposing only the muzzle and the gunner's eyes; the field of view was extremely narrow, but the firepower coverage was extremely wide.

A direct frontal assault would result in at least five or six casualties, if not more.

He thought for a moment, then pulled a flashbang from his waist, pulled the pin, and threw it toward the end of the tunnel.

The flashbang arced through the air and landed behind the rock. "Close your eyes!"

The instant the flashbang exploded, the entire tunnel was as bright as day, followed immediately by a deafening boom that sounded like a thunderclap right next to their ears.

The rebel soldiers were blinded, their ears ringing, unable to see or hear anything.

The Heavy Machine Gun fire ceased abruptly; some were clutching their eyes and screaming, while others stumbled backward.

"Charge!" Commander Zhao Tieshan was the first to rush out, his submachine gun spitting fire.

He fired three shots in succession, the bullets precisely hitting the Heavy Machine Gunner.

The gunner fell to the ground, his finger still hooked on the trigger, firing a crooked burst of bullets that struck the ceiling of the cave, sending gravel cascading down.

Other Special Forces soldiers followed closely behind, flanking from both sides and shooting the rebel soldiers at the corner one by one.

Some tried to surrender, but in the chaos of gunfire, there was no time to shout.

The Heavy Machine Gunner lay in a pool of blood, his eyes still wide open, clearly having died without ever seeing where the enemy had appeared from.

No more gunfire came from the depths of the tunnel.

"All teams, report status." Commander Zhao Tieshan leaned against the rock wall, panting heavily.

His forehead was covered in sweat, which steamed into white mist in the cold air.

His combat uniform was soaked through with sweat, clinging to his skin, icy and bone-chilling.

"Team One, the east tunnel of the mine has been cleared, twelve rebels killed, six captured."

"Team Two, all hostages have been safely evacuated, no casualties. The child with the high fever has been given a fever-reducing injection, and the condition is stable."

"Team Three, the west tunnel of the mine has been cleared, twenty-three rebels killed, fifteen captured."

"Team Four, the core area of the mine is under control, rebel leader Wang Laoqi killed. He put up a desperate resistance in the command post and was killed by a grenade; his body was found in the rubble."

The corner of Commander Zhao Tieshan's mouth curled up: "Well done. All teams, check ammunition, treat the wounded, and seize supplies. We withdraw from the mine in ten minutes."

When he walked out of the mine, the sky was already faintly bright.

A line of fish-belly white appeared on the eastern horizon, dyeing the gray sky a pale cyan.

The snow had stopped, and the wind had died down; the distant Greater Khingan Mountains revealed their outlines in the morning glow, cloaked in silver, breathtakingly beautiful.

On the open ground outside the mine, rebel prisoners were squatting all over, dejected like a patch of frost-bitten eggplants.

Some held their heads and shivered, some sobbed quietly, and some stared blankly at the ground.

The Special Forces were counting the captured weapons and ammunition; three brand-new Heavy Machine Guns were neatly arranged to the side, their barrels still slightly hot, and next to them were hundreds of rifles, over a dozen crates of ammunition, and boxes of canned food, medicine, and clothing—all goods from Japan.

"Captain, the inventory of captured items is ready." The deputy handed over a piece of paper, which rustled in the cold wind.

"Three Heavy Machine Guns, four hundred and twenty rifles, fifteen thousand rounds of ammunition, and various canned goods, medicines, and clothing produced in Japan. There is also a batch of documents containing contact information for Japan agents, records of fund flows, and weapon transport routes—this should be all the proof of their liaison with the rebels."

Commander Zhao Tieshan took the list, glanced at it, and nodded: "Send all these things to the command post; His Majesty needs them. Especially those documents, which can confirm the evidence of Japan's interference."

"Yes!"

When the news reached the command post, Li Ling was eating breakfast.

He held a bowl of millet porridge, dipping salted vegetables into it, and drank it mouthful by mouthful.

The porridge had already gone a bit cold, but he didn't care; he finished it in large gulps and then tore off half a steamed bun to chew on.

Outside the window, the morning sun had fully risen, golden sunlight spilling onto the snow, reflecting a dazzling brilliance and bathing the entire camp in warm colors.

"Report, Your Majesty!" The adjutant lifted the curtain and entered, his face full of excitement, his voice brimming with irrepressible emotion.

"The Special Forces successfully raided the rebel stronghold, annihilating over two thousand enemy troops, killing the leader Wang Laoqi, rescuing over thirty hostages, and seizing a large amount of weapons and ammunition! Our army only suffered three deaths and eleven injuries! The injuries of those wounded are not serious; they have already been bandaged and treated, and there is no danger to their lives."

Li Ling put down his bowl, took the battle report, and quickly read through it, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

He stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and looked at the Greater Khingan Mountains in the distance, illuminated by the morning light. The snow was blinding, and he squinted.

"Good! Well done!" He turned around and patted the adjutant on the shoulder. "Where is Commander Zhao Tieshan?"

"He is currently clearing the battlefield and will be back shortly."

"Tell him to come see me directly when he returns. No need to change clothes; I will wait for him in the tent."

Li Ling walked back to the table, sat down, picked up a pen, and wrote a few words on a piece of white paper: "Northeast rebellion, completely quelled."

When Commander Zhao Tieshan returned to the command post with the Special Forces, Li Ling personally greeted them outside the tent.

He reached out and gripped Commander Zhao Tieshan's icy palm firmly, his eyes full of approval.

"Well done! This battle was fought clean and efficiently—you are truly the sharp blade of our Tang Country!"

A rare smile appeared on Commander Zhao Tieshan's typically stern face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching up: "Your Majesty is too kind. The brothers fought very hard, especially during the cliff-climbing part; one brother had three fingers frozen and cracked, yet he didn't utter a single sound and didn't fall behind the entire time."

"Write it down. Everyone gets a third-class merit; those who performed meritorious service get an additional grade," Li Ling said.

"For the brothers who sacrificed their lives, double the pension. I will arrange for their families; I will never let the families of martyrs suffer the slightest grievance."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Commander Zhao Tieshan saluted and turned to arrange the aftermath.

Li Ling stood at the tent entrance, watching his departing figure, and then looked at the Greater Khingan Mountains in the distance, illuminated by the morning sun, suddenly feeling that the heavy stone that had been pressing on his chest for a long time had loosened a little.

He turned and walked into the tent, sat at the table, picked up a pen, and modified a few words on a newly drafted telegram.

The telegram was to be sent to Jinling: "Northeast rebels have been completely purged; captured various Japan weapons and ammunition, confirming evidence of Japan's interference. The next step is to prepare to move south and mop up the southern rebellion. National unification is just around the corner."

After writing the last word, he put down his pen and let out a long breath.

The wind outside the window suddenly stopped, and the world was silent, save for the shouts of soldiers counting spoils of war in the distance, sounding exceptionally crisp in the cold morning air.

[Host, the Northeast has been pacified.] The system's voice sounded in his mind, rarely carrying a hint of gentleness.

"Hmm." Li Ling leaned back in his chair, looking at the top of the tent. "The Japan agents have been wiped out, and the chaos in the Northeast is completely quelled. Next, it's time to deal with the South."

[Those great powers will not give up so easily.]

"Let them come." Li Ling stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The cold wind poured in, blowing the papers on the table with a rustling sound, but he did not close the window, letting the cold wind hit his face.

"Kill one for every one that comes, kill a pair for every two that come. I want to see if their blood is thick enough."

Outside the window, the morning sun had fully risen, lighting up the entire snowfield in gold.

The distant Greater Khingan Mountains appeared exceptionally majestic in the morning light, like a giant dragon coiled on the land of the Northeast.

A new day had begun, and a new battle was about to commence.