Chapter 7 Chapter 6: The Devil in the Cave: The Ghostly Wind and Ghost Fire Military Academy Talent Wu Lue Wentao

Zhang Yunqing thought carefully, the only way to find out the details of the village is to first look at the footprints on the road.If there are the same number of footprints in both directions, it proves that Zhang Guangwen has left, otherwise, the village has already fallen into Zhang Guangwen's hands.He took out the flashlight and bent down to shine it as low as possible.The footprints are so scattered that they are almost indistinguishable.Just at this moment, shouts erupted everywhere, and countless flashlights came to shine on them, and the hills on both sides were full of Qiu Ba from the Regiment Defense Bureau... Zhang Guangwen shouted loudly: "Don't move, hand in your gun and don't kill!"

"I didn't lie to you," Pu Huer said, "there is no hero who is invincible in all battles. On the contrary, the last hero stands out from countless failures! Without failure, there will be no success. This is The most basic truth. A real man is not one who enjoys victory after victory, but one who can bear defeat after defeat.” Zhang Yunqing suddenly opened his arms and hugged Hu'er tightly and said: "You are so reasonable. You are worthy of being born in a scholarly family. With you by my side, I have enough confidence to bear the failure!" A tear dripped down his cheek, falling On the woman's forehead, Pu Hu'er instinctively reached out to wipe it.He said embarrassedly, "Hu'er, I'm crying, you won't laugh at me, will you?"

"This is real." Pu Hu'er raised her face and said, "The more real a man is, the more vulnerable he is. By the way, you are very cute!" This time, the two were in love with each other and devoted themselves to each other, melting each other... A few days later, Yin Dongbo, Xie Laogou and his party of twelve returned.They each rode a fine horse, disassembled the gun into parts and hid the saddle.In addition, they brought back good news.Yin Dongbo said to him: "Uncle Man, Lu Rongting was defeated by Chen Jiongming. There are stragglers everywhere in Guangxi, and a large number of guns and ammunition are scattered among the people. They are very cheap! This time we went all the way from Quanzhou to Guilin, Liuzhou, and Nanning, and finally we found the Sino-Vietnamese border. Jingxi and Pingxiang have more and cheaper guns. You can buy a Hanyang gun and 20 rounds of ammunition for only ten yuan. "

In the joyful atmosphere, Zhang Yunqing appeared calmer.He reminded himself that the more proud he was, the more he had to remember the tears he dripped on Pu Hu'er's forehead that night, and remember the unforgettable words Hu'er said: "A real man is not one who enjoys victory after winning , but to be able to bear failure after failure.” He told himself: This time Yin Dongbo was able to return with a lot of rewards, but he won by luck. After Yin Dongbo finished speaking triumphantly and spitting, Zhang Yunqing said: "You have gone too far, and I am worried all day long. In case something goes wrong, how can I explain to your relatives, how can I explain to Mu Yun under the spring?" Confession?" After speaking, his tears fell like broken beads.

All the gangsters lowered their heads.Yin Dongbo and Xie Laogou were stunned for a moment, and tears flowed from their eyes.Yin Dongbo choked up for a long time before he could say a word: "Uncle Man, although you didn't praise us, we feel warm and caring with this sentence..." Then, the twelve gangsters who had just returned from a long journey in Guangxi also choked up together. "Okay!" Zhang Yunqing wiped away tears, waved her hand and said, "Go and rest!" After speaking, she turned her head and left. Zhang Yunqing's luck was indeed very good. This time, his desperate gamble not only earned back a batch of good guns, but also won back more than a dozen subordinates who would be loyal to him in the future.

A few days later, Zhang Yunqing's bandit group expanded to more than 60 people and more than 40 guns.This is a bandit gang in the green forest of Western Hunan.And such gangsters are often the key targets of the government.Because if they are not extinguished, they will soon grow to a hundred people with guns, and the forces can already compete with the county government's volunteer corps, so it will not be so easy to suppress them. The top priority of Zhang Yunqing's bandit gang is to quickly storm the Huangqiaopu Regiment Defense Bureau, capture those two machine guns and thirty rifles, break through hundreds of barriers, and form an indestructible force in the local area.

After reorganization, the second step is to distribute weapons. In addition to the original gangsters, there are 20 newcomers who can share rifles.At the backbone meeting, everyone agreed that guns should be distributed to those with good military qualities. Only Deng Lianjia said that guns are the life of the group and should not be distributed to unreliable people casually.People's hearts are separated from each other, and no one can guarantee that all newcomers will be loyal.Therefore, he suggested that if a new bandit wants to get a gun, in addition to the guarantee of the old bandit, he must also hand over fifteen dans of grain as a "mortgage".

This move won the approval of Zhang Yunqing, so he made a decision immediately.After the meeting, Yin Dongbo asked Zhang Yunqing in private: "What is the background of that new face who spoke just now?" Zhang Yunqing answered truthfully.Yin Dongbo said: "It is indeed a rare talent, but it cannot be reused without passing the test of 'dog days'." Zhang Yunqing nodded: "I will be measured." Yin Dongbo asked again: "When can we act?" Zhang Yunqing analyzed: "Our supplies are limited, and we can't delay any longer. When Huangqiaopu was stormed, in addition to winning guns, we can also solve problems such as cotton clothes, quilts, salt, and kerosene. Let's decide in October."

Yin Dongbo said: "The problem of provision is easy to handle. I have more than 4,000 oceans left after I came back from Guangxi, which is enough to spend for a while. In my opinion, the best time is to be in the twelfth lunar month. At that time, every family is busy celebrating the New Year. With two or three catties of pork in reserve, the New Year’s regiment defense bureau is also lax.” "Then let's set it in the twelfth lunar month." Zhang Yunqing said, "This matter must be kept secret, including the brothers. Don't reveal the slightest word until the day of the action."

"I know." "You call the drill right away, the situation of the regiment defense bureau must be found out in advance. In a war, you must know yourself and your enemy." Zhang Yunqing said. Zhang Yunqing now has a separate hut.He had only smoked two bags of cigarettes when he got back to the house, when Zhang Zuanzi came.As soon as Zhang Zuanzi entered the door, he was choked by Lao Hanyan and sneezed all over the sky. He pouted and said, "By the way, what is your status, and you still smoke Lao Hanyan. Who in our line of work doesn't eat opium (opium?)" Zhang Yunqing knocked on the bong, signaled Zhang Zuanzi to sit down, and sighed: "You just started, how can you enjoy it? You came just in time. I haven't been to Huangqiaopu for a long time. Can you go to inquire about information?"

Zhang Zuanzi shook his body and said, "Who else can do this job except me?" "What I'm worried about is that the present is different from the past. Zhang Guangwen knows you, and your dignity is easy for others to remember. Once you are caught, it will be a loss of your head." "You don't believe me? To be honest, I don't need to show my face when I go to inquire about information. I made a best friend in Huangqiaopu. If I go to his house at night, I can get all the information I need." Zhang Yunqing breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, tonight you go to inquire about Zhang Guangwen's internal situation." Zhang Zuanzi had been away for two days, and Zhang Yunqing happened to be holding a key meeting in the middle of the night to deploy an attack on Huangqiaopu. The bandit leaders believed that since Zhang Guangwen was a student, he had no commanding ability, and he was promoted quickly, so he would not be convinced from bottom to top in the regiment defense bureau, which would definitely affect the combat effectiveness.With the current strength, it is more than enough to deal with the regiment defense. Just when I was talking about excitement, I saw Zhang Zuanzi came back. Zhang Yunqing stood up and said, "Duanzi, sit down first, and then slowly introduce the situation over there." Zhang Zuanzi sat down and said with a serious face: "Brothers, our estimate was wrong, Zhang Guangwen is not an idiot!" Zhang Zuanzi's words were astonishing, and all the bandits were stunned. Wait for the next sentence. "After he became the commander-in-chief of the regimental defense bureau, he quickly subdued the troops with the method of kindness and force. Then, he resolutely rectified, drove those who were unwilling to obey the regiment defense bureau, recruited new members from the society, and formulated a new policy. Compared with the past, the current regiment defense bureau is simply heaven and earth. In addition to the strict military appearance and orderly internal management, there are many reward and punishment systems to encourage training and meritorious deeds. Qiu Ba never gambled or left the team. Outsiders come in." When Zhang Yunqing used to be a cowherd in Zhang Guanghuo's family, Zhang Guangwen was studying outside and rarely went home. Later, he continued to study.Hearing what Zhang Zuanzi said, Zhang Yunqing almost didn't believe it: "Zhang Guangwen is a scholar, how did he learn this?" Zhang Zuanzi opened his mouse eyes and said: "These years, do you know what books he read outside?" Zhang Yunqing shook his head. "After graduating from Wugang, he went to the north to study in Baoding Military Academy." Zhang Zuanzi spattered, and said, "After studying for two years, he became a company commander. Because he was not acclimatized, he had to go home. At this moment, Mu Yun led his brothers to rape his family, and his elder brother Zhang Guanghuo sent his younger brother to the Regiment Defense Bureau in a fit of rage." If Zhang Yunqing realized something, he asked again: "How did he become the chief soldier?" Zhang Zuanzi shook his head: "My friend didn't find out clearly either, but only knew that when Liu Yi was promoted, Zhang Guanghuo sold ten acres of fertile land to Zhang Shuncai." Zhang Yunqing nodded and said, "It really is a powerful character!" "He has something even better!" Zhang Zuanzi said, "He guessed that one day we would have his idea, so he made preparations early, increased troops, prepared ammunition, and secretly colluded with Zhang Shuncai to sign a cooperation treaty, especially When it comes to the end of the year, beware of our actions!" Zhang Yunqing and Yin Dongbo looked at each other.Only the two of them had discussed about the Spring Festival operation, and even Zhang Yakou didn't know about it.Zhang Yunqing asked: "Why did he say that we will act at the end of the year?" "Because of the New Year, every household has some New Year's goods, which are more lucrative than usual. Zhang Guangwen inferred based on this." Zhang Zuanzi said. Zhang Yunqing took a deep breath, and had to admire Zhang Guangwen's mastery of things.Now, I have just taken the first step. I thought the second step would be easy, but I didn't expect it to be more difficult. "This is a difficult role to deal with." Yin Dongbo scratched his scalp and said, "Having such obstacles in the way is very detrimental to our development." "How about this," Zhang Yakou suggested, "Let's just avoid the important ones, bypass him, and find another weak regiment defense bureau to eat." The leaders expressed their opinions, and finally fixed their eyes on Zhang Yunqing's face.Zhang Yunqing knows that at critical moments, the leader is the soul of everyone, his calmness can give everyone strength and hope, and his depression will make everyone lose confidence.He suppressed the distress in his heart and said calmly: "I also admit that Zhang Guangwen is capable, but he is not a god who descended from the sky. As long as he is a person who eats whole grains, there is nothing to be afraid of. Don't we also have hands and feet? Brothers , if the opponent is vulnerable, what's the interest in fighting him? I just wish that Zhang Guangwen was a somewhat angular character!" The gangsters were really encouraged by him, and they no longer had any fear.Zhang Yunqing went on to say: "Of course, when I say I'm not afraid of him, I don't mean to fight recklessly. That's not what I mean. Throughout the ages, it's usually warriors and barbarians who fight recklessly on the battlefield! True heroes must fight wits and bravery! " The gangsters knew that Zhang Yunqing must have some tricks up their sleeves, so they all raised their ears and waited for the next sentence. Zhang Yunqing paused, and really came up with a clever plan: "Our goal is to take revenge, and the second is to seize guns. As long as we achieve our goal, we can use any means—I am going to capture Zhang Guanghuo's family, young and old, and force Zhang Guangwen to leave Wugang. When the regiment defense bureau has no leader, deal another heavy blow!" "Wonderful!" The gangsters clapped their hands and praised. Zhang Guanghuo and Zhang Yunqing live together in Shibei Zhang's house, with Zishui in front of the door and Ma'anshan in the back.Around the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the ancestors surnamed Zhang moved from Jiangxi.It was the largest migration in history. The common people of Jiangxi Province moved to Hunan, the residents of Hunan moved to Sichuan, and the people of Sichuan moved to Jiangxi.Tens of millions of people in these three provinces left their homes almost at the same time and moved to a new place forever.This action was known in history as "Jiangxi fills Hunan, Hunan fills Sichuan, and Sichuan fills Jiangxi".In doing so, it is said that the emperor was afraid that people in one place would unite to rebel, so he scattered them to other provinces. In a new place, apart from not being familiar with each other, there would inevitably be conflicts between them because of "planting flags and occupying land", which made it difficult to unite Unanimous rebellion.It can be seen that the emperor at that time tried his best to consolidate the regime. The ancestors of the Zhang family moved to Hengyang, Hunan. Because they came too late, all the good places were occupied by people. One of them went westward without stopping, and finally occupied a land of about ten miles in Northeast Township, Wugang Prefecture at that time. So he settled down here.They are the ancestors of Zhang Yunqing. Zhang Yunqing and Zhang Guanghuo originally belonged to the same clan, but because of their age and the distance between them was too great, they could hardly be called by each other.In addition, Zhang Guanghuo's family is rich and has hundreds of acres of fertile land, while Zhang Yunqing's family is impoverished, so there is only a relationship between the rich and the poor. Don't gossip.However, Zhang Yunqing was going to kidnap Zhang Guanghuo's family in order to contain and coerce Zhang Guangwen. On a dark night in the winter of 1921, Zhang Yunqing led Yin Dongbo, Zhang Yakou and more than 20 bandits, armed with live ammunition, braved the cold wind and drizzle, and rode to Zhang's house on the back of the stone. On Shibei, Zhang Guanghuo’s residence covers an area of ​​more than two acres. It is beautiful and luxurious, with a quadrangular patio with two fronts and two horizontals. There are two stone lions bought from Dong’an at the entrance.Zhang Yunqing has been going in and out through this door since she was ten years old.At that time, in his mind, Zhang Guanghuo was the richest man in the world, and his envy and admiration disappeared only after he got married and started a business, and met a richer man outside. A road leads directly to the main entrance of the mansion.At this time, the weather was not good, and the rain was getting heavier and heavier. Zhang Yunqing originally planned not to startle the snake, but to block off the surrounding area to prevent anyone from escaping over the wall.Now it cannot proceed as planned.Zhang Yunqing got off his horse at the main entrance, tied the horse to the trough door, and then fired a few shots into the sky, leading the crowd to shout in unison: "Don't move, you are all surrounded!" Zhang Yunqing led the crowd into the inner room, which is the place he is most familiar with.But soon, he felt bad—the house was empty, without a single valuable thing, and Zhang Guanghuo's family also disappeared... All the bandits were dumbfounded.Obviously, Zhang Guangwen had been on guard for a long time and transferred all his family and property. An unknown fire surged from Zhang Yunqing's chest.He gritted his teeth and said, "Brothers, light a fire and burn this shrine!" So, the gangsters rushed to light the fire.But there was not even a single piece of dry wood in the huge house.With great difficulty, I found a pile of rotten clothes from the inner room. The fire was set up, but due to the rainy and humid after winter, and the heavy rain at night, it was impossible to form a burning trend. Zhang Yunqing was even more enraged, determined to burn down the house.He ordered Zhang Yakou and Yin Dongbo to go to the village to find kerosene.At this moment, a horse came galloping in the rain, and the man on the horse rode the horse while shouting: "My lord, it's bad, the big thing is bad!" The person who came was Deng Lianjia.Zhang Yunqing was taken aback, and asked: "Deng Lianjia, why don't you guard the village with Xie Laogou, what are you doing here?" Deng Lianjia got off his horse, wiped his face with rain and said, "My lord, something is wrong. After you came out, Zhang Guangwen and Zhang Shuncai came to attack our village. The battle was very fierce. Xie Laogou couldn't stand it, so I came here to report to you! " The gangsters turned pale with shock, Zhang Yunqing waved and said: "Go, go back to Yanziyan immediately!" More than 20 fast horses braved the wind and rain, galloped all the way, and returned to the mountain gate in more than two hours.At this time, there were still sporadic gunshots in the direction of Yanziyan. Because the road leading to Yanziyan is narrow, horses cannot be ridden. For convenience, Zhang Yunqing ordered the horses to be taken to Mei Man's family.He led his troops back to their lair without stopping. At this time, the heavy rain stopped, the gangsters were all wet, and the road was slippery and difficult to walk. In order not to expose the target, the flashlight was not used.Fortunately, it is a familiar road, but it is inevitable to wrestle from time to time. Zhang Yunqing was impatient and worried about the battle situation.No enemy troops were seen along the way. It is estimated that the enemy has either returned or captured Yanziyan.Zhang Yunqing shuddered. With Zhang Guangwen's military ability, he must have made careful arrangements beforehand, and he came prepared.Can Xie Laogou hold on?Once the old nest that was finally established is taken away, it will become a bereaved dog from now on. Zhang Yunqing thought carefully, the only way to find out the details of the village is to look at the footprints on the road.If the footprints in the front and back directions are equal, it proves that Zhang Guangwen has left, otherwise, the village has already fallen into Zhang Guangwen's hands.He took out the flashlight from his pocket and bent down to shine it as low as possible.The footprints are scattered and almost indistinguishable.Just at this moment, there was a burst of shouting from all over the place, and countless flashlights shone over, and the hills on both sides were full of Qiu Ba from the Regiment Defense Bureau... Zhang Guangwen shouted loudly: "Don't move, hand in your gun and don't kill!" The words are divided into two parts, but it is said that a man is not rich without windfall, and a horse is not fat without night grass.Zhang Guangwen's father used to have no tiles on the roof and no land to insert needles on. He lived on the land of the tenant landlord's family. He was still alone at the age of thirty.After being matched by others, she married Taohua, a good prostitute in Wugang City.Tao Hua has saved a little during her career as a prostitute, coupled with her knowledge and intelligence, she plans to open a shop after she gets married.Because of his bad reputation in the local area, he was afraid of being laughed at behind his back, so he stayed away from his hometown and opened a small inn in Zhijiang, Xiangxi, called "Youshengchun". At the beginning of the opening of "Youshengchun", the business was not booming and could only be maintained. In the spring of 1841, the spring water flooded, and the Zhijiang River rose several feet.One day, Taohua went to the pier to wash clothes, and saw a customer coming by boat, and asked which shop had the best reputation in Zhijiang City.Taohua is a smart person, knowing that the other party wants to stay in a hotel, so she strongly advocates "spring again". It was late, and the guest really found him and stayed at "Youshengchun".The customer claimed that his surname was Liu, from Zhijiang Dongxiang, and he had been selling tea outside for many years. Due to the recent slump in business, he had to live in the city for a while.The next day, Mr. Liu went out for a trip, and indeed he shipped thirteen loads of goods, and Taohua vacated a warehouse just for him. Mr. Liu lived for more than ten days, and suddenly suffered from homesickness, and wanted to go home to visit his wife and children.Before leaving, he paid half a month's rent in advance and claimed to come back to pick up the goods in half a month. Half a month passed in a blink of an eye, but Mr. Liu did not come back.Tao Hua guessed that something might happen at home and it would take a few days to delay.Who would have thought that another half month had passed, and there was still no news.Opening an inn relies on serving a lot to attract customers. Taohua persuaded her husband, "Mr. Liu hasn't come back yet, and the dozen or so loads he put here may have gone moldy. It's not easy for us to dismantle his goods in private. Dongxiang is far from here." It's only a day's journey, so you might as well tell him." Lao Zhang is an honest man, and he listened to his wife.Early the next morning, after breakfast, I put on hemp rope and straw sandals and went to Liu's house in Dongxiang.In the evening, he finally found Mr. Liu's house, but the door was guarded by General Tie.Lao Zhang thought that there would be his relatives nearby, so he yelled loudly. The neighbors all stuck their heads out through the cracks in the doors or windows, but they didn't answer, which made Lao Zhang very strange. At this time, an old farmer happened to go out with his plow, and he told Lao Zhang, "Guest officer, it's useless if you call, no one will agree." "Brother, where did Mr. Liu go?" "He, he went there to enjoy himself half a month ago." The old farmer pointed to the opposite hillside. Lao Zhang was shocked. The hillside was a cemetery, and there was indeed a new tomb on the cemetery. "How did he get there?" The old farmer shook his head and sighed: "Maybe it's heatstroke. He is lucky, he hasn't come back for several years, and finally he didn't die outside." Lao Zhang felt sad and asked again: "Who else is there in his family?" "No." The old farmer shook his head, "I have a wife and a daughter who is a few years old. His wife remarried a few days ago, and his daughter was taken away." Lao Zhang stopped asking, turned around and left.After walking a few steps, the old farmer stopped him: "Guest officer, where are you from, why do you want to find Mr. Liu?" Although Lao Zhang was honest, he was not stupid, and replied: "I am the boss of 'Youshengchun' in Zhijiang City. Mr. Liu owed me some rent and said he would pay it to me in half a month, but it has been more than a month. Ask for it. Now that everyone is dead, what kind of debt is there to ask for? No matter, no matter!" Lao Zhang returned home and told his wife the whole story.Only then did the couple open the warehouse to look at the thirteen loads of goods.Taohua tore off a layer of oil paper, and the two of them were stunned—what kind of tea is this? At that time, Lin Zexu was banning smoking in Guangdong and Guangxi, and this batch of goods escaped from the Humen smoking campaign.Taohua has seen the world and knows the price. This treasure has risen to the point that every tael can be exchanged for half a tael of gold! Taohua remained calm, and cleverly sold thirteen loads of opium by using the officials and rich people she met in the entertainment venue, bought an entire street in Zhijiang, opened a money bank, a silk store, a grocery store, and a paper store. ... and asked her husband to take some of the money back to his hometown, and bought 600 acres of high-quality fertile land from the Zhang family in Shibei, and became a wealthy man. The peach blossoms have not yet given birth, although they pray to gods and worship Buddha everywhere, but it doesn't work.Lao Zhang was anxious and didn't dare to speak.More than ten years later, Peach Blossom was old and had no choice but to buy a concubine Yao Shi for her husband. In 1857, the Yao family gave birth to a son, named Zhang Guanghuo, styled Yaozu.Not long after, Yao was sold far away by Taohua, but she loved Guanghuo very much and regarded it as her own. Zhang Guanghuo lived a well-fed life in his childhood and youth, and studied in private schools for several years.His father wanted him to seek fame, but he didn't like reading by nature, and his mother doted on him, so Lao Zhang had nothing to do.Later, Taohua passed away, and Lao Zhang, who was over sixty years old, married again to fill in the house and gave birth to a son named Guangwen.Zhang Guangwen's name has a history.It turned out that although Lao Zhang was rich in the whole city in Zhijiang, he had no status.A wanderer in the city made friends with Zhang Guanghuo and took the opportunity to steal a hundred taels of silver from the Zhang family.Zhang's family had already got all the stolen goods, so they reported it to the government. Who would have thought that there was a juror in the thief's house.They brought Dingzi to the court, plausibly saying that they are a family of poetry and books, and a family of etiquette, how could they be a thief and accuse the Zhang family of framing.As a result, the government hit Lao Zhang with a hundred slaps and ordered him to pay several hundred taels of silver.Although Lao Zhang was angry, he was helpless. He vowed to let his children and grandchildren study and seek fame.Just at this time, he filled in the house and gave birth to a baby boy, named Zhang Guangwen. Zhang Guangwen was very smart since he was a child, and he could recite several times in private school, so he was loved by his parents and elder brother.Lao Zhang is old, and knowing that he will die soon, he often tells Guanghuo: You must take good care of your younger brother.Zhang Guanghuo lived up to his father's expectations. After his father passed away, he loved his younger brother very much. When Zhang Guangwen was a teenager, the Qing Dynasty fell, but soon after, the Chinese people were drawn into the vortex of warlord disputes.There was chaos and bandits everywhere, and the Zhang family naturally became the target of bandits' kidnapping and extortion.Zhang Guanghuo was kidnapped by bandits several times, and each time he spent a lot of money to redeem him. After learning from the pain, he pinned his hopes on his younger brother. In addition to asking him to study, he also told him to join the military if he had the opportunity. Only with a gun can he keep his property. In order to train his younger brother, Zhang Guanghuo entrusted Zhijiang's business to a trustworthy butler, and moved his family back to Wugang. Wugang is a famous historical city. It was the first to get the atmosphere, the culture was advanced, and the information was well-informed.When Zhang Guangwen came back from Zhijiang, he enrolled in Dongting Middle School. This is the largest and earliest foreign school in southwestern Hunan. The school subscribes to "Shenbao", "Ta Kung Pao", "Oriental Magazine" and Nanjing Dada Publishing House to introduce the new era. All kinds of books on ideological trends, and the communication with the outside world is very flexible. After graduating from Dongting Middle School, Zhang Guangwen was admitted to Baoding Military Academy.In the few years outside, he served as the captain and company commander of Wu Peifu's department.Because he was pampered and pampered since he was a child, he could not bear the dry and severe cold in the north, and the most important thing was that he was tired of the scramble among the warlords, so he abandoned his official position and returned to his hometown, waiting for the opportunity. When Zhang Guangwen returned to his hometown, he was ransacked by Zhang Muyun. Brother Zhang Guanghuo watched over him and cried.Although the elder brother didn't blame him, he felt a wave of heart-wrenching pain.He sighed that he was a handsome man, but he failed his father and brother's expectations, and couldn't even protect his family members.He said to Zhang Guanghuo: "Brother, don't cry, my brother is also a man of knowledge, and has seen the world to some extent outside. I understand what you mean. It's too late today, and you must send a generous gift to the regiment defense bureau tomorrow morning. Invite the chief soldier to dinner, my brother has his own arrangements." According to Zhang Guanghuo's words, Liu Yi really became the guest of Zhang's family that night. At first, Liu Yi only thought of Zhang Guangwen as a playboy and wanted to get close to him, but after talking with him, he was surprised.Zhang Guangwen speaks well, knows everything about astronomy and geography, and especially knows the current situation like the palm of his hand, such as Sun Yat-sen, Huang Xing, Wang Jingwei, Song Jiaoren, Yuan Shikai, Zhang Zuolin, Wu Peifu, Chiang Kai-shek... A lot of names were casually mentioned, and he showed his notebook casually , that has the signatures of these influential figures on it. Liu Yi was astonished and sighed, and asked Zhang Guangwen why he didn't stay in the army, show his ambitions, and become the second local celebrity after General Cai E.Zhang Guangwen talked eloquently, saying that he was just a scholar and could not be compared with Cai E. A person like Cai E only appeared once in thousands of years. Bring up the second. Liu Yi was born as a bandit and was superstitious about Fengshui. When Zhang Guangwen talked about Fengshui, he immediately changed the topic to this.Who would have thought that Zhang Guangwen also has a lot of research on Fengshui and gossip.Speaking of the end, Zhang Guangwen said that he didn't want to stay in the army because he wanted to sit and watch the current situation.Liu Yi was full of praise: "Sure enough, he is a generation of great talents. Wugang is really a place where dragons and tigers are hidden!" All praises, if there is no benefit, he, Liu Yi, will not easily make friends with others.During the dinner, Zhang Guangwen revealed the background of the Zhang family to him intentionally or unintentionally. He was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth, and secretly sighed that there was a huge wealth hidden under his nose, but he didn't know it.Next, he secretly figured out that it is best to pull this kind of person by his side, "the moon is the first to get the moon if you are close to the water". If you want to take advantage of the rich, at least you have to get closer.He took the initiative to invite Zhang Guangwen to join the regiment defense bureau, and also hinted that he would be promoted to the county to serve as the deputy of the volunteer army corps, and there was no candidate for the position of the regiment defense chief.He drank a glass of wine with his neck back, and said: "Brother Guangwen is a talented student of the Baoding Military Academy. Of course, he doesn't look down on the position of the small commander. However, in my opinion, since Brother Guangwen went home and watched the situation, It’s better to temporarily go to the regiment defense bureau to mess around.” Zhang Guangwen declined at first, knowing that Liu Yi would not give up on him, so he purposely whetted his appetite.Sure enough, Liu Yi insisted on inviting him, so Zhang Guangwen agreed. When Zhang Guangwen first arrived at the regiment defense bureau, Liu Yizheng was troubled by something.A new gangster who called himself "Huang Dashun" committed many crimes. First, he killed the family of the local rich man Tan Bangcai, and then harassed the whole township.The Hunan Provincial Government ordered Wugang County Magistrate Zhao Rong to wipe out Huang Dashun as soon as possible, and "Ta Kung Pao" also paid great attention to this matter.Under the pressure of all parties, Liu Yi felt like a thorn in his back. Once the banditry could not be eliminated, let alone promotion, he might not even be able to hold the position of commander in chief.Therefore, he cursed Zhong Banxian as a charlatan. Liu Yi pulled Zhang Guangwen, in addition to coveting his money, but also hoped that he would help him eliminate banditry.Zhang Guangwen entered the regiment defense bureau, and his talents were quickly shown. At that time, the most troublesome thing for Liu Yi was that he didn't know why "Huang Dashun" was sacred, so he couldn't suppress it.Based on the clue that Huang Dashun killed Tan Bangcai's family, Zhang Guangwen figured out that Huang Dashun was probably Zhang Muyun, and his accomplice was a fellow villager who went with him to serve as a soldier in the Lu Rongting Department of Guangxi. This estimate was quickly confirmed.Soon, someone came to the regiment defense bureau to report the situation of the bandits in Ma'anshan, and suggested that they should be suppressed as soon as possible.But to Zhang Guangwen's surprise, the person who betrayed Zhang Muyun was actually his uncle Zhang Yunqing. In order to find out the details and avoid being fooled, Zhang Guangwen went home and asked his brother about Zhang Yunqing's details.When Zhang Guanghuo heard this, he immediately affirmed: "There is no need to doubt, this matter is very suitable for Zhang Yunqing's personality. He is extremely selfish and vicious. When he was eight years old, he killed his elder brother Zhang Shunfeng with a knife in order to fight for fish!" Because Zhang Guangwen has been away from home for many years, he doesn't know the inside story: "Even if Zhang Yunqing can do everything, he should have a purpose in betraying his nephew." "Of course there is a purpose. Zhang Muyun snatched Tan Bangcai's concubine to become Mrs. Yazhai. This woman is more beautiful than Echang and beautiful. Zhang Yunqing has always coveted her. If Zhang Muyun is not dead, he will have no chance." Zhang Guangwen suddenly realized, and immediately went back to the Regiment Defense Bureau to ask Liu Yi to encircle and suppress with peace of mind. In order to be safe, he also suggested to contact Zhang Shuncai.But this time, Zhang Muyunfu was so desperate that he escaped from the eastern foot of Ma'an Mountain during the siege, and set up a stronghold at Yanziyan, the mountain gate at the entrance of the cave. Although Zhang Muyun left Liu Yi's jurisdiction and no longer harassed the local area, Liu Yi felt deeply sorry for losing this opportunity to make meritorious service.Zhang Guangwen comforted him: "It's not too late to make up for it. Mr. Liu just needs to be ready to hunt and kill." Liu Yi was not very talented, so he didn't immediately understand Zhang Guangwen's meaning.Zhang had no choice but to explain: "Zhang Yunqing did not achieve his expected goal this time, and he will try every means to send Zhang Muyun to your gun." Sure enough, Zhang Yunqing visited late at night and reported that Zhang Muyun had come to attack the regiment defense bureau.Liu Yi was even more impressed by Zhang Guangwen's foresight.On the day when he cut off Zhang Muyun's head and went to the county seat to ask for credit, Liu Yi personally handed over the power of the regiment defense bureau to Zhang Guangwen. There is no fixed number of official affairs.In order to secure his position as the commander-in-chief of the regiment defense bureau, Zhang Guangwen asked his brother to sell ten acres of fertile land and hand it over to Liu Yi to take care of it in the county.Zhang Guangwen's family originally had money, but he sold the land to create a false impression for his neighbors that his family had no money. Before Liu Yi left, he asked everyone to obey Zhang Guangwen.Those veteran bosses were resistant, Liu Yi revealed Zhang Guangwen's background, Qiu Ba and others heard that Zhang Guangwen was a graduate of Baoding Military Academy, so how dare they refuse to accept it. Liu Yi went to the county seat and was soon promoted to the deputy captain of the Volunteer Army.Zhang Guangwen's official promotion to the chief of the Huangqiaopu Regiment Defense Bureau was also delivered. When Zhang Guangwen took office, he predicted that Zhang Yunqing would kill him.In order to obtain accurate information, while rectifying and training the regiment's defense bureau, he also planned to find a reliable candidate to sneak into the mountain gate and break into Zhang Yunqing's interior. Zhang Guangwen thought of an old classmate of his at Dongting Middle School, Deng Lianjia from Fuchong Township, Wugang.Deng Lianjia is not good at reading, but he can speak well, has a wide range of friends, and knows many friends of all schools and schools, and is very smart and capable. Zhang Guangwen immediately sent his confidant Zheng Zhengliang to invite Deng Lianjia, and told him: "This matter must be kept secret, and no word of it will be leaked!" Two days later, Zheng Xueliang brought Deng Lianjia to see Zhang Guangwen late at night.The two old classmates hadn't seen each other for five or six years. This reunion made each other happy.After recounting the old relationship, Zhang Guangwen asked, "Brother Deng, where is the job now?" Deng Lianjia suddenly put on a straight face and said, "Brothers are so commonplace, we don't need false politeness. If you still treat me as a bosom friend, just call me by my old nickname!" Zhang Guangwen was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, and shouted: "'Fat Rou', you haven't changed, you still have the same personality as expected!" "Fat meat" is Deng Lianjia's nickname, and this nickname has a history.When he was in junior high school at Dongting Middle School, because Deng Lianjia was very good at flattering the head teacher, carrying water, sweeping the floor, holding children for the head teacher, and being funny and generous, the head teacher arranged for him to be the head teacher.Once, a geography teacher asked about the content of the previous class: "What is the main product of Australia?" As soon as the words fell, Deng Lianjia stood up and replied in the loudest voice: "Mainly produce men and women!"The geography teacher blushed with anger, pointed at him with a pointer, and scolded him: "You are a complete idiot! The head teacher even regarded you as a piece of fat!" Times.) Since then, the nickname of "fat meat" has been called out in the school.Deng Lianjia likes this nickname, calls it Bing every time, and introduces herself to new friends. When Deng Lianjia saw Zhang Guangwen calling him by his nickname, he became happy and said, "At least you haven't forgotten me as an old classmate. I have been living all over the world, wandering around, eating with friends, and not having a formal job. This time I just came from Guangdong. return--" "What are you doing in Guangdong?" Zhang Guangwen asked. "Hey, it's not that I can't get along at home. I heard that Sun Yat-sen is recruiting troops and preparing for the Northern Expedition. I want to join him. Who would have thought that I would never see him in person. If I do, believe me I will use the trick I used to deal with the class teacher. To deal with him, why not get promoted and get rich? Because there was no food, he had to join Chen Jiongming's subordinates and became a Qiuba. Later, I heard that Chen Jiongming wanted to drive Sun Yat-sen out of Guangzhou, and the Northern Expedition Army would not make the Northern Expedition. I thought it was meaningless. Just deserted and fled back." "Did you come back as a deserter?" "No." Deng Lianjia continued, "After I came back, I remembered that I always had bad luck. I heard that Zhong Banxian from Wugang was like a god, and could determine the future of life. I couldn't resist the temptation, and a cousin I married in Fuchong Zhong's family, so I took advantage of my cousin's opportunity to ask Zhong Banxian for a divination. The next day, your brother Guangwen sent someone to look for me. I knew it would be beneficial. Brother Guangwen is doing it now Commander-in-Chief, the power is on one side, you didn’t ask me to come here just to reminisce about the old days, did you?” Zhang Guangwen nodded and said, "I really have your intentions. I just don't know if you have a way to break into Zhang Yunqing's bandit department." Deng Lianjia thought for a while: "There is a person in my cousin's village who used to serve as a soldier in Guangxi, but now he has returned to his hometown to become a bandit. It is said that he is active in the area around the entrance of the cave. I just don't know if he is working under Zhang Yunqing's hands." "What's his name?" Zhang Guangwen asked. "Zhong Xuehua." Zhang Guangwen nodded and said, "This person is under Zhang Yunqing's subordinate!" "Auspicious people have their own heavens!" Deng Lianjia was overjoyed, "Guangwen, how will you thank me after this is done?" "What do you say?" Zhang Guangwen looked at Deng Lianjia's oily face. 邓联佳眨了眨眼，说：“我想要中国整块土地——提这个要求当然不现实。事成后升我做你的副手怎么样？” 张光文认真地点点头，问：“什么时候行动？” “今天我就去山门找钟雪华。”邓联佳说，“只是你得派人经常去山门与我联系，我会及时把张云卿的内部情况摸清。” “我派细狗扮成猎人与你联系。你要万分小心，切莫露出破绽。” “光文兄放心好了。我邓某虽然油腔滑调，但办起事来还是有一套的。” “好，我等着你的好消息。” 邓联佳走后，张光文叫来郑正良，要他每隔一段时间去山门打猎，与邓联佳取得联系。 过了半个月，郑正良去山门打猎回来，转告从邓联佳那里听来的情报。 邓联佳已打入张云卿匪部，并颇受器重。张云卿匪部据山门燕子岩，岩门口是一条狭谷，岩洞为粮食物资仓库，岩顶上才是土匪的茅屋。那里既可看到山外的情况，又不易被发现，一旦打起来，还可以向后面撤退。山门燕子岩是个易守难攻的好窝点。 郑正良与邓联佳的接头地点定在山门镇上，邓联佳经常出来采购蔬菜、野味，郑正良就借卖野味之机与他接头。 张光文听了郑正良的介绍，放下心来，又问道：“目前张云卿内部有什么情况？” 郑正良：“张云卿刚刚接过侄儿的匪业，老匪们报仇心切，张云卿为笼络人心，准备暴黄桥铺团防局。”说到此处，郑正良趋前半步，压低声音说，“还有一个更重要的情报，老邓要你立即去燕子岩剿匪，刻不容缓——目前张匪内部空虚，十二名行伍出身的老匪到外省购武器去了，岩里虽然有十六条枪，但只有不到十人会用，没有半点战斗力。” 细狗走后，张光文立即召开团防骨干会议，讨论剿灭张云卿匪部事宜。他把邓联佳探来的情报说了一遍，众头目一致认为机不可失，表示要坚决剿灭。 有人提议拉朱云汉加盟。人多力量大，能拉来更好。但更多的人认为，一支装备精良、训练有素的团防队去攻打一群才十六条枪的股匪，实在没有必要再去联合别人，传出去会遭人笑话。 张光文也觉得没必要兴师动众，遂决定当晚出发，争取在半夜捣毁燕子岩。 散会后，张光文令伙夫去镇上采购酒肉，大家饱食一顿，于傍晚整装待发。恰在这时，张光火骑马从家中赶来，说是有急事要和弟弟商谈。 张光文被哥哥拽着进了内房。进房后，张光火又把窗户和门一起关紧，这才在弟弟的对面坐下，开口道：“光文，你真要出兵剿灭张云卿？” 张光文点点头。 张光火皱了皱眉头，又问道：“燕子岩属于哪一个团防局的管辖区？” “山门。” 张光火点头说：“既然人家已逃到山门，你当的是黄桥铺团总，你去打他，岂不是有狗咬耗子？” 张光文明白哥哥的意思，回答道：“老鼠是人类公敌，只要能咬住，无论狗还是猫，都有咬的义务。” 张光火叹了口气：“弟啊，你虽然跑的地方多，可这人情世故哥经的事比你多。我家的发迹史不长，并没有形成势力，说白了就是还难以自保。冒冒失失去燕子岩剿匪，你难道不知道这是与人结仇？你打死他一个，他就要杀你全家；你打死他一帮，他就要灭你九族、掘你祖坟！这冤冤相报，何时了啊！就算你把他们杀光，可人家也是父母养的，谁没三亲六戚？他们要报起仇来防不胜防。谭帮才全家惨死的事才发生不久，这件事难道还不发人深思？当初，谭帮才只要宽容一点，放张顺风一条生路，弟啊，他家会有现在的下场吗？” 哥哥的一席话，把张光文说得心上心下，但他还是说：“哥，你说的虽有一定道理，但也不全对。张云卿与他大哥张顺风不同，后者是偷牛贼，前者是土匪应杀该杀之人，谁也不会说过分。至于燕子岩不是我的辖区，但我已经得到情报，张云卿专以我为敌，要抢我的枪、杀我的家人。为了自保，就只能先下手为强。想必郑正良把所有的情况都跟你讲了，现在这次机会确实难得。” “你听老哥一句话！”张光火说，“现在，张云卿正恼恨我早些年欺侮了他，如果这次你放了他一马，就算前后恩怨扯平各不相欠。俗话说贼有贼理，匪亦有匪道。他干的虽是打家劫舍的勾当，但也有他们的规矩、准则。像我们这样人家，只求自保，不指望把势力扩展到别人的地盘上。因此，尽可能不与人结怨，是我们的处世之道。这次就不要去了，适当的时候，要让他知道这件事，今后还可以暗中往来。如今官府里，哪一个当官的不勾结土匪？这年头谁都怕死，就连过去的皇帝，都要招安土匪呢。弟，这事就算哥求你了。哥可从来没有求过你啊！” 张光火已把话说到这个分上了，张光文心肠再硬，也不好坚持，于是长叹一声道：“哥，你回去吧，我答应你了。很多事我也难以预料。是错是对，要等若干年后才能证明。我们暂时留下这个伏笔，但愿将来事态不要向不利于我们的方向发展。” 张光文走出门，编了个说得过去的理由将已经荷枪实弹等待出发的部下说清，然后把队伍解散。 信心百倍的丘八们一听团总这么说，一个个像泄了气的皮球，拖着枪，懒洋洋地离开天井。张光火这才放心地骑马回家去了。 话说光阴似箭，日月如梭，一晃三个月过去。这段时间，卧底的邓联佳时有情报传出。他告诉张光文，由于尹东波携众匪的全部财产去了广西至今杳无音信，燕子岩股匪已陷入空前恐慌，甚至连给养也成问题。他建议张光文将此消息转告山门团防局或张顺彩，使一个借刀杀人之计。 张光文觉得此计甚妙，经过再三权衡，他认为最好是以匪制匪，利用张顺彩消灭张云卿。 为避嫌疑，张光文与张顺彩接洽选在深夜。 这天深夜。张顺彩依约前来。双方在内室坐定，张光文先说道：“顺彩兄最近对燕子岩的情况可有了解？” 张顺彩不知张光文找他何事，摇了摇头：“燕子岩离这里太远，没办法了解。不过，我倒是很想知道他们的情况。” “顺彩兄既然想知道，何不派探子深入他的内部？” 张顺彩叹道：“我是有这个念头，只是手下没有适合的人选可以胜任。莫非光文兄已经有人在他那里卧底？若如此，不妨透露一二……” 张光文狡黠地笑了笑：“实不相瞒，深夜请你来，是有个情报透露。张云卿为了能早日杀回黄桥铺，取代你的地位，三个月前已派出张慕云的十二名旧部去广西购买枪械。那帮人如黄鹤一去，留下一帮乌合之众，不敢出外打食，目下已陷入绝境，人心惶惶……” 张顺彩是明白人，一听便知他的用意，点头道：“只要情报确凿，倒是个难得的机会。” “只要顺彩兄敢当机立断，我光文敢用一家老小性命担保——” 两人正密谈，外面传来哨兵的咳嗽声。张光文向张顺彩投去歉意的一瞥，起身开门：“什么事？” 不等哨兵答话，郑正良就神色慌张地挤进屋里，说道：“满老爷（指张光文），大事不好了，张云卿——”说到这里，发现屋里有外人，连忙打住。 张光文：“你说吧，这位老爷不是外人。” 郑正良这才接着说：“张云卿派到广西去的部下今天回来了，带回好多新式武器，骑回十二匹高头大马。” 张光文、张顺彩面面相觑，没料到情况会如此突变。 回过神来，张光文对郑正良说：“最近情况紧急，燕子岩的动态必须时刻掌握。今晚你就不要回家了，马上去山门。” 郑正良点头答应。张光文转对张顺彩：“从现在起，无论是你或是我，已经面临新的危机。张云卿有野心，随时都有可能杀回黄桥铺。” 张顺彩点头：“我们仍遵守诺言——同仇敌忾，共同防御！” 说着，伸出一只手。 张光文伸手与他相握。 过了两天，又得到邓联佳传来的情报：张云卿正抓紧编练队伍，计划在年底来一次大的行动，提醒张光文务必做好充分的迎战准备。 张光文倒抽了一口凉气，想不到张云卿真有如此大的胃口。他后悔不该听信哥哥的话，如果及早把他剿灭，就不会留下后患。 郑正良在汇报完主要的情况后，又说道：“满老爷，最近是非常时期，张云卿提防也格外小心。老邓说，如不是迫不得已，他不会出山送情报，要你凡事小心，多加提防。” “忘了，这些天张云卿要派张钻子来打听情报。” “知道了。团防局的弟兄都认识张钻子。他敢来，我下令当场抓住他。” “是这样的。”细狗说，“张钻子都是晚上过来，潜到街上一个名叫朱成生的老头家里，由朱成生提供情报给他。” 次日，张光文让手下提防。果见朱成生在团防局门口晃来晃去。张光文故意派人跟他拉话，把团防局和张光文吹上天，并说张顺彩也归顺了团防局，准备对付张云卿。 朱成生心满意足离去。张光文立即差人叫来郑正良，吩咐道：“明天还得辛苦你一趟，和老邓接上头。” 郑正良为难地说：“可老邓说，他不会轻易出来，如果——” “你放心，今天他一定会出来，而且还有重要情报。”张光文肯定地说。 郑正良与邓联佳的接头地点选在山门镇“蔡锷故居”，这是山门最热闹的地方，每逢集日，四方农民都向这里聚集，出售各种农产品或购买所需生活物资，交易十分频繁。山门的集日为每月的三、六、九，即每三天一次。细狗便选在每个集日的中午来到野味山货集中地，出售他从山上打来的野兔、野鸡或山羊。如果邓联佳有什么情报，就借买野味之机告诉他。 这天不是集日，蔡锷故居门口冷冷清清。天很冷，细狗穿着一件破棉衣，提着猎枪来到这里。他见没人，正想老邓可能不会来时，后面突然有人拍他的肩膀：“郑正良，今天打了野味么？” 细狗吃了一惊，回头看时，正是邓联佳，松了口气，低声说：“你总算来了。”说完又高声叫道，“你吓我了，叫这么大声。我才出门，没上山呢，哪来的野味！” “没有野味，来这里咬卵么？”邓联佳也压低声音，“有重要情报，我是冒险出来的。” “我去山上打猎，不从这里经过，难道要我飞过去？”也压低声，“什么重要情报，快点说吧。” “这两天张云卿和尹东波关在屋里密议，估计会有行动，要光文做好准备。” 张光文在团防局得到消息时，已是傍晚。他十分焦急，为了能及时得到张云卿的行动情报，他留细狗在团防局吃饭，吩咐他睡一觉后动身再回山门。 细狗饭尚未吃完，忽听得外面传来马蹄声，很响，很急，到了团防局门外马蹄声突然停了。 张光文迎出门，果然是邓联佳急匆匆回来：“光文，快，今晚张云卿要绑架你的家人，逼你离开家乡。” 张光文丢下邓联佳走至饭堂，对还在吃饭的细狗说：“快，快去告诉大老爷，要他们立即来我这里躲避！” 张光文随后又派几名丘八去石背张家帮助哥哥转移家中贵重物品，才回来向邓联佳致谢：“肥肉你干得不错！” 邓联佳道：“光文，你也太优柔寡断了。三个月前你听了我的话，就不会有今天的事情发生。” 张光文摇头道：“错过了就无法挽回，我们还是谈谈目前和将来吧。” “目前张云卿已经强大，对付他不再容易。将来他更加雄心勃勃，欲称霸湘西绿林。你和我不知什么时候成他的刀下鬼。” 张光文接着说：“别说丧气话，张云卿再厉害，不过是一个斗大字不识一箩的粗人。他飞不上天。不过，话又说回来，湘西绿林像他那样有能力的匪首还真不多见。我有个计划……” 邓联佳望着张光文。 “今晚他亲率人马去洞口绑架我的亲人，燕子岩也一定空虚，我们何不来个将计就计……”他附着邓联佳的耳朵如此这般。 “妙计，真乃妙计！”邓联佳听后大叫，“士别三日，当刮目相看。光文兄离家几年，学会了这样的好本事。”他顿了顿，“不过，我这次是偷偷跑出来的，还骑了一匹马出来，回去是不可能的了。” “我不需要你回去。我俩同时出发，分头行动。你去石背报告张云卿，我率人马去燕子岩攻寨。张云卿要不了几个钟头就能到达石背，事不宜迟，我们立即出发！” 两人走出内室，张光文令吹紧急集合号，已经就寝的丘八们在数分钟内全副武装，到天井待命。 张光文简短一番动员，即亲自挑选八名骑术好、枪法好的丘八骑马去燕子岩附近等候，其余则一律轻装徒步，以急行军的速度赶到现场。 邓联佳的任务是骑马去石背张家，一旦张云卿扑了空恼羞成怒欲放火烧房子，就告诉他燕子岩危急。 是年，是武冈民众有史以来最困难的一年，5、6、7月正需要水的时候，却一连八十余天不下雨，数万亩良田颗粒无收。中秋过后，雨水不断，打下的稻谷见不到太阳，堆在家中长了霉……无论县城、山村，到处是仰天长叹的百姓。怨老天要惩罚人，世界将要大乱了。更有谣言不知从何传出，令百姓惶恐不已。 谣言说，武冈半仙钟显尾卜算出辛酉年（1921年）是蛇精出世，5、6、7月正是蛇精孵化阶段，需要热量，故连续三个月赤日炎炎，滴水不降；中秋后，蛇精出壳，蛇和龙同属一类，故雨水不停。蛇精吃人度日，今后每年湘西境内会有成百上千百姓要葬身蛇腹……此蛇精吃够五万人，就得道成仙，修成正果，不再残害生灵。 谣言一经传出，四乡骇然。一条蛇精要吃五万人，整个武冈还不足十万生灵，岂不是有半数人要遭殃？谣言传出不久，东乡扶冲有一夏姓富人率先将家产、田地变卖，举家迁往外地；南乡有银姓老翁，因不愿死在蛇口，上吊自尽；西乡有潘姓家族，全族男丁由族长统领，操习武艺，欲与蛇精决一死战；北乡花园所有老幼女人，组成千人香队，步行上南岳烧香求佛，恳请观世音收伏蛇精……诸如此类，不一而足。不多久，又传出蛇精出生在东北乡黄桥铺一带，一名妇女怀孕期间梦见黄蛇入腹，婴儿出生之日，适逢钟半仙路过，为其看八字。钟半仙看出男婴日后是祸国殃民之孽畜，建议他父母大义灭亲。也是蛇精命不该绝，他的父母不仅不相信，还将钟半仙大骂一顿，赶出茅屋。 闲话休提，言归正传。却说张光文率部向燕子岩进发，马队先行，步兵在后。时值秋末冬初，冷风呼呼，阴雨绵绵，路上湿滑，伸手不见掌，三步之外不辨南北。张光文学习土匪伎俩，走在前面的以手电照路，后面的紧紧跟上，各人臂上扎一块白布，供来者辨认。一路跌跌撞撞，到了目的地，骑马的早在等候。 正是午夜时分，大雨暂停，只有零星小雨。张光文及部下，一个个全身湿漉漉，非常时间且不管他。张光文调兵遣将，将两挺机枪架在燕子岩岩口，其余各人躲入山谷两岸丛林，再派一人去谷口放哨，如有马骑或灯火向这边走来则及时报告。同时吩咐两岸人等，如张云卿从山谷通过，勿乱开枪，定要生擒。 一切部署妥当，张光文走到前面，下令机枪向岩头射击。 枪声响起，初时岩头一阵骚乱。忽听一人大声呵斥，乃复归平静。平静不久，即有枪弹朝机枪方向飞来。 张光文暗暗吃惊，土匪中竟有如此临危不惧镇定自若的指挥人才。 双方枪弹你来我往，在黑夜划出一道道光弧，颇为美丽。彼此对峙，谁也不敢越雷池半步。 张光文本来就没有要拿下燕子岩的意思，目的一是吓唬岩头上的土匪，使其不敢轻易出来，二是把枪声传给从石背返回的张云卿听。 双方枪战一时有许，忽有哨兵向张光文报告，称远处有马匹向这边移来。 张光文立即下令停止射击，并将其中一挺