Chapter 114: with translation of chapter title

When Shanben's corpse was carried out, the candlelight in the church flickered. Sun Kezhang crouched down to carefully examine the poison traces on Shanben's collar, his brows furrowed.

Cyanide. He stood up and clapped his hands; this old Japanese soldier had indeed prepared good goods.

Li Ping'an, however, stared blankly at that diary. Ping Le came over and, by candlelight, read the words on it: March 25, a secret talk with Dai Ju Zhang... Brother, who is this Dai Ju Zhang?

Sun Kezhang's face changed slightly; he quickly stepped forward and closed the diary: These things, you'd better not know.

Just then, dense footsteps came from outside. Sun Kezhang's face changed: Not good! Possibly Shanben's people!

He hurriedly blew out the candle, leading everyone to hide behind the confessional. Through the crack in the door, he saw a group of black-clad people stride into the church; at their head was a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Glasses Man waved his hand; Shanben must have left something here!

Li Ping'an scanned with Divine Perception and found that although these people wore plain clothes, they all had handguns at their waists, moved in perfect unison—clearly they had received special training. Even more strangely, Sun Kezhang relaxed upon seeing them.

"Our people," Sun Kezhang whispered, about to step out, but Li Ping'an grabbed him.

"Wait." Li Ping'an used Divine Perception to sense their movements; they weren't looking for Shanben, but for something else.

Sure enough, the black-clad individuals bypassed where Shanben had fallen and began carefully tapping the altar and walls. Glasses Man suddenly shouted, "Found it!"

Only see him turning the candlestick on the altar; a wall panel slowly slid open, revealing the safe inside. Glasses Man skillfully turned the combination, and the safe door swung open.

Interrogation Room

Military Statistics

After they left, Sun Kezhang then led everyone out, his expression grave: It seems the matter of Shanben was already known to the Military Statistics.

Li Ping'an picked up a sheet of paper overlooked on the ground; it listed several names, each marked with suspicion of being a Red Party member.

"Are they arresting Communists?" Ping Le asked curiously.

Sun Kezhang hastily snatched the paper and burned it: "Don't get involved in these matters. Now that Shanben is dead, you should leave Beiping at once."

Returning to the hiding place, Li San's injury had much improved. Hearing about last night's events, he spat and cursed: "Damn, just drove off the jackals, and now tigers and leopards appear."

Li Ping'an settled Ping Le in the inner room, confirmed she was asleep, then quietly stored the bronze cauldron and other important items into his space. This was the safest way and wouldn't drag his sister into it.

Early the next morning, Li Ping'an went out as usual to pull his cart, but he noticed the street atmosphere was off. There were many more patrolling police, and several checkpoints had been set up.

Blue Cloth Society

Old Ma lowered his voice: "I hear they're going to arrest Communists. Last night they raided several homes and took away many people."

As he passed the Police Station, Li Ping'an scanned with Divine Perception and saw several student-looking people detained in the Interrogation Room; one girl's braid had come undone, and there were wounds on her face.

At noon, resting in a teahouse, he heard the patrons chatting: "Have you heard? Mr. Wang from the Normal School has been arrested! You know, the guy who often helps the poor write petitions? Indeed! They say he's a Red Party member..."

Li Ping'an's heart sank. He knew Mr. Wang, an upright scholar who often taught poor children to read for free.

In the evening, after pulling the cart home, Ping Le's eyes were red. "Brother, Sister Zhang from the embroidery workshop has also been taken away." Ping Le spoke with a sobbing voice, "They say she's a Red Party member, but Sister Zhang wouldn't even dare to step on an ant..."

At night, Li Ping'an tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He recalled his days in the Northeastern Anti-Japanese Allied Forces; those comrades feared no death, were not greedy for wealth, and truly worked for the good of the common people.

The next day while working, he deliberately passed by Old Sun Tou's sugar figurine stall. Old Sun Tou furtively slipped him a paper packet: "Third Master had this given to you."

The paper packet contained only two words: "Be careful."

Sure enough, not long after, two people in Zhongshan suits came to interrogate him: "Have you heard you often go to the embroidery workshop? Do you know Zhang Cuihua?" "Sir, I'm just a cart puller; I go wherever customers send me." Li Ping'an smiled apologetically, "Which Zhang Cuihua are you referring to?"

The two interrogated him a few more times, got nothing, and left sullenly.

But Li Ping'an sensed with his Divine Perception that they were watching him from nearby.

That night, he quietly found Sun Kezhang. Sun Kezhang looked exhausted: "Things are tense lately; you'd better lay low."

"Sun Kezhang, are the people you've arrested really Communists?"

Sun Kezhang gave a wry smile: "Superiors say to arrest whoever they name; truth doesn't matter. Ping'an, in these times, just looking out for yourself is already good."

On his way home, Li Ping'an scanned the street corner with his Divine Perception and saw several agents smashing the door of a bookstore, claiming they were banning red books. The owner knelt begging for mercy, but was kicked aside.

Li Ping'an gripped the handlebars tightly, but could do nothing.

After a few days like this, the atmosphere in Beiping grew ever tenser. People often disappeared at night, and the next morning several more corpses would appear on the streets.

One night, Li Ping'an sensed movement in the neighboring courtyard with his Divine Perception. He quietly climbed onto the wall and saw several black-clad men burying something. After they left, he scanned with his Divine Perception and discovered three mutilated corpses!

What shocked him most was that one of the bodies was Liu Shifu, who often repaired his bike! Liu Shifu was mute, scraping by fixing bikes—how could he be a Communist?

Li Ping'an could no longer hold back. He found Sun Kezhang: "How can you indiscriminately kill innocents like this?"

Sun Kezhang's face turned ashen: "Not my men! It's a special unit sent directly by Chief Dai! I heard they're called the Blue Cloth Society..."

Just then, a frantic knocking came from outside. A blood-covered man stumbled in: "Chief! The action unit... the action unit has rebelled!"

It turned out that Chief Dai's confidant led the action unit in a surprise assault on the police station, saying they wanted to purge!

Sun Kezhang sprang up: "Quick! Take Ping'an and them through the secret passage!"

But it was already too late. Gunfire erupted outside, followed by chaotic footsteps. Sun Kezhang shoved Li Ping'an into the secret door behind the filing cabinet: "Remember! Go find Old Yang who sells doujiang!"

As the secret door closed, Li Ping'an sensed with his Divine Perception that Sun Kezhang had been shot and collapsed.

The secret passage was pitch black. Li Ping'an felt his way along the wall, his mind in turmoil. Everything had happened too fast; he was completely unprepared.

The exit of the secret passage led to a deserted courtyard. As Li Ping'an clambered out, he heard a soft voice ask: "Are you Comrade Ping'an?"

An old man carrying a pole with doujiang stood in the moonlight—it was Old Yang.

"Sun Kezhang he..." Li Ping'an choked up, unable to continue.

Old Yang sighed: "I understand. It's not safe here; come with me."

He led Li Ping'an to a secluded siheyuan. Pushing open the north room's door, Li Ping'an froze—inside sat several familiar faces: Old Sun Tou, and a few street vendors who often set up stalls.

"You all..." Li Ping'an stared at them in astonishment.

Old Yang closed the door and said solemnly: "Comrade Ping'an, by now there's no point hiding it—we're all underground partisans. We know about your activities in the Dongbei anti-Japanese guerrilla."

Only then did Li Ping'an realize that the organization had been secretly watching him all along.

"The situation is dire now; Chief Dai's men are conducting a citywide manhunt. We need your help," Old Yang said. "We have a batch of important documents that must be smuggled out of the city."

Li Ping'an recalled the checkpoint he'd seen at the city gate today. The guards scrutinized porters and cart-pushers especially closely, even poking vegetable baskets a few times with their bayonets.

"I can try," Li Ping'an said. "My cart often goes out of the city for work, and the guards know me."

Lao Yang shook his head: "Too dangerous. Dai Ju Zhang's people may already have their eyes on you."

Li Ping'an pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea: "I have a way. Give me the documents, and I can get them out safely."

That night, Li Ping'an stored the documents in his space. Early the next morning, he pulled an empty cart and left the city as usual.

"Stop!" an agent stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Sir, heading out for work." Li Ping'an gave an apologetic smile; he had arranged to go haul goods to Xishan today.

The agent carefully inspected the rickshaw, even taking apart the seat cushion, but found nothing, so he had to let them go.

Li Ping'an left the city smoothly, delivered the documents to the contact point. On the way back, however, he saw wanted posters plastered all over the city gate, his own portrait staring back at him.