Chapter 24: My Brother Is Shunliu! Why Is It Her?

Upon seeing the dark-skinned, short-statured man among the villagers, Li Yunlong’s eyes lit up. He thought to himself, "Isn't that Shunliu!"

"I never expected to run into this natural-born sharpshooter here!"

Shunliu, the protagonist of the series *My Brother is Shunliu*, was a born marksman. However, his fate was a tragic one, and his eventual death felt utterly meaningless. Contemplating this, Li Yunlong took a deep breath and thought, "Perhaps I can change this fellow's destiny and give his life a perfect ending."

Of course, Li Yunlong was primarily interested in Shunliu's ability. A sharpshooter was an invaluable asset to the New First Regiment.

Li Yunlong walked quickly over to where Shunliu stood. At that moment, the other young men who wanted to enlist were already signing up, but Shunliu stood off to the side, watching with an expression of both longing and hesitation.

"I can tell you really want to join our Eighth Route Army," Li Yunlong said, stopping beside him with a smile. "On behalf of the New First Regiment, I formally invite you to join us. What do you say?"

Shunliu had naturally heard Li Yunlong’s earlier speech and knew who he was.

"Ah... Commander Li!" Shunliu was startled by Li Yunlong’s sudden approach. Once he processed what had been said, he waved his hands hurriedly. "Commander Li, I am truly sorry. I do want to join the Eighth Route Army and fight the Japanese with you... but I have an older sister at home."

"As you can see, the people in our village survive by hunting. My sister cannot hunt, so I cannot leave; I worry too much about her."

Li Yunlong was already aware that Shunliu had a sister. Seeing his concern, Li Yunlong simply replied, "As it happens, our regiment is in need of some administrative staff to help handle miscellaneous tasks. I can invite your sister to join the New First Regiment as well. That way, you two can have some security together in these chaotic times. How about it?"

"Really?" Shunliu was overjoyed. "If that’s the case, then I will certainly follow Commander Li and fight the devils with all my heart." He paused for a moment before adding, "But I still need to go home and discuss this with my sister to get her approval."

"Very well," Li Yunlong nodded and smiled. "Go on, and be quick about it."

Shunliu dashed off in a flash.

Soon, Li Yunlong had recruited over 30 patriotic, aspiring youths from the hunter village. They had all completed their registration and become new recruits of the New First Regiment. Just then, Shunliu arrived back with his sister. From a distance, he shouted, "Commander Li, we’re here!"

Shunliu’s sister gave him a light tap on the back and said, "Do try to be steady."

As they spoke, they reached Li Yunlong.

"Hello, Commander Li. My name is Chen Qing, Shunliu’s sister," she said softly. "Thank you for being willing to take in our Shunliu. I know the boy has a heart to serve his country, but unfortunately, he has been held back by me."

"Shunliu has told me about your proposal, Commander, but I worry... would this cause trouble for you and the New First Regiment? After all, I am just a woman."

"Not at all, rest assured," Li Yunlong said with a faint smile. "Our regiment has other women as well; you can keep each other company."

"If that is the case, then I will join," Chen Qing replied immediately. "And I will do my absolute best to contribute in any way I can. I will never be a burden to the New First Regiment."

"Welcome aboard," Li Yunlong replied with a smile.

Recruitment in the hunter village officially concluded. Li Yunlong, along with Wei Dayong and several soldiers from the guard squad, immediately set off with the new recruits to return to Jinsui Town.

Midway, however, a sudden burst of gunfire interrupted their journey. Li Yunlong seemed to sense something and immediately dropped to the ground to listen.

"There is a slight vibration in the ground; I hear horse hooves!" Li Yunlong frowned and said in a low voice, "But there aren't many horses."

Wei Dayong and the others stared in surprise, not expecting Li Yunlong to possess such sharp senses. Li Yunlong glanced at the soldiers around him. He had only brought one guard squad, so their combat strength was limited. Nevertheless, after a moment of deliberation, he decided to investigate. If there were enemies about, it wasn't in Li Yunlong’s character to ignore them.

Having made up his mind, he ordered, "Chen Jun, Wang Long, take these recruits and return to Jinsui Town immediately. No delays. The rest of you, follow me to see what those gunshots were about."

"Yes!" the soldiers replied.

Quickly, Chen Jun and Wang Long led Shunliu and the others away, while Li Yunlong took Wei Dayong and four other soldiers directly toward the sound of the gunfire. Since there was shooting, he had to find out what was happening—perhaps there was an opportunity to be seized. After all, wealth is sought in danger!

Soon, the group reached a grassy area.

In the distance, a group of puppet soldiers was surrounding a woman and two men dressed in black. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle. Just as Li Yunlong’s group arrived, the puppet soldiers successfully shot the two men in black and the horse the woman was riding. All three tumbled from their saddles.

The two men in black jumped up the moment they hit the ground, taking up defensive positions to protect the woman behind them. They raised their rifles and began firing at the approaching puppet soldiers.

*Bang! Bang!*
*Bang! Bang!*

The two men were clearly skilled, taking down two puppet soldiers with their first shots. The woman behind them did not have a firearm, but she carried a bow and arrows on her back.

However, the remaining puppet soldiers were clearly enraged. After firing their shots, the two men needed to cycle their bolts, but the puppet soldiers did not give them another chance. Over twenty puppet soldiers opened fire almost simultaneously. Sensing the danger, the two men immediately threw themselves in front of the woman.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud...*

Both men were struck by multiple bullets and died on the spot. The battle had unfolded so rapidly that even Li Yunlong could not intervene in time. As the two men fell, Li Yunlong finally caught sight of the woman's face and was stunned.

He never expected to see her in this parallel world...