Chapter 25: The Arrow is Nocked! Rescuing Xu Erhang!

Li Yunlong recognized the woman being besieged by the puppet soldiers as Xu Erhang.

Xu Erhang is one of the protagonists in the television series "Arrows on the Bowstring." In the early stages of the series, her personality is somewhat timid; although she possesses extraordinary archery skills, she has never actually harmed anyone. The Xu Erhang that Li Yunlong encountered was clearly at this stage. Watching as her companions were gunned down by the puppet soldiers, she clutched her longbow tightly, yet remained unable to draw an arrow. Li Yunlong was quite surprised to encounter her here.

At that moment, the sound of the system resonated in his mind.

[Ding! System detected the host is facing a dilemma. Triggering system options!]

[Option 1: Save Xu Erhang. System rewards: "New Recruit Crash Course Manual," "Special Forces Training Manual," and 30 sets of special forces equipment!]

[Option 2: Do not intervene. System rewards: Two Italian cannons and singing skills!]

Li Yunlong's mouth twitched upon hearing the options. While he certainly wanted the Italian cannons, what on earth were singing skills? Were they even usable? Was he supposed to reform the Japanese devils with his singing voice? Naturally, compared to the cannons, the "New Recruit Crash Course Manual," the "Special Forces Training Manual," and the 30 sets of special forces equipment were far more tempting.

"New Recruit Crash Course Manual": Allows new recruits to quickly attain combat effectiveness and develop their military discipline.
"Special Forces Training Manual": A training guide dedicated to cultivating special forces; the training is grueling, and only the most elite soldiers can withstand it.
30 sets of special forces equipment: Includes submachine guns, pistols, tactical vests, tactical knives, and more—all at the most advanced level available in the current world.

These rewards were undoubtedly generous and truly stirred Li Yunlong's heart. As a transmigrator, he understood the power of special forces. Even a unit of just thirty men could turn the tide of a battle at a critical moment. Without hesitation, Li Yunlong chose to save her.

Having watched "Arrows on the Bowstring," Li Yunlong knew that in the original plot, this was the exact situation where Xu Erhang would have been violated by the Japanese and puppet forces. This trauma was what eventually led to her breaking point, causing her to use her arrows to harm and kill for the first time, thereby shattering the shackles on her heart. However, since he had encountered this, he would not allow such a tragedy to unfold.

At that moment, the twenty-odd Japanese and puppet soldiers had already closed in on Xu Erhang. Because she dared not use her arrows to hurt anyone, she could only rely on her bare hands, adopting a defensive stance. The surrounding soldiers wore playful, mocking grins, clearly not taking her seriously. A Japanese officer, in broken Chinese, leered, "Heh heh, flower girl... I want her alive!"

The twenty-odd soldiers rushed forward, though only a few could reach her at once. Xu Erhang’s martial arts were quite impressive, but she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies and was quickly suppressed. Had they not been under orders to capture her alive, she would have perished long ago. Even so, she had already sustained multiple knife wounds and was bleeding.

Just then, Li Yunlong, Wei Dayong, and four other soldiers stepped out at the critical moment. Because the puppet soldiers were trying to capture her alive, they had slung their rifles over their backs. When Li Yunlong and his men burst forth, the enemies didn't even have time to react, let alone unshoulder their weapons.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Li Yunlong and his men opened fire simultaneously, neutralizing five soldiers in the first exchange. Li Yunlong then raised his 98K rifle, beginning a systematic liquidation of the remaining enemies. Under his aim, every shot was a kill; his accuracy was flawless. Of course, the 98K was a bolt-action sniper rifle with a slow rate of fire, so Li Yunlong didn't charge forward; instead, he found a slope to use as cover, sniping the enemy one by one. Wei Dayong and the other four soldiers also pressed the attack with everything they had.

By the time the remaining enemies realized what was happening and attempted to counterattack, there were only a few left, and they were quickly dispatched by Li Yunlong and Wei Dayong. The Japanese officer tried to flee, but before he could take more than a few steps, Li Yunlong put a bullet through his head. The battle began and ended in a flash; within a few minutes, all twenty-odd Japanese and puppet soldiers were dead.

Xu Erhang was clearly stunned by the sudden turn of events. When the fighting started, she had been forced to her knees by a knife wound to the leg, which had allowed her to perfectly avoid the flying bullets. By the time she snapped out of her shock, the battle was over, and the soldiers were already dead. Seeing Li Yunlong and the others in their Eighth Route Army uniforms, she let out a sigh of relief.

Having just endured such an ordeal, her greatest fear was escaping the wolf's den only to fall into a tiger's mouth. If these were Nationalist soldiers or men from some other faction, she would have struggled to feel at ease. In these cannibalistic, chaotic times, she dared not trust anyone lightly. But the Eighth Route Army was the one force she trusted above all others—they were disciplined and renowned for their integrity.

"Phew..." Xu Erhang exhaled, her taut nerves finally relaxing. Immediately, the pain from her wounds caused her to shudder, and she nearly let out a groan.

Li Yunlong and his men walked over. "You lot, go clean up the battlefield," Li Yunlong said to Wei Dayong and the others. He then walked up to the injured and weakened Xu Erhang and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, just some superficial wounds," Xu Erhang replied hurriedly. "Officer, thank you so much for saving my life. If you hadn't appeared in time, I would have surely suffered a humiliating fate. I will never forget your great kindness."

"It was just a small effort," Li Yunlong smiled slightly. "We of the Eighth Route Army would always step in under such circumstances. Besides, nothing makes me angrier than seeing these Japanese and puppet soldiers bullying our countrymen. They all deserve to die!"

Xu Erhang’s heart stirred at his words. Now fully composed, her expression turned urgent as she looked up at him, pleading, "Officer, I beg you, please go save my sister and my brother!"

Clearly, Xu Erhang was not the only one who had fallen into danger; her sister, Xu Yihang, and her brother, Xu Jinchuan, were also involved.