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Chapter 208: The Raid - Painted Immortal Village
When Xiao Yun followed Qiu Yue back home, the sun was already setting, casting a golden hue over the mountains as smoke curled gently from the village's edge.
Yun Laogen had returned; he had caught a few fish in the mountain pond and hunted a wild chicken in the woods, also bringing back some vegetables from the fields. He was busy in the kitchen with his wife, Cao Ni.
Seeing Qiu Yue and Xiao Yun enter the house, Cao Ni rushed over with a worried expression and asked, "Autumn Moon, what happened? Did the school really have to be demolished?"
Qiu Yue glanced at Xiao Yun and smiled, "It's fine now. Someone moved a big shot. That Jiang person not only dared not demolish it but also promised to quickly allocate funds for the school to repair the classrooms!"
"Oh, is there such good news? What kind of big shot did Xiao Yun move?"
"It’s Mayor Shen Tieshan."
"Ah!" Cao Ni gasped in surprise. In the eyes of the villagers, anyone who could associate with the mayor was no ordinary person. "Xiao Yun, you know Mayor Shen?"
Xiao Yun smiled lightly and said, "It's nothing much, just a general friendship."
Just a general friendship? This statement seemed understated, but it stirred up a storm in Cao Ni's heart. As a future mother-in-law, she suddenly felt an immense sense of pride.
"Autumn Moon, you chat with Xiao Yun for a bit; dinner will be ready soon!" Cao Ni thought it was crucial to create an opportunity for the two to bond. She wiped her hands on her apron and hurriedly stepped aside.
In Cao Ni's mind, since Xiao Yun had come to their door, she couldn't let him slip away easily. No matter what, as a mother-in-law, she was determined to secure this relationship.
She believed that her daughter's charm would surely conquer this young man.
"Autumn Moon, I feel like when your mother looks at me, it's like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, filled with affection!" Little did Cao Ni know, as soon as he entered the kitchen, Xiao Yun grinned and said to Autumn Moon.
Autumn Moon's face immediately flushed with shyness; that kind of alluring charm penetrated to the bone, making any man’s heart tremble.
She reached out and playfully tapped him on the shoulder, pouting, "You're just being vain. My mom treats everyone like that!"
"Really? How is that possible?" Xiao Yun replied.
Qiu Yue rolled her eyes at him and laughed, "I'm telling the truth!"
Just before dinner, Old Village Chief arrived, carrying two bottles of wine. As he entered, he laughed heartily, "Old Gen, we have esteemed guests at home; how can I not join you for a drink?"
Yun Laogen scratched his head in a silly manner and chuckled, "Hehe, how could I dare to disturb you? Please have a seat, Old Village Chief!"
The dining table was set up in the small courtyard. The moon climbed up the treetops, and a single electric light hung in the yard as everyone gathered around the table.
Old Village Chief was quite talkative. After a few drinks, he became even more loquacious. He looked at Xiao Yun and said, "Young man, today I truly admire you. You even dared to confront that Director Jiang. You don’t know; he has come here several times. The first time he came, he was all over Autumn Moon, saying he wanted to marry her. Director Jiang's wife passed away years ago, and at his age, he still wants... Hmph! Autumn Moon is a goddess-level figure around Panlong Mountain; not just anyone can have her. Well, let’s not dwell on that. Young man, you’ve finally given us some relief today; come on, let’s toast!"
Saying this, he raised his glass and clinked it with Xiao Yun's.
The sound of clinking glasses and laughter filled the air...
The moon hung high in the sky, and Yun Laogen and Cao Ni had returned to their homes to sleep, leaving only the Old Village Chief engaged in lively conversation, with Qiu Yue quietly sitting beside him.
Xiao Yun suddenly asked with a smile, "Old Village Chief, you are old and have seen much; do you know that a painter once lived in seclusion here many years ago?"
"Of course I know! Our village was once called Painted Immortal Village. Speaking of that Painted Immortal, the painter you mentioned, do you know who it was? It was Wu Daozi from the Tang Dynasty who came here," the Old Village Chief replied.
Xiao Yun was taken aback and laughed, "Is it really that amazing?"
The Old Village Chief stroked his white beard with his fingers and said, "Young man, believe it or not. Speaking of which, during the Anti-Japanese War, there was an incredibly miraculous story that circulated here. Hehe, I've told this story to Autumn Moon before; do you want to hear it?"
"Of course I want to hear it!" Xiao Yun exclaimed, suddenly energized, and quickly offered a cigarette to the Old Village Chief.
"Alright, then I'll tell you!" the Old Village Chief said eagerly.
What follows is the exciting story told by the Old Village Chief:
——That winter, Kameda led a group of Japanese Invaders stationed in Jiang County. They wreaked havoc in the area—killing, burning, looting—committing every imaginable atrocity.
However, these Japanese Invaders had barely established their dominance when they were attacked by guerrilla forces led by Duan Zhengyi, who were hiding in the Panlong Mountain area. Dozens of them were killed or injured. Duan Zhengyi was exceptionally skilled; he was as calm as still water yet as fierce as fire when he fought. He showed no mercy when killing Japanese Invaders and became a legendary figure around Panlong Mountain.
The Kameda squad was furious. He summoned a large force from the county town and ordered them to capture Duan Zhengyi alive and completely eliminate those guerrilla fighters.
Under the guidance of the traitor Ma Sanli, the Japanese Invaders launched a sweeping search in the deep mountains, attempting to annihilate Duan Zhengyi's guerrilla forces in one fell swoop.
Little did they know, these Japanese Devils had been searching the mountains for over half a month without seeing a single trace of the guerrilla fighters, let alone capturing Duan Zhengyi alive.
Kameda was furious, his eyes reddening with anger. He couldn't believe that Duan Zhengyi and the others had sprouted wings and flown away. He ordered his subordinates to search carefully; even if they spotted a bird in the forest, they were to shoot it down.
On this day, the north wind howled and heavy snow fell, covering the mountains in a blanket of silver. Kameda led his team of Japanese Invaders deeper into the mountains when they faintly heard a children's song coming from not far away:
Where is my home?
At the foot of the hundred-zhang cliff,
In front of the door, dozens of flowers bloom,
Beside the green willows, horses can be seen,
Under the red maple tree, petals dance in the air.
...
The singing was melodious and pleasant to hear.
Kameda was overjoyed upon hearing it, thinking they had found the guerrilla fighters' hideout. He immediately ordered the Japanese Devils to surround the area from which the song was coming.
Turning around a bend in the mountain, Kameda and his men arrived at a place called Hundred Zhang Cliff when suddenly they heard someone scream ahead. He looked forward and was instantly stunned in shock!
He discovered a village not far ahead, and strangely, in such a heavy snowfall during winter, it was a scene of springtime beauty. The village was surrounded by blooming red peach blossoms and white pear flowers, with green waters like smoke, small bridges over flowing streams, and birds singing in competition, resembling a beautiful landscape painting of a mountain village.
The singing was coming from that village.
What was going on? Kameda could hardly believe his eyes. He called the traitor Ma Sanli over and asked what village that was.
"Uh..." To his surprise, Ma Sanli looked at the village with an expression of disbelief, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.
Kameda grew angry, kicked him, and shouted, "I'm asking you a question! Did you understand?"
Ma Sanli answered tremblingly, "My lord, this... this is the Painted Immortal Village that is said to exist in our area. Normally, ordinary people cannot see it at all. I never expected it... it would suddenly appear here!"
Painted Immortal Village?
That name sounded quite poetic.
Kameda, being knowledgeable about China, sensed something odd in his words and hurriedly asked what was going on.
Then Ma Sanli told Kameda —
Long ago, at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there was an old man who loved to paint and came to Jiang County. He excelled in landscape and portrait painting; the birds he painted could fly off the paper, and the flowers he depicted could attract all the surrounding bees and butterflies. It was said that whoever obtained one of his paintings would ensure happiness and health for their family throughout their lives.
According to legend, that old man was actually Wu Daozi, the Painting Saint from the Tang Dynasty, who descended to earth due to a past connection with this place and settled here. People generally referred to him as the Painted Immortal.
The fame of the Painted Immortal spread far and wide, eventually reaching the capital and even startling Emperor Zhu. Consequently, Emperor Zhu issued a decree summoning the Painted Immortal to the palace to paint exclusively for him. However, the Painted Immortal was unwilling, stating that he had grown accustomed to a life of leisure and did not wish to be bound by the constraints of the palace. Seeing that he dared to defy the imperial order, Emperor Zhu sent people to capture him.
At that moment, someone had already reported the news to the Painted Immortal. Not wanting to get entangled with the court officials, he stealthily retreated to Panlong Mountain. Upon arriving at Panlong Mountain, which was filled with barren hills and ridges, inspiration struck him. He took out his brush and ink from his bag and painted a peach tree here, a small bridge there, and then a village... Finally, he blew on those paintings, and instantly a beautiful village appeared.
Before long, many people in the nearby mountains discovered this village and began moving there to settle down, living lives of farming and weaving. The villagers named it Painted Immortal Village. It is said that anyone who could move to Painted Immortal Village must have a kind heart and be willing to help others; everyone there lived in harmony and cared for one another.
Painted Immortal Village had simple customs, with mutual respect among its residents. It was a place where nothing was lost on the roads and doors were left unlocked at night; every household planted weeping willows in front of their homes and peach blossoms behind their yards.
For many years, people regarded Painted Immortal Village as a dreamlike paradise. Countless individuals traveled from miles around in hopes of finding it. Some sought out the Painted Immortal for a painting, while others wished to settle in Painted Immortal Village to live carefree and joyful lives.
Strangely enough, those who harbored selfish thoughts could not find this legendary Painted Immortal Village even after exhausting themselves searching every nook and cranny in the deep mountains.
Thus, Painted Immortal Village became the most yearned-for place in people's dreams. They tried every possible means to seek out this paradise, yet no one has discovered it until now...
After hearing Ma Sanli's story, Kameda laughed heartily and said, "You Huaxia people have such rich imaginations! How could such a thing exist? I don't believe it!"
With that, Kameda gathered his team neatly and asked Ma Sanli to lead the way; he intended to launch a surprise attack on Painted Immortal Village.
Ma Sanli panicked and said, "My lord, that is a sacred place! The Painted Immortal resides in that village; if you anger him, it won't end well."
Kameda sneered, "Good! I would like to meet this Painted Immortal!"
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