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墨書 Inktalez
In my heart, I couldn't help but think how unlucky I was! To encounter the Yin Soldier twice in one night? Before I could even process it, I heard Ayu say, "It seems like there are only a dozen people."
I looked up and indeed saw a dozen figures standing by the river, moving back and forth. After observing for a moment, I exclaimed, "Damn it, Ayu, stop scaring me. Those are our own people."
With that, I took the lead and walked over. Sure enough, just a few steps in, someone ahead called out, "Squad Leader?" I replied loudly, "Yes!"
As I got closer, I recognized not only my squad members but also some from another squad who had probably set off before us and got delayed here. It wasn't surprising; every team's route had its intersections.
Ayu followed behind and asked, "How did you know they were our people?" I replied impatiently, "Did you not see Fatty Hua's chubby figure under that raincoat? Who else could it be? He looks like a panda."
"Wang Wei!" That was the leader of the other squad, Liu. "So what happened? Did you get delayed?" I asked, knowing that the earlier departing squad wouldn't be caught up.
"Yeah, it seems there’s no bridge across this river," Liu said.
I had already guessed there wouldn't be a bridge! The instructors loved to play tricks on us, like last time when they led us to a graveyard. Although I sensed Instructor Lin had ulterior motives, there was also an element of teasing involved. When looking at the map earlier, I noticed there was no bridge over the river.
It was a common misconception that anyone would fall in, but I knew that in Guilin, there were no deep rivers. Just like the Li River we had traveled before, it was shallow enough for bamboo rafts; the water was clear enough to see the bottom.
I said little more than, "Roll up your pant legs and get ready to wade across."
Liu looked alarmed. "Are you serious? What if the water is really deep?"
"What are you afraid of? We have our probing sticks," I said as I rolled up my pants. My squadmates began to prepare as well.
"Liu, do you dare to follow? If you're scared, just stay here and wait for the guards to catch you," I laughed as I stepped into the river first. After all, I'd already seen the Yin Soldier; nothing ahead could scare me now.
Though bold, it didn't mean I was careless. All along the way, I used my stick to test the depth as we waded through the river. Sure enough, it was shallow; even at its deepest point, it only reached my thighs. Liu's squad followed us across.
After that, nothing unexpected happened. We made our way back along the route we had come from. After crossing through the mountains, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Guilin City. The last obstacle was a hillside; once we climbed up, Myriad Lights illuminated our view with countless lights. Behind me, my Brothers let out a cheer and embraced each other—a celebration of victory. Looking at the bustling city before me and then back at the silent dark night behind us reminded me of our encounter with that squad of Yin Soldiers; I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me.
Many years later, I saw this phrase on Ayu's QQ signature: "That was on a cold midnight hillside where our eager hearts lay—lonely pride and silly laughter; that place holds our youthful years..." I knew that those days and those events would forever remain an indelible memory for him as well.
After resting for a while, I led my brothers down the mountain and into the city area. The streets in Early Morning were quiet except for a few sanitation workers cleaning up. We walked in an orderly line down the main street until we returned to school. Without any surprises, we all passed the assessment successfully.
A few days later, Instructor Lin approached me again, asking if I had any special experiences or encounters during the nights. I still didn't tell him anything; I felt that it was better to keep some things to myself. I only mentioned the discovery of the skeletons, hoping he would urge the school to excavate and bury them soon. For some reason, I always felt that Instructor Lin had also seen those Yin Soldiers, and his inquiries seemed aimed at verifying something.
The second time he sought me out was before graduation. He wanted me to stay at the school and join him in the Military Topography research office. He assured me that he would handle the transfer paperwork if I agreed. I didn't accept his offer; my intuition told me that Instructor Lin was rather mysterious, and his identity was likely more than just that of an instructor. To be honest, I had no interest in supernatural matters and preferred to be an ordinary soldier. Despite his various attempts to persuade me, I remained unmoved, and eventually, he left disappointed. It wasn't until many years later when we met again that I learned about his other identity.
After returning to school, on a weekend before graduation, I specifically went to the library to research relevant historical materials. I found numerous descriptions regarding the Guilin Campaign, even noting that reports from the Japanese Army highly praised the Chinese defenders. For instance, the commander of the 58th Division of the Japanese Army later stated in a report: "Our division faced fierce resistance from local indigenous armed forces in Guilin. Although their equipment was inferior, they were incredibly fierce and determined to fight to the death. Their bravery far surpassed that of our forces; my sergeant was utterly disheartened..." Lower-ranking Japanese officers also recorded: "I have heard that Guilin is a beautiful place, rare in this world, but today our forces encountered the most ferocious resistance since the war began. Gunfire echoed throughout the city; landmines were everywhere, and hand-to-hand combat ensued. After the battle, only about seventy of my battalion's nine hundred men remained, most of whom were wounded. We discovered that many of the weapons used by the enemy in Guilin were outdated firearms discarded by Japan over forty years ago. Such primitive weapons caused us immense casualties; despite being our enemies, we couldn't help but admire their spirit." This illustrates the significant casualties and low morale suffered by the Japanese Army. On November 10, 1944, Guilin fell; out of over nineteen thousand defenders, more than eleven thousand died (half of whom succumbed to gas attacks), while over seven thousand were captured by the Japanese Army after being incapacitated by poison. According to a report submitted later by the Japanese Army headquarters: "The Imperial Army suffered over twelve thousand casualties in the battle for Guilin—over nineteen thousand wounded and many missing—among them nine colonels and one lieutenant colonel commanding battalions, nearly one hundred company commanders and squad leaders. The waters of the Li River ran red with the blood of both our forces and theirs; this was the most brutal battle I have ever experienced—not due to its scale but because of the enemy's ferocity."
"How many years have passed? Who knows how many people fought for their country and their nation in such a place, sacrificing themselves only to fade away silently into the ground?" As I finished this story, I looked meaningfully at He Baisha.
The entire barracks fell silent; perhaps they were stunned or found my strange experiences unbelievable. After a moment, a soldier asked, "Wang Pai, what happened to you afterward?"
I smiled slightly. "What else could happen? I graduated and came to this unit to lead you bunch of rascals!"
I glanced at He Baisha, who was deep in thought, and continued, "However, if given another chance, I'd like to return to that place and see if the martyrs' tombstones have been repaired—it would be a way to commemorate that bloody chapter of history."
At this point, everyone seemed to come back to reality; some began discussing among themselves while others clamored for more stories. I waved my hand dismissively. "Alright, you kids wash up and get ready for bed! Today's story ends here; if you behave well, I've got plenty more tales for you!"
With that said, I stood up as if to leave. The gathered soldiers erupted into laughter and scattered. After taking a few steps away, I patted He Baisha on the shoulder as he sat on the ground. "Come with me."
He Baisha stood up and followed me outside.
We walked to the second-floor laundry area where I leaned against the railing and watched soldiers coming in and out for their evening routines. "He Baisha," I said lightly, "do you have something you'd like to share with me?"
"Squad Leader," He Baisha surprisingly spoke in Mandarin. "My grandfather participated in the defense of Guilin."
This caught me off guard; I responded with an "Oh."
"Later on," he continued, "the Guangxi Army moved into Sichuan where many people married and settled down—including my grandfather—who never returned to Guangxi again. However, he often reminisced about those days when they sniped at Japanese soldiers from outside during fierce battles where many comrades fell. He was also injured and lost consciousness; when he woke up, he realized that the fighting had ended. He recuperated at a local family's home but found that his original unit had been disbanded when he tried to rejoin them later. Eventually, he joined another Guangxi Army unit but unfortunately kept retreating until reaching Chongqing. Even after many years passed, he still thought about his fallen comrades and longed to revisit those places from back then but never knew where exactly those battles took place—only remembering nearby town names—and now with age catching up with him, this wish remains unfulfilled. Hearing you mention that town along with your story about Yin Soldiers makes me suspect it might very well be his old unit."
I didn't respond immediately but suddenly changed topics with a question: "Your grandfather wasn't an ordinary person, was he?"
He Baisha paused for a moment before looking down thoughtfully. "He used to study feng shui and destiny; he also learned some Taoist techniques. Later on, he was conscripted into service but initially thought about escaping. However, after witnessing many atrocities committed by the Japanese forces, he gradually lost his desire to be a deserter and decided instead to fight against them—so he stayed with his unit."
So that's how it is, I thought to myself, no wonder you have those skills.
"Are you planning to retire this year? After retirement, you might take your grandfather back to see the place. I'll sketch out a rough map for you; I still remember last year's events vividly, ha ha."
"Thank you, Squad Leader."
"He Baisha," I patted his shoulder, "being your Squad Leader is a kind of fate. When you go to new places, make sure to work hard, but don't be so superstitious anymore. This society has progressed; many things are no longer believed."
"Just because no one believes it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," He Baisha said, lifting his head with surprisingly bright eyes.
"Squad Leader, I have a feeling we'll meet again, and you'll still be my leader!"
"Go back and wash up; you're rambling again," I waved my hand. "From the very first day I joined the army, I never intended to change careers. And I don't think you'll enlist again either!"
That's how life is; after many twists and turns over the years, who would have thought that He Baisha would become my subordinate and achieve so much.
(The entire text of "Yinbing Xing" is complete. Please look forward to "Gun Staff Decision," "Love Like the Wind," and "The Work of Chasing the Wind." Tomorrow will be even more exciting!)
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