Under One Person: I am the Master of Maoshan

Seeing that the matter was settled, Shen Zhongde's anger turned into joy, and he took Gong Ruomei aside to ask about her well-being.

Although Gong Er is not particular about details, she is a little reserved in front of her future father-in-law.

Shen Yan came to her rescue when he saw this: "Dad, didn't you bring me anything good this time? My army is short of everything right now. I need as much money, food, and medicine as I can get."

"Hmph, now that you have grown strong, why do you need the support of my small Baicaotang? You are well-known as the little master of Maoshan. People say that you will take whatever the devils have."

Shen Yan replaced the cup of hot tea for him and said with a joking face, "When it comes to supplies, more is never too much. Besides, the situation in Henan is tense right now. We are a big family like Baicaotang, so any little we get will be enough to feed my troops for a while."

Shen Zhongde took out a list from his pocket and handed it to him: "Take a look, this is the donation your uncle Bai in the capital made to your army, plus the money from our Shen family that I handed over to the headquarters. You wait for the distribution together."

Shen Yan unfolded the list and raised his eyebrows. "Wow! Uncle Bai has spent all his family's money. How did he send so many things from the capital?"

The list recorded 500,000 silver dollars, countless amounts of grain and various patent medicines.

Shen Yan read the list again, put it on the table and asked, "Uncle Bai, your intention is not to buy wine. What are his conditions?"

"How do you know he has the conditions?" Shen Zhongde chuckled.

Shen Yan tapped his fingers twice on the list: "Although the Bai family is from the same lineage as us, they have always leaned towards that side. And I heard that the son of their old hall master, Mr. Bai San, is still with the Sichuan and Chongqing friendly forces. I can understand betting on both sides, but this bet is a bit too big."

Shen Zhongde nodded with a somewhat sad expression: "On the third day of last month, the Japanese wanted to select the leader of the pharmacy in Beijing. The third old master took poison in public and refused to surrender. Moreover, his son was killed by the Japanese planes in Sichuan and Chongqing. Your uncle Bai had no choice but to take over in order to save the pharmacy. He drained the blood of all the branches north of Chang'an to raise this money."

"It's also thanks to the Devouring Capsules from Tiangong Hall. Tiangong was quite kind and accepted our recipe and sent someone to deliver a few Devouring Capsules as a reward. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to deliver these supplies."

"Xiao Yan, I know you are somewhat disgusted with the actions of these sects and families during your trip. But these families are truly patriotic. They hope you can kill more devils and pay your blood debt with blood."

Shen Yan stood up and bowed towards Beiping: "May the Third Old Master live forever!"

He knew that the Bai family intended to change their allegiance this time, but the support they sent was real, and the Third Old Master's spirit of refusing to surrender even in death was also real.

That night, Shen Zhongde and Zhang Gui stayed in the Xinyi Regiment. They talked with Shen Yan for a long time before falling asleep.

......

In the prison of Jinling City, a man covered in blood was tied to a pillar.

Yoshio Shinozuka's adjutant looked at him grimly.

"Have you thought it through? If you don't tell me, you won't be able to save your life!"

The man burst into tears: "Taijun, I really don't know. I am just a barber. How can I be involved with the New Fourth Army? Please let me go, let me go!"

At this time, a Japanese lieutenant came over and whispered in the adjutant's ear: "Sir, he seems to be a real barber. We have checked around him and found nothing unusual. I suspect that the local maintenance chairman has a grudge against him and deliberately framed him."

The adjutant nodded but still had some hope, and waved his hand toward the door. Two soldiers pushed a woman and a little girl of five or six years old into the torture room.

The little girl was so scared that she burst into tears. The woman held her and looked at the man tied to the pillar with tears in her eyes.

The adjutant walked over and looked at them: "Your wife is very beautiful and your daughter is very cute."

He then grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck and pulled her in front of the man.

"No, no!"

The woman wailed as she watched her daughter being dragged away, but was beaten and kicked by the two executioners around her. She curled up on the ground and cried non-stop.

The adjutant stroked the little girl's hair and said, "I'll give you one last chance! Think carefully about whether you have seen the New Fourth Army near Suzhou City, or some suspicious people. Otherwise... hehe"

"Taijun! Taijun! I really don't know, ah... please let my daughter go, please!"

The man begged and tried hard to recall in his mind, but he really had no connection with the New Fourth Army.

"It seems that you really don't care about your lovely daughter, what a pity."

After saying this, he picked up the red-hot iron next to him and was about to press it on the girl's face.

The daughter's crying deeply hurt the man's heart, and at the critical moment the man seemed to have thought of something.

"Taijun! I'm telling you! I'm telling you! Please let me go!"

The adjutant paused and waited for his next words.

"I...have never seen the New Fourth Army, but I have seen the Eighth Route Army before."

"When! Where?"

"Three years ago, in my barber shop..."

The adjutant, who had received the information, rushed out of the torture room and went to Yoshio Shinozuka's office.

Shinozuka Yoshio was checking intelligence from various places at this time, frowning. His work had not been going well during this period. He boasted that he would wipe out the New Fourth Army, but he couldn't even find the shadow of the New Fourth Army. It was as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth.

The situation in northern Henan was even more bleak. Shen Yan was like a nail stuck there. The surrounding troops did not even dare to take a step out of the city.

Even so, the surrounding strongholds were often attacked and suffered more or less losses.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Yoshio Shinozuka asked with a smile when he saw his adjutant coming in with a rosy face.

"Xiaozao-kun, what are you so happy about?"

Adjutant Xiao Zao placed the confession and a newspaper on his desk: "General, I think we have discovered the secret of Shen Yan"

"What did you say!"

Upon hearing this, Yoshio Shinozuka stood up and read the confession and newspaper carefully.

The man being tortured was the barber who shaved Shen Yan's head three years ago. Shinozuka Yoshio led a large army to sweep the New Fourth Army. The traitors in Suzhou coveted the beauty of the barber's wife and falsely accused him of having an affair with the New Fourth Army.

The barber couldn't stand his daughter being threatened and remembered that he had shaved Shen Yan's head before. He happened to have seen the newspaper when Shen Yan sent a telegram to the whole country. He had no choice but to confess that he had met Shen Yan before and that Shen Yan was born in Maoshan!

Shinozuka Yoshio read the confession several times, then looked at Adjutant Xiaozao: "Is he sure that the Shen Yan in the newspaper is the Taoist priest he once saw?"

"Hey! General, I asked him to check it many times, and he didn't dare to lie."

Yoshio Shinozuka nodded, and then took out the details of the battle between his previous troops and the New Fourth Army.

"Xiao Zao-kun, it seems that we have found their lair. They are most likely hiding in Jurong Mountain! If my guess is correct, the Taoists who helped the New Fourth Army are from the same sect as Shen Yan."

"Hey! General, you are wise."

Shinozuka Yoshio smiled and patted his shoulder: "Kozayo-kun, you are indeed my most capable assistant. This time you have done a great job, I will apply for a commendation from the military. Tell me what else you want."

Xiaozao stood at attention and bowed his head respectfully and said: "Teacher! I am just a child of the common people. It is your appreciation that has brought me to where I am today. I just want to be by your side forever, and being loyal to the emperor is what I should do!"

Shinozuka Yoshio looked at his student and nodded with satisfaction: "Sooner or later, you will be the most outstanding general in the empire. Let me put it this way. I have a good relationship with some businessmen in the country. Ask them to buy a better house for your family."

"Thank you teacher!"