I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

"Uh... I don't care, something must have happened at home! Look at this knife wound, it must have been done by the Japanese bayonet! I have to go back no matter what..." Third Master pointed at the wounds on Da Huang's body, even more anxious. The trouble at home made him forget everything else and only want to go home.

"Let's go back! Pack up and take our gear, we're both going back!" Zhao Mancang was also flustered; with something happening at home, he had no mind to continue training.

"Alright then! We brothers will go back with you. It'll be good to have someone to help you if you encounter the Japanese!" Seeing that the father and son were determined to go back, Tiger immediately decided to go with them.

"No need! I know a mountain road that can bypass the Japanese checkpoints, so we shouldn't encounter any Japanese soldiers..." Third Master said when he saw that Tiger was also going to follow.

He couldn't bear to risk his life for the sake of everyone who had barely escaped death from the mine.

"Third Master, we're brothers who fought the Japanese together. We should share the good times and the bad. No matter whose problem it is, it's our problem! You wouldn't just sit idly by if someone else is in trouble, would you?" Tiger said solemnly.

"Tiger is right. When fighting the Japanese together, we should share weal and woe and shoulder the burden together!" Da Zhao said from afar after hearing Tiger's words as he ran back.

"Let's put it all behind us. We've been training for so long, let's take this as a test of our training results! When everyone gets back, let's pack up, grab our gear, and go for a trip. If we encounter any Japanese or traitors, we should have a live-fire exercise!" Zhao Mancang didn't mince words. It would be unreasonable for him to not go back to his own home when he was fighting the Japanese and defending his hometown.

"Alright! We've all worked hard these past few days. If we encounter any Japanese devils or traitors, we'll definitely wipe them out!" Tiger said excitedly when Mancang nodded in agreement.

"That's right! We can't even protect our own homes while fighting the Japanese, how can we protect others? When brothers are together, no one should be polite to anyone else!" Da Zhao added.

Shortly after the plan was finalized, everyone returned one after another, and they all became excited upon hearing about the operation. They wanted to test the results of their long training, and even the four girls, their faces flushed, shouted that they wanted to personally kill the Japanese soldiers to avenge their families!

Soon everyone loaded their weapons onto the wheelbarrows and prepared to set off.

This was no ordinary wheelbarrow. Zhao Mancang and the carpenter spent an entire afternoon building it specifically for passing through Japanese checkpoints. The blades of the longsword, arrows, and other metal-containing weapons were concealed at the bottom of the wheelbarrow, while the rest of the wooden parts were bound to the roof with bowstrings. From the outside, it looked like a wheelbarrow pushing several carts of firewood, and no one paid it any attention.

Soon, a few craftsmen were left to watch the house, while the others pushed two wheelbarrows and led two dogs toward Zhao Village. Third Master was already anxious and led the way with the two dogs. After leaving the valley where the village was located, they turned a corner and climbed another mountain, winding their way along the mountain path.

Fortunately, we didn't encounter any Japanese soldiers searching along the way, and by noon we were almost at our destination.

"My God! What happened?!" When Third Master saw the scene in the village, his heart felt as if a bucket of cold water had been suddenly poured over him. He couldn't help but cry out and rush over.

Zhao Mancang, who was standing nearby, quickly grabbed him and squatted down to check the situation in the village, while the others took out their weapons and started assembling them.

From afar, the village appeared dilapidated and utterly desolate! All the houses had collapsed, leaving only ruins everywhere. The scars of a fire were visible everywhere; even the trees in front of and behind the houses had been burned to charcoal and lay fallen in the courtyard, crushing a section of the wall. The village was deathly silent; not even a bird could be heard…

"Woo woo woo..." The two hunting dogs also looked at the village and let out a mournful howl, their paws kicking wildly on the ground in great agitation.

"Enter the village, be on guard!" Man Cang observed for a while and, finding nothing amiss, took the crossbow handed to him by Da Zhao and gave the order.

The group gripped their crossbows tightly, crouched low, and approached the village step by step. As soon as they got close, two dogs dashed in and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"The dogs didn't bark, so there shouldn't be anyone in the village. Let's hurry in!" Third Master explained as soon as the two dogs disappeared and strode into the village. The others were relieved and quickly followed.

The group quickly searched the village, their faces growing increasingly grim. Aside from collapsed houses and ash from the fire, they found nothing. Two hunting dogs sat in front of Second Uncle's house, whimpering intermittently, adding to the desolate silence of the village.

"Damn those Japanese devils! I'll skin them alive!" Third Master stood in front of the two dogs, looking at the devastation, his heart bleeding. How could he possibly quell his grief and anger?

"Those Japanese devils are despicable! They've ravaged this perfectly good village..."

"Kill the Japanese devils to avenge our country!"

"I wonder if the villagers have escaped yet..."

"They really spared not even a chicken or a dog!"

Seeing the village's miserable state, everyone cursed and their hatred for the Japanese invaders deepened.

Zhao Mancang stood silently in front of a collapsed courtyard, sorting through the fragments in his mind. The familiar yet unfamiliar houses, stone piers, trees, and two blurry figures were so dear to him. Even the sheep pen built of stones next to him carried a familiar feeling.

But everything had turned to scorched earth, standing alone in the cold wind; everything was gone! Two tear tracks slid unconsciously down her cheeks…

"Uncle Cang, we haven't found a single body in the village, not even a single livestock carcass. This means that the villagers most likely escaped before the Japanese arrived!" Da Zhao said as he carefully examined the village.

"Huh?...Are you sure?" Zhao Mancang suddenly woke up and asked anxiously.

“In the past, we followed the Japanese in causing a lot of harm to the people. When the Japanese entered the village, they burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of atrocities. After they left, they left behind corpses all over the ground and left without ever burying the bodies. Look at this village, only the houses and woodpiles were burned, there are very few pieces of furniture, and not a single animal carcass. In other words, it is very likely that the Japanese burned down an empty village!” Da Zhao said, pointing to the ruins.

"That's right! We didn't find a single body!" Tiger quickly confirmed after a moment's thought.

"So, Second Brother and the others are still alive?... That's wonderful! Heaven has opened its eyes!" Upon hearing that his fellow villagers might be alive, Third Master immediately knelt down and roared to the heavens!

"Good! So the villagers must have gone into hiding! Good! It's good that they're all safe! Third Master, think of somewhere nearby where they can hide and find them!" Zhao Mancang said excitedly, feeling a little relieved.

"Wanrendong! In the past, when there was war or banditry, the villagers would go to Wanrendong for refuge. They must have all gone to Wanrendong!" Third Master said without hesitation.

"Okay! Go to the Ten Thousand People Cave to find them! As long as they're all there, that's fine!" Zhao Mancang repeated excitedly.