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

Li Dadi and Gou Mao returned around dinner time. Just as Zhao Mancang had guessed, the bathhouse called "Jun Ruyi" was ostensibly a bathhouse for people to bathe, but the dozen or so rooms in the courtyard were used for opium smoking.

There were a dozen or so burly men guarding the courtyard. When guests came, these men would light cigarettes for them, acting as humble as servants. But if any smoker couldn't pay for his cigarettes, they would immediately pull out short sticks from their waists, beat him severely, and detain him until his family sent money to ransom him—they were incredibly ruthless!

The mastermind behind the opium den was Lü Hongzhong, the head of the Qilixiang Anti-Japanese Association, who, with the support of the Japanese, ruthlessly exploited the common people. Many shop owners in the market were tricked into becoming addicted to opium by the den's people. They would do business during the day and then go in for a puff at night, their life savings completely drained by this guy. Several shop owners even mortgaged their shops at low prices to the opium den to support their addiction, resulting in broken families, ruined homes, and utterly tragic circumstances!

Now, nearly half of the shops in the market are under Lü Hongzhong's control. Tailor shops, department stores, restaurants, and so on are all rented from him. Moreover, most of these owners have become opium addicts, reduced to tools for others to make money. They all grit their teeth with hatred at the mention of that bathhouse!

Knowing that he had a history of wrongdoing and many sought revenge, Lü Hongzhong hired six skilled bodyguards at great expense to protect him. Several times, those seeking revenge were shot dead by these bodyguards, leaving the business owners furious and too afraid to take any action.

"Have you figured out Lü Hongzhong's whereabouts? Where is he tonight?" Zhao Mancang asked after listening to the two men's report.

"Not yet. We came back after finding out about the opium den. We only heard that his home is in Wali Village, east of the market. We didn't find out his whereabouts..." Li Dadi said embarrassedly.

"Alright..." These two were just farmhands before, and it was already quite good that they could find out about the opium den. You can't expect them to become professional intelligence agents all of a sudden. But that's enough. Once the opium den is taken down, the head of the maintenance association will naturally show up.

"Let's eat and get some sleep. Tonight, we'll take action in the middle of the night and take down this harmful opium den first!" Zhao Mancang continued.

"Alright!" The two men breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the man hadn't blamed them, and thought to themselves that they must complete the task properly next time.

"...Uncle Cang, we just passed by the bathhouse this morning. How did you figure out it was an opium den?" Gou Mao asked timidly, voicing his doubts.

This question had been bothering the two of them for most of the day. Why didn't they notice anything when they passed by the opium den together?

“Haha, that’s not hard. When I passed by, I saw the two people who went in were in such a hurry that they didn’t even bring a change of clothes, while the person who came out looked radiant and full of enjoyment. Obviously, it wasn’t just a simple shower. Comparing the two, it’s not hard to guess that the person who went in was in such a hurry because of his opium craving, and the person who came out was also enjoying himself because he had just smoked opium,” Zhao Mancang explained.

"Huh?...Is it that simple?"

"Great!"

Li Dadi and Gou Mao were completely convinced; they were ashamed of their own meticulousness.

"Intelligence is essential for our fight against the Japanese. You two have been paying close attention to news about the Japanese manhunts recently, which shows you have the potential to be intelligence agents. That's a good thing. Keep an eye on things and try to build this up as soon as possible!" Zhao Mancang encouraged.

He had been observing for a long time, and these two were always the first to notice and inform everyone of any movements the Japanese made. Giving them some training would make them qualified intelligence agents! Of course, he wouldn't go into the specifics; everyone would have to figure it out together. After all, real combat was very different from what was shown on TV.

After dinner, everyone quietly went to sleep. At one o'clock in the morning, everyone got up on time, leaving the carpenter and blacksmith at home to watch the house, while the rest of them carried their tools and, with Fujita Kuro and Fujimoto Ko leading the way, headed towards the Qili Township market under the guidance of flashlights.

An hour and a half later, the group arrived at the market. They circled around to the back of the bathhouse and, sure enough, discovered a hidden space behind the shops. Three large brick and tile houses enclosed a small courtyard, which, together with the shops in front, formed a simple courtyard house. A large gate for vehicles was located next to the western houses, and the top of the courtyard wall was covered with a dense layer of broken glass.

The gate was closed and the courtyard was pitch black. Lights were still on in all the rooms, and a faint smell of smoke could be detected when you got close to the window.

"Uncle Cang, over here!" Tiger called softly as he squatted under a window with his two dogs on a leash.

Zhao Mancang crouched down and quietly approached, and could still hear the people talking inside.

"East Wind! My luck tonight is unmatched, I'm getting the wind every hand!"

"Haha, what do you mean by being lucky in love but unlucky in gambling? You must have spent a lot of time messing around with Er Ya during the day, right? Watch your back!"

"Old Hu is still got it!"

"That's right! I've only ever had this one thing in my life, and other people's wives are always the best!"

"Hahaha, aren't you afraid the old tailor will fight you to the death if he finds out!"

"Him? What can an old smoker do if he finds out? He'll squander his meager fortune sooner or later, and we're not even sure if Er Ya can survive! Hmm, this is a good card!"

"Thirty thousand! Old Hu has gained both wealth and women! Brilliant!"

……

The people inside were playing mahjong, clearly unaware that death was beckoning them. Just as they were engrossed in their lively banter and idle chatter, the window in the back wall silently opened…

"Shhhhhhh!"

Several crossbow bolts shot in and embedded themselves in the bodies of the four people who were playing mahjong. They were all hit and collapsed onto the table, unable to get up again. The one against the back wall still had a single tile in his hand that he hadn't played yet.

The tall, thin man standing to one side noticed the strange sight at the window and was about to shout when a crossbow bolt struck him squarely in the throat. He fell backward, clutching his throat with both hands, his mouth agape, unable to utter a sound...

Having succeeded in their attack, and seeing that there were no more survivors in the house, a few men were left to guard the front and back doors while the rest climbed in through the windows. Inside the house, besides a mahjong table and a few chairs, there were several cabinets, all of which were locked, with a few opium pipes and oil lamps on top.

This was clearly the rest room for the opium den guards. Tiger pried open a cabinet and found it filled with pieces of opium the size of soap, wrapped in oil paper, filling half the cabinet!

The other cabinets were opened one by one, revealing opium pipes, oil lamps, matches, opium, silver dollars, and Chinese legal tender, all neatly categorized. The Chinese legal tender was bound with strips of paper, and the silver dollars were rolled up in red paper, taking up most of the compartment and standing out conspicuously!

"So much money! We're rich! We're rich!" Mangui walked up and squatted in front of the cabinet door, shouting in a low voice, his hands trembling with excitement as he held two rolls of silver dollars tightly.

"It's not time to pack up the spoils yet! Leave two people to pack the things, the rest of you come with me!" Man Cang shouted, gripping his crossbow.