"How is Mr. Xu now?" Even though Ji Ye's expression did not show inexplicable grief and indignation, Fan Ainong did not dare to be sure whether Xu Xilin was in danger of losing his life. Xu Xilin's personality was too unyielding; he would never stay out of the affair and hide in a safe place at such a critical moment.

"Mr. Xu? You should think about yourself first!" Ji Ye sneered.

Fan Ainong did not expect Ji Ye to suddenly reveal such a fierce appearance. However, having seen the slaughter along the way, he had no fear of death. Instead, he felt a kind of confusion. Killing people was simply too easy. After seeing hundreds of heads chopped off and hundreds of corpses piled up with his own eyes—scenes he could never have imagined before—death was not difficult to imagine at all. Fan Ainong was never afraid of things he could imagine. He asked calmly, "Killing me is not a big deal. Can you give me a reason so that I can die understanding why?"

Such a question was beyond Ji Ye's imagination. If Fan Ainong had tried to argue for himself, or prove that he was a "good person" or someone who "sympathized with the revolution," Ji Ye would have executed Fan Ainong without hesitation. Instead, Fan Ainong's question left Ji Ye unable to answer. Staring at Fan Ainong for a few moments, Ji Ye knew she had no time to tangle with him. She asked, "What exactly are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver a letter, and also to see how the Western Zhejiang Branch is doing," Fan Ainong answered frankly.

"The letter has been delivered, and you have seen what the Western Zhejiang Branch is like. what do you plan to do next?"

"I plan to see Mr. Xu. Regardless of how this matter turns out in the future, I want to face this matter together with Mr. Xu. I saw the Beiyang Army killing so many people on the way. Regardless of what everyone else thinks about this matter, I want to follow Mr. Xu." Fan Ainong spoke with extreme determination.

No matter how much she wanted to immediately execute Fan Ainong and the others on the spot in her heart, Ji Ye still could not make such a decision. For her, the enemy was not these people like Fan Ainong, but the Beiyang Army in the distance. Ji Ye ordered, "Very well. Tie up Fan Ainong and these two people and send them to Mr. Xu. Let Mr. Xu decide whether they live or die."

Fan Ainong did not resist. He allowed people to tie him up and escort him towards Changxing County. He turned his head and looked at the team led by Ji Ye, only to see them going down the mountain along the small path without stopping. Presumably, they were going to cut off the Beiyang Army's rear route.

Although he was tied up tightly, Fan Ainong did not pause in the slightest. He almost stumbled towards Changxing County at the fastest speed possible. As long as he saw Xu Xilin, he could resolve the confusion in his heart: why were so many people dying in this terrible massacre? What kind of deep hatred was there between the Restoration Society Headquarters and the Western Zhejiang Branch? Seeing Fan Ainong so earnest, the escorting soldiers did not make things difficult for him. First, they moved Fan Ainong's hands, which were tied behind his back, to the front. After seeing Fan Ainong stumble a few times, they simply tied the rope around the waists of Fan Ainong and the others. Although this was also meant to monitor them, the sky was already dark, and this way it was not easy for them to fall behind.

After stumbling an unknown number of times in the dark night, Fan Ainong and the others finally approached Changxing County. The night sky was filled with the smell of smoke and blood. However, this smell was completely different from the smell brought by the massacre. The feeling of the massacre was a cold, heavy pressure, while the smell here brought people a kind of boiling, intense feeling.

Changxing County had not fallen into darkness. The electric lights hung high in the city illuminated the streets. There were many ruined walls in the county town that had been ravaged by artillery fire, but the people were not hiding in their own homes. Groups of people were being orderly settled in the county town under the leadership of soldiers and people wearing short clothes with white towels tied around their left arms.

The three were taken into the command headquarters. Xu Xilin did not expect Fan Ainong to be brought here. He looked in surprise for quite a while before truly confirming that the person in front of him was his disciple. "Ainong, why have you come here?"

Fan Ainong simply recounted his purpose and then spoke about what he had seen on his way. He asked loudly, "Mr. Xu, what exactly is going on? How could the killing reach such an extent? Even if everyone disagrees on loyalty, at worst we just part ways."

Xu Xilin smiled bitterly. "Ainong, why has it come to such slaughter? Didn't the Beiyang Army you met on the road already make it clear? Kill those who follow the Western Zhejiang Branch, kill those who join the Peasant Associations, and kill those who have offended the gentry and landlords. The landlords and gentry support the Headquarters and support the Beiyang Army. Although our Western Zhejiang Branch had no desire to participate in the war at all, since we support the common people and support those who live by their own labor, in the eyes of the Headquarters and Beiyang, we are the enemy, we are people on the side of the People's Party."

"Is it just because of this?" Fan Ainong understood what Xu Xilin said, but he still could not understand the logic within it. "Even if the People's Party takes over the world, these gentry won't be unable to live. As far as I know, many people under the rule of the People's Party are not living bad lives even after land reform."

Xu Xilin was truly speechless towards this foolish disciple of his. In fact, before the war broke out, Xu Xilin thought the same way. Even if the war was lost, the People's Party would only kill the enemy. This was also why Xu Xilin was unwilling to participate in the war. As long as he did not participate in the war and did not create a blood debt, Xu Xilin believed there was a possibility of negotiating with Chen Ke. Land reform could be milder, and they could do their best to give some compensation to the gentry and landlords. But all of this was no longer possible. Not to mention that the People's Party would likely not spare this group of Beiyang Army soldiers who had started the slaughter, even if the People's Party could let these people go, Xu Xilin would absolutely not let these people go.

"Ainong, you have already seen these things, but what do you plan to do?" Xu Xilin asked.

"I will follow you, Sir," Fan Ainong answered immediately.

"Do you dare to fight? Do you dare to die?" Xu Xilin asked.

"What is there to fear? I am willing to serve," Fan Ainong said without hesitation.

"Good. Tomorrow morning you will follow me into battle. Go rest for now." Xu Xilin did not have that much time to patiently teach his disciple. He ordered straightforwardly.

Fan Ainong had absolutely no other thoughts. Xu Xilin told him to sleep, and he also felt extremely exhausted. Following someone to a room next to the command headquarters, he lay down and didn't even have the strength to think about things, falling asleep directly.

Xu Xilin did not think about Fan Ainong and the others at all. He continued to deal with the war at hand. "Is there a reply from the People's Party side?"

"Contact has been made, but they said preparations still need two days. Moreover, they have no plans to attack Zhejiang this time, so they suggest we withdraw the masses in the base area to their side," the liaison staff officer answered.

"Why are they unwilling to march into Zhejiang? Did they give an explanation?" Xu Xilin felt inexplicably puzzled.

"They only said there were arrangements in terms of strategy and they cannot spare troops right now. Our comrades in Jiangsu also said that the British fleet has been threatening the People's Party's Wuhu. Presumably, their pressure is not ordinary either," the staff officer explained resentfully. "It looks like the Headquarters had long decided to make a move against us this time. Mr. Tao's affair must have been their doing. Then they used this as a pretext to deal with us."

"But did the People's Party make no preparations?" another staff officer asked. "Chairman Chen Ke has always been very cautious in his actions. How could he not have anticipated this?"

"This is no longer important. A few months ago, Chen Ke had Lu Huitian write a letter to me, telling me to watch out for the Headquarters making a move against us. Unfortunately, I didn't see it clearly. Since they asked us to withdraw the common people to their place, then we will withdraw." Xu Xilin did not want to tangle with this anymore. He said loudly, "My mind is made up. Everyone, hurry up and start preparing for this matter. Send out troops to secure the retreat route."

"Mr. Xu, don't be anxious. I'm afraid we'll have to ask the People's Party for help with the rear route this time. It's not that we want to make things difficult for them. The people we sent out a few days ago have already reported back that the gentry everywhere have gone mad. As long as it's our people, as long as it's people from the Peasant Associations, they kill them all cleanly, regardless of gender or age. Aside from Changxing, in the other two counties and Huzhou, anyone with any connection to us has been killed cleanly. Moreover, blocking stockades have been built everywhere along the way. As soon as our army approaches, they fight us on one hand and send people to notify the Beiyang Army on the other. If we send few people, we can't take the stockades. If we send many people, the Beiyang Army chases very closely. Even if the comrades break through the stockades, they will be defeated by the Beiyang Army. Right now, aside from being able to hold Changxing, we can't do anything else," the staff officer said with difficulty.

"Bosun, do you still not trust Wenqing?" Qiu Jin's voice came from outside. Xu Xilin was stunned, and the others couldn't help but reveal somewhat relieved expressions.

Qiu Jin had been patrolling outside and had returned at this time. Her head was wrapped in gauze, and her right eye was covered under the gauze. Such an injury would originally give people a horrible feeling, but Qiu Jin's imposing manner did not decline in the slightest because of the injury. Instead, it made her look even more dignified.

"Jianhu, why do you say that?" Xu Xilin asked, feeling a bit guilty.

Qiu Jin said frankly, "The situation has already reached this point. Even if we want to withdraw, we don't have many people left. How many troops do we have now? More than ten thousand people have been killed until less than four thousand remain. Those scattered comrades are likely in grave danger now. With the current military strength, we simply can't withdraw from the encirclement of tens of thousands of Beiyang troops. Wenqing never talks about empty things when he does things. The Yue King Society claimed to have a hundred thousand members and refused to submit to Wenqing. Wenqing used a small stratagem, and they scattered until not even dregs remained. I know you are unwilling for the Western Zhejiang Branch to end up in such a state. But if we don't simply seek refuge with the People's Party, there is simply no other road to walk."

Having his thoughts spoken aloud, Xu Xilin no longer concealed anything. "Mr. Tao has already died so unclearly. Our Western Zhejiang Branch are probably the last people who can avenge him. I previously harbored illusions about Mr. Cai, but now it seems Mr. Cai doesn't have the slightest feeling of camaraderie for the Restoration Society in his heart. If we seek refuge with the People's Party like this, what will happen to the remaining comrades of the Restoration Society?"

"Exactly how many comrades are in the Restoration Society? How many comrades and common people in Western Zhejiang are following us now? Which is lighter and which is heavier? Bosun, you cannot fail to think this through clearly." There was no anxiety in Qiu Jin's voice, only an indescribable heaviness.