In this era of red, where morality and reason were washed ashore, the bolder one was, the better one could fare.

Fan Debiao didn't elaborate; he simply dispersed the others to work, assigning Young Master Liu the role of foreman, a small elevation to his status and circumstances.

But today, as Fan Debiao watched his loyal men engaged in productive labor, a band of Red Guards suddenly descended from the nearby Bodhisattva Mountain. Without preamble, these Red Guards threw themselves upon Fan Debiao, pinning him to the ground and binding him tightly.

Naturally, Young Master Liu and the others resisted. Having developed an affinity for Fan Debiao, they stepped forward, facing the Red Guards and demanding, "What are you doing, causing trouble here?"

"Hmph, hmph. Do you even know what kind of man your captain is?"

The Red Guard tying up Fan Debiao appeared to be their leader. To Young Master Liu, it was obvious even if he were blind: this was Sun Datong, the one responsible for Zhang Enpu's death.

"This man committed murder in Harbin, exploiting loopholes in national law to seek refuge here. This is a socialist country; how can we allow a murderer to survive on our soil? Brothers, take him away."

With that, the Red Guard flashed a pistol in his hand: "See this? Pay attention. If anyone dares to mess around on my turf from now on, this pistol will certainly not spare them!"

The Red Guard then swaggered away, leaving Young Master Liu hesitant.

After they departed, many of the brothers asked, "Master Liu, what do you think we should do?"

Young Master Liu watched their retreating figures. "Damn it, looks like we’re committed now. You all come here. Anyone with a wife and children at home, step forward."

Immediately, half the group stepped out.

"Anyone else who hasn't been intimate with a woman, step forward." No one moved from the main group, but one man stepped out from the married contingent.

"You? Don't you have a son? Why are you stepping out?"

"I have never been intimate with my wife," the man replied with a shadow of sorrow on his face.

"What? Then isn't that son yours?" Young Master Liu was quite curious.

"He is not my son," the man answered cleanly, his expression heavy with sadness.

"Oh, then I'm perplexed. If he isn't your son, why tolerate him and work so hard for him? What is your meaning? Are you truly that noble?"

"No, Master Liu, you misunderstand. My functional capacity was impaired since I was a child. I could only endure it this way, marrying a pair of orphans and a widow." The man explained.

"Oh, I see now. Then return to the ranks," said Young Master Liu.

Young Master Liu walked over to the group that had no wives or children. "Which of you is willing to go with me to rescue Fan Debiao? To be honest, the Big Grasshopper we rescued a few days ago was actually a tomb robber. Once we get Fan Debiao out, I plan to seek refuge with him. Anyone willing to join me, step forward now!"

Over a dozen burly figures emerged from the group. "Boss, to tell you the truth, we’ve long been tired of this life!" "Alas, the whole country is in chaos now; what black and white is there? We could lose our lives any day! Traveling outside might be a good option; perhaps we can still make something of ourselves!"

Young Master Liu led these men, trailing the Red Guards to Yangjitun, nestled below Bodhisattva Mountain.

They arrived at the school where the Red Guards were quartered. There was a latrine there, which the Red Guards had since converted into a makeshift prison. Of course, the filth had not been cleared out; in their view, only under such harsh conditions could people truly awaken to enlightenment.

Young Master Liu instructed his men to wait quietly outside the school while he slipped inside cautiously, passing through the large iron gate.

Beside the latrine-prison, only an old man stood guard. The old man was drowsy, looking as if he hadn't eaten for days.

Young Master Liu crept up to him and deftly took the keys from his belt, unlocking Fan Debiao's cell.

When Young Master Liu stepped inside and saw Fan Debiao, he was utterly petrified.

Fan Debiao was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, lying on the ground, barely breathing, his entire body covered in torn rags scraped raw.

Young Master Liu ignored the filth and grime, hoisted Fan Debiao onto his back, and prepared to leave.

But they hadn't gone far before reaching a small grove of trees nearby. A bonfire blazed there, and songs praising heroes rang out.

No wonder the place was unguarded today; these damned Red Guards were off feasting and making merry.

Young Master Liu and his men quietly retreated. They decided against alerting the enemy. Fan Debiao needed serious recuperation; they would return to the work team, tend to his wounds, and leave later.

Yet, the next day, when Fan Debiao awoke, he immediately demanded the Thompson submachine gun left by the Big Grasshopper to mow down the Red Guards. Young Master Liu’s face went pale; aren't you shoving us into a fire pit? he thought.

Just as they were unable to dissuade him, shouts erupted from below.

"Down with the counter-revolutionaries!"

"Down with the counter-revolutionaries!"

"Down with the opportunists!"

"Down with the leader of villains, Fan Debiao!"

"Damn it, looks like these bastards are back to cause trouble again. Fine. Since you dare treat our brothers this way, don't blame me for not being polite."

With that, Young Master Liu faced the few people charging toward them and asked, "What are you doing?" He spoke with complete composure, showing no trace of fear.

"What are we doing? Hmph, hmph. You know what! Last night, you and a few of your lackeys sneaked in and stole our key suspect, bringing him back here. Did you think we wouldn't know?" The leading Red Guard looked at Young Master Liu with righteous indignation, as if he wanted to devour him.

Young Master Liu was not falling for it. He knew the Red Guards were saying this only to make him feel guilty enough to hand over Fan Debiao. In reality, the leader probably didn't even know if they had truly recovered Fan Debiao.

"Fan Debiao is not here. You took him away for denunciation yesterday. Are you here to cause trouble again today?"

Young Master Liu sneered, "If the higher-ups learn that you lost a suspect, they won't let you off lightly. A major socialist danger, and you let him slip away like this? Who knows if you intentionally released him back into society or if you killed him without approval from above? If the superiors find out, can you all bear the consequences?"

"You..." Sun Datong was momentarily speechless. Young Master Liu was clearly blackmailing them. If Young Master Liu insisted on withholding Fan Debiao and reported them, the Red Guards would not be in the right.

Sun Datong, however, was unwilling to simply leave; wouldn't that completely shatter his dignity as leader? He still wanted to show his zeal to Chairman Mao.

So, he sneered, "Hmph, hmph. Just you wait! Back then, I showed leniency because of Village Head Tian. Now that you’re grown up, you think you can jump around, eh? Fine! Since you want to burn bridges, I won't hold back either. When I gather enough evidence, I will report you, Young Master Liu, to the People's Commune. And you, you, you—not one will escape, all of you will die!" With that, he left in a fury.

After a long silence, Young Master Liu sighed. Alas, this will be difficult.

When they were gone, Fan Debiao hobbled out of the shed, his eyes nearly popping out. "Master Liu, if we had attacked them together just now, we could have eliminated these bastards instantly! Then we could destroy the evidence, wouldn't that have been satisfying?"

"You dream sweetly," Young Master Liu shook his head. "If we kill them, the authorities will certainly trace it back to us, and we'll have no explanation. All these brothers will be executed as counter-revolutionaries. I think we should wait until tonight, pick a few strong ones, go to their place, teach them a lesson, and then flee. Getting the Big Grasshopper to help would be a two-for-one deal!"

Fan Debiao thought it over and nodded. "Yes, Master Liu, what you said makes sense. All right, let's do it that way, we'll proceed."

Fan Debiao pondered for a moment, then instructed the cook, "Brothers, let's have a good farewell dinner today. I believe they call it the Last Supper in foreign countries. Haha."

Late in the dead of night, Young Master Liu and Fan Debiao gathered a few robust men and quietly left the work team, arriving at the small village below Bodhisattva Mountain.

The village looked quiet, with no sign of disturbance.

Young Master Liu and the others reached the school entrance and peered inside.

They witnessed a horrifying scene.

Dozens of Red Guards were entangled with dozens of skeletons and bones, lying sprawled on the ground.

This place was haunted.

Young Master Liu felt a strange amusement. They always suppressed the 'ox devils and snake spirits,' yet now, it seemed those spirits had come knocking on their door. But why was there a lingering, sultry scent of a seductress in the air? Could it be…?

Watching the dozens of Red Guards consumed by their enjoyment, Young Master Liu restrained the impulsive Fan Debiao.

Fan Debiao was a fierce man who always repaid grievances. The Red Guards' insult had pushed his tolerance past its limit; if he wasn't allowed to vent, he would probably hold a grudge for life.

So, Young Master Liu had a flash of inspiration: "Fan Debiao, do you want these men to die quickly, or do you want them to die agonizingly?"

Fan Debiao ground his teeth and cursed, "Damn it, of course, I want these sons of bitches to die in torment!"

"That settles it. We leave quickly now. When the Red Guards discover tomorrow that they were getting intimate with a pile of skeletons, they will surely torment them to death, and those men will become cautionary tales."

Fan Debiao considered it. "En, Master Liu, you're right. Let’s do as you say. Retreat!"

And so, without lifting a finger themselves, they ensured the Red Guards' future would be even more miserable.

Before leaving, Young Master Liu specifically glanced at the latrine. Beside the structure, an old weasel lady in a Tang suit nodded and smiled at him.

This figure was none other than the guardian spirit he had saved years ago: Huang San Tailai.

Young Master Liu smiled back at her and quickly departed.

Fan Debiao found the old man's telephone booth and called the Big Grasshopper. The Big Grasshopper was immediately agreeable, saying he would dispatch his men the next day to pick them up.

The following day, the Big Grasshopper sent his men to collect them. As a final act, Young Master Liu felt there was one thing he needed to take care of properly.

Fan Debiao naturally knew whose person Young Master Liu held in his heart; he was likely going to find Ma Xiaoyan!

He immediately said, "Alright then, you go first. Whenever you feel you’ve had enough time together, call the Big Grasshopper, and he’ll come pick you up."

Young Master Liu nodded and quickly left.

At Ma Xiaoyan's house.

Young Master Liu knocked on Ma Xiaoyan's door, and it was she who answered.

"Da Shao! Da Shao, why are you back?"

"Heh heh, you don't want me back?" Young Master Liu asked playfully.

"Of course, I want you back!" Ma Xiaoyan replied, pulling him into the house.

"Right, where's your dad? Isn't he home?"

"He went to his aunt's house a hundred li away; he won't be back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest." Ma Xiaoyan looked at Young Master Liu with clear excitement.

"Da Shao, when are you leaving here?"

"When your parents return, I’ll go. Heh heh, for now, let's really enjoy our friendship."

Young Master Liu stepped forward without hesitation and embraced Ma Xiaoyan tightly. After a brief show of reluctance, Ma Xiaoyan abandoned her reserve and hugged him back fiercely.

The two began to kiss passionately.

After a long time, until they were nearly breathless, they slowly separated.

Young Master Liu then recounted everything that had happened over the past few days to Ma Xiaoyan.

Ma Xiaoyan listened, dumbfounded. It was just like the films shown in the village—she never imagined Young Master Liu could actually do such things.

In truth, the films shown in the village were always the same few revolutionary classics; other genres were forbidden. The village only showed a film occasionally, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. But the man who screened the film the next day was arrested by the Red Guards. It was likely that the Red Guards watched those films privately with far more enthusiasm.

They were probably fantasizing about the scenes in the movies themselves.

After their poignant parting, Young Master Liu found Village Head Tian and asked if he could make a phone call. Of course, he wasn't hoping to join the Big Grasshopper in grave robbing. On one hand, it was Zhang Enpu's dying wish; on the other, it was Young Master Liu's own decision. Forget it; he'd return to his old trade! Just like Fan Debiao sang: I do not recognize the tombs of Wuling’s heroes, I’ll till the fields without wine or flowers.

At the international airport, the Big Grasshopper sat comfortably in the lounge, a beautifully wrapped leather briefcase by his side, sporting a pair of sunglasses. After a while, the guy next to him, Cai Qingchong, nudged him: "Boss, do you think he’ll come?"

The Big Grasshopper paused briefly, then smiled faintly and took off his sunglasses. "He will!"

"Why?"

"Because my judgment has never been wrong!" With that, he crossed his legs, humming the Shaanxi folk song "Lan Hua Hua," tapping the armrest with his five fingers, clearly enjoying himself.

Just then, the large mobile phone clipped to the Big Grasshopper's waist rang. He glanced at Cai Qingchong, giving him a look that said, See? I told you so!

On the call, the Big Grasshopper readily agreed to all of Young Master Liu's requests. Young Master Liu couldn't fathom the Big Grasshopper's background, as he had arranged for him to go to Hong Kong, a thousand miles away, to find someone named Uncle Diao. Moreover, there was a hidden contact the Big Grasshopper had arranged for him at the seaside dock. Had he planned all of this long ago?

Indeed, life is full of mysteries.

As long as he could survive, any place would do. Before leaving, he made grand promises to Ma Xiaoyan and set off.

What awaited him ahead?

On the black boat smuggling him to Hong Kong, Young Master Liu was lost in thought.