Chapter 3 Santo Natulu

The icy air that descends southward from the Siberian plateau every year, even after traveling tens of millions of kilometers to Taiwan, still has sharp teeth, which can bring continuous tingling sensations to every body that resists it. The campfire was burning fiercely, and in the mountainous area without light pollution, this little light formed an absolute brightness. Snuggled next to the warmth of the fire, Captain Yasuichiro Fukahori used a pen with his name tattooed on his notepad to record everything he saw in the wilderness today, including the tree species in the forest, the map and the comparison of the actual terrain. Right wait.

The soldiers around him had already fallen into a deep sleep in their warm clothes. Only Sagawa, who was in charge of security, leaned against a big tree, stood his rifle on his right shoulder, and quietly smoked a cigarette. A gust of cold wind blew, and Fukahori couldn't help tugging on his open collar, and the rustling sound of writing stopped temporarily.He clipped the pens into the notepad and placed them on his cross-legged lap.Hidden at the top of the treetops are a frightening number of stars, and a distinct Milky Way snakes across the center of the sky. Ah, even though such a starry sky appears in front of my eyes every day, Fukahori couldn't help but let out a sound of admiration when he looked at it.

From Puli all the way west into the Central Mountains is about to enter the third week. After passing through the residence of the Tolok Society and moving to the Hualien Mountains, this place has also exceeded the range that the Pingpu guides can lead the way. Since the women of the Pingpu ethnic group were unwilling to go further into the unfamiliar mountainous areas, Captain Fukahori could only write a report on the information obtained from the exploration in the mountainous areas. The police officers from the Reclamation Bureau submitted the report to the higher-level unit. Without the guidance of a guide, Fukahori knew that for the next expedition, he could only rely on himself and the other 14 members of the expedition to continue walking by fate.

Get up, Captain, and take a look! Sleep did not know when it took over Fukahori's consciousness, and when he was awakened again, what he saw with sleepy eyes was the bright gray dawn sky. Fukahori, who fell asleep sitting cross-legged, felt pain in his waist and knees.He let out a painful breath, and the warm breath dispersed into a white mist in front of his face.His ears heard the chirping discussions of the expedition members beside him, and when his eyes were no longer sensitive to light, one of the expedition members said excitedly to him. Captain, look! This is∣∣Following the direction of the players' fingers, Fukahori opened his mouth wide in surprise.

Numerous red flowers bloomed on the branches around the camp where the expedition team was stationed, and a gust of wind blew, like a burning flame dancing in the vast mist. Captain Fukahori struggled to get up, and the notebook and pen that had been resting on his lap fell to the ground together, but he didn't notice it. He approached the most crowded tree with his eyes wide open. It was dark last night, and we didn't realize that we were sleeping in such a beautiful safflower forest.Fukahori praised, and the Japanese upswing sound echoed in the air. Red flower forest?Haven't you seen what flower this is, Captain?Sagawa who was standing next to Fukahori reminded him.

ah?Fukahori was taken aback by Sagawa's words, out of curiosity, he couldn't help but took another step forward, carefully inspecting the shape of the flowers on the branches. Cherry blossoms?Seeing those delicate petals covered with dew clearly, Fukahori murmured suspiciously to himself at first, and then suddenly said loudly in the next second: This is a cherry blossom! Huh!Fukahori's voice elicited exaggerated admiration from the other team members. Really cherry blossoms!Fukahori stood on tiptoe and plucked a stamen from the branch, as if the flames had spread to the palm of his hand.

Very red cherry blossoms, as red as blood cherry blossoms!Fukahori held the stamens in front of his eyes and murmured, he had never thought that in such a wild place, there would be such a large and amazing sea of ​​flowers, and the waves of emotion surged like waves, making Fukahori feel that life is full of surprises. But what surprised him was not only Sakura.While he and his companions were busy admiring the flowers, a loud noise came from behind Fukahori. Fukahori felt the voice extend into a huge force, quickly penetrating through his body, and the sharp pain burned his back instantly.

Oh Fukahori's throat let out a muffled sound, and the whole person suddenly hit the trunk of the cherry blossoms.A burst of crimson rain intertwined with dew and flowers fell on Fukahori's body one after another, especially the few cherry blossoms that fell on the bleeding wound, which completely coordinated the two magnificent scarlets, making people feel like flowers bloomed from the wound And the illusion. Amidst the sudden gunshots, the expedition members who had gathered in front of the cherry tree fell into a panic of fear. The soldiers who were packing bedding or eating breakfast were frantically trying to find their own weapons to fight back, but everything was too late. It's too late, this beautiful place like a fairyland seems to have fallen into the grasp of death, the sound caused by the gunpowder firing bullets, turned into notes in the movement, inviting the soldiers of the expedition team to jump up and down. Waltz of death.

Fukahori, who was shot and fell to the ground, buried his face in the fallen petals. The smell was so delicate that Fukahori couldn't help but think of the fragrance on his wife's long black hair. Honey!Fukahori's hazy eyes seemed to see his wife smiling.He struggled to pull out the hand that was pressed under his body, and tremblingly stretched out to the already bright sky, eager to touch the smooth skin of his wife's face like a baby. Fukahori's eyes were full of affection, but his wife's beautiful face did not stay for him for too long.With just one smile, a swarthy face with black tattoos on his forehead and chin completely shattered Fukahori's nostalgia.

It was the face of a Sediq tribe. Fukahori felt that he saw a ghost, and the ghost was walking towards him step by step. Extreme fear invaded Fukahori, but his body was limp and unable to exert any strength. He could only look at the ghost in despair, and drew a dark-colored sharp knife from his waist, aiming it at his neck. The expression resembled a sneer. Fukahori watched the ghost slowly raise the knife, strangely, when the fear reached a limit, he was no longer afraid.He seized the last second of his life and turned his eyes to the radiant sunrise, both calm and sad. And that bright sunlight also became the last afterglow of the imprint in his pupils.

Did you see the red head? The time is the early summer of 1902 in the Western calendar.Standing on the east side of the steep rock wall of Renzhi Pass, Tanahab Kao, the leader of the East Eye Society of the Sediq tribe, asked in a low voice the situation ahead of the young man beside him. At their feet, the meandering Meixi River is like a sharp knife, cutting the stone walls that should have been connected together into two, forming a 100-meter-long and only 100-meter-long mountain not far from the west of Puli. A natural pass for one or two people to pass through. This kind of natural barrier erected like a screen between the mountain and the flat land has been called Renzhiguan by local residents since ancient times, which means to warn those who want to enter the central mountain range, it is best to think twice here, because after passing the Renzhiguan If you go deeper, you will find a world ruled by primitive jungles, where not only poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts are hidden, but also a group of mysterious residents, defending the foreign world guarded by the ancestors at any time. No.The young man shook his head, but his eyes never left the end of the road below the rock wall.Not far away, a fluttering swallowtail butterfly just landed on the pistil of a wild flower beside the two of them. At the same time, on the other side of the cliff, Panwang Nuokang, the leader of the Hege Society, commanded the strong men assembled from Balan, Rodolph and other tribes, and hid many large logs and boulders tied with vines on the edge of the cliff. , Prepare to push these heavy objects down to the bottom of the stream when the enemy approaches, so as to block the enemy's advance, and then attack from the front and back. Since Captain Fukahori's expedition lost its trace in the upper reaches of Qilai River in 1897, the Japanese authorities have ordered a blockade of mountain tribes such as the Wushe and Torokshe, and prohibited all material transactions between the Han people and the Wushe tribe. , trying to force the residents in the mountainous area to give up resistance by cutting off important living materials such as salt. It's just that the Japanese didn't expect that such a blockade would not only fail to achieve the effect of suppression for the aborigines who had long been accustomed to living in an environment where supplies were scarce, but would instead bring them a comfortable life without external interference. In the first month of 1901, the Japanese military continued to search for the whereabouts of the Fukahori expedition team in the mountains. Finally, in the Hehuanshan Mountains, they found a pen with Fukahori's name on it and many unrecognizable remains of the corpses, confirming that the 15 people of that year The members of the expedition had already been killed by the attacks of the aboriginal matchlock guns and spears and sharp knives. During this period, although the entire central mountain range area was regarded as an extremely dangerous area, for the sake of huge economic resources, the Japanese authorities continued to send expeditions into the mountains for investigation and exploration. Just a few days ago, at the confluence of Meixi River and Dongyan River, the Seediq people of Dongyan Society and Xibao Society had their first conflict with the Japanese investigation team advancing here.Those wearing red hats and black clothes not only spoke strange languages, but also fired violently at the Sediq people who were shaking the cloth and trying to detect the other party's intention. Tonatulu (red head) shot, Tonatulu shot!The Sediq dodged bullets awkwardly in the bushes, and at the same time counterattacked with matchlock guns. Since then, the news of Tona Turu's attack has stirred up the entire Wushe area. After an emergency meeting of several tribes, the leaders of the three big societies, Balan, Hege, and Luoluofu, agreed to deal a head-on blow to those intruders at Renzhiguan. People, naturally, were not absent in this operation. The cold water of Meixi penetrated into the thick leather boots of the Japanese infantrymen, and temporarily relieved the sore toes that had accumulated from walking for a long time. A troop went up the stream, no one talked, and kept a low-key silence.It's just that the red sun flags they hold in their hands and the red hats on their heads look stupid and ridiculous like peacocks showing their gorgeous tail feathers in front of the hunters. Here comes the redhead.The Sediq people hiding on both sides of Renzhi Pass whispered the whereabouts of the Japanese army to the ears of every soldier. To Ludobai and Mona Ludo who were hiding among the long grass, the well-disciplined Japanese army with shiny rifles in their hands was like a group of ants in a long line.In fact, the Seediqs have no deep hatred for the Japanese. The reason why they aimed their guns at those red-headed men they had never met before was simply to hope that this forest ruled by GAYA would not be subject to those who have no respect in their hearts, The insolent intrusion of outsiders seeking to disrupt the natural order. No trace of any Fan was found.During the march, Captain Nakamura, who was in charge of leading the garrison, watched the pioneers walk into the long and narrow valley of Renzhiguan without smelling any danger at all. Since the Japanese Governor-General continued the Aiyong Line system in the Qing Dynasty three years ago, and set up many military facilities (called Ailiao) with both offensive and defensive functions on the edge of the sphere of influence of the Tibetans, the Puli Society garrison team has been equipped with excellent Weapons, and continue to set up new strongholds in the mountains to extend the line, in order to protect the safety of camphor operators in the mining of resources in the mountains.This time, the troops led by Lieutenant Nakamura hoped to use their superior armed forces and strength to set up ailiaos in appropriate locations in the mountainous area, thereby achieving the goal of controlling the activities of the Tibetans. The cool wind made a humming sound on the stone wall of Renzhi Pass.Summer in the mountains of Taiwan has a characteristic. When you are exposed to the naked sun, you will feel that the direct light from the sun will bite you, making your skin feel burned, but once you hide in the forest In the shade, you will feel an oppressive coolness, driving straight up from the back of your back. Facing the disturbance in the air, Lieutenant Nakamura shuddered.In his eyes, which couldn't help squinting with the wind, an incredible scene came to him like a hallucination. Quala, many huge rocks and logs rolled down from the steep cliff ahead, making a dull sound like the roar of the earth. Ah, there was a mournful wail from the opening troops in front of them. Many soldiers were hit by boulders from the sky, and their brains overflowed on the spot. There is an ambush!Hearing the panicked shouts of his subordinates, Nakamura's first move was to look up at the cliffs on both sides, trying to find the enemy's location. During the shaking, the advance troops were already disintegrated, and the Japanese troops trapped in the narrow canyon pushed each other, but they could not escape the bombing attack of the Sediqs and fell one by one. Facing the sudden onslaught, Nakamura tried to stay calm. Take cover!He yelled at the troops. However, misfortunes never come singly, and countless gunshots came from all directions in the canyon at this time.Nakamura saw with his own eyes that the messenger beside him was shot through the head by an enemy bullet, and he was killed before he could make any sound. quick!Find a place to hide!With a numb scalp, Nakamura hid under the mountain wall amidst the sound of gunshots one after another. He glanced back and found that seven or eight soldiers had been killed by the enemy. How many enemies are there?Where are they hiding?How to fight back?The problems that emerged one after another confused Nakamura's thoughts. The life-and-death situation made him completely incapable of answering questions now. Five or six soldiers who escaped the first wave of attack followed Nakamura and hid behind the rocks. They took their rifles and shot at the top of the cliff indiscriminately, but this seemed to be a battle with ghosts. invisible enemy. Retreat, retreat!Nakamura watched the soldiers' fallen bodies form a long snake in the valley. The originally clear stream seemed to have been splashed with scarlet paint, making the long snake look like it had bright red scales.He stammered out the order to retreat to the soldiers, but he also knew that in the current situation, he was not even sure whether he could take a step off the rock safely. Compared with the embarrassment of the Japanese army, the young people of the Dongyan Club who were hiding on the top of the cliff had killed at least five Japanese with their matchlock guns.He ventured out to look into the valley, and found Nakamura hiding behind a rock. Boss!The young man reported his discovery to Tanaha with hand gestures. At the same time, Mona Rudao, who was hiding in the grass under the south mountain wall, waved his hand vigorously at Tanaha. Tanaha saw that the meaning of Mona's gesture seemed It is for the Dongyan people to find a way to drive out the enemies hiding in the bunker, and then the soldiers of the Mahepo Society will deal with these red-headed people. Go ahead and let them have nowhere to run!Tanaha glanced at the big rock behind him, signaling the young man to take action. Lieutenant, what should we do?Want to take a risk and rush out? Hearing the soldiers' question, Nakamura couldn't make a decision right away.As the intense gunfire receded, Nakamura guessed that the team led by him might have been severely damaged, and now the enemy's line of fire should be engaged in a fierce confrontation with the rear support troops. Never mind him, fight him!A soldier who couldn't hold back couldn't wait for Nakamura's order, raised his gun and rushed out, but he had just run two steps before he was shot and killed by the Sediq people who had been waiting for a long time on the cliff. Ah, the two soldiers who were about to rush out saw this scene, and then abruptly withdrew their steps. They shouted at Nakamura in fear: What should we do?Lieutenant, we can't retreat! The bewildered Nakamura knows very well that his chance of surviving is losing bit by bit with time, but he can't think of any way to get out of danger.Death is approaching, and time waits for no one! The Dongyan youth gathered a few clansmen and came to the top of Nakamura's hiding place, and began to throw the stones down in a parabola.A stone larger than a human head just fell and hit one of the Japanese soldiers on the chest. Wu that soldier was knocked to the ground, behind that stone, there were several stones coming one after another. There is no other way, run away! Nakamura and the soldiers escaped from the bunker before the stone hit the ground and rushed down the stream.Like field mice driven out of their nests by hounds, they fled across the riverbed. Nakamura, who took the lead, kept staggering because of the corpses on the ground, and the dense gunshots also echoed in his ears. He ran forward desperately, his eyes staring straight ahead, unable to take into account the life and death of other robes. At this moment, an urgent footstep sounded from behind Nakamura. He guessed that it might be a certain soldier who escaped the bullet like him and was trying hard to sprint towards the goal of survival, but the sound of footsteps gradually approached , all the way to his right ear, still accelerating. Nakamura couldn't help turning his head to look at the owner of the footsteps out of curiosity, but unexpectedly saw the figure of Mona Rudo holding a saber, surpassing his body like a bolt of lightning. What?Nakamura was taken aback by Mo Na's appearance, he instinctively wanted to shoot Mo Na with a pistol, but it was too late.He watched in horror as Mo Na was running fast, and slashed the sharp blade in his hand towards his neck with his backhand. There was a sharp pain in an instant, and everything in Nakamura's eyes suddenly reversed rapidly! In the chaotic vision, he seemed to glimpse a headless body, spurting a lot of blood from the neck, while continuing to run a few steps forward before collapsing.He didn't know what happened, he just felt that the headless body was so similar to his own body shape, and a deep darkness was quickly attacking him.