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

The thought of shields made Kobayashi Kazuhito want to try them out; if they could stop the enemy's exploding arrows, it would be a great achievement. The thought of soldiers carrying spears in one hand and shields in the other was rather strange!

Making a shield wasn't difficult. You could piece together a half-person-high wooden board from one-inch-thick planks, attach a handle, and then cover it with thin sheet metal—that was it. Such a shield certainly wouldn't stop bullets from a Type 38 rifle, but it should be able to protect against arrows!

However, the shields were rather bulky, and the soldiers needed to practice diligently to use them skillfully.

……

On this day, Platoon Leader Sun came to the Zhang family compound again, and Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Youcai naturally gave their son's subordinate a warm welcome.

"Platoon Leader Sun, how has Yiliang been lately? How is the fighting at the front? Can Seoul still be held?" The old man asked three questions in a row, his concern for his son evident in his words.

"The regimental commander is alright, but the battle is at a stalemate and all the generals are frowning. Seoul won't fall anytime soon, but the future course of the battle is unpredictable!" Platoon Leader Sun answered one by one, his brows furrowed with worry.

"That's good! That's good! A mother worries when her son travels far away! With our two children out all day, we old folks can't eat or sleep well! In our old age, all we want is for our children to be healthy and well. Fame and fortune are all fleeting!" the old man grumbled.

"The old man is absolutely right! In this chaotic world, it's not easy for anyone to survive. It's good for the whole family to go and make peace! Is there any news about your daughter?" Platoon Leader Sun asked.

“Oh! Right! His sister came back a while ago, stayed with us for a few days, and then went back to the Mo Dao Regiment! The Japanese captured her and her teacher while they were prospecting in Xiahou Town, and it was the Mo Dao Regiment who rescued them from the Japanese camp! Now the girl is staying with the Mo Dao Regiment to fight the Japanese.” Zhang Youcai briefly explained the situation.

"Great! It's good that you're back! Last time I went back, I told the commander about your daughter's situation. He was so worried that he asked around everywhere but there was no news. Now I can finally rest assured!"

"I told Yiliang that his sister is great, she's all grown up! He even wants to invite us to stay in the village!"

"Then you two should go and stay for a couple of days! Being with your children is a blessing! What kind of regiment is this Mo Dao Tuan? I've never heard of it before!"

"Oh, so the Mo Dao Regiment is a guerrilla force, right? They've done a lot of things fighting the Japanese and killing traitors! The thing you investigated last time was probably their doing too! A couple of days ago, the county military police found their hideout, and after a few days of fighting, they managed to drive the Japanese away, leaving only a few survivors! That was satisfying!"

"I heard the Japanese even replaced the garrison officer because of this! I wonder how the girl is doing, she hasn't even sent a message back! She's such a worry!..."

"Oh! That's amazing!..." Platoon Leader Sun's mind immediately started working.

"I've met their regimental commander. He's a shrewd young man and very kind to Zaohua. He even tried to persuade her to join Yiliang, but she had her own reasons and didn't agree. She said she wanted to protect her hometown folks from the Japanese devils! What a loser! What future does she have hiding in this remote mountain village all day?"

Mentioning Grandpa Mancang makes me angry. Why did he have to abandon a proper regular army and insist on running a guerrilla force? What great future could he possibly have?

"Oh? Haha, maybe they have their own reasons! Where are they? I'd like to meet this Mo Dao group."

"See them? What's the point of seeing him? He has no interest in joining the National Revolutionary Army, so don't waste your time! He even talks about cooperation, but does such a large army need to cooperate with an ordinary citizen like you? He really doesn't know his place!" The old man had a lot of complaints about Mancang!

The main problem is that guy kidnapped my daughter! And she was willing! How can a father not be furious? If it were an outsider, such an achievement would certainly be commendable, but as for my own son-in-law, I need to think it over carefully!

"Old sir, to be honest, I'm here on a mission. We've received word that the Japanese will be transporting a batch of weapons through Guya County to the front lines soon. If we can intercept them, it will be a significant boost to the fighting! Even if we can't take them for ourselves, destroying them would be a good outcome!"

"Since this Mo Dao Regiment has considerable combat strength, it might be helpful for this mission!" Platoon Leader Sun stated his intentions without hiding anything from the old man.

"Is that so?...Alright then! This old man will go with you to see the girl. You can discuss the details when you meet her," Zhang Youcai said.

He wanted to see his daughter, and also, if it could really help his son, that would be great. He was also curious about what kind of magic this small village possessed that had kept his daughter from coming home!

"Of course! Thank you for your trouble, sir!" Platoon Leader Sun was overjoyed. If they could complete the mission and bring the other party into their camp at the same time, it would be entirely beneficial, as it would be equivalent to completing the previous mission as well, which would definitely be a great achievement! Even if the other party did not join them, they would not suffer any losses. Befriending them would be like planting a spies behind enemy lines, making future missions smoother!

Zhang Youcai had been operating in Xiahou Town for many years and naturally knew the location of Tianma Village. Back then, he had dealt with the bandits here a lot when transporting cloth from all over the country, which cost him a lot of money!

The next day, the elderly couple, along with their steward and Platoon Leader Sun, traveled by horse-drawn carriage directly to the entrance of Tianma Village Valley. Man Tun, who was on duty, suddenly jumped out from the shadows and blocked the carriage's path.

"Halt! Where are you going? This is the territory of our Mo Dao Regiment. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter!" Man Tun said sternly, gripping his steel gun.

Sun, the platoon leader driving the carriage, naturally didn't recognize the other person, but the three people in the carriage remembered that this kid had eaten and stayed at their house when they were merchants!

"Young man, it's us! The master and mistress missed their daughter and came to see her!" the old butler said, lifting the curtain and peeking out.

"Oh! It's the old housekeeper! Good, good! Sister-in-law Zaohua... Sister's injuries have lessened a lot, and she said she'd be going back to visit the two elders in the next couple of days!" Mantun originally wanted to call her Sister-in-law Zaohua, but then he remembered that her parents were with her, so he quickly changed his address.

"Oh? Zaohua is injured! Is it serious?" The lady became anxious as soon as she heard that her daughter was injured and quickly poked her head out to ask.

"Ah? It's not serious! It's not serious! He can already walk! There's a doctor in the village, so don't worry!" Mantun realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly explained.

"They're all bedridden, how can it not be serious? Take us there quickly!" Zhang Youcai said angrily.

He was indeed your savior, but it was inappropriate to put your daughter at risk! And to let your daughter get injured is even more unforgivable!

"Alright, alright, I'll lead the way!" Mantun felt rather embarrassed. The people who came to see their daughter had only just arrived at the door when they heard that their daughter was injured! It was no wonder things weren't going well!

"Come on up! It'll be faster!" Zhang Youcai said calmly, not wanting to be too demanding.