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

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Boom boom boom boom!"

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

"Bang bang bang bang!"

For a time, the thirty-odd men on the stockade wall fought with the momentum of over a hundred! For a time, the hundred or so Japanese soldiers couldn't even advance ten meters!

……

Meanwhile, in Xiaowangzhuang Village, Mantun and Xizi were leading more than twenty militiamen in a routine cross-country run. Like the regular members of the Zhaomodao Regiment, the first step in these militiamen's training was sleeping in cemeteries, followed by long-distance running and training with various weapons.

"Hey, listen, it sounds like gunfire from this direction!" said Militiaman Crab, perking up his ears.

"Nonsense! Where did that gunshot come from? You must have sharp ears!" Niuwa said dismissively.

"Hey, that sounds like gunfire! And it sounds pretty intense!"

"Oh no! It's the direction of Tianma Village! Oh no! The Japanese have launched a surprise attack on Tianma Village! Quickly notify the two instructors!" Wang Xiaodong said, putting one hand behind his ear.

"Really?! Tianma Village is more than ten miles away from here!" Niuwa said in disbelief.

“It can’t be wrong! Even if it isn’t, it won’t take much effort to make the trip! Go back and tell the two instructors!” Wang Xiaodong said.

"Then hurry up! If it really is the Japanese, it's no joke!" Crab urged.

Soon, Mantun and Xizi also heard faint gunshots coming from the direction of Tianma Village. The two couldn't sit still any longer, and they called everyone to grab their weapons and run in that direction.

"Brothers! Grab your weapons! Follow me!" Man Tun shouted, grabbing his long-handled sword and charging out. He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan; the village was full of his family, and he dared not be careless for a moment!

Without saying a word, the others quickly followed. The journey of a dozen miles was neither far nor near! Holding their breath, they managed to reach the valley in less than half an hour.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

"Bang bang bang bang!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Boom boom boom boom!"

The sounds of various weapons rang out densely, like popping beans. Mantun listened intently for a while, then quickly led his men up the hillside and raised their binoculars to observe.

Dozens of Japanese soldiers were charging desperately through the gate of the stockade, grenades fired one after another from grenade launchers, sending stone fragments flying from the stockade walls! Only a dozen or so wounded soldiers remained on the stockade walls, gritting their teeth and holding on!

Seeing that the village had not been captured, Mantun felt a little relieved. It was better that the villagers were safe and sound!

"Let's sneak past from this side and fire arrows at the Japanese from behind!" Mantun said, pointing to the hillside.

Their group of twenty-odd men was far too few compared to the Japanese soldiers! Moreover, they were all newly trained militiamen armed with only broadswords and repeating crossbows. Trying to lure the Japanese soldiers over for a face-to-face battle would be suicide!

"Should we send someone to inform the regimental commander and the others?" Xizi suggested.

“The people in the village should have already been notified! Our task now is to work with the people inside to hold off the Japanese soldiers. Once the regimental commander and the others arrive, none of these Japanese soldiers will be able to escape!” Man Tun explained.

"Alright! Let's go!" Seeing that Mantun had made up his mind, Xizi stopped insisting and called his brothers to sneak over there.

Soon the group arrived at the woods not far from the village gate, and without saying a word, they raised their crossbows and fired!

"Shhhhhhh!"

The Japanese soldiers were focused on dealing with the people on the stockade wall when a crossbow bolt silently flew over and struck them in the back! More than a dozen Japanese soldiers fell down without uttering a sound and never got up again!

"I killed a Japanese soldier! I killed a Japanese soldier!" Crab shouted excitedly after hitting his target with an arrow!

"Shh! Don't talk! Keep hitting him!" Xizi quickly held him down. If they let him flailing his arms and shouting, he'd be the next one to die!

"You're so shallow! What's so special about killing one Japanese soldier? Didn't you see I killed two?" Niuwa muttered under his breath.

This...this act of showing off is so sloppy!

"Shhhhhhh!"

"Bang bang bang bang!"

Before they could celebrate for long, the Japanese soldiers noticed someone behind them. Several Japanese soldiers suddenly turned around, raised their guns, and fired! The bullets hit the trees and shattered into a shower of wood chips!

"Be careful! Make sure they don't get into the village!" Mantun shouted.

Now the Japanese soldiers are few in number, and with the two forces working together, it shouldn't be a problem to hold them off!

……

At the same time, Li Jiadi and his men on the stockade wall also noticed the strange thing behind the Japanese soldiers. Their confidence soared and the gunfire became even more cheerful!

"Brothers! Someone's coming to rescue us! Hold on!" Li Jiadi shouted encouragingly.

In the short span of ten minutes it took them to circle around from behind the stockade wall to the main gate, more than half of the wounded were shot again, and some didn't even know if they were still alive! Doctors Liang Ping and Wang Min didn't even have time to check their injuries!

"It's Xizi and Mantun! We're saved! We're saved!" Lao Gen shouted, glancing at the distant woods.

"Those two bastards finally arrived!"

"Why are there only a dozen or so people?"

"They're all militia!"

"Who cares! As long as we can fight the Japanese devils!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Boom boom boom boom!"

As they talked, their hand movements became even more ferocious!

Those Japanese devils are really tenacious! They fought from two hundred men down to just a few dozen and still showed no sign of retreating! They're like a stubborn turtle trying to crush a soft persimmon!

Little did they know that in the past, when they couldn't win, they would run away to secretly transport supplies and buy time. Now, without the pressure of transporting supplies, all that was left was fighting! Moreover, in the eyes of the Japanese, wasn't their village just an easy target? A force of two hundred men couldn't even take down a village, so how could they talk about annihilating the Mo Dao Regiment?

"Baka! The enemy reinforcements only number about twenty! Speed ​​up and charge into the village!" Kobayashi Huai-ren ordered, glancing at the militiamen in the woods.

We're only a few dozen meters from the village now; victory is practically within reach! If we can take this village, all sacrifices will be worthwhile! Once we wipe out the Mo Dao Gang, the entire county will be helpless. We can crush them at will!

"Grenadiers, fire all at once, unleash a barrage of bullets, and rush in!" Masakado Nagamiya followed up with the order.

There was no turning back at this point in the battle; their only chance to survive was to keep charging forward! Otherwise, once enemy reinforcements arrived, all of them—dozens of men—would be wiped out!

"Boom boom boom!"

Several grenades exploded on the stockade wall, sending stone chips flying and smoke billowing at the entrance to the stockade!

"Rabbit, here you go!"

Ignoring the attacks from behind, Masakane Nagamiya immediately ordered a charge!

"Shhhhhhh!"

Arrows followed closely behind, and several more men fell to the ground, struck by arrows. But the Japanese soldiers then disappeared into the smoke and fire!

"Huh? What the hell is this? How can such a small village have a fortified village?" Lin Huai-ren was dumbfounded as he rushed into the village gate! Why?

As a renowned young military officer, he had naturally seen Chinese barbicans before, but it was still quite unexpected that such a small village had one!