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

The resounding song "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" echoed throughout the valley once again, and the powerful rhythm awakened the passion of every young man. The surging emotions of each young man seemed to ignite the entire mountain!

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and Sun Zhengyi, who hadn't seen him for many days, once again arrived at the Xiahou Town government compound, travel-worn. Upon seeing Mancang, he was struck by his solemn expression, a stark contrast to his previous cheerful and capable demeanor!

"What happened? Is the battle going badly? Is my brother alright?" Zao Hua asked anxiously, her heart filled with worry upon seeing Sun Zheng's changed appearance.

"Yes! How is Yiliang? Did he write a letter this time?" Zhang Youcai asked.

"The commander is alright, you two don't need to worry! It's just that the situation at the front... it's hard to explain! This is a personal letter from the commander to Brother Mancang, you'll understand once you read it!" Sun Zheng handed the letter to Mancang and said.

Mancang didn't dare delay and quickly opened the letter to read it.

Brother-in-law, I was so comforted to receive your letter last time! With war raging for three months, a letter from home is worth a fortune. Knowing that you are taking good care of our parents and Zaohua makes me, as their older brother, very grateful! With you here, I feel much more at ease about things at home!

We might have to leave!

The fighting here has been exceptionally tough lately. Your balloon defense strategy has indeed been very effective, saving the day on several occasions. However, the Japanese attacks are too fierce, resulting in heavy losses for the entire army. The higher-ups are already discussing a retreat plan…

This is undoubtedly a foolish decision! But as a man of little influence, I have no power to change the situation. Once the order is given, we have no choice but to accept it, no matter how unwilling we are…

However, this will inevitably draw the Japanese attention southward, and the situation back home will also be affected. According to reliable sources, the garrison in Guya County belongs to the Yamazaki Battalion, which is opposite our regiment. The enemy is strong and fierce in battle, and the old Japanese soldier Yamazaki is extremely cunning, especially skilled in the use of artillery and tanks! I hope you will prepare early!

A man dies in a hundred battles, his body wrapped in a horse's hide! As a soldier, loyalty and filial piety have always been difficult to reconcile. I can only ask my brother-in-law to take good care of me! Let my son take back my savings from the past few years as a wedding gift for you and my sister. I hope that one day we will meet again and I will be able to see your handsome face!

……

A letter passed from hand to hand, and Zao Hua and her wife were already sobbing uncontrollably, the room filled with a suffocating atmosphere! This was undoubtedly tantamount to a farewell letter from her brother-in-law!

"Phew~ Stop crying, everyone!..." Zhang Youcai let out a long breath to calm himself down and said, "It's alright, isn't it? Yiliang is a soldier, and he must choose loyalty when faced with matters of principle... Go back and tell him we won't hold him back!... Our whole family is waiting for him to drive out the Japanese devils and return in glory!"

Zhang Youcai, a man of strong character, naturally understood his son's situation. The moment his son insisted on going to military school, he knew that this day would come at any moment! Now it was just a retreat; perhaps when they came back next time, the Japanese would have been driven away!

"Still alright? He's about to die on the battlefield... and he doesn't even have a wife... and he hasn't left any descendants!" the lady murmured.

"Father, Mother! Don't worry, my brother-in-law knows what he's doing. It's just a retreat, nothing serious! He's already a regimental commander. Officers don't go to the battlefield to fight the Japanese to the death! Maybe one day he'll be promoted to brigade commander or division commander and bring glory to our ancestors!" Mancang comforted him.

“That’s right! My brother isn’t a soldier anymore, he’s safe! It’s just a retreat, at most he’ll be a little far from home and we won’t be able to contact him for a while! Mom, don’t worry! Maybe he’ll bring you a beautiful daughter-in-law next time he comes back!” Zaohua comforted her.

"Don't worry, elders, the commander's safety is not a concern for the time being. You are the ones who should be worried! Just as the commander said, the Yamazaki Battalion is very good at artillery warfare and has dozens of tanks. If there is no frontline to hold you back, you will be under great pressure here!" Sun Zhengyi said worriedly.

"Haha, Platoon Leader Sun, don't worry. Go back and tell your brother-in-law to relax. We're all ready. We're just waiting for the Japanese to come and give them a good meal! If they dare to come, we'll definitely treat them well!" Mancang said confidently.

"Hmm? Good! Commander Mancang is full of confidence! It seems the Japanese are in trouble!" Sun Zhengyi was also infected by Mancang's confidence, and his worried face relaxed slightly.

According to later memories, the Battle of Seoul would end in less than a month. Just as the letter stated, without the constraints at the front, their Mo Dao Regiment would inevitably face the utmost attention from the old Japanese devil Yamazaki. The recent recruitment and military parades were all aimed at withstanding this attack from the Japanese.

My brother-in-law's letter confirms that history has not changed. There are still more than twenty days left, so we should seize this rare period of peace and make good preparations!

……

Just as Mancang was pondering how to make the most of these last few peaceful days, Mu Shaojun began to act! With Li Zisheng's guidance, he quickly grasped the situation in the two townships and chose Zhang Youcai as his first target!

The reason is simple: Zhao Mancang, Hu Zi, and the others usually stay in the army, and even when they go out, they travel by truck, so they never have a chance to strike. In contrast, the chamber of commerce president has it much easier; he usually doesn't have anyone by his side, so he can easily find an opportunity to shoot him down and leave at any time!

That morning, a shoe shiner appeared at the entrance of the government compound. His stall was set up on the side of the street, and occasionally people would come up to have their shoes shined by the young man, pay him, and leave satisfied.

"Young man, business is good! You're the first person in Xiahou Town to shine shoes!" The old lady next door, who was buying vegetables, greeted him warmly as she saw the young man shining several pairs of shoes in a row.

"It's alright! It's alright! Thank you!" the young man said enthusiastically, his eyes glancing at the entrance every now and then, keeping an eye on what was happening inside.

"Shoe shine!"

Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit sat down at the stall and started hawking his wares.

"Alright!" The young man looked up, then quickly bent down to take out the brush and got to work.

"The old man went in more than an hour ago and hasn't come out. Two young men went in one after the other, one of whom is Commander Zhao Mancang! That car belongs to him!" the young man muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Zhao Mancang? Are you sure it's him?" The man in the suit asked excitedly. He hadn't expected to catch such a big fish while guarding the Chamber of Commerce president!

"That's him! The driver is still in the car! It's been over an hour and he still hasn't come out. He might even be having lunch in there!" the young man said confidently.

"Great! Better to be lucky than early! This is the one! We'll wait here!" the man in the suit said excitedly.

Originally, the plan was to take down the Chamber of Commerce president, but unexpectedly, they stumbled upon a big fish! It all came to them effortlessly!