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

"A kilometer away?... Do the Japanese guns have that long range?" Tiger asked, puzzled.

How far could their crossbows shoot? Keep in mind that those were three hard bows strung together!

"Haha, the Japanese sniper rifles aren't just for show. They can take someone's life from a kilometer away without a problem. It won't hurt for the brothers to be more careful! If we can capture a sniper rifle, we can make a small fortune!" Mancang explained.

"Great!" Tiger was very curious. Could a gun really make him a small fortune? He wanted to see what kind of gun it was! After all, they were no longer the penniless bastards who had just escaped from the iron mine!

After Hu Zi left, Man Cang came to the ward to visit Sun Zhengyi. Sun Zhengyi had already woken up, and Zao Hua and her daughter were taking care of him. When Man Cang walked in, the three of them were chatting happily.

"Haha, so witty and cheerful, it seems a single bullet from the Japanese can't buy an anti-Japanese hero!" Mancang laughed.

"That's right! Those Japanese devils are out of their minds if they want to kill us! I cross the front lines like it's a trip to visit relatives. Wouldn't it be too unfair to let the Japanese just shoot me dead?" Sun Zhengyi joked.

"Haha, that's good! Since you're free, cooperate with the brothers and put on a show! It's simple, just lie in the coffin and fall asleep!" Mancang said with a smile.

"What, what?... You don't mean I have to be buried alive, do you?" Sun Zhengyi asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t it quite clear? That’s exactly what it means!” Mancang affirmed.

"Huh?..." Sun Zhengyi was frustrated. He, a dignified company commander of the Central Army, was going to lie dead in a coffin! His family would laugh for the rest of their lives!

……

Just as they were busy preparing for the funeral, Kato Oka, the head of the county military police compound, also received the news.

"A battalion commander? Wow! Taking down a battalion commander is already pretty good! Since we started facing the Mo Dao Regiment, that must be the highest rank they've ever held, right?" To be honest, they've lost two majors and a lieutenant colonel in their numerous encounters with the Mo Dao Regiment. The fact that the Sasaki brothers managed to assassinate a battalion commander is indeed quite impressive!

"Hey! The Sasaki brothers said they want to find an opportunity to expand their gains at the enemy's public funeral. It would be best if they could kill the commander in one fell swoop, and even if they can't kill the commander, they can at least take down another important figure!" the soldier reported.

"Okay, tell them to be careful!" Kato Oka instructed.

They just assassinated one of their men, and then the enemy seized their steel mill. If they can get something at the funeral, it would be revenge for the soldiers at the steel mill! All things considered, they're not at a loss!

"Yes, sir!" The soldier accepted the order and was about to turn and leave when Kato Oka called him back.

Kato Oka approached the long table against the wall and respectfully took a short sword from the sword rack, rubbing it in his hand.

Japanese samurai typically carried two swords: a longer one called a "katana" or "tachi," and a shorter one called a "wakizashi." This long and short sword was a symbol of the imperial nobility and samurai. Historically, they were inseparable, and their coordinated use in combat could produce unexpected results.

Kato Oka's set of samurai swords was passed down from his ancestors during the Edo period and holds great significance for the entire family. They cherish it like a treasure, wiping it several times a day whenever time permits.

"..." The soldier was also stunned when he took out this precious wakizashi. He knew that no one else was allowed to touch it except himself!

"Take this wakizashi to them; it might come in handy for an assassination! Tell them to be careful and come back as soon as possible!" Kato Oka said, stroking his beloved sword.

Using a katana deep within enemy territory would be impractical for Sasaki, as it would easily reveal his identity. This wakizashi would be perfect for concealment.

"Hey!" The soldier was also very moved. The fact that the officer was willing to give his beloved wakizashi to his subordinate showed that he cared a lot about this mission and the safety of the two brothers! It was truly lucky to have a commander who genuinely cared about his subordinates after so many years of service!

The Sasaki brothers were genuinely moved when they received the wakizashi, which further strengthened their resolve for this mission!

……

Three days later, Sun Zhengyi's funeral was held as scheduled in the government compound. The black coffin, the mourning hall decorated with black and white cloth, the flickering flames of sesame oil, and a group of men dressed in mourning clothes filled the entire venue with a somber atmosphere.

Many villagers also came after inquiring, and the entire courtyard was packed with people. Although no one knew who Sun Zhengyi was, they knew he was a battalion commander of the Mo Dao Regiment, which was enough! The changes of the past few months were all due to the Mo Dao Regiment, and now that a battalion commander and his men had been killed, everyone spontaneously came to pay their respects!

"Brothers! Fellow villagers! The man lying in the coffin is none other than Sun Zhengyi, the battalion commander of the Fourth Battalion of the Mo Dao Regiment! Just a few days ago, right here, he was shot and killed by a gunman hiding in the shadows!"

"Assassination! The Japanese devils used the most despicable means to take the life of an anti-Japanese hero! This act is outrageous!"

"If soldiers are capable, they should fight a fair and square battle on the battlefield! Why resort to assassination?"

"This is the greatest insult to the sacred profession of soldier!"

"Since the Japanese invaded China, they have done far too many despicable things like this! Burning, killing, looting, raping, and plundering—their crimes are too numerous to count!"

"Since the establishment of the Mo Dao Regiment six months ago, we have fought the Japanese and punished traitors, driving the Japanese out of two towns. So far, we have killed more than a thousand Japanese! We have now established a formidable anti-Japanese armed force!"

"So the Japanese devils were afraid! They were afraid that the crimes they committed on this land would be brought to justice, afraid that the united villagers would drive them back to their homeland in Japan, and even more afraid that we would all unite as one to bury these evil devils in human skin on this land!"

"That's why they want to assassinate him!"

"The Japanese devils are coming for me! But they're also coming for every one of our brothers who took up their rifles and fought alongside them! They hope to create chaos within our ranks through assassination, in an attempt to intimidate those who dare to oppose them!"

"But they're wrong! This land belongs to the vast majority of our people, and it's not up to the Japanese devils to swagger around here!"

"If Battalion Commander Sun falls, I can fall too, and even every one of us in the Mo Dao Regiment might fall! But there will be many more 'Battalion Commanders Sun' who will rise up and fight the Japanese devils to the death, driving them out of this land..."

"One assassination attempt cannot frighten the heroic working masses! They are nothing but clowns, destined to be swallowed up by the tide of resistance against Japan!..."

Mancang stood before the mourning hall and delivered a passionate speech, with only one purpose: to draw the Japanese soldiers' attention and create an opportunity for his brothers hiding in the shadows. As long as the gunman made any move, he would not escape the brothers' pursuit! He even resorted to provocation!