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

It was Sasaki Jiro who arrived later. He knew something was wrong as soon as the hunting dogs barked, and he quickly squeezed through the crowd and ran towards the scene, but it was too late! From afar, he saw four hunting dogs surrounding and tearing at his brother. Without thinking, he raised his hand and fired two shots! As a result, both brothers were captured!

What a great pair of brothers!

After all, they weren't the professional assassins from the Mei Agency. If one of the Mei Agency members were in trouble, the other would never come to their death. They would flee without hesitation and find another opportunity to continue their mission!

Even brothers won't do it!

"What should we do with these two?" The men went up and tied the two brothers up, but then they were stumped. It would be better to just shoot them one by one.

"Let's lock him up with that major from last time! Maybe it'll be useful for Uncle Cang!" Tiger said.

Last time, Kobayashi Huai-ren led a group to raid the village. He was knocked unconscious by a stone in Wengcheng but didn't die. Mancang said that keeping that guy alive might be useful, but it's been more than two months and he hasn't been of any use.

This is just right. If the three of them are locked up together, they'll only waste two extra steamed buns a day. Let's see when Grandpa Cang will use these three sticks.

"Alright! But the shackles on your feet can't be removed. Whether you live or die is up to fate!" Shimizu reminded him.

"Don't worry, why be polite when dealing with the Japanese? We'll give them a go at all those torture instruments when we get the chance!"

"Haha, there are only three of them right now, so let's hope they don't get killed!"

……

When the two brothers were locked in a dark cell, they could hardly believe their eyes! The man huddled in the corner, looking as disheveled as a beggar, was wearing a dirty Japanese military uniform, the color of which was unrecognizable. Judging from the uniform, he was a major!

The two men, still in shackles, approached to examine him closely. They saw that the man had disheveled hair, sunken eyes, and nose hairs that stuck to his lips and beard, making them indistinguishable. His eyes were vacant as he stared lifelessly at the doorway, and his thin body was as slender as a stick, ready to fall over if a gust of wind blew past him.

"Major Kobayashi! It's Major Kobayashi! You're still alive!?" The two brothers had served under him for quite some time and naturally recognized the man before them as Kobayashi Kazuhito, whom they had both thought was dead.

How could this young officer, considered one of the most promising, have turned into this in just over two months? What kind of torture did he suffer while lying on the ground?

Actually, they really wronged the Mo Dao Regiment. The entire regiment has been busy with expansion and training lately and hasn't had time to deal with this guy! If it weren't for catching these two gunmen, everyone would have forgotten that this person even existed!

It's precisely this indifference that's most torturous. Ever since we locked this guy up, no one bothers him except when we bring him food. At first, he would slam tables and smash chairs, yelling and demanding this and that. The person bringing him food would just throw two steamed buns at the door and ignore him completely. But after a while, he became well-behaved, eating quietly without making a fuss.

The empty cell had only this guy in it, and he ate, drank, and relieved himself in this space of less than ten square meters. With nothing to do all day except eat, drink, and relieve himself, how did he end up like this after two months?

A major like that, let alone leading troops into battle, might not even be able to take care of himself if he were released immediately!

"idiot!"

"Clap clap clap!"

When Sasaki Jiro saw the guy in this state, he raised his hand and slapped him several times until the corner of his mouth bled before he stopped!

"Major Kobayashi! Major Kobayashi! Do you still recognize us?" Taro asked shamelessly as he approached.

"..." Kobayashi Huai-ren's wooden expression seemed to soften a little. He stared at the two brothers for a long time, and his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say a word!

"idiot!"

"Clap clap clap!"

Once Jiro's temper flared up, even his own brother couldn't stop him. He went straight up and slapped Jiro's ears with both hands, the shackles on his hands making a buzzing sound as they hit his chest!

“…Sasaki…” Kobayashi Kaijin managed to squeeze out three words only after his face was distorted from being slapped!

"Yes! We are the Sasaki brothers! You finally recognized us!" Taro said excitedly, stopping his brother.

"...How...did you guys get in here too?..." Perhaps the pain on his face awakened his memory, and his eyes regained some sparkle as he stammered out his first question.

"Yoshi! Major, you're finally awake! Do you remember how you were captured?" Jiro asked instead of answering.

"Me?...The soldiers are all dead...There's a fortified position...The stockade walls collapsed...There are traps in the woods...There are garrison troops in the stockade..." Kobayashi Huai-ren took a long time to recount his experience in fits and starts. He couldn't remember many details, but with encouragement from his brothers, he tried hard to recall them and finally managed to give a rough account of the last battle!

"And then? How did they torture you after they arrested you? What did you tell them? Did you leak any secrets?" This was what Jiro was most concerned about. If this guy really betrayed the empire, he could kill him himself without anyone else's help!

"...No! Nobody paid any attention to me!...I haven't seen anyone else except the person who brought me food...It's been several years?..." Kobayashi said with certainty.

If someone had actually asked him something, he wouldn't be living like this. It's precisely because no one pays attention to him, and he doesn't even have anyone to talk to, that he's gradually become numb! Even he himself thought that this was how his life would be for the rest of his days!

"Only two months have passed..." The Sasaki brothers exchanged a shocked glance! If they hadn't tortured him, why did he turn out like this? Was two months really that unbearable?

Little did they know that the cruelest punishments were not those with thorns or blades. At least when someone tortures you, you can still talk and know that you can still fight back!

The scariest thing is that nobody pays any attention to you! You can do whatever you want in such a small space! Once you've exhausted yourself, you'll be numb. When you're on the verge of a breakdown, you won't even need to interrogate them; they'll just be hoping someone will ask them something! Humans are social animals. If someone is locked in a small, dark room for a long time and nobody pays attention to them, they really will go crazy!

Scientists have conducted experiments on this topic. They confined newborns to a room, providing only basic necessities like feeding and diaper changes. Their emotions were ignored; they weren't interacted with, their signals ignored, or given toys. These babies typically died before the age of one!

On the contrary, children who have their parents with them will grow up healthy even if their living conditions are poor!

Therefore, many skilled detectives use this technique when interrogating criminals. They leave the suspect hanging for a while until the suspect breaks down and confesses on their own!

This technique has a catchy name: "Toughening the Eagle"!