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

Outside Mafang Village, a group of Japanese soldiers had set up a defensive position around three tanks. Clearly, they were prepared for a protracted war; since they couldn't take the village quickly, they'd surrounded it. A classic case of "if I can't have a good time, neither can you!"

That's right, it was three tanks! When they retreated from the front, only two tanks remained! And they were beyond repair! There were more than twenty corpses on the ground, all of them riddled with arrows like hedgehogs!

No need to ask, this was the work of the Mo Dao Group! They not only killed the people left behind, but also drove away the usable tanks. All their efforts were in vain, and they ended up doing all the work for the enemy!

"Baka yarou! The Chinese are utterly heartless!..." Enraged, Tatsuo Shida could only vent his frustration with a loud curse. On one hand, he sent men to track the tank tracks to find the enemy's whereabouts; on the other hand, he used the remaining two tanks to construct defensive fortifications and establish a stalemate with the enemy on the opposite side.

Fortunately, the tank's gun system was not damaged and could still be used as a fixed gun.

"Reporting to Colonel Lieutenant, we still have 617 Imperial soldiers available to fight. 123 have been killed in action, and 73 are seriously wounded. Weapons and equipment are currently sufficient, and each person's rations can last for three days..." the quartermaster reported, holding up the newly compiled figures.

"Baka! I don't want to hear these numbers. What we need to solve now is how to withstand the enemy's arrow rain! Without tanks, our soldiers are lambs to the slaughter under the attack of arrows, and they can't even get close to the enemy!" Tatsuo Shigeshita said impatiently.

He hadn't taken it seriously when Nagano Yokosuke and the others talked about how powerful the enemy's arrow rain was, thinking they were just making excuses for their defeat.

This battle taught us a profound lesson. After witnessing the enemy's rain of arrows, we realized that Nagano Yokosei and his men had not exaggerated at all; in fact, they had underestimated it!

If they don't solve this problem, they could really suffer a crushing defeat in this small ditch!

“…Nagano-kun mentioned before that they used a shield to block the arrow barrage. Should we send a telegram to inquire about their situation?” the quartermaster suggested.

"Oh! Right, right, judging by the time, they should have taken Xiahou Town by now! Quickly ask them! Also, keep an eye on the enemy's situation and report any moves immediately!" Zhixia Longnan was also furious. There was still such an important move to make, and he might be able to launch another attack at any time and take down the enemy in one fell swoop!

"Yes, sir! I'll send the telegram right away!" The quartermaster was exasperated; he'd forgotten the tactics he himself had devised! He'd given the mission and then ignored it completely. It seemed the enemy's rain of arrows had really gotten to this lieutenant colonel!

It's strange, really. After leading troops for so many years, didn't Nagano Yokoo know to report the battle situation to his superiors regularly? Didn't he know to report proactively unless asked? He's so clueless; he deserved to be demoted!

But when he learned the situation, he was dumbfounded! A bad feeling overwhelmed him, and he hurriedly took the telegram and returned to the tent of the dragon man under the branch.

"What?! Can't get in touch?... What happened when he collapsed?" As soon as Zhixia Longnan heard that they couldn't get in touch, he jumped up. How could they not get in touch during a perfectly good sneak attack?

"Hi! Nagano Yokosuke sent a telegram two and a half hours ago, saying that they were ambushed by a group of Chinese militiamen in a place called Mochizuki-yama. He claimed that they would soon take them down and continue their advance towards Xiahou Town! He also said that they would definitely complete the mission..." the quartermaster explained.

"Militia? Wangyue Mountain?... Bring me a map." Zhishita Ryūnan was puzzled. If they could take it so quickly, why hadn't they made contact for two and a half hours? And why couldn't they get in touch? This wasn't a good sign!

Unfold the map and locate Wangyue Mountain; it's less than an hour's drive from Xiahou Town market. They should be here by now to take down those militiamen!

Has something happened to them again?

That shouldn't be possible! The enemy hasn't made a move here at all, and Kill Ghost Pass is far away. There shouldn't be any force in Xiahou Town that can contend with them! Besides, they have two tanks. Even if the enemy from Kill Ghost Pass went over there, they wouldn't be a match for them!

The two frowned and pondered for a long time. They looked at each other and saw the thing they least wanted to see in each other's eyes!

Nagano Yoko and his gang were wiped out!

Their tanks were all destroyed, and the same could happen to the ones over there!

"Lieutenant Colonel, if the enemy encounters misfortune, the most likely enemy they will face is this group that came from Killing Ghost Pass! In other words, Killing Ghost Pass is currently undefended. Could we..." The quartermaster pondered for a while before suggesting.

"Yoshi! ...But how do we deal with the enemy's rain of arrows?" If this problem isn't solved, everything else is just idle talk. There are only about six hundred people left. If they get targeted by the enemy's rain of arrows, they'll just be a pile of meat!

"...I heard from Kato Oka that Major Kobayashi has invented a shield that can reduce a lot of damage. Should we send someone back to the county town to get it and take a look?" the quartermaster continued.

"Hmm? Okay! Hurry up! Also, urge Takahashi Nobuo to hurry up. As long as we get the tank back, the enemy on the other side is no threat at all!" Shishita Tatsuo urged.

"Hi!" the quartermaster replied.

……

Forget about those lost tanks, Japanese devils! The Mo Dao Regiment brothers are all from poor backgrounds and used to being frugal. Once they get their hands on something, you can't take it away even if you steal it! Besides, this was done by Man Gui leading the team. You expect him to give up tanks when he's so reluctant to destroy the opium he captured?

There are no doors!

After completing their mission of detonating the landmines, Shimizu and his men left, while Mangui and his group hid in the tunnel, watching the twenty-odd Japanese soldiers at work. After waiting for over two hours, watching the Japanese soldiers patching things up by taking parts from two tanks to replace damaged sections, this guy couldn't stay calm!

Upon hearing the roar of six tanks again, these men immediately emerged from the tunnel and, taking advantage of the Japanese soldiers' moment of relief, unleashed a barrage of crossbow fire! The twenty or so Japanese soldiers were no match for this sneak attack, and in a single round, they all fell to the ground, meeting their demise before Amaterasu!

After much fumbling, the group managed to get the tank moving, but Zhixia Longnan had already led his soldiers back. With so many men and no experience in firing the cannon, they dared not engage the Japanese in a direct confrontation. Their plan to stab the Japanese in the back was abandoned, and they quickly drove the tank away! They had barely gotten their hands on these powerful machines and couldn't afford to let the Japanese steal them!

We can't go back to Mafang Village for now; we need to find a place to hide first! We'll get these spoils of war back after dark, even if we have to take a detour! These are tanks, not the wheelbarrows they usually play with! They're rare items that many Nationalist soldiers don't even have; we can't afford to lose them, even if we have to sell them as pants!