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

"One, the moon shines on the flower terrace..." The uncle and nephew put on a show for the two Japanese soldiers in the front hall, using all their skills. Neither of them said it aloud, but they both understood that they hoped to seize the opportunity to attract the attention of this Japanese officer, Kunimoto Masayuki, and find out the intelligence by getting information from him!

……

Just after the fifteenth, the entire Mo Dao Regiment was busy. Not only in Guya County, but also in the entire Yudu City and the surrounding garrisons, everyone was on high alert!

The reason, of course, is that the Japanese are coming! There are rumors that the Japanese want to occupy the entire Yudu area and attempt to expand westward and invade the northwest of the motherland through the Henan-Shaanxi Highway! Even the Japanese soldiers in the southern battlefield are gathering, and their intentions are as clear as day!

However, many believe this was a deliberate smokescreen by the Japanese to divert the attention of the Chinese army and achieve ulterior motives. The Japanese were facing increasingly difficult battles in the south and had long lost their former glory; they were even dragging teenagers of sixteen or seventeen into the fray!

However, Zhao Mancang knew this was true. The Japanese would soon be rushing in this direction, and the center of the battle would be their location in Guya County! Unlike the small skirmishes of the past, this was a large-scale military operation. According to his memories from his previous life, the Japanese had deployed tens of thousands of troops, and they were well-equipped and determined!

This will be the most dangerous test they have faced since the group was formed!

"Huh? Incorporate all the militia into the regiment as official members? ...Isn't that a bit too much? You know, we already have an army of over 10,000 people, plus more than 20,000 militia members in the county, bringing the total to over 30,000! 30,000 soldiers is a considerable drain on us!" Manxiang said in disbelief.

"How much stock do we have in various supplies right now?" Mancang asked again, unmoved.

"The food supply is enough to sustain the current troops for six months, and we have a surplus of firearms and ammunition. We also have a surplus of various arrows, crossbows, and swarm launchers. However, if we want to expand to 30,000, this is far from enough! The food supply won't even last until the harvest!" Manxiang said anxiously.

"Yes, that's how it is. Have the carpenters make more long-handled swords and various kinds of arrows. If we don't have enough guns and cannons, we can use these arrows as a substitute! As for food, we'll figure out a way later. Once we hold off the Japanese, we won't be afraid of running out of food. It's still better than eating tree bark like before! Man Tun, gather all the militia in the county at Tianma Village within three days to start training. They need to be trained to combat effectiveness within a month! Can you do it?" Man Tun said firmly.

As I said before, if we don't have guns or cannons, the enemy will make them for us! As long as we can hold off the Japanese, we'll have everything we need!

"Huh?...No problem!" Man Tun said, seeing that Man Cang was determined.

"Da Zhao will lead a battalion of soldiers to stay and defend the county town, while the remaining battalions will all be stationed around Shijiawan to set up defensive fortifications! I estimate that the Japanese will most likely attack from the direction of Maojian County, so everyone should be alert and ready, as the battle could break out at any time! Do you all understand?" Man Cang continued to give orders.

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

Over the years, everyone has developed a mindset of following Mancang in fighting the Japanese. They will carry out any order given by Mancang without any discount, even if they don't understand it.

The next day, the entire county was on high alert. All the county's militia gathered at Tianma Village for rigorous training, and the border area between Guya County and Maojian County was heavily guarded. The large-scale troop movement made many people worried, and they packed their belongings, ready to flee at any moment.

……

Meanwhile, a high-level secret meeting was being held at the Japanese war zone headquarters in Shacheng, thousands of miles away. The meeting was attended by Colonel Tatsuo Eshita, commander of the 139th Regiment; Kento Yamazaki, commander of the 110th Division; Kōhiro Kimura, commander of the 163rd Regiment; the highest-ranking officer of the headquarters, Doi-ma, and all the operations staff.

"Everyone! The information we released some time ago has yielded results. The Chinese army has deployed 160,000 additional troops to the southern battlefield to encircle and annihilate our forces. The first step of our plan has been a success!" Doiyu excitedly announced.

"Clap clap clap..."

The meeting room erupted in enthusiastic applause; such good news has become increasingly rare in the past year or so!

"Order: Your three squadrons will break into smaller units and arrive at the designated location within three days to complete the assembly. A week later, you will launch a surprise attack on Yudu City. Within half a month, you must completely occupy this area to clear all obstacles for the westward expansion plan!" Tu Feiyuan pressed his hand down, stood up, and gave the order.

"Hi!" Everyone immediately stood up and responded.

"Yoshi! This operation is crucial to the Empire's strategic deployment. I expect you to lead your soldiers to fight bravely and quickly take over the entire Yudu City and control the Yu-Shaanxi Highway! I'm counting on you!" Tu Feiyuan said, bowing deeply.

This battle is of paramount importance. They went so far as to release smokescreens beforehand to disrupt the Chinese army's deployment and sent numerous intelligence agents to infiltrate various units to gather information. All of this was to ensure the smooth implementation of the westward advance plan, reverse the unfavorable situation, and regain the initiative in the war! Once the plan is implemented, the entire situation will be extremely favorable!

"Hi!" Everyone bowed in unison in response.

The meeting ended in two hours, and Tatsuo Shigeshita followed closely behind Kento Yamazaki as they walked out.

"Zhishita-kun, do you remember that defeat a few years ago? This time you can get your revenge!" Yamazaki Kento was referring to the battle between Zhishita Tatsuo and the Modao Group. A force of over a thousand men was utterly routed by a mere few hundred commoners, and the dozen or so tanks they brought were captured by the enemy!

What a disgrace! This has been a thorn in the side of Zhixia Longnan for years, and every time he thinks about it, he feels an intense hatred!

"So, Das! I've been keeping an eye on that Mo Dao Regiment all these years. I implore the Division Commander to allow my 139th Regiment to carry out the southern front mission. I want to personally wipe out that Mo Dao Regiment and avenge our humiliation!" Tatsuo Tsubasa pleaded firmly.

"Yoshi! It's good that you still remember this humiliation! There's a Chinese saying, 'Shame makes one brave,' so I hope you can seize this opportunity to teach this Mo Dao Regiment a lesson! We've suffered enough at their hands before!" The Mo Dao Regiment was also a sore spot for Yamazaki Kenji. The county he had designated as his rear base was ruined by this Mo Dao Regiment! The biological weapons research institute, the military police, the Shaojialing iron mine, and so on were all destroyed by this Mo Dao Regiment!

"Yes, sir! Thank you for your kindness, Commander! I will certainly not let you down this time!" Zhixia Longnan hurriedly thanked him. He was already plotting how to punish the leader of the Mo Dao Group once he had captured him!

“Be careful in everything you do. There’s a Chinese saying: ‘Don’t let hatred blind you!’ This mission is of utmost importance, and everything must be done with the greater good in mind! Do you understand what I mean?” Kento Yamazaki reminded him.

“Yes, Your subordinate understands!” Tatsuo Shigehira continued to reply.