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

"Retreat?... It's not time to retreat yet, is it?" Tiger was the first to object. This was his base, and retreating now would be handing over such good territory to the Japanese! Is this what the Mo Dao Regiment should be doing?

“That’s right! We have tanks, cannons, and thousands of brothers who can fight on the front lines. We can fight the Japanese to the death and hold our ground so that not a single Japanese soldier can get past! Now that we’ve retreated from two towns, tens of thousands of civilians will suffer!” Qingquan said, also puzzled.

"Full position, no retreat!"

"Yes! We can't retreat!"

“Alright, I know what you’re thinking, but we’ve already lost the initiative. Holding out here will only let the Japanese eat us up! The position has been destroyed and the tunnels have been exposed. Holding out here is pointless…” Man Cang was about to explain when he was interrupted by a soldier’s report.

"Reporting, Commander! News from the forward observation post indicates that nearly 20,000 Japanese troops have set off from Sanqiao Town and are heading this way! They are expected to arrive at the battlefield within an hour!" the soldier reported.

"Okay, got it! Continue to observe!" Man Cang agreed and turned to the battalion commanders, saying, "There's no time to explain now! Immediately execute the order to withdraw from the position within five minutes and reach Laohekou within one hour to redeploy! I will send people to guide the civilians along the way to take temporary shelter, so don't worry! Go and make the arrangements!"

"Yes, sir!" The battalion commanders, realizing the urgency of the situation, quickly agreed and went to make arrangements. Leaving aside whether they could win, just dealing with 20,000 Japanese soldiers would be more than enough for them!

This was large-scale military operations, unlike previous surprise attacks. One wrong step could lead to devastating consequences. They had prepared for this battle for months, but a single day had forced them to retreat hastily, losing the initiative. Emotionally, no one could accept this! But the situation forced them to act without hesitation; the lives of tens of thousands could not be sacrificed in a moment of anger! The retreat was temporary; they believed that what they had lost would soon be repaid many times over!

……

Just as the observation post saw, Tatsuo Shigehira led 20,000 soldiers, along with tanks and artillery, away from Sanqiao Town in a fierce manner, heading for the battlefield! The successful night raid made this imperial soldier, who had fought for many years, smell an opportunity and decisively ordered a full-scale attack to take down his old adversary who had tormented him for many years!

Soon, the two groups of Japanese soldiers converged and rushed towards the enemy camp. As usual, they first bombarded the enemy camp, turning it upside down, and then charged. Tanks led the way, followed by the main force. When the group arrived at the camp from the previous night, they were dumbfounded! The position was completely empty, not a single thing was left!

"Baka yarou! Where is everyone?" Zhixia Longnan roared at the empty camp.

"That's not right! They were just fighting us here a moment ago, and many Imperial warriors were killed or wounded..." Kunimoto Masaji said, looking puzzled.

"Go find them quickly! Send people to investigate. So many people couldn't have just disappeared all at once!" Tatsuo Shigeshita said, quite frustrated.

"Hi!" the officers quickly responded.

Soon after the group set out, news arrived: Staff Officer Koiso discovered traces of the enemy's retreat. Following the trail, they confirmed that the enemy had escaped from Shijiawan and was fleeing towards the county town!

"Haha! The arrogant Mo Dao Gang can run away too! Oh my! This time, we won't let you off so easily!" Zhixia Longnan was quite surprised after confirming that the other party had escaped. In that case, it was the perfect time to press the attack!

"Order the bombers at the airport to take off immediately, locate the enemy, and intercept them to buy time for the main force to pursue! Staff Officer Koiso, your unit will set off immediately to scout ahead and report any enemy sightings immediately."

Zhixia Longnan was clearly determined; his ultimate goal was to press his advantage and annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop. Once the Mo Dao Tuan (陌刀团) captured Guya County, they would be no match for them, and the mission of opening the Henan-Shaanxi Highway would be more than half accomplished!

"Hey!" the officers responded again.

……

Upon arriving at Laohekou, the Modao Regiment immediately set up various defenses. This was a place they had fought many times before, and all the necessary facilities had already been constructed: tunnels, trenches, camouflage vegetation, artillery camps, and so on! From the outside, it looked much the same as before, but the Modao Regiment members knew that this was the southern gateway to the entire county, and also the second position they had chosen for this battle!

"Uncle Cang, there are too many wounded here, it's not good to take them in. Why don't we send them to the county town for proper treatment?" Hu Zi said, looking at the large number of wounded.

"Okay, have a few medical team members stay behind with the group, and the rest of you go back together. Be quick, because, like I said, the Japanese won't give us much time!" Mancang said.

The Japanese devils came this time with their sights set on the Henan-Shaanxi Highway. Taking down the Modao Regiment was a shortcut to opening up the Henan-Shaanxi Highway, so the Japanese devils would not let it go easily.

"Okay!" Tiger went to make the arrangements, and soon after he left, the rumbling sound of airplanes filled the sky!

Looking up at the sky, three planes flew towards them from afar, clearly having spotted them. They were flying so low that the Japanese flag on the fuselage was clearly visible.

"Release the balloons, fire!" Even before Mancang gave the order, Qingquan had already reacted. Having repeatedly clashed with Japanese planes, the Modao Regiment had figured out how to counter Japanese bombing raids; with the planes flying so low this time, there was no reason not to fire.

Soon, colorful balloons soared into the sky, decorating the entire valley as if it were a festival.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh, boom boom boom boom!"

Immediately following, a swarm of arrows was launched. Under the cover of balloons, the arrows chased after the planes and exploded in mid-air. Two planes were hit directly by the arrows and immediately set off fireworks in the sky. The other plane, clearly prepared, reacted quickly, quickly gained altitude, made a sharp turn in the sky, and fled in panic!

"Get the brothers to their positions. If the planes are coming, the Japanese won't be far behind! This time, let the brothers fight with all their might and avenge those thousand-plus brothers from this morning!" Mancang ordered.

This wave of planes was clearly on a reconnaissance and interception mission; otherwise, they wouldn't have been flying so low. The fact that they were intercepting meant the Japanese were right behind them; once they entered Laohekou, they wouldn't be able to get out!

"Report! The forward observation post reports that over a thousand Japanese soldiers have been spotted heading towards us from Shigang Village, twenty miles away! They have no heavy weapons and are marching very fast; they are expected to arrive here in forty minutes," a soldier reported as he ran over.

"Haha, good! Let's continue exploring!" Qingquan waved his hand and gave the order.

"The first wave of guests is coming soon, brothers, get ready to open the door and welcome them!"

First came the air interception, then small groups of troops harassing them. This was clearly a prelude to the main force's final assault! The brothers had suffered so many losses; they were all itching to give the Japanese a good go at them!