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

"Huh?... Bow and arrow?..." Inoue Masao was shocked as he took the crossbow bolt from the soldier. Was the enemy using such outdated weapons to take down a fortified pillbox? When did the Imperial Japanese Army fall to such a state!

"Crossbows! These are crossbows used by hunters! It was done by the group that smashed the opium den!" Li Zisheng exclaimed suddenly, pointing at the arrows in Inoue Masao's hand with his eyes full of joy!

After smashing the opium den, the other side made no further moves. Apart from the wounds on the opium den worker indicating that he had died from an arrow wound, there were no other clues. How could they not be excited to see an arrow at this point? But these people managed to take down a pillbox with such rudimentary weapons. That's terrifying!

"Hunters?...What's going on?" Inoue Masao stared at Li Zisheng, puzzled. A group of hunters could take down a pillbox? Are you kidding me! Are the Imperial Army made of clay?

"Reporting to the officer, a few days ago..." Li Zisheng seized the opportunity to recount the incident of the opium den being smashed, and did not forget to pat himself on the back, boasting that his team had been conducting investigations in various villages to find out the whereabouts of these people.

"Any progress?" Inoue Masao asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Not...not yet...There are quite a few hunters in every village and hamlet in the whole township who still hunt with bows and arrows, but most of them are old and frail, living scattered and not knowing each other. It's impossible for them to do something so big. Moreover, most of the descendants of these old hunters have been captured and forced into hard labor, so they are even less likely to do anything!" Li Zisheng explained. His eyes kept glancing at Inoue Masao, afraid that the old Japanese man would be dissatisfied and blame him.

"Hunters, laborers...hunting dogs!..." Inoue Masao suddenly realized something! First, there was the miners' riot, then a pack of hunting dogs rescued dozens of newly captured laborers, and then the pillbox was blown up. Could all these things be the work of the same group? If so, then this group is terrifying!

Just as he was lost in thought, Heng Sheng arrived with two hundred reinforcements, including Kato and the dozen or so escaped puppet soldiers. Although he had already learned about the situation from Kato, seeing the collapsed ruins with his own eyes still shocked him deeply!

“Nagano Chunzao, I came to the rescue as soon as I received the news, but unfortunately I was too late. We only found this on the soldier’s body!” Inoue Masao stepped forward and respectfully handed over the crossbow bolt.

"Hmm?... What do you think about this?" Nagano Yokoo took the crossbow bolt, glanced at it, and asked.

"Hey! A while ago, Chairman Lü's opium den in Qili Township was vandalized, and the shop assistants were also wounded by arrows. Considering the previous incident of the hunting dogs rescuing people and the miners' riot, I suspect that these things were very likely done by the same group of people! It should be the group that planned the riot that has shown their faces!" Inoue Masao bowed and analyzed.

"Huh?... Sou Daisi! Chief Ma said that Tiger is a miner!" Kato, who was standing to the side, agreed that the miners who planned the riot were the ones who carried out the operation.

"Tiger?...What happened?" Inoue Masao pressed.

"This morning, the head of Mafang Village..." Kato recounted the whole incident.

"Baka! How could you let Chinese people into the pillbox? No Chinese people should know about the Imperial Army's defenses, and you even brought a Chinese woman into the camp. Have you lost your mind?" Inoue Masao's anger flared up after hearing the whole story. When did the soldiers of the Empire degenerate to this level?

"Yes! It was my fault! I am willing to commit seppuku to atone to the Emperor!" Kato knew his crime was unforgivable and quickly made a solemn statement, sweat involuntarily seeping from his forehead!

Despite his loud boasting, he's actually afraid of being forced to commit seppuku!

"Baka! Seppuku? Do you deserve it? Only when you've seen each other, find them, and tear them apart can you wash away your shame! Imperial soldiers are not cowards! Do you understand?" Inoue Masao shouted sternly.

"This... Hey! I will do everything in my power to find them and wash away this shame!" Hearing his superior say this, Yamato secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if the Major had spared his life!

Of course, the price to pay is finding clues, investigating the other side's situation, and eliminating them all! This is what he wants to do most right now, so it's not really a price to pay!

"Lieutenant Colonel, I suggest that Mr. Yamato lead the remnants of the stronghold to secretly investigate those miners. Tiger, the servants, Chief Ma, the hunting dogs, and the crossbow bolts—this information combined is enough to prove that they are a serious enemy. Only by finding them and eliminating them completely can we prevent future troubles! With the full cooperation of Mr. Watanabe, the detective team, and the two KMT prisoners, Luo Hao and Shao Bing, we are sure to find something!" Inoue Masao suggested to Lieutenant Colonel Nagano.

"Hmm!...Yoshi! Your suggestion is very pertinent! After finding them, don't act rashly. Keep a close eye on them. I want to avenge my brother myself!" Nagano Yokosuke naturally couldn't forget his brother's revenge, and such a team was enough to warrant his attention!

"Hi!" they both replied at the same time.

"Yes, this stronghold needs to be re-established. Mafang Village in the west is a good option! Since Chief Ma betrayed us, there's no need for that village to exist anymore. Immediately occupy it and re-establish the stronghold! Inoue-kun, lead the team personally!" Nagano Yokoo ordered in a deep voice.

"Hey! We're off to take over Mafang Village!" Inoue Masao's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he waved his hand and charged toward Mafang Village with murderous intent!

In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted in Mafang Village, with chickens running rampant, dogs howling in agony, corpses strewn about, and dust billowing everywhere. The entire village had been slaughtered, and blood stained the earth red...

The destruction of one pillbox led to the massacre of the entire Mafang Village by the Japanese in a fit of rage. I wonder if the members of the Modao Regiment will regret it when they hear the news!

Those ordinary people are so pitiful!

……

Mancang and the others were completely unaware of the tragedy that had befallen Mafang Village. After simply burying Hu Zi's wife in the ancestral grave, their journey home was exceptionally smooth. Along the way, they didn't encounter a single Japanese soldier or even a puppet soldier. Everyone said it was Hu Zi's wife who blessed them to return home safely!

Next came the inventory of spoils and the distribution of rewards. Putting aside Tiger's ordeal, the haul was truly substantial! Not to mention the firearms and ammunition, enough to equip them for several rounds of errands. Each person picked a weapon they liked and refused to let go!

That evening, everyone gathered again for a battle summary and merit-based rewards. After the previous rewards, everyone was looking forward to their performance this time!

"Haha, the brothers all performed very well this time, and they've already shown the qualities of excellent soldiers! From attacking the Ma family compound to disguising themselves as servants to infiltrate the Japanese pillbox, and then shooting down the Japanese soldiers inside to completely take control of the pillbox, everyone's performance was very heroic!"