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

Second Master and his men were also busy, categorizing and packing three large carts with tanned furs, dried medicinal herbs, and uncommon fungi. That morning, Manxiang, along with several members of the Modao gang and a few newly joined young members of the clan, embarked on their trading journey under the guidance of Second Master Chengzi.

Mancang, Zhao Renyi, and the elders of the clan watched their figures gradually disappear into the distance, praying that everyone would return safely.

"Finally a moment of peace and quiet. These past few days have felt like an eternity! Did you guys go through the same thing back then?" Zhao Mantun, a newly joined young man, said with a long sigh.

"Haha, this is nothing! You can't even handle a dozen days? We've all been tested. We have to run for forty minutes with weights around two hills, and shoot ten arrows at forty meters with a crossbow, getting over seventy rings! You're just benefiting from the caravan's service. When you have some free time, you'll have to take the test too! If you fail, you'll be punished!" Manxiang laughed.

"Really? Did you all pass the exam?" Zhao Manyao asked with a worried expression.

"That's right! How can you fight the Japanese on the battlefield if you don't pass the test? You should train hard. What's that old saying? The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle. If you want to survive under the noses of the Japanese, you have to train hard!" the smug man said.

"Cangwa's method is spot on! Didn't we often practice swordsmanship back in the village? If you want to be prominent in public, you have to suffer in private. In this chaotic world of war, if you don't want to lose your life, you have to be able to subdue your opponent!" Second Master added.

"If we, young and strong as you, were to fight the Japanese, then none of the men in our swordsman family would be cowards!"

"Second Master is still going strong for his age! With you here, we younger generation feel confident!"

"I heard from the elders that Second Master used to deal with a lot of bullies when he was young, and that's where he learned his dog-raising skills!"

"Haha, I remember Second Master's nickname, 'Always With His Dog'! He took his dog everywhere he went, and if anything went wrong, he'd call for the dog. Even the young masters of those landlords would stay far away from him!"

"Things are different now! The Japanese devils are much more powerful than those tyrants, so you all need to hone your skills even more. The whole village is counting on you to make a living!"

……

A group of men, young and old, chatted and laughed as they smoothly left the market and followed the main road to the vicinity of Mafang Village. From afar, they could see a checkpoint blocking their way not far from the village entrance. A long line of horse-drawn carriages and people formed, and several puppet soldiers were shouting and carefully checking each one.

"Huh? Wasn't the pillbox blown up? Why is there still a checkpoint here?" Man Gui looked at the long queue with a puzzled expression.

"Everyone get ready!" Manxiang also tensed up.

Logically, the pillbox had been destroyed quite some time ago, so the Japanese should have retreated by now! Why is there still a checkpoint?

"Auntie, I heard that the Japanese pillboxes were all blown up a while ago. Why are there still Japanese soldiers guarding this place?" Mancang asked the old lady in front of him for information after everyone had finished packing.

"Huh? You didn't know?... The pillbox was indeed bombed more than twenty days ago, but on the same day, a large number of Japanese soldiers and collaborators came and, without saying a word, went straight into the village and wiped out the entire Mafang Village! I heard that not a single person was left alive! Now those damned bastards are stationed in the village, and the surrounding people have suffered a lot from their bullying... What a tragedy!" the old woman said aggrievedly.

"That's right! The watchtowers weren't so strict with inspections before, but now they won't even let you take a sickle to cut grass! They say it's some kind of weapon, and they won't let you bring any! The crops are almost ripe, how are we going to harvest the wheat if we can't bring sickles?" another old man next to him complained.

"I wonder who blew up the pillbox? If they blew it up, they should have at least driven the Japanese away! Now the Japanese are even more vigilant and watching over us even more closely. How are we going to live from now on?" Another old man nearby complained.

"Don't talk nonsense! These days, anyone who can fight the Japanese is a hero! It would be best to kill all the Japanese!"

"Fighting the Japanese is right, but after the fighting, someone has to clean up the mess, right? If we just ignore it, won't we ordinary people suffer? The Japanese have already occupied this land, what's the point of just killing a few Japanese soldiers?"

……

"Huh?..." Hearing the crowd's discussion, Man Gui couldn't hold back any longer and was about to step forward to argue! Why were they even blaming them? He risked his life to kill the Japanese and he killed the wrong one?

Fortunately, the boxes around us stopped us. The priority now is to get through the checkpoint smoothly. It would be a huge loss if the Japanese seized so many goods. Furs and medicinal herbs are rare items!

"Second Master, what should we do?" Manxiang couldn't think of a good solution and discussed it with Second Master.

"Don't rush. Let's find a way to turn around and go back before the Japanese notice us. It's not worth it if the Japanese seize so much cargo." Second Master's face was very unpleasant. He couldn't think of a good solution for the time being, so he had no choice but to go back first.

"That's all we can do!..." Manxiang's face was full of helplessness.

"Make way! Make way! Don't block the way!"

"Make way! Captain Wang's caravan is coming, don't block the way!"

Just as they were about to turn around, a group of servants drove five carriages over. The servants were all carrying long spears, and they were shouting at the people in line to make way from afar, acting very domineeringly.

"Pah! Traitorous dog!"

"A son born without an anus! And all this stuff!"

"Who told his son to work for the Japanese! Why is it so hard to be a good person these days!"

"Whose caravan is this? Why are they so arrogant?" Manxiang asked the old man beside him.

"Who else could it be? It's Wang Da Nao from Xiao Wang Zhuang! He's been ripping off the people because his son is a traitor in the city. Who knows who these guys are ripping off?" the old man said angrily.

"Xiaowangzhuang?..." Manxiang suddenly understood. He knew Xiaowangzhuang well! In the beginning, he had even hauled two large cartloads of grain from Wang Shuanzhu's house, which was also known as Wang Da Nao by the old man! That old man was incredibly enthusiastic towards the Japanese!

Alright! Just when I was dozing off, someone brought me a pillow. I'll have to rely on them to get through this checkpoint!

Having made up his mind, Manxiang winked at Second Master and walked towards the Wang family's caravan.

"Get out of the way! I'm talking to you! What are you doing standing in the middle of the road?" a servant said, pointing at the full chest.

"Haha, hello there, gentlemen!" Manxiang said with a smile as he walked up to a well-dressed middle-aged man.

"This must be the manager of the Wang family caravan, right? We're from Yangjiazhuang, and we've got some mountain produce to take to the city to earn some money. We'd love to get some business with you, manager!"

As she spoke, she took out a stack of Chinese currency and stuffed it into the man's hand, while winking and making faces at him.

"Huh?...You want to go over there?" The man paused, then squeezed the banknotes in his hand, asking knowingly.

"Yes! Life is tough, I'd be so grateful if you could give me a ride! Don't worry, it's just furs and Chinese medicinal herbs, nothing to pinch!" Manxiang continued.