The War of Resistance Against Japan: Special Operations Battalion Traverses Shanghai and Slaughters

Not long after, led by Wan Qingfang, five bandits came over carrying five large earthenware basins.

After placing the dishes on the table, Long Fei noticed that there were five dishes: one was braised beef, one was roast chicken, one was braised pork trotters, and the other two were unfamiliar to him, which he guessed were wild game from the mountains.

"Officers, conditions in the mountains are simple, so the brothers eat meat and drink wine in large bowls. Please don't mind."

After saying that, Chen Huating picked up a jar of wine from the side and prepared to pour it for Long Fei and Liu Anqi.

"Boss, you're too kind. We'll follow your lead. Besides, I think this is the only way to enjoy drinking and eating meat. Come on, let's try this wine today."

After Long Fei finished speaking, as if by magic, two bottles of Moutai suddenly appeared in his hand.

Chen Huating was not one to fuss over formalities, so upon seeing this, he put the wine jar down again and sat back down.

Wan Qingfang sat to Chen Huating's left.

Long Fei opened the bottle cap, and a rich fragrance immediately filled the air.

"You haven't even tasted this wine yet, but it smells amazing," Chen Huating couldn't help but praise.

Long Fei smiled and personally poured wine for everyone, then raised his wine bowl and said.

"Gentlemen, I have no choice but to come here today. Please forgive me. I will drink first as a sign of my respect."

After saying that, Long Fei tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp.

Seeing that the legion commander was so generous, Liu Anqi hurriedly finished his drink as well.

Since the two leaders were the hosts, and the guests were so straightforward, they naturally picked up their wine bowls and downed them in one gulp.

Long Fei didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a pig's trotter to gnaw on.

While munching on the food, he casually asked a question.

"My two leaders, I heard that you entered Langya Mountain three years ago, came to Longteng Cave, built Longteng Manor, and raised the banner of chivalry and helping the poor."

"In these three years, you have grown from just over a hundred people to more than ten thousand people today."

Chen Huating and Wan Qingfang were not surprised when they heard this, after all, it was no secret and everyone in the Langya Mountain area knew about it.

Long Fei continued gnawing on the pig's trotter, talking to himself.

"My two leaders, I'm very curious about how you came to come here and establish Dragon Soaring Manor in the first place?"

Long Fei's question inevitably stirred up painful memories of Chen Huating and Wan Qingfang's past.

Chen Huating picked up the wine bottle, filled it with wine, tilted his head back and drank it all, then wiped his mouth and sighed deeply.

“If they weren’t desperate, who would want to go up the mountain and become a bandit?”

“I am from Chenjia Village in Chaohu. My parents couldn’t pay the rent and were beaten by the local landlords and bullies. They had no money for medical treatment and died with resentment a few days later.”

“I was serving in the army at the time. After hearing the news, I deserted that day with my gun and went back to the village to shoot the landlord tyrant to death.”

"After that, I had nowhere to go, so I joined a bandit gang in Chaohu."

"I never imagined that the three leaders would commit such evil deeds, and all they do is bully the poor people all day long."

“I don’t want to go along with their ways. Besides, many of the bandits who joined us were from poor families and only became bandits because they couldn’t make a living.”

"I secretly united them, and then one day, while the three leaders were drunk, I killed them."

"After that, I was elected by everyone as the new leader, and I led everyone to Langya Mountain."

"Later, I heard from the locals that there is a Dragon Soaring Cave on the mountain. Legend has it that many years ago, a white dragon lived in this cave. Then one day, on a stormy night, the white dragon suddenly took off and disappeared. So the locals named the cave Dragon Soaring Cave."

"After we explored Longteng Cave, we found that the terrain here was dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack, so we decided to settle here and build Longteng Mountain Villa."

“We made a vow then and there that we would never harm ordinary people, and that we would act chivalrously and help the poor by killing the rich.”

Upon hearing this, Long Fei couldn't help but shout "Good!"

"Boss, I'd like to toast you for your decision to uphold justice and rob the rich to help the poor."

The two men clinked their wine bowls together and then downed them in a hearty manner.

Chen Huating then pointed at Wan Qingfang and continued speaking.

"She was from Wanjiacun Village in Chaohu. Her family couldn't afford the rent, so the village landlord took her as a concubine."

"Forced by circumstances, on the night of her wedding to the landlord, she stabbed him with a candlestick and then escaped."

"As a result, the landlord was furious and sent people everywhere to look for her. She had no way to go home, so she begged for food all the way and finally fainted from hunger in Chuzhou County."

“It just so happened that I was scouting out Chuxian County with my brothers that day, and that’s how we rescued her and brought her back to Longteng Manor.”

"After she woke up, she decided to join us and fight for justice with us, robbing the rich to help the poor."

"Unexpectedly, she was very talented and quick to learn, and within a few months she had mastered marksmanship to an extraordinary level."

"The martial arts skills I taught her have improved by leaps and bounds. No one in the entire manor except me can match her. Last year, she took the position of second-in-command on her own merits."

Long Fei nodded: "Women are just as capable as men, a heroine among women, I must also offer you a bowl."

Without any hesitation, Wan Qingfang picked up her wine bowl and clinked it heavily with Long Fei's, then downed it in one gulp.

At this point, Chen Huating suddenly remembered what Long Fei had said earlier, so he asked.

"Commander Long, we've eaten meat and drunk wine, now can you talk about your so-called 'courtesy before force' approach?"

Long Fei thought for a moment and then said very seriously.

"My lords, the Japanese have already occupied Nanjing, the capital of the Nationalist government, and are marching north. My Longyan Legion has just expanded its forces and urgently needs training."

"That's why we decided to enter Langya Mountain, but your Longteng Manor is blocking our way. That's why we're negotiating with you, hoping to clear a path for us."

After listening, Chen Huating and Wan Qingfang nodded in agreement, and Wan Qingfang immediately replied.

"Commander Long, Brother Chen and I have decided that once the Japanese come, our Longteng Manor will fight them to the death with all our might."

“But we don’t know you well. If we let you into the mountains rashly, and you turn against us from behind, then Longteng Manor will be defenseless.”

"Therefore, we hope you will look for another place, and we hope Commander Long will understand."

After Wan Qingfang finished speaking, she picked up her wine and drank it in one gulp to express her apology.

Long Fei gave Chen Huating and Wan Qingfang a deep look and said quietly.

"When I first entered the manor, I found that the two brothers in charge were mostly carrying old-fashioned rifles and Hanyang rifles, and there were only two machine gun positions set up with two Czech machine guns at the main gate of the manor."

"I bet you're not only short on ammunition, but you probably don't even have mortars."

Chen Huating and Wan Qingfang immediately regretted their carelessness in letting the other side discover the true nature of the manor.

Just as the two were filled with fear, Long Fei continued.

"Please forgive my bluntness, but with your firewood sticks, not only can you not stop my Dragon Flame Legion, but you would also be in grave danger if you fought the Japanese devils."

"Although you have more than 10,000 men and occupy a terrain advantage that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, the Japanese only need to send a battalion to blow open your gate with infantry guns, and then bombard you with mortars and grenade launchers."

"In less than an hour, your Dragon Soaring Manor will be completely wiped out and cease to exist."

Long Fei spoke so bluntly, giving the other party no face at all, and it could even be said that he belittled Longteng Manor to the point of being worthless.

Chen Huating was a man of principle, and his expression changed immediately upon hearing this.

He slammed his hand on the table, jumped up, and roared.

"So what? Your Dragon Flame Legion and the Japanese devils are welcome to try and see if our Dragon Soaring Manor is made of paper and is easily defeated."