The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

The crooked-handle machine gun in Wang Quan's hand fired, bullets raining down like water.

The dozen or so Japanese soldiers at the forefront fell like wheat being harvested.

But the Japanese troops were well-trained, and they used the wreckage of trucks as cover to advance step by step.

"Grenade!" Zhou Jindong shouted.

Dozens of grenades were thrown down like rain.

Explosions echoed down the slope, and flames and smoke instantly engulfed the Japanese charging formation.

Just then, Zhou Jindong noticed that the Japanese cavalry had moved.

More than thirty cavalrymen drew their sabers and charged up a small ravine on the flank with strange cries.

"Damn it, they're trying to cut off our retreat!" Zhou Jindong was alarmed. "Zhang Fang, take the second squad to block that ravine! We absolutely cannot let them get up there!"

Zhang Fang responded and led a dozen men to rush towards the flank.

They had only gone halfway when the Japanese cavalry appeared.

The two sides collided head-on in the narrow ravine.

Zhang Fang fired three shots with his pistol, knocking the three leading cavalrymen off their horses.

But the Japanese cavalry were too fast, and they arrived in the blink of an eye.

The saber gleamed coldly in the sunlight as it cleaved down towards Zhang Fang's head.

Zhang Fang rolled to the side, his saber striking a rock, sparks flying everywhere.

Before he could even steady himself, another saber came flying at him.

At the critical moment, Sun Erniu rushed out from the side, holding a large knife horizontally in his hand.

With a loud "bang," Sun Erniu was jolted back several steps, his hands and feet going numb.

"Fuck your grandma!" Sun Erniu cursed, and instead of retreating, he charged forward, heading straight for the horse's head.

He was a large, imposing man, and the impact made the horse stumble.

Taking advantage of this opening, Zhang Fang and the other soldiers rushed forward, and several bayonets were simultaneously plunged into the horse's belly and the cavalryman's chest.

The fighting on the flanks was exceptionally fierce.

The Japanese cavalry charged forward recklessly, but the guerrilla fighters used their bodies to block the gap.

Every second someone falls, and their blood stains the stones in the ravine red.

Zhou Jindong, seeing the situation clearly from the main battlefield, was extremely anxious.

If the flanks fall, the entire high ground is doomed.

"Wang Quan, this is your responsibility! Xiao Chuan, come with me!" Zhou Jindong grabbed a Type 38 rifle with bayonets fixed and led the reserve team to the flank.

He ran through the trenches like a cheetah, reaching the flank position in just a few steps.

At this point, Zhang Fang and his men were almost at their breaking point, as the Japanese cavalry had already charged up to the mountainside.

"Kill!" Zhou Jindong shouted, his rifle piercing the back of a Japanese cavalryman who had just climbed up.

He used both his hands and feet, his movements clean and efficient, each shot accompanied by a Japanese soldier's scream.

The soldiers' morale soared when they saw their captain arrive.

They shouted and fought back, suppressing the dozen or so Japanese soldiers who had just charged forward.

Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce battle on the flanks, even more intense gunfire suddenly erupted from the direction of the highway.

Zhou Jindong looked up and saw dust rising in the distance, with countless gray figures surging out from behind the mountain, rushing towards the back of the Japanese army like a tide.

That's the main force of the Independent Regiment!

Commander Li led the charge, firing bursts of fire from his pistol while shouting, "Charge! Don't let the Japanese get away!"

The Japanese army was already being beaten down by the guerrillas, and now the main force of the Eighth Route Army was attacking from behind, throwing them into disarray.

The attack in front stopped, and those behind started running back.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" A ruthless glint flashed in Zhou Jindong's eyes. "Everyone, fix bayonets and charge!"

He led the soldiers who were still able to move out of the trench and charged down like tigers descending a mountain.

The Japanese troops who were just launching a frenzied attack have now become prey to be hunted down.

They ran around on the highway, some were stabbed to death, some were trampled to death, and some, seeing no way to escape, simply knelt on the ground and raised their hands in surrender.

The Japanese company commander, trapped in the middle of the truck, seeing that all was lost, drew his sword and attempted to commit seppuku.

As soon as he raised the knife, Wang Quan smashed it against his wrist with the butt of his rifle, sending the knife flying.

Wang Quan kicked him to the ground, then stepped on his chest and laughed, "Want to die? Not so easy! I still need to keep you to exchange for silver dollars!"

The battle lasted for an hour, until the last gunshot rang out.

The highway was littered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers and the wreckage of burning trucks.

Of the more than one hundred Japanese soldiers, most were annihilated at the foot of Huai Shupo, except for a few who escaped back to Kelan County.

Zhou Jindong stood on the highway, leaning on his gun, panting heavily.

His uniform was torn in several places, and his face was covered in soot and blood, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

Regiment Commander Li rode over on horseback, looked at the spoils scattered on the ground, and laughed heartily: "Well done, Zhou Jindong! You really did a great job! This battle was exhilarating! Not only did you hold the high ground, but you also encircled the vanguard of the Chida Brigade!"

Zhou Jindong wiped the blood from his face and smiled, "Commander, this is just an appetizer. The main force of the Qiantian Brigade is still in Kelan City. We need to surround them quickly, otherwise, once they realize what's happening, this battle will be much more difficult."

"Yes! Besiege the city!" Commander Li's smile vanished as he pointed to the distant town of Kelan. "Communicator! Immediately send a telegram to the division headquarters and the 359th Brigade, saying we have cut off the enemy's retreat and requesting that the main force encircle them! Also, Zhou Jindong!"

"arrive!"

"You lead the guerrillas as the vanguard, immediately advance to the east of the city, and block the east gate! Remember, only besiege, do not attack; wait for the main force to arrive before launching a general assault!"

"yes!"

Without stopping, Zhou Jindong led his team to move eastward into the city.

Kelan County is not a large town, and its city walls are not high, but it was still a tough nut to crack for the Eighth Route Army, which lacked heavy weapons.

When Zhou Jindong arrived at the east of the city with his men, the Japanese troops inside the city had obviously already learned of the annihilation of the vanguard. The city gates were tightly closed, machine guns were mounted on the city walls, and several Type 92 infantry guns were exposed.

"Captain, the Japanese have closed the gate and set up cannons on the city wall," Zhao Laosi said after observing for a moment.

"Is everything alright once the door is closed?" Zhou Jindong sneered. "Wang Quan, take some men to demolish the houses outside the city, make some scarecrows, dress them in our clothes, and put them in conspicuous places to scare them."

"Zhang Fang, bring over our Italian... grenade launcher and fire two shots at the city gate tower. No need to aim, just make a sound."

Wang Quan was taken aback: "Demolish the house? Isn't that a bad idea?"

"Follow orders! We're fighting the Japanese so we can compensate the people with new clothes later!" Zhou Jindong's eyes widened.

"Yes!" Wang Quan led his men away.

Before long, several dilapidated temples and vacant houses outside the city were demolished and scattered, and dozens of scarecrows were erected in the open space. When the wind blew, they rustled and looked quite realistic.

Zhang Fang directed Kosuke Ogawa to operate the grenade launcher.

"Load!" Zhang Fang shouted.

"Boom! Boom!"