Chapter Forty-Five

  Kimura had a killer move, he arranged a thirty-man squad in the back mountain, this squad and the battalion attacking Hu Lu Valley were all carefully trained by Kimura for more than half a year, with the purpose of dealing with Fei Hu Fort!

  According to Kimura's plan, this small detachment should launch a simultaneous attack with the Japanese army in Hu Lu Valley, and then be supported by a large Japanese army, not giving the Flying Tigers a chance to breathe, and occupy the back mountain after encircling and capturing the Flying Tigers' base.

  This team is very good at mountain warfare, and they were all mountain people before joining the army. Kimura found a place with similar terrain through photo comparison, conducted strict training until he thought it was foolproof, and then launched the battle plan.

  The small squad approached the back mountain at dusk, using tools and excellent climbing skills to climb the mountain, and began to approach the Wild Wolf Gorge. Unfortunately, the weather was not very good, and the originally clear sky suddenly became overcast, forcing the soldiers who were used to navigating by the stars and moon to follow the compass, but they ended up getting lost!

  Commander Aoki was baffled, the map was drawn by himself according to the photos taken by the reconnaissance plane, and he was very proud of his mapping skills. It should have arrived at that road leading to the mountain by now, but after turning around, it actually entered a dead end. Taking out the compass again, the needle was shaking violently, and there was no signal on the radio transmitter. Only then did he suddenly realize: There are magnetite mines in the mountains!

  Take another look at the watch, the appointed time has passed, and the watch's time is also unreliable. The letter was written in a hurry, and it's already impossible to go back now. At this moment, there seems to be cannon fire in the distance, so I can only search for the sound in the mountains and try my luck. After three turns and two turns, the sky brightened, and Qingmu finally determined the direction, leading the team towards Feihu Village. However, the mountain road looks close but is actually very tiring with its seven twists and eight turns, and everyone is already exhausted.

  Just as Aoki was considering whether to stop and rest, a sharp-eyed soldier saw what seemed to be a person's shadow flashing by in the distance, and immediately reported it to Aoki. Aoki didn't have time to rest either, and ordered his men to follow up and investigate.

  Aoki and his men followed, taking a small path, where they saw a peasant dressed man leading a mule, heading east. The man was also lame. Aoki signaled to his men not to disturb him, and they followed for half an hour. Suddenly the man vanished, but before them lay a vast expanse of fields, with a village in the distance.

  Aoki Daiki, he had looked at the photo countless times, and at a glance, he recognized that this was the back mountain of Feihu Village. Judging from the situation, there were no defenses here, what a stroke of luck! He immediately ordered the communication soldier to contact his superior, while others prepared to launch an attack.

  A series of gunshots rang out, and the communications soldier had just taken off his backpack radio when he fell to the ground with a thud. Two soldiers nearby who were on guard duty also had their heads blown open. Then the gunfire intensified, bullets mercilessly reaping the lives of the soldiers.

  The gunshot rang out, and Aoki instinctively fell to the ground for cover, thinking "this is bad", too careless, it seemed that the opponent had been following them for a while without anyone noticing! Sneaking a peek, he found that the attack came from both sides of the mountain, and they were in a valley, with unfavorable terrain. If the enemy threw hand grenades... Thinking of this, Aoki quickly made a decision: "Quickly, third squad cover us, everyone else rush out and occupy the village!"

  The third squad fought to the death, and Qingmu led the remaining dozen or so people in a desperate charge. Before he could even steady his footing, he realized he had made a fatal mistake: from the nearby pile of withered grass suddenly protruded twenty-odd submachine guns, and his own men hadn't even raised their guns...

  "Sixth son, you see that brother is still sharp as ever, right?" Sun Erdou blew the smoke off the muzzle of his gun and said to Ma Liu with a pleased expression.

  Xie Sibao discovered the trail of Qingmu and others, and told Dalong. Dalong found that the other party was well-equipped with uniform automatic firepower, and worried that the mountainous terrain was complex. If they couldn't annihilate them completely, it would be troublesome. So he sent someone to contact Ma Liu, preparing to lure the enemy onto flat ground and annihilate them together. Ma Liu was with Sun Erdou at the time, and Sun Erdou volunteered to take a donkey as cover, luring Qingmu over while also getting a thrill out of it for himself.

  Ma Liu Zheng was directing the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, when he heard a burst of laughter: "Dogzi, to be honest, as long as you're here, my heart isn't at ease! However, I think your gun is old, otherwise your wife's belly would have moved by now?"

  Whenever he heard this before, Sun Erdou would always blush and turn around to leave. But today, he suddenly swept away his usual depression and said loudly: "What do you know, kid? In the past, I was just seeing if she could be a down-to-earth woman who could live a simple life! Now, when I'm happy, isn't she obediently getting pregnant for me?"

  Ma Liu was taken aback and looked at Sun Er Gou with suspicion: "You little scoundrel, are you telling the truth or trying to deceive me?"

  "Alright, one of these days when you're free, come over and have a couple of drinks. I'll let your sister-in-law tell you herself!"

  "You little scamp is actually going to be a dad! Dammit, no way, if it's a boy, he'll have to be my godson..."

  "Damn it!" Kawahara looked through the binoculars and found that several Imperial Army soldiers were tied to trees at the mouth of Kurokaze Valley. Those soldiers seemed to be seriously injured, shivering in the cold wind, and didn't look like they could hold on for much longer.

  "Kimura-san, should we ask the Commander-in-Chief for reinforcements and request that the air force cooperate with us?" Kono asked Kimura, who had always valued his opinions.

  Kimura shook his head and said, "It's no use, the opportunity has already been missed. Even if we had air support, at most we would have only taken an empty fortress!" The Aoki squad had lost all contact, and it was feared that they had fallen into enemy hands. The Hyotan Valley side had gained nothing but had instead lost again, and the enemy had increased their strength by over a thousand men. The chance for victory had been lost, and Kimura began to think of retreating.

  Kawano was taken aback and sensed the implication behind Kimura's words. After a moment of thought, he said: "Will the Commander-in-Chief agree to this? And what about our soldiers?"

  "Commander, please allow me to explain myself to the commanding officer. I am willing to accept any outcome!" Mura's expression turned gloomy. "Also, I will go talk to Feihu Zhai and bring our warriors back."

  Kawano wanted to say something more, but Kimura bowed deeply and said: "I'm counting on you!"

  As soon as the Black Wind Gorge ceasefire was lifted, Xiao Ming ordered Xu Dage to move the light and heavy machine guns to the top of the mountain to prevent enemy air raids. After ordering the logistics company to slaughter pigs and sheep, steamed buns were sent to each company and Gao Mingqing, who thanked them again.

  The report from the Dalongpai people: A Japanese army elite has appeared in the back mountain, and they have all been eliminated. The special agent company is continuing to be on high alert. Xiao Ming fell a stone to the ground, ordering the incoming person to tell Sun Erdou to lead the villagers and logistics company to transfer into the mountains.

  Finally having a spare moment to eat, news came from Heifengxia that Mù Cūn wants to have a talk with Xiāo Míng!

  "Hey, Mukamura! We meet again! Every time we see each other, it's a matter of life and death. What's the meaning of this!" Xiao Ming rode his horse to Heifeng Gorge and greeted Mukamura with a smile from afar.

  Kimura stood alone outside the Black Wind Gorge, his face calm and serene, as if the chaos before him had nothing to do with him. Seeing Xiao Ming, he smiled slightly and said: "Xiao's family, you're safe and sound, looks like your mood is not bad, huh? The mountain collapses in front of you but you don't change color, truly a general's demeanor!"

  "Kimura, don't wear such a tall hat, you old scoundrel! You're not being honest, bringing so many people here. Are you trying to wipe out the Flying Tiger Fort? You've violated our agreement, and you'll be responsible for all the losses we suffer in the mountain stronghold!" Xiao Ming was completely serious.

  "Isn't it you Flying Tiger Fort who broke the agreement?" Mura smiled, "You not only surrendered to the government army, but also ambushed the imperial army's convoy and killed hundreds of imperial soldiers. Shouldn't we come to settle accounts with you?"

  "Great misunderstanding! Mura, you don't know how hard it is for us bandits to survive. We're stuck in a tight spot and can't afford to offend anyone. Whoever comes, we have to put on a smiling face and call them 'grandpa'. There's no one to rely on! But the brothers still need to eat, right? Robbing ordinary people? They're even poorer than us! Robbing the national army? This place doesn't even exist! After thinking about it, you guys are actually the only ones with any wealth. Our demands aren't high, as long as we can fill our bellies, who's willing to risk their lives?! But you guys shouldn't have set a trap and killed dozens of my brothers. You know, it's not easy to lead the troops now. If I don't avenge my brothers, morale will collapse and no one will be willing to sacrifice for me anymore! Besides, we're bandits, you're robbers, can't we just coexist?! Why must we fight to the death?!"

  Kimura listened to Xiao Ming's chatter, feeling both angry and amused, and unwilling to waste his breath, so he said: "Xiao, we are both military men, let's skip the gossip of these city women, why don't we discuss the current situation?"

  Xiao Ming smiled upon hearing this, thinking to himself that Mura was not going to fight anymore and was just looking for a way out. He said, "I admit, the current situation is quite advantageous for you. You're a sentimental person, and you've come to me only because you want me to surrender, so as not to spoil the harmony between us. Thank you in advance!" As he spoke, he actually bowed to Mura.

  "Mr. Xiao, let's stop pretending, can't we just be honest with each other?" Murakami said somewhat helplessly.

  "Honest? Alright! Mukimura, this stupid idea was yours, wasn't it?" Xiao Ming looked at Mukimura with a seemingly amused expression.

  "Yes!" Muraoka acknowledged frankly, "However, I admit that this is a bit of a clumsy performance in front of you!"

  Xiao Ming burst out laughing: "You should have a more suitable plan, it's just that your superior didn't adopt it, go ahead and tell me about it!"

  Kimura smiled wryly: "Yes, you should be able to guess, but I'd like to hear your opinion!"

  "Dispatch planes to continuously bomb and strafe, cut off our retreat route, then launch a full-scale attack on the stronghold. This is the simplest and most effective method!" Xiao Ming smiled, "However, this is really making a big deal out of nothing. No officer would agree to it. It's not just about war resources, but also about the officer's face!"

  "It's like this!" Kimura sighed, and suddenly felt a little bit of sympathy in his heart.

  "Kimura, you're not going to give up now, are you?" Xiao Ming asked curiously. "It's not too late to call in an airstrike now, or have your soldiers launch a charge? Since we've come all this way, shouldn't we at least try? Otherwise, how will you explain yourself when you get back?"

  "Xiao Dangjia, let's not beat around the bush. By now, both of us understand what's going on! Just like you said, it's already become a half-cooked rice pot!" Mukamura smiled wryly, "Now, all you need to do is agree to a few conditions from our imperial army, and we'll withdraw our troops. Otherwise, I might not be able to persuade my superiors, which would be something neither of us wants to see, right?"

  "Alas! Kimura, it's you. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even bother arguing with him. You go first and let me hear what you have to say!"

  "One, hand over the captured Imperial Army soldiers; two, surrender the guerrilla troops; three, surrender and accept reorganization by the Imperial Army. I swear on the honor of His Majesty the Emperor that we will not pursue your past actions. What do you think?" Mura hated that guerrilla troop and that stupid Japanese army commander, otherwise, he might have already been standing in the Flying Tiger Fort.

  "Kimura, let's go back home and prepare for battle! See you later!" Xiao Ming didn't think twice, turned his head and was about to leave.

  "Is the Xiao family no longer considering it? Is there any room for negotiation?" Murata said slowly. He knew that Xiaoming would not really leave, after all, this was a matter of life and death for the mountain stronghold, and Xiaoming would not act impulsively. Now, he needed an excuse!

  No, both of them need an exit strategy!