Chapter 35: Training with a Vengeance (1)

  "Guerrilla fighters!" shouted Liang Wei, Guo Ze, Li Fei, Ahmad, Mahdi, Haneef, and Mawa along with her father.

  "That's right! From now on, we're all guerrilla fighters, not ordinary civilians anymore!" Tianhu said firmly. "As guerrilla fighters, our mission is to fight the devils and drive them out of our land."

  Tianhu lowered his voice and continued, "I know that each of us has been captured by the enemy before, suffered under their brutal torture, or had our families burned, killed, and looted by them. Some of us even have mothers, wives, and daughters who were raped and murdered by them. We all have a deep hatred for the devils in our hearts, don't we?"

  Tianhu paused, waiting for everyone's response.

  The team was silent, as if they had stopped breathing.

  After a while, someone suddenly spoke up, and others began to cry softly. Then, more people started wiping away tears, and soon, many were cursing the Japanese devils loudly. The entire team erupted in anger, with everyone shouting curses at the Japanese...

  "Quiet, everyone! Quiet!" Tianhu shouted, his voice rising above the din.

  The team gradually calmed down again.

  "I heard your curses earlier, and I know you all despise the devils," Tianhu said. "But is cursing them useful?"

  "Of course not!" Tianhu continued. "No matter how much we curse here, it won't drive the Japanese devils out or bring back what's been taken from us. Cursing can only vent our anger for a moment; it can't satisfy our hatred. To satisfy our hatred, we need to use our fists, our knives, and our guns. Only by using these can we drive the Japanese devils out and protect our peace. So, starting today, we'll begin training. This won't be ordinary training; we'll train with a vengeance, with all our might! Do you understand?"

  "Understood!" The team responded loudly, as if they had suddenly understood everything.

  Tianhu nodded slightly and said, "Good. Now, I'll teach you how to stand at attention and march properly."

  "At ease... Feet together, toes pointed outward at about sixty degrees, legs straight, chest out, abdomen in. Watch me demonstrate." Tianhu demonstrated the stance, his upper body straight, feet together, and toes pointed outward.

  ...

  "This is a killing blow, not a game!" Tianhu shouted at a team member who was practicing half-heartedly. "If your opponent is a Japanese devil, if you relax your grip even slightly, their bayonet will pierce your chest. Watch closely; this is how you must practice."

  Tianhu took a wooden stick and demonstrated with another team member, "You must remember that the enemy you'll face is ruthless, inhuman, and has years of combat experience. On the battlefield, if you can't kill them, they won't spare your life. Remember?"