Chapter 3: The Battle of Longtan Mountain

  Xiao Kunling was overjoyed to see that Captain Qiao Jiaxue, the head of the special agent team, was still alive. His thoughts involuntarily flashed back to the thrilling scene during the War of Resistance when he and Qiao Jiaxue fought together in the Longtan Mountain Battle...

  It was late March 1945 when Xiao Kunling's third battalion was ordered to cross Longtan Mountain and head to Shili Fortress on a mission.

  Longtan Mountain is a primitive forest of dozens of miles, with lush grass and dense thorns. The team hacked through the underbrush, advancing slowly, walking back and forth, but unable to leave the forest.

  As the sky was about to darken, they still couldn't find a way out of the mountain. Everyone was exhausted, and the march was slow like a snail's crawl. The leaders at all levels of the battalion, company, and regiment discussed it and unanimously agreed to set up camp on the spot. The order was passed down level by level, and the troops settled in the forest.

  The March sky, the mountain weather is exceptionally cool, especially at night, the cold wind blows the fog, like a sharp sword piercing the body, the chill of the skull makes people shiver.

  Xiao Kunling wore a thin military uniform, standing guard in the mountains. A wave of cold air came over him, and he shivered all over his body. He was a new recruit, having enlisted for less than half a year, and didn't know much about tasks like standing guard, lacking experience. With his rifle at the ready, he stood there like a tree stump, his eyes fixed intently on the front.

  Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes, followed by a black shadow darting across the bushes and disappearing in the distance, like a nocturnal animal, yet like a ghost.

  "Who! Halt! If you don't stop, I'll shoot!" Xiao Kunling shouted coldly.

  The bushes were quiet and still. Xiao Kunling was not at ease, he walked over cautiously. Suddenly, a bullet flew out of the bushes with a "whoosh" sound, and Xiao Kunling dodged it with a "zip" sound.

  "What a close call, almost lost the guy who was eating." Xiao Kun Ling broke out in a cold sweat.

  "The enemy is in the dark, I am in the light. Only by turning light into darkness can we turn danger into safety." Xiao Kunling thought of this and quickly hid in a bush.

  "Bang bang......pa pa......" At this time, dense gunfire sounded from all sides. It turned out that the Japanese devils who had fled to Longtan Mountain took advantage of the dark night to launch a sneak attack.

  The Japanese army surrounded them from all sides, machine guns "rattling... rattling..." spewing out long tongues of flame, in the darkness, it was unknown how many Japanese soldiers there were.

  "Brothers, don't panic! Everyone fight with all your might and open up a bloody path. Whoever can break out is one!" someone shouted loudly.

  "Brothers, let's fight the devils! Killing one is just enough, killing two will be a profit!" Another man shouted loudly.

  "Charge... Let's fight the devils!"

  How many warriors rushed forward, shouting and fighting with the devils, instantly the sound of killing on Longtan Mountain became a mess.

  Xiao Kunling was still encountering this kind of shocking and thrilling battlefield for the first time, and he couldn't help but feel a little at a loss. He saw his comrades dead or injured, corpses scattered all over the field, blood flowing like rivers, and only felt his heart racing and standing there in a daze, unsure of what to do.

  "Get down!" - someone suddenly shouted loudly, and pounced over like an arrow. Xiao Kunling had not yet understood what was happening when he was pressed to the ground by someone.

  At this moment, a shell flew over like a meteor and landed five meters away, exploding with a deafening roar. The grass, wood and dust fell on us like raindrops.

  "What a close call! I almost lost my life." Xiao Kun let out a sigh of relief.

  "Brother, you're new here, right? From now on, remember: going into battle to kill the enemy is not like performing on stage, it's a real fight with real swords. When two armies meet, the brave will win. On the battlefield, be quick-witted, don't panic or be afraid. Even if there are sacrifices, they're for the sake of defending our home and country, and dying in glory is worth it." The man spoke with the sincerity of a veteran soldier.

  "Thank you, big brother, for saving my life. Big brother's words just now have opened up a new understanding for me." Xiao Kun was overflowing with emotion and gratitude.

  "What's your surname, brother? Where is your home?" the man asked.

  "My younger brother's surname is Xiao, and his name is Kunling. He lives in Baqing Prefecture, Taohong Town. May I ask, elder brother, what is your honorable surname and given name, and where is your immortal village? My surname is Qiao, my name is Jiaxue, and my courtesy name is Kunlun. I am the commander of the 8th company of the 3rd battalion, and my home is in Shangxi Pingba."

  "Big brother, we two are really fated, even our names are especially fated. Why don't we become sworn brothers?" Xiao Kunling said with a smile.

  "Alright! But for now, this place is fraught with danger. Let's talk about everything once we're out of harm's way." Qiao Jie Xue said with a wry smile.

  Night, very deep, the sound of gunfire gradually sparse. The Japanese army was chattering and shouting while holding bayonets to search in the bushes. Xiao Kunling and Qiao Lianchang were hiding quietly in the bushes, just like playing a game of hide-and-seek with the Japanese army.

  Qiao Lianchang, after all, had been through many battles and was rich in experience. He took advantage of the dark night before dawn to lead Xiao Kunling through the forest, turning left and right, with the Japanese army pursuing them relentlessly from behind.

  "Qiao Lianchang, what's going on?" Xiao Kun asked in a frightened tone.

  "Create a diversion in the east and attack from the west. I'll lure them away, you take advantage of the opportunity to leave from another direction, hurry towards Shiliu Fortress and reunite with the troops."

  "We'll either walk together or die together."

  "Xiao Kunling, you are a soldier. A soldier's duty is to obey orders. Now, I order you, leave immediately."

  "But..." Xiao Kunling still hesitated a little.

  "Quick march!" Chiao Lien exclaimed and then dashed off in another direction, deliberately exposing his tracks.

  The Japanese army was indeed deceived and chased after them with a loud noise, and a burst of urgent gunfire rang out.

  "Qiao Lianchang... Qiao Lianchang..." Xiao Kunling called out in her heart...