Chapter 23: Full-Scale Counterattack
Gao Quan initially used his large knife to exchange blows with the Japanese general, but after several rounds, he couldn't gain the upper hand. He realized that this guy was quite skilled with his Japanese sword. Since that was the case, Gao Quan would have to resort to unconventional methods. How many ultimate moves did Gao Quan possess? Perhaps even he himself hadn't counted them all. After the two sides clashed, their momentum naturally caused them to retreat backward, dissipating the enormous rebound force; otherwise, they would tumble to the ground. This was an inevitable physical phenomenon that no one could change. However, Gao Quan didn't retreat backward; he didn't budge. Of course, he couldn't resist the force pushing him back, so there was only one other outcome: tumbling backward!
His body leaned back, but his hands didn't stop. Just like he was really off balance, his body sat back and the big knife slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground. His right hand stretched down, bent over and pulled a dagger from his calf! As we said before, Gao Quan's technique for throwing flying knives is exceptional. Yesterday, he even used a large chopping knife as a flying knife to kill a ghost. Now, with a real dagger tied to his calf, it was naturally easy to throw as a flying knife.
With a flick of his hand, the flying knife drew a silver line, stabbing straight into the ghost's heart! Gao Quan's back slammed onto the ground with a "thud", and then he sprang up like a carp, grabbing the big knife that had flown out of his hand. The entire movement was smooth and swift, without any pause.
Gao Quan jumped down the mountain and stood in front of Yamashita, raising the big knife in his hand. At this time, Yamashita had not completely lost consciousness, he stared blankly at Gao Quan with a hint of pleading in his eyes.
"Whoosh!" A flash of green light, and the blood sprayed wildly as the Japanese colonel's head rolled to the ground. As an invader, one must be prepared to die! Gao Quan's heart was as hard as a rock, unaffected in the slightest. He bent down to remove the artillery colonel epaulets from Shan Xiaoyong's shoulders and put them in his own pocket. As for the deputy officer standing next to the colonel, who was also holding a command knife, he had already been taken care of by Wang Dazhu and Qian Sihao. Wang Dazhu also followed Gao Quan's example, removing the deputy officer's lieutenant colonel epaulets, which could be used as a military merit to be reported.
Apart from a small number of scattered Japanese troops who escaped, the entire Ghost Legion Artillery Regiment was annihilated, credited to Li Jintang's regiment for wiping them out.
This time, although the troops suffered no small losses, they truly won a great victory. Brigade commander Li Jintian led the troops back to Luowen Valley with high spirits.
As they approached the Yu Kou, they heard thunderous cheers. Li Lu Zhang was taken aback and lost his smile: "How did the Master arrange such a big commotion? Even if we had won a battle, it's not necessary to make such a big fuss, is it?"
The warriors of Luo Wenyu were indeed cheering, but they were not cheering for Li Jintang's victory in leading his men to win two battles. They were cheering for their own victory!
After the loud explosion sound came from the distant mountains, the devils' artillery fire stopped. Commander Liu Ruming immediately understood that Li Jintang and his men had taken down the devils' artillery position! Although he didn't know how this regiment did it, it wouldn't affect the seasoned commander's ability to make the most correct battlefield decision! Liu Ruming immediately ordered the troops defending Luowenyu to launch a full-scale attack, leaving only one battalion to guard the mouth of the valley.
The thousand-year-old Great Wall, the narrow pass of Luo Wenyu, had just stopped the artillery fire, and then came the earth-shaking shout of killing, and the 129th Division's attacking troops launched a counterattack against the devils at the same time! The soldiers had been suppressed by the devils on the narrow pass for three whole days, and this breath had long been unbearable! Before, they were worried about the devils' planes, cannons, and heavy machine guns. Now that the planes have flown away, the machine guns and cannons are silent, it's just a contest between the rifles and big knives in hand, will the officers and soldiers of the 129th Division be afraid of anyone?
"Kill!" "Kill the devils!" The cries of killing shook heaven and earth, countless soldiers wearing blue military uniforms, wielding shiny big knives, like fierce tigers descending a mountain or dragons emerging from the sea, charged towards the little devils' position!
Liu Ruming chose the right time to strike. The machine gun position first fell silent, and the devils notified the artillery to increase their firepower while sending someone to check on the machine gun position. By the time they received the news, the machine gun position had been raided, and all personnel and machine guns were lost. After a loud explosion, the artillery position also fell silent. Major General Yamashita Yū in Japan still has considerable influence, and the Yamashita family is considered a small aristocracy. Lieutenant Colonel Raigō cannot ignore the danger that Yamashita Yū may be in, but he wants to send troops to rescue him. Tonight is the time for the general attack on Luowen Valley, and all the soldiers who can fight have been sent to the front line. Even the troops that passed through the machine gun position were sent from the division headquarters to support him. Now Lieutenant General Raigō has no troops to send!
Sending fewer people would be useless, and being able to attack an artillery brigade is definitely not something that can be done with just one company or platoon. Even if it were a Chinese army battalion or two, it's not necessarily possible. There must be at least one regiment there! Where will General Rai find a mobile force capable of defeating a Chinese army regiment? However, without troops, even if he has to force his way through, he still wants to send someone to rescue Major Yamashita! If something happens to Yamashita, it's not just him, but also his division commander who would be in trouble. General Rai doesn't want to stir up any more trouble.
Helpless, they had to withdraw troops from the front line, that is, from the battlefield, disregarding the opposition of the frontline officers. The brigade commander insisted on withdrawing two battalions of troops from the fierce battlefield to rescue Colonel Yamashita.
The battlefield is now relatively balanced in terms of offense and defense, with the devils attacking and the 29th Army defending. The devils are unable to advance, but they also do not dare to give up, launching wave after wave of attacks, only to be repeatedly repelled by the officers and soldiers of the Temporary Second Division. Commander Rai Koku noticed that the Chinese defenders were only defensive and did not counterattack, so as long as his troops maintained a certain level of offensive momentum, it would be fine if the defenders at Yaguchi could not see through it. After all, the Chinese army did not dare to counterattack, as long as the Japanese army did not make it too obvious, they would continue to put pressure on Luwenyu, and withdraw some large troops from the battlefield, which should not be a problem.
The battalion commander's idea was good. If the Chinese army really only defended and did not attack, and conscientiously fulfilled its defensive duties, the Japanese army in front of Luowenyu would not have any problems. What Battalion Commander Lai didn't think of or didn't want to think of was that the soldiers who attacked the Japanese artillery position were sent by Liu Ruming, the commander of the Luowenyu garrison. The Japanese artillery fire stopped, what did it mean? How could Liu Ruming not know? Wouldn't he take advantage of the situation to counterattack, wasn't that what an excellent commander should do?
Withdrawing troops from the front line would inevitably have some impact on morale, and after such a long period of fierce fighting, not only the Temporary Second Division but also the Japanese army had suffered heavy casualties. Withdrawing two more battalions immediately disrupted the balance of power between the two sides. The Temporary Second Division launched a counterattack with high morale, and the enemy lines collapsed instantly, their entire front line wavering in less than half an hour.
