Chapter 33: Toxic Gas

  On the position of the 29th Army at Mengzi Ridge, guns and knives were scattered inside and outside the trenches and bunkers. The incomplete bodies lay on the open space in front of the position, some with their arms stretched out forward, some leaning against rocks with their legs curled up, and others lying on their backs with their eyes staring angrily upwards...

  Thousands of corpses were concentrated together, and the scene was so shocking that people who had never experienced it before would be speechless for half a day at just one glance.

  But now for the people on the battlefield, they are already used to this kind of scene. Some new recruits originally saw blood and human organs flying everywhere and would squat on the ground with a big mouthful of dry heaves, but after this period of training, even if they personally dissected the enemy's body, their eyebrows wouldn't frown at all.

  That's the cruelty of war, when the smoke fills the sky, a person's ordinary heart begins to twist, becoming increasingly cold-blooded, harder and more unfeeling.

  Some people say this is the sorrow of soldiers!

  But it is precisely this so-called sadness of soldiers that has brought peaceful life to more people, brought happiness and warmth to families, and brought the opportunity to treat everything with an ordinary heart.

  This sorrow is great, though cruel, yet it is worthy of people's reverence!

  This is also where the greatness of soldiers lies!

  But how many people can understand the helplessness in a soldier's heart?

  ……

  Qin Yang struggled out of the pile of earth, his head poking out as he took big gulps of air that was filled with the smell of gunpowder but could still sustain life.

  Just now when the Japanese army was bombarding, he and several soldiers were buried under the mud and debris blown up by shells in the trenches. If he had been stunned for a little longer, he would have slept forever under this muddy soil soaked with blood and shrapnel.

  Thinking of this, Qin Yang secretly congratulated himself on his unusually good luck.

  On the ground, people began to emerge one after another from the mud, shaking off the dirt on their heads while looking around to see how many others had managed to survive the hellish ordeal.

  When shells rained down from the sky like a storm, when black dominated people's vision, no one's heart was not trembling. To say that you are not afraid of death is to deceive people.

  If one could live on, no one would wish to die, even if it were as a hero!

  The warriors were walking with difficulty on the position that had been plowed into soft earth by shells, while searching for their surviving comrades in the mud.

  Although some warriors were buried under the mud, most of them were only stunned by the huge air waves and shockwaves caused by the shells, so if they were rescued in time, there was still hope for survival.

  Qin Yang also joined their ranks, threading his way through the rubble, shrapnel and sandbags, carefully searching in the position where He Jiguo had been earlier, and finally found He Jiguo, who was unconscious but still breathing under several sandbags.

  He Qibang closed his eyes, a sandbag pressed against his chest, and his legs were buried in the mud up to his knees. There was a wound on his left wrist, with fresh blood still dripping down, apparently caused by shrapnel earlier.

  He reached out his hand and pressed the carotid artery on He Jibei's neck, Qin Yang let out a sigh of relief. He was just stunned and unconscious, as long as he was called awake, there would be no big deal.

  "Old He, wake up, dinner is ready, we have braised pork today!"

  Perhaps it was this cruel battlefield that changed Qin Yang's personality a lot, and the always serious him actually started to make jokes.

  "Leave two pieces for me!" He Jikun's lips moved twice, his tongue licked the dry and cracked lips, and his tightly closed eyes slowly opened. In a daze, he looked around: "Where is it? Where is it? Where is the braised pork?"

  Qin Yang couldn't help it anymore, covering his stomach and squatting on the ground, laughing wildly.

  As the cold wind blew, He Jikun's originally dull head cleared up a bit. When he saw the surrounding positions and Qin Yang's sly expression, He Jikun also laughed: "You scoundrel, haha, you still dare to tease me!"

  "But I really miss the braised pork, thinking of the old squad leader in charge of cooking at the 2nd battalion, who played a great erhu and cooked delicious braised pork. The taste was just amazing!"

  Looking at He Jikun's mouth watering, Qin Yang felt a sour heart. For these simple men, being able to eat a braised pork dinner was enough to be content. Their demands were so simple. And for those living in happy lives, how many of them cherished the life that was taken for granted but exchanged with blood and life by their predecessors?

  People always tend to forget some things that should be important to them!

  According to the previous rule, after each bombardment, the Japanese army would start another attack, which had almost become a rule. So Qin Yang and He Jiwen found Wang Changhai, who was organizing people to repair the position and clean up the battlefield.

  Wang Changhai was also one of the lucky survivors, although a shell had burned a hole as big as half a foot in diameter in his cotton military uniform on his back, but his life was preserved.

  "Qin Yang, you've arrived?" Wang Changhai was working with a soldier to put back a sandbag that had been blown away onto the bunker. Seeing Qin Yang and his group arrive, he handed the sandbag over to another soldier and walked over.

  "Chang Hai, how is it? How many more people are there?" He Jikun asked.

  A bitter smile flashed across his face, and Wang Changhai raised his hand to point around: "You see, that's all there is!"

  He Jiguang looked around.

  In sight, dozens of warriors stood sparsely, all over the body was tattered and worn out, similar to beggars, more than half of them held big knives with rolled blades in their hands, a few held rifles captured from the devils, even the cooks grabbed the kitchen knife and horse spoon they used to cook.

  At a glance, the whole team looks more like a fleeing crowd than a troop, but there is no fear and retreat in people's eyes, only hatred for the enemy and firm belief.

  This is an army whose will cannot be destroyed, and this is an army that makes the enemy tremble with fear.

  "Brothers, well done!" He Jiying shouted loudly, raising the big knife in his hand: "Kill the devils!"

  "Kill the devils!"

  The warriors also raised their big knives.

  A forest of swords stood upright on the battlefield.

  Qin Yang stood by, his hot blood seemingly ignited by them as well! Just then, a clear and crisp shout came from behind him.

  "Brother Qin!"

  The voice sounded very familiar, Qin Yang knew who it was as soon as he heard it, and he also knew that his troubles had arrived. He slowly turned around, and before he could see the person's face clearly, she had already thrown herself into his arms.

  "Didn't I tell you to return to the command center with the special forces team? How are you still here?" Feeling the warmth of her body in his arms, Qin Yang let out a sigh. He knew that Dai'er wouldn't easily leave, and indeed, he had expected as much.

  Dai'er snuggled into Qin Yang's arms, listening to his clear heartbeat, and whispered: "I won't go back, from now on wherever you are, I'll be there too, even if it's hell, I'll follow you!"

  "Dai'er, why must you be like this? It's useless!" Qin Yang persuaded: "Listen, return to the command center immediately, there's no point in you staying here!"

  Dai'er raised her head, looking up at Qin Yang with a stubborn expression: "I won't go back, I want to be with you!"

  All along, for Dai'er, she could feel that Qin Yang was different from her and other girls, tolerant to the point of doting. So she could act willfully and be capricious without worrying about Qin Yang getting angry.

  For this stubborn girl, Qin Yang was also helpless. His tolerance for her, except for the incident that night at the base's spring water edge, made him feel a little guilty. Mainly because Dai'er gave him a feeling similar to another person, a girl who was as important to him as his own life. For this reason, Qin Yang always tolerated and protected Dai'er, perhaps to make up for his debt in his previous life.

  "You stay here, I'll be distracted from the fight, and you should trust Qin's ability, I'll be fine, I can come back to find you soon. Listen, little girl, go back to the command center and wait for me!"

  Dai'er pushed Qin Yang away, took two steps back, and shook her head continuously: "You're deceiving people, you won't come back again, I just want to be with you, no one can drive me away!"

  Looking at the stubborn Dai'er, Qin Yang couldn't think of a solution either.

  "Dai'er, why don't you go to the infirmary... lie down!" He Jikun saw that the atmosphere was a bit awkward and came over to ease it, but before he could finish speaking, he heard the whistling sound of artillery shells flying through the sky.

  Qin Yang was even quicker than his reaction, he pulled Dai'er into his arms and fell to the ground.

  *gulp*

  *gulp*

  The shells landed accurately on the position of the 29th Army, but instead of the intense explosion that people expected, there was a sound like a balloon being pricked.

  Qin Yang suddenly looked up and saw a pale yellow smoke rising rapidly on the battlefield. He seemed to be electrocuted, shouting loudly: "It's toxic gas! Everyone quickly use towels to wet their mouths and noses, and close their eyes at the same time!"

  A warrior shouted: "Where is water now?"

  Qin Yang woke up and said, "We didn't even have water to drink on the battlefield, let alone a damp towel." However, he soon thought of a solution: "Everyone quickly pee on the towels!"

  At this moment, people lowered their heads and untied their pants, and the ground was in a mess.

  Qin Yang shouted and then lowered his head to see Dai'er still lying there motionless. He hastily asked, "Why are you still stunned?"

  Dai'er's face turned red and she didn't say anything.

  Qin Yang only then remembered that Dai'er was a girl and his face turned bright red, he turned around and unzipped his pants.

  Dai'er closed her eyes, her heart racing non-stop, her face burning like it was on fire.

  ……

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