Chapter 27: A Clash of Titans! So, you’ve decided to play king of the mountain, have you?

The Japanese officer sitting in the truck had sharp ears; hearing the sound of mortars being fired, he felt a sudden sense of dread.

"Mortar attack!"

But it was already too late. The shells were already raining down.

"Boom, boom, boom... rumble..."

An artillery squad had set up three mortars, and a rapid-fire salvo meant nine shells in quick succession. They landed almost simultaneously. One of the moving trucks was flipped directly over, and the shrapnel and shockwaves from the explosions left the enemy in the immediate vicinity either dead or wounded. Such was the devastating power of the shells. In just a few moments, a large number of enemies had been wiped out.

Once the artillery opened fire, the soldiers of the Second Battalion, who had been lying in ambush, launched their assault. Light and heavy machine guns opened up.

"Rat-tat-tat... rat-tat... rat-tat-tat..."

"Thump-thump... thump-thump-thump..."

The interlaced fire from the bullets wove a deadly net. The enemies who couldn't find cover were struck down, bleeding profusely, their fates uncertain. At the same time, the infantry pressed forward, their rifles spitting bullets, reaping the lives of the dazed Japanese soldiers and puppet troops.

The entire battle became a one-sided slaughter. The soldiers who had originally been retreating decisively launched a counter-offensive.

"Comrades, the time for revenge has come! Follow me and attack!"

"Charge!"

The soldiers followed closely, launching an assault on the panicked enemy. The cries of battle shook the heavens!

In the distance, Yang Zhihua personally operated a mortar, bombarding the enemy's machine gun positions. A Japanese machine gun nest was obliterated. The attacking soldiers of the Second Battalion, seeing this, were overjoyed and shouted excitedly, "Great shot!"

"Well done, mortar platoon!"

"Comrades, charge!"

At this moment, everyone realized the benefit of artillery support! It was exhilarating!

The enemy's key fire points were destroyed one by one. Having lost their machine gun support, the Japanese could not withstand the Second Battalion's offensive. Facing the assault of two companies, the meager force of Japanese and puppet soldiers couldn't hold their ground; far from providing reinforcements, they were struggling just to survive.

Their commander was blown to pieces by a shell, and the other Japanese soldiers were either dead or wounded. Seeing this, Li Dafu decisively chose to flee. The other puppet soldiers followed suit, abandoning the Japanese to their fate. Some even turned their weapons on the Japanese; after all, the Japanese had never treated them as human beings, and they would not pass up the chance for revenge. Furthermore, the Japanese had been shouting orders for them to stay and hold the line—that was nothing short of a death wish.

The battle ended in less than 20 minutes. Almost all the Japanese soldiers were annihilated, and the remaining puppet troops fled. Shen Quan did not pursue them. The objective of stopping the enemy had been achieved, and there was no need to suffer further casualties. Besides, the most important thing now was to withdraw safely.

...

Elsewhere, in Xijing Town.

As the soldiers quickly cleared the battlefield and confiscated the enemy's supplies, all of the enemy's materials were secured. To win over the hearts of the people, Li Yunlong ordered Zhang Dabiao to take a portion of the food and money to distribute to the villagers affected by the fighting. Although it wasn't much, it ensured that the villagers would not hold animosity toward the New First Regiment. This was beneficial for the development of the troops.

Even though the damage was caused by fighting the Japanese, without some gesture of consolation, the common people would inevitably harbor some resentment. After Li Yunlong’s efforts in propaganda and reassurance, the grievances in the people's hearts gradually dissipated. With his charismatic personality, Li Yunlong even managed to win their support, leading the people to accept and embrace our army. Some of the more enlightened villagers even refused the money, asking only for a little grain. Others chose to join the New First Regiment, becoming soldiers themselves. This earned the New First Regiment the support of many in Xijing Town.

Just as Li Yunlong was busy with these matters, under the instructions of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Captain Chen finally made contact with the soldiers of the New First Regiment. However, most of the New First Regiment consisted of new recruits, so they did not recognize the Deputy Chief of Staff and his party. Fortunately, after negotiations, and on the basis that they were all part of the Eighth Route Army, the soldiers called for their commander.

"I am Li Erniu, leader of the Seventh Platoon, Third Company, First Battalion of the New First Regiment. Which unit are you from?"

Captain Chen returned a military salute and said, "I am Chen Tiansheng, captain of the Xie'er River Militia. The Chief wants to see your regimental commander."

Li Erniu was slightly taken aback and replied, "Our commander is busy right now, he doesn't have time! I don't know who this 'Chief' is, but I can send someone to report to the commander. As for whether he has time, I cannot say. Perhaps the Chief would like to come with us?"

Chen Tiansheng frowned slightly and said, "I cannot make that decision. I will send someone back to ask."

He immediately sent a militiaman back to deliver the message.

On another hilltop, the militiaman arrived and reported what he had learned.

The New First Regiment?

Hearing this, the Deputy Chief of Staff was stunned. He did not expect such a coincidence—to encounter the New First Regiment here. The regiment had been formed less than two months ago; how could it already possess such strength? This truly shocked the Deputy Chief of Staff. After all, judging by the firepower they had used in the attack just now, the New First Regiment's equipment was not weak.

Li Yunlong, indeed! He certainly had a way of leading troops into battle!

"Ha, ha, ha... what a misunderstanding, we didn't recognize our own people... Let's go, let us go and see Li Yunlong."

Hearing this, the other militia members finally understood the situation and followed along.

...

On the other side, after finishing his business in Xijing Town, Li Yunlong moved out of the town. At that moment, a soldier sent by Li Erniu arrived before him. "Report, Commander! Captain Chen Tiansheng of the Xie'er River Militia says a Chief wants to see you."

A Chief wants to see me?

Li Yunlong was slightly surprised and puzzled. "Did he say which Chief?"

"No, he said you would know once you saw him."

After pondering for a moment, Li Yunlong nodded. He ordered Zhang Dabiao to lead the troops in their withdrawal and followed the soldier.

"I don't know anyone in the Xie'er River Militia, and they're being so mysterious about who wants to see me—who's acting so high and mighty?" This piqued Li Yunlong's interest.

"Let's go. I want to see which 'Chief' is looking for me."

...

On a hillside outside Xijing Town, the Deputy Chief of Staff, under the cover of the militia, arrived and finally made contact with Li Erniu. Through the Deputy Chief of Staff's introduction, Li Erniu finally realized who the Chief was. He had not expected to meet a Chief from the General Headquarters here. Though he had never seen the Deputy Chief of Staff before, he remained somewhat skeptical, yet he treated the matter with increased importance. He sent word to Li Yunlong again.

However, before the messenger could leave, Li Yunlong appeared in the distance. Following the soldier's direction, Li Yunlong looked over and was stunned to see who was in the group. The Chief the militia captain mentioned was actually the Deputy Chief of Staff.

But why was the Deputy Chief of Staff here?

Li Yunlong quickly walked up to the Deputy Chief of Staff and said, "Chief, I didn't expect it to be you. I won't salute you on the battlefield, but why are you here?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff patted Li Yunlong on the shoulder and laughed. "It really is you, kid. I didn't expect to run into you here either. I haven't heard from you in a while, and here you are, playing the king of the mountain!"