Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Admiral Takeshita Yujiro, draped in a black cloak, stood like an iron statue atop an open-top command vehicle, his hand resting on the "Dojigiri Yasutsuna" insignia bestowed by the Emperor.

Behind him was a massive army.

Five thousand Marines, all dressed in dark uniforms, wearing helmets and carrying rifles, marched in perfect unison through the streets of Shanghai.

Their military boots clattered on the hard road, creating a loud "click-clack-click-click!" sound, and the entire unit exuded a cold and murderous aura.

In this campaign against Shanghai, the Japanese pirates originally planned to primarily deploy their army, with the navy as a secondary force. The army deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, while the navy, including the troops brought by Takeshita Yujiro, numbered no more than 20,000 at most.

Of these 20,000 men, more than half are technical personnel responsible for operating ships and aircraft, who can only provide air strikes and long-range artillery support and are unable to conduct amphibious operations.

Only about six thousand marines were actually capable of going ashore with bayonets. It can be said that Takeshita Yujiro has practically emptied the navy's coffers in Shanghai this time.

But these 5,000 men were an elite force beyond compare. They had undergone brutal amphibious warfare and urban combat training year-round, and their superior equipment and tactical proficiency far surpassed those of the army, which was often referred to as "idiots."

Their weapons were brand-new Type 38 rifles, each combat squad was equipped with two light machine guns, and the company level had several powerful Type 92 heavy machine guns, as well as grenade launchers, mortars and other indirect fire artillery.

Even more chilling were the steel monsters guarding both sides of the formation—twelve light tanks and seven medium tanks. These vehicles roared, their tracks grinding against the road, and behind them towed dozens of Type 92 infantry guns and Type 41 mountain guns.

Such a luxurious equipment configuration, placed on the battlefield of China at this time, is simply a game-changer, enough to crush the regular Chinese army that outnumbers them several times over.

On a tall building not far away, Japanese Army General Matsumoto held up binoculars and watched this scene with his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Logically speaking, the Marine Corps should not have tanks, the king of land warfare, in its organization. This operation was entirely in the Navy's hands, and he hadn't provided any support whatsoever, not even a single soldier or screw. Where did these tanks come from?

"Where did those damned naval idiots get nineteen tanks from?" Army General Matsumoto's face was extremely grim. He muttered to himself, "The naval idiots can produce tanks, but our army can't even produce warships... This is an utter disgrace! No, the Japanese army can lose to anyone, but it absolutely cannot lose to the naval idiots! We must send a telegram to headquarters later. The navy has tanks, so our army must also have warships!"

In fact, the origin of these tanks is quite complicated. They were not produced in Japan, but were purchased privately by the navy from the British Empire.

Since the last Shanghai incident, the Japanese navy has been stationed here for a long time, inevitably coming into contact with the British army in the concession.

After a while, they started to target the enemy's tanks, spending a lot of money to purchase a batch and planning to dismantle and study them in an attempt to break free from their dependence on army equipment.

As for using tanks developed by their own army? The navy never even considered it. Let alone whether the army would provide them, even if they did, the proud and arrogant navy would absolutely disdain using something made by "idiots."

This inter-service rivalry is even reflected in many details. To prevent the Army from stealing their equipment, the Navy specifically required that the bolt specifications of this batch of equipment be different from those of the Army. Some key parts even had nuts screwed "in reverse," with the main goal of "never interacting with each other."

Even during this operation, Takeshita Yujiro and Hase did not ask Kunimatsumoto for any support.

Five thousand men formed an unstoppable torrent of steel, the sound of military boots pounding the ground, the roar of tanks, and the screech of engines intertwining into a suffocating sonic wave that brazenly crossed the boundary of the concession.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire concession.

The people on the street were the first to react. When they saw the glaring Japanese flags and the dark muzzles of tank cannons, their faces turned pale, and screams of terror rose and fell.

"Japanese devils! Japanese devils have invaded!"

"Run!"

The crowd erupted into chaos, screaming and scattering in all directions. Vendors abandoned their goods, pedestrians frantically scrambled into alleyways, and shop owners scrambled to board up their doors. Panic boiled in the air like a plague.

Faced with the overwhelming tide of regular troops, the red-headed police officers and local police officers of the foreign concession dared not offer the slightest resistance. Their usual arrogance had vanished. In the face of absolute force, the fragile security authority of the foreign concession was like a thin piece of paper, easily torn apart.

Almost simultaneously, a strongly worded "notice" bearing the naval seal was delivered to the desk of the Municipal Council of the International Settlement.

The Director-General of the Municipal Council and his board members looked at the words on the document: "The Imperial Navy will enter the concession... to thoroughly eliminate military targets and their associated facilities... This is an act of self-defense by the Empire... We hope that you will not interfere, otherwise you will bear all the consequences!" Their faces turned ashen.

"Shameless! Barbaric! This is a blatant trampling on the Land Charter and international law! It is a provocation against the majesty of the Empire!" A director roared, trembling with rage, slamming his fist on the table.

However, after the anger subsided, a suffocating silence fell over the meeting room.

They were furious, incredibly furious. But when they turned to look out the window at the arrogant Japanese pirate army rampaging through the streets, all their anger ultimately turned into a deep, helpless sense of powerlessness.

What can they do? They asked themselves.

The enemy's massive army was right there, their tanks roaring. To use the limited security forces of the concession to fight the regular Japanese army? For the sake of a church in China?

That's absolutely impossible! As for asking our own country for help... that's too far to be of any use right now. Besides, the situation in Europe is also very volatile. Who would risk a complete falling out with Japan at this critical juncture just for the sake of saving face in the concession?

"Gentlemen," the Chairman slumped weakly into his chair, his voice hoarse, "we must...face reality. The Japanese army has already entered. Our primary task now is to ensure the safety of the lives and property of our nationals in other areas of the concession, especially our nationals. Immediately notify all nationals to move away from the conflict zone and seek refuge in safe houses or the embassy. The police...must not engage in direct conflict with them, but simply monitor the situation closely and maintain...order in other areas."

This was practically tacit approval and a retreat. Every director understood this, but no one raised any objections.

Faced with overwhelming force, so-called dignity and legal principles are nothing more than worthless fig leaves. They could only endure this humiliation, watching helplessly as the iron hooves of the Japanese invaders trampled into their territory, and praying in their hearts that this storm would not spread too widely.

At the same time, they were also secretly cursing the barbarity of the Japanese pirates and the troublemaking Tiantong Church. Meanwhile, the believers in the Tiantong Diocese reacted even more directly and tragically upon learning this news.

Some of the more patriotic believers were furious, shouting that they would fight the Japanese invaders to the death and defend their homeland.

But for most people, fear is the root of all evil.

Faced with a life-or-death crisis, some believers fled the parish in a panic, trying to get away from this place of death that was about to become a battlefield.

However, as soon as they stepped out of the parish, they were met with a merciless attack from a small group of Japanese pirates who had been lying in ambush all around them.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

Gunshots rang out, blood splattered, and many people died on the spot.

Since the Japanese pirates intended to massacre the Tiantong diocese and build a mound of corpses, they naturally wouldn't let people leave so easily. What they wanted was to wipe them out completely!
After paying a heavy price, those believers who had fled the parish could only cry and shout as they retreated back to the parish, and panic spread and intensified among the crowd.

At the same time, Shenzhou's top management also received the news.

Upon learning of this, the Chairman slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Good!"
"Good! Excellent! They're courting death!"

This move by the Japanese pirates is undoubtedly a slap in the face to the major Western powers! They were initially betting on whether the Western powers would intervene to mediate, but now it seems there's no need to gamble anymore! To protect their interests and face in the Far East, the Western powers will definitely intervene!
"However... why would the Japanese pirates, at this critical juncture, defy the world and force their way into the concession to attack a church? What is the strategic significance of this?" a staff officer asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps it's for revenge," another staff officer analyzed. "To support the battlefield, the Tiantong Church in various places donated a large amount of supplies, which are now stockpiled in the Tiantong Diocese. It's even a stronghold for many self-organized anti-Japanese civilian forces. Yesterday, it was those civilian forces that destroyed one of the Japanese pirates' flagships. Perhaps they're just desperate and have acted out of embarrassment."

“Not necessarily.” Someone shook their head. “I think their target is that Little Celestial Master. As everyone knows, the Little Celestial Master has caused huge losses to the Japanese pirates and is a thorn in their side. This time, they probably want to use this incident to force the Little Celestial Master to take action and then get rid of him once and for all.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked: "What? So many people have been mobilized, even at the risk of offending the great powers, just to besiege one person?!"

"What's so surprising about that? Didn't the Japanese pirates do it once before? This time is probably no different. The only difference... is that this time they are better prepared and more determined."

"So do you think the Little Celestial Master will appear? Or will he just stand by and watch the Tiantong Diocese be destroyed?" someone asked.

"Given that person's personality, they probably won't just sit idly by," another person said.

"How do you know? Have you had any contact with him?" someone asked the person who had spoken earlier.

“I encountered him once.” The man recalled the past, a hint of awe on his face. “It was many years ago. I was invited to attend the Tiantai sect’s Water and Land Dharma Assembly. At the crucial moment, that little Celestial Master rode a lion with nine heads and suddenly descended from the sky, shattering the assembly’s tower with one foot! His domineering presence and imposing aura terrified me so much that I didn’t dare utter a single word. Someone like him would hardly back down in the face of Japanese pirates.”

"But I still think that entering the concession and risking war with the major Western powers just for a minor Taoist priest seems like making a mountain out of a molehill, doesn't it?"

"We underestimated the determination of the Japanese pirates' high command, and we also underestimated the importance of that little Taoist master."

……

……

Not only these parties, but even the Jianghu Inn knew about this news. When the news reached Liu Wei, the owner of the inn, he was also shocked. Last time, when the Little Celestial Master destroyed the Allied Fleet in Shanghai, many guests at the inn were still talking about it with great interest. Now, an even bigger storm was coming.

"Old Li, do you think the Little Celestial Master can win this time?" Liu Wei, who was drunk and carrying a wine gourd, asked an old man next to him who was wiping his long sword.

"Shopkeeper, as far as I know, the Little Celestial Master should still be at Longhu Mountain. He hasn't appeared in Shanghai at all!" the old man said without looking up.

"He will definitely go, definitely!" Liu Wei said with certainty, a glint in his eyes. As he spoke, he couldn't help but recall the scene in Bincheng more than a decade ago. Back then, that young man dared to single-handedly storm the Japanese pirates' headquarters; let alone him now.

However, upon closer reflection, the current situation is quite different from that time. Back then, the Japanese pirates were on the defensive, while the young Taoist priest was on the offensive.

Now, the young Taoist priest has become the defender, while the Japanese pirates have become the attacker.

He had no doubt about Zhang Zhiwei's abilities; his concern lay with the believers and clergy in the Tiantong Diocese. These unarmed ordinary people were the Little Celestial Master's Achilles' heel. Without their restraint, he felt the Little Celestial Master would handle the Japanese pirates with ease.

Meanwhile, the Japanese pirate army was closing in step by step. They looked imposing and ready to fight, but in reality, many of the marines in this unit were not at peace.

Nearly half of this marine corps consisted of loyal elites brought from the mainland by Takeshita Yujiro, including a large number of Aikido practitioners. These men were naturally filled with murderous intent and fearless, simply waiting to unleash their fury.

But there was another group: naval soldiers stationed in Shanghai. These people weren't as calm as one might imagine.

Those of them who were based in Shanghai naturally knew about the deeds of the Tian Tong Sect Leader, and also knew that he had single-handedly destroyed the Combined Fleet and killed a large number of Marines.

Faced with such a godlike being, even if they are brainwashed tools of war, they will still feel an instinctive fear deep in their hearts.

As the army drew closer to the Tiantong Diocese, the towering church spire became increasingly clear in their view, and the growing unease among the troops intensified. (End of Chapter)