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

The sounds of fighting outside the steel mill gradually subsided and eventually fell silent.

The old master Tang Jiaren stood quietly in the shadows of the furnace area, arms crossed, with the twisted corpse of the Koga ninja not far away.

Throughout the entire process, he did not move an inch, and even his breathing was so light that it was almost inaudible.

This was decided from the beginning. Even if the sounds of battle were deafening outside, and even if all the Tang Clan disciples were killed in action, he would not take a single step outside.

His duty was to guard this last line of defense, to protect the lifeline of this steel mill. Any enemy who dared to enter this place would only meet the fate of being killed by him.

Within this relatively enclosed mountain space, his massive number of Dan Shi, no longer constrained by attack range, became a true inescapable net, like deadly sacs, impossible to avoid, and certain death upon contact.

It can be said that no matter how many enemies there are, as long as Tang Jiaren is stationed here, as many as come, they will all die.

The reason why Tang Clan Chief chose to defend against enemies on the periphery was also due to the characteristics of his Dan Shi. Although his Dan Shi was not as numerous as that of the Grand Master, it could attack farther and had a more treacherous trajectory, making it more suitable for intercepting and sniping invading enemies in open areas.

"Ta Tata..."

Footsteps sounded, and the Tang Sect Master walked in: "Senior Brother, it's me!"

The old man glanced up and relaxed, not at all worried that the Tang Sect Master in front of him was a Japanese pirate in disguise. He was most skilled in the Guanyin Bodhisattva's Mind Technique, and with decades of brotherhood, no one could impersonate his junior brother in front of him.

Tang Sect Leader looked at the corpse of the ninja leader on the ground and said, "Senior Brother, only one came in?"

"Yes, a useless piece of trash has arrived. It seems we overestimated the Japanese pirates' resolve," the master said with a smile.

When the steel plant upgrade and relocation were completed, they anticipated that the Japanese pirates might launch a major attack, so they made preparations well in advance.

They even had some of the best members of the Tang Clan conduct several drills.

The plan was to have some Tang Clan masters play the role of Japanese pirates to try and break through the outer blockade and reach the steel mill inside the mountain.

The exercise has been conducted many times, and each time someone manages to break through, sometimes two or three people, sometimes just one. Of course, occasionally the entire force is wiped out and no one gets in, but this is relatively rare, especially when the Tang Clan leader and the Grand Master play the role of Japanese pirates, they can easily break through.

Because of their concern for the Japanese pirates, the Tang Clan believed that even if they were to confront them, there might still be three or four tough guys who could break through the outer defenses and enter the core area if the enemy disregarded the cost.

To ensure everything goes smoothly, these tough challenges should be left to the master to tackle. As for the others, they should all be sent outside to avoid interfering with his performance.

Unexpectedly, after risking their lives to break through layers of interception, only this one person managed to get in, a complete waste of all the importance they placed on him.

"Did the Japanese pirates underestimate us, or did we overestimate them?" the master asked.

"It's hard to say!" Tang Clan Master said. "It could also be a trick by the Japanese pirates, feigning weakness to lull us into a false sense of security and then launching a decisive attack when we've reduced our manpower and lowered our guard. Although this possibility is small, it's not impossible."

“That’s certainly possible. To avoid any mishaps, let’s continue like this for a while longer!” the old man said.

"Yes!" The Tang Clan leader nodded, "We'll have to trouble everyone!"

"Did we suffer any casualties this time?" the old man asked.

"No, just a few minor injuries, nothing serious!" said the Tang Clan leader.

"In any case, the result this time is better than expected," the old man said.

Just then, a dense, rain-like sound of footsteps came from outside.

The magistrate listened for a moment and said, "The footsteps are mixed, but some are orderly. The mixed ones are the Gelaohui (a secret society), while the orderly ones are the Sichuan Army. It should be Liu Mang and Fan Pengju's men who have arrived."

The Tang Sect Master said, "Senior Brother, I'd like to trouble you to continue overseeing things here. I'm going out for a bit."

"Leave this to me!" the master nodded.

Tang Clan leader nodded and then left. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Fan Pengju leading his brothers from the Gelaohui (a secret society) rushing towards him with murderous intent outside the air-raid shelter.

"Damn it! Where are those Japanese devils? Where are they? I'll kill these bastards!" Fan Pengju said menacingly, carrying two Mauser pistols and a large knife on his back.

"Brother Fan, you've come at the perfect time! All the invading Japanese pirates and ninjas have been annihilated. I'll leave it to you to clean up the mess!"

Tang Clan leader pointed behind him.

Fan Pengju followed and saw that in front of him, dozens of corpses were piled up together, forming a small mountain, and blood was everywhere.

Most importantly, these people died in a rather gruesome manner; some of them twisted themselves into pretzels, their faces contorted in pain and their eyes practically bulging out.

Several ninjas, even though they were all dead, were still defecating, their intestines spilling out. Fan Pengju couldn't help but gasp and exclaim in shock:
"Damn it, Tang Clan friends, you guys are really ruthless! You're beating people so badly they're practically spitting shit!"

"........."

The Tang Clan members looked at Xu Xin speechlessly, feeling that this kid had completely disgraced their clan. Of all the Qi Poison techniques, why did he have to practice one that caused diarrhea?

At the same time, they also felt that this kid was insidious. If anyone died at his hands, no one would be able to rest in peace. After all, who could stand it if someone was still defecating after death?!

The Qi poison of the Tang Clan is actually poisonous miasma, just like miasma.

Miasma is not poisonous at first; it only becomes poisonous under the combined influence of the surrounding environment, such as poor air circulation and decaying plants.

The poisonous miasma is not poisonous at first. Whatever poison a cultivator takes, the miasma will become poisonous, just like miasma. When taking poison, the Tang Clan can rely on the protective effect of the Five Treasures to avoid being poisoned. This is the principle of Qi poison.

Previously, they all thought that Xu Xin was playing around when cultivating Qi Poison, and that diarrhea was nothing.
But now, their views have changed. This is downright insidious. Just thinking about accidentally getting poisoned during a fight, and then defecating all the while... the image is simply unbearable to watch.

At this moment, Wang Ai arrived with the Tiantong Church's protection squad, and Liu Mang arrived with a large army.

Wang Ai's gaze swept across the battlefield, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. He then quickly walked to the Tang Clan leader, cupped his hands, and said:
"This time, it was truly thanks to Master Tang and his many experts who were stationed here that the steel mill was able to remain safe! On behalf of the Heavenly Court, I, Wang, express my gratitude!"

He once again marveled at how wise it was that Senior Brother Zhang had made the decision to entrust the Tang Clan with the security of the Tiantong Steel Plant. The Tang Clan leader remained calm: "Bishop Wang is too kind. Protecting the Tiantong Steel Plant is the duty of our Tang Clan."

Surrounded by guards, Liu Mang walked to the pile of corpses. After glancing at the horrific state of the Japanese pirates, he approached the Tang Clan leader and asked with concern:

"What's the situation inside the steel mill? Has it been damaged?"

The Tang Clan leader said, "Everything is stable inside; the Japanese pirates have not been able to cause any damage."

Upon hearing this, Liu Mang breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still seemed uneasy. He suggested taking people inside the steel plant to check and confirm its safety.

Tang Clan Chief shook his head, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "General Liu, everything is fine inside, but you have too many people. Too many people will only make things more complicated. If you insist on going in, you can come in with me alone, but your troops must remain outside."

After a moment's thought, Liu Mang realized that with the Tang Clan leader personally accompanying him, his safety should be assured, so he nodded in agreement.

Under the guidance of the Tang Sect Leader, he quickly inspected the core area of ​​the steel plant and only withdrew after confirming that the key facilities such as the furnace were intact.

Afterwards, the group moved to the office of Tiantong Steel Plant to discuss follow-up strategies.

Wang Ai looked worried: "The steel plant has been targeted by the Japanese pirates. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as being able to guard against a thief for a thousand days. What should we do if the Japanese pirates continue their attacks?"

The Tang Clan leader said in a deep voice, "There is no solution to this matter. Whether they come or not, the initiative is in the hands of the Japanese pirates. We cannot stop them. The only thing we can do is to continuously strengthen our defenses so that they will never return."

Fan Pengju patted his chest and said, "The old folks are right. I'll go back and send more men to keep a close watch on the surrounding area. If we see any suspicious kids, we'll arrest them on the spot!"

The Tang Clan leader said, "Our people can guard against the supernatural beings, but there are too many workers at the Tiantong Steel Plant. If the Japanese pirates want to plant a few people in, it will be very easy. And these ordinary people have limited abilities. As long as they don't have a large amount of explosives, the damage they cause will also be limited. Therefore, we need to strictly investigate the flow of explosives and other dangerous materials."

Liu Mang said, "Leave this matter to me. I will investigate it thoroughly."

……

The group then discussed the details of the joint defense in detail.

After the event, Liu Mang returned to his mansion and ordered a citywide curfew, demanding a thorough investigation of Japanese pirate spies and vowing to eliminate their hidden influence in Chongqing.

At this moment, he learned that the Chairman had left Nanjing to go to Daxing to oversee the war and was about to start another major battle. He felt a headache coming on and exclaimed that the bald man couldn't tell the situation apart.

Therefore, he urgently telegraphed the Chairman again about the attack on the steel mill that day, speaking earnestly and saying that the Japanese pirates were all wolves in sheep's clothing and that there should be no room for complacency. He urged them to prioritize resisting the Japanese pirates and stop the internal strife.

at the same time.

The Chairman had personally arrived in Daxing City, intending to oversee the battle and wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop, thus completing the great cause. He had just arrived when he received a telegram from Liu Mang.

Upon reading the telegram, the Chairman flew into a rage, crumpled it into a ball, and slammed it to the ground. Seemingly still not satisfied, he stomped on it several times, as if he were stepping on Liu Mang's "despicable" face. He then cursed loudly:

"Damn it! Liu Mang, that scoundrel, is nothing but a local brute, a bandit! He's shallow-minded, with the ambitions of a sparrow, how could he possibly know my grand plans?!"

"How can the minor ailment of the Japanese pirates be compared to the major threat to our hearts and minds! To repel external aggression, we must first secure our internal stability; this is an eternal truth! It is a profound and far-sighted strategy for managing the overall situation."

"Damn it, what does he know? He's a short-sighted coward who can only see his own little corner of Chongqing!"

His face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and his words were filled with extreme contempt for Liu Mangnai and an almost obsessive confidence in his own strategic vision. In his view, anyone who did not understand or support him was foolish, short-sighted, or even had ulterior motives.

Enraged, he immediately summoned the young commander and demanded that he carry out the military operation as originally planned.

The young general arrived hastily, and upon hearing the Chairman's words, he not only disregarded them but also echoed Liu Mang's sentiments, vehemently explaining the advantages and disadvantages, and offering his advice:
"Chairman! The nation is now facing a life-or-death crisis. The Japanese invaders are closing in, occupying our Northeast and eyeing our North China. How can we afford to fight among ourselves and destroy our Great Wall?"

"The War of the Eight Princes in the Western Jin Dynasty was a time of infighting among the imperial family, which exhausted the country's resources, left the central government weak, and ultimately led to the invasion of China by the Five Barbarian Tribes. The land was devastated, the people were displaced, and the Central Plains were in turmoil. It was a truly tragic hell on earth. This should serve as a warning and a lesson learned in blood and tears!"

"At this critical juncture of national subjugation and racial extinction, we should unite all forces that can be united, and with the spirit of brothers fighting amongst themselves to unite against the humiliation, let us point our guns at the same enemy and drive out the Japanese invaders first. Even if there are all sorts of internal conflicts, we should discuss them after the barbarians are driven out!"

"This is a blessing for you all and for the nation. If you remain obstinate, how are you any different from a traitor?!"

Xiao Shuai spoke with such passion and intensity, tears streaming down his face, as if he were tearing his heart out. He persuaded him with patriotic fervor and warned him with historical tragedies, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him.

However, the Chairman refused to listen, showing no compassion, and stated bluntly:
"Damn it, you're talking nonsense, utter rubbish! You don't understand politics at all, you're just spouting nonsense and talking complete lies."

"Soldiers must take obedience to orders as their sacred duty, be filial to their families, and be loyal to their country."

"As a soldier, one must know the distance of the enemy and, more importantly, the priorities. The Japanese pirates, who are thousands of miles away, are not a major threat and are not worth mentioning."

"You have no idea who the enemy in front of you is?"

"I think you're possessed!"

After saying this, the Chairman slammed the door and left.

Xiao Shuai sat in the chair, tilting his head back and covering his face. He and the Chairman had become sworn brothers through exchanging sworn brotherhood certificates. If possible, he didn't want to go that far.

But this failed attempt to persuade him shattered his last shred of hope.

Immediately afterwards, Chiang Kai-shek went his own way and pushed forward his war plan in full swing. His central army was also heading towards Daxing City, intending to take over the Northeast Army and start a major war.

Such actions naturally could not be kept secret. When the students in Daxing City learned of this news, a long-suppressed anger towards the authorities for their external compromises and retreats while indulging in internal strife erupted violently like a long-accumulated volcano!

The students were outraged. The Japanese pirates had come to their doorstep, threatening national annihilation and their race's extinction. Why should they fight amongst themselves? What's the point of reading this book?

Students went on strike, took to the streets, held up banners, and marched to petition, demanding that the Chairman heed public opinion, stop the infighting, and unite to resist the Japanese invaders.

When the Chairman saw this, he was furious. His generals, local forces, and even students and civilians were going against his will one after another. What the hell did they take him for?

The Chairman slammed his fist on the table, making a deafening noise. He summoned the young general and ordered him to send troops to suppress the rebellion, declaring, "Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed without mercy!" (End of Chapter)