Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 227 Abundant Seizures
At 5:50 a.m., the sky over northern Xinjiang was just beginning to lighten.

The soldiers of the reconnaissance company, their feet glistening with morning dew, had already assembled at the foot of the cliff after heading north.

The rocks on the cliff were still covered with the frost of the night, and their rough surfaces scratched the palms painfully, but no one made a sound.

Only the occasional "thud" of an ice axe embedding itself in the rock was particularly clear in the silent valley.

Beishan is a place famously known as "a place where one man can hold off ten thousand".

The entire mountain looks as if it was vertically cleaved by God. There is only a narrow path less than two meters wide on the front, and the sides of the path are either steep cliffs.

It was either a bottomless ravine, so deep that even a single person had to inch along the cliff face, let alone an army charge.

The bandits of Black Wind Stronghold had been arrogant for almost ten years, taking advantage of this terrain.

Previously, when the puppet troops came to suppress them, they were blocked on the small road and driven back three times. Their bodies rolled down the ditch. In the end, even the puppet army commander dared not mention the words "bandit suppression" anymore.

Later, the Japanese Kwantung Army came and bombarded the area with mortars for a long time, but the bandits had already prepared rope ladders on the back mountain.

If they couldn't win a fight, they would slide down the rope ladder into the dense forest behind the mountain, and then crawl back in after the Japanese soldiers withdrew.

What made the Japanese "too lazy to care" was that Black Wind Stronghold was not a large place, with only about two hundred people. When they looted supplies, they only dared to target the surrounding villages and the puppet army's transport teams, and never dared to touch the main supply lines of the Kwantung Army.

Even if they occasionally robbed Japanese merchants of their goods, the Kwantung Army felt that "it was not worth sending a large force."

In their eyes, these bandits were nothing more than "grasshoppers in the mountains," incapable of causing any real trouble.

And so, Black Wind Village survived year after year under the noses of the Japanese and puppet troops, relying on its "easy to defend and difficult to attack" and "not posing a threat".

But today, the grasshopper's good days are over.

The reconnaissance unit quickly uncovered the secrets of Black Wind Stronghold:

Although the narrow path in front is dangerous, it is the bandits' "Achilles' heel".

They piled most of their sentry posts and firepower there.

Although the cliffs behind the mountain were steep, they were a "blind spot" for the bandits.

They always felt that no one dared to climb up this almost vertical cliff, so they didn't even set up a mobile checkpoint.

More importantly, Black Wind Stronghold suffered heavy losses yesterday, with more than thirty people killed.

The village is definitely in chaos right now. They seem very vigilant, but in reality, they are "all bark and no bite."

“If we charge straight at them, even if we manage to take the village, we’ll lose at least half a platoon, and we’ll also have to worry about the bandits using hostages as shields.”

Before setting off, the company commander squatted on the ground and drew a map with mud, explaining the plan to each platoon leader.

"We're going to climb the cliff on the back mountain to catch them off guard. They'll never expect that we'd dare to take this 'dead end'."

At this moment, the first soldier had already climbed to the top of the cliff.

He was a well-known "rock climbing expert" in the reconnaissance company. Back when he was suppressing bandits in the Taihang Mountains, he once climbed a cliff more than 30 meters high with his bare hands.

He lay prone in the grass by the cliff, squinting as he scanned the area.

The area behind the stockade wall was deserted, with only a few wild birds fluttering their wings and flying by; there wasn't even a bandit on lookout duty.

He immediately took out a rope from his backpack, tied one end firmly to the old pine tree next to him, and lowered the other end down the cliff face. He also tied a few knots on the rope to make it easier to climb.

The soldiers below were already poised to attack. Every soldier in the reconnaissance company wore mountaineering gloves, had grenades tucked into their waistbands, and carried a rifle on their backs.

The special operations team soldiers were armed with submachine guns. Their mission was to capture the hostages first and find out where they were being held.

No one spoke, only the sound of hands and feet gripping the ropes and scraping against each other. One by one, figures climbed up the ropes, like a group of agile lynxes, silently landing on the cliff top.

On the front of the North Mountain, the sharpshooter platoon had already chosen their concealed positions.

They lay prone in the bushes on either side of the path, their rifle scopes aimed at the path leading downhill from the mountain stronghold.

That was the only passage for the bandits to get down the mountain.

Each sharpshooter had a spare magazine beside them, their finger on the trigger, their eyes fixed on the scope, and they even breathed very softly.

"First row, detour to the left, circle around to the west side of the stockade wall, and wait for the signal before making a move;"
Second platoon, launch a feint attack from the right flank to draw the bandits' attention; don't actually charge in.
The three rows broke through from the middle and went straight into the courtyard of the village;
"Special operations team, follow me. Let's find a 'tongue' (traitor) and ask them what's going on."

On the open ground at the top of the cliff, the company commander lowered his voice and used sign language to give orders.

The soldiers nodded immediately and each headed off in the designated direction.

They were all elite soldiers who had fought their way up from the battlefield. Even in an unfamiliar mountain village, they could move as lightly as cats, as if they were on their own training ground.

The village was quiet.

The bandits fought all day yesterday and suffered considerable losses. They drank a lot of alcohol to numb themselves, and most of them are still fast asleep in bed. Only a few sentries guarding the gate are dozing off against the gateposts.

The special operations team soldiers followed the wall and soon spotted a bandit pulling up his pants as he came out of the house.

Judging from the look of it, it's going to the toilet in the corner of the yard.

"Do it!"

The squad leader gave a low shout, and two soldiers immediately pounced on him. One covered the bandit's mouth, and the other twisted his arm and pressed him against the wall.

Just as the bandit tried to struggle, the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against the back of his head.

"Don't shout! Answer my questions, or I'll kill you right now!"

The squad leader's voice was like ice shards, and the bandit trembled with fear, nodding hastily.

"Where are the people being held? Where are the strongholds in the village?"

The squad leader asked.

The bandit pointed tremblingly to the two mud houses at the very back of the village:
"The people...the people are locked in the two darkest rooms at the very back, and there are two brothers watching over them."

The firing positions are all at the main gate, there are no firing positions at the back mountain...

Having ascertained the situation, the special operations team immediately signaled to the company commander.

With a wave of his hand, the company commander ordered the soldiers of the third platoon to rush toward the large courtyard in the middle of the village.

"Da da da!"

Gunshots suddenly rang out, shattering the tranquility of the mountain stronghold like a thunderclap.

Gunfire is the signal for an attack.

The soldiers in the second platoon fired on the right flank and threw a few grenades at the stockade wall, pretending to attack from the front.
The soldiers took the opportunity to climb over the western wall of the stockade and circle around to the back of the bandits.

The bandits in the village were awakened by the gunfire, and they ran out of their houses shirtless, still clutching guns.

But as soon as he ran into the courtyard, he saw that the soldiers of the third platoon had already rushed in.

"Quick! Grab your guns!"

A bandit leader roared, but before he could finish speaking, several grenades were thrown into the house.

"Oh no! There's a thunderbolt!"

The bandits were terrified and tried to hide inside the house, but it was too late.

"Boom! Boom!"

The grenade exploded inside the house, sending wood chips and dust flying everywhere, and screams of agony echoed from within.

The soldiers rushed in immediately and found that the bandits inside were either lying motionless on the ground or clutching their wounds and howling in pain, their guns long since fallen to the ground.

"Don't finish them off! Leave a few alive, we'll take them to the village for a public trial later!"

A squad leader saw a soldier raise his gun to shoot and immediately stopped him.

The soldier paused for a moment, then lowered his gun.

He understood that these bandits had the blood of ordinary people on their hands, and letting the people judge them would be more satisfying than simply executing them.

This would also make the people more convinced that the Eighth Route Army was truly standing up for them.

Several soldiers stayed behind and dislocated the wounded bandit's arm.

Fearing they might try something funny, they tied them up tightly with rope.

The special operations team continued their charge toward the inner courtyard, where the hostages were being held.

The special operations team had arrived at the door of the earthen house where the hostages were being held.

The two bandits guarding the courtyard were pointing their guns at each other, completely unaware that someone was behind them.

"Bang! Bang!" Two gunshots rang out, and two bandits fell to the ground.

The special operations team soldiers used silenced pistols, and the sound of the gunshots was so light that it was like clapping hands twice.

The soldiers kicked open the door, and the scene inside made their hearts clench:
More than 30 people were crammed into the dimly lit room, including elderly people, women, and several children.

Their clothes were tattered, their faces were covered in dirt and fear. When they saw someone break down the door, they all huddled in a corner, and some of the children couldn't help but cry out.

"Fellow villagers, don't be afraid! We are the Eighth Route Army, here to suppress bandits and rescue you!"

The special operations team leader quickly spoke, his voice very gentle. He knew these men must have suffered a lot in the bandit's den, and their biggest fear now was encountering bad guys again.

Upon hearing the words "Eighth Route Army," the person in the corner paused for a moment.

An elderly man with gray hair slowly raised his head, his eyes full of doubt: "The Eighth Route Army?"

"Yes! Look, this is our arm patch."

The squad leader rolled up his sleeves, revealing the Eighth Route Army insignia on his arm.

The old man stared at the armband for a long time, then suddenly burst into tears.

"Wait here for a while. After we've wiped out the rest of the bandits, we'll take you home."

The squad leader continued.

The word "going home" is like a warm current flowing into everyone's heart.

A young woman held her child, her lips trembling, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

She had been kidnapped by bandits for almost three months, and every day she thought about her husband back home, thinking she would never be able to go back.

A few young people, whose eyes had been numb, finally had a glimmer of light.

The soldiers of the special operations team were burning with rage as they looked at the scene before them.

Some soldiers clenched their fists so tightly they cracked, and some had bloodshot eyes.

They had witnessed the cruelty of the Japanese invaders, but these bandits were even more hateful. They specifically targeted ordinary people, robbing grain, kidnapping people, and committing all sorts of atrocities.

"These damned bandits must be killed to appease public anger!"

The team leader said through gritted teeth.

"Leave ten men here to protect the villagers. The rest of you come with me to support other units!"

At this point, the battle in the village was coming to an end.

The soldiers swept away the remaining bandits like autumn leaves in the wind.

The bandits who put up a stubborn resistance were riddled with bullets the moment they raised their guns;
The bandits who tried to escape were blocked by a line of soldiers as soon as they reached the courtyard gate.

"Stop fighting! We surrender!"

The bandits could no longer hold on, so they threw down their guns, knelt on the ground with a thud, and buried their heads low.

They originally thought that, given the terrain of the mountain stronghold, they could escape even if they couldn't win a fight.

Unexpectedly, the Eighth Route Army climbed up from the back of the mountain and blocked their retreat.

Some of the bandits took advantage of the chaos and ran towards the small road in front.

They wanted to go down the mountain from there and escape into the dense forest behind it.

But just as they reached the intersection of the alley, they heard several gunshots, "Bang! Bang!" and the two bandits in the lead fell to the ground.

"There are people lying in ambush here too!"

The bandits behind them were terrified and turned to run back, but the Eighth Route Army had already caught up with them.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, these bandits lost all courage to resist, threw down their guns, and knelt on the ground to surrender.

This also includes several leaders of Black Wind Stronghold.

They live a life of luxury and have long lost the fearless spirit they once had.

Faced with the soldiers' guns, all he wanted was to save his life first, and then find a way to escape.

The battle ended at 6:10 a.m. From the moment the soldiers climbed to the top of the cliff to the complete elimination of the remaining bandits, only twenty minutes had passed.

"Report to the company commander! The Black Wind Stronghold bandits totaled 237 people. Thirty-three died in the previous fighting, and 127 were wiped out this time. The remaining 70 were all captured!"

A total of 143 hostages were rescued, including 26 elderly people, 58 women, 19 children, and 40 young adults.

A soldier ran over to report, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The company commander nodded, and was about to speak when another soldier ran over:
"Company Commander! We've found the bandits' warehouse. It contains a large amount of grain, estimated at 110 tons!"

We also arrested the 'grain manager,' who confessed that the grain had been stolen by bandits from surrounding villages and that they planned to sell it to Japanese merchants in exchange for weapons!

One hundred and ten tons is the annual food ration for four hundred people.

"What? One hundred and ten tons?" The company commander was shocked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Are these bandits rats? How come they've hoarded so much grain?!"

Back when the Independent Detachment was still the Second Independent Regiment, when they attacked the Japanese warehouse in Shouyang, they only captured 100 tons of rice, 50 tons of flour, and 50 tons of canned goods, totaling only 200 tons.

Black Wind Stronghold only has about two hundred people, yet it has stored 110 tons of grain. How many people's food must they have stolen!

"And weapons and valuables!"

Another soldier in charge of tallying the spoils added.
"In terms of weaponry, there are 76 Hanyang rifles, 13 Mauser pistols, 3 light machine guns, and one civilian 24mm heavy machine gun, as well as some bullets and explosives."

Regarding valuables, there were thirteen catties of gold, over four thousand silver dollars, and some Japanese yen and counterfeit currency.

"A Type 24 heavy machine gun?"

The company commander felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He immediately recalled that yesterday, bandits had ambushed the medical unit, killing two soldiers and wounding four others.

Fortunately, the bandits didn't pull out the heavy machine gun at the time, otherwise, given the firepower of the heavy machine gun...

The medical teams simply couldn't hold out, and the number of casualties was probably more than just two.

"Immediately arrange for men to transport all the captured supplies and captured bandits to the advance team's temporary camp, where the captain will handle them."

"After rescuing the hostages, first find a clean place, cook some porridge for them, let them take a bath, and change into clean clothes. Don't let the people suffer any more injustice."

The company commander composed himself and immediately issued the order.

The soldiers responded in unison and turned to get busy.

The news quickly reached the advance team's temporary base.

Liu Tengjie received the news and slapped his thigh in delight:
"Good! Well done! Zero casualties, one minor injury, complete annihilation of Black Wind Stronghold."

"We rescued over a hundred civilians and seized so many supplies. This first battle was a resounding success!"

He immediately called the political commissar over, and the two discussed how to handle the situation.

“We can’t just kill the captured bandits like this.”

"That's what the political commissar said."

“We’ll take them to the surrounding villages and let the people put them on trial. The people have their own scales of justice; they know best who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.”

"This will not only vent the anger of the people, but also let them know that our Eighth Route Army is truly standing up for them and can help them avenge their grievances."

Liu Tengjie nodded in agreement:
"That's right, there's still grain. We'll keep some for the army and distribute the rest to the people."

"According to the intelligence gathered by Comrade Lin Xiu of the medical team, the surrounding villages were being exploited by bandits and Japanese puppet troops, and the people were almost out of food."

"This grain will help them get through this difficult time, and they will be able to recover by the time the autumn harvest comes."

"This can be considered as 'returning it to its rightful owner'."

"And what about the hostages?"

The political commissar added:

"For the men who are willing to go home, give them some food and money so they can go back and help us spread the word about our policies."

"Those who are unwilling to go home or are unable to support themselves will remain in the military and will be resettled later."

"The situation is different for women. In this era, it is very difficult for a woman who has been kidnapped by bandits to hold her head high when she goes back."

“We’ll have the female soldiers in the army provide them with psychological counseling first. Once we’ve established a base, those who are willing to leave will have their names changed and they can find a place where no one knows them and live a normal life.”

"Those who are willing to stay can work in the military logistics department, like Comrade Wang Yumei, so that they can live with dignity."

"Just do as you say."

Liu Tengjie made the decision.

"These matters are entrusted to you. You're a veteran political worker, and you're more familiar with these tasks than I am."

The political commissar smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, I guarantee it will be handled perfectly."

"Our purpose in entering Chifeng is to take root among the people. As long as the people support us, we can drive out not only Black Wind Village, but also the Japanese devils and puppet troops!"

Outside, it was already daylight.

A beautiful red hue appeared on the horizon of Chifeng!

P.S.: Dear readers, you probably won't have time to read today, so please be careful!
(End of this chapter)