Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

At Fujin Mountain, the Japanese only paused for a day before launching a new offensive. The artillery bombarded the infantry, and both sides knew each other well.

The 61st and 88th Divisions responded calmly, dealing with each situation as it came. Several Japanese regiments took turns attacking, employing a strategy of attrition warfare.

The 323rd Division did not stand idly by. The main force of the 13th Division had already crossed the river and sent two regiments to continuously attack Shimenkou. The two sides fought fiercely, leaving the sky dark and the ground littered with corpses.

The Battle of Fujinshan turned into a full-blown war of attrition. The Japanese launched continuous attacks, and the positions were repeatedly contested, lost during the day and recaptured at night. Every inch of land was fought for.

The fortifications were bombed beyond recognition, and a section of the hilltop was flattened. You could squeeze blood out of any handful of soil you picked up.

The brutal fighting continued intermittently for ten days, leaving both sides severely damaged. The Japanese, after several rounds of replenishment, had completely depleted their supply and engineer regiments. The infantry regiments could no longer muster 70% of their combat troops, and the field hospitals were overflowing with wounded soldiers.

The 71st Army was in no better shape. The 61st Division, which was the main force for defense, suffered more than half of its casualties, and its total strength was less than 60% of what it was before the war. After removing the seriously wounded, there were barely 5,000 soldiers left who could still fight.

Although the 88th Division on the right wing faced less pressure, it still suffered nearly half of its casualties and consumed a huge amount of equipment and supplies. Faced with these glaring figures, Song Yingguo remained silent for a long time.

"What is Brother Yunwen's opinion?"

Song Yingguo did not rush to make a decision; when faced with such a crucial matter, his first thought was of Zhao Yunwen. Chen Sunong, seemingly prepared, quickly replied:

"What Senior Zhao means is that we can retreat voluntarily. If we continue fighting, the 61st and 88th Divisions will be exhausted, which is not worthwhile."

"We must preserve our foundation. Only with a sufficient core of personnel can we quickly restore our fighting strength. There are still many battles to come!"

Song Yingguo no longer hesitated, and said firmly:

"Then let's listen to Brother Yunwen and withdraw from the position tomorrow, giving the Tiger Army a day to prepare. They still have brothers east of the Shi River to hold back the Japanese."

The exact time will be determined after the Tiger Legion reports back. Contact them immediately!

Chen Sunong accepted the order and left, while Song Yingguo plotted how to use the retreat to his advantage.

"Brother Yunwen is right. Only by hurting these two mad dogs can we make the rest of the battle easier."

Song Yingguo secretly made up his mind that although they had abandoned Fujinshan, the battle against the Japanese would not stop.

Previously, they guarded "points," but later they switched to guarding "lines." As long as they could slow down the Japanese advance, the effect would be the same.

Thinking of this, the last trace of guilt he felt for defying fate vanished without a trace.

Zhao Yunwen's response came faster than Song Yingguo had expected, and they were prepared to launch a counterattack.

Chen Sunong, holding the telegram, said:

"The troops east of Shihe will withdraw overnight. The cavalry regiment will be used as a surprise force. Once the Japanese are defeated, the cavalry regiment will pursue them along the Liushang Highway, which will surely have a remarkable effect."

The main force of the 323rd Division is still intact; after replenishment, they have been restored to their original formation. Commander Zhao's plan is for the main force of the 323rd Division to withdraw tonight, establish a defensive perimeter, and simultaneously feign weakness on the northern front.

Tomorrow, when the Japanese attack Shimenkou…

Song Yingguo nodded repeatedly, accepting Zhao Yunwen's plan in its entirety without raising any objections.

The Japanese offensive continued until nightfall. Unlike usual, the defending troops did not counterattack under cover of darkness, seemingly unable to retake the position.

On the northern front, under the faint starlight, the 323rd Division's supplementary regiment, mountain artillery battalion, temporary artillery company, 650th Regiment, supply battalion, and division headquarters units successively withdrew to the rear, leaving only two regiments to cover the rear.

With the 645th and 646th Regiments at the forefront, and the cover of darkness, the Japanese did not notice anything amiss. These troops were under the unified command of Zhao Yunwen.

Qiu Fengzi is in charge of command, and he is only allowed to lose, not win. This is a test for him, and he must act convincingly.

Nothing happened overnight. The next morning, the Japanese, who had rested all night, resumed their attack. The 16th Division attacked the central and right flank positions of the 71st Army, while the 13th Division attacked the left flank.

The 13th Division suffered heavy casualties, its reinforcements were exhausted, each infantry regiment had only a little over 3,000 men left, the cavalry regiment was annihilated, the mountain artillery regiment lost most of its men, the supply and engineer regiments were empty shells, and the field hospitals were full of wounded soldiers. Ogisu Rikihei didn't even have the motivation to curse.

The chief of staff stormed in, beaming, which finally ignited his anger, and he roared:

"You idiot! What kind of behavior is this, so impetuous and reckless? Is this how a mid- to high-ranking officer of the Empire behaves?"

Chief of Staff Isaburo Tsukuda said excitedly:

"Commander, good news! Breakthrough! The 65th Infantry Regiment was the first to break through the Shimenkou defense line, followed by the 116th Regiment, routing the 323rd Division!"

Ogizu Ritsuhei could hardly believe his ears; happiness had come too suddenly. Only after confirming that it was true did he smile and say:

"Yoshi, Ryokan-kun truly lives up to his reputation as the Empire's most loyal and courageous warrior. This is the first time the Imperial Army has defeated the Tiger Army head-on. Pursue them immediately! We cannot let them escape!"

Send the 104th Regiment up as well, make sure the forces are sufficient, we need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut against the Tiger Army!

The order was given to the 116th Infantry Regiment to flank Fujinshan and coordinate with the 16th Infantry Division to defeat the 71st Army…

With orders issued one after another, the 13th Division went into overdrive, pursuing the 323rd Division with all its might.

The victory was too hard-won, and Ogishu Rippei didn't even think about verifying it. Everyone was thinking about venting their anger, and only killing could release their animalistic desires.

Before Ogisu Ritsuhei could wait long, the communications officer reported again:

"Your Excellency, under the combined attack of the 116th Regiment, the 61st Division defending Fujinshan has suffered a complete rout, and the 88th Division has also been detonated and is fleeing in panic."

The regiments of the 16th Division have occupied Fujinshan and are pursuing the enemy with all their might. The 71st Army and the Tiger Army of China have been defeated!

"This is truly a series of joyous events! The 13th Division has made outstanding contributions," said Ogizu Ritsuhei with high spirits.

"Alright, hurry up and pursue them! We absolutely cannot let them escape! As long as we annihilate the 71st Army and the Tiger Army, these two elite forces, the Imperial Army can reach Xinyang City directly and engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the Tiger Army."

Ojiro Libing was still quite clear-headed, knowing that they had only defeated one division of the Tiger Army, and that the main force was still intact. Xinyang City would be the real test.

Qinglong Ridge, the ambush position of the 323rd Division

Thousands of soldiers lay in ambush on both sides of the main road. To the south were the 650th Regiment and the mountain artillery battalion (the provisional company had been merged into the main road), and to the north were the 645th Regiment and the supplementary regiment. The cavalry regiment was hidden deep in the northeastern plain, about one kilometer away from the main road.

This distance is just right to push the horse's speed to its limit, which will become a nightmare for the fleeing Japanese soldiers.

The 646th Regiment was chased so badly by the 65th Infantry Regiment that they lost all their equipment and supplies, even throwing away their large iron pots for meals, all in an effort to run faster.

The 65th Regiment was chasing the most aggressively and was completely unaware that the 116th Regiment, which was following behind, had already turned around, and the 104th Regiment had just started moving, leaving a huge gap between the two.

The 65th Regiment was completely isolated, becoming a lone force.

"Hurry, don't let the Chinese get away!"

"Chase after them and kill all the Chinese! The Imperial Army doesn't need prisoners!"

The routed soldiers of the 646th Regiment had just passed through the ambush when the vanguard of the 65th Regiment arrived. Zhao Yunwen's appetite had long been spoiled; a few hundred vanguard soldiers were no match for him. He ordered them to pass and be left to the 646th Regiment to deal with.

His goal was singular: to annihilate the 65th Regiment and send those beasts back to their hometown.

The main force of the 65th Regiment did not disappoint him. Like a bull, they plunged into the pocket formation. Zhao Yunwen personally pulled the trigger of the signal gun. Liang Jiaoye was startled by the "shooting star" in the sky and broke out in a cold sweat. Goosebumps rose all over his body for no reason.

This is a bad omen; I instinctively yelled:

"Stop the pursuit—there's an ambush!"

"Boom boom boom..."

A barrage of shells rained down from the sky, creating a bloodbath among the Japanese soldiers, leaving many stunned on the spot.

This reversal came too fast, like someone falling from the clouds, it's hard to accept.

Shells rained down one after another, blasting the Japanese troops into pieces. The soldiers fled to the flanks in disarray, trying to seize the high ground and escape.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!!!"

The ambushing troops on both sides came out in full force and opened fire. The Japanese soldiers were swept down row by row, with almost no chance to fight back.

After receiving 5,000 reinforcements, the 323rd Division, despite several fierce battles, not only did its strength increase but it also increased, forming an absolute advantage in manpower and firepower over the 65th Infantry Regiment, with its manpower advantage approaching double.

With a combination of strategic planning and unpreparedness, and with all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support, their forces outnumbered the enemy by 3.5 to 1, completely overwhelming them with superior strength. Their firepower was so fierce that it terrified both sides.

"Baka yarou, how could this be?"

"Damn it, Zhao Yunwen is a cunning and vicious wolf, utterly ruthless."

"Break through! Break through quickly! Head east!!"

The two-horned warriors kept giving orders, but to no avail. His warriors were falling visibly, a one-sided slaughter.

The Japanese machine gunners and grenade launcher operators tried to stabilize the situation, but they were met with precise artillery fire, resulting in the destruction of their weapons and the deaths of their men.

"It's over, it's completely over! I'm a sinner! Amaterasu, please appear and save your people!!"