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

The name "Tiger Legion" instantly created an eerie atmosphere within the 16th Division headquarters; it was a name that they both hated and feared.

Since the 16th Division landed, almost all the humiliations have been related to the Tiger Army. If it weren't for the strong support from the higher-ups, they would have been kicked out of the ranks of the standing divisions by the Tiger Army and Zhao Yunwen.

The regimental flag of the 33rd Infantry Regiment was also captured by the guerrilla column, the predecessor of the Tiger Army. The 9th and 38th Regiments had both suffered devastating blows, and now it was the 20th Infantry Regiment's turn.

It brings tears to their eyes. They all wanted to take revenge on Zhao Yunwen, but they chose to remain silent at the crucial moment, including Gu Xianjian, the captain of the Ninth Regiment, and Yamada Kizo, the captain of the First 133rd Regiment.

"You idiots! Are you all mute now?! Aren't you usually so capable? But when you're around Zhao Yunwen, you turn into docile lambs!"

It was a blatant slap in the face. Colonel Yamada couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to volunteer for the battle.

Huh... why are the others still holding back?

Colonel Yamada swallowed the words he was about to say, not out of fear of Zhao Yunwen, but out of caution, he reassured himself.

Lieutenant General Fujie's face had turned as black as charcoal, his chest heaving with rage. Just as he was about to explode, Koji Kenji of the 9th Infantry Regiment stepped forward and said through gritted teeth:

"Your Excellency Division Commander, I am willing to lead the Ninth Regiment to the vanguard and dampen Zhao Yunwen's arrogance!"

Seeing that some people had stepped forward, Colonel Yamada also spoke up:

"The 133rd Regiment also needs to meet the Tiger Army. It's time to wash away the previous humiliation. Please give us a chance."

Other veteran Japanese soldiers also stepped forward to volunteer for battle, creating a tense atmosphere. Lieutenant General Fujie's expression improved somewhat, and he echoed their words:

"Alright, then let Mr. Gu Xian lead the way, and I will lead the rest of you to follow."

We must not be careless or reckless in dealing with the Tiger Army and Zhao Yunwen; even a lion must use its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

"Hai! Thank you for the reminder, Commander. I won't let you down again!"

After finishing his sentence, Colonel Gu Xian strode away, determined to prove himself by defeating the Tiger Army.

Lieutenant General Fujie watched Colonel Kojiro's departing figure, his gaze turning unusually deep, and coldly asked:

"When will the Ogisu Division arrive?"

The chief of staff quickly replied:

"The Ogiu Division suffered heavy losses in the previous battle with the 323rd Tiger Army Division and needs to rest and replenish for two days. His Highness the Prince hopes that our troops will first approach the city of Shangcheng."

Shangcheng was the headquarters of the Fifth War Zone in China, and Xiakou was the gateway to Shangcheng. The Ye-Shang Highway ran through the valley, so Xiakou was an obstacle that had to be overcome to capture Shangcheng.

"Useless! A bunch of useless people, the special division is completely unreliable."

Lieutenant General Fujie's tone was filled with deep disappointment. He had hoped that the 13th Division would share some of the burden, but he couldn't say it out loud.

The chief of staff seemed to realize this as well, and said in a way that appealed to the chief's tastes:

"Your Excellency, the garrison at the gorge consists of two divisions. The terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be very difficult to take it in two days."

"We'll be more confident in attacking together once the 13th Division has been replenished."

These words struck a chord with the old Japanese devil Fujie, who then went along with it, saying:

"It's not just the 13th Division that needs reinforcements; my 16th Division does too. Let the 9th Regiment find out what the Chinese are capable of first."

All the Japanese soldiers stood up in unison and said:

"Your Excellency the Division Commander is wise; we will heed your orders!"

After finalizing the next operational plan, the 16th Division set off along the main road to the gorge, but the pace of the advance was greatly reduced, making it more like a day trip.

The Ninth Regiment was in no better shape. Despite Colonel Koichi's tough talk, he was also somewhat apprehensive, so his marching speed was not fast.

It took them half a day to walk more than ten miles, and by the time they reached the outer edge of the gorge, it was already past four in the afternoon.

As darkness fell, Colonel Gu Xian ordered the troops to set up camp on the spot, postponing the attack until the next day.

News of the Japanese arrival quickly reached the command post. Zhao Yunwen's expression didn't change much; he simply said:

"This should be the vanguard of the Japanese army; the main force is still behind. Have you figured out which division it is?"

Qiu the Madman quickly replied:

"Judging from the banner, it's the 9th Infantry Regiment, our old rival."

"It seems the 13th Division is badly injured this time, so the 16th Division has been sent to lead the charge. Tell the brothers to remain calm and fight back, and to adapt to any situation."

After Zhao Yunwen finished speaking, he stopped paying attention and continued to stare at the map, pondering things. No one knew what he was thinking.

The Ninth Regiment set up camp at 8 p.m. After dinner, they discussed the attack plan with a group of officers.

The Japanese had no idea about the defenses of the garrison at the gorge; they would only find out after fighting them.

After the senior staff officer finished introducing the situation at the gorge, Colonel Gu Xian raised a question:

"It is now confirmed that the garrison at the gorge is the 31st Division and the 323rd Division, which belong to the Northwest Army and the Central Army respectively, and are both elite forces."

The 31st Division was famous for defending Taierzhuang and could fight the 5th and 10th Divisions to a standstill. The 323rd Division was even more formidable, so they should be regarded as real opponents.

I've decided to launch the attack at dawn. Do any of you have any good ideas?

Major Murai, the battalion commander, was the first to step forward and speak:

"Commander, you think too highly of the Chinese. I admit that the Tiger Army and the 31st Division are the elite of China, but the 323rd Division fought a bitter battle at Fujin Mountain, and its personnel and supplies were severely depleted, greatly reducing its combat effectiveness."

As for the 31st Division, their veterans all perished at Taierzhuang, and their combat strength is now vastly different from what it used to be.

Moreover, these two divisions belong to different systems; the 323rd Division is from the Central Army, and the 31st Division is from the Northwest Army. They cannot coordinate with each other, and the Imperial Army can defeat them one by one.

Major Murai was an expert on China and knew about factional struggles. Colonel Koji nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the senior staff officer, who tactfully said:

"Commander, Murai has grasped the weakness of the Chinese. They are most adept at infighting. As far as I know, this Northwest Army has also fought several major battles with the Central Army, and the grudges between them run deep."

The Central Army held itself in high esteem, and in their eyes, local armies were only fit to be cannon fodder.

Since that's the case, let's attack the 31st Division's defenses first. The 323rd Division will definitely stand by and watch the fight unfold.

After eliminating the 31st Division, we can concentrate our forces to attack the 323rd Division and defeat them one by one.

Colonel Gu Xian was very satisfied and continued to ask with great interest:

"How do we distinguish their positions? The southern front or the northern front? Or should we break them up and defend them together?"

The senior staff officer said confidently:

"Given Zhao Yunwen's arrogance, he probably wouldn't want to get mixed up with ragtag units. The terrain on the northern front is clearly better than on the southern front; without a doubt, the 31st Division will be on the southern front!"

Others echoed this sentiment, saying that the 323rd Division, being a Central Army unit, would definitely occupy good positions and use the 31st Division as cannon fodder.

Upon hearing that they were to fight the poorly equipped 31st Division, Major Murai once again volunteered for the mission:

"The 31st Division only has five or six thousand men. My battalion is enough. Please grant me your request, Regiment Commander."

No one else could compete with him anymore, so Colonel Gu Xian immediately made the decision:

"Alright, I know how brave Murai is. Let the Takei Battalion lead the charge, with the Field Artillery Battalion providing support."

All the Japanese soldiers stood up in unison and shouted slogans, displaying great momentum.

Nothing happened that night. As the sun rose above the treetops, the Japanese were already preparing for their attack, and the shadow of war loomed over the gorge.

Chi Fengcheng seemed to have guessed the Japanese's intentions, and snorted coldly:

"They're trying to bully me!"

The 31st Division had seen a lot; they hadn't been afraid of the Isogai and Itagaki Divisions at Taierzhuang, so a third-rate, common-sense division wouldn't scare them.

Moreover, with the support of the Tiger Army, the 31st Division's strength has greatly increased. The artillery battalion is no longer an empty shell; it now has eight mountain guns and infantry guns, as well as dozens more light and heavy machine guns.

The chief of staff then continued:

"The 16th Division is a bunch of beasts. Apart from being brutal, their combat strength is far inferior to that of the Isogai Division. It's a good opportunity to let them see how powerful our Northwest Army is."

Chi Fengcheng nodded and said nothing more.

The Japanese were eager to fight, but the 31st Division remained unmoved, having long been prepared for battle.

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, the first round of shells fell with flames, exploding into bursts of sparks.

The Japanese offensive arrived as expected, with volleys of shells whistling as they crashed into the 31st Division's positions, landing right on their heads. They were indeed picking on the weak.

The soldiers of the 31st Division silently endured the hardship inside the artillery shelters, which were dug by Zhao Yunwen's orders. He also provided them with 100,000 jin of military rations as a subsidy.

Everyone wanted to dig anti-artillery bunkers, but they didn't have the strength. Many troops ate porridge in peacetime and could only eat a dry meal during wartime, so they didn't have much physical strength to expend on building fortifications.

With this 100,000 jin of grain, each person in the 31st Division can get 15 jin, and eating 3 jin a day is enough for five days;

As for five days later, no one thought that in such an intense battle, anyone who survived five days would be incredibly lucky.

In the morning, Chi Fengcheng treated everyone to a hearty meal, including not only rice but also canned beef seized by the Tiger Army, one for each person.

The soldiers couldn't remember the last time they ate white rice, let alone meat; many considered it their last meal before death.

After an unknown amount of time, the artillery fire began to spread, and countless Japanese soldiers surged forward, stepping on the artillery positions. The young officer roared:

"Brothers, beat them to a pulp!"