Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 350 Uniting the Armies

On the main peak of Panlongling, the strong, pungent smell of gunpowder seemed to be solidified in the air, making it hard to breathe.

Li Yunlong, who habitually stood with his hands on his hips behind the forward cover, had a rare, grim and solemn expression on his face, which was usually tinged with a sense of recklessness and fearlessness.

His thick eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes were sunken, and he stared intently at the muddy hillside below.

Political Commissar Zhao Gang, standing beside him, also looked grim. He took a deep breath, pointed down the mountain, and said in a low voice, "Old Li... something's not right! The Japanese are really going all out this time; they've staked everything they have."

Following the direction Zhao Gang pointed, the scene below the mountain gradually became clear through the lingering smoke of battle:

In the folds of the mountains and the shadows of the ravines, countless earthen-yellow figures, like maggots emerging from the ground, were silently and rapidly wriggling and infiltrating upwards! They were not scattered soldiers, but rather an organized and systematic operation.

What's even more chilling is that in several relatively flat open areas, shadowy Japanese soldiers are frantically digging and constructing! The soil swung by their entrenching tools traces arcs in the air.

They could tell at a glance that they were setting up heavy machine gun positions and mortar emplacements. They didn't even bother with concealment, openly setting up firing points on the front line! A desperate, reckless, and mad atmosphere could be felt even through binoculars hundreds of meters away, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

"Commander... Political Commissar! The Japanese are coming! So many Japanese! They're everywhere!" A new recruit lying on the observation post broke the suffocating silence on the position with a voice that trembled uncontrollably and was sharp.

Li Yunlong abruptly withdrew his gaze, spat in annoyance, and cursed, "Shut your bird mouth! I'm not blind! Can't you see the political commissar is standing right here? What's the panic?"

His roar was as loud and rough as ever, like a reassuring hammer blow to the soldier's heart. The recruit shrank back, his face turning red.

After finishing his tirade, Li Yunlong immediately turned to Zhao Gang, his furrowed brows furrowed with even deeper worry: "Old Zhao, did you see that? That old devil Honma Masaharu has gone mad. He's determined to fight us to the death here."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the direction from the other side of the position where the sounds of gunfire were becoming more intense. A look of worry appeared on his face. “I’m at ease with you on the main peak, but it’s different at the First Battalion’s position. The First Battalion’s position is only a salient, and it’s surrounded by enemies on three sides.”

I'm not comfortable with Zhang Dabiao holding the fort alone; I need to go and keep an eye on things myself. You stay here, I'll go check on things.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Gang nodded emphatically: "Go ahead and rest assured, as long as I'm here, this place won't be lost."

His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

Li Yunlong gave his partner a deep look, then said no more. He led a few guards and quickly disappeared into the broken trenches and rising dust, rushing towards the direction where the gunfire was most intense.

The First Battalion's position was like a nail driven into flesh and blood, firmly wedged in the throat of the Japanese army's attack, and therefore it was also a key target of the Japanese army's attack.

As soon as Li Yunlong crouched down and charged into the position, the deafening roar of gunfire, mixed with the smell of burning and the strong stench of blood, hit him in the face, almost suffocating him for a moment.

The sight before him made his heart sink:
On the narrow, circular firing position, a soldier lay prone at each firing port, firing outwards. Especially on several machine gun positions, bullets rained down like a storm, hitting the Japanese soldiers charging down the mountain with dull thuds.

The soldiers lay prone in the trenches, their faces covered in gunpowder, mud, and sweat, pressed tightly against knee-deep mud and broken sandbags, spraying their weapons with all their might.

Shell casings bounced and sparks flew, the entire position was like a boiling steel furnace, and soldiers were frequently wounded or even killed.

Right at the corner of the trench, Zhang Dabiao, the battalion commander of the first battalion, sat on a slightly drier patch of ground.

His left sleeve was rolled up, revealing a deep, bone-revealing bloodstain that tore from his thick left deltoid muscle all the way down to his forearm, with crimson blood mixed with dirt flowing down.

A young medic, his face still bearing the traces of childhood innocence, knelt to the side, frantically tearing open the bandages from the first-aid kit with his teeth, trembling as he tried to press on the gruesome wound to stop the bleeding. Each movement caused Zhang Dabiao's tightly furrowed brows to twitch, but he stubbornly gritted his teeth and remained silent.

"Zhang Dabiao, you son of a bitch, you're wounded?" Li Yunlong rushed over in a few strides, his voice drowning out the gunfire and explosions, his roar filled with undisguised heartache and fury!
"Captain!"

Hearing the sound, Zhang Dabiao suddenly looked up, a nonchalant smile instantly appearing on his rugged face, as if the torn arm was just a minor scrape. "Cough, it's nothing."

It was just a minor scrape from the Japanese soldier's crooked weapon; it'll heal in a few days!

Li Yunlong's gaze swept across the forced smile on that face like a knife; the eyes were sunken and bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept for days and nights.

His lips were dry, cracked, and pale, and his cheeks were ashen from blood loss. He calls himself "okay"?!

"Bullshit!" Li Yunlong cursed, spitting all over Zhang Dabiao's face. "Look at your deadpan face! You're practically Guan Yu's last stand! Still trying to act like a hero, get the hell out of here and rest!"

He turned and yelled at the young medic, "What are you standing there for? Get him to the back bunker right now, right now!"

"Commander! I can still..." Zhang Dabiao tried to argue, but he glanced at the increasingly frenzied Japanese offensive outside. How could he, as the battalion commander, retreat?

"Shut up!"

Li Yunlong's eyes suddenly turned extremely stern, and his voice was resolute, "I'm not discussing this with you, this is an order, don't you understand?"
"I'll hold the line, we won't lose this position!"

With a wave of his hand, his undeniable authority startled the young medic, who quickly tightened the half-wound bandage and tried to pull Zhang Dabiao up.

Looking into the commander's bloodshot but murderous eyes, Zhang Dabiao swallowed his words and finally said, "Yes... Commander... be careful."

He gritted his teeth, and with the help of the young medic, staggered backward toward the dark and rudimentary bomb shelter, looking back every few steps.

Li Yunlong watched Zhang Dabiao disappear around the corner of the tunnel before suddenly turning around, striding to the front firing position, shoving aside a machine gunner who was firing enthusiastically, and shouting, "Get out of the way, you go over there and load my ammunition!"

Soon, accompanied by the sound of "rat-a-tat-tat...", bursts of machine gun bullets swept towards the Japanese troops below the mountain...

On a road that had been soaked and ruined by continuous rain, several jeeps covered in mud were scattered haphazardly by the roadside.

Su Yaoyang, wearing a soaking wet military overcoat, stood beside one of the jeeps. Rain dripped from the brim of his hat, and the yellow mud beneath his feet had already reached above his shoes, making each step exceptionally sticky and heavy.

Chief of Staff Pi Ruoyu, holding an umbrella, was rapidly reporting the latest battle report: "Commander-in-Chief, urgent report from Regiment Commander John of the 1st Armored Regiment! The vanguard of the armored forces has advanced to within three kilometers of Panlong Ridge in a straight line, but... they are stuck at the 27th Division's choke point!"

He pointed to the telegram paper in his hand, which was wet with rain: "The Japanese took advantage of the terrain and seized the high ground on both sides of Langya Slope, a place that the highway must pass through. They built a ring-shaped defensive position and deployed light and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and possibly even anti-tank artillery."

The entire highway was completely blocked by fire, like an iron barrel. Regimental Commanders John and Fuller were organizing their troops to launch a full-scale assault on these two high points!

Pi Ruoyu's voice was a little hoarse because he had caught a cold these past two days: "Logically speaking, although Langya Slope is a bit high, under normal circumstances, a barrage of heavy artillery fire, coupled with the cover of armored units, would be enough to take it with just one charge. But now this awful weather has become our biggest stumbling block. Langya Slope is steep and muddy, and the rainwater has seeped in, making the ground as soft as tofu."

Whether it was a Chaffee tank or an M4 Sherman, the tracks spun and slipped, making it impossible to advance. The armored forces' assault advantage was completely negated, and the infantry could only inflate themselves inch by inch through the mud, facing a barrage of fire from above. Casualties...were considerable!

Su Yaoyang pursed his lips and remained silent, the cold rain sliding down his furrowed brows.

He looked up at the gloomy sky, the rain so thick that he could barely see the outline of the mountains a hundred meters away.

"What about the Air Force?"

Su Yaoyang's voice was somewhat low due to the sound of rain, but it was as clear as ice: "Where are Cheng Rufeng and Ye Qifeng's aircraft at a time like this?"
"Can you get the planes off immediately and knock down those two high points to cover the armored regiment's forced breakthrough?"

Pi Ruoyu sighed heavily and shook his head helplessly: "Commander, I just confirmed with the airport half an hour ago. Squadron Leader Cheng and Deputy Squadron Leader Ye are extremely anxious, but the current weather conditions... are simply not suitable for takeoff and combat!"

He pointed to the gray sky, where the rain was so dense it wove white curtains in the air: "The wind speed is over 12 meters per second, low clouds are everywhere, and visibility is less than 500 meters! Especially this rain, it's not letting up at all!"

He emphasized the technical difficulties: "Captain Cheng said that the fighter jet's air intake and carburetor are extremely sensitive to rainwater!"

Excessive intake of moisture from moderate to heavy rain can cause a sudden drop in power and increased vibration, or even engine shutdown! If the engine stalls in mid-air, even a miracle won't save it! And…”

Pi Ruoyu paused, then pointed to the windshield wipers on the jeep that were swinging wildly but still couldn't clear the rain: "The cockpit visibility is even more disastrous. In this kind of rain curtain, pilots can't even see ground targets or distinguish friend from foe, let alone maintain level flight and formation!"

Forcing a takeoff, before even engaging the enemy, could result in a crash.

Su Yaoyang stared silently at the dense, impenetrable film of water on the Jeep's glass, his nostrils filled with the damp, cold smell of mud and gasoline, and sighed helplessly.

Yes, that's why, under the continuous heavy rain, both the Shanxi militia's "Falcon" and the Japanese Army Air Force's "Hayabusa" were collectively rendered ineffective.

The wings of the steel eagle were forcibly locked in the cage of this muddy earth by this primitive and violent weather.

Time relentlessly ticked away with the patter of rain, and every minute of the mournful cries from Panlong Ridge tested the commander's nerves. He nodded slowly and heavily, his voice low and somber:
"Understood. Have the armored regiment do everything possible to... create an opening! Tell Cheng Rufeng to keep a close eye on the weather! Once the rain weakens to an acceptable level... immediately take off without hesitation, at all costs!"

"Understood, I'll send a telegram to Captain Cheng and the others right away." Pi Ruoyu left quickly.

Pi Ruoyu's figure had been swallowed by the rain curtain for less than two minutes.

"Crackling..."

More intense and fierce raindrops pounded on the jeep's roof and the ground, and then, "crack..." a gigantic, pale bolt of lightning tore through the dim sky, illuminating the muddy mountains and withered trees with a dazzling light.

A deafening clap of thunder then exploded overhead, as if the sky were collapsing.

A gust of wind carrying a biting chill swept across the road, and the swirling rain lashed against the car like a whip!
"Fuck!"

Looking out the water-soaked car window at the world completely swallowed by the white rain, Su Yaoyang slammed his fist into the mud-splattered interior of the car door, making a dull thud. "This damn rain is never going to stop!"

"Commander! The rain is too heavy and the air is too cold! Please come in quickly!" The anxious voice of Xu Dapeng, the battalion commander of the guard battalion, cut through the rain. Half of his body was soaked through, but he stubbornly tried to cover the car window with the umbrella as much as possible.

"In October, the damp chill is extremely harmful to the body. If you fall ill, then..."

"Understood!" Su Yaoyang let out a heavy sigh. He wasn't an ignorant fool. The icy rain seemed to seep through the glass as well.

He pushed open the car door, bent down, and crawled into the slightly drier interior, bringing with him a blast of cold, damp air.

He quickly pulled a dry towel from his backpack behind the seat and vigorously wiped his wet hair and cold neck. His fingers were stiff from the cold as he considered changing his wet clothes.

However, with the towel still on his head, a rapid and muffled "thump thump thump" sounded on the windowpane on his side!

Su Yaoyang suddenly turned his head—through the pouring water on the glass, Pi Ruoyu's thin, rain-soaked face was pressed against the glass! The wind lifted the hem of his raincoat, and he swayed in the wind and rain.

"What's wrong?" Su Yaoyang reached out and pushed open the heavy car door from the inside!
"Wow..."

As soon as the car door opened a crack, a gust of wind carrying icy rain poured in, instantly soaking Su Yaoyang's half-dry hair and shoulders, sending a chill down his spine.

Pi Ruoyu didn't care about any of that. He leaned half his body into the car, his voice filled with rare excitement.

"Commander! Great news! Incredibly good news! Urgent report from the rear communications department—"

He took a breath and shouted, "The...the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army!"

"They've arrived!"

"The vanguard is only... only a dozen or so miles away from our current position..." Pi Ruoyu wiped the rain off his face forcefully, his voice almost shouting, "Only... only a dozen miles away!!"

"What?! We're here?!" Su Yaoyang's hand, which was wiping his hair, suddenly froze, and his eyes suddenly burst with a burning light.

He threw away the soaking wet towel in his hand, as if the heavy chill of the wet clothes had been instantly dispelled by the news! He sat up abruptly, the gloom of days of battles vanishing from his face.

"Good! Good! Good!" Su Yaoyang shouted "Good!" three times in a row, and excitedly punched his knee with his clenched fist.

The torrential rain outside the window seemed to lose its power at that moment.

His biggest worry right now is that he doesn't have enough troops to wipe out Masaharu Honma's 27th Division, but things will be different once he joins forces with the 129th Division.

Once they joined forces with the 129th Division, the two iron torrents converged at the foot of the muddy Panlong Ridge... The Japanese 27th Division, this venomous snake trapped in the mud, could not escape the fate of having its bones completely crushed, no matter how much it struggled and jumped!

(End of this chapter)