The Courtyard House: The Little Red Devil Returning from the Peninsula

The smoke from the gunpowder at the bottom of Tiger's Mouth Valley has not yet completely settled.

The smells of blood, gunpowder, and burnt metal mingled together, weighing heavily on the entire canyon.

The final shot faded into the mountainside, and the valley floor fell completely silent.

All that remained were the faint groans of the seriously wounded soldiers and the clattering sound of mules dragging their broken reins over the blood.

There was also the heavy, weary breathing of the soldiers as they turned over corpses and inventoried the battlefield.

Staff Officer Luo squatted on the ground, his notebook filled with dense handwriting, his hands still trembling slightly.

He closed his notebook and strode over to Zhao Weiguo, who was standing on a blue stone.

He handed over a neatly folded piece of paper with blood and mud stained at the edges.

"Battalion Commander, what we found on the body of the Japanese vanguard battalion commander should be the regimental combat order."

Zhao Weiguo took the piece of paper, his fingertips touching the still-damp dark red bloodstains on it, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He unfolded the paper, on which Japanese text and a simple map were interspersed, the handwriting was clear, and the date was clearly today.

Staff Officer Luo quickly identified the key information and whispered it aloud:

"Order the Sakata Regiment Headquarters to garrison Xinghualing. The Central Battalion may follow up tomorrow morning. The Vanguard Battalion is responsible for advancing to clear the way and occupy the Tiger's Mouth Pass..."

Zhao Weiguo's fingers tightened suddenly as he gripped the piece of paper.

Before the joy of victory had faded, an even bigger, more dangerous, and more tempting opportunity had already fallen into his hands.

Xinghualing.

He was familiar with this place name; it had been vaguely mentioned in previous intelligence reports, but he had never been able to confirm the specific movements of the regimental headquarters.

Now it's clearly written in black and white that Sakata placed the command center at Xinghualing, forty kilometers away, while the main force of the central army was still in the rear.

The entire night's time difference was a godsend, and Sakata probably never imagined he would dare to launch a direct attack on the regimental command post, which was guarded by thousands of elite Japanese troops.

Once dawn breaks and the central army arrives, or if Xinghualing learns of the annihilation of the vanguard, Sakata will immediately change his garrison location, shrink his defensive line, or even change his route.

By then, finding any trace of the regimental headquarters would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

"Forty kilometers... After a night of running, we should be able to reach the location before dawn." Zhao Weiguo muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged battlefield at the bottom of the valley, his eyes gradually sharpening like knives.

Zhang Dabiao, who had just returned from counting the captured machine guns, was taken aback upon hearing this, then his expression changed, and he immediately tried to dissuade him: "Battalion Commander Zhao, no! We absolutely cannot fire anymore!"

His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable sincerity.

"Our four companies just finished a tough battle, with eleven killed, twenty-three seriously wounded, and countless others lightly wounded."

"The soldiers were already exhausted, their ammunition was mostly used up, and the mules and horses were also extremely tired."

"The most important thing to do now is to regroup the troops, evacuate the wounded, take stock of supplies, rest on the spot for the night, and make further plans once the supplies arrive."

Wang Huaibao also came over, his face still covered in mud, and nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

"Zhang Dabiao is right. The brothers lay in the shell crater for half a day without eating or drinking much. They were able to keep going during the charge just now because of sheer willpower."

"If we send them on another 40 kilometers to raid the regimental headquarters at night, they'd be half-collapsed just getting there, let alone fighting."

Liu Dashan stood silently to the side, still clutching the blood-stained Mauser pistol in his hand.

He had just led the assault battalion to the forefront, his wounds still throbbing, but he did not immediately express his opinion.

He knew Zhao Weiguo well; this battalion commander would never act rashly or recklessly. If he had this idea, he must have given it considerable thought.

Zhao Weiguo did not immediately refute, but simply looked up towards the valley entrance, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of mountains and landing on Xinghua Ridge.

"I understand everything you've said." His voice was steady, each word clearly reaching their ears.

"The soldiers are exhausted, ammunition is scarce, and the wounded cannot be taken away—these are all realities."

"But have you considered that the Sakata Regiment Headquarters is now just an empty shell, with limited guard forces, at most two companies?"

"If we can seize this one night, we can pierce the core of the Japanese command with one sword."

"If we miss tonight, and the central army arrives tomorrow with heavy protection from the regimental headquarters, we'll have to pay with the lives of an entire battalion or company if we try to move again. Opportunities don't wait for anyone; once they're gone, they're gone."

These words left Zhang Dabiao and Wang Huaibao speechless. It wasn't that they didn't understand the value of the fighter jets, but they felt sorry for their brothers and were even more worried that the troops would suffer heavy losses due to recklessness after their great victory.

Seeing this, Zhao Weiguo softened his tone and offered a more prudent solution.

"I don't plan to launch a full-scale attack, nor will I be greedy for more. I will only select the elite, two hundred core members of the assault battalion, plus elite veterans and light machine gun teams from each company, to make a total of five hundred elite troops."

"The remaining troops stayed behind to guard the captured goods, evacuate the wounded, and rest on the spot, minimizing the risks."

The five hundred men were all seasoned veterans, highly mobile, and small targets, so they could retreat calmly even if the raid failed.

Upon hearing this, the company commanders' faces immediately showed reluctance. Those key personnel were the pillars of their companies, with accurate marksmanship and a willingness to fight to the death. Taking away 500 elite soldiers was equivalent to taking away most of their combat strength.

Zhao Weiguo saw through their thoughts and immediately made a promise.

"After this battle, all spoils will be prioritized for distribution to your respective companies."

"The Xingshuping workshop is rushing to produce firearms and ammunition. I will personally oversee the process to replenish your equipment and even expand your work teams."

"If we win this battle first, the brothers will reap the rewards."

With the opportunity in sight, compensation to follow, and their trust in Zhao Weiguo's consistent command, the group said no more and nodded in agreement.

Just then, a clear, cold system notification sounded in Zhao Weiguo's mind. It wasn't played aloud; only he could hear it.

[Ding! The entire Japanese vanguard battalion has been annihilated, completing the tactical annihilation mission. Tactical simulation level upgraded to intermediate. New module in the points shop is now available: redeemable for key battlefield supplies such as radio transceivers, sulfanilamide powder, military-grade steel, and complete mortar parts.]

System upgrade, new equipment unlocked in the shop.

This is undoubtedly a timely help.

Intermediate-level tactical simulations allow him to anticipate the risks of Xinghualing's defenses and marching routes, and even simulate the effects of a surprise attack.

The supplies in the mall can directly solve the immediate crisis.

Zhao Weiguo remained expressionless, showing no sign of anything amiss, and simply turned to give orders to Chen An and Staff Officer Luo.

"Immediately take stock of the current number of mules and horses, the remaining mortar shells and grenades, as well as medical supplies, especially sulfanilamide powder, and report everything."

He wasn't overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the new feature; instead, he focused on applying the system's benefits to real-world equipment.

He mentally opened the points mall, looked at the dazzling array of items, and made a decision after a moment's thought.

Temporarily suspend the exchange of radio transceivers; prioritize the exchange of complete mortar parts and a batch of sulfanilamide powder.

Mortars are key to night raids and assaults. With spare parts, the captured mountain gun with a cracked breech could be repaired, providing an extra layer of protection for nighttime fire suppression.

Sulfonamide powder can save lives. Night raids inevitably result in casualties, and the more emergency medicines available, the greater the brothers' chances of survival.

As for points, a portion must be reserved for emergencies; they must never be used up all at once.

Once everything was arranged, a fast horse galloped up from the foot of the mountain. The rider dismounted, carrying a wooden box, and ran quickly to Zhao Weiguo: "Battalion Commander! The sights that Zhao Tieshan's side rushed to make have arrived!"

The wooden box was opened, revealing several simple yet practical sights. Although hastily made, their accuracy was reliable enough.

With this, captured mortars could be fired accurately in the dark, and for the first time, Xing Shuping's industrial line truly gave back to the battlefield.

Everything is being prepared and is proceeding at a rapid pace.

Zhao Weiguo divided the 500 elite troops into three groups with clear division of labor and responsibilities.

Liu Dashan led Group A, composed entirely of elite assault battalion soldiers, to launch the main attack on the south gate of Xinghualing, tearing open the Japanese outer defense line and drawing their fire.

Zhang Dabiao and Wang Huaibao selected key personnel from their respective companies to form Group B, carrying light machine guns, to seize the key road at the north entrance, cut off the regimental headquarters' retreat route, and block any possible reinforcements.

Zhao Weiguo personally led Group C, equipped with repaired mortars and sharpshooters, to stealthily infiltrate through the dry riverbed of Xishan and head straight for the core position of the Sakata Regiment headquarters.

Chen An was assigned to Group C, carrying all the sulfanilamide powder and stretcher supplies, and was responsible for battlefield first aid.

Staff Officer Luo closely followed Zhao Weiguo, recording the entire combat order and reporting the battle situation immediately after the battle to ensure that the command, medical, and combat reporting lines remained in order.

On the open ground on one side of the valley floor, the eleven fallen soldiers were buried on the spot. There were no tombstones, only a pile of freshly turned yellow earth, which stood out conspicuously in the blood-red battlefield.

Zhao Weiguo walked to the grave and stopped.

There was no weeping, no speech; he simply stood quietly for three breaths, his gaze sweeping over the mound of yellow earth, before suddenly turning around and speaking with a powerful, resonant voice that pierced the entire valley floor.

"Set off!"

It hurts, it really hurts.

Every brother who sacrificed his life was a living, breathing human being, a comrade-in-arms who shared cornbread, slept in the snow, and charged into battle together.

But the battlefield never allows for wallowing in sorrow; only by achieving greater victories can we do justice to the heroic souls buried here.

Night slowly descended, staining the tiger's mouth a deep inky black.

A team of five hundred elite soldiers quietly assembled. The mules and horses had bridles on their mules and their bells were all wrapped with coarse cloth so that they could not make a sound.

No torches were lit throughout the entire journey; everyone proceeded swiftly, gagged, by the faint light of day.

His figure disappeared into the mountain path, like a sharp blade stealthily moving in the night.

On the march, fatigue climbed up from the soles of my feet, and my eyelids would droop every mile I walked.

Many soldiers fell asleep as they walked, their steps moving forward mechanically, some even swaying and nearly falling.

Liu Dashan walked at the front of the group, occasionally tapping his dozing comrades with the butt of his rifle to wake them up. His voice was very low but alert.

"Pay attention, everyone! We're attacking a Japanese regimental headquarters, not some small outpost. If you fall asleep, you'll never wake up again!"

On one hand, there was extreme exhaustion, and on the other hand, there was excitement about the impending raid on the Japanese command center. These two emotions intertwined within the troops, making the entire night raiding force both oppressive and tense.

Five hundred people raced at full speed along a forty-kilometer mountain road.

As night completely enveloped the earth, at ten o'clock in the evening, the team finally arrived at an unnamed hill three kilometers outside Xinghualing.

Zhao Weiguo raised his hand to signal the team to stop, and everyone immediately lay down and hid without making a sound.

He lay prone in the grass, holding up binoculars and looking down the mountain.

The clouds obscured half the moon, plunging the world into darkness.

The distant Xinghualing village was quiet and still, except for a few dim oil lamps in an abandoned rural primary school, their light particularly glaring in the night.

That was the location of the Sakata Regiment headquarters.

Five hundred elite troops lay in ambush on the mountaintop, their blades already at the door.

A night raid is imminent.