Chapter 108: Two Regiments Routed!

As the bullet tore through the air, the Japanese sniper's head shattered instantly, blooming like a crimson flower in the atmosphere. For a moment, everything around seemed to freeze; even the air itself appeared to stand still.

The Chengyun Army sniper, his expression cold and focused, possessed eyes as sharp and profound as a hawk’s. "That’s the third one," he murmured, his voice flat, yet carrying a faint, imperceptible trace of satisfaction.

The offensive of the 54th Regiment was in full swing, yet under the intense suppression of the 63rd Division’s heavy firepower, they were unable to bridge the distance between themselves and the Chengyun Army. As time passed, the enemy's casualties continued to mount.

Inside the headquarters of the 63rd Division, Jiang Bai was intently studying the military map spread across the table. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes glinted with deep contemplation. Suddenly, he looked up and asked in a firm, urgent tone, "What is the situation on the front line?"

Although Jiang Bai longed to be at the front, to personally experience the atmosphere of the artillery-laden battlefield, officers like Chen Shan adamantly opposed it, insisting he remain in this bunker buried three meters underground.

A complex expression crossed Chen Shan’s face; he knew that Jiang Bai was the core of the 7th Army, and every decision he made dictated the trajectory of the entire campaign. He said in a low, steady voice, "Commander, the front line is stable! Under our overwhelming firepower, the enemy's offensive has been completely contained!"

Jiang Bai nodded in acknowledgment, though his eyes still betrayed deep concern. "What are our own casualties?"

At this moment, Wang Muzhi, commander of the 211th Brigade, approached with a face covered in soot and smoke to report. His face bore the marks of the battlefield, and his eyes held both exhaustion and resolve.

"Reporting to the Commander, although we have sustained casualties in the current engagement, the situation remains well within our control."

Hearing this, Jiang Bai felt a slight sense of relief, though he remained tense.

"Pass the order down," he said slowly. "Commanders at all levels must avoid head-on clashes with the enemy. We must leverage our advantage in firepower; do not use our own weaknesses to attack their strengths."

"Order the front-line troops not to be stingy with ammunition. If a problem can be solved with shells, do not let the soldiers risk their lives."

Jiang Bai remained steadfast in his belief that superior firepower was the key to victory on the battlefield. Ammunition could be reproduced, but the lives of soldiers were priceless. It took immense time and resources to train a soldier, and their lives must never be sacrificed lightly.

Chen Shan, standing beside him, nodded firmly. Though he was a rugged man from the north, his eyes glimmered with moisture at that moment. For seasoned officers like them, finding a commander who cherished the lives of his soldiers so deeply was, without a doubt, a great fortune. This was exactly why the 7th Army was united as one and remained fiercely loyal to Jiang Bai.

Suddenly, a scout rushed in, his face etched with tension and anxiety. Gasping for breath, he reported, "Reporting to the Commander! The scout battalion has discovered large-scale enemy movements in the Qingshan area! They seem to be attempting to flank us! Commander, should we organize a counterattack immediately?"

Jiang Bai smiled slightly, a look of profound insight and composure. "It seems these Japanese are acting just as I anticipated, attempting a flanking maneuver. However, they have chosen the wrong opponent." His voice was calm and confident, as if everything were firmly within his grasp.

"What is the exact situation at Qingshan?" Jiang Bai pressed, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, as if it could pierce through layers of fog to reach every corner of the battlefield.

The scout quickly replied, "Reporting, Commander, the scout battalion in the Qingshan region is already concealed and standing by, ready to act on your orders at any moment!"

Jiang Bai issued his command decisively, his voice firm and resonant: "Order the scout battalion to open fire and counterattack immediately, and dispatch a combat battalion from the reserves to support them! We must thwart their flanking maneuver; their attempt at an encirclement must not succeed!"

Meanwhile, at the temporary command post of the Japanese 17th Search Detachment, Lieutenant Colonel Iguchi stood staring toward the distant Qingshan, his face as dark as water. He cursed with rage, his eyes burning with fury and frustration.

He had expected this operation to easily break through the enemy's line, never imagining that they would be met with such fierce resistance from a scout battalion before even nearing the summit. The battalion held the high ground of Qingshan, utilizing light and heavy weapons to unleash devastating fire upon them.

Caught in unfavorable terrain, Iguchi's troops suffered heavy losses. They attempted to scale the peak, but under the relentless suppression of the Chengyun Army's firepower, they could not advance.

A captain reported to Lieutenant Colonel Iguchi with an expression of anxiety and despair: "Lieutenant Colonel, we cannot reach the summit! The Chengyun Army's firepower is too intense; we cannot break through their lines!"

Hearing this, the fury in Iguchi’s heart erupted. He spun around and slapped the captain hard across the face. The captain endured the blow without a change in expression; he knew that in the army, any resistance was forbidden. He chose to suffer in silence, both to maintain the soldiers' morale and to uphold his loyalty to his superiors.

Just then, another captain rushed in, his face filled with terror: "Lieutenant Colonel, it’s bad! The Chengyun Army’s reinforcements are approaching! What should we do?"

Iguchi’s face turned even grimmer. He pressed his lips together, brows locked in thought, searching for a strategy. Yet, at that very moment, deafening battle cries erupted as Iguchi’s troops were hit by a fierce charge from the Chengyun Army’s cavalry regiment.

The cavalry, wielding gleaming sabers and carbines, descended like a violent storm. Their charge was unstoppable, plunging Iguchi’s forces into desperation. Under the brutal assault of the cavalry, the detachment completely collapsed, and soldiers fled in every direction.

However, the Chengyun Army’s infantry gave them no chance to escape. Soldiers of the 211th Brigade surged from their positions, surrounding the enemy completely. A bloody battle unfolded at the foot of Qingshan, lasting nearly three hours. In the end, most of the soldiers from the 54th Infantry Regiment and the 17th Search Detachment lay in pools of blood, with only a few hundred lucky enough to escape.

Colonel Yamaguchi had assumed that with the combat power of the 15th Division, he could easily handle the Chengyun Army’s counterattack. He never expected his troops to suffer such devastating losses in this engagement. He knew deeply that this defeat would have a profound impact on the entire course of the war.