Chapter 66: Blast These Little Devils to Pieces with Shells!

Faced with Jiang Bai’s piercing gaze and resolute words, the military officers felt an unprecedented pressure and sense of mission. They straightened their backs, responding in firm, sonorous voices, “Rest assured, Commander! We will complete the mission and not let a single enemy escape!”

Thus, under Jiang Bai’s unwavering command, the entire Seventh Reinforced Division seemed infused with new vigor. Each unit swiftly finished their preparations and launched a thunderous assault toward the direction of the Buchuan Regiment, vowing to shatter it with a single blow.

Amidst the fierce battle with the Sixty-Sixth Brigade, the Buchuan Regiment found itself on the brink of disaster. Its commander—a military officer of medium stature, with a resolute gaze—remained oblivious to the calamity about to befall his forces.

Clad in uniform, a major’s insignia gleaming on his shoulder, he stood in the command post, scrutinizing the battlefield map in search of a way to break the enemy’s encirclement.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed. A breathless signalman burst into the command post, delivering shocking news: “Reporting, Colonel! Intelligence from the Second Infantry Battalion at our rear—A large detachment from the Chengyun Army is maneuvering to encircle us from behind! Observers estimate their strength at no less than an entire infantry brigade!”

Buchuan froze for a moment. His face changed abruptly, anger and disbelief mingling in his eyes. “How could this happen? Are the soldiers guarding Wangkou all worthless?”

His voice trembled with fury, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes before determination quickly took its place.

After a rapid analysis, Buchuan’s face tightened, a glint of resolve in his eyes. He understood clearly that this was no ordinary battle, but a critical moment deciding the fate of his entire regiment. As he assessed the situation, it became apparent that Jiang Bai’s forces had deployed heavily; three infantry brigades guarded Wangkou at their rear. Every second of hesitation threatened to worsen their predicament.

However, this also meant that at Wangkou, Jiang Bai likely had no more than one brigade left to maneuver!

Before issuing orders, Buchuan let his gaze sweep over each subordinate’s face—some anxious, some resolute, some hesitant—all mirroring the tension of the moment. In a deep voice, he ordered, “Immediately notify the Second Infantry Battalion: Until we break through the Sixty-Sixth Brigade’s defenses, the Sixty-Seventh Brigade must not advance a single step!”

Then, Buchuan picked up a white headband emblazoned with a red sun from the desk and slowly tied it across his brow—a gesture symbolizing his resolve for the coming battle and the courage to confront death.

A decisive gleam shone in his eyes. His posture grew even more upright, as if prepared to face any challenge. Before the eyes of all present, Major Buchuan drew his command sword from his belt in a swift, powerful motion, embodying the decisiveness and courage of a true officer.

His voice rang out, filled with inspiration: “Comrades, it is clear—the enemy’s combat strength far exceeds our expectations, but we have no way back! If we do not break through the Sixty-Sixth Brigade’s line quickly, our Buchuan Regiment will face an unprecedented crisis. As warriors of the Empire, how can we allow ourselves to be defeated by such cowardly foes? Take up your blades and charge with me!”

Roused by Buchuan’s exhortation, the dispirited enemy soldiers felt their blood surge, shouting their rallying cries, eyes ablaze with the desire for battle and unyielding will.

The command post became charged with a feverish, combative atmosphere. Every soldier was ready to give their all for the imminent fight.

At that moment, with a hoarse roar, Buchuan raised his command sword high.

“For the Empire—Attack!”

“Open fire with the heavy machine guns! If the barrels fail, throw them aside—fix bayonets and charge for the glory of His Majesty the Emperor!” Major Buchuan’s commands echoed across the enemy lines, every soldier hurling their life into this seemingly hopeless offensive.

He led his men in a ferocious assault on the Sixty-Sixth Brigade’s fortified defenses. On the battlefield, every soldier displayed courage beyond imagination. Every rallying cry, every charge, was fueled by the determination to perish together with the Chengyun Army.

On the other side, the commander of the Sixty-Sixth Brigade, Liang Fei—a burly man with hawk-sharp eyes—had already come to the front lines.

Under his direct leadership, the Sixty-Sixth Brigade’s troops exhibited astonishing resistance.

Facing the enemy’s assaults, as overwhelming as a flood, they never faltered. Every volley, every artillery blast, was fired with the resolve to hold the line to the end.

The rumble of artillery and the staccato of machine guns became the symphony of battle.

On the Sixty-Sixth Brigade’s artillery positions, six 120mm light howitzers, like death’s own scythes, unleashed devastating shells toward the massing enemy troops.

Explosions echoed across the battlefield, shells mowing down the advancing enemy like a relentless reaper.

Amid such intense attack and defense, the cries and laments of both sides intertwined, weaving a desperate struggle of life and death, honor and shame.

Under withering fire, the enemy soldiers advanced with crushing difficulty, every step forward exacting a terrible price.

Some, in their hearts, whispered their final farewells to home.

“Forgive me, Mother—I may never see the cherry blossoms of home again!”

Yet even so, they pressed on.

“It hurts—don’t worry about me! Go! We must destroy these cursed Chengyun soldiers!”

Such spirit spread like a contagion among their ranks.

As the battle reached its fiercest, the light machine gun teams, long poised for action, unleashed a furious barrage.

Bullets poured down like rain, each one carrying the determination to halt the enemy’s advance.

This was not merely a contest of arms, but a clash of spirits and wills.

In such an environment, both commanders understood that the outcome of this battle would directly affect the course of the war. Whether for honor, survival, or inarticulate convictions, everyone threw their entire being into the fight.

Under the cover of night, countless bullets streaked like meteors across the darkness, painting dazzling trails of light—a metallic storm sweeping over, mercilessly consuming every enemy soldier caught in its path.

This sudden hail of gunfire left the enemy reeling. Before they could even locate the source, they were torn apart by the relentless barrage, their bodies shredded and cast as a rain of blood, finally falling lifeless into the mud of the battlefield.