Chapter 332: Encounter on a Narrow Road

The lead convoy of the Independent Mixed 17th Brigade wound along the serpentine Xiaoting ancient road like a frightened long snake, then suddenly halted.

Major General Nanshan Xiuji stood on the Jeep's footboard, raising his binoculars to scan ahead.

Ahead at the mountain pass, several tongues of flame erupted—clearly the Huaxia Army's heavy machine guns raking wildly, bullets striking the roadside rocks and spraying sparks.

The foremost Type 97 "Land King" side three-wheeled motorcycle was the unluckiest; the machine gunner in the left sidecar hadn't even fired his crooked submachine gun, and the three-wheeler was hit in its fuel tank by a burst of MG42 fire from Mi Long—rat‑a‑tat, a volley of bullets.

The machine gunner was instantly pierced by several bullets and died on the spot.

Now Mi Long, wielding his machine gun, was equally deft—shooting wherever he pointed!

At that moment, a low, terrifying engine roar thundered from overhead.

Nanshan Xiuji jerked his head up, his heart leapt to his throat. Through the sparse foliage he saw several aircraft bearing the blue‑sky‑white‑sun emblem skim low.

Their streamlined fuselage and massive twin tails were the P‑38 "Lightning" that had recently terrified the entire Japanese Army in Central China.

Marching along this narrow, cramped ancient road that could not be widened, if these "airborne death gods" locked onto them, the entire 4,000‑plus men of the 17th Brigade would become live targets with nowhere to hide, guaranteed to be annihilated.

Cold sweat broke out on Nanshan Xiuji instantly; he froze in place, awaiting the destructive bomb to fall.

Miraculously, the planes seemed to notice the massive convoy below; the pilots even glanced sideways, yet they neither lowered their wings nor dropped bombs. With arrogant swagger they roared straight toward the northwest, as if they had a mission more important than wiping out a brigade.

Nanshan Xiuji gulped breathlessly, still shaken, before he could ponder where the aircraft intended to bomb, the gunfire ahead suddenly grew denser, and the road ahead was completely sealed off.

Seeing the few machine guns entrenched on the high ground and the small force that stubbornly blocked the pass, Nanshan Xiuji's mind buzzed as he realized a grave problem.

The forward road was blocked, there was no retreat, and the planes overhead flew by without bombing them.

That says one thing.

Xiaoting is lost!

Xiaoting has already been seized by the Huaxia Army!

The fighting over there must have ended; Nanshan Xiuji had just heard distant artillery, but now the Xiaoting direction seems quiet.

Otherwise those planes wouldn't have been able to spare a hand to go elsewhere, and this pass wouldn't have been taken so calmly.

"Baka! Get out, everyone get out! Return fire! Hit them hard!"

Nanshan Xiuji, furious and frantic, brandished his command sword and shouted loudly. He must pull out this nail before them, or the whole brigade will be trapped dead in this dead end.

However, reality was worse than he imagined.

The Xiaoting ancient road was already treacherous; its narrowest stretch could only accommodate a single transport vehicle. Now that the lead vehicle stopped, the following ones could not move at all. The Japanese Army's reinforcement of nearly 4,000 men, together with dozens of trucks and artillery, were packed like canned goods, dead‑locking this narrow stretch of road.

"Quick! Take cover! Get out fast and take cover!"

The Japanese soldiers' training showed itself at that moment. Though caught in a sudden ambush and briefly chaotic, their reaction speed was extremely fast.

At the command, the Japanese soldiers in the vehicle leapt out. Though the space was cramped and crowded, they swiftly rolled into the roadside drainage ditch or used the truck tires as cover.

At that moment, anyone still inside the transport would be a live target, like a coffin.

In the blink of an eye, the front‑line Japanese were half‑kneeling, raising their Type 38 rifles and light machine guns into a standard combat stance, their black muzzles aimed at the Huyashan high ground.

Clearly, even when ambushed, these Little Devils responded swiftly and with murderous intent.

"Rat‑a‑tat!"

The ancient road below instantly turned into a slaughterhouse as the Japanese counter‑attack came fast and fierce.

"Counterattack! Quick counterattack! Suppress the fire above!"

As the Japanese officer roared hoarsely, a rain of bullets hammered the Huyashan rocks, splintering stone that cracked and rattled around Mi Long's position; it must be said, these Little Devils' shooting skill was exceptionally high.

Next, the Japanese soldiers' prized grenade launcher sprang into action.

"Baka! Grenade launcher! Fire! Blast those machine guns!"

Although on this narrow mountain path the Japanese field and mountain artillery could not be deployed—there was no space for a gun carriage—the lightweight, agile grenade launcher became the deadliest weapon at that moment. The deft loading motion showed a veteran of many battles.

"Dong!"

A crisp firing sound sliced the battlefield.

A black grenade‑launcher shell arced in a high parabola, howling eerily in the air, and landed precisely ten‑plus meters from Mi Long.

"Boom!"

Earth erupted, a blast wave surged.

Mi Long felt a tingling on his scalp, and seeing the crater nearby, cold sweat streamed down his spine. Had it been any more accurate, Mi Long would have met his end here today.

It must be said, these Little Devils' grenade launcher was truly accurate, as if it had eyes.

Before Mi Long could recover, a machine‑gun nest on the right cliff, spitting fire, was hit by a shell. The gunner didn't even have time to hum; the blast flipped him, and the prized MG42 was blown apart, its parts scattering and its fire silenced.

Losing a machine gun, Mi Long's already thin force now struggled even more against the numerous Japanese.

Out of seven MG42 General Machine Guns, one is gone, leaving six.

"You spineless brat! No face, huh? Still dare to shoot me!"

Mi Long was truly incensed now; the reckless fury surged to his head, and his earlier "conserve ammunition" order was long forgotten.

"Spineless brat! Give me full firepower! No holding back! Concentrate fire, blast those grenade‑throwing Little Devils! Especially that grenade‑launcher squad, kill them!"

"Yes! Company Commander!"

"Rat‑a‑tat—!"

The remaining six MG42 General Machine Guns roared again with a chilling scream. This time it was no longer the gentle "Jiangnan drizzle," but a chainsaw‑like frenzy tearing the air. Silver belts of ammunition streaked death‑like lightning, and the muzzle spat flames over a foot long.

A metallic storm instantly enveloped the Japanese's newly exposed grenade‑launcher position.