Chapter 365: The Invader's Fate

In the valley, Nanshan Xiuji finally realized that he had been tricked; he had fallen into the Chinese army's trap.

Nanshan Xiuji thought himself clever, taking a mountain path, assuming the Chinese army would not pursue or find him, but he did not expect Jiang Anguo's Independent Regiment together with the 11th Division and the 150th Division, all searching for the Japanese Army's 13th Division commander.

This also led Nanshan Xiuji himself into the Huaxia army's encirclement.

He drew his binoculars: to the north a heavy machine‑gun fire net, to the southeast artillery blockades, and the western mountains were high and densely forested—no way out.

"Baka…" Nanshan Xiuji muttered, "It's a trap."

The adjutant hurriedly said, "Brigade commander, break out!"

"Where to break out?" Nanshan said with a wry smile, "The Chinese army has already calculated our route. To the southeast, west, north and south there are Chinese forces; this is… a dead end."

If Nanshan Xiuji were to gamble his life fighting eastward, there might still be a chance of survival.

But now he hesitated, as Hu Lian's 11th Division was dispatching troops to block the 17th Brigade, sealing the eastern escape route.

Once surrounded, the main force of the 17th Brigade would be annihilated at Zengjiagang.

"Amaterasu…" he closed his eyes, "Why do you not give a warning?"

At that moment.

"Tap tap tap—!"

On the forward slope, Jiang Xingxue personally led the Guard Company in a charge!

Two hundred and forty elite soldiers descended in three columns.

"Kill—!"

The shout reverberated through the valley.

Nanshan drew his military sword: "All, break like jade! Kill the chicken!"

The remaining troops raised their bayonets and launched a final counter‑attack.

But the times have changed.

The shouts of Bushido Spirit could not stop the submachine gun's bullets.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Guard Company soldiers fought in three‑man teams, taking turns to fire.

A Little Devil (Japanese soldier) had just charged ten steps when three rounds struck his chest, and he fell backward.

Another raised his sword to strike, but an engineer cleaved off half his head.

"Baka, the Chinese army is not brave," Nanshan Xiuji shouted angrily.

The battle turned into a one‑sided slaughter.

At 13:30, the 17th Brigade's structure collapsed. Soldiers either knelt to surrender or clutched their heads and wept.

Only six guards remained beside Nanshan Xiuji; he looked around as Huaxia army flags rose on three sides.

Xu Guozhang was to the north, Hu Lian to the south, Jiang Anguo in the center; the three forces surrounded the 17th Brigade.

A steel‑bucket encirclement left no escape.

"You may go," he told the guards, "I… cannot return to Tokyo any longer."

The guards wept, bowed their heads, turned and rushed toward the enemy line, and were instantly cut down by a hail of gunfire.

Nanshan slowly dismounted and drew a short sword.

He sat cross‑legged in the middle of the road, facing east—the direction of Tokyo.

"The Imperial shame, I shall bear alone."

He finished the chant in a low voice, gripped the blade with both hands, thrust it violently into his abdomen, then pulled it sideways.

Fresh blood spurted, staining the uniform scarlet.

Nanshan Xiuji leaned forward but did not collapse, remaining on his knees, his head bowed in repentance, as if apologizing.

Nanshan Xiuji was clearly poisoned by the Bushido Spirit; he refused to be taken prisoner by the Chinese army, and thus could only report his 'beloved' Emperor by cutting his own abdomen.

The battle ended.

Jiang Anguo stepped forward, gazed at Nanshan's corpse, and remained silent for a long while.

Even among the Little Devil (Japanese soldiers) there are those who fear no death, but they all deserve to die.

"First take a photo, then bury him directly; that's a bit daring, still daring to cut his own belly," Jiang Anguo ordered, "Erect a stone tablet that reads 'Invader Nanshan Xiuji died here.' Let him see that this land forever belongs to China. Also let the Little Devil (Japanese soldiers) see that this is the fate of an invader."

In this battle, the Independent Mixed 17th Brigade was completely wiped out: 682 killed, 513 captured.

Jiang Anguo's original intention was to take no prisoners, but the soldiers of the 11th Division and the 150th Division were eager to capture, and Jiang Anguo could not stop them.

A major reason Jiang Anguo did not need prisoners is that a single Little Devil (Japanese soldier) now yields him 40 points, whereas a captured Little Devil gives him nothing.

Of course, these prisoners might be of some use to the 11th Division later.

Captured were 712 rifles, 13 irregular submachine guns, several grenade launchers, and all the infantry mountain guns of the 17th Brigade were left on the Xiaoting Ancient Trail.

Huaxia army casualties: Guard Company 52 wounded, 17 killed; 150th Division 24 wounded, 9 killed; 34th Regiment 32 wounded, 29 killed.

The cost was minimal, the gains enormous.

This battle can be said to have completely annihilated a Japanese brigade, until later, when Jiang Anguo attacked Dangyang, he discovered that the 17th Brigade still had two battalions stationed there. At that time, Nanshan Xiuji had only brought three battalions to support Xiaoting.

Hu Lian came over, kicked a Japanese steel helmet on the ground, and said, "If Nanshan had broken out yesterday, he might have lived one more day."

Xu Guozhang spat, "Such a coward only deserves to die by his own blade."

Jiang Anguo said nothing, merely looking eastward.

This battle was not merely the annihilation of a brigade; it also declared to Wuhan, to Nanjing, and to all occupied regions that Huaxia's counteroffensive had begun.

The order was quickly issued: "All troops rest for two hours, resupply ammunition. At 14:00 sharp, advance toward Dangyang!"

The soldiers sat on the ground, gnawing on rations and cleaning their weapons.

No one cheered; only fatigue, with eyes showing resolve.

Especially the soldiers of the 150th Division and the Guard Company, after many consecutive days of combat, had reached their breaking point.

Jiang Anguo also seized every chance to rest, restoring his own physical strength.

And at the bottom of Zengjiagang Valley, Nanshan Xiuji's corpse lay quietly, beside it a tattered Rising Sun flag was lifted by the wind,

then slowly fell, covering his face.

The news of Yichang's liberation reached the 18th Army headquarters in the afternoon of June 1.

Regiment Commander Fang Tianzheng and the Chief of Staff were assessing the western Hubei situation in front of the sand table when the communications staff officer hurried in, presenting a Telegram with both hands: "Commander, Hu Lian, Division Commander, urgent Telegram!"

Fang Tian took it, scanned the Telegram, his brows furrowing tighter, "… Yichang was fully reclaimed at 6 a. m. this morning; the Japanese Army's 13th Division main force was annihilated, its Division Commander Nei Shan Yingta Lang captured alive. Our unit is now pursuing the remnants, clearing the outskirts. Please have the 18th Army rush to Yichang to take over the defense; delay and we may head straight for Wuhan."

"So it's already taken?" Fang Tian muttered, hardly daring to believe it.

In less than forty‑eight hours, this Yangtze River throat stronghold, occupied by the Japanese Army for nearly three years, had already returned to Huaxia forces' hands? He had originally thought Jiang Anguo and Hu Lian's plan was merely a raid, even privately telling the Chief of Staff, "The young man's blood and vigor are still fresh; he'll probably get a taste of defeat."

But now, the Telegram's black‑on‑white words even clearly state "captured alive Nei Shan," which is certainly not a false claim of merit.

If a captured Japanese Division Commander were still reported falsely, that would be a grave crime; I'm sure Chongqing would certainly execute Hu Lian and Jiang Anguo by firing squad.

The Chief of Staff leaned in to read the Telegram, voice trembling: "Commander, if this… is true, Yichang is truly back! Since when has the Little Devil's combat power become so weak? This is a Class A Division of the Japanese Army."

Fang Tian was silent for a moment, then slammed the table: "Immediately send a report to the Chongqing Military Commission to verify the authenticity of the Yichang liberation report! At the same time, order all divisions to cease their current rest, ready ammunition, provisions, and engineering equipment, and be prepared to mobilize at any time!"

In fact, part of Fang Tian's 18th Army had already prepared to move to the front lines; this wasn't a coordinated 'farce' with Jiang Anguo, and the action wasn't that swift, but unexpectedly, the other side acted even faster than him.