Chapter Sixty-Three: Kill! Kill! Kill Them All!

Hu Baiwan's body crashed to the ground, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips. With so many Japanese soldiers buried alongside him, he had fulfilled the mission entrusted to him by his master, Xiao Fei. His heart was content.

The thunderous explosion told Xiao Fei that something had happened on Hu Baiwan's side. Meanwhile, he and Jin Shaohua had successfully joined forces, luring nearly ten thousand remaining soldiers of the Sakata Regiment deep into the wild mountains and forests. As panic swept through these men, Xiao Fei ordered a frenzied assault.

The Japanese troops, numbering over ten thousand, were desperately searching for an escape when, suddenly, boulders seemed to rain from the sky, smashing ruthlessly upon their heads. The frail bodies of men could not withstand the crushing force of mountains of stone; cries for parents and gods echoed as countless soldiers fell, and soon, the Japanese were soaking in a lake of blood.

Before they could recover, bullets swept over them like a torrential downpour. They had no time to react before those bullets tore through them.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

One after another, the Japanese soldiers could no longer endure the sudden, ferocious attack. Their leader was forced to raise a white flag high overhead.

Yet Xiao Fei had long issued the order: no prisoners, no acceptance of surrender. His men dared not disobey, and, having witnessed the burning, pillaging, and slaughter of innocent compatriots by the Japanese and German soldiers along the way, they hated the enemy with a fervor that demanded vengeance. The more desperately the Japanese tried to surrender, the more relentless the barrage of bullets from Xiao Fei’s troops.

The Japanese soon realized their opponents were resolved to kill them all. Surrender was impossible. They had no choice but to band together and fight to the death.

When a man ceases to fear death, there is nothing left to fear. Four or five thousand Japanese soldiers locked arms like walls, surging toward Xiao Fei in a desperate charge.

But those walls collapsed, one after another, beneath the relentless assault. At the same time, many of Xiao Fei’s own men fell. War is blind; sacrifice is inevitable. Xiao Fei knew this well. Though he watched his brothers fall, his heart aching, he was a man who never forgot his grievances. He was determined to avenge his fallen compatriots. If the Japanese prisoners were released, the incompetent Beiyang government would surely send them back to Japan without conditions, and they would surely return as the backbone of future invasions. Today, they had to die, no matter how heavy the price Xiao Fei would pay.

"Kill! Kill! Slaughter them all!" Xiao Fei thundered, issuing his order again and again until the last Japanese soldier lay dead in a pool of blood.

In less than half an hour, over ten thousand Japanese soldiers perished at Xiao Fei’s hand. The screams and wails echoed through the entire valley.

With a heavy heart, Xiao Fei closed his eyes and ordered his men to bury the bodies of their fallen brothers with care, firing salutes in their honor.

"Brothers, your sacrifice will not be in vain. One day, I will lead the others to flatten the despicable island nation and avenge you. Salute by fire! First bow, second bow, third bow!" Xiao Fei cried out before the corpses of his comrades.

"Send our brothers off!" Jin Shaohua led his men in removing their hats and saluting.

As for the bodies of the Japanese soldiers, Xiao Fei gave them no consideration. This was a wild mountain forest, frequented by beasts. Within three days, those corpses would surely be the feast of predators.

When Xiao Fei and his men found Hu Baiwan, they were stunned by what they saw. He had assumed Hu Baiwan might ruin his plans, but instead, Hu Baiwan, with only a thousand troops, had wiped out five thousand of Sakata’s men, even blowing Sakata himself to pieces.

Xiao Fei hurried to Hu Baiwan’s body, gathering him in his arms. "Commander Hu, you’ve done well!"

To his surprise, Hu Baiwan slowly opened his eyes and said with effort, "Master... I held onto my last breath... refusing to die... just to wait... for your arrival..."

"Ah, you’re alive! Wonderful! Medic, medic!" Xiao Fei urgently called for medical help.

But Hu Baiwan said, "Master... no need. I can’t hold on. I suppose... I’ve completed my task, haven’t I..."

"Yes, not only did you complete it, you did it brilliantly," Xiao Fei replied solemnly.

"Indeed, Hu brother, hold on, let the medic treat your wounds," Jin Shaohua said, his eyes moistening. The two had worked together for many years.

"No... don’t bother... hearing the master’s praise is enough for me..." Hu Baiwan struggled to finish.

"Don’t call me master. You are my senior," Xiao Fei said seriously.

"Master... you are the one I admire most in this life... Promise me... save China... reclaim our land... rescue our compatriots... restore our happiness... I... I die without regret..."

With those last words, Hu Baiwan breathed his final breath.

"Senior, rest assured, I will. I swear it," Xiao Fei said, gently closing Hu Baiwan’s eyes.

Hu Baiwan had not always been a corrupt official or traitor. His grandfather and father had died in the wars against Japan and the Eight-Nation Alliance. He harbored deep hatred for Japan. But as he grew older, climbed the ranks, and with the incompetent Beiyang government ruling, he was swept along by the tides of fate. Thankfully, he met Xiao Fei, who gave him hope and a chance to reshape his life.

Xiao Fei personally dug a deep grave for Hu Baiwan and laid him to rest. When all the fallen soldiers were buried, Xiao Fei led his men in removing their hats, saluting, and firing their guns in farewell.

In this battle, about two thousand innocent civilians were slaughtered by the German or Japanese troops, while Xiao Fei’s forces killed roughly five thousand Germans and forty thousand Japanese. Nearly three thousand of Xiao Fei’s own soldiers fell.

It was a resounding victory, but the sacrificed brothers and lost compatriots would never return.

In just five days, the beautiful Jiaozhou Bay was dimmed by war, the Jiaoji Railway destroyed. Yet, this battle revealed the backbone and spirit of the Chinese people. Not only did they recover all lost territory from the Germans, they dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese.

The news reached Japan, and their leaders and military chiefs could hardly believe it. Shock was an understatement. They only knew that forty thousand soldiers had died, but not whether they fell at the hands of the Chinese or the Germans.

Japan quickly pressured the Beiyang government, but Yuan Shikai was clueless, only aware that Hu Baiwan had led five thousand troops into Shandong. He could not believe that Hu Baiwan had annihilated forty thousand Japanese and five thousand Germans, and he could provide no explanation.

The Japanese military tried to contact the prominent figure in Jiangning, the rising star—Hideki Tojo—but could not reach him. They had no idea that the old Hideki Tojo no longer existed.

As the news spread, the whole nation was shocked, and the world stirred. This strange, small-scale war sent a loud warning: the Chinese are not to be trifled with!

Unable to find the culprit, and unwilling to dispatch more troops into China, Japan had to reconsider its strategy.

Yuan Shikai, pressured by domestic opinion, appointed Jin Shaohua as acting commander of Jiangning.

Yet no one could have imagined that this miracle in history was created by a young man named Xiao Fei, who came from the future.

Xiao Fei returned with his men in triumph, but he did not relax for a moment. The great powers eyed China greedily and would not sit idly by as China grew stronger. The stronger China became, the more they feared it. Decades ago, the West had already begun to spread the "China Threat Theory." The imperialist nations—America, England, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Holland, Portugal—would surely act against China.

At home, Xiao Fei knew well that "the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled." Though he operated from behind the scenes and was scarcely known, as his domain expanded, it would inevitably impact the interests of other warlords and the Beiyang government. Thus, Xiao Fei would become the target of all.

Therefore, he continued to act from the shadows, steadily expanding his influence. At the same time, he dispersed his forces, waiting for the day he would be powerful enough to compete with the heroes of the nation and the world.

"When autumn comes on the eighth of September, my flower blooms and all others fade. The fragrance soars, reaching Chang’an, the city adorned in golden armor." Xiao Fei sat alone atop the roof of the Spring Inn, drinking beneath the moon, recalling the fierce battles of days past, unconsciously reciting these lines.

"Beautiful verses, beautiful verses... Winter brother, your literary talent truly surpasses all ages." Li Shishi approached gracefully, her slender waist swaying as she walked.

"Shishi sister, you flatter me. Come, share a drink with me." Xiao Fei handed her his cup.

But as Li Shishi reached for the cup, her foot slipped; the tile beneath her moved, and she nearly tumbled downward.

Quick as lightning, Xiao Fei caught her by the slender waist. Her startled beauty was captivating.

Li Shishi whimpered softly, collapsing into Xiao Fei’s arms. Moonlight spilled over her full, proud breasts, bathing them in radiance, mingling with her own glow—a sight so enchanting it left one breathless.

With alcohol inflaming his senses, Xiao Fei could not help but swallow nervously. His other hand, guided by some mysterious urge, slid from Li Shishi's waist down to her smooth, tempting hips. With a gentle pressure, his fingers parted the soft curves.

"Sister, I’m sorry, I’ve ruined your pretty backside," Xiao Fei teased.

"You rascal... you’re so annoying... aren’t you going to carry me down?" Li Shishi’s voice was both shy and sweet, her breath warm against Xiao Fei’s ear, making him dizzy.

"Where to?" Xiao Fei asked, bewildered.

"Anywhere you like..."