The autumn wind is bleak in the southern strait of Ashihara Island.
The wicked man stood on the flagship's deck, gazing at the waters blocked by the Qin army. Eighty warships were spread out in a fan shape, completely sealing off the strait.
"Grand Commandant," Zhang Erhe stepped forward and said, "three more small Japanese boats tried to escape, but we stopped them."
Where are they?
"They're all waiting on the shore."
The wicked man disembarked from the warship and came to the beach. A dozen or so Japanese men, mostly dressed as fishermen, were bound and kneeling on the ground.
"Tell me! What's the situation in the mountains?"
An elderly fisherman said in a trembling voice, "Reporting to you, sir. The people in the mountains have been without food for more than ten days. Some villages have started eating tree bark and grass roots, and some are even..."
He couldn't continue. The Japanese hiding in the mountains had nowhere to go, and some began to kill each other and eat the flesh and blood of their own kind to satisfy their hunger.
"Grand Commandant!" A scout rushed over. "We just found a group of corpses in the western valley. Judging from the wounds, they were killed by their own men..."
The wicked man sneered, "Just as I thought. These Japanese can't even die with dignity. Men, cut off these fishermen's heads and hang them on the beach. Let those hiding in the mountains see what happens when they try to escape!"
Soon, more than a dozen human heads were hung on the wooden stakes, swaying in the wind.
Crows circled overhead from time to time, emitting mournful cries. These birds had already feasted on too many carcasses here, turning the entire Ashihara Island into their paradise.
"Grand Commandant!" Meng Tian rode up, "We've captured another group of Japanese nobles in the mountains. They tried to escape under cover of night, but our patrol discovered them..."
"Bring it up!"
A moment later, seven or eight richly dressed Japanese men were brought before them. Judging from their attire, they were all people of high status.
"Tell me," the wicked man said, his eyes cold, "how many people are still in the mountains?"
"Your Excellency..." a nobleman said in a trembling voice, "There are still thirty to forty thousand people in the mountains. Among them are about eight thousand warriors, but they are all starving and on the verge of collapse. Moreover..."
"And what?"
"The chieftains are already discussing surrendering," the nobleman whispered, "but they're afraid the Qin Dynasty won't accept their surrender, which is why they haven't dared to descend the mountain..."
"Surrender?" the wicked man suddenly laughed. "Do you think you still have the right to surrender?"
He stood up, looking at the trembling nobles kneeling on the ground: "I, the Grand Commandant, have not come here to have you surrender. I have come to wipe the entire East Japan from this land!"
"No, no..."
Before the words were even finished, a flash of cold light appeared. The heads of the nobles rolled to the ground, their blood staining the beach red.
"Give the order to the entire army," the wicked man said in a deep voice, "Continue to blockade the strait. When these Japanese hiding in the mountains can't hold out any longer, they'll naturally come crawling to us!"
The warships on the shore continued their patrols, while the devastation in the mountains worsened.
Without supplies, the Japanese were forced to survive by eating tree bark and grass roots. Some even began to kill each other, eating the flesh of their own kind to fill their stomachs.
Finally, half a month later, news came from the mountains.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant!" A scout arrived at full speed. "The Japanese in the mountains can't hold out any longer. They've split into several groups and are charging down the mountain..."
"Well done!" the wicked man sneered. "Order the troops to prepare to close the net!"
At his command, the Qin army, which had been lying in ambush for a long time, began to move.
Countless rockets hurtled through the air, setting the mountain road ablaze. Those Japanese soldiers trying to break through were engulfed in flames, either burned to death or shot to death by a hail of arrows.
More people ran towards the sea, only to stumble into the Qin army's encirclement. A dense rain of arrows fell, and countless Japanese soldiers lay dead in pools of blood.
"Kill! Leave no one alive!"
The Qin army, like tigers descending from the mountains, unleashed a massacre on the starving and weakened Japanese. Those who knelt and begged for mercy were hacked to death, and warriors who tried to resist were shot dead by arrows.
Blood quickly stained the hillside. Countless corpses tumbled down the mountain, smashing to pieces against the rocks. These Japanese soldiers either died from arrows, from swords, or, more often, from starvation in the mountains.
By evening, the battle was finally over.
"Take a headcount!"
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, over 30,000 Japanese were killed in this battle. Of these, about 10,000 managed to walk down the mountain, while the rest starved to death. The entire Ashihara Island can be said to have been completely wiped out!"
The wicked man nodded: "Send men to search the mountain. Anyone found alive is to be killed without mercy! Also..."
He looked up at the sky: "Order Meng Tian and Wang Li to search the other islands again. I, the Grand Commandant, want to ensure that not a single Japanese soldier is seen on this land again!"
As night deepened, the thick smoke continued to rise.
The entire East was shrouded in the shadow of death. This once prosperous land had become a wasteland. And this was the price of betraying the Qin Dynasty!
One month later, at Kuaiji Port.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, all the islands have been cleared." Meng Tian's expression was grave. "According to statistics, this eastern expedition resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 Japanese, with not a single survivor. There will be no more trace of the Japanese on that land."
The wicked man stood on the lookout tower at the harbor, gazing eastward. This land, which once belonged to the Japanese, now belonged entirely to the Qin.
"Grand Commandant," Zhang Erhe stepped forward and said, "those islands are currently empty, should we...?"
"Of course we must make use of it." A glint of cunning flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "Send out the order to transfer people from the coastal counties to Japan to cultivate the land. This Grand Commandant will revitalize that land!"
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