Xifengkou, a beacon fire
The north wind, like thousands of invisible files, was polishing Xifengkou in March of the 22nd year of the Republic of China.
Night offered the best cover, but also the most extreme cold. Snowflakes, swirling in the wind, flew across and instantly froze into ice upon hitting the face. Gu Tieshan lay prone behind a snow-covered rock, his white cloth wrapping him almost one with the vast snowfield. He gently moved his slightly frozen fingers, feeling the familiar icy touch of the Green Dragon Blade at his waist. This blade, which he had reforged using his own methods, gleamed with a faint, eerie blue light in the dim glow of the snow.
Less than ten feet to his left lay Battalion Commander Zhao Dengyu. Zhao Dengyu was like a lurking snow leopard; even in such bitter cold and deathly silence, his eyes were sharp enough to pierce through the darkness, fixed on the Japanese camp below the mountain, where the lights were scattered but the danger lurked.
"Cold?" Zhao Dengyu's voice was extremely low, hoarse from being honed by the wind and sand, but within that hoarseness lay a calming power.
Gu Tieshan tilted his head slightly, and could see the resolute profile of Zhao Dengyu's face under the brim of his hat. "My heart is burning, Battalion Commander," he replied, his voice equally deep, but his breath as steady as a mountain rock. "This wind is just right to cool us down."
Zhao Dengyu grinned silently, revealing teeth white from the cold: "Good lad! You're a fine piece of steel! See those will-o'-the-wisps down the mountain? That's our firewood stack for tonight! I'm going to set it on fire and burn it brightly! Let those damn Japanese devils know what it means to have sleepless nights!"
He paused, his tone growing even more somber, like a dark cloud looming over the city: "Tieshan, you're a promising young man whom Commander Song personally praised, a tough nut to crack in our entire division! Our 29th Army is poor; the weapons our brothers have are inferior to the Japanese Arisaka rifles, let alone their planes and artillery. But Commander Song said, 'We soldiers should repay our country with our lives!' This spirit cannot be broken! This sword cannot be wielded weakly!"
"Battalion Commander!" Gu Tieshan's voice burst from deep in his throat, carrying a metallic quality. "Don't worry! My skills are based on the foundation laid by Master Shang Yunxiang, and this knife has drunk the blood and sweat of three generations of blacksmiths in my Gu family! It won't cut iron, it will cut the bones of the Japanese devils! Tonight, I will make sure they don't return alive!"
He wasn't exaggerating at all. His foundation in Xingyi Quan was already ingrained in his very bones. When teaching the brothers in the broadsword team the "Five Elements Broadsword," he even incorporated the power generation techniques of the "Half-Step Bengquan" passed down by Shang Yunxiang into his swordplay, emphasizing close-quarters combat and a single, fatal strike. He even vaguely remembered hearing his master mention a "Sword Immortal" general named Li Jinglin when he was young, whose words, "National martial arts are the art of killing enemies and protecting the country," were deeply imprinted in his heart like a brand.
Zhao Dengyu patted his shoulder heavily, the force conveying unspoken trust and entrustment. "Alright! Stick close to me! We'll use this sharp knife to stab the Japanese devils right in the heart!"
Time flowed slowly in the cold wait. Each breath seemed to stretch out. Gu Tieshan could hear his own steady heartbeat and feel the constant, unchanging coolness emanating from the "Dragon Scale Thorn" he kept close to his left wrist. This extraordinary object was his greatest secret and his only reliance in dire straits.
Suddenly, a short, mournful cry of an owl rang out in the distance—it was the signal to attack!
Zhao Dengyu leaped up from the snow like a sleeping lion suddenly awakening. He drew his broadsword from his back and swung it forward with all his might, the sound tearing through the silent night sky.
"The Big Sword Squad—!!"
All the lurking white figures suddenly launched like an avalanche!
"--charge!!"
"kill--!!!"
The roars merged into a raging torrent, sweeping across the entire hillside! Gu Tieshan followed closely behind Zhao Dengyu's unstoppable figure, like a tiger descending the mountain, pouncing towards the enemy camp! The foundation of Xingyi Quan erupted at this moment, his steps ploughing the ground like a plow, his speed so fast that he left only a faint shadow on the snow.
Two Japanese sentries who had been dozing at the camp gate were startled awake, only to see a white shadow sweep towards them in their drowsy state. Gu Tieshan gave them no time to react!
"Xingyi - Splitting Fist!"
The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, carrying the immense power of Xingyi Piquan (a style of Chinese martial arts), slashing down from an uncanny angle! The first sentry, along with his rifle, was cleaved in two, his blood and internal organs instantly splattering onto the pristine snow—a horrifying sight!
He turned around, twisted his waist, and the knife followed his movement!
"Drill Fist!"
The second sentry had just raised his bayonet when Gu Tieshan's blade, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, pierced his throat with unparalleled precision! The Japanese soldier's eyes bulged, and he let out a few incoherent syllables before collapsing limply to the ground.
The camp erupted in chaos! The Japanese soldiers were jolted awake and hastily engaged in battle. Accustomed to gunfire, they had never witnessed such brutal hand-to-hand combat, a spectacle usually reserved for the era of cold weapons. Countless Chinese soldiers wielding broadswords descended like divine warriors, hacking and slashing at anyone and everything in their path! Many Japanese soldiers even died in their sleep!
Gu Tieshan was completely bloodthirsty. He pushed the power of the "Half-Step Crushing Fist" to its limit; every step he took was like an arrow shot from a drawn bow, and with each swing of his broadsword, a Japanese soldier was sure to fall! He was no longer an instructor, but the most ferocious killing god on the battlefield!
A Japanese sergeant yelled and commanded several soldiers to form a bayonet charge and surround them. Gu Tieshan did not retreat but advanced, stepping on the center line and suddenly cutting in, his broadsword piercing the enemy's rifle!
"Crushing Fist!"
A tremendous force erupted from the blade, causing the sergeant's rifle to fly out of his hand, his hand splitting open! Gu Tieshan's blade continued its momentum, and with a swift stroke, a head flew into the air!
In the chaos, he saw Battalion Commander Zhao Dengyu covered in blood, yet still wielding his broadsword, charging left and right like a war god, roaring and inspiring his brothers around him.
"Battalion Commander! Watch out on your right!" Gu Tieshan caught a glimpse of a Japanese officer secretly raising his gun to aim at Zhao Dengyu's back. He suddenly hurled his broadsword forward like a javelin, pinning the Japanese soldier who was attempting a sneak attack to the ground, and at the same time, he pounced on the officer like a cheetah!
The officer clearly hadn't expected Gu Tieshan to arrive so quickly, and it was too late to turn his gun around. Gu Tieshan delivered a powerful close-quarters strike, his shoulder and elbow slamming into the officer's chest like a heavy hammer!
"Snap!"
A sickening cracking sound rang out. The officer was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the tent and falling silent.
Zhao Dengyu turned around and saw this scene. He gave Gu Tieshan an approving look, then swung his sword and charged into another battle.
That night, at Xifengkou, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, and blood stained the white snow!
The gleaming of the broadsword mingled with the screams of the Japanese invaders, creating a tragic symphony of war. Gu Tieshan lost count of how many men he had cut down; his uniform was soaked in blood, frozen solid. He simply wielded his broadsword instinctively, chasing after Battalion Commander Zhao, unleashing the killing techniques taught to him by his master Shang Yunxiang, the patriotic aspirations of Commander Song Zheyuan, and the hatred and resentment of all his brothers in the 29th Army onto this ancient land!
As the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, the fighting gradually subsided. The Japanese camp was a scene of utter devastation, littered with corpses. The flag of the 29th Army, in the morning light, flew proudly amidst the scorched earth and blood.
Gu Tieshan stood with his sword hanging down, breathing heavily, his white breath condensing in the cold air. He looked at the hellish scene before him, at the many familiar faces that had fallen forever around him, and felt no ecstatic joy of victory, only a heavy, almost exhausting weariness, and an even more steadfast belief called "protection."
Zhao Dengyu walked to his side, also covered in blood. He patted Gu Tieshan's arm forcefully, his voice hoarse but full of strength:
"Tieshan, well done! This battle has shown the might of the Chinese people! Commander Song and all the people of the country will remember us!"
Gu Tieshan nodded heavily, his gaze sweeping over the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, looking south. He knew this was just the beginning. A longer, more brutal battle awaited him, awaiting his broadsword, and awaiting the dragon scale dagger on his wrist—a weapon whose sharpness had not yet been fully revealed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
