Chapter 30

This battle was not merely a fight for freedom, but a purification and rebirth of the spirit. Li Yunlong was leading not just a military unit, but a group of warriors rising from the depths of despair. The news of the attack on the Qingshan POW Camp did not spread, as the telephone lines had been cut and the radio transmitter destroyed in time. Zhang Dabiao and his soldiers, while waiting for the Japanese reinforcements that never arrived, could clearly hear every thunderous explosion of gunfire coming from the direction of the camp. Though their hearts burned with the desperate urge to plunge into the unknown battle, they remained tethered to their positions. Nearby, a Japanese stronghold was alerted by the sound of gunfire and dispatched a squad to investigate. Perhaps driven by a tactical instinct or concern for their comrades, this squad quickly approached the camp. They had not anticipated that Zhang Dabiao and his men were lying in wait in the shadows. At a single command, grenades rained down like a storm, catching the Japanese off guard. In their panic, they retreated to their stronghold.