Li Shuiyang was not about to be outdone. He lay prone on a high boulder, rapidly spinning the drum cylinder to reload his crossbow. Fixing his eyes on the Japanese Army soldiers advancing toward the foot of the mountain, he pulled the trigger repeatedly. The crossbow bolts hissed through the air; several Japanese soldiers took hits to their shoulders, waists, and thighs, collapsing to the ground one after another. Seeing their comrades fall, the remaining Japanese realized they were under attack and scrambled to take cover. Yet, because the Li Brothers held the high ground, no matter how the Japanese soldiers hid, they remained entirely within the brothers' line of sight. These crossbow bolts had been pre-soaked in neurotoxin—a lethal weapon for slaying enemies provided to them by Leitao. Those Japanese stragglers were entirely focused on pushing toward Leitao's position, completely unaware of the fatal threat coming from behind. As the bolts flew continuously, more Japanese soldiers were struck. The moment a bolt grazed or pierced them, the neurotoxin rapidly spread. The struck Japanese soldiers dropped dead instantly, their bodies pinned to the ground by the powerful impact of the bolts, expressions of terror and disbelief still frozen on their faces. Others struggled in agony, clutching their wounds and wailing aloud, though it was merely a final flash of vitality before their breath was cut short a moment later.
The Japanese unit instantly plunged into chaos and panic. T…
Chapter 143