Chapter 40: The First Direct Confrontation with the Japanese, the Might of the Soviet-Equipped Cavalry Battalion

Since 1935, the Japanese had long coveted the Xiabei region, eyeing it greedily. After effortlessly seizing Fengbei, they schemed to carve out the Xiabei area, attempting to replicate the Fengbei incident. Although this plot never came to fruition, their relentless military buildup laid bare their ambitions for Xiabei.

As tensions in the north grew, many universities in Beiping prepared to relocate to avoid being trapped should the Japanese break through the region. To evade assassination attempts by Japanese spies, these institutions chose varied routes. One such group traveled through the border of Chahar and northern Hebei, heading south to Wuchang and then southwest.

“Keep moving, keep moving!”
“Students, hurry up!”

Led by their professors from Beiping University, a group of outstanding scholars navigated the Chahar region toward the southwest. These students were among the finest from Beiping University, their mastery of both professional and theoretical knowledge exemplary—true pillars of the nation. This was the primary reason the university’s leadership swiftly decided on their transfer: these students represented the future of the Great Xia nation. From them would arise countless researchers and devoted patriots who would pour their hearts into the nation’s cause.

Tanks!
Airplanes!
Cannons!
Even warships!

Such advanced weaponry was beyond Great Xia’s current reach, but with these talented students, the future promised to bring all these dreams to life.

“Jia Shu! Jia Shu!”
“Take a drink, take a drink!”
“This heat is unbearable, isn’t it?”

A chubby student from Beiping University collapsed onto the ground, gulping water from his flask.

“Wen Jie, what’s so hot about this?”
“You just don’t exercise enough.”
“A healthy body breeds a sound mind.”
“That’s what Principal Cai said back in 1920.”
“You really ought to work out more from now on.”

Jia Shu patted his companion on the shoulder with a smile.

“Alright, alright, I get it. No more pampering myself.”

After several long gulps, the chubby student finally caught his breath. Most of the students, exhausted from the journey, lay resting on the grass. But soon, someone noticed something amiss.

“Hooves! Everyone, get up!”
“Get up, quickly!”

Alerted first by their vigilant professor, the students immediately sprang to their feet. A robust student hurried over.

“Professor! Professor!”
“It’s bad, it’s the Japanese.”
“The hooves we heard—they belong to Japanese cavalry.”

Panic swept through the group. They had chosen the route through Chahar precisely to avoid danger. How had they encountered Japanese cavalry here?

“Move out, move out!”
“Students, we cannot stop now.”
“If the Japanese find us, none of us will make it.”

The professor knew all too well that if the Japanese cavalry detected them, the consequences would be dire. Talented individuals were priceless to any nation. If the Japanese couldn’t exploit these students and professors from Beiping, they would not hesitate to slaughter them all.

At that moment, in the Chahar region, a rugged man with a commanding presence fixed his gaze on the distant, chaotic crowd. Clenching his fists, he pondered.

“Second Brother, what do you think we should do?”

Zhu Ziming, leader of the Qingfeng Bandits, turned to his steadfast second-in-command. Although several of their few hundred brothers had military experience, none matched the resolve of this man. Rumor had it he was once an officer in the Western Route Army of the Rainbow Army, recruited during their grueling Long March through Guizhou. Surviving countless life-or-death trials, he had risen through the ranks. But during the Western Expedition, his unit was scattered by the Ma Family Army’s cavalry. Since then, he’d wandered among the common folk, eking out a harsh existence as a wheat harvester beneath the scorching sun.

By chance, he met Zhu Ziming, and they became sworn brothers. Now, as Qingfeng’s second-in-command, his wisdom was highly valued.

“Boss,” he said, “those are just students. I’ve lived a hard life, barely literate, and if I die, so be it. It’s no big deal. But I know this: the future of a nation and its people relies on those with knowledge. If these students perish at the hands of the Japanese, it will be a terrible loss for Great Xia.”

Zhu Ziming nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Second Brother.”

“Brothers, death comes to all. We’re not cowards. Let’s cover the students’ retreat—follow me!”

“Yes, sir!”

Meanwhile, a Japanese cavalry regiment patrolling the Chahar area finally spotted the fleeing students and professors from Beiping University. Their mission had been to scout terrain and gather intelligence, probing the influence of forces in the Outer Grasslands. Yet unexpectedly, they encountered this group of Chinese students.

“Oi, oi!”
“Students! Chinese students!”
“Beautiful little Chinese flowers, so fresh and pure!”

The Japanese jeered cruelly as their horses thundered forward toward the students.

“Run that way, run that way!”
“Brothers, open fire! Draw the enemy here!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sudden gunfire caught the cavalry off guard. Several Japanese soldiers fell.

“Baka yarou!” the cavalry commander roared in anger. The troop charged toward the direction of the Qingfeng Bandits.

At that moment, another rapid volley of gunfire rang out. One after another, Japanese soldiers fell off their horses like dumplings dropping into boiling water.

“Nani?”

The cavalry commander turned, his face twisting with shock and fear.

Meanwhile, the Qingfeng Bandits stood bewildered. Why had the Japanese cavalry suddenly turned their horses and charged in a different direction?

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