The Wind Rises in 1898: Becoming a Warlord Starting in Southeast Asia

Chapter 25 The First Appearance of the Japanese

Under the blazing sun, the soldiers, drenched in sweat, carried buckets of water as they moved between the smoking wooden huts.

The fire was finally extinguished around noon, and Chen Feng immediately ordered the uninjured soldiers to enter the remaining wooden houses to search and clean up.

In this battle, a total of 127 enemy soldiers were killed and 11 elderly and weak natives were captured. Only a few young natives managed to escape by sneaking into the mountains and forests during the chaos.

The seized rifles included 17 Springfield M1861s and 6 Mauser 1893s, along with over 800 rounds of ammunition, over 500 jin of grain, 12 bolts of cloth, 17 cattle, 5 horses, and a small amount of gold and silver ornaments.

The losses in this battle were considerable, with a total of 5 dead, 3 seriously wounded, and 8 slightly wounded, and nearly a thousand rounds of ammunition were used.

Chen Feng walked into the stone house, where the space was so spacious it was almost luxurious.

On the stone platform in front, there is an unidentified indigenous deity statue. In the corner, there are several corpses that could not be moved in time. But the most conspicuous thing is the seven Chinese women huddled in the corner.

They were completely naked, chained together with thick iron chains, their hair disheveled like withered grass, their faces blank, and their exposed skin covered with old and new scars, clearly indicating that they had been tortured severely.

The sunlight streaming in through the window dispelled most of the darkness inside, but it couldn't dispel the fear in their eyes.

Chen Feng walked to the corner, squatted down, and reached out to brush the hair away from the face of the woman in front.

Her cheeks were swollen, her eyes were filled with fear, and she kept struggling to back away.

"Ugh!"

Chen Feng sighed inwardly, took off his blood-stained shirt, and gently placed it on the woman's chest to cover her exposed skin.

Kong Yunfei followed closely behind, and upon seeing this scene, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He roared, "Damn it! These bastards got off too easily! I should have captured a few more alive, tortured them properly, and then let them die!"

Chen Feng shared the same sentiment. His gaze swept over the wounds on the seven women, and he said in a deep voice, "Let them catch their breath, then ask them which village they're from, and find a way to send them back."

"It's more appropriate to let Sister Feng handle this when she arrives!" Tian Gang walked into the house, carrying a small wooden box in his hands.

Chen Feng glanced at the wooden box, casually picked up a gold necklace, and his fingertips touched the dried bloodstains in the cracks. He immediately lost interest and waved his hand, ordering, "All this gold and silver is to be used as military funds. Give it to Feng Qinlan and Qian Biao to register and manage it in a unified manner."

"yes!"

Tian Gang closed the wooden box, took out a piece of straw paper from his pocket, carefully wrapped the box tightly, and then dripped wax oil on the joint to seal it, his movements meticulous.

Chen Feng nodded slightly, then asked, "Did any soldiers secretly embezzle the captured goods?"

"There are three, and they've already been arrested," Tian Gang answered truthfully, his face dripping with wax.

Chen Feng pondered for a moment. These three were first-time offenders, and a brief warning would suffice. He then ordered, "Place them in solitary confinement for three days and make them copy the disciplinary rules three times. Also, issue a notice to the entire army: any further offenses will be dealt with according to military law, without exception!"

The Free Army's military strategy was entirely modeled after that Iron Army of later generations.

Officers are not allowed to beat or scold soldiers at will; as long as they do not commit any serious mistakes, they will be dealt with by confinement.

After yesterday's firearms training, he also made a point of teaching everyone the rules of discipline one by one.

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away!" Tian Gang picked up the wooden box, turned around and walked out of the stone house.

Just then, Wang Liang rushed in and almost bumped into Tian Gang.

"Watch where you're going!" Tian Gang hugged the wooden box tightly and stepped aside.

Ignoring him, Wang Liang shouted, "General, I've gotten some incredible information from the prisoners!"

"What news? Let's talk outside." Chen Feng pointed to the seven women in the corner, indicating that it was inconvenient for a group of grown men to be there.

Only then did Wang Liang notice the situation inside the house. He quickly looked away and hurried out of the stone house.

The sunlight outside was particularly dazzling. Chen Feng raised his hand to cover his eyes, walked to the shade under a tree, and then asked in a low voice, "What news is it?"

Wang Liang followed him into the shadows, but then asked cryptically, "General, guess who's backing the local tribesmen?"

"The Independent Army, right? Are there other people?" Chen Feng leaned against the wall, a look of doubt on his face.

Wang Liang nodded vigorously: "There are indeed other people. Two Japanese men came to the village the day before yesterday."

"Huh? How can you be sure he's Japanese?" Chen Feng's eyes flickered, and his doubt deepened.

Wang Liang slowly said, "I used to be a sailor and went to Japan. The prisoners said that the two men had mustaches, wore black short jackets, and spoke with a special accent. I could tell they were Japanese as soon as I heard them."

Chen Feng narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Then how did you determine that the Japanese were supporters of this tribe?"

Wang Liang immediately replied, "Some of the guns were sent by the Japanese, but I didn't ask them what their purpose was in doing so."

After a moment's thought, Chen Feng had his answer.

During the Spanish-American War, Japan maintained a neutral stance on the surface, but in reality, it secretly supported the United States.

Southeast Asia had long been divided up by the great powers. Japan had long coveted this land and naturally hoped that the situation would be as chaotic as possible. The more forces involved, the more opportunities they would have to profit from the chaos.

But are these two Japanese men the same two people we met on the ship earlier?

Chen Feng thought for a moment but still couldn't find a clue, so he said calmly, "Whatever their purpose is, as long as we become strong, the Japanese will come looking for us."

"General is right. Under your leadership, our Free Army will surely grow stronger and become famous in Luzon." Wang Liang took the opportunity to flatter him.

"To become famous in Luzon?"

Chen Feng chuckled lightly, his tone slightly disdainful. Seeing that Wang Liang still wanted to flatter him, he raised his hand to interrupt: "Go and deal with those prisoners, and then notify all the squad leaders to come to a meeting."

"clear!"

Wang Liang nodded without asking how to handle the situation, clearly having already guessed Chen Feng's thoughts.

Before long, the five squad leaders arrived one after another.

Ding Junkai's hair was messy, his body was covered in grass clippings and mud, and his face was full of frustration.

His mission was to hunt down the fleeing natives, but seeing their condition, Chen Feng knew he had made a wasted effort. So he comforted them, saying, "The natives are familiar with the terrain. Even if we can't catch them, it won't affect the overall situation."

Kong Yunfei joked from the side, "Old Ding, I told you you couldn't do it! If it were me, I would have captured all those locals."

Ding Junkai's lips twitched, and he was about to retort when Chen Feng waved his hand to stop him: "Alright, stop the nonsense. Now let's assign the next task."

"yes!"

The five class leaders responded in unison.

Chen Feng called out loudly, "Squad Leader Tian Gang!"

"arrive!"

"Take your squad of soldiers to find Chinese villages in the surrounding area, spread the message of our Free Army's mission, and recruit able-bodied men to expand our ranks. Remember, quality over quantity; select strong, healthy, and upright men."

"yes!"

"Squad Leader Wang Liang!"

"arrive!"

"Take your squad of soldiers to investigate the strength of other indigenous groups in the surrounding area, try to find out the deeper purpose of the Independence Army's funding of the indigenous people, and try to operate covertly to avoid direct conflict with the indigenous people and reduce unnecessary casualties."

"yes!"

Chen Feng patted Wang Liang on the shoulder, then turned to Ren Dayong: "You have a leg injury and it's difficult for you to move around, so stay here to take care of the wounded soldiers and guard the supplies."

"Don't worry, General, I will risk my life to ensure that not a single piece of supplies is lost," Ren Dayong assured, clutching his injured thigh.

Chen Feng let out a soft sigh of relief and continued, "The rest of you will come with me back to the beach to move the weapons and ammunition here. From now on, this Balangai village will be our Free Army's temporary base!"