Strongest Soldier King

"No, think about it—since they already know about our existence and have sent troops after us, do you think they'll simply call it off without finding us? Rather than us looking for trouble with them, why not wait for them to come after us, and then take advantage of the situation to strike? This way, we can cover ground and kill enemies without missing a beat," Luo Zheng explained, his calm eyes flashing with wisdom.

"It makes sense, but there's one thing everyone should not forget; killing enemies accounts for half of the score. If we follow this line of thinking, other squads will be happily engaging with the enemy. If we start running, we'll soon break through the encirclement. By then, the enemy won't have the resources to chase after us, and without enemy kills, we are bound to lose," the scholar calmly reminded, glancing toward Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng thought for a moment and said no more. There were two different combat philosophies at play, and it was impossible to say which was better or worse. Discussing right and wrong at this time was meaningless and could disrupt unity. Seeing Luo Zheng maintain silence, the scholar didn't press further and looked to the others instead. Everyone else pondered the matter, equally unsure about the choice. Knowing it wasn't wise to issue forceful commands without absolute authority, the scholar suggested, "Let's stay and observe the situation before acting. There's no harm in waiting another day, agree?"

"Agreed." In the absence of a clear strategy, the soldiers' discipline led them to comply, all consenting to the plan while stealing glances at Luo Zheng. Given that theirs was a squad formed on short notice, they were not very familiar or trusting of each other. Seeing Luo Zheng not object, they shared a good-natured laugh, their estimation of him rising a notch.

"Thank you for your trust. Here's what we'll do," the scholar signaled everyone to huddle closer, lying low on the ground as he spoke, "The enemy will surely be on the move after their meal, which means they'll have scouts and rear guards. We'll cut off their head and tail, grab some weapons and ammo, then regroup at that highest hilltop in front, agreed?"

Everyone turned to look. About three kilometers to the east stood a relatively tall hill, nearly a hundred meters in elevation. After thinking it over, they all nodded in agreement. Once he had everyone's consent, the scholar continued, "Here's the plan. Each of you takes a direction and is responsible for cutting off the head. No matter where the enemy comes from, one of them is bound to encounter us. I'll stay behind to cover the rear and cut off the tail. Everyone, be careful."

"Yes," everyone responded softly, selecting their positions. Luo Zheng took charge of the direction they had come from, nodded to the scholar, and hurried back the way they had come. He chose a likely spot near a canyon to lie in ambush, without any camouflage. Luo Zheng curled up in a hollow, barely exposing his head now and then to observe the canyon, ensuring he could keep track of the enemy's movements.

After a while, Luo Zheng was surprised to see the enemy approaching through the canyon. Did they really come this way? What were they trying to do? Why not block the main path and wait at ease? A series of questions surfaced as he saw two cautious members scouting ahead, getting closer and closer. Estimating their search path, they would pass about two hundred meters in front of him—not ideal for an ambush. He would need to draw these two closer.

With that in mind, Luo Zheng scanned the terrain once more. The spot where he lay was slightly elevated, like a protruding plateau, not easily visible from the hillside and canyon. After waiting a while, when he saw the two searchers were about three hundred meters away, he picked up a stone and threw it ahead.

The stone hit the ground with a soft rolling sound. The searchers threw themselves to the ground like cornered soldiers, carefully observing their surroundings for a while. Finding nothing, one got up, stooping and advancing cautiously, while the other stayed on the ground, their gun aimed in Luo Zheng's direction, finger on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.

Luo Zheng could tell that these two had a lot of combat experience and were quick to react, making them not easy to deal with—but he wasn't overly concerned. Guided by the sound of the stone, the enemy inadvertently altered their search path, walking higher up the hill and along the ridge, drawing nearer. Luo Zheng lay flat in the hollow, listening intently to the enemy's footsteps in the silent wilderness.

After some time, the enemy reached the ridge above the hollow. Luo Zheng suddenly sprang out, grabbed the enemy's ankle, then pulled fiercely, dragging him down. His fist, quick as lightning, struck the enemy's throat, crushing the windpipe. Caught off guard, the enemy died instantly.

Luo Zheng knew this spot was out of sight for the ambushing enemy, but he swiftly checked the body regardless—finding a gun, two magazines, and some scattered cash. Apart from that, nothing. Unwilling to give up, Luo Zheng sifted through the enemy's clothes and belt and discovered a short knife no longer than seven inches, smeared with grease—probably used for slicing meat.

Members of the East Yi Yun relished meat and weren't fond of using chopsticks; they preferred cutting their meal with a knife and eating with their hands. Almost everyone carried a 'Little Dao', and Luo Zheng pulled out the one he found for inspection. The quality was decent, honed to razor-sharpness. It was said that the ancestors of the East Yi Yun were nomads skilled in crafting such knives, able to cut through iron as if it were mud. The knife in Luo Zheng's hand seemed to live up to that reputation. Satisfied, he stowed the knife away, checked the weapon, and cautiously peeked out to see the other enemy shouting something from behind a small hill, incomprehensible. Before long, the enemy retreated, apparently having realized something.

"Quite vigilant," Luo Zheng admired, raising his estimate of the enemy. He chambered a round, surveyed the terrain to his left and right, and ran quickly southward. The terrain to the south was more complex, enabling him to loop around to the east to rendezvous with the rest. Anticipating that the enemy might catch up, Luo Zheng sprinted roughly five hundred meters before diving behind a hidden slope, slowly peering out only to see a large group of armed men at the original location.

Luo Zheng promptly ducked down, waited for a while, then slowly peeked out again, noting the armed men splitting up into groups of three or five and starting to search. Seeing no opportunity to linger, Luo Zheng hastened along the rear side of the hill, taking advantage of the terrain to press on and widen the gap between him and the pursuers.

With a gun in hand, Luo Zheng felt a surge of confidence until he suddenly heard intense gunfire. Alarmed, he clambered up a hillside and was surprised to see a large number of armed men scrambling back, gunfire coming from behind them. Luo Zheng panicked—could the scholar have been discovered?

As he pondered, he caught sight of a familiar figure darting rapidly forward; it was the scholar, performing the flawlessly classic 'Bullet Avoidance Steps,' seemingly flicking the bullets away. Luo Zheng, shocked, thought to himself, "I must do something to defuse the crisis."