Strongest Soldier King

Soon, Luo Zheng caught sight of a high-power walkie-talkie on a nearby countertop out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but feel elated. He quickly picked it up, opened the drawer to check, but it was empty. Disappointed by the lack of other useful items, Luo Zheng began to survey the room, preparing to leave when he saw a leather bag hanging behind the door.

With a rush of excitement, Luo Zheng hurried over and opened the leather bag to find a map inside, labeled in foreign script. Crude arrows sprawled across the map, radiating from one central location. Luo Zheng knew these must represent the group's tactical deployment. Without time for a detailed look, he secured the map close to his body.

The sound of footsteps approached from outside, followed by a knock on the door. Luo Zheng started with surprise and quickly hid behind it, pondering his next move. He spotted a window by the bed—jumping from the second floor seemed feasible. Just as he prepared to act, the door swung open, and a middle-aged man with a thick beard entered, calling out in a panicked manner.

Fortunately, the man came in alone. Luo Zheng noted that as the newcomer headed straight for the bed, he hadn't discovered that the person on it was already dead. Luo Zheng quickly shut the door, sprang forward, locked the man's neck, and with his knife held in a reverse grip, he slit the man's throat.

After eliminating the bearded man, Luo Zheng searched him but found nothing of value. He then ripped off the dog tag around the man's neck and took the tag from the killed person in the bed as well. He opened the window, peered out to see an empty village lane below, and with a burst of joy, leapt down.

Landing on the ground, Luo Zheng sensed people approaching just around the corner and dashed into the room directly across. To his horror, he found two women inside, one old and one young, both busy cooking. They froze in shock at the sight of Luo Zheng. Realizing the potential trouble, he rushed forward and knocked them out with a pair of chops. Despite knowing these people were closely associated with the East Yi Yun Members, Luo Zheng didn't bring himself to kill them.

After dealing with the two women, Luo Zheng swiftly went to the door and peered out through a crack. He saw about a dozen armed personnel rushing past, apparently on some urgent task. Once they passed, Luo Zheng hurried out and sprinted back the way he came, soon reaching a place buzzing with noise. A fire blazed fiercely into the sky, and many people were trying to extinguish it—it was the second room he had set ablaze.

The fire created chaos, and Luo Zheng felt a surge of relief as he ran towards it, blending into the crowd. Everyone was preoccupied with fighting the fire that was spreading rapidly. Neither the villagers nor the armed men noticed Luo Zheng amongst them, and he used the opportunity to slip away.

Before long, he encountered another chaotic scene, where many people were attempting to put out a fire—the first one he had started. The flames raged uncontrollably, swallowing everything around them. Some individuals were crying in despair, trying to rush into the burning building, while others desperately tried to calm them and help evacuate the crowd. A bucket of water thrown on the flames did nothing.

Mixing in with the crowd, Luo Zheng discreetly withdrew, choosing a direction to leave the village. He reached a small river. The chaotic village had lost all command, everyone busy with the fire, and the landmines laid out were unnecessary. Luo Zheng casually picked up the landmines and pocketed them, but suddenly, he sensed someone in the nearby bushes and hid himself, observing cautiously.

"Is that you, Brother Luo Zheng?" a voice called out softly.

Luo Zheng, recognizing the voice, smiled and responded in a soft voice, "Is that the captain?"

"It's me." A man emerged from the bushes—it was Scholar. Luo Zheng ran towards him joyfully and asked, "What brings you here? Is everyone okay?"

"I'm here to meet you. Everyone's fine. But look at you; you're a mess. If I hadn't recognized your figure, I almost wouldn't have known it was you. This isn't the place to chat; let's get out of here," Scholar said in a low voice.

Luo Zheng agreed and the two retreated briskly, stopping behind a mound after about five hundred meters to catch their breath. Scholar, surprised, asked, "Brother, did you set that fire? It was a good idea to create confusion for an escape. By the way, what's the situation inside?"

"Heh, it was nothing much," Luo Zheng replied proudly. This infiltration had garnered much intelligence, especially the map, which was revealing plenty of clues. He was ecstatic and handed the map to Scholar.

Scholar reviewed the map for a while, his expression growing serious. Luo Zheng also peered at the map, more meticulously than before since he wasn't in immediate danger anymore. Soon, they both noticed something unusual and their expressions solidified.

"Brother, you're right. With this map, we won't be stumbling around blindly anymore. And looking at the thick lines on the map, this village might be their temporary command post, the place coordinating the ambush on us. It was a lucky hit—I didn't expect this. You're fortunate," Scholar said earnestly.

"Come on, you're being modest, captain. If you look at the lines, these people have set a large trap. We were lucky to slip through the gaps in the net, avoiding three ambush lines and stumbling upon the last one, where we engaged the enemy and then found their command. It seems we were indeed lucky. But, it's not certain that the other teams in the competition had the same luck. They might still be out there fighting the enemy," Luo Zheng replied humbly.

"You make a good point. Let's head back and meet up with the rest before we discuss our next move. Let's go," said Scholar, and after pocketing the map, he bent over and ran swiftly. Luo Zheng waited a moment to ensure it was safe, then followed closely.

It didn't take long for everyone to regroup. The Gardener, who had gone to gather herbs, had returned and treated the Farmer's wounds. Scholar showed them the map, and Luo Zheng recounted his discoveries in the village. Hearing that the villagers and armed men were aligned and the village was the command post, everyone was outraged. They held Luo Zheng's judgment in high regard—despite their initial complacency, after the ambush, they would've been in dire straits without Luo Zheng covering their retreat. It wasn't the prospect of dying that bothered them—a soldier is prepared to die in battle—but it mattered how one died, didn't it?

After discussing the map and exchanging opinions, Scholar gravely said, "Brothers, according to the intelligence Brother Luo Zheng gathered, the enemy's leaders have been killed, and their command system is in disarray. This command post is a shell of what it was, and their net may no longer be effective. What should we do next? Stay or go, and how? Let's hear your thoughts and pool our collective wisdom."