Strongest Soldier King

At dawn, a heavy rain suddenly fell, beating the earth and the woods, as if venting dissatisfaction in its heart. The rain washed away the dirt on the land, as well as the traces and scents left by people on the ground, yet it brought great trouble to Luo Zheng and his companions in their hurried march.

The squad stopped on a wind-sheltered slope. Surrounding them were hills, not very high, but with severe desertification that left them bare. In many places, not even a blade of grass could be seen, only rocks and dirt exposed on the surface. The loose soil on the slopes was sliding downward with the rain.

The heavy rain blurred the view ahead, seriously affecting the march. The five formed a circle, and the Scholar looked at the Farmer's injury and spoke with concern, "This rain doesn't seem like it will stop soon, and the Farmer's wound could be affected. What should we do next? I want to hear your opinions first."

"You're the captain, you decide. My injury is nothing; we shouldn't let it affect everyone," the Farmer quickly added, eagerly looking towards the Scholar and then at everyone else, his face filled with guilt.

"Cut the formalities, we're all brothers here. In my view, we should keep moving. Stopping in this heavy rain can cause a severe drop in body temperature, which might give us colds. It's better to keep moving, as activity can generate heat in the body to ward off the cold," the Gardener suggested.

"Right, with such heavy rain, there's nowhere to hide, might as well keep moving. Moving will keep us warm, though it will be a bit troublesome for the Farmer with his injury. This rain has covered our tracks, so I believe it won't be easy for the enemy to track us here, but we can't be careless. If we can move, we should," the Monk agreed.

"I'm afraid that won't do," Luo Zheng, however, raised an objection. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he explained, "The Farmer's wound may not have reached the bone, but it is deep. It needs proper care. Such heavy rain, if the wound is soaked for too long, can lead to infection and aggravate the injury. I suggest we find a way to shelter from the rain."

"With such heavy rain, we can't see anything around us, and the hills are bare without even a cluster of trees. Where can we take shelter? Moreover, once we stop, if we all fall ill due to the drop in body temperature, what will we do?" the Scholar worriedly asked.

"Whether we'll fall ill is uncertain, but the Farmer's leg injury will definitely worsen, so we must stop moving forward and think of a solution," Luo Zheng said decisively, scanning the surroundings. Bare mounds and hills were vaguely visible, but nothing else.

"The idea is good. Who wouldn't want to find shelter for the Farmer's injury? We are brothers who would risk our lives for each other, but, as you also understand the situation, do you have any good ideas?" the Monk asked.

"Follow me," Luo Zheng looked at everyone and walked off to one side. Everyone followed him, surprised, and soon they reached a nearby slope that was about forty degrees—quite steep in the vicinity. Luo Zheng pulled out his M9 military dagger and calmly said, "Let's try to dig a cave here."

"Ah?" Everyone was taken aback, but seeing Luo Zheng starting to dig with the military dagger, they couldn't say much. Gratitude flashed in the Farmer's eyes, yet he still reassured, "Brother Luo Zheng, I'm really fine. Let's continue on, we shouldn't let my situation affect the group."

"Enough, let's not talk about that. Brother Luo Zheng has a point. Rather than worry about what hasn't happened, the priority is to help you," the Monk said, pulling out a military dagger to help.

Soon, the two of them dug out a hole together, then placed a bomb inside, and a larger hole appeared. Luo Zheng continued to dig into the hole; it wasn't big enough to fit many people as the blast didn't make a very large crater. The Monk and the Gardener piled the excavated earth above, while the Scholar supported the Farmer, cautiously scanning the surroundings.

Before long, a small pit around three feet deep was dug out. After throwing a grenade inside and detonating it, the dirt hole was significantly widened and deepened. Luo Zheng kept on digging small holes and then using grenades to expand them. After repeating the process four times, a hole large enough to accommodate two people standing was formed. The Gardener and the Monk had piled all the blasted soil and rocks on top of the hole to create a cover, ensuring that rain couldn't seep in.

Once the dirt hole was completed, nearly half of everyone's grenades were consumed, but no one felt any regret. The Farmer was arranged to stay in the hole, took off his pants to expose the wound, and then removed his shirt to wring it out and wipe the wound, making sure there was no rainwater on it. The Scholar handed the map to the Farmer to prevent it from getting wet, and weapons were also placed into the dirt hole to avoid performance issues due to the rain.

Luo Zheng looked up at the sky, guessing that the rain might continue for over an hour. He wasn't sure if the enemy had heard the explosions earlier. If the enemy were only East Yi Yun Members, Luo Zheng wouldn't worry much—despite their brutality and religious brainwashing that made them fight fiercely, their combat strength wasn't robust. However, with the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group's appearance, the situation was entirely different.

"What are you worried about?" the Scholar asked by his side.

"I'm concerned the enemy might catch up with us. This way, I'll go check the situation behind us. I'll come back after the rain stops," Luo Zheng replied. He checked his equipment, ready to set out.

"I'll go with you," the Monk offered.

"No need; we need people here," Luo Zheng said without thinking much, and after ensuring there was nothing wrong with his weapons, he looked at the Scholar. After all, they were a team; the Scholar was the team leader, and it was up to him to give the final go-ahead.

"Fine then, be careful. If there's any situation, fire a warning shot, and if the danger is too great, retreat immediately and we'll figure something out together," the Scholar agreed, then turned to the Gardener and the Monk, "Gardener, you head south; Monk, you go north. Keep a five-kilometer lookout. I'll stay here. If you spot the enemy, retreat immediately. Don't fight alone."

"Yes," the three of them responded. Luo Zheng glanced at the Farmer, threw him a comforting look, and then strode into the curtain of rain toward the west.

The biggest problem with marching quickly in the rain was the limited visibility—not only could one barely see ahead, but the rain would often get into the eyes, making it difficult to keep them open, which was quite annoying. Luo Zheng used his palm to shield his forehead from the rain while jogging forward. After covering about two to three kilometers, he suddenly sensed something amiss ahead and instantly rolled to the side into the cover of a mound of dirt. He switched off his gun's safety and observed carefully.

After more than half an hour, a Black Shadow appeared in his line of sight. The rain was too heavy to distinguish details or friend from foe. Luo Zheng stayed on high alert, his gun's muzzle slowly aiming at the figure. He contained his breath, imagining himself to be one with the mound of earth beside him, like a rock, and used his family's Breathing Skill to regulate his breathing. Soon, Luo Zheng felt as if he had merged with his surroundings.

"Huh, a Sniper?" Luo Zheng was surprised to see that the figure was wearing a camouflage suit and carrying a sniper rifle, muzzle pointed down, as it sprinted quickly ahead.