Strongest Soldier King

Bullets poured down like heavy rain, causing the rooftop edges to collapse. Stray and ricocheting bullets flew wildly, making Luo Zheng's heart tremble. He realized something was wrong; such relentless fire aimed at one spot surely wasn't a reconnaissance, but a true discovery of his presence. To stay would mean certain death.

The situation was extremely dire. Luo Zheng saw a grenade, gritted his teeth, pulled the pin, and hurled it desperately, not caring about its effectiveness. He then quickly pulled the pins on the remaining grenades and threw them toward the general direction of the enemy. A series of explosions followed.

Luo Zheng was delighted to find that the enemy's gunfire had weakened slightly. Overjoyed, he didn't have time to check the results but quickly retreated to the other side of the rooftop. Due to the height of the roof, the wall blocked the bullets. This side was the enemy's firing blind spot. Luo Zheng quickly surveyed the surroundings. There were armed personnel everywhere. After the battle broke out, the enemy commander wasn't foolish and immediately realized the trap had been exposed, ordering the hidden troops to commence a search.

The chaotic scene made Luo Zheng anxious. Soon, a search squad rushed down the alley. Seeing that the squad was only hurrying along without shooting at the rooftops, presumably unaware of his presence, Luo Zheng lay flat on the roof. After the squad had passed, he jumped off the rooftop and followed closely behind them.

He was wearing the enemy's black robe, which he hadn't had time to remove after disguising himself to ambush the enemy. It was now proving useful. Additionally, the alley, shadowed by the walls, was dimly lit, making it hard to see clearly, and no one would suspect someone daring to follow right behind the squad.

In the darkness below the lamps, Luo Zheng followed the squad without incident for a while, unsure of their destination. Seeing another squad approaching rapidly, the leaders of the two squads exchanged a few words. Luo Zheng discovered that the direction this new squad was headed was toward the large compound where the farmer might be held. He immediately left the original squad and followed the new one quietly.

Soon, the area opened up, and a river appeared before him. Luo Zheng saw a large group of people rushing over a small wooden bridge towards his original hiding spot. Someone spoke with the leader of the squad for a moment; the squad leader respectfully agreed to something, and soon, Luo Zheng noticed him signaling to follow and head towards the place of the previous ambush.

Seeing the squad change direction, and noticing no one else nearby, Luo Zheng quickly hid in a dark corner, waiting for the troops to leave. Once they had left, Luo Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and carefully observed the other side of the river. The main passage on the opposite bank was guarded, the compound was eerily quiet, and no lights were on, emitting a suffocating aura of menace. Luo Zheng knew it was rash to go over by himself as the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group's men were definitely hiding in the dark corners watching the surroundings. Going alone would surely expose him.

After a while, a squad emerged hurriedly from an alley and, getting closer, rushed towards the small wooden bridge. Luo Zheng prepared to follow but suddenly felt uneasy. He quickly retreated into the darkness.

At that moment, another squad burst from a different alley and also headed towards the small wooden bridge. Luo Zheng internally celebrated his luck; had he rushed out earlier, he would have certainly been noticed. Being alone would attract the most attention. He suppressed his impulsive emotions and patiently waited, carefully observing the surrounding terrain.

Soon, Luo Zheng spotted a route. Behind him, darkness provided excellent cover, perfect for blending into the night and crossing the river. The houses on the opposite bank blocked the moonlight, casting a large shadow on the riverbank. Once Luo Zheng confirmed there were no sentries along this route, he decisively gave up on the idea of following the squad across. He slipped along the shadow created by the houses towards the back.

Three minutes later, Luo Zheng reached the riverbank and took cover in a thicket, vigilantly scanning his surroundings. His icy gaze sparkled in the night like frosty stars, sparing no detail. The more secure the moment, the more cautious he needed to be; danger often erupted when least expected—a lesson Luo Zheng had learned thoroughly while hunting in the jungle since his childhood.

The noisy village gradually quieted down. Luo Zheng continued to stay hidden, patiently waiting. He looked up at the bright moon in the night sky, guessing it to be around nine o'clock. Soon, with the moon high in the sky and the light shining straight down, houses would no longer block the moonlight, nor would there be shadows to utilize. He needed to cross the river quickly.

In the cover of darkness, Luo Zheng cautiously confirmed that he hadn't been spotted before swiftly making his way towards the river. The river reached up to his waist, not very deep but the thick mud made it difficult to move. Luo Zheng crouched down, keeping only his head above water, and silently moved forward.

The section of the river Luo Zheng chose was only three meters wide, and the current was not strong. With the houses providing cover, he easily reached the opposite bank. Once ashore, Luo Zheng quickly hid in the bushes, emptied his combat boots of water before putting them back on. The enemy had just calmed down, and their alertness was still high—it wasn't time to infiltrate.

After waiting a while, Luo Zheng saw fewer shadows from the houses, and the riverbank was becoming exposed. He moved towards the houses by the bank under cover of darkness, his movements agile and forceful, like a ghost prowling in the night. Covering a span of about ten meters, he dashed across and concealed himself in a dark corner of a wall.

Perhaps fearing that the fight would endanger them, the house owner had the doors tightly closed, staying inside without venturing out, not even daring to turn on the lights for fear of attracting attention. Luo Zheng remained quietly hidden, patiently waiting, carefully observing the large courtyard ahead—how many people entered, how many left, where to hide, where ambushes might be set, and how he could possibly sneak in.

After observing for a full half-hour, Luo Zheng noticed that the village had returned to its previous calm as if nothing had happened. However, the courtyard was on high alert, the complete opposite of its unguarded state before. The look of seriousness deepened on Luo Zheng's face. What was the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group planning? Did they know he wouldn't give up easily and were prepared to defend to the death?

The courtyard was enclosed by a dirt wall over two meters tall, blocking the view inside except for the rooftops of the houses, which were around three meters high, similar to the surrounding rooms but slightly taller. Besides the continuously patrolling guards, a heavy machine gun was set up at the entrance, manned by about a dozen soldiers.

A direct assault was definitely not an option. Climbing over the wall seemed like a good idea, but whether there were troops hidden behind the wall was unknown. Rashly climbing over could be suicidal. Looking at this "turtle shell" and thinking of the farmer still in the enemy's clutches, Luo Zheng's face turned iron blue, his fists clenched, and his eyes nearly blazing with fire.

"No matter what, I must figure out a way to get inside soon," Luo Zheng muttered to himself, forcing himself to calm down.

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