Strongest Soldier King

Internal strife and mutual suspicion are the last things one wants on a battlefield. Knowing Luo Zheng's temperament of responding better to gentle persuasion than to force, and fearing misunderstandings, Lan Xue hastened to smooth things over and explained, "Don't rush, Mountain Eagle's own brother died at the hands of Fox Wolf, that same person you met last time. This is not only our disgrace, but also Mountain Eagle's. I hope you can understand."

"Last time?" Luo Zheng was stunned, then it dawned on him. The first time he'd met Lan Xue, he really had seen a fallen soldier and hadn't expected it was Mountain Eagle's brother. He nodded in understanding.

"Last time?" Mountain Eagle echoed the same confusion and looked toward Lan Xue.

"Now I can tell you," Lan Xue said coldly while pointing at Luo Zheng, "He is the same person I met last time. I expect you to respect him as you respect me, because he has the lives of seven members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group on his hands. You are all the most elite warriors, but which of you has such an impressive record?" Lan Xue was irked by the doubts her subordinates had about Luo Zheng, and she spoke up to defend him.

The other members of Ghost Team were unaware of what the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group represented and looked somewhat bewildered, but no one asked. Mountain Eagle and the others, out of absolute trust in Lan Xue, looked at Luo Zheng differently. Mountain Eagle saluted Luo Zheng solemnly as a sign of goodwill and respect in the way of a soldier.

Torn between her beloved and her battle-tested brothers, Lan Xue found it inappropriate to shield either party. After Luo Zheng returned the salute, Lan Xue let out a sigh of relief and, with a stern face, continued, "Let's cooperate wholeheartedly. If we advance and retreat together, we will surely complete the mission. Everyone should seize the time to rest now."

"How did you find me?" Luo Zheng suddenly asked.

"You didn't cross the river, and we hadn't gone far. We were preparing to back you up when we heard gunshots from the direction of the river and realized you were in trouble, so we hurried over. You should discuss similar actions in advance next time so that we can cover for each other," Lan Xue said softly, reprimanding but with concern flickering in her cold eyes.

"Mmm," Luo Zheng felt a warmth in his heart and continued, "The situation is a bit strange. How did the enemy know our flight path and the exact timing? Just because of that position detection radar? As far as I know, its detection range is limited. Even if the transport plane is discovered twenty kilometers ahead, it takes only a few minutes to cover that distance at the plane's speed, which wouldn't be enough time to set up an ambush. From the looks of the ambush, the enemy clearly came prepared."

We also analyzed this issue while waiting for you by the river and didn't find an answer," Lan Xue said with a covert hint. "However, one thing is certain, the enemy knew we were coming, and they chose to strike first."

Luo Zheng understood Lan Xue was referring to the Song family. With many people around, it was not appropriate to discuss openly, so he nodded knowingly. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "This is also why I chose to stay behind just now. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we discovered the position detection radar. However, since the enemy didn't find us through the radar, they must have another way to track our location. I suggest we march quickly to shake off the enemy and then snoop around their lair."

"Not good, something's happening." Before Lan Xue could respond, a voice suddenly spoke with caution, it was Snow Leopard, the one responsible for observation. Everyone quickly reacted, scrambling to find cover on the spot and cautiously peering out to observe.

As expected, birds flew into panic from the woods straight ahead. Amid the torrential rain, animals were all hiding; there was no reason for them to flee the woods unless startled. Everyone loaded their bullets, readying for battle, and Lan Xue, peering through the sniper scope, said coldly, "Just as I suspected, something's off."

Luo Zheng looked around; behind them was a concave cliff, with connecting ridges to the left and right. Directly in front was a small hill about ten meters high, beyond which lay a flat forest that wasn't particularly dense. With enemies pursing from the front and no way out from the back, it was a deathtrap, a place of no return. His expression turned grave as he said in a low voice, "Brothers, prepare for a prolonged fight."

"Yes." Members of Ghost Team unstrapped their military backpacks, took out ammunition pouches, and swiftly began loading bullets into their empty magazines. To ensure the magazines' springs remained responsive, unused bullets were kept in their pouches, ready to be pushed in when needed. Once fired, empty magazines were never discarded unless they were unusable.

Seeing Lan Xue's group also loading bullets and looking towards the rapidly approaching enemy forces, Luo Zheng spoke with a hint of concern, "There might be three to four hundred of them. With just the ten of us, the odds don't look good; this is a dead end. Any ideas?"

"We'll fight a battle first, then break through over there," Lan Xue pointed calmly to a side that connected to a forest leading up to the mountains, conducive for a concealed retreat. "I'm curious to see just how capable these bastards really are. Did you notice one thing? The enemy knows the time and route of our arrival but not our numbers. Otherwise, considering the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group's cautiousness and cunning, they wouldn't underestimate us this way."

"You mean they know I'm leading a team here, but aren't aware that you've also come?" Luo Zheng inquired in surprise. Seeing Lan Xue nod coldly while busy loading bullets, he fell into deep thought. The more he thought, the more it made sense. During their recent encounter, the pursuers, aside from Fox Wolf, were almost all armed thugs with weak combat effectiveness, probably not from the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. Had they known Lan Xue was coming, it would have been more than just an ambush. Realization dawned on him, and he asked, "Is that why you want to fight a rearguard action? Aren't you afraid of blowing your cover?"

"That's exactly my intention." Lan Xue held onto her military earpiece and spoke softly to prevent others from overhearing, as the earpiece operated on a public frequency making their conversation audible to those nearby.

Luo Zheng was momentarily stunned but quickly grasped her plan. Lan Xue wanted to surprise Fox Wolf by revealing her presence and make Fox Wolf resent whoever provided incomplete intelligence. Considering Fox Wolf's tendency for vengeful thinking, particularly toward the Song family, Luo Zheng smiled, nodded in understanding to Lan Xue, then sharply turned and said in a low voice, "Gangzi, hold the left flank, Xunzi, secure the right. Be cautious of enemy sneak attacks from the sides and stay safe."

"Yes." Zhou Gang and Liu Xun, who were called out, promptly responded, grabbing their gear and quickly crouching toward their respective positions to take cover behind large rocks and ready themselves for combat.

Luo Zheng surveyed the area; they had the high ground, and there were plenty of large rocks for cover. Although the terrain was desperate and deadly, it favored defense, and since the enemies were feigning an attack, breaking through wouldn't be easy. The only thing to be wary of was the enemy's RPGs—the very things that had brought down their transportation. With caution, he reminded, "Binzi, on the left, Yuanzi, on the right, and Zhu Zi, keep to the center. Spread out as much as possible to prevent the enemy's RPG attacks." As for directing Lan Xue's people, Luo Zheng didn't dare to do so.