Strongest Soldier King

Legend has it that Shengmiao, under the leadership of Chi You, the chieftain of the Jiuli Clan, conquered the world with a fierce beast army, created with the Beast Taming Skill and achieved great military exploits. After Chi You was defeated by the allied forces of the Yellow Emperor and Emperor Yan, Shengmiao secluded themselves in the southern mountains, isolated from the world and leading a life of slash-and-burn agriculture. The Beast Taming Skill was passed down, and the most notable figure in history was Meng Huo during the Three Kingdoms Period, who fought Zhuge Liang in seven rounds by deploying the Elephant Army.

Of course, these are only legends, which should not be taken for truth. Luo Zheng heard them from his grandfather when he was little, and he simply took them as stories without paying much attention. However, because the tales were so mystical, Luo Zheng still remembered some details. He never expected that today he would witness this scene with his own eyes, leaving his mind somewhat stunned and struggling to react.

"What's going on here?" Lan Xue asked with some concern, seeing Luo Zheng's slow reaction. She was obviously also shocked by the recent events, the ferocious Wild Wolves actually heeding a human's commands. Such a thing was far too astonishing to hear.

"Don't ask, just do as you said," Luo Zheng regained some sense, the words of his grandfather ringing in his head, "Zhengzi, our ancestors have been hunters for generations, and by that reckoning we're mortal enemies with the beast-taming Shengmiao. This is the knowledge passed down from our forefathers. I'm telling you according to the rules, if you ever really meet such people, stay as far away as possible and don't utter a single word about it. This is our great Hunter's rule, remember, remember."

Luo Zheng did not know why his grandfather had forbidden him from revealing anything, but having seen the beast-taming Wolf King, Luo Zheng knew that things were probably not simple. There were too many mysteries unsolved in this world and many things one should not touch. Since the older generations had said so, it was best to follow their guidance.

Lan Xue, seeing Luo Zheng hesitant to say more, thought for a moment before deciding not to ask further. She picked up the phone and made a call. Upon seeing Ghost Hand and the others approach, she walked toward Luo Zheng and made a hand gesture. Everyone stopped, exchanged glances, and then without further disturbing Luo Zheng, they huddled around the fire pit, watching the surroundings with vigilance. Mountain Eagle and Snow Leopard even delved into the dense forest to scout.

Luo Zheng was still pondering the recent events. His ancestors knew very little about Shengmiao and were completely uninformed about the Beast Taming Skill. They only knew of the existence of such people and that one should avoid them upon encounter. Beyond that, there were no valuable clues. Luo Zheng shook his head with a bitter expression on his face, but his expression slowly hardened as he thought of his grudge. What could the Beast Taming Skill do anyway? If it came to it, he would just fight.

Having come to this simple understanding, Luo Zheng's confidence returned. He looked into the depths of the dark forest with a resolute gaze sparkling with a will to fight. He took a deep breath, exhaling all the negative emotions from his mind, which cleared up considerably. He then began to strategize silently: with the Wild Wolves adding strength to the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, and just the ten people in their team, how could they possibly fight this battle? Could there be other hidden forces at work?

After some thought and without coming to a conclusion, Luo Zheng decided to go back and discuss it with the group. Lan Xue approached, signaled for Luo Zheng to turn off his headset, and said, "My superior says it's all up to you what to do next, whether to fight or retreat, you make the call."

"Ah? Me?" Luo Zheng looked at Lan Xue in surprise, his eyes full of confusion.

"I'm also puzzled by this order, but my superior says you're more suitable to make this decision because you know about these things. However, personally, I hope you think carefully before deciding. The enemy situation is unclear, and things are strange, beyond my understanding. I don't want you to take risks, understand?" Lan Xue's icy face showed a touch of concern, her eyes filled with caution, and within them, a hint of worry was also visible.

Luo Zheng fell silent, the matter was of great importance, and it was not easy to make a decision. He glanced at Ghost Team, who were adding wood to the bonfire. During the standoff with the wolves, the fire had burnt low. In the wet, hot nights of the primal forest, without a bonfire, people easily fall ill. Ghost Hand, Mountain Eagle, and Snow Leopard sat beside the fire, checking their weapons nonchalantly, their expressions focused as if they didn't take the matter just discussed to heart.

"How did you know their identity?" Lan Xue asked softly, voicing her doubts.

"If I said I guessed, would you believe me?" Luo Zheng replied with a bitter smile. Seeing that Lan Xue actually nodded seriously, he felt a warmth in his heart. The feeling of being trusted felt good, invigorating him as he explained in a low voice, "This place is rarely visited by people. Apart from the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, I can't think of anyone else who would appear in this dense forest. Also, I've heard my grandfather mention Beast Taming Skill. It has been passed down through generations, with a specific warning to stay as far away from such people as possible. The exact reasons aren't clear, but it's been passed down like this from my ancestors. I guess they had some conflicts with those who knew how to tame beasts and wanted to prevent their descendants from being disadvantaged. They couldn't afford to provoke them, but they could avoid them."

"I see, it makes sense, you're hunters and they are beast tamers. From a certain perspective, they are on the same side as the wild beasts and it's within reason that they would not get along with you hunters. But how much do you understand about Beast Taming Skill? This is me asking personally, I promise not to tell anyone," said Lan Xue seriously.

"How could I not trust you? But, I'm afraid what I know isn't much more than you do," Luo Zheng replied with a bitter smile, gazing into the depths of the dense forest, lost in thought. Lan Xue didn't interrupt him, quietly returning to the bonfire.

After a while, Luo Zheng walked towards the campsite, his face showing much more determination and confidence, and Lan Xue let out a relieved sigh, knowing Luo Zheng had made his decision. She signaled everyone to gather around and Luo Zheng also found a spot to sit down. He looked at everyone, their faces calm and resolute, without a hint of panic. Having been chosen from tens of thousands, both their abilities and wills were extraordinary. Luo Zheng smiled satisfactorily.

"Have you made a decision?" Lan Xue asked softly.

"Mm," replied Luo Zheng, nodding his head and gesturing for Meng Zhu to pass him the canteen. He took a big gulp of water, his expression becoming serious, and he said earnestly, "This is a matter of great importance, let's have a collective decision. I know what everyone is worried about. I've thought about it, and this so-called Beast Taming Skill might just be the Wolf King raising the White Wolf King, similar to how our army raises military dogs. After the White Wolf King learned all its skills, it fought for dominance in the jungle, becoming the leader of the wolf pack. The Wolf King, through the White Wolf King, controls the pack of wild wolves. It's nothing mysterious."

"What you're saying makes sense, but what's your basis?" asked Ghost Hand curiously.

"The legend says that Beast Taming Skill can command a hundred beasts in battle, which sounds incredible, but it's just a legend, unseen by anyone. There have been no accounts of it in the last few centuries, and even if it did exist, it would have dwindled down to insignificance by now, leaving only a shell, not worth worrying about. If it were truly formidable, the Wolf King wouldn't just control a pack of wild wolves, but rather all the animals in this forest would heed his call. On our journey here, we haven't been attacked by wild beasts. Secondly, as everyone saw just now, it was only after the White Wolf King howled that the other wild wolves showed respect to the Wolf King," explained Luo Zheng.

Everyone was silent for a while, then nodded in agreement. Luo Zheng waited for everyone to absorb his words, then shifted his tone and said earnestly, "So, I choose to continue fighting. What about you?"