Strongest Soldier King

After a full meal, everyone was ready to rest for a bit before withdrawing. Several guests came over, evident practitioners of the world with thick gold necklaces around their necks. One of them was even bald, adorned with tattoos. This group sat not far from everyone else, and after ordering their food, one of them lowered his voice to say, "Master Wu, have you heard? Kuntai's people dispatched nearly a thousand to escort a shipment—such a big move. It's said they even clashed with a troop."

"Really? Who within hundreds of kilometers would dare to mess with Kuntai? Looks to me like they're courting death," an older member of the group also whispered.

Their voices were very low, but not low enough to escape the astonishing hearing of Shan Hu and the others, who managed to catch every word. Although there wasn't any special intelligence, one thing was clear: it was indeed Kuntai's doing. Everyone exchanged knowing glances and nodded, ready to look elsewhere.

Just then, the bald bruiser spoke in a secretive tone, "Right? Who would dare touch Kuntai's goods? However, I heard that the other party is quite formidable; they've taken out quite a few of Kuntai's men. They're searching all over for this group now, offering a reward of one million in US gold to whoever finds them. I just don't get it—this isn't Kuntai's style. Kuntai only takes money, never offers it."

"Exactly, there's definitely something odd about this. It seems a storm is about to hit here soon. Let's finish our business and get out as quickly as possible, the sooner the better, to avoid getting caught in the crossfire," Master Wu said in a low voice.

"Alright, we'll do as Master Wu says," the bald strongman whispered back. "But isn't this place supposed to be very safe? Not even Kuntai dares to cause trouble here, who would have the guts to come looking for death?"

"Stop your yapping, and just listen to Master Wu. Are you looking for trouble?" another person said in a dissatisfied whisper.

At this point, the waiters began serving the dishes, and the group changed the topic of conversation. Luo Zheng had a hunch that the reward must've been offered by the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, obviously targeting him, but he couldn't fathom how they knew he'd be on this mission. While puzzled, he heard Shan Hu say in a grave whisper, "Let's withdraw first. Golden Eagle, you're quick, you cover our retreat. Break through and regroup at the predetermined point."

They all nodded. Shan Hu gave Luo Zheng a glance, and Luo Zheng knew Shan Hu was suggesting that he leave first. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about we make some noise before we go?"

Shan Hu considered this and said, "That could work. Golden Eagle, Duke of Thunder, it's on you two."

"Understood." The two nodded a silent agreement and got up to leave.

Luo Zheng noticed Duke of Thunder headed towards the kitchen while Jin Xin went towards the bathroom. In a moment, a loud explosion came from the kitchen, and then a private room near the bathroom burst into flames. The restaurant immediately descended into chaos, everyone rose from their seats and made for the exit, and amidst the crowd, Luo Zheng and his companions quickly headed towards the outside.

Reaching the front door, they waited for a bit before Duke of Thunder and Golden Eagle hurried out. The five exchanged smiles and quickly made their way down the mountain. The sudden turmoil drew the Guard's attention, all running over to check what happened, oblivious to those descending the mountain. However, the Guard wasn't incompetent and soon issued a lockdown order, with no one allowed to leave.

The people at the bottom of the mountain received the order and immediately went on the alert. Spotting the five men coming down, they cocked their guns and gestured for them to stop. Seeing the Guard hesitate, not daring to open fire, Shan Hu decisively ordered everyone to accelerate and break through. As they approached, the Guard realized something was amiss and fired warning shots into the air.

Shan Hu saw the Guard's reaction and knew a head-on charge would fail, so he immediately yelled, "Split up and run, meet at the rendezvous, friends."

"Understood," everyone whispered in response, running swiftly to either side, where stilted buildings of the Miao clan residential areas were located. The terrain was complex and very conducive to concealment. They rushed over, using the stilted buildings and mountainous terrain as cover to dodge the bullets from the guards.

People inside the stilted buildings came out upon hearing the gunfire, and the increased numbers were more conducive to concealment. Everyone sped up, quickly losing the pursuing guards. Luo Zheng dashed out of the mountain ridge and saw the guards chasing them relentlessly, moving very fast. To get to the rendezvous point, they needed to cross an open area. Going around either side was too far and would separate the group. Biting the bullet, he charged across.

Hearing the bullets zipping behind him, Luo Zheng hurriedly employed the Bullet Avoidance Steps, exerting all his strength to surge forward. He escaped far enough to finally get out of the pursuers' effective shooting range. On looking back, he saw his brothers also rushing from different directions and diving into the forest.

Luo Zheng also made his way into the forest, climbed a mountain ridge, and, after reuniting with everyone, quickly arrived at the rendezvous point. Shan Hu whispered urgently, "Move it, they're catching up. These guys are a tough bunch."

"You're soft after eating someone else's food. Just run," Duke of Thunder joked.

The group drew their weapons and shouldered their packs, sprinting into the depths of the dense forest. They hadn't gone a kilometer when the barking of hunting dogs sounded from behind—the pursuers clung on tenaciously. Shan Hu shouted in frustration, "We can't fight, brothers, speed up. Head for the area where wolves have been spotted. These guys will definitely know the wolves' territory and won't pursue too closely."

"Understood," everyone responded, quickening their pace.

After running for about half an hour, they reached a mountain waist dense with woods and no clear path, making it difficult to traverse. The relentless barking of the dogs indicated that the pursuers hadn't given up, forcing the group to continue on their way. Suddenly, intense gunfire erupted ahead, startling them all into seeking cover.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!" Bullets whizzed over as if they cost nothing.

Taking a closer look, they saw a band of armed men appear in front of them, their identities unclear. Judging by their clothing, they resembled the drug traffickers they had previously encountered, nearly a hundred in number. Shan Hu's expression grew serious—enemies ahead, pursuers behind. After a quick assessment of the surroundings, he ordered: "Head east, and fight as you withdraw."

"Understood." As the group provided covering fire for each other and targeted the advancing enemies, they moved eastwards. Luo Zheng also fired rapidly, aiming for the head with almost every shot, all the while sprinting and using the trees for cover.

Thanks to the dense trees, which made pursuit difficult, and the precise shooting of the five men, they managed to suppress the attackers and break out of the ambush. Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, intense gunfire rang out again in front, and they instinctively dropped to the ground for cover.

"Something's not right—are we surrounded?" Golden Eagle observed the surroundings with a calm demeanor.

"There's quite a number of them. Staying together might not work anymore. Let's break through separately; each man who gets out counts. Regroup at the old place. Take care." Seeing nearly a hundred ambushers ahead, Shan Hu's expression turned grave as he decisively gave the order to split up and break out. He didn't move, apparently planning to cover the rear.

ps: Friends with tickets, please throw in a little support, asking for everything!