Strongest Soldier King

In the early morning, the forest was exceptionally fresh after the rain. Birds were noisy on the branches, and several wild monkeys were playfully squeaking in the treetops. The dawn sun bathed the forest in a layer of golden light, and a large river meandered through the endless valley, its current sometimes rapid, sometimes gentle, eventually flowing into the sea.

At a bend where the water flowed deep and smooth, fallen leaves from both sides of the gorge drifted on the surface of the water, gently moving forward. Suddenly, a few leaves began to spin as if half-sucked by something and flowed into a side cave nearby. The cave was large, opening along the river into the side of a mountain peak with its highest point about two meters above the water's surface. Who would have thought there was a hidden cave where the water flowed so calmly?

Sunlight spilled into the dark cave, its depth unknown to anyone. A great amount of water poured in, creating a rumbling roar. On a slightly open platform inside the cave, a person sat quietly, breathing in meditation— it was Luo Zheng. Luo Zheng didn't know how he had got there, but being alive was a good thing. However, his physical condition was poor, as if his body was no longer under his control. He quickly set aside all distractions and started to recover using the Breathing Skill passed down through his family.

More than an hour later, Luo Zheng felt a bit better. He looked around; the cave was deep, and his backpack was caught on a protruding stone. Had it not been for that, it would likely have been washed into the cave by the water—it would have been hard not to die. He was silently grateful, quickly unfastening his backpack. Thanks to its high waterproof performance, the contents were undamaged. He quickly pulled out and swallowed some dry food. Perhaps because he was so hungry, Luo Zheng devoured four pieces of compressed biscuits in one breath, twice as many as usual. He dared not eat any more; it would be ironic to not die by the enemy's hand, or by drowning, only to be choked by compressed biscuits.

He checked his equipment. The sniper rifle was missing, but everything else was there. Upon examining his body, surprisingly, there were no injuries. He carefully recalled the events that had occurred. In order not to be shot by his pursuers, he had jumped off the cliff without hesitation and then knew nothing until he woke up here.

Thinking back, Luo Zheng suddenly remembered his comrades and wondered how they were. He looked at his wristwatch, which was also highly waterproof and still functioning. According to the date displayed, he had been lying here for three days. Three days! And he had not died. Luo Zheng was somewhat impressed with his own resilience.

"Regardless, I must recover my strength as soon as possible and return." Luo Zheng thought of Lan Xue. Lan Xue, knowing he was in trouble, would definitely come to search for him—he might have already come. If something happened to Lan Xue, Luo Zheng didn't have the courage to continue thinking about it any further. He quickly packed everything back into his Army backpack and began to observe his surroundings.

Water flowed into the cave, thankfully not too rapidly. There was only one exit. It would not be easy to get out of the cave; a single misstep could lead to being washed back into the darkness again. Luo Zheng observed for a while, then slowly stood up and felt some return of strength in his body. He walked forward, approached the mouth of the cave, drew his Type 65 Army dagger and the Mitsubishi bayonet, and couldn't help but think of his squad leader and deputy squad leader. The Mitsubishi bayonet belonged to the squad leader, and the Army dagger to the deputy squad leader. Luo Zheng muttered, "Squad leader, deputy squad leader, I need your blessing again this time."

After resting briefly, Luo Zheng felt the stiffness in his body gradually disappear, and his blood flowed normally. He slung the Army backpack over his shoulder, then inserted the Army dagger into the cave wall. The wall, having been eroded by the river for many years without collapsing, was made of hard, solid earth.

He inserted the Army dagger with force, shifting his body forward, then drove the Mitsubishi bayonet a bit further, advancing a little more. He repeated this process, pulling out the dagger and moving it forward repeatedly, until he reached the cave mouth. Luo Zheng plunged the Mitsubishi bayonet into the hard earth outside, using it to leverage his way out, grabbed a small tree nearby, and again pushed himself up with its help, completely climbing out of the cave mouth.

At this moment, Luo Zheng completely exhaled in relief, his body mostly soaked in the water as he grasped onto a branch with one hand and bit down on the Army dagger with the other, before slipping the tri-edged bayonet back into his backpack. He looked up at the mountainside—it wasn't very steep and was covered with various shrubs. Luo Zheng began to climb upwards.

Ten minutes later, Luo Zheng had climbed the mountainside and arrived at a forest. He sat down with a thump, panting heavily, feeling as if all the strength he had just regained had drained away. He immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and started to recover once more using the Breathing Skill passed down in his family. In such a dangerous place, maintaining a good condition at all times was the sole rule for survival.

This time, Luo Zheng allowed himself to rest as long as possible. When he felt his body had recovered substantially, he finally opened his eyes—it was already dusk. Luo Zheng dared not move carelessly and decided to rest here for the night. Feeling a bit hungry again, he took out the dry rations from his backpack. Only four pieces were left. Luo Zheng swallowed two pieces in one breath, planning to save the last two for an emergency.

There was still some water in his canteen. Luo Zheng took a few sips, then lay flat on the ground to rest, relaxing as much as possible while vigilantly observing his surroundings. He had already taken the Type 92 pistol out of his bag, chambered a round, and also took out the last grenade.

As time ticked by, the sky gradually dimmed. Luo Zheng stood up and moved his body, feeling almost recovered. He scanned the surroundings and found no danger, just as he was about to take out his sleeping bag, a gunshot suddenly rang out. Luo Zheng was startled and quickly looked for cover, listening intently. Another gunshot followed, and this time, Luo Zheng clearly determined the direction of the shots, which made him wonder—why were there gunshots at this time? Could it be that the Captain and the others hadn't left yet?

With that thought, Luo Zheng grew anxious. He packed his backpack properly, pistol in hand, and moved toward the direction of the gunshots. However, it was getting dark and visibility wasn't great. If Luo Zheng hadn't been accustomed to hunting in the forest since childhood, he wouldn't have known how to find his way.

Guided by the faint moonlight, Luo Zheng cautiously advanced, stopping every so often to observe and ensure there was no danger. Through periods of training, he had learned many jungle survival rules, no longer rushing around as he might have done in the past. Walking for a while, the sound of gunfire rang out again. Luo Zheng adjusted his direction based on where the shots were coming from and carefully made his way towards it.

After a while, Luo Zheng reached a part of the mountainside. Gunfire echoed from the valley ahead, where the dense forest made it difficult to discern details—going down recklessly would be suicidal. Luo Zheng found high ground and stopped to observe. Based on the continuity of the gunfire, he could tell it was a chase—one party pursuing, one party fleeing, with the roles unchanged. Luo Zheng gripped his pistol tighter and headed towards the area where both parties might pass through.

ps: I'm begging for recommendation tickets!