Strongest Soldier King

The blazing sun scorched the vast forest, with sunlight streaming through the dense canopy, painting a dappled pattern that swayed with the wind, much like dancing butterflies. A gentle mountain breeze rustled the trees as Luo Zheng carried Lan Xue to a mountain ridge. A gust of wind revitalized him, and he stopped, carefully setting Lan Xue down on the ground. He scanned the area; the dense forest around them was level, and the ground was covered in shrubs – it was a great hiding spot.

"You must be exhausted," Lan Xue asked with concern.

"I'm alright," Luo Zheng replied, his steely eyes continuing to sweep the surroundings, memorizing every detail of the terrain—where they could hide, where they could retreat. Then he sat down with a thud, noticing Lan Xue watching him. He couldn't help but smile foolishly; seeing Lan Xue again, he felt incredibly lucky.

"Silly," Lan Xue smiled sweetly, like a wild lily blossoming on the mountainside that could move heaven and earth with its beauty, sweeping away her usual icy demeanor.

"You are beautiful," Luo Zheng said sincerely. Seeing Lan Xue roll her eyes, he gave an embarrassed chuckle, but suddenly, his expression turned serious, the cold aura of a killer enveloping him once more. His aura affected Lan Xue as well, alerting her to imminent danger. She looked around vigilantly, but seeing no threat, she turned to Luo Zheng with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Had he developed an even stronger sense of danger after a few months apart? Surely not?

Luo Zheng hadn't sensed danger, but he thought of it. He realized that the sadistic powerhouse would surely follow the leads straight to them, and they had to do something—or they'd be dead. Rushing, he said, "A super freak chased me all last night, a real expert. I reckon he'll catch up to us here."

"Hmm, you encountered him?" Lan Xue asked in surprise, unable to figure out how Luo Zheng had escaped the pursuit. Full of curiosity, she continued, "His name is Blood Wolf, one of the founders of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, and a top ten sniper in the world. You managed to escape from him?"

"That strong? No wonder," Luo Zheng exclaimed, looking at Lan Xue surprised. He felt a bit proud, escaping from one of the top ten snipers was no small feat. He laughed, "I won't lie to you; that guy was too formidable. I had no chance to fight back, could only run. Luckily I'm good at running, and managed to escape."

"It seems like your speed has increased a lot, what happened?" Lan Xue pressed, surprised. Blood Wolf took pride in two skills: sniping and tracking, famous for his speed—both his shooting and running, with few peers. She couldn't understand how a rookie like Luo Zheng escaped and was filled with curiosity.

"We'll talk about that later," Luo Zheng said before dashing into the forest, cutting down trees to set traps. Half an hour later, he had set up four traps around them. Suddenly, he heard the sound of birds being startled not far away; he knew the sadistic hunter had arrived. He quickly ran to Lan Xue's side, whispering, "Our lives hinge on taking a gamble now; if we don't kill that freak, we won't make it out."

"What's your plan?" Lan Xue asked lightly, her voice devoid of panic.

"How would I know, you're the master, what you say goes," Luo Zheng replied with a bitter smile, not daring to show off his pitiful military skills in front of Lan Xue.

After observing the area, Lan Xue said, "I've seen where you set up the traps just now. So, I'll hide in the bushes over there, and you hide in the bushes on the opposite side. We'll launch a pincer strike. Take the opportunity to fire at will; don't wait for me. Got it?"

"Okay," Luo Zheng agreed, helped Lan Xue into the bushes, gave her the pistol ammunition and two hand grenades, and unwillingly gave her an Army dagger Type 65 too. Then he went back, covered up the traces of their rest with dry grass, and quickly dove into the bushes diagonally opposite.

As soon as he had hidden, Luo Zheng saw a figure in a camouflage suit rush up. He quickly reined in his breath, holding his breath still. In the face of such top-tier experts, any thought could lead to a leak of killing intent, exposing his position. By then, it would be a certain death. Now he could only bet that the opponent didn't know about the ambush and thought he had fled in a hurry because after shaking off pursuers, no one would foolishly wait around for death.

Before long, the man leaned against a large tree, his cold eyes meticulously scanning the forest, not taking immediate action. It was Blood Wolf who had arrived, truly a top-tier expert seasoned on the line of death, with an extremely strong premonition of danger. He must have sensed that something was off in this part of the forest.

A bit later, Blood Wolf's cold gaze flickered with chilliness as he cautiously moved forward. After a short while, he stopped and looked gravely at the dried leaves on the ground, crouching down cautiously. He picked up a stone and threw it forward; the stone triggered a mechanism, and a thick, sharp wooden stake flew out from the woods, hitting the big tree where Blood Wolf was hiding with a dull thud.

Blood Wolf remained motionless, his cold gaze sweeping the surroundings. He picked up the fallen sharp stake—thick as a baby's arm, two meters long, sharpened at both ends, the trunk straight and incredibly tough. A hit from it would cause death or serious injury. After observing the sharp stake for a while, he threw it toward a nearby bush.

With a rustling sound, a vine-made noose hidden in the dry leaves suddenly tightened and then hung in mid-air, the other end tied to a branch on a large tree. Blood Wolf scoffed, straightened up, and cautiously stepped forward, gun pointed ahead, ready to fire, his steps small but each one firm and powerful.

Hiding in a bush not far away, Luo Zheng knew that his traps wouldn't work on this super freak but were merely weapons to disrupt and confuse judgment He wasn't discouraged by Blood Wolf destroying the traps he'd painstakingly prepared. There were still two traps ahead, always a chance to strike.

As Blood Wolf squatted to check the ground, preparing to trigger the third trap, Luo Zheng saw the opportunity as Blood Wolf's half-exposed body was in his line of fire. His eyes narrowed to slits as he aimed calmly, understanding that the more critical the moment, the calmer he needed to be. He was very aware of super freaks like Blood Wolf with their intensely sensitive premonition, who could detect the slightest hint of killing intent and respond correctly before the trigger was pulled. He couldn't afford to be careless.

In the presence of an absolute power expert, opportunities were often fleeting, a matter of life or death. Luo Zheng dared not act recklessly and patiently waited, imagining himself as a bush, blending in with the surrounding environment, awaiting the arrival of the perfect moment to engage.