Strongest Soldier King

That day, under the bright midday sun, it was rare to see the sun in the sky entering November. The wind was somewhat strong and also cold. The vegetation on the Special Warfare Team's rear mountain was not lush, dominated by shrubbery. Little birds joyfully emerged, frolicking and chasing each other in the shrubs, painting a peaceful scene.

However, the Team Leader was on full alert, carefully observing his surroundings and checking the ground beneath his feet. Ever since he started training Luo Zheng personally, he realized that Luo Zheng had exceptional sensitivity in the jungle, a born hunter. After three days of training, he decisively gave up on continuing reconnaissance training and devoted himself to teaching blasting techniques.

Yet, in less than half a month, the Team Leader found himself frustrated with nothing left to teach. Today was Luo Zheng's blasting skills assessment day. The assessment was quite simple: the Team Leader would test him by walking from the bottom of the hill to the top, and if he made it, the Team Leader would win. The hill wasn't tall, just a small mound, and the climb was only about two hundred meters. However, for the explosives expert Team Leader, these two hundred meters were as difficult as a chasm, a feeling that left the Team Leader both suffocated and elated.

To an observer, the path up the hill looked just as it did every other day: ordinary, with no visible traps. Nevertheless, the Team Leader felt danger lurking at every step, each one potentially deadly. This infuriated him, yet he had no choice but to tread carefully with every footfall. Though it was joyous that a master might be bested by his pupil, it was also humiliating—military honor is supreme.

At the entrance to the ascent, Elder Liu and Elder Chang were taking turns sipping old wine, their faces conveying deep satisfaction as they held half a roast duck and chatted casually. Elder Chang even shouted triumphantly, "Hey, can you hurry up? The sun's about to set. Don't forget, you're the undefeated king of blasting in the army. Hope you're not chickening out. If you are, come down and have a drink."

"Quiet down!" The Team Leader halfway up the hillside retorted discontentedly, his expression growing more solemn. He hadn't found a single Land Mine from the bottom to the halfway point, and several false alarms had left him annoyed. No one liked the feeling of being targeted by the Death God without knowing where or when it might strike.

After walking a few more steps, he saw some branches and dry grass on the ground, which were not uncommon on the path uphill. The Team Leader didn't think much of it and walked right over. Suddenly, he tensed, internally cursing, "Wait, how many times have these appeared along the way? Could it be?"

Realizing this, the Team Leader's face grew stern, and he dared not move. He looked at the ground beneath his feet, his expression turning to a bitter smile. Then he looked around and called out loudly, "Zhengzi, show yourself, you've graduated."

"Hehe, thank you, Team Leader." Not far away, a clump of shrubbery suddenly stood up, revealing a figure—Luo Zheng. His body was covered in shrubbery, even his head, expertly camouflaged. Lying on the ground, he'd blended in perfectly with the environment, so much so that even the experienced Team Leader had failed to spot him.

Seeing Luo Zheng within just three meters, giving off no detectable presence, and having evaded his own surveillance, the Team Leader gasped in surprise and then laughed, cursing, "Clever boy, well done. You even evaded me, your camouflage is impressive. The Land Mines you have laid are also remarkable, you've calculated my every thought. The dry grass and branches along the path, those were all intentional, right? To lull me into a visual routine, then when I got used to them, you laid the real mines."

"Team Leader is wise," replied Luo Zheng with a hearty laugh.

"Wise my ass; wise and still caught by your trick. Come help me clear these mines," the Team Leader mocked but his eyes were filled with delight. He was willing to accept defeat, honorably, at the hands of his pupil. Although he had anticipated this move, he hadn't expected Luo Zheng to set up more than ten dummy positions, so ingeniously laid that he'd let down his guard completely—being defeated by a pupil was embarrassing, but he could accept it.

"There's no detonation device," Luo Zheng hurriedly interjected.

The Team Leader lifted his foot, brushing aside two leaves on the ground to reveal the camouflaged Land Mine, cleverly buried just under the surface, concealed by the leaves. If the Team Leader had not been a demolition expert himself, very sensitive to this kind of Land Mine, he wouldn't have noticed it at all. Irritated, he said, "Clever brat, looking down on me, aren't you? Why not use real mines? Afraid of blowing me up?"

"How could I?" Luo Zheng apologetically grinned. "After all, real or fake, you would have discovered them."

Just then, Elder Liu and Elder Chang hurried over. Seeing the mine on the ground, they laughed, "Team Leader, I didn't think you'd lose. Now all three of us brothers have been beaten by this kid. From now on, none of us can mock the others."

"That's not necessarily true. The Team Leader discovered the Land Mine, right? As long as it's cleared, it counts as a draw at most," Elder Chang interjected in disagreement.

"To lose is to lose. You think this kid's mines are simple? Try clearing them yourself," the Team Leader laughed.

"Oh? Is there some trick?" Elder Chang circled around the Land Mine, offering, "Just now when you stepped on the mine, you could have inserted a knife beneath your foot with finesse, holding down the trigger, then lifted your foot and placed a stone on the knife. Couldn't that work?"

"That works for conventional mines. You guys don't know about this kid's mines—they've been modified. Once stepped on, they detonate immediately. Others' grenades have a three-second delay; his are just one second and very sensitive. Even a bird landing on it would set it off. Didn't you see him hiding nearby? That's in case he needs to keep the birds away," the Team Leader explained with the expertise of a demolition king.

"That powerful?" Elder Chang exclaimed in surprise, then remembering something, questioned in amazement, "Didn't you notice him hiding nearby just now?"

The Team Leader shook his head with a bitter expression, not willing to lie despite the embarrassment.

Elder Chang and Elder Liu exchanged a knowing glance and smiled in tacit understanding. They were delighted. Having a pupil like this was what every mentor could hope for. Seeing the Team Leader reflective, Elder Liu consoled, "Never mind, the new waves of the Yangtze River push on those ahead. We've lost, but no shame in losing to Zhengzi; the more skilled he is, the better. Perhaps we won't come last in the upcoming competition."

"Indeed," Elder Chang added, looking at Luo Zheng with a satisfied smile and asking, "Didn't you only study with the Team Leader for half a month? You've mastered all the surveillance techniques?"

"I was thinking... never mind, let's go for a drink," the Team Leader interjected before Luo Zheng could answer, and started back down the hill with grandeur, all the while muttering to himself, "Brothers, perhaps your vengeance can be avenged; your loyal spirits might finally rest. See the disciple of us three?..."