Strongest Soldier King

"Where was the gunfire?" Ghost Hand ran up with a grave expression, asking softly.

Luo Zheng and Lan Xue raised their eyes in confusion to look, but unfortunately, all they could see in the vast mountain forest was more forest, dense and layered with nothing visible. The sky was now filled with dark clouds and a wind was rising. Luo Zheng retracted his gaze and calmly said, "It looks like it's going to rain, let's rest here, and set up a defensive formation."

"Wait a moment, could it be the Snow Bear Special Forces fighting with Bloodsucker?" Lan Xue said softly.

"It's very likely, but it has nothing to do with us for now. The brothers are all exhausted and must seize the moment to recover their strength. It's about to rain, we can't fight anymore," Luo Zheng reminded.

"I know, we can send someone up to take a look, to avoid being too passive," Lan Xue suggested.

"I'll go. You all were the main force in the previous battle, I was just running around without doing much. Leave this recon job to me," Ghost Hand immediately said.

"Okay, be careful." Luo Zheng thought for a moment and agreed that it was indeed necessary to send someone to check, to avoid being too passive. Luo Zheng was very confident in Ghost Hand's reconnaissance abilities and combat skills. Even if he couldn't win, running would still be no problem, with no worries, as nearly no one could catch Ghost Hand in this primeval forest.

Ghost Hand hurriedly left, and everyone checked their weapons and equipment. Luo Zheng distributed the seized weapons to Hook and others. Compared with Bloodsucker's weapons, Hook and the others' were far inferior, mainly due to inadequate maintenance and slightly poorer performance. Cheng He really wanted a weapon but swallowed the words back down.

Luo Zheng didn't completely trust Cheng He and dared not give him a weapon. Everyone quietly sat to recover their strength, and from afar, occasional gunfire could be heard, faint but unmistakable for those accustomed to gunshots. Soon, thunder rumbled in the sky, and a heavy downpour seemed imminent.

Luo Zheng looked at the sky, estimating that the rain would last for over two hours, and by then it would be dark. It would be better to find a place to hide and rest for the night. He called Hook over and softly asked, "Hook, is there any cave nearby? We need to find a place to spend the night."

"There is, but it would take about an hour to walk there," Hook pondered and said.

"Alright, we'll move once everyone has recovered their strength. In this state, it's not conducive to marching, and if we encounter enemies, we won't have the strength to fight. You lead the way later," Luo Zheng agreed.

Hook readily agreed, and the two began chatting idly. After about twenty minutes, everyone's strength had somewhat recovered. Ghost Hand rushed back with a tense look, coming over to Luo Zheng. Luo Zheng felt raindrops fall on his face, quite uncomfortable, but he couldn't care less. Seeing Ghost Hand's grave expression, he knew something was wrong and quickly asked, "How was it?"

"I found a team ambushing Bloodsucker. Bloodsucker has about ten people, they look very disheveled, seemingly low on ammunition, and with some injured. The ambushing team doesn't look like Bloodsucker, I can't identify them, but they're very formidable, probably new competitors sent by a country or organization," Ghost Hand whispered.

"Could it be that Bloodsucker retreated after losing to Snow Bear, and got ambushed by this team?" Lan Xue queried in surprise from the side, voicing her opinion.

"It's possible, otherwise why would they be short of ammo? But regardless, we now have a new piece of intel: there's someone new involved. Who they are isn't important; what's important is not knowing how many more have joined. It seems the situation here is known worldwide, leaving us with less and less time. Luckily, Bloodsucker can still hold their ground," Luo Zheng said worriedly.

"What I'm worried about is this issue precisely: if Bloodsucker finds out that countries are sending people to snatch, will they still go all out here? If Bloodsucker manages to escape with their resources, no one might be able to stop them in this dense forest. Meanwhile, the people sent by various countries aren't likely to collaborate. Even if they do, they won't partner with us. If that happens, we'll face two formidable foes: Bloodsucker and a coalition of the world's forces," Lan Xue worriedly added.

"Hmm?" Luo Zheng's expression also turned serious. If it truly comes to that, then it's troubling.

Everyone began contemplating, thinking of countermeasures. The situation was developing in an unpredictable direction, tending towards losing control. After a while, Luo Zheng, with a cold face, stated, "Let's not worry too much about it for now. Countries sending people over won't at least unite in a day or two; only after they see Bloodsucker's strength will they reconsider. We've been fighting continuously, our bodies are at their limit, and we must find a safe place to rest."

"Where to?" Lan Xue asked, not opposing the suggestion.

"Hook mentioned a place, but it requires about an hour's march," Luo Zheng said.

"An hour? During the heaviest rain, marching in the rain, as long as we're careful, we shouldn't get exposed or encounter an enemy. I think it's feasible," Lan Xue agreed.

"Alright, let's move out once we've rested; there's no hurry for this day," Ghost Hand also agreed.

Mountain Eagle didn't oppose either. Under Luo Zheng's command, he promptly led the squad to set off. Hook called someone over and instructed him, asking him to follow Mountain Eagle to scout ahead. The others quickly followed suit.

Soon, torrential rain began to fall on the endless primeval forest. The team marched through the rain, with steam rising from their bodies. Wearing camouflage suits, no one spoke, giving an eerie impression in the rainy forest. Water flowed down the mountains with a rush, boots splashing through puddles, but the muddy tracks were swiftly washed clean by the rain, leaving no concern over exposure.

After an hour of forced march, the team reached a canyon, flanked by towering cliffs with rainwater cascading down them. Streams formed from rivulets met further ahead. After a short quick march through the canyon, they found a natural cave, dry inside with some signs of wild animals. Monkeys on nearby cliffs warily eyed the unexpected intruders, chittering angrily in protest.

Luo Zheng examined the cave, its entrance formed by a recess in the huge rock, capable of hiding fifty people without worrying about satellite detection. Inside was a deeper cave of unknown extent. If anyone entered the canyon, the team could use the rocks around the entrance as cover to engage in an encounter battle, and if necessary, retreat deeper into the cave and wait for the enemy to leave. As a last resort, they could retreat while skirmishing along the canyon edge—though not ideal, it sufficed. The team was exhausted and couldn't press on in the rain, so Luo Zheng instructed everyone to rest on the spot and find a way to build a fire.

Note: Thanks for your votes and support, everyone. Old Wolf is full of motivation now.