Strongest Soldier King

The people of the Hook Tribe don't have Night Vision Devices. Even if their vision is better than most, they can't see things beyond two hundred meters in this pitch-dark night. Luo Zheng didn't immediately issue an attack order, but quietly crept forward. Seeing the enemy had approached within about a hundred meters of the defensive line, five or six minutes had already passed. He believed Lan Xue and the others were ready too. Luo Zheng's cold gaze scanned the infiltrating enemy through the Night Vision Device, a surge of killing intent flaring up within him.

In the dense forest ahead, the enemy's infiltration method was straightforward and highly efficient. They used the trees for cover, advancing in bursts of speed, one by one. Each burst was about ten meters, taking only around two seconds in an all-out charge—though uphill speed slowed them down.

Luo Zheng calculated quickly, knowing he might not be able to manage such a feat himself. These people were incredibly skilled, with combat abilities surpassing his own. He knew they were tough to deal with and dared not be careless. He crept forward cautiously, noticing when they were about eighty meters from the first defensive line, suddenly all of them went prone, crawling upwards with great care, very slowly, without making a sound, silently approaching the defensive line.

"Huh?" Luo Zheng was shocked. If he hadn't discovered them earlier, these people might have silently reached the defensive line, where they could use cold weapons to quietly eliminate those on it, create a breach, and infiltrate the second line. Once they passed the three lines, they could silently reach the cavern. That would be troublesome.

Thinking of this, Luo Zheng's face turned cold, anger flaring up fiercely as he roared, "Fire!" He said, vigorously shooting his M4 at the enemies ahead. Ghost Hand and Mountain Eagle, always conscious of Luo Zheng's commands, were also ready for battle. Upon hearing the order, they fired without hesitation.

Along the defensive line, Zhou Gang and the others had long been ready. Upon hearing the command, they too opened fire, sniper bullets rushing at their predetermined targets, issuing terrifying screeches, biting into the targets' bodies, twisting and shredding everything in their way.

Rat-a-tat-tat! The people of the Hook Tribe were prepared for battle too, quickly firing at the front. Hook was commanding on the frontline. Luo Zheng's orders and enemy discoveries were relayed through Hook to everyone, directing concentrated bullet coverage over a specific area.

Those who crept forward didn't expect to be exposed, nor that their opponent was prepared. They were shocked, rolling rapidly down the mountainside to avoid bullets, twisting strangely upon colliding with trees, curling behind the tree trunks, ready to counterattack. Then gunfire erupted from another direction; they found themselves caught in a crossfire.

Without pause, they charged swiftly to one side, using the trees for shelter, sprinting away without looking back, moving quickly. At this point, the reserve unit charged forward, pursuing the enemies in retreat, unleashing a flurry of bullets that mostly missed their mark.

Luo Zheng saw the people of the Hook Tribe firing indiscriminately, tempted to chase and kill the enemies. However, faced with countless flying bullets, he dared not recklessly leave cover, quickly shouting, "Cease fire."

The shooting gradually subsided, and Luo Zheng pursued, discovering the enemies had already retreated. Four bodies lay on the ground, two dead completely, the other two barely alive. Ghost Hand and Mountain Eagle moved forward to finish them off, but Luo Zheng suddenly had an idea, shouting, "Don't rush, keep them alive."

Ghost Hand and Mountain Eagle didn't fully understand but obeyed the command, confiscating the weapons of these individuals. At this moment, torches lit up along the defense line, and Hook and others rushed down, shouting excitedly, "Old friend, this battle was satisfying! Never thought guns could be used like this. Great, truly great."

As a former guerrilla warrior, Hook had some military training and naturally understood the magic of tactical firing. He also recognized the enemy's strength, knowing that several hundred could open fire simultaneously and still retreat—no ordinary feat. Having pushed back the enemy, Hook was immensely excited, and the troops' morale soared.

"Is everyone alright?" Luo Zheng asked worriedly.

Hook's face darkened; he wanted to say something but held back. Luo Zheng felt a pang of concern, knowing the losses might be considerable. He patted Hook's shoulder, then instructed Zhou Gang and the others, "Take some people and scout the enemy situation below. Be cautious."

"Understood," Zhou Gang and others replied, departing.

"Old friend, set the troops to restore defensive coverage on all sides, beware of enemy surprise attacks," Luo Zheng continued.

Hook agreed, muttering commands to his trusted officers. The team dispersed swiftly, directing the troops. Luo Zheng observed the mournful Hook, signaling everyone to leave before pointing to the two still-breathing captives, saying, "Old friend, save them. These two are treasures, could fetch a lot."

"What do you mean?" Hook asked puzzled, his face full of suspicion.

Seeing that Hook didn't grasp his meaning, Luo Zheng quietly explained, "Those individuals are no ordinary people. They're worth a lot. Once we win this battle, you can let it be known that their organization must pay ransom: weapons, materials, money—whatever you desire. In future battles, try to capture more prisoners if possible."

"Makes sense." Hook's eyes lit up, gazing at the unconscious prisoners as if they were treasure pots, all frustration vanishing as he said, "Wonderful. The idea is excellent. But I'll leave this to you. My men can't capture prisoners."

"Don't worry; leave the capturing to us. We're friends, we're brothers," Luo Zheng said earnestly.

"Yes, brothers," Hook said happily, immediately calling people over to treat the two unconscious individuals, gazing down the forested mountainside, amazed, "The alliance behind you made quite the commotion earlier—it's impressive. If not for your fuss, we'd have suffered greatly. Those people's gun skills are too accurate, hitting the mark every time, costing us many lives." Speaking this, Hook's mood dropped.

"The enemy didn't get off lightly either," Luo Zheng consoled.

This was when Lan Xue arrived with a stern face. Seeing Luo Zheng unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "The earlier battle killed about twenty-five enemies. Our losses are still being counted, with potentially nearly a hundred dead or injured." She spoke in Huaxian to avoid upsetting Hook.

Luo Zheng nodded in understanding, surprised inside. Though the battle seemed in their favor, the enemy's gun skills were too precise, hiding in the woods and striking accurately, one shot one kill. Hook's people stopped the enemy advance but couldn't prevent heavy losses. Luckily, the enemy suffered significant losses too. Overall, the battle ended evenly.

Being able to hold against the enemy was quite satisfactory for Luo Zheng, though he felt the Hook's pain. Knowing the enemy remained close, Luo Zheng's tiger eyes stiffened in thought. It was time for a counterattack.