"Crack—BOOM!" Terrifying lightning illuminated the stormy night, wrestling with the darkness for the sky. Just as the night was about to swallow the lightning entirely, a thunderclap roared above, as if the lightning was challenging the night. The rumble echoed through the vast sky, driving one to the brink of collapse.
The wind grew stronger, and the rain intensified, visibility decreased further. Moving beca arduous under these harsh conditions. The mighty force of nature made Luo Zheng furrow his brows tightly, forcing him to think hard. Finally, he decided to halt. In this pitch-black tempest, moving itself was challenging, let alone killing the enemy?
Orders were relayed, everyone shouted reminders to one another, so even ran to pull their comrades, gesturing and shouting a few words. Otherwise, nothing could be heard. The team settled down in a dense forest, hiding under the thick canopy to avoid the rain. Everyone was drenched, but fortunately, the weather was muggy, so they didn't feel cold, otherwise, they might have caught a cold.
The storm seed like it was venting so inner displeasure, fiercely pounding the primal forest. Luo Zheng calmly observed this stormy world with a heavy heart. In such impassable weather, launching a surprise attack on the enemy was impossible. Their earlier ambush surely had been noticed by the enemy. Once the rain stopped, an encirclent awaited them. They had to withdraw quickly.
With this thought, Luo Zheng imdiately found Hook and loudly expressed his concerns. Hook nodded understandingly and said a few words to a man known for his keen sense of sll. The man nodded, and darted into the storm. Luo Zheng watched Hook conversing with their own people with so confusion, puzzled about what was going on.
After a while, the keen-scented man returned, arms full of vines. They divided them, linking them together. Hook ca over to tell Luo Zheng that the keen-scented man would lead the way, and everyone should hold onto the vines and follow, to avoid getting lost. Luo Zheng couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. In such low visibility, losing sight of each other was likely, and shouting was useless—the rain was too loud. Having vines made things much simpler.
Everyone grabbed the vines and began moving. Luo Zheng stayed at the back, coughing occasionally. The rain exacerbated his injuries. They followed the steps ahead slowly, firmly grasping the vines to avoid straying, calling out occasionally as reminders.
An hour later, they reached the foot of the mountain. The rain subsided significantly, visibility improved a bit, and dawn was breaking. They dropped the vines and started climbing the mountain, shouting as they went to avoid friendly fire.
Lan Xue, knowing the team had returned, rushed out of the trench. Seeing the drenched Luo Zheng co back, she paled even more, her heart anxious as she concernedly approached him, asking, "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Luo Zheng knew Lan Xue wasn't asking about the battle, but his health. He reassured her, "See? I'm fine, don't worry, I can handle it."
The team dispersed, taking shelter in the back-slope of the trench to avoid the rain. Led by Lan Xue, Luo Zheng also sat in a back-slope. He saw that Lan Xue had even built a small fire here, with a helt over it, cooking so porridge-like substance. Lan Xue handed it to Luo Zheng, saying, "Have so."
Luo Zheng smiled gratefully, took a sip, and found it was made from cooked compressed biscuits. He downed it in large gulps, feeling slightly better, and said deeply, "You went through a lot of trouble." It really was difficult to prepare hot water on such a stormy day.
At this point, Hook and Scholar, along with others, ca over. They squatted nearby, looking at Luo Zheng. Hook asked, "Old friend, it's almost dawn. I've found out the trench above is ready. What's next?"
"The button bombs have been set as well," Lan Xue added.
"Wait," Luo Zheng's face grew stern as he answered seriously. Seeing the others were sowhat puzzled, he explained, "We've wiped out one force of the enemy. They won't figure out who did it and won't launch an attack on us imdiately. We just wait, take the opportunity to recuperate. With trenches and traps, I'd like to see how they plan to attack."
The traps are not only like those used by hunters but also equipped with button bombs, which can be detonated by pressure or remotely. The combined power is imnse, and the enemy will have to pay a price to attack. Everyone nodded in understanding, and seeing Luo Zheng looking exhausted, exchanged glances before leaving.
Once everyone left, Luo Zheng simply removed his wet outerwear and leaned against his backpack, falling asleep imdiately. He was truly exhausted, and with his injuries worsening, his body urgently needed rest. Watching the sleeping Luo Zheng, Lan Xue felt a wave of pity. She gently smoothed his furrowed brows, like a compassionate mother watching her child.
A wise woman often plays three roles in front of her man: a coquettish daughter, a confidant elder sister, and a caring mother. At this mont, Lan Xue radiated a glow of care, her eyes full of distress and worry for Luo Zheng. But she was also clear about the situation at hand and knew so things couldn't be said, lest they affect army morale.
Soldiers are tasked with completing their mission; the battlefield is no place for romance, nor can such matters cloud judgnt and morale. Lan Xue silently endured this pain, lightly picked up Luo Zheng's sniper rifle, and began maintenance after disassembling the parts.
The sky gradually brightened. Everyone pulled out the last bit of rations and shared them. There was no news from Lang Sen, who was sent to gather food, leaving his situation unknown. Silently, they ate the dry food, eyes quietly watching the foot of the mountain, lost in their own thoughts.
Soon, the sun climbed up, infusing the primal forest with so vitality. After a night's storm, the forest was lush and green, the ground refreshed and spotless. Small birds erged from their nests, chirping joyously as if celebrating the start of a beautiful day. Occasionally, distant roars of wild beasts added to the mystique of the serene forest.
Silently, everyone checked their weapons, preparing for battle. A subtle fighting spirit emanated from them, soon joining together, dispersing over the forest, startling several birds into flight. With nothing to do, they reinforced the trenches, waiting for the battle to begin.
No one knew how much ti passed when suddenly, gunshots rang out, rousing the still-sleeping Luo Zheng who sprang to his feet, nearly hitting the top of the trench's back-slope. His face instantly grew serious, his eyes sharp, as he quickly climbed atop the trench to observe, shouting, "Where's the shooting? What's going on?"
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