The sky was already dark, and it was unclear whether the target might retreat from the temple overnight. Since they were exposed, retreat was certainly reasonable, Luo Zheng didn't dare gamble, only plan for the worst, leading the team to maneuver outside the forest. If the target was to retreat, they'd have to go through the open plains outside the forest, which had a wide field of view and easy paths.
Previously, Luo Zheng observed that the valley where the temple was located had no helicopters or chanized vehicles, only horses for transportation. Therefore, the plains were the only thoroughfare. Everyone ran with Night Vision Devices for an arduous hour, finally reaching the edge of the plains, hiding within a patch of trees.
Luo Zheng raised the binoculars to observe. The plains were silent and grayish with low visibility, and nothing could be seen. His face darkened as he looked at his group, each exhausted and out of breath, their stamina depleted, and they couldn't march on anymore. He lowered his head into deep thought.
Lan Xue took the binoculars to observe for a while, whispering, "Perhaps we're late, the target has left, or perhaps the target never ca and is still in the temple. This kind of situation involves a lot of luck. No matter what, maintaining a good state is crucial. I think we should rest right here."
"That's possible. We haven't seen any enemy forces along the way, presumably, they've retreated. We're roughly thirty kiloters from the temple, beyond their inspection range, and it's already nightti. The forest is dangerous; the enemies are unlikely to continue their pursuit. Let's dig a hole, make a fire, and prepare food. It's been days since we've had a proper al." Luo Zheng said helplessly.
"I'll do it." Ghost Hand responded, putting down his backpack and picking up a folding sapper shovel, choosing a leeward slope to start digging. Mountain Eagle and Snow Leopard gathered smokeless dry wood from nearby; the fire within the hole would be hard to detect, and smokeless dry wood wouldn't emit smoke visible from afar.
"Do you find anything strange?" Lan Xue continued in a soft voice.
"What?" Luo Zheng asked in surprise.
"This is Yin Country's territory. Monitoring the forest is quite unreasonable. They must have expected us to co and prepared in advance. Shortly after parachuting in, we were besieged, with considerable enemy forces. This indicates my concern is valid: more traps might await us." Lan Xue murmured.
"Your concern is reasonable. We simply have no choice. The enemy defenses are stringent; it seems we need to infiltrate the valley to find an opportunity to take out the target and then retreat. The problem is we aren't sure if the target is at the temple. If all this is a trap without a target, aren't we just moths to a fla?" Luo Zheng said gravely.
"Indeed." Lan Xue sighed, "Since we're exposed, there's no reason for the enemy to hide the target at the temple. Even if hidden, now that we're exposed, the target wouldn't easily surface. Infiltrating the valley would be futile without locating the target; it would certainly lead to death. It's better to be cautious."
"That makes sense. The pressing task is to confirm whether the target is at the temple. However, we can't communicate with the outside world and have no intelligence support." Luo Zheng expressed his helplessness.
"If necessary, we can first retreat to a populated area, find a way to contact the outside world, considering we've located this position. Delaying a few days would be worthwhile for safety; we can't take risks lightly. Thousands of enemy troops guard the temple, and the forest is surrounded by Land Mines and venomous snakes, extrely dangerous." Lan Xue suggested softly.
"Hmm, I'll think about it." Luo Zheng agreed.
After a short discussion, Ghost Hand had already dug the cave, with a ventilation opening above. Mountain Eagle and Snow Leopard brought in dry wood, and the three quickly started a fire within. They took out two rabbits hunted while tracking the enemies, gutted and skinned them, roasting them over the fire.
After about ten minutes, the rabbits were cooked. Everyone took so salt out of their packs and sprinkled it on before eating, discussing enemy movents while they did. Before long, the rabbits were eaten clean. Everyone still craved more, but the darkness made hunting impossible. After cleaning around the cave entrance, they sat back-to-back resting.
Luo Zheng looked up at the sky full of cold stars, feeling heavy. This mission held too many uncertainties, a near-death experience with the target location still unknown, an oppressive feeling that made sleep elusive. He decided to let everyone rest while he took the first watch, considering Lan Xue's temporary retreat proposal.
Ti ticked away, and in the blink of an eye, it was midnight. Luo Zheng added so dry wood to the campfire in the cave upon noticing Ghost Hand awake, handing over the watch duties to him, leaning against Lan Xue, closing his eyes and resting. Before long, he too drifted asleep, awakening at dawn.
The morning sunlight was gentle, warm, with clear skies and no wind or clouds, which eased Luo Zheng's mood significantly. At least there was no blizzard to endure. Though the climate remained frigid, it was far more comfortable than in a snowstorm. Everyone got up leisurely, as there was no rush, while Luo Zheng went to scout the surroundings, hoping to find sothing edible.
The dense forest had co alive, with early birds and lively squirrels chattering incessantly. Luo Zheng checked the ground carefully, hoping to find traces of wild animals, but discovered nothing as he unknowingly arrived at a slope.
The slope offered a wide view and fresh air, uplifting the spirits. Luo Zheng stood by a fir tree, raising his binoculars, suddenly spotting a troop within sight, albeit far away. They were clearly seen through the binoculars, enemy forces on horseback, nearly a hundred in number, moving slowly along the plains.
Upon witnessing this sight, Luo Zheng lost the mood for hunting, quickly charged back to the camp, signaling everyone to be cautious. Seeing Luo Zheng's tense expression, everyone was shocked, grabbing their weapons, entering combat readiness, and vigilantly watching their surroundings. Lan Xue asked, perplexed, "What's going on?"
"An enemy troop is coming." Luo Zheng whispered, glancing around, seeing no terrain advantage, decisively instructed, "Drop your bags, climb the trees."
"Understood." Everyone dropped their gear, each selecting a tall fir tree to climb. The thirty-ter-high trees, with straight trunks and dense crowns, provided excellent cover. Before long, everyone agilely climbed up and hid, setting up their weapons to observe.
Luo Zheng raised his binoculars. The enemy troop was now less than a kiloter away, consisting of about a dozen horses, each carrying a man dressed like a Lama, with scarves covering their faces, escorted by a group carrying firearms with impressive deanor. Luo Zheng was puzzled, observing the Lama closely, noticing his age, but his face entirely covered by a scarf, rendering it unseeable, puzzled by the enemy's intent.
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