The cold moon hangs high in the sky, silently watching over the vast snowy plains. The earth is silent, without even the sound of a bird. There is no wind, and the undulating forest is shrouded in gray, like a dormant beast. The ground covered in snow reflects the moonlight, increasing the visibility by a few ters. On a hillside surrounded by towering trees, Luo Zheng and Lan Xue rest against the tree, with Luo Zheng leaning on it with one hand, his cold eyes staring ahead, but unfortunately, he sees nothing.
They have been marching quickly, not knowing how far they have traveled, exhausted. Especially Lan Xue, who had undergone three days of high-intensity marches of approximately a hundred kiloters daily since retreating from the crevice cave. This kind of intensity severely drains physical strength. Being able to endure it is already quite comndable. Although they rested for a day at the cliff, Lan Xue has not fully recovered yet. Now, continuing with rapid marches, her body is almost at its limit.
Luo Zheng has a family-inherited Breathing Skill with strong recovery abilities, so he is not in much trouble but has to consider Lan Xue's condition. Watching Lan Xue gasping heavily and suddenly coughing uncontrollably covers her mouth, making Luo Zheng panic—this is a sign of the wind cold. In this icy environnt, catching a cold can be fatal. Lan Xue's body had been injured in Yin Country and hasn't fully recovered, but now she's facing compounded injuries.
"No more running, we'll stay here tonight." Luo Zheng said with heartache, coming forward to support Lan Xue.
Lan Xue understood her body and stopped forcing herself, sitting down with Luo Zheng's help, with a worried look on her face saying, "But we are still within the enemy's surveillance range. If we don't seize the opportunity to evade surveillance, it might cause big trouble."
"If your injuries worsen, it will also cause big trouble. It's decided." Luo Zheng said sowhat domineeringly.
"Alright, I'll listen to you," Lan Xue said tenderly, feeling warmth inside, and couldn't help but cough again, quickly covering her mouth to avoid making any sound. After feeling better, she took out cold dicine from her backpack and swallowed a pill with cold water, taking a deep breath. Looking at the gray forest around them worriedly, she said, "Do you have any ideas?"
"We need to contact the outside world." Luo Zheng said as if to himself, while opening the signal device, connecting to the satellite, and saying, "It's , what's the situation now?"
"Brother-in-law, it's you, that's great." Lan Xing's voice ca through the earpiece, heavy yet continued saying, "The enemy has started expanding the search range to both east and west sides. The possibility of Director Wu and them being exposed is increasing significantly. Special Forces are already being dispatched to support, and Special Forces from other places are also being sent to your location. The Northern Military District Special Forces responsible for distracting the enemy have not moved and are still catching the enemy's attention in the south."
"The enemy sure has expanded their search range. The Southern Special Forces should secretly support Director Wu imdiately, leaving decoys to attract the enemy, and how long will it take the troops coming to support to arrive?" Luo Zheng promptly asked.
"Two days to rendezvous with you." Lan Xing quickly replied.
"The enemy has already expanded the search range, let them continue going east, we can't expose ourselves, looks like I must keep heading east to then return south." Luo Zheng frowned, his face beca heavier. Lan Xue had started getting sick, her body almost at its limit; this ti isn't suitable for long-distance running, yet they must run to survive, which made Luo Zheng feel angry and ashad.
"What's the surrounding enemy situation?" Luo Zheng endured the pain and continued asking.
"Approximately a hundred kiloters south from your position, there are enemy search troops, estimated to be about a battalion. Around a hundred and fifty kiloters is the border. If you continue east, it'll depend on your speed, but at least two hundred kiloters need to be covered to escape the enemy search range, then detour south requiring a hundred kiloters to reach the border. In other words, you still need to run approximately three hundred kiloters to be safe. If the enemy continues expanding the search range, this number won't be enough." Lan Xing quickly explained.
"Understood." Luo Zheng hung up the call, his face cold, deep in thought.
"What's wrong?" Lan Xue asked softly, like a caring and considerate wife.
"I need to discuss sothing with you." Luo Zheng didn't want to hide from Lan Xue, so he truthfully shared the intelligence provided by Lan Xing, then looked towards the west with a worried face, continuing to say, "Director Wu and the others may be exposed. If they are, all our efforts will be wasted."
"You want to head south directly from here, attract the enemy's attention, and cover their retreat?" Lan Xue knew Luo Zheng too well and imdiately guessed his intention, but still asked aloud. Seeing Luo Zheng's guilty nod, she understood and smiled, whispering, "Putting aside positions, you are a man, make your decision, I'll follow you. Being able to die together is already satisfying for ."
"But?" Luo Zheng looked at Lan Xue with a guilty face, unable to speak.
"No buts, don't worry about . If we don't save them, you'll live your life with guilt, might as well die happily. We won't voluntarily reveal our position, the enemy won't be fully attracted, and they'll surely have big trouble. And I believe they will also voluntarily expose their position, to cover our retreat, it's just a matter of who acts first. Heading east for two hundred kiloters won't work, we'll miss the timing." Lan Xue reminded softly, a hint of resolute flashed in her eyes.
"We don't reveal, they have a bigger target, easier to expose, risking death. Once they know the enemy has expanded the search range, they will indeed voluntarily expose, similarly risking death. The only way to save them is for us to reveal first, and as Commander, I have no choice, Xue Er, I…" Luo Zheng bowed his head in sha and pain.
"No need to say anything. I am an officer too, a soldier, I understand your feelings, and I am your woman. Your decision is my decision, living in the sa room, dying in the sa grave, that's our vow. Soldiers aren't afraid to die. Dying on the battlefield, dying together is enough." Lan Xue said solemnly, her gaze firm.
"Hmm, don't despair, we can survive because we are bad people in the enemy's eyes, bad people last forever. You talk to Lan Xing a bit, and let him convey our thoughts to Director Wu and them, I'll go over there and have a look." Luo Zheng said with a painful face, got up, and walked over.
Lan Xue knew Luo Zheng was letting her say goodbye to her younger sister, nodded understandingly, took over the signal device, and put on the earpiece. Luo Zheng walked to a nearby high slope, quietly gazing at the distant dark snow mountains, his pained eyes gradually becoming sharp. No matter what, he must protect Lan Xue and bring her ho, this is his responsibility, his mission.
After a while, Luo Zheng returned to Lan Xue and said, "It's a hundred kiloters from here to the enemy. We can reach there before dawn, whether we can break through I don't know, let's fight to the end."
"Good! That's what my man should say." Lan Xue's spirit lifted, strong battle intent surged up, and she laughed.
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