At dusk the next day, two kiloters away from Hariri's valley on the Mountain Ridge.
The sunset's afterglow spilled down, covering this barren wilderness in a layer of golden light. A mighty eagle soared high in the sky, occasionally letting out a sharp cry that echoed across the heavens, bringing a touch of vitality to the serene wilderness. The wind gently brushed through the Mountain Ridge, swaying the low dry grass. In a patch of shrubbery, Luo Zheng watched his surroundings vigilantly, dressed in a camouflage suit adorned with many strands of dry grass. Once prone on the ground, it was impossible to tell real from fake at close range.
After separating from the main force, Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand took Lan Xue and Snow Leopard's camouflage suit, traveled overnight, and arrived at this valley before dawn. Then they took turns sleeping. Luo Zheng slept through the morning, his spirits significantly restored. He glanced at Ghost Hand in the nearby shrubbery, still asleep, and couldn't help but smile. It was good the guy could sleep soundly, indicating a normal mindset and that he wouldn't panic in a fight.
"Caw!" A high-flying eagle screeched overhead, swooping toward the opposite ridge like a glider—formidable and imposing. It rightly held the title of aerial overlord. With a dive, its talons unfurled, grabbing swiftly before soaring again with a plump wild rabbit in its claws. The eagle screeched once more before ascending high into the sky, flapping its wings as it disappeared in an instant.
Luo Zheng watched this scene quietly, feeling stirred inside. A soldier should be like this: battle over a thousand miles, strike swiftly with thunderous force and then retreat decisively, leaving no glory behind. He couldn't help but clench his fist, his eyes turning sharp as he looked toward Hariri's valley. Suddenly, he spotted a massive ard force arriving, which quickly settled into the valley, disappearing within the vast building complex.
"Hiss?" Luo Zheng coolly observed the scene, estimating Hariri was mobilizing troops, though he hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. It seed there were no fewer than two thousand people, far too many for him alone to confront. He forced himself to stay calm and continued watching the enemy's movents.
After a while, approximately another thousand troops arrived to support, causing a commotion in the valley but there was soon peace again. Nurous tents appeared in the open spaces, with many people setting large cauldrons over fires to cook. A busy scene unfolded. Luo Zheng took jerky from his pocket and began chewing. The jerky was seized from prisoners, rather tough but barely edible. To survive, picky eating wasn't an option.
The night gradually grew dimr, the wind beca stronger, and a full moon hung in the sky, casting a grayish hue over the land with high visibility. Luo Zheng calmly observed the fires igniting in the valley, figures moving around. Here and there ard personnel were sitting in clusters, chatting, with campfires nearby roasting at, the fragrance wafting in the breeze.
"Rustle Rustle!" A soft sound ca, and Luo Zheng followed it with his gaze to see Ghost Hand had awakened. He gestured, Ghost Hand nodded in understanding and slowly crawled over, grass on the camouflage suit fluttering in the wind, making him appear as though he was gliding, indistinguishable at close range.
In a short while, Ghost Hand crawled up to Luo Zheng and began observing ahead while quietly asking, "Those bastards are enjoying a feast while we're stuck with hard dry stuff—it's no match. What's the situation now?"
"Around three thousand have arrived; at least four thousand inside the valley. They've got conventional light weapons, no heavy weapons, morale high. Huh, what's that?" Luo Zheng responded casually, turning doubtful as he spoke, swiftly repositioning the sniper scope to observe.
Ghost Hand, drawn by Luo Zheng's remark, aligned directionally with the sniper scope to observe. Another unit seed to be approaching, indistinct in the night. He murmured, unconcerned, "Sounds like another unit is arriving."
"Look, there's a woman. She's a doctor." Luo Zheng disassembled the sniper scope and handed it to Ghost Hand.
"A woman, a doctor?" Ghost Hand startled, quickly seized the scope to observe closely. Soon, he was shaking, hand gripping the scope trembling and body moving, overwheld with tension.
"How is it?" Luo Zheng's eyebrows knitted as he watched Ghost Hand, sensing the truth but secretly relieved yet seeking confirmation.
"It's her, it really is her. Her appearance has changed sowhat, but I'm sure—it's unmistakable. I must rescue her," Ghost Hand suddenly declared, emotionally agitated, his words stumbling as he was about to spring up.
"Calm down." Luo Zheng caught him, feeling Ghost Hand's struggle, he exerted more force while softly exclaiming, "Rushing now is suicide, you want to get everyone killed?"
"I?" Ghost Hand, emotionally distressed, looked at Luo Zheng without words, his complexion alternating between green and white, eyes filled with worry and guilt yet ceased struggle, gradually regaining composure. After so ti, he exhaled deeply and whispered, "I'm alright now."
"That's good." Luo Zheng, seeing Ghost Hand regain control of his emotions, sighed in relief and whispered, "As long as she's okay, isn't that what matters? She seems quite beautiful—you're blessed."
Ghost Hand knew Luo Zheng was intentionally joking to help him recover quickly, gratefully smiled but lacked the mood to retort, softly lanting, "Brother, I'm not in the mood for jokes. Please think of a way. I must rescue her soon—just consider it my plea to you."
"Rest assured, we're brothers, stop being so sentintal or I'll ignore you." Luo Zheng comforted, patting Ghost Hand's shoulder, feeling Ghost's emotion steadied he fully relaxed and continued, "She appears fine, indicating no mistreatnt. I'm thinking Hariri probably doesn't know of our existence, assuming it's Bar's hired hands causing trouble. The dical team is with Bar, Hariri should know this much. Assembling such forces is likely to act against the Basto Tribe."
"Little brother, I'm not concerned with that now, just tell what to do," Ghost Hand replied bitterly, gradually regaining his usual calmness, but trapped within this situation, hard to extricate himself.
"Okay, rember not to be impulsive, don't act recklessly. Otherwise, we all end up here—staying calm in battle is key to survival, you know that," Luo Zheng cautioned, worriedly.
"Understood, won't make the only chance we've found go to waste. I won't be reckless," Ghost Hand inhaled deeply, earnestly replied, excitent fading to determination, gaining a hint of nace. After thought, he added, "As long as she's alive, it's heaven's greatest grace to —this ti I won't miss out. Must act tonight—can't wait, any rescue plan?"
"Got one." Luo Zheng coolly acknowledged, eyes shining under the moonlight reflecting deep confidence.
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