In the vast desert, the view was wide open. Amid the sand dunes lay an oasis, patrolled by heavily ard soldiers around the mud castle of Earth City, with no place to hide. How easy could it be to infiltrate such a place? A frontal assault was even less likely without heavy weapons and sufficient troops, Luo Zheng also worried and couldn't help but look up at the moonlit night. The bright moon above dressed the desert in a veil of silver and in the distance, a few birds were flying.
Seeing the birds, Luo Zheng's face showed shock and then delight. He whispered, "Brothers, look at the birds flying overhead. If those are hummingbirds, they must have spotted us. But looking at the castle ahead, it's quiet; it doesn't seem like they know we're coming."
Lan Xue looked up, raised her sniper scope, and observed for a while before saying, "Judging by the flight speed and pattern, they should be hummingbirds. How could there be wild birds in such a desolate place? It's so hot, even people can hardly survive. You an to say those hummingbirds aren't from Wolf King?"
"Right, they definitely aren't. Otherwise, Wolf King would have made a move and sent soone to encircle us by now," Ghost Hand said softly, his eyes shining with surprise as he looked toward Earth City's castle. As long as they went undetected, they still had a chance. Ghost Hand then turned to Luo Zheng and asked, "Brother, do you have a plan?"
"Look at that lake over there. It's not big, but it must be their main source of living water. We could stealthily make our way there, take out anyone coming to fetch water, and blend in by disguising ourselves as them," Luo Zheng said calmly.
"That's going to be difficult. Wolf King is naturally suspicious, and the defenses here are tight. It would be hard to blend in, and once discovered, we would be at a disadvantage. We can't take that risk unless it's absolutely necessary. Think of sothing else," Lan Xue said calmly, dismissing Luo Zheng's idea, primarily out of concern for the danger. They weren't at a desperate point yet. War wasn't like the movies—disguising as the enemy and sneaking into camp wasn't as easy as it seed in real life.
"Er?" Luo Zheng glanced at Lan Xue and continued with a wry smile, "Disguising as the enemy is the fastest way, though risky. There's another, safer thod, but it would take longer."
"What thod?" Lan Xue imdiately perked up with interest. She had negated the previous suggestion to press Luo Zheng, adopting a 'wait and see' attitude. She hadn't expected Luo Zheng to actually have another solution, and was pleasantly surprised as she pressed for details.
The others were also curiously looking at Luo Zheng, who pointed at the lake and said, "It should be the dry season now. Maybe because so many people have gathered in the castle, look how shallow the water in the lake has beco. What if we poisoned it?"
"Poison?" Everyone was startled, and despite the burning sun, they shivered. This tactic was rather ruthless. But they quickly got excited—after all, they would be poisoning the enemy. On the battlefield, only results mattered, not the process. As long as a tactic could kill the enemy, it was a good one. They all looked at Luo Zheng and smiled.
"We're not poison experts, and we don't have any poison on us. Besides, Wolf King is a master of poisons too. I rember last ti we surrounded Wolf King, you used this thod, but this isn't the jungle. How do you plan to do it?" Lan Xue asked, her surprise evident, though she wasn't opposed to the idea.
"It's simple. There are sure to be many creatures around this lake—scorpions, poisonous snakes, and the like—we capture all of them, kill them, and toss them into the lake. With the temperature so high here, they will quickly rot and stink, breeding viruses. If people drink water from here, even if it's boiled, they will get sick. I'm not sure exactly what illness they would get, but it definitely won't be pleasant," Luo Zheng analyzed.
Everyone seed convinced by the rationale and their eyes sparkled with realization. After pondering for a mont, Lan Xue said, "While that's a good and safer approach, it'll take too long. Although the lake isn't huge, it's not exactly small either. How many poisonous creatures would it take to contaminate the water source? I'm worried about unforeseen complications. Is there no other way?"
"There's no better plan than this. As for the ti, it won't take too long. You may not have noticed, but there are many traces of scorpions and snakes on the nearby hills, which ans there are plenty of animals in this area. This oasis is the only one for a thousand miles, indicating that all the animals in the vicinity must gather around this lake to survive. Nightti is when the poisonous insects are most active and convenient for our operation. One night might be enough," Luo Zheng analyzed.
"One night?" Lan Xue looked at Luo Zheng in surprise, seeing that he wasn't speaking carelessly and recalling Luo Zheng's identity as a Hunter, whose skills and instincts in hunting prey were surely stronger than her own, she was sowhat convinced. After all, it was just one night, and it might be worth a try, so she agreed to it.
"The terrain here is elevated, good for concealing ourselves. Xue Er, you stay here and observe the enemy, providing us with sniper support. Guys, let's leave our supplies here, travel light, and go find so poisonous creatures," Luo Zheng instructed. He set down his backpack, picked up his Type 95 assault rifle, fitted suppressors on his two handguns for backup, and also carried two military knives.
By that ti, the others were also ready. Luo Zheng took the Night Vision Device from his backpack, put it on, emptied the contents of his backpack, and said with the empty pack, "Everyone, be careful. Let's infiltrate slowly and adapt to the situation as it unfolds."
"Look quickly, soone's coming out," Lan Xue suddenly whispered.
Everyone lay prone at the bottom of the hill, carefully peering out to observe and saw a dozen people exit the castle, each carrying two large buckets, walking in a line towards the lake. It didn't take long for them to return to the castle with water. Going out seed casual, but entering was strictly scrutinized, with thorough checks on each person, making it impossible to blend in.
Seeing this scene, Luo Zheng inwardly felt an imnse relief that they hadn't tried to infiltrate. In a low voice, he said, "Alright guys, let's move."
Knowing that contaminating the water source was the best course of action, no one dared to be careless. They nodded in agreent and followed Luo Zheng, circling around towards the lake. Luo Zheng led them on a wide detour to the opposite side of the castle, where they lay on a sand dune to observe for a while. To get to the lake, they would need to crawl down the sand dune, which was more than thirty ters high; a direct descent would easily expose them, making it tricky to handle.
Watching the sand being whisked away by the wind, Luo Zheng had an idea. He wrapped himself fully in the camouflage suit, hugged his rifle, rolled over to the opposite slope of the sand dune, and lay flat, his back tightly against the slope. Due to the steepness, he slid down naturally, appearing from a distance like a large chunk of sand collapsing.
Luo Zheng slid down the hill following the montum, and the others did the sa. They smoothly slid down and lay at the base of the dune on the sand, vigilantly watching ahead, not daring to move. Despite the blowing sand irritating their eyes, they didn't rub them, waiting. After a while, when there was no sign of danger, Luo Zheng let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, another ard group erged from the castle, seeming to be quite nurous. Luo Zheng's eyes narrowed as he beca more alert.
User Comments
0 comments from readers