On the wide river, more than a dozen boats had scattered, each with many ard militants standing aboard, firing guns furiously into the riverbed and occasionally tossing grenades. The river was strewn with dead fish, their white bellies floating bleakly on the surface, yet the shooters showed no sign of stopping their relentless spray of bullets. Suddenly, soone shouted sothing and everyone quickly turned to look, spotting a person swiftly climbing onto the riverbank far away and diving into the bushes, moving so quickly that he was almost unnoticeable.
The ard personnel quickly redirected their gunfire towards the figure and started chasing him by boat, shouting loudly. At this mont, two speedboats rushed over. One was occupied by five individuals dressed as ninjas, and the other by six in local attire, each with a ferociously grim expression and emitting a chilling murderous aura, wielding exceptionally sophisticated weapons.
This group charged over, causing the other boats to slow down and give way. After they landed, the others followed. At this point, Turul also arrived by speedboat, accompanied by Balang and a dozen capable n. Turul swiftly gathered his followers, instructing Balang to lead a team in pursuit while he led the rest to follow from behind.
Once in the forest, Luo Zheng knew there would be many pursuers. He had lost his pistol in the river water earlier but thankfully, the Tiger Teeth military knife was still in his boot, providing him with a vital weapon. Facing the fierce pursuit, Luo Zheng couldn't afford to take any chances and broke into a desperate sprint, dodging obstacles like a wounded tiger leaping through the air.
While running, Luo Zheng was unsure how far he had gone when he encountered a river ahead. The water was shallow and the river not wide, allowing him to wade directly across. Seizing the opportunity, he ran along the river, effectively erasing his tracks and buying so ti from his pursuers.
After running about a kiloter, the water gradually deepened and Luo Zheng spotted a dense forest on one side. He quickly dashed into it. The towering trees and exposed roots on the forest floor offered little undergrowth, providing a cool shade that brought so relief to the sweat-drenched Luo Zheng as he continued his run clutching the Tiger Teeth knife.
Half an hour later, Luo Zheng felt as if his lungs were about to burst and had to slow down, gasping for air, yet he dared not stop completely. A sudden stop after fast running could harm his body, and the pursuers could arrive at any mont. He had to keep moving to increase the distance. Glancing at the sky, it was midday, and the sun was scorching the forest, making the heat unbearable.
After jogging for about ten more minutes, Luo Zheng assessed his direction and headed towards where Lan Xue and the others had evacuated. After taking a few steps, he reconsidered; he didn't want to lead the pursuers towards them, as the tourist group was not moving quickly and it would be troubleso if the pursuers caught up. After a mont's thought, he determinedly ran in the opposite direction.
As he ran, Luo Zheng had no idea how far he had traveled or where he was, only knowing the forest ahead was vast and seemingly endless. The continuous running had greatly depleted his energy and water, but fortunately, the tropical rainforest was not short of water. Though raw water couldn't be directly consud, Wild Kudzu, grapevine, kiwi vine, and five-flavor vine all contained vitamin-rich water suitable for drinking.
During his run, hunger, fatigue, and heat were significant, but not the greatest challenges. The biggest problem in the tropical rainforest was the blood-sucking grasshoppers that could bite unsuspectingly, sucking blood and transmitting diseases. After running for a while, Luo Zheng stopped by a large tree to catch his breath and vigorously slapped his arms, knocking off the biting grasshoppers. Those that had already bitten into the flesh shouldn't be pulled out as they might break and a section could burrow deeper into the skin, causing even more trouble. Burning, slicing, or slapping them off were all viable thods.
Luo Zheng swung the Tiger Teeth to chop down a grape vine, pouring the water inside it into his body to replenish fluids. One vine wasn't enough, so he chopped a few more. After drinking his fill, he continued on his way. Suddenly, he spotted wild garlic in the bushes not far away and was overjoyed. Garlic juice could prevent locusts and to so extent also deter hunting dogs from chasing him, though the sll was unpleasant.
At this critical mont of life or death, Luo Zheng couldn't care much about anything else. He rushed over, quickly pulled out the wild garlic, and used the Tiger Teeth to cut off the garlic leaves, keeping only the bulbs. He crushed them into a paste and sared it on his body—on his face, hands, and feet—as much as possible. Then, he buried the leftovers to camouflage the spot. Looking up at the sky, it was nearing dusk. He continued on his way.
As it slowly got dark, Luo Zheng still dared not be careless. Among the enemies were ninjas, assassins, and warlords familiar with the jungle. Each type was an expert in jungle warfare, and he couldn't shake off their pursuit. The best strategy was to keep running, to run as far as possible, ideally back to his own country.
However, running at high speed all day was too much for his body to endure. If it weren't for his recent intense training, Luo Zheng's body would have given out long ago. Unknowingly, he ended up in a secluded and deep forest. Here, the trees were tall and the canopies dense, almost blocking out all sunlight. The ground was cool and damp, and the dead leaves were rotting.
Such places were breeding grounds for poisonous creatures. It was best not to enter, but Luo Zheng loitered on the outskirts for a while. Finally, he gritted his teeth and went in. Danger was equitable; it was as dangerous for him as it was for the pursuers. After running continuously for a day and with his body worn out, plus the dark making it impossible to see the path, he needed to find a place to rest for the night. A dangerous place was also a good choice.
After walking into the forest for a while, Luo Zheng felt sothing crawling on the ground. Crouching down, he saw it was a poison scorpion and there were also red poisonous ants. These creatures should not be provoked; getting bitten would be troubleso. Looking ahead, a terrifying aura emanated from the depths of the forest, causing Luo Zheng to stop hesitantly.
The path ahead was definitely going to be difficult. Luo Zheng stared ahead with a grave expression, his cold eyes revealing a trace of worry. Suddenly, he saw vine ropes hanging from the tree canopy. An idea struck him, he grabbed a vine rope and took a running leap forward, swinging towards another tree. Luo Zheng kicked off with his feet, swinging away using the montum. As the force reached its limit, the rope swung back and he used the montum to climb onto a sturdy branch of a large tree.
The branch was as thick as a thigh, and as Luo Zheng stood on it and held onto the trunk, looking ahead, the secluded forest appeared endless, almost like a pathway to hell. Luo Zheng looked around warily and suddenly heard the faint sounds of dogs barking, so distance away, but they would take so ti to arrive.
Luo Zheng knew the pursuers were coming up. His tiger-like eyes hardened. He hadn't expected them to catch up so quickly. With danger ahead and pursuers behind, Luo Zheng gritted his teeth, grabbed a vine, and swung deeper into the secluded depths of the forest. It was a do-or-die situation. Fortunately, his military base had training on rope swinging, and Luo Zheng was proficient in this technique.
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