Strongest Soldier King Chapter 552 552: Turul's Lair

In the darkness of night, within the dense forest, Luo Zheng led his team on a night march. With the aid of night vision devices, traveling posed no problem, and having achieved two major victories in a row, everyone's morale was sky-high and they were brimming with confidence in the mission. However, Luo Zheng's face remained impassive, deep in thought, showing not a hint of joy. Seeing Luo Zheng's stern expression, the Scholar signaled for everyone to keep quiet and hastened their pace on the hurried journey.

They marched through the night until morning when they finally found a place to stop and rest, eating so compressed biscuits and drinking water to rest. Seeing Luo Zheng's somber mood, nobody spoke. They all turned to look at the Scholar, who was also clueless about what Luo Zheng was pondering. He signaled for them not to ask too much and quietly approached Luo Zheng to ask, "Are you worried about the brothers we left behind? Plus, with the enemy so formidable, do we need to call headquarters for reinforcents?"

"It'd be a lie to say I'm not worried, but let's not call for more n. We are in a neighboring country after all. Reinforcents wouldn't arrive for three to five days at the soonest. We have to strike while the iron is hot and must destroy Turul as soon as possible. If we take too long, that guy might hide his troops away," Luo Zheng whispered back.

"Indeed, from our confrontations, that bastard is quite cunning, and he's not afraid to die. Moreover, did you notice? Despite heavy casualties, those militants were still fighting to the death for Turul without flinching. This shows Turul's high prestige. This battle won't be easy. What are your thoughts?" the Scholar said in a low voice, his face also grave.

Luo Zheng knew this question was not only on the Scholar's mind but on everyone else's as well. However, he himself had no solid plan, which he couldn't admit, lest it damage the troops' morale. After pondering a mont, Luo Zheng whispered, "I have so ideas, but it will depend on the terrain. We'll see when the ti cos. Let the brothers rest well, sleep a bit. We'll resu our march in two hours."

"Understood," the Scholar replied and went to organize the watch and rest.

Luo Zheng sat down on the ground and began to regenerate using the familial Breathing Skill. During the previous breakout battle, Luo Zheng felt like two or three ribs near his chest were fractured, causing severe pain. He had been enduring the pain all the way here, not wanting to worry the team. He had used the Breathing Skill during the night's march for so relief, and now that they were resting, Luo Zheng naturally wouldn't pass up the chance to treat his injuries.

With the Scholar there, Luo Zheng was greatly relieved and could focus on his breathing exercises. Two hours later, he opened his eyes and felt less pain in his chest, releasing a sigh of relief. Standing up, he saw that the rest of the team was gradually waking up. After a bit of sleep, everyone appeared visibly more alert. The team set off once again.

They proceeded intermittently, not encountering any trace of the enemy. Far from being pleased, Luo Zheng's expression grew more serious. The lack of enemy tracks suggested that Turul had contracted his forces, ready to defend his lair to the death, which was extrely disadvantageous for them. Yet, without a better plan, Luo Zheng ordered the team to quicken their pace. The sooner they arrived, the less ti Turul would have to prepare, giving them a slight advantage.

Being trained elites, the team understood this logic. They pressed on urgently until nightfall, when they lay in ambush atop a ridge. Peering ahead, they saw a vast gorge before them, with the slopes on both sides covered in lush trees and faintly visible cabins with smoke curling from their chimneys. Inside the gorge, there were nurous wooden structures, row upon row, each emitting plus of smoke.

A canyon river twisted away, its current swift and the surface expansive. People were collecting water from the riverbank, and ard personnel could be faintly seen training. There was a dirt road at the canyon's mouth, flanked by two tall observation towers and heavy machine gun positions, fortified with sandbags. The dirt road stretched into the unknown, with towering cliffs on one side and the river on the other. This road was the only passage into the canyon; with heavy machine guns stationed, a direct assault was impossible.

This pocket-shaped canyon was difficult to attack. Luo Zheng observed for a while and fell deep in thought. The entrance couldn't be breached; the mountains on both sides soared into the clouds, and the cliffs were steep. There was a slope about ten ters high leading to the ground, covered with lush trees and many wooden houses. It was unclear which ones were occupied and which ones were not. Moreover, Luo Zheng was worried about land mines on the slope, making a rash attack inappropriate.

At that mont, the scholar said in a low voice, "Captain, the cliffs on both sides are too high to descend, and we could be spotted and attacked by the people on the slope if we try to force our way down. Look, the wooden houses on the slope are almost all emitting smoke, and there's a high density of them, indicating many people live there. The buildings inside back onto the cliff, which is as steep as a mirror and impossible to climb. Even if we have ropes, it's too high. From a tactical perspective, the entrance of the canyon is the only pathway in and out. What do you think?"

"It is a bit of a problem," Luo Zheng mused as he observed Turul's stronghold, while contemplating a strategy. This pocket-shaped canyon was surrounded by sheer cliffs rising into the sky, and even with ropes, it would not be easy to descend. An approach would also likely reveal one's position to those below. How to attack with such terrain constraints?

"Why don't we just observe for a while and see if there's a chance to infiltrate? It's about to get dark, and the brothers are tired from traveling continuously. How about we rest first?" the scholar quietly suggested.

"That's feasible. Have soone keep watch and alert us to any abnormalities imdiately, while the rest take a break," Luo Zheng agreed. Turul's stronghold, while not particularly special in its defenses, was high and ringed by cliff faces, treacherous for descent and likely to expose any forceful attempt to the eyes below.

If he had sufficient manpower, Luo Zheng wouldn't mind launching a surprise attack from the cliffs at night, but at the mont, there were only fifteen of them, exhausted from several days of fighting and severely depleted in strength, and they lacked heavy weapons. How could they possibly fight? If only they had a helicopter. If that wasn't possible, he could simply contact headquarters and request the neighboring Governnt Army to send a helicopter. But then Luo Zheng reconsidered and dismissed the idea, as doing so would an revealing everyone's identity, leading to difficult explanations later on.

According to international conventions, soldiers differ from the Ard Police or public security; crossing a border is considered initiating a war. If the neighboring country learned of their presence, they might attack indiscriminately. It wouldn't matter if they died, but it would bring endless diplomatic troubles for their country. It seed that they could only rely on themselves.

Luo Zheng lay on the ground to rest, recalling the operation against the Wild Wolf rcenary Group's base. They had used the tactic of contaminating the water source to force the Wild Wolf rcenary Group to evacuate. Although Turul's stronghold below also had a river, the rapid flow would wash away any pollutants or viruses, making that tactic insignificant.

At that thought, Luo Zheng also rembered the previous attack on a Japanese research base, where they had used poison smoke. The problem was the absence of the necessary poisonous grass here, rendering the poison smoke tactic unfeasible. What to do? Ti was not on their side, and Luo Zheng grew increasingly anxious.