At noon, the convoy arrived near a series of mountain ridges. Luo Zheng jumped off the vehicle and calmly surveyed the area ahead. The ridges stretched endlessly. To reach the capital, one must cross these ridges. A dirt road ran through them. The elevation wasn't high, with the highest point estimated to be no more than three hundred ters. The ridges were severely desertified, barren, devoid of plant life, and radiated a suppressive and dangerous aura under the sun.
Luo Zheng had a vague feeling that people were lying in ambush on the mountain. Sarazi approached and whispered, "The ridges ahead are their territory. The person in charge is called Gai Wafu, forty-five years old, a local. He grew up bold and aggressive, gathered his village n to occupy the mountain and beco a local leader. Gradually developed to what it is today. Passing through only requires a fee, not too extre, and they don't proactively attack others, so they have survived."
"In that case, he seems to be a content man," Luo Zheng comnted.
"My n can only wait here. Driving directly through might cause misunderstandings. Besides, if I go, I can't bring too many people, otherwise, it won't be easy to get close. What do you think?" Sarazi asked.
"Get us two sets of clothes," Luo Zheng thought for a mont and said.
Sarazi agreed. Luo Zheng got into the rear compartnt of a large vehicle and said to everyone, "In a bit, Ghost Hand will go with . Mountain Eagle, you secretly circle around for long-range support. Xue Er, you stay here to look after Snow Leopard and the equipnt." With that, he set down his backpack and weapons, then took off the outer camouflage suit and combat gear.
At this point, soone handed over two sets of local attire. Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand changed into them, covering their faces with black scarves. Their heads were wrapped in black cloth, revealing only their eyes. They looked indistinguishable from the locals, making it hard to notice any difference. They secured their pistols and Tiger Teeth close to their bodies, then got off the car.
Sarazi assembled an elite squad of trusted mbers. Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand blended in among them while the rest remained on defense. Sarazi handed over subsequent tasks to a trusted lieutenant and requested the lieutenant to follow Lan Xue's command, then led his team towards the ridges ahead.
About ten minutes later, they reached the mountain entrance. An ard group ca rushing over. Luo Zheng glanced, noting about a dozen people upfront, ready for a battle. The surrounding ridges exuded a murderous aura, suggesting more troops might be lying in ambush. He threw an eye signal to Sarazi, who knowingly walked forward, enthusiastically shouting sothing in the local language.
Sarazi had a brief conversation with the other group. Upon finishing, the other party whistled, and many ard personnel started erging from the surrounding ridges. These people began retreating. Sarazi signaled to his trusted squad, and the squad leader understood, leading everyone forward while whispering to Luo Zheng, "They've agreed to take us to et Gai Wafu."
Luo Zheng noncommittally nodded, eyes observing the surroundings. Sensing the surrounding troops begin to retreat, he used his phone to dial Lan Xue's number and hung up after connecting. This was the signal for Mountain Eagle to begin action. With the ambush retreating, Mountain Eagle could now move up.
Continuing for another ten minutes, they arrived at a karst landscape in the ridges with many caves. Luo Zheng hadn't expected these people to reside in the caves, which turned out to be a good hiding spot. Caves were not easy to spot from aerial reconnaissance, plus they provided warmth in winter and coolness in sumr, ideal for this often arid nation.
Soon, many ard personnel erged from the caves, occupying high ground. Guns aid at Sarazi's people. Sarazi signaled everyone to stop advancing, calmly watching the scene ahead. It wasn't long before a middle-aged man with a beard, wrapped in a black turban and robe, ca out of a cave, smiling warmly and raising his arms to show friendliness.
Luo Zheng didn't understand what he was saying and glanced at the squad leader, who quickly translated, "He's Gai Wafu, expressing welco. But it seems he doesn't really want us inside. Apparently, we're not very welco, though he seems to hold no malice."
Then Sarazi exchanged a few words from a distance with the other party, turned, and whispered to Luo Zheng, "You two co with . The others stay behind and be on standby. Keep a sharp watch on the surroundings."
"Understood," the squad leader replied, glancing at Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand, reminding them, "Best to leave the weapons behind."
Luo Zheng and Ghost Hand handed their weapons to the squad leader and followed Sarazi forward. After about twenty ters, soone ca to search them. They stopped and allowed themselves to be searched. Finding no weapons, the other party let them continue, and Sarazi led them onward.
At this point, Luo Zheng admired Sarazi sowhat, not only for absolute trust in himself but also for his boldness. Sarazi was indeed a chivalrous hero, with an unlimited future. Luo Zheng gave Ghost Hand a knowing glance, and Ghost Hand subtly nodded. The two were on high alert.
After a few ters, Luo Zheng saw Sarazi stop, and he too halted. Then Gai Wafu jumped down from a large boulder on the ridge, laughing and speaking sothing else, embracing Sarazi warmly while conversing in a language Luo Zheng couldn't understand. Ignoring it, Luo Zheng began scrutinizing the surroundings instead.
Gai Wafu acted very cautiously, with a dozen ard personnel standing five to six ters behind him. Each exuded a beast-like danger, proving no small feat to subdue. Luo Zheng didn't want to wait any longer, subtly signaling Ghost Hand to handle those behind Gai Wafu while he dealt with Gai Wafu himself.
Seeing Ghost Hand nod slightly, Luo Zheng assessed his distance from Gai Wafu, roughly ten ters. At such a distance, with an explosive attack, he could close it in no more than two seconds. However, Gai Wafu seed far from simple, not easily subdued in one or two moves. Should a scuffle ensue, Gai Wafu's n would charge or open fire, sealing their doom.
With this in mind, Luo Zheng discreetly extracted several nails, made of clay and inserted into his belt, which at first glance seed like a simple leather belt, unlikely to draw attention. Ready, Luo Zheng signaled to Ghost Hand with a glance, then suddenly leapt forward like a fired cannonball.
Gai Wafu and Sarazi were engrossed in a conversation, paying no mind to Luo Zheng's move. Gai Wafu's subordinates, however, were ever-alert. Seeing Luo Zheng's action, they furiously raised their guns. Luo Zheng had anticipated this reaction—spanning no more than a dozen ters—and flung the nails in a sweeping arc.
Having trained arduously for over half a year, the Life-taking Nails' power was extraordinary. Lined up, the nails ford a dark streak in the Void, targeting one person each, aiming not for the acupoints but to disrupt the enemy's fire.
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