Strongest Soldier King

On the morning after the rainstorm, a clear sky stretched endlessly, with a gentle breeze rustling through the forest, creating a soothing sound reminiscent of children's voices singing a chorus of hope for life. Sunlight filtered through the woods, scattered on the ground like butterflies dancing lightly. In a dense forest, Lan Xue gazes grimly at the slope ahead, where a village is built against the mountain.

In search of clues about Luo Zheng, intelligence agents from all over the southwest nations sprang into action, deploying countless Special Forces, forest Armed Police, and reconnaissance soldiers, dividing areas for meticulous investigation. After two days, they finally found a lead from a group of drug dealers ambushed by the Armed Police. They confessed to seeing a strange group suddenly appear in a village, initially thinking they came for a black-on-black deal, but details remained unclear.

Upon receiving the intelligence, Lan Xue wasted no time waiting for verification by other agents and hurriedly rushed to check personally, accompanied by Ghost Hand and two others. They also had a reconnaissance agent familiar with the surrounding terrain acting as a guide. The agent considered the customs of the local minority and asked everyone to wait for a while in the woods, as he disguised himself as a mountain goods trader to gather information in the village.

Not long after, the agent returned, face full of excitement. Saluting Lan Xue, he said, "The situation is clarified. Indeed, a group of armed personnel arrived, led by a young girl, consistent with the situation. Heard she's a local, temporarily staying back home. The villagers didn't suspect anything. Two nights ago, the girl's old house caught fire, followed by gunshots, and the rest is unclear."

"A girl? It must be her. I didn't expect this to be her hometown. Where did she go now? Any more discoveries?" Lan Xue's spirits lifted, quickly asking, her eyes filled with anticipation and surprise.

"Heard they headed west a day and night ago, found nothing. The villagers don't know what happened either. After they left, the people knew even less," the agent quickly replied.

"West?" Lan Xue's face stiffened, coldly saying, "Alright, you can return, thank you. We will pursue. Even if it leads us to the ends of the earth, we must find her." With that, she dashed forward.

The agent wanted to say more but was pulled back by Ghost Hand, who gratefully said, "Brother, let's stop here. As long as we have a lead, the direction of pursuit is right. They cannot outrun us. You'll only slow us down. If I survive and make it to Beijing, I'll treat you to a drink." Saying that, he charged forward, disappearing into the dense forest like a leopard.

Snow Leopard patted the agent's shoulder, said nothing more, and rushed forward. Mountain Eagle nodded at the agent and briskly followed. The agent saw everyone swiftly vanish among the forest and realized he couldn't keep up. He chuckled bitterly and turned back.

With clues in hand, Lan Xue and the others unleashed their speed in pursuit, running non-stop for about two hours, stopping under a tree on a mountain ridge to rest. Snow Leopard started a fire, Mountain Eagle went hunting, while Ghost Hand sat opposite Lan Xue, concerned, saying, "Captain, I know you're going through hardship. I don't know how to console you..."

"Then don't. I want some quiet," Lan Xue replied sorrowfully.

"Alright, I just want to say one thing: lift your spirits. Ghost is still waiting for us to rescue him. Before we save him, we cannot fall, especially physically. Otherwise, how can we rescue anyone?" Ghost Hand said with concern, seeing Lan Xue staring blankly ahead, sighed softly in resignation, and went to tend the fire.

Soon, Mountain Eagle hurried over with two wild rabbits, gleefully saying, "Come and see what I found in the forest up ahead."

Seeing it was a sanitary napkin, Ghost Hand was stunned and looked at Mountain Eagle in surprise. Mountain Eagle flushed and glared at Ghost Hand, annoyed, saying, "Are you dumb? Who would use this for fun? It's obviously a woman, and would a woman easily enter this vast forest? The village women around here can't afford such high-end products. It must be her."

"Hmm, makes sense. Brother, your observation is getting sharper." Ghost Hand realized, laughing.

Lan Xue rushed over excitedly, examined the sanitary napkin for a while, and happily asked, "Where was it found?"

"In the woods over there," Mountain Eagle hurriedly replied.

"This brand isn't affordable for ordinary people, definitely Tang Tian. Everyone, rest, eat, and then we'll head out immediately." Lan Xue's spirits lifted, tossed the sanitary napkin aside casually, and helped tend the fire.

Knowing Lan Xue's urgent mood, everyone hurriedly lent a hand. The campfire soon blazed, they skinned the wild rabbits, cleansed them, and roasted them over the fire. Half an hour later, they divided and ate the rabbits, drank some water, and continued on their journey, marching like leopards running swiftly through the forest.

After darkness fell, they discovered more traces: cut thorns, cleanly chopped, with plenty of footprints on the ground and ash around, indicating someone had stayed here. They lacked enough equipment to travel through the night, forcing them to rest on the spot.

Lighting a fire and hunting for food wasn't difficult for them. Lan Xue leaned against a large tree, staring sternly at the rising moonlight, her mood weighed down. So much time had passed without knowing how her loved one was doing. This worry and longing cut like a knife.

Soon, Ghost Hand brought a roasted chicken leg. Lan Xue accepted it, thanked him, and began eating. Ghost Hand felt relieved noticing her appetite was fine. As long as she remained strong, there was hope. If she fell ill, it would be troublesome indeed.

After a while, Mountain Eagle emerged like a ghost from the forest, approaching Lan Xue softly and saying, "Judging by the footprints, their pace isn't fast, about ten hours away from us. They might not know we're pursuing, but if we hasten at dawn, we can catch up by nightfall."

"Alright, don't worry. I'm fine. Rest well tonight, I'll take the first watch." Lan Xue said seriously, eating heartily, as if grasping hope within.

Seeing Lan Xue's state was manageable, able to control her emotions, everyone felt relieved, ate, and went to rest. After a day of rapid movement, they were indeed exhausted and soon fell asleep. Lan Xue gazed through the canopy at the cold moonlight, feeling heavily burdened.

After experiencing so much life and death, Lan Xue initially thought she could endure any test. However, this time felt different, as if someone dear had left her, and this profound sensation was agonizing. Her cold, solemn face showed worry as she quietly whispered: You must wait for me.