Strongest Soldier King

Seeing that Lan Xue was staring ahead unmoving, like someone without hope, Mountain Eagle grew anxious and quickly said, "Captain, think about it. Why was Tang Tian's old house in that village burned down? Why were there gunshots at night? It must have been Ghost setting the room on fire to escape, and the gunshots were from their pursuit. With Ghost's speed and abilities, once he's broken free, could they really find him in this forest?"

"That's right." Ghost Hand's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed. At this moment, Lan Xue desperately needed a reason to live on—even if it was an excuse, a comfort, or a faint speculation, Ghost Hand agreed without hesitation, leaving everything else to be resolved later.

"Captain, I think Mountain Eagle is right. How else could we explain those circumstances? It's certain that Ghost broke free, and Tang Tian and her group, realizing the danger, hurried to retreat." Snow Leopard stood up while leaning on a tree and said earnestly, looking at Lan Xue with concern in his eyes.

Lan Xue's hollow eyes gradually gained some color, and her pale face regained some redness. Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief and remained silent, allowing Lan Xue to think quietly. In such matters, it's best to leave it at just enough; saying more is futile. The key is for her to give herself hope, a reason to live on.

After a long while, Lan Xue fixed her gaze ahead, her eyes beginning to focus, and slowly said, "Thank you all, I'm fine, don't worry. You're right, as long as his revenge remains unfulfilled, I have no face to join him down there. I'm really sorry for causing everyone to get hurt due to my recklessness."

Lan Xue's mad counterattack led everyone to charge out of the cover with her in madness. This kind of desperate fighting is extremely dangerous, and ill-advised. Anyone with some common sense wouldn't do that. If it weren't for everyone wearing tightly-fitted suits, they would have been wiped out. Yet, no one blamed Lan Xue. Hearing about Luo Zheng's death, wasn't everyone else also burning with rage?

"Just flesh wounds, they'll heal in a few days." Ghost Hand feigned casualness and said.

Everyone chuckled, indicating it was nothing. Lan Xue felt a warmth in her heart, proud to have such comrades, and said seriously, "We live and die together, no need for many thanks. I owe you this time, and if there's a chance, I will definitely repay you. Everyone rest here, Tang Tian is scared of us now, and is just worried about running for her life. She definitely won't come back. They've roasted food already, let's share it and eat. We'll camp here."

"Yes." Ghost Hand agreed, and everyone, forcing their bodies to move, came to the bonfire, piled the seized weapons and materials together, found some water, and ate in silence around the bonfire, each lost in their own thoughts. After a long while, Lan Xue suddenly looked at Mountain Eagle and asked, "Mountain Eagle, with your keen observation, do you really think he's broken free?"

"I'm seventy percent confident." Mountain Eagle nodded affirmatively. He didn't dare guarantee it, but also feared that being too noncommittal would extinguish Lan Xue's hard-earned hope. So, he said seventy percent.

Seventy percent is not too much, not too little, just enough to provide hope and imagination. Lan Xue pondered for a moment, her cool face showing some vitality, her eyes revealing a hint of hope, and asked, "Reasons?"

"There are three reasons. First, Tang Tian is a ruthless character; would she trek thousands of miles here with her men? The answer is no, she must want something from Ghost, so she wouldn't willingly kill him. This gave Ghost a chance to escape. Second, the fire and gunshots indicate something happened. What could happen on Tang Tian's turf to cause a fire and shooting? There's only one explanation: Ghost ran, and most likely Tang Tian set the fire to destroy evidence, and the gunshots were during the pursuit. The third point is Tang Tian's sudden departure. They left before us, coinciding with the stormy night. Who would leave on a stormy night without cause?" Mountain Eagle analyzed calmly.

Lan Xue's eyes lit up, a wave of hope surged through her heart, and she looked much better. Ghost Hand gave Mountain Eagle a thumbs up in approval, and Snow Leopard said heartily, "Brother, didn't see it before, but your analytical skills are getting stronger, almost catching up with Ghost."

"I learned from Ghost." Mountain Eagle said humbly.

Everyone smiled kindly, looking at Lan Xue. Her complexion improved significantly, and everyone secretly felt relieved, discussing Mountain Eagle's three reasons, each speaking words of encouragement to bolster Lan Xue's will to live and hope. Lan Xue silently stared ahead, her frosty gaze softening with a hint of warmth. Suddenly, she said, "Thank you, Mountain Eagle."

"Captain, what are you saying? We're brothers. Besides, what I said is the truth." Mountain Eagle quickly said.

"Ghost Hand, Snow Leopard, thank you too for giving me a reason to live when I was at my lowest. No more need for polite words. Let's take turns resting. Tomorrow we'll return the same way, head to that village, and see if we can find any clues. Also, notify others outside to go there and search with the village as the center, covering a radius of a hundred kilometers." Lan Xue gradually calmed down, speaking earnestly.

"A hundred-kilometer radius? I think it's doable." Ghost Hand agreed.

Lan Xue looked at Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle, and both agreed. Lan Xue took out her phone from her pocket, dialed a number, and said when connected, "Grandfather, it's me. There's news of him—whether he's alive or dead is unknown. You know the village, please send people there to search, within a hundred-kilometer radius."

After listening for a while, Lan Xue hung up the phone and put it away, looking at everyone's injuries, and asked, "It's a long journey back, can you hold up?"

"Don't worry, it's no problem." Ghost Hand and the others quickly said.

Everyone ate and drank their fill and started resting. While everyone slept, Lan Xue quietly gazed at the dense forest in the night, contemplating her own worries. Intense anxiety welled up; if it were truly as Mountain Eagle analyzed, then Tang Tian had no reason not to continue chasing. Could it be that Tang Tian would let Luo Zheng escape? The answer was no, why not pursue?

Following this thought, Lan Xue continued her deep contemplation and concluded there were only two possibilities: Luo Zheng was shot while retreating or Luo Zheng simply vanished. Both scenarios would lead Tang Tian to retreat overnight, but both were difficult for Lan Xue to accept, especially the first one. The thought of Luo Zheng perhaps being left to rot in the wild or even becoming food for beasts made her anxious.

Moonlight poured down like water, falling upon the bonfire ahead. Vaguely, Lan Xue seemed to see a familiar face appear in the flames, that face calling to her, urging her to come over. Startled, she opened her eyes wide, but saw nothing in the firelight. Rubbing her eyes, she still saw nothing.

Lan Xue's heart ached, as if sliced by a knife, and she steadfastly gazed at the bonfire, mumbling, "Is that you? Is it really you coming to find me? Are you asking me to come join you? Don't worry, once I've avenged you, I'll come and be with you. Be sure to wait for me." Her fearful eyes gradually became firm, filled with hatred.