Strongest Soldier King

The plaintive voice seemed like a desperate person suddenly finding hope. Luo Zheng was taken aback, and then quickly realized, his heart settling down. He called out eagerly: "It's me, Xue Er, is that you? As long as you're okay, as long as you're okay." Ever since he woke up, Luo Zheng was most worried that Lan Xue couldn't take it and might do something foolish. Hearing the voice, Luo Zheng was overjoyed and crawled forward in a hurry, seeing a graceful figure rushing towards him like a startled swan, he couldn't help but open his arms.

The two embraced tightly, disregarding everything, their hearts pressed firmly together, unwilling to part. At this moment, it seemed as if the whole world quieted down, leaving only the two of them. They held each other tightly, afraid the other would leave, tears welling up involuntarily. Luo Zheng gratefully said: "It's good to see you okay, heaven is not unkind to me, not unkind at all."

"Hmm, you scared me to death, I thought I would never see you again," Lan Xue said excitedly.

The two hugged each other tightly, paying no attention to the curious gazes around them. Ghost Hand, Snow Leopard, and Mountain Eagle approached, smiling awkwardly. Seeing Luo Zheng open one arm, everyone went up, hugging each other and patting shoulders, expressing gratitude and care. The deep bond of camaraderie flowed within their hearts.

After a while, everyone realized there were others watching. Ghost Hand and the others didn't mind, but Lan Xue blushed, lowering her head. Luo Zheng awkwardly smiled, feeling very solid inside. A ray of sunlight shone through the forest, falling spottily on a rock not far ahead, resembling numerous butterflies fluttering about. Luo Zheng, in a great mood, curiously asked: "How did you find this place?"

"Nearly ten thousand troops looked for you. The area around here was thoroughly searched. Later, we noticed a little fellow going out to hunt. I approached out of curiosity and inquired. The other side didn't understand, perhaps misunderstood, and drew a knife to fight. Man, the people here are really tough, but I noticed he knew a few moves of military dagger fighting skills, so I became suspicious and followed. Otherwise, who would dare come up here? Local troops specifically instructed us, saying people here are isolationist, told us not to provoke them to avoid conflict. Speaking of which, how did you end up here?" Ghost Hand quickly explained.

"I see, so it's all predetermined. I taught them that knife technique, just for one day, and didn't expect you to be led here. I was saved by them. The people here are quite hospitable; they just don't want contact with the outside world. Have the brother troops withdraw to avoid misunderstanding," Luo Zheng quickly explained.

The old village chief had been standing nearby. Hearing Luo Zheng say this, he completely relaxed, made a gesture, and the young and strong men lowered their hunting rifles. The surrounding armed police units, upon Ghost Hand's command, also pulled back their pistols. The tense situation eased. Luo Zheng pulled Lan Xue to the old village chief and said: "Xue Er, this is the old village chief."

"Old village chief, thank you for saving him," Lan Xue said gratefully.

The boy who saved Luo Zheng's life came over, looking at Ghost Hand with a wary face, a resentful expression. The two nearly got into a fight earlier. Ghost Hand awkwardly spread his hands, indicating he meant no harm. The old village chief said a few words, the boy glared at Ghost Hand, then backed off. Luo Zheng looked at Ghost Hand and smiled: "Brother, my life was carried from the river by him. Without him, I wouldn't be alive."

"Really?" Ghost Hand was shocked, his gaze toward the boy softened. He took out his cherished Tiger Teeth military knife, turned it over, held it with both hands, and stepped forward a few steps. He said to the boy, "Thank you for saving my brother's life. Please take this knife as a gift."

The boy watched Ghost Hand warily. The old village chief said a few words on the side, and the boy excitedly took the Tiger Teeth knife, pulled it out for a look, then happily put it away, holding it tight like he was afraid someone would snatch it, making Ghost Hand smile wryly.

Luo Zheng looked at the old village chief, gratefully saying: "Old sir, my brothers are here. I won't disturb you anymore, we'll take our leave."

"Hold on, are you from the Huaxia Country Government Army?" the old village chief asked seriously.

"To be honest, we are," Luo Zheng said earnestly.

"If possible, take him with you," the old village chief said. Seeing Luo Zheng's confused expression, he explained: "After our long talk yesterday, I feel you've got a point. This kid is naturally restless, always wanting to go out and explore. He's so bold and reckless. I reckon he'll sneak out in a year or two, just like I did back in the day. Instead of letting him run off unsupervised, it's better to have him follow you. At least we'll have peace of mind, and he won't take the wrong path."

"This is..." Luo Zheng hesitated. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old child, underage, what can he do out there?

"Forget it if it's inconvenient," the old village chief, being sharp, naturally noticed Luo Zheng's difficulty and smiled wryly.

"Take him along. However, following us is tough and dangerous," Lan Xue suddenly said, looking at the boy, beckoning him to come over while speaking to Luo Zheng: "Don't you think he looks like you as a child?"

The old village chief said a few words to the boy. The boy immediately ran up, excitedly looking at Luo Zheng, and then at Lan Xue, finally settling his gaze on Luo Zheng. He babbled something, but unfortunately, not a word was understood. The old village chief, on the side, explained: "He's trying to recommend himself to you. At such a young age, what skills could he have? Don't take it seriously."

"Old sir, I really didn't understand a word," Luo Zheng said with a bitter smile.

"Look at me, old and muddled. He can track prey, has decent hunting gun skills among his peers. He's never left this forest since he was born. How about waiting a couple of years, let him grow older, reach a legal age before finding you? Let him serve in the army. I don't expect much from him, just to gain some experience and return safely," the old village chief said with some emotion.

Luo Zheng looked questioningly at Lan Xue, who nodded secretly. Luo Zheng understood and said: "No need. Let him come with me. How far he goes will depend on his own fortune. I'll do my best to help him. Please rest assured."

The old village chief immediately smiled joyfully, said a few words to the boy, who excitedly knelt before Luo Zheng, kowtowing, frightening Luo Zheng into quickly dodging, unwilling to accept the homage. Surprised, he looked at the old village chief, who explained: "It's our custom here, kowtow to recognize you as an elder brother, listen to your words in the future. If he dares not listen, you can discipline him."

Upon hearing this, Luo Zheng understood the old village chief's good intentions. He's building relationships, indeed the old wisdom is profound. But he wasn't angry; the hearts of parents are all alike, and the same goes for grandparents. Luo Zheng looked at the middle-aged man behind the old village chief, the boy's father, who approached with an excited expression, pulling the boy to Luo Zheng, holding out a small silver knife, saying something unintelligible.