Strongest Soldier King

Forcing him with death is what finally subdued Gai Wafu, but how genuine is Gai Wafu's surrender? Luo Zheng had little confidence in this regard and could only take things one step at a time. He noticed Sarazi wearing a confident expression, making Luo Zheng ponder if the two men's relationship was not shallow. Gai Wafu's willingness to surrender probably had something to do with their past relationship, but now that was irrelevant. What mattered was the events that were about to unfold.

Special Forces agents from Sam Country came to persuade Gai Wafu. If Gai Wafu harbored any disloyalty, he could easily hand everyone over to the Special Forces agents as a welcome gift, leaving Luo Zheng no choice but to stay alert. Otherwise, he wouldn't have contemplated escape routes. Suddenly, a conversation erupted next door, the voice of a middle-aged man asking, "Old friend, I trust you know why I'm here. There's no need for us to beat around the bush. My people need to pass through here. Would you allow it?"

"Borrow the road? The main road is right there, it's not my property. You can go ahead, why ask me?" Gai Wafu asked with a casual tone, blended with some curiosity, as if he was genuinely unaware.

"Of course, it's not a big deal for a few people to pass through. But Siya Fa intends to send a team to escort my people through. I'm just giving you a heads-up; can you arrange passage?" The other person continued.

"Siya Fa is my neighbor. We've been battling for over a decade. You want him to pass through my territory — doesn't sound reasonable, does it? Your people can go through, under my protection, for a fee. You know the old rules; we've cooperated for years, so you should understand that rules must not be broken." Gai Wafu replied.

Luo Zheng suspected Siya Fa was the military commander from the region before. He didn't ask further and kept listening intently, hearing the Special Forces agent from Sam Country laugh lightly, "The past is the past, now is now. We've encountered a powerful enemy. I'm not underestimating you, but your men can't ensure the safety of my people."

"How would you know without trying?" Gai Wafu retorted stubbornly.

"If you agree, we'll gift you a hundred guns and two sets of ammunition per person. If you can provide hospitality, I can consider adding another hundred guns. How about that?" The other person did not engage in disputes with Gai Wafu but instead laid out his conditions directly.

If it were before, Gai Wafu might have sensed the sincerity and agreed to hospitality on the spot. But with Sarazi's reminder, Gai Wafu instantly realized the conspiracy behind these words. Why the double reward for providing hospitality? There must be something fishy here. Thinking of this, Gai Wafu involuntarily shivered but maintained a calm expression replying, "Very well. I can provide hospitality. When your people arrive, I'll slaughter a sheep to welcome them, but I need to see the benefits first, how about it?"

"No problem, my goods are just outside the mountain. Your men only need to fire three Lighting Bombs into the sky at the mountain pass, and they'll deliver the goods right over. How about it?" The person smiled faintly, exuding confidence.

"Alright, wait a moment." Gai Wafu immediately called someone in and gave instructions in the local dialect. Even though he was taking advantage of the situation, internally, he was certain the other party harbored a conspiracy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so thoroughly prepared. After giving instructions, Gai Wafu said, "Let's suspend our negotiations until the goods arrive."

"Suit yourself." The other person responded calmly.

Gai Wafu didn't leave, but instead arranged to have some food brought in, sitting down with the other person to chat while eating. Luo Zheng patiently waited and wasn't shy when food was brought to him as well. Before long, there was a shout of excitement from Gai Wafu next door, "Old friend, I've received your sincerity. Tell me, how do you need me to cooperate?"

"No problem, at twilight, Siya Fa will dispatch a squad of a hundred soldiers to escort my people through your territory. You can arrange for them to pass through, and have food arranged along the way for us to pick up. It would be great if you can join us, but if not, it's okay, we're just passing through." The other person spoke lightly, as if truly just borrowing the path.

Gai Wafu was not foolish. Thinking about it, with his usual demeanor, there was no reason not to show up after taking gifts. If he showed up to greet, the other party could suddenly swarm him up close, combined with a surprise attack, he'd surely be captured. It would then be troublesome. Thinking of this, Gai Wafu smirked coldly to himself but outwardly maintained a calm demeanor, "Alright, receiving such great courtesy, I'll definitely be there to see you off."

"Thank you. I need to arrange things immediately to avoid any misunderstandings." The person laughed softly.

"Very well." Gai Wafu agreed wholeheartedly, had the person's eyes covered, and sent him out to the mountain pass, then came next door, saying furiously, "Sarazi, you're right, these people are nothing but wolves. It seems the country's situation is about to change again, staying neutral is no longer viable. What do we do next?"

"It's good you're aware of this, otherwise my efforts would be wasted." Sarazi laughed, glancing at Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "Let's use their tricks against them."

"What do you mean?" Gai Wafu asked eagerly.

"I suspect he wouldn't trust your sincerity and will have other arrangements, like a surprise attack when entering the mountains to catch you off guard. Let's strike first, set an ambush at the mountain entry, pretend to greet them to confuse them, and before they come, ambush them and catch them unaware." Luo Zheng chuckled.

"Alright, we'll do as you say. How should we deploy?" Gai Wafu agreed wholeheartedly.

"I need a map." Luo Zheng said calmly, looking at Gai Wafu.

"Too troublesome, and we don't have one. How about we go on-site, you tell me how to deploy, and I'll implement it immediately." Gai Wafu said awkwardly.

Luo Zheng pondered, realizing it made sense, looked at Sarazi, who nodded, and they all walked out of the cave, bringing along some loyal troops towards the mountain pass. Soon, they climbed onto a peak, where Luo Zheng coldly surveyed the surroundings. There were many ridges, one next to another, but only one entry to the mountain. Would the enemy come through the entry? With Sam Country's Special Forces combat habits, the answer was no; they would definitely split into multiple routes.

Thinking of this, Luo Zheng quickly identified a few ridges that could potentially become enemy infiltration points, saying, "The mountain entry's terrain is treacherous; it won't be easy for them to get in. You only need two hundred men to guard it. Didn't they send you two hundred guns? Just deploy them all here."

"That's simple; the mountain entry is critical. I'll send my most elite troops to guard it." Gai Wafu agreed wholeheartedly.