After walking for a while longer, the sun rose, and Luo Zheng climbed up the hillside to look around. The surrounding mountains were winding and continuous, with withered grass and shrubs covering the slopes, making it impossible to find a path or any sign of human habitation. The desolation was suffocating, as if he had entered a dead and uninhabited zone. Only a few birds flew high into the sky, chirping merrily, adding a touch of vitality to the silent wilderness. Luo Zheng knew he was lost, and any clues he had were completely cut off.

Feeling frustrated and confused, Luo Zheng sat down to rest, closing his eyes slightly to recuperate. He began to breathe according to the secret technique passed down in his family. His ancestors had been hunters for generations, and all that remained from them was a simple shotgun and this secret technique, which had no name and was unknown in origin. Passed down from generation to generation, its greatest benefit was to enhance one's hearing and vision, and to accelerate physical recovery, making it most suitable for hunting in the forest.

After all, Luo Zheng was a battle-hardened elite who had not received professional military training. It had only been half a year since he had moved from the new recruits' company to the border troops. By any calculation, he was still a greenhorn. He had followed his heart and come this far, relying on the experience and physique accumulated from hunting with his elders as a child. After a night of relentless running, he was utterly exhausted and gradually fell into a deep sleep.

"Boom!"

A faint explosion sounded in the distance. The sleeping Luo Zheng suddenly woke up, his eyes bursting with a sharp light. With a vigorous leap, he stood up and looked around, but saw nothing. The mountains were still the same, vast and boundless, with light clouds and a gentle breeze. The air after the heavy rain was particularly fresh, refreshing the mind and heart. Luo Zheng looked up at the sun high in the sky, certain that what he had heard was not an illusion. It was impossible for thunder to occur on a clear day in the highlands; the only explanation was the sound of an explosion. Thinking of this, Luo Zheng's spirits soared. He quickly shouldered his luggage, grabbed his machete, and looked around with stern eyes, waiting for another explosion to sound. Under the effect of his family's breathing technique, a brief rest fully restored his strength and energy, making him look lively and vigorous again. 'Boom!' Another explosion sounded in the distance. This time, Luo Zheng keenly felt the direction from which the explosion came, from deep within a mountain range far from him. He was overjoyed and, without thinking further, sprinted towards it, secretly glad to have finally found a clue. Thinking of the tragic deaths of his comrades, Luo Zheng's body was filled with strength, and he ran swiftly. Climbing over one mountain peak after another, crossing ridges, and wading through canyons, the sound of the explosion did not appear again. An hour later, Luo Zheng arrived at a hillside and looked around. The surrounding mountains were still vast and endless, with no sign of human life. Further away, however, was a forest with tall and dense trees reaching up to the sky. Seeing these familiar yet strange mountains and wilderness, Luo Zheng couldn't help feeling discouraged. This vast wilderness already belonged to the territory of a neighboring country. Where could he find the murderer?

If I take the wrong direction, not only will I have worked in vain, but I will also miss the best opportunity to pursue the criminal. What should I do? The tragic deaths of my comrades once again surged in my mind, and Luo Zheng's face was filled with sorrow and helplessness. 'Squawk!' A sharp cry of a bird tore through the clear sky, adding a touch of vitality to the desolate wilderness. Luo Zheng turned his head to see an eagle soar into the clouds, followed by a flock of birds darting out from the forest filled with towering trees, frantically flying high into the sky. Seeing this scene, Luo Zheng's spirits were greatly lifted. The disturbance of the birds indicated that there were people in the forest. 'Boom!' A faint explosion came from the forest, confirming Luo Zheng's judgment. Overjoyed, Luo Zheng rushed towards the forest without considering any danger. To avenge his comrades, Luo Zheng was fearless. After entering the forest, Luo Zheng relied on his hunting experience to search for clues everywhere. Broken branches, trampled ground, touched tree bark, etc., were all the best clues. After an investigation with no findings, fortunately, another explosion sounded ahead. Luo Zheng ran wildly towards it, faintly hearing the 'whoosh whoosh' sound of bullets tearing through the air. 'There is a battle happening ahead.'

After confirming this point, Luo Zheng ran even faster. The sound of bullets being fired ahead grew louder, occasionally interspersed with the explosion of a grenade. Running in the forest is extremely physically demanding, but fortunately, the trees here are tall, and the dense canopy blocks out the sunlight. The ground, lacking the nourishment of sunlight, has no shrubs or weeds growing on it. Apart from the huge tree roots exposed on the surface, there is only a thick layer of dead leaves. The air is filled with the stench of decaying leaves and mud, and the depths of the forest after a heavy rain are not as beautiful as they appear on the surface. For Luo Zheng, who is accustomed to the jungle, none of this is a problem. He has been running through the depths of the forest with his elders since he was ten, often for more than half a month at a time. Luo Zheng feels a deep affinity and familiarity with the forest. As he runs, he is like a nimble mountain monkey, constantly jumping over obstacles in front of him at high speed. About ten minutes later, the sound of fighting ahead stopped, and Luo Zheng instinctively slowed down. Although he had no combat experience, he knew it was very dangerous to go forward. He carefully observed his surroundings, tiptoed to a large tree behind him, and after making sure the area was safe, he quickly ran to another large tree to continue observing. Luo Zheng has been accustomed to the cruel killings between animals since childhood, and the sight of his uncles and brothers dying tragically at the hands of fierce beasts while hunting. He is not too afraid of death, but he values life. There is only one life, and only by staying alive can he avenge his brothers! As Luo Zheng moved forward, he became more cautious. Before long, he saw a person lying ahead, with blood covering the back of his head and shoulders, most of his skull blown away, already dead. The person was wearing a very peculiar camouflage uniform, with green as the base color, adorned with yellow, brown, and black, blending the person into the surrounding nature. If it weren't for the blood on the person's head, he would not have been discovered. Luo Zheng cautiously approached, turned the person over, and saw an Eastern face with a resolute expression. His clear black and white eyes revealed unwillingness and longing for life. Next to him was a well-made advanced weapon, like a sniper rifle, and there were no identification documents on his body. Luo Zheng picked up the gun to check it out. For a new border guard recruit like Luo Zheng, who has been shooting homemade guns since childhood, he didn't have much opportunity to use guns, only getting his hands on them a few times during new recruit training. He had very little ammunition and lacked a deep understanding of guns. When he arrived at the border guard post, he had the opportunity to handle guns, but ammunition management was very strict. He hadn't fired a shot in half a year and had no experience with such advanced weapons. He could only roughly identify the parts by name. Suddenly, he heard two gunshots from ahead. Luo Zheng was shocked and rushed forward with his gun. Before long, he suddenly saw someone firing a gun in the distance, then quickly rolling to one side while holding his gun. The place where he had been hiding was hit by three consecutive bullets. The time between the shots was just a blink of an eye. If he had been even a half beat slower, that person would have been killed without a doubt.