Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 239 A formidable group arrived.
Meanwhile, the four search teams, totaling nearly three hundred Marines, were advancing through the rainforest like four comb teeth, their only objective now being the direction of the mortar fire.

They received a call that the camp was under attack, along with their commander's dying order: "Find the attacker and kill him!"

Company Captain Jackson led his men deeper into the direction where He Yuzhu had first disappeared, advancing cautiously. The soldiers gripped their M16s tightly, fingers on the triggers, night vision goggles scanning every suspicious shadow ahead.

The rainforest was eerily silent, save for the crunching of their footsteps on dead branches and their heavy breathing.

"Keep your distance! Watch your step! That bastard might have set a trap!" Jackson ordered.

His hunch was right.

The vanguard, a young corporal named Roberts, suddenly felt something trip him up, like a vine.

"There is..." He hadn't finished his warning.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" "Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Three sharpened hardwood stakes, hidden under the decaying leaves, suddenly shot out from three tricky angles!

A needle pierced through Roberts' abdomen from the front, pinning him to the tree trunk behind him!

The other two pierced precisely into the thighs and sides of the two soldiers who followed closely behind!
A scream rang out instantly!
"Trap! Hide! Fire in the Hole!" Captain Jackson roared, his eyes bloodshot.

The well-trained Marines reacted swiftly, rushing to the nearest trees or hollows the instant the warning was given, their M16s firing fiercely in the general direction of the trap's trigger and in the shadows around where enemies might be hiding!
“Da da da da da—!”

"Bang bang bang-!"

The dense gunfire erupted like popping beans, bullets whistling through the air, sending wood chips flying from the surrounding trees, leaves falling like raindrops, and small pits being torn open in the humus.

Hot shell casings clattered and fell to the ground.

The area where Company A was located was filled with smoke.

However, apart from the firelight and noise they created themselves, the depths of the jungle remained a chilling darkness and deathly silence.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Jackson roared.

The gunfire gradually subsided, leaving only the groans of the wounded and their heavy breathing.

"Medic! Quick! Check on Roberts and the others!" Jackson rushed to Roberts, who was nailed to the tree. The young soldier's pupils began to dilate, his body convulsed, and blood flowed down the stake to the tree roots.

The other two soldiers were in dire straits. One had his femoral artery pierced by a wooden stake, and blood was gushing out, causing his face to turn ashen. The other had his waist pierced, and although he was not in immediate danger of death, the huge wound and excruciating pain almost made him faint.

The medics frantically tried to stop the bleeding and provide first aid, but it seemed that Roberts and the soldier who had been hit in the thigh were beyond saving.

"Damn it! Damn bastard!" Jackson slammed his fist into the tree trunk next to him, his knuckles instantly bleeding.

"Report to battalion headquarters! A Company has been ambushed, suffering three casualties, two... two killed and one seriously wounded! Requesting support and medical evacuation! Repeat, requesting support!" Jackson shouted into the walkie-talkie.

His response was a cacophony of noise.

The commotion below clearly alerted He Yuzhu. He quickly left his sniping position, climbed a banyan tree several dozen meters away that was so thick it would take several people to encircle it, and used his low-light night vision goggles to observe the area where Company A had just been trapped.

Just then, they saw Jackson holding a walkie-talkie and calling for backup.

He Yuzhu raised his gun again.

"boom!"

Captain Jackson, who was still holding the walkie-talkie and making calls, suddenly jolted. The walkie-talkie flew out of his hand, and he staggered forward before falling heavily to the ground.

On his vest, a gruesome blood hole was rapidly expanding, soaking through his camouflage uniform.

"Captain!!"

"Sniper! On the high ground to the west!!"

"Cover! Suppressive fire!"

"Dong-dong-dong-dong!"

“Da da da da da—!”

A dense hail of bullets poured down like water, hitting the banyan tree's thick trunk with a thud, sending wood chips flying, and scattering its lush branches and leaves.

The instant He Yuzhu fired, he had already holstered his weapon and moved to the other side of the tree. All he could hear were the dull thuds of bullets hitting the thick roots and trunk. The retaliatory fire from the US Army's A Company poured down like water, making the ancient banyan tree where he was hiding tremble and its branches and leaves fall like raindrops.

Without pausing, he quickly slipped into the depths of the jungle, following the pre-observed retreat route, using the dense vegetation and complex terrain for cover, and rapidly moved into the heart of the forest.

U.S. Army Company A lost its commander and fell into brief chaos.

Medics treated Captain Jackson and two other soldiers for their fatal wounds, while the soldiers, their eyes bloodshot, fired wildly into the jungle to the west, trying to suppress the ghostly sniper with firepower.

The communications soldier was constantly calling for backup while holding communication equipment.

He Yuzhu did not run far.

Taking advantage of the confusion and limited visibility among the American troops, he quickly laid several simple but deadly booby traps along the enemy's possible pursuit routes:
A catapult trap made of thin vines and sharpened wooden sticks is hidden under the decaying leaves of the path.

A captured M26 fragmentation grenade, with its safety pin removed, was cleverly secured between two trees with vines, and tripwires stretched across the path.

A deep pit, its bottom filled with splinters coated with a mixture of snake venom and decaying matter, covered with fragile branches and fallen leaves.

After setting up the trap, he moved again, climbing up a rocky cliff overlooking part of the way he had come from, and set up the 56 semi-automatic trap.

In the night vision goggles, the U.S. soldier's figure appeared as a green silhouette, clumsily moving through the jungle, trying to regroup and track his tracks.

"boom!"

Another sergeant major who was trying to lead his soldiers forward fell to the ground.

"He's over there! Suppress fire!" A terrified shout rang out again, and bullets flew blindly toward the rocky cliff.

He Yuzhu had already slid down the cliff and disappeared into another, denser area of ​​vines.

Soon after, several of He Yuzhu's traps were triggered in succession. The tripwire grenade knocked down three soldiers who were trying to pass quickly; the catapult trap seriously injured the scout; and the poison sting pit swallowed the ankle of an unfortunate man, whose shrill screams echoed through the jungle.

An hour later, Company A and Company B joined up, but it wasn't very effective.

He Yuzhu was like a ghost in the jungle, his appearances always accompanied by death. He used his familiarity with the jungle and his jungle combat skills, which far surpassed those of the US military, to constantly harass, snipe, and lure the enemy into traps.

This is a fusion of his sniping skills in jungle warfare. The rainforest in Myanmar was just a small test, because those people were not professional soldiers. In this battle, he basically used 80-90% of what he knew.

Before dawn, the acting battalion commander issued an order to recall all personnel; he could not afford any more losses.

Inside the temporary command post of the battalion headquarters, a gray-haired major, looking at the casualty report, questioned his subordinates with a livid face.

“One night! We lost over a hundred lads! And the enemy… we didn’t even get a clear look at his face! Are you sure it was just one person?”

"Yes, Major," the B Company commander replied.

"Sir, shouldn't we report this to our superiors? After all, the battalion commander, deputy battalion commander, and Company Commander A have all been killed in action, and we've also lost nearly a company and a lot of equipment," said the Company Commander of Company C.

"Report this to the division. I heard they have experts in jungle warfare. Ask if they can provide us with some support!"

"Yes, sir."

After communication was established, Battalion A withdrew completely in no time. He Yuzhu had no intention of holding off half a battalion on the highway in broad daylight.

Just then, a tall figure lifted the curtain of the commander's tent and walked in at a camp of the 1st Army Division.

He was dressed in standard Marine Corps jungle camouflage, but his arm patch featured a simple silver dagger and lightning bolt cross pattern—the symbol of Delta Force.

His face was cold and stern, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and he exuded a strong killing intent that was completely different from that of ordinary soldiers.

His name was Carl Jensen, codename 'Mountain Lion'.

"Major." Carl Jensen saluted the officer inside.

“Captain Jason, a guy similar to you has appeared in area F877, causing heavy losses to the Marine Corps’ A Battalion. Take some men and bring his body back to me.”

"Yes, sir."

Carl Jensen glanced at the map: "In the jungle, having more people isn't necessarily effective. I'll just take a squad of elite soldiers."

“You’re the expert, it’s your decision. Go, take him down.” The major didn’t object.

"Yes, sir."

Two hours later, Carl Jensen led a squad of his elite troops to the F877 area and silently infiltrated the forest where He Yuzhu had last disappeared.

Their movements were clearly far more professional than those of ordinary Marines; their routes were cunning, they provided excellent mutual cover, and they made the most of their environment.

As several traps set by He Yuzhu were triggered, He Yuzhu observed from a distance that the traps had not caused any casualties, and his heart couldn't help but tremble.

He quickly abandoned the trap he was preparing, and then erased all traces as he withdrew.

Jason's squad operated silently through the rainforest like the most sophisticated instruments. They avoided the hastily set, somewhat crude traps laid by He Yuzhu. Their experienced eyes scanned the disturbed decaying leaves and deliberately broken twigs. These traces, which were difficult for ordinary Marines to detect, were as clear as road signs to them.

"The tracks are fresh, heading southwest, and moving at a fast pace." A team member squatted down next to a patch of trampled moss and reported in a whisper, while making a few simple hand gestures.

Jason's gaze swept across the area before turning toward the dark, dense forest to the southwest.

He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and made a gesture that said, "Spread out the tracking, maintain distance, and be on high alert."

The eight Delta Force members instantly and silently dispersed, disappearing into the forest like ghosts, maintaining a tactical distance that allowed them to coordinate with each other, and followed the subtle traces left by He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu, who was moving quickly through the jungle, felt a sense of unease, an instinctive reaction brought about by heightened alertness.

"A master... a true jungle hunter," He Yuzhu murmured to himself, a cold smile curving his lips.

Under pressure, his inherent ferocity and competitiveness were unleashed.

Instead of insisting on completely eliminating the traces, he used the environment to set up more ingenious and deadly "gifts".

In a narrow valley that he had to pass through, he used thick vines and extremely tough old bamboo to set up a multi-trigger "launching spear array".

The trigger point is hidden in the slippery crevices of underwater rocks. Once someone loses their balance, it will instantly trigger a chain reaction, launching poisoned hardwood spears from multiple angles. In another banyan forest full of aerial roots, he cleverly set up a captured M18A1 Claymore directional anti-personnel mine at the angle between the aerial roots of two giant trees. The tripwire is as thin as a hair, spanning the only path that allows for quick passage, and its coverage area is exactly on the flank of the fan-shaped search formation that the tracking team is most likely to use.

After making these arrangements, he did not stop, but continued to venture deeper into the southwest, consciously choosing more complex and difficult routes—steep rock walls, the edges of bottomless swamps, and dense forests covered with poisonous thorns and vines.

He intends to exploit the inherent dangers of the rainforest to wear down, divide, and delay this elite squad.

Jason's squad quickly approached the valley.

The lead soldier, codenamed 'Mole,' possesses an almost instinctive sense of danger.

He stopped by the stream, his sharp gaze scanning the water's surface and the rocks on the bottom. He made a "pause, suspicious" gesture.

A team member cautiously approached and gently pried aside several seemingly loose rocks underwater with his bayonet.

Suddenly, he felt the tip of his bayonet touch a very slight resistance—not a stone, but a thin, almost transparent vine submerged in water.

"Trap!" he growled as he leaped backward!

But it's too late!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several dark figures shot out from the vines and bamboo thickets on both sides of the valley with a sharp whistling sound! The angles were extremely tricky, covering a small area along the stream!

'Mole' reacted with lightning speed, making a clumsy but effective side somersault and roll. A wooden spear grazed his tactical vest and embedded itself in the tree trunk behind him, the spearhead humming and vibrating.

Another team member was not so lucky; a poisoned spear pierced his calf, and the excruciating pain caused him to groan and fall to his knees.

The third spear missed its target.

"Concealed! It's a poisoned spear!" Jason's voice was as cold as ice.

The team members quickly sought cover, cautiously scanning the jungle for any potential dangers lurking beneath.

Medics quickly rushed forward to treat the injured.

Looking at the dark purple wound and rapidly swelling flesh on the team member's calf, the medic's expression turned grave: "The wound is dark purple, and the tissue is swelling rapidly! It's highly likely to be highly venomous snake venom! Immediate injection of multi-purpose antivenom serum and subsequent transfer for further treatment are required!"

Jason glanced at the poisoned arrow with a grim expression and pressed the communicator.

He whispered into the communicator: "'Grey Sparrow' is injured, toxin unknown, requires emergency medical evacuation. Location marker Z7. 'Mole', continue tracking, target extremely dangerous, trap upgraded, repeated target extremely dangerous, trap upgraded."

With one person lost and another seriously injured, the entire squad's tracking speed inevitably slowed down.

The traces left by He Yuzhu became even more elusive, as if deliberately leading them to a more dangerous area.

Not long after, in the banyan forest, the 'mole' discovered something unusual again.

On that seemingly only "good road," the shape of a fallen leaf looked somewhat unnatural.

He stopped and carefully examined the ground. Finally, at the edge of the fallen leaves, he found a taut, thin line, almost the same color as the withered leaf, spanning the path at just knee height.

One end of the thin thread disappeared into the gaps in the aerial roots of the huge banyan tree next to it.

"Claymore! Tripwire!"

The mole's voice was hoarse with a hint of lingering fear.

He carefully followed the thin line, using his dagger to pry away the tangled moss, and was shocked to see the cold shell of the M18A1 landmine that had been cleverly placed and pointed along the path!
The bomb disposal experts immediately stepped forward, held their breath, and extremely carefully defused the deadly trap that could have torn half a squad apart. Cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.

"Damn it!" one of the team members muttered under his breath, wiping away sweat.

Jason did not respond, but his eyes became even sharper, like a predator eyeing its prey.

This feeling of being led by the nose, with danger lurking at every turn, gave him a long-lost sense of challenge and... a touch of offended anger.

"Change tactics. 'Eagle Eye', take the high ground and establish an observation post. 'Mole' and 'Razor,' you two work in pairs and flank the target from the west where the trail disappears. Remain silent and search for his stealth path or possible hiding place. 'Anvil' and 'Rattlesnake,' flank from the east. I'll provide support from the center. The target is likely just ahead, waiting for us to fall into his next trap. Use our speed advantage to counter-encircle him! Move out!"

The Delta Force instantly split into three groups, silently blending into the rainforest, attempting to weave a large net to trap the ghostly hunter.

He Yuzhu was currently lying on the edge of a large stone platform covered with thick moss and with a relatively open view.

He heard an extremely faint rustling of branches and leaves, almost drowned out by the wind and insect chirps, coming from the west and east, trying to encircle his location.

He slid down the boulder platform like a gecko, choosing not to retreat, but instead stealthily making his way towards the denser, almost imperceptible vine-covered swamp area behind the planned path of the western flanking team (Mole and Razor).

He wanted to take advantage of the enemy's eagerness to encircle them and launch a fierce counter-attack!

A dense vine-covered area, resembling a green wall, was dimly lit, with a bottomless swamp of humus at your feet, emitting a suffocating stench.

'Mole' and 'Razor' moved cautiously along the edge of the swamp, one in front of the other and several meters apart, like lynxes.

Each step landed on the thick, soft, decaying leaves, making a soft "plop" sound.

Both men were on edge, their fingers pressed tightly against the trigger guards, the muzzles of their guns scanning the unsettling darkness ahead and to either side.

He Yuzhu seemed to blend into the shadows of this deathly swamp. He held his breath and curled up in a natural hollow formed by a cluster of huge tree roots that were intertwined like dragons and snakes. His body was covered with thick moss and decaying leaves, leaving only his sharp, eagle-like eyes visible.

What he gripped tightly in his hand was no longer a rifle, but a military dagger stained with the blood of countless enemies, its cold blade pressed against his forearm.

Closer...closer...

He could clearly hear Razor's heavy breathing and see the subtle vibrations of his tactical boots snapping the dry branches beneath his feet.

The other party was carefully maneuvering around a seemingly calm but actually dangerous swamp.

It's now!

The moment 'Razor's' attention was drawn to the puddle at his feet and his center of gravity shifted slightly forward, He Yuzhu moved!

He sprang forth from the hollow of the tree roots with ghostly speed, kicking up a cloud of decaying leaves and mud! Without a warning, without a sound! He was like a spring brimming with power, instantly covering the distance of less than three meters between the two!
The moment He Yuzhu appeared, 'Razor's' pupils shrank, a deadly sense of crisis washing over him like ice water!

With his honed instincts, he suddenly leaned back, and at the same time, the muzzle of his M4 carbine instinctively rose, trying to point it at the approaching dark figure!

However, He Yuzhu was even faster! Ignoring the raised muzzle, in the instant 'Razor' leaned back and lost his balance, his left hand gripped 'Razor's' right wrist holding the gun with the precision of an iron clamp, and pressed down sharply!
At the same time, the military dagger in his right hand, gleaming with a deathly cold light, stabbed upwards from an extremely tricky angle towards 'Razor's' unprotected armpit—the weak point of his bulletproof vest, a direct stab into his chest cavity!
"Pfft!"

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the combat uniform and flesh as easily as a hot knife through butter, precisely piercing the artery below the heart!

"Ugh—!" Razor's eyes widened, blood gushed from his mouth, and his body trembled violently.

His finger on the trigger tightened unconsciously.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The sound of M4 gunfire suddenly rang out in the silent swamp, bullets hitting the ground and the tree trunks beside it, breaking the deathly silence!
"Razor!" The mole, a few meters away, was terrified! He turned around abruptly and unleashed a barrage of fire from his M4 in the direction where He Yuzhu had disappeared and where "Razor" had fallen!
“Da da da da da—!”

Bullets whistled through the air, splattering mud, snapping vines, and sending wood chips flying!
The instant the dagger pierced through, He Yuzhu used the momentum of his forward thrust to perform a swift side roll, using 'Razor's' still twitching body as a human shield to push towards the direction 'Mole' was firing, while he himself slid like an eel into the deeper, darker depths of the vines beside him.

Most of 'Mole's' bullets hit 'Razor's' corpse and the tree trunk next to it.

He watched helplessly as his comrades fell, their blood staining the decaying leaves and mud, and his anger reached its peak in an instant!

"Target on the west! 'Razor' dead! Repeat, 'Razor' dead! He's in this swamp!"

The 'mole' hissed into the communicator's microphone.

While continuing to suppress the area where He Yuzhu might be hiding, he quickly approached 'Razor's' corpse.

The gunshots were like thunder, instantly echoing throughout the entire rainforest!

The "Anvil" and "Rattlesnake," who were maneuvering on the east side, suddenly stopped. The "Mole's" angry roar came through their earpieces: "Razor is dead!" and intense gunfire made their faces change drastically.

Jason, who was providing support from the center, instantly turned bloodshot. He heard gunshots and reports of his team members being killed! A violent killing intent erupted from him as if it were a tangible thing.

"Everyone! Converge at full speed to the source of the gunfire! Surround the swamp! 'Eagle Eye,' report the target location!"

"Eagle Eye," perched atop the high vantage point, anxiously adjusted his high-powered scope, attempting to penetrate the dense, green fog-like vine-covered swamp below: "Damn it! My view is completely blocked! I can't see the exact location! I can only confirm that the gunfire is coming from the center-west of area Z9!"

"Boss, don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive, he's deliberately provoking us," 'Anvil' shouted in the channel.

"FK, maintain formation, maintain formation, advance towards the swamp. 'Mole', do not chase on your own. Repeat 'Mole', do not chase on your own."

"Roger that!"

"Roger that!"

“Roger!” 'Mole' responded hoarsely, though his anger was almost burning through his reason, the order forced him to suppress the urge to pursue.

He fired another short burst at the area of ​​dense vines where He Yuzhu had disappeared. The bullets tore through the vines with a dull thud, but they seemed to sink without a trace.

He remained vigilant as he quickly approached the spot where 'Razor' lay.

Razor's body had stopped convulsing, its eyes wide open, frozen in the shock and resentment of its final moment.

The wound under his armpit was still gushing dark red blood, which soaked through his camouflage uniform and seeped into the dark brown mud beneath him.

Mole's heart sank. He bent down to grab the tether of Razor tactical vest, trying to drag him away from the swamp.

Just as his center of gravity shifted and his strength concentrated in his arm!

"Whoosh!"

A very faint whooshing sound came from the shadow of a tree canopy above and to the side, hidden by huge leaves!

It's a crossbow bolt!
He Yuzhu didn't go far at all. Like the most patient spider, after creating chaos and anger, he lurked in the best attack position, waiting for the moment when his prey was most vulnerable and distracted!
The 'mole' reacted with lightning speed; it instinctively jerked backward almost as soon as it heard the sound of the wind!
But the distance was too close, and the crossbow bolt was too fast! The cold metal arrowhead, carrying immense kinetic energy, pierced deeply into his left shoulder near his collarbone!
"Ugh—!" The excruciating pain caused 'Mole' to let out a suppressed groan. The huge impact made him stagger and crash into the tree trunk behind him.

He almost dropped the M4 from his hand.

The arrow pierced the muscle and lodged between the bones, causing blood to gush out instantly.

Even more terrifying, a strong numbness accompanied by excruciating pain spread rapidly from my left shoulder like an electric current!
"Poison...it's poisonous!" The 'Mole' was terrified, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

Despite the dizziness and the excruciating pain in his left arm, the mole raised his right arm and fired fiercely at the crossbow bolts!
“Da da da da da—!”

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　　Try writing about jungle warfare; you never know when it might come in handy!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)