Late Ming Dynasty: Special Forces in 1645

The river flowed gently, the sky was blue with white clouds, and cicadas and birds chirped, as if the battle had never happened.

Li Chengming greeted them warmly, saying, "My name is Li Chengming. My brothers and I have long admired the name of King Chuang and have always wanted to pay our respects, but we have never had the opportunity. It is fate that we have met today!"

Li Zicheng, smiling broadly, replied, "Of course, of course. No matter what, I will remember your life-saving grace, and I will do my best to fulfill any requests you may have!"

Li Chengming nodded and said, "We'll talk about that later. What are Your Majesty's next plans?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a grim expression. One eye was fixed on Li Chengming, emanating a chilling aura of seasoned warriors that made it difficult to breathe.

Li Zicheng's action instantly put the other assault team members and two guards on edge. Some of the assault team members even reached for their waists, ready to draw their guns and fire at any moment!

Li Chengming remained calm and composed, meeting Li Zicheng's gaze with a smile on his face. Others might not have noticed, but Li Chengming understood that Li Zicheng was testing him to see if he was truly qualified to discuss the matter.

After a long while, the murderous intent in Li Zicheng's eyes disappeared. As a man who had seen many storms, he could tell that Li Chengming's composure was not feigned, and that calmness and confidence could not be faked.

Li Zicheng sighed, "The Jurchens have already stationed heavy troops at every key point. Ajige and Geng Zhongming have sent out scouts to search for me everywhere. I only have the two of them left. It won't be easy for me to get out of Jiugong Mountain!"

It was not just difficult; Li Zicheng also felt that this time it was probably doomed. He was chased by the Ming army to the point of having only eighteen riders left, but he was still able to rise again. However, the Qing army was not the Ming army. This time, they seemed determined to find him alive or dead.

Considering the Qing army's organization and execution capabilities, Li Zicheng realized that he was probably doomed this time.

Li Chengming stated directly, "I have a way to help Your Excellency Chuang Wang leave Jiugong Mountain, but there is one condition!"

Li Zicheng's expression was indifferent, and he smiled noncommittally. Although he thought Chengming had a mysterious background, peculiar attire, and extraordinary abilities, this joke was a bit too much. His personal guards had been wiped out, and he had lost contact with his other subordinates. Ajige and Geng Zhongming's troops had surrounded Jiugong Mountain like an iron barrel, showing no sign of stopping until they eliminated him. Escaping Jiugong Mountain was not so easy.

Li Zicheng said expressionlessly, "The only two of my men who are still alive are these two." He pointed to the two guards and continued, "Jiugong Mountain is only so big. All the villages inside have been slaughtered and burned to the ground. In addition, the Jurchens are searching day and night. We can't hide for long!" Although he didn't say he didn't believe him, his meaning was very clear.

Li Chengming, however, spoke earnestly: "I wish to make a deal with Your Excellency, the King of Chuang. We will help you leave Jiugong Mountain, on the condition that you provide a thousand elite soldiers!"

Li Zicheng was taken aback. Seeing Li Chengming's firm gaze, which didn't seem like he was joking, Li Zicheng began to wonder what Li Chengming was thinking. But then he thought that having more hope meant having more options, and given the current situation, how much worse could it get? So he said, "Sir, you're joking. Just for the life-saving grace you just gave me, I'll naturally agree to this small matter. Not to mention that you also have a way to help me escape from Jiugong Mountain."

Whether Li Zicheng believed it or not, given the circumstances, he had no choice but to believe it; for him, nothing was more important than his own life.

Li Zicheng has suffered countless defeats since he started his rebellion. At his worst, he had hundreds of thousands of troops, but was then defeated by the Ming army and reduced to only eighteen horsemen who fled into the mountains. He suffered defeat after defeat, but rose again and again. As long as he had one life left, he was confident that he could once again have hundreds of thousands of troops.

Although Li Zicheng is now being hunted down by the Manchus to the point of having only three men left, he still has over 100,000 troops under the command of Tian Jianxiu, Zhang Nai, Yuan Zongdi, Liu Fangliang, and others. If he can escape this time, he still has the potential to contend for the world!

Li Chengming was very confident about the deal. He knew that Li Zicheng would not be able to resist the temptation. As Li Zicheng said, the life-saving grace he had just received was worth more than a thousand elite soldiers. Moreover, Li Chengming had promised to help him escape from Jiugong Mountain.

Although he had expected this, he was still delighted to see Li Zicheng agree in person and said, "Good, King Chuang is so generous! Now let me make the arrangements."

Li Chengming had already learned that Jiugong Mountain was surrounded by the Manchu army through drones. With the help of drones, the Manchu troop deployment was transparent to the assault team, and it was not difficult to find the weak point of the encirclement and break out.

After finalizing the deal, Li Chengming and Li Zicheng discussed the current state of affairs. Li Zicheng was not a reckless man; he possessed a unique personal charisma and had his own unique insights into this chaotic world.

Li Chengming comes from 380 years in the future. He knows the course of history and has insights far beyond this era. He subtly points out the limitations of Li Zicheng's thinking and gives him the best solution he can do!

The more Li Zicheng talked, the more alarmed he became: Who exactly was this person who had such insight? Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze were no match for him. There was no such talent in the Ming court or among the Jurchens!

Little did people know that Li Chengming's insights and opinions were all hindsight, and were conclusions that had been repeatedly discussed on the Internet in later generations. If it were just a matter of theoretical discussion, it is very likely that no one in this era could argue with Li Chengming!

Although many of these were theoretical ideas, Li Zicheng, with his insight, could naturally discern some of the practical operations and unique insights, and was deeply impressed, considering Li Chengming a close friend for a time.

Meanwhile, Li Zicheng became increasingly curious about Li Chengming and his companions, and made several attempts to recruit them, but they were all politely refused.

......

That night, observer Yan Huidong pointed to the tablet and said, "This is the best breakout position. As long as we take care of the dozen or so sentries ahead, we can charge out on horseback!"

Li Chengming nodded and said, "Then we'll proceed according to plan. I'll take care of the hunting dog with the crossbow first, then the two hidden sentries. You guys, put silencers on your pistols and take out the four visible sentries, then use your knives to deal with the twelve soldiers who are about to rotate. Chuang Wang, you three, bring out the horses, and we'll all ride out and enter this path. We'll proceed according to plan for the rest of the route!"

Commando Liang Zicheng said, "We're most likely to be discovered by the barracks here. If anything changes, the sniper, demolition expert, and I will stay here and ambush them one by one with our pistols!"

Li Chengming pointed to a spot on the tablet and said, "If there are too many pursuers, everyone should switch to this mountain road. The demolition team can plant some landmines here to block the pursuers!"

If they were to abandon these sixteen warhorses, Li Chengming and his men could find a more suitable place to break out. However, considering their actions after breaking out, the lack of horses would indeed be very inconvenient. If they encountered pursuers, they would have to run, as two legs could never outrun four. If they didn't run, they would have to consume a lot of ammunition. After careful consideration, they decided that it was better to break out on horseback.

Li Zicheng and two guards stood aside, inwardly shocked. When he first saw the observer launch the drone that afternoon, he was so amazed that he couldn't speak for a long time. Seeing the footage captured by the drone on the tablet again, he was still just as astonished. His gaze towards the assault team was filled with awe!

Without the explanation from the commandos, Li Zicheng automatically assumed that the incomprehensible things were magical artifacts from immortals, marveling at the wonders of the world. He thought to himself: These extraordinary people must be treated with utmost respect. Even if they cannot be used for my own purposes, I must never offend them!

After sharing the remaining rations, the commandos took turns resting until the middle of the night arrived!

Until the moon sets and crows cry, the world is plunged into darkness, so dark that you can't see your hand in front of your face. This is the darkest hour before dawn!