Bright Sword: This unit is really ruthless

A few hours later, the scouts finally came back, looking nervous, with faces covered in dust and looking particularly embarrassed.

"Commander, we went to the village..." The scout's voice trembled a little, and it was obvious that he found it difficult to speak.

"Go on, don't hesitate." Although Zhang Ling's tone was steady, the anxiety in his heart was increasing.

"Commander, the village... the village is empty, everyone has moved away. We searched everywhere in the village, but couldn't find any trace of your parents or other villagers." The scout finally told the fact that he was unwilling to face.

Zhang Ling's heart suddenly sank, as if he was hit by a huge rock. He felt his mind go blank, his eyes went dark, and he almost couldn't stand steadily. After a long time, he managed to steady himself, suppressed his inner fluctuations, and asked calmly: "Are you sure there is nothing missing? Did you leave any clues?"

The scout shook his head and said in a low voice: "Commander, we searched very carefully, and there was not even a trace of fire in the village. It seems that they left in a hurry. The only clue is a few abandoned carriages at the entrance of the village. There are some scattered luggage on the carriages, which seem to have been left behind during the emergency evacuation."

Zhang Ling felt a strong sense of powerlessness when he heard this. His parents and those familiar villagers just disappeared in the silent night, as if they had never existed. This feeling of losing contact was more painful than any defeat on the battlefield.

Zhao Gang noticed Zhang Ling's strangeness and walked forward, with a hint of concern in his tone: "Commander, let's send someone to other villages to inquire. Maybe they are just taking refuge temporarily, and there will be news."

Zhang Ling looked up at Zhao Gang, his eyes showing deep fatigue, but more of a sense of determination: "Yes, we can't give up the search. My parents and fellow villagers are still here, I can't just sit there and wait for death. Zhao Gang, arrange some more people to go to the nearby villages and markets to gather information, and report immediately if you get any news."

Zhao Gang nodded and quickly went to arrange the tasks. Zhang Ling stood there, his eyes full of thought and worry. He repeatedly deduced the possible scenarios in his mind - why did the villagers suddenly move away? Did they encounter danger? Or were they forced to leave? All these questions were like countless fine needles, piercing Zhang Ling's heart and making him unable to calm down.

As the night deepened, Zhang Ling still did not close his eyes. His thoughts were like waves in the deep sea, constantly surging. He thought of his parents' kind faces more than once, and recalled the care and advice they expressed in their letters. Zhang Ling's sense of self-blame became stronger and stronger. He felt that he had failed his parents' expectations to some extent and failed to protect them in time.

"Father, Mother, where on earth have you been?" Zhang Ling shouted in his heart, his fists clenched tightly together, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The next morning, Zhang Ling had just walked out of the command center when he saw Zhao Gang and several soldiers returning with exhausted figures.

"Commander, we went to several nearby villages and markets and inquired about all possible information." Zhao Gang reported while panting, "But no one saw your parents and the villagers. It seems that they... disappeared completely in a very short time."

Zhang Ling's heart sank again, and he could hardly bear this disappointment and anxiety any longer. He knew that if he continued like this, he would not be able to find his parents, and his distraction might affect the entire battle situation. But how could he not look for them? How could he give up?

Zhao Gang saw Zhang Ling's mood and asked tentatively: "Commander, what are you going to do? We can continue to send people to search, expand the scope, or request more resources to help."

Zhang Ling stood there, his eyes deep and complicated. He knew that what he needed most now was to think calmly and make the most favorable decision. He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Zhao Gang, continue to send people to search, but don't alert the enemy. If they were captured by the enemy, we can't act rashly, we must have a careful plan. On the other hand, the battle on the front line must continue, and my personal problems cannot affect the overall situation."

Zhao Gang nodded, and he admired and felt sorry for Zhang Ling's decision. He knew that the pressure and pain Zhang Ling was under at the moment far exceeded his imagination, but he still chose to stick to his duty.

"Commander, don't worry, we will definitely find the whereabouts of your parents." Zhao Gang said firmly, his eyes full of determination.

Zhang Ling nodded slightly, with a hint of gratitude in his eyes: "Thank you, Zhao Gang. No matter what, we can't give up."

In the following days, Zhang Ling continued to command the battles on the front line. On the surface, he remained calm and composed, commanding properly. But only he knew that every late night, when everyone fell asleep, he would sit alone in the command center, repeatedly reading the last letter from his parents, trying to find any possible clues from it.

"Maybe they just went to a safer place, maybe... they are still waiting for me to save them." Zhang Ling kept telling himself in his heart, trying not to be overwhelmed by despair.

As time went by, the battle on the frontline became more intense, and Zhang Ling's mood fluctuated with the changes in the war situation. Despite this, he never gave up looking for his parents' whereabouts. Whenever a little news came, his heart would involuntarily rise, and then sink in disappointment.

Finally, on a rainy night, Zhao Gang brought a weak but potentially decisive clue: "Commander, someone saw a group of displaced villagers in a small town dozens of kilometers away from us. They said... among them was an elderly couple, who might be your parents."

Zhang Ling's heart suddenly began to beat, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes: "Take me there immediately!"

Zhao Gang nodded and immediately arranged vehicles and personnel. Zhang Ling could no longer suppress his anxiety, with hope and worry intertwined in his heart. He knew that this might be the closest he would be to his parents.

The car sped through the night, and Zhang Ling sat in the car, his eyes fixed on the front. His heart was full of anticipation, but also mixed with deep fear - if the clues this time disappointed him again, he didn't know if he could still bear it.

Finally, they arrived at the small town. Zhang Ling almost

Zhang Ling's car broke down, so he had it towed back to headquarters.

The night was as dark as ink, but Zhang Ling's mood was even heavier than the night. The car sped along the rugged mountain road, and the wheels crushed the gravel on the road, making a "crunching" sound. The air in the car was so oppressive that it was suffocating. Zhang Ling's eyes were fixed on the darkness ahead, and his heart was full of anxiety and uneasiness. At this moment, any delay made him feel uneasy, especially when he was about to approach the place where he thought his parents might be hiding. The anxiety in his heart almost swallowed him up.

"Zhao Gang, how far is it?" Zhang Ling's voice was low, revealing an unquestionable anxiety.

Zhao Gang looked at the map and said with a hint of caution: "Commander, we should be almost there...but this road is getting harder and harder to walk on. We may still have another 10 kilometers to go."

Zhang Ling nodded and said nothing more, but his fists clenched unconsciously. His heart was like this rugged mountain road, tortuous and difficult to walk, full of fear of the unknown and desire for hope.

At this moment, the car suddenly made a strange sound, then the car body shook violently and stopped. Zhang Ling's heart suddenly sank, he quickly raised his head with anxiety in his eyes: "What's going on?"

The driver checked the car anxiously, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead: "Commander, the car seems to have...something wrong."

Zhang Ling frowned deeply, and the anxiety in his heart instantly turned into anger. He knew that any problem at this time might make them miss the opportunity, and now, the car broke down at the critical moment.

"Zhao Gang, quickly check what the problem is! We can't delay here!" There was a hint of unconcealable anxiety in Zhang Ling's tone. He knew that time was becoming more and more precious to him.

Zhao Gang got out of the car immediately and checked the condition of the car with the driver. Zhang Ling sat in the car, his eyes swept through the darkness around him, and his heart was filled with a sense of powerlessness. He seemed to be able to hear the sound of his heartbeat, beating on his eardrums.

As time went by, Zhao Gang's face became uglier and uglier. He stood up, walked to the car window, and said in a low voice: "Commander, the engine of the car is broken. It may be caused by the bad road conditions before. We can't repair it in a short time."

Zhang Ling closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed his anger and anxiety. He knew that losing his temper would not solve any problems in this situation. He needed to calm down and find a solution.

"Zhao Gang, are there any other cars that can be used?" Zhang Ling asked, his tone still revealing anxiety.

Zhao Gang shook his head, looking apologetic: "Commander, we left in such a hurry this time that we only brought this car. The other cars are all at the base."

Zhang Ling's heart sank. He understood how difficult the current situation was. Without the vehicle, their movement would become extremely difficult, especially in this desolate mountainous area. However, he was unwilling to give up.

"We can't go on like this. We can't delay here." Zhang Ling's eyes gradually became calm. Although he was anxious, he knew he had to make a decision. "Zhao Gang, you stay here and wait for the rescue vehicle to come and repair it. The rest of you, come with me and walk to the target location. We can't waste any more time."

Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment, then showed a worried look: "Commander, it is very dangerous to walk at night, and we are not familiar with the road conditions ahead, what if..."

"It's okay!" Zhang Ling interrupted Zhao Gang, his tone full of unquestionable determination, "I must find my parents as soon as possible. Time is everything to us. If we don't act now, we may never have another chance."