Bright Sword: Conquer the monk at the beginning and take down Zhou Weiguo

"We have to give him some breathing space." Qin Cang's mouth tightened slightly, and he secretly vowed to bring everyone back safely.

However, on the battlefield, he didn't have much time to pause and reflect. The enemy's defenses tightened, the sound of continuous gunfire echoed in the air, and the sound of footsteps was faintly audible. Qin Cang quickly assessed the enemy's deployment around him. He knew this would be a life-or-death breakthrough, requiring swift and accurate execution.

He gently produced a flare, pulled the fuse, and hurled it into the distant brush in the darkness. The brief explosion instantly brightened the entire frontal view, revealing the enemy's reaction almost immediately. The previously quiet forest became restless. Enemy sentries began to gather in the direction of the flare, and the main force also prepared to advance in this direction.

"Just right." Qin Cang's mouth curled up slightly. He knew that the enemy had completely focused their attention in that direction, and he had enough cover to approach the enemy from the flank silently.

He didn't hesitate any longer and quickly moved towards his goal. He took each step lightly and firmly, calculating his rhythm in his mind, not daring to make the slightest mistake. The tense atmosphere made Qin Cang's nerves even more tense with every step he took.

The path was steep and narrow, barely wide enough for one person. The trees here were lush and dense, their dense branches blocking most of the view, yet making it difficult to avoid the rocks and weeds beneath one's feet. Qin Cang had to be careful with every step he took, to avoid making any noise. However, he didn't slow down, knowing that if he delayed any further, he would have no chance.

"I can't stop." Qin Cang whispered to himself in his heart.

Just as he was about to reach the enemy's defenses, he suddenly heard footsteps from the front. Qin Cang instinctively stopped, quickly crouched, and disappeared completely into the darkness. He didn't dare to move rashly, and he held his breath tightly, his heartbeat almost stopping in an instant. The enemy was less than ten meters away, and he could hear their heavy breathing and the sound of iron boots on rock. Qin Cang held his breath and watched the enemy's movements closely.

At this moment, a familiar voice rang in his ears. The voice was deep and powerful, yet it carried a hint of helplessness and anxiety.

"Xiao Hu... don't be afraid, we will be able to evacuate soon." It was Liu San's voice.

Qin Cang's heart was suddenly shaken. He quickly determined that Liu San and Xiao Hu had already arrived in this area and seemed to be approaching him. This information made him feel relieved, but then he became even more anxious. Now, Liu San and Xiao Hu were so close. If they were discovered by the enemy, the situation would become uncontrollable.

"We must act quickly." Qin Cang whispered.

Without a second thought, he quickly leaped from behind the rock and rushed towards the weakest point in the enemy's defenses. Before the enemy in front could fully react, he darted through the trees like a flash of black lightning, avoiding enemy fire. His goal was clear—to break through this point and create an opportunity for Liu San and Xiao Hu.

Just as he successfully broke through the outer perimeter of the enemy position, a cry of alarm suddenly came from a distance: "Enemy attack!"

Qin Cang immediately understood that this cry had thrown the entire enemy position into chaos, with all attention focused on him. Finally, Liu San and Xiao Hu's chance to retreat had arrived.

"Liu San, hurry!" Qin Cang roared in a low voice and quickly approached them. "This road is open, hurry up and take Xiao Hu away!"

Liu San turned his head suddenly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he immediately reacted. At that moment, even though the enemy had already noticed the movement, Liu San remained extremely calm and quickly retreated from Qin Cang's direction with Xiaohu. Although Xiaohu's steps were slow, he followed Liu San closely, his eyes still filled with confusion and fear, but he did not stop.

Qin Cang realized almost instantly that everything wasn't as simple as he'd imagined. As Xiaohu and Liu San retreated, he glanced back and noticed something strange moving in the shadows of the woods behind them. The silence didn't last long. The faint sound of footsteps and the muffled clash of weapons reached his ears from afar, like a carefully planned ambush. The enemy had been prepared; this wasn't accidental.

"Sure enough..." Qin Cang sneered in his heart.

He could feel the pressure closing in from all sides, as if a vast net had quietly formed, encircling him and his team. It was as if all this had been calculated. The enemy no longer relied solely on a frontal attack, but intended to gradually close in from multiple directions, capturing them all in one fell swoop.

"They knew we'd take this route." Qin Cang silently analyzed the situation, his brow furrowed. He quickly assessed the situation from all around him. His intuition told him that while the enemy's deployment was well-concealed, it wasn't far away. Even more disturbing, they knew he was familiar with the terrain and might have already prepared an ambush.

Qin Cang's breathing became more rapid, and his fingertips tightly gripped the weapon in his hand. He could feel every nerve in his body was tense, as if his entire body had merged into this dense forest.

"No time to hesitate." He thought calmly in his heart, and then he gave Liu San and Xiao Hu a low command: "Quick, speed up."

Liu San glanced back at Qin Cang. At that moment, the two were speechless, only sharing an unspoken understanding. Qin Cang calculated the time in his mind, knowing he had no time left, as the enemy's encirclement was tightening.

"Xiao Hu, don't be afraid. Follow me." Liu San turned around, his voice comforting, but his eyes betrayed unease. Xiao Hu followed closely behind him, his steps hesitant. Although he tried his best to remain calm, the anxiety within him was almost suffocating from the pressure of this battle.

Qin Cang stared intently at the enemy's position. His gaze, penetrating the gaps in the trees, quickly scanned every possible hiding place, replaying every detail in his mind. In that instant, he realized that he was about to face not just a frontal assault, but a thoroughgoing, encircling hunt.

The enemy seemed to have precisely calculated their movements. Every corner, every fluttering leaf, was within their sight. Their goal was clear—not just to deplete their physical strength, but to completely destroy their will.

"I can't get through." Qin Cang looked at the road before him. The normally inconspicuous path was now heavily rigged with enemy traps. Several enemy figures had silently appeared on his intended path, approaching him and his team.

A sudden alarm bell rang in Qin Cang's heart. He immediately realized that this battle was not just a matter of life and death, but also a test of the psychological limits of each of them. He took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his tactics. Instead of continuing along the original route, he chose a more secluded path. Although this path was rugged and difficult to travel, it could bypass the enemy's ambushes and avoid direct fire as much as possible.

"We might miss the main force." Qin Cang hesitated, but he quickly made up his mind: "In this battle, we can only rely on maneuvering, not fighting head-on."

He paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping over Liu San and Xiao Hu beside him. "Follow me," Qin Cang commanded in a low voice.

Without hesitation, Liu San and Xiao Hu followed Qin Cang's footsteps. Although Xiao Hu's steps were a bit heavy, he still gritted his teeth and tried his best to keep up. Liu San glanced back. Although he still didn't say anything, the tension and vigilance in his eyes still made Qin Cang realize something.

"They're all filled with fear. It's no longer just fear, it's more of helplessness." Qin Cang sighed inwardly, but he also knew that now was not the time to pause and consider these things. Every minute could change the situation, and any hesitation would cost them dearly.

He refocused his energy and quickly climbed up the hillside in front of him. At this time, they had escaped the encirclement of the enemy's main force, but also entered a new dangerous area - a steep cliff with narrow roads and easy to be ambushed by the enemy.

"There can't be any more mistakes this time." Qin Cang lowered his voice and repeatedly warned himself in his heart.

At that moment, he heard footsteps again. The sound approached from afar, carrying a faint sense of unease. He quickly held his breath, listening closely to the movements around him, trying to determine the enemy's position. Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping softly came from not far away. Qin Cang raised his eyebrows and waved his hand sharply, signaling Liu San and Xiao Hu to stop.

"Lie low, the enemy is coming." He whispered instructions and quickly lay down.

The three of them quickly dropped to the ground, their bodies pressed against the rocks and trees, completely hidden in the surrounding shadows. Qin Cang's eyes were fixed on the front. The almost imperceptible sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer, almost out of their sight. The enemy was carefully searching every possible hiding place, but they had not expected that Qin Cang and the other two had moved so quietly and concealedly.

His heartbeat quickened, and the oppressive feeling in the air seemed to multiply countless times in an instant. Qin Cang could clearly feel the tension in every cell of his body, the delicate balance between life and death nearly suffocating him. If they were exposed this time, even the slightest mistake, they would face the enemy's gunfire.

"I can't let them find me." Qin Cang whispered silently in his heart.

The enemy finally approached, their footsteps becoming clearer. Several of them had already stepped over the edge of the rock where Qin Cang was standing, apparently unaware of anything unusual. Qin Cang took a deep breath and lowered his body to make no sound. As the enemy gradually moved away, the tension in his heart slowly eased.