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

Although he had always admired Liu San's judgment, the various changes in this mission, including Liu San's decision to take Xiao Hu alone, made Qin Cang have some doubts. He could not tolerate any omission of details, especially at this moment.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the front. Qin Cang stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowed, his heartbeat quickening. He held his breath, nervously observing the surroundings. It was a faint sound of footsteps, as if someone was quietly moving through the bushes. Qin Cang's heart skipped a beat as he quickly determined the source of the sound.

"It could be Liu San..." He speculated in his mind, but then shook his head, dismissing the idea. Liu San had always been steady and would never make unnecessary noise in such an environment.

After walking a few steps forward, the sound became clearer and clearer, with an uncoordinated sense of urgency. Qin Cang narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Who's there?"

There was silence ahead, the air suddenly frozen. Qin Cang realized that his shout had exposed his position. His heartbeat quickened again, his intuition telling him that this shout might have triggered some hidden danger.

"Retreat!" Qin Cang shouted this order almost subconsciously. He knew that now was not the time to hesitate. Any delay could make the situation uncontrollable.

Just as he was about to turn around and retreat, he suddenly heard a low echo -

"Captain, don't move."

The voice was low and calm, yet it carried a certain hidden vigilance, as if coming from the shadows. Qin Cang's body stiffened instantly. He turned around abruptly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. That voice was actually Liu San's.

"Liu San?!" Qin Cang whispered, a surge of inexplicable emotion welling up in his heart. His gaze passed through the trees ahead, finally spotting the figures of Liu San and Xiao Hu. Liu San stood there, his face grim, gun in hand, clearly ready for battle. Xiao Hu followed closely behind him, his eyes scanning the surroundings with alertness.

"Captain, we've been targeted," Liu San said in a deep voice, a hint of surprise and nervousness in his tone. "These people are not simple. I guess they've already noticed our location."

Qin Cang's mind flashed through several possibilities, and he understood: the enemy wasn't as fearless as they appeared. Instead, they were more likely aware of their team's presence and had deliberately set a trap in the forest. Their negligence was only a temporary illusion, and their true target might have been secretly monitoring their every move.

"Retreat is out of the question," Liu San continued, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "The enemy's ambush is getting closer. I'm afraid we can't escape easily."

Qin Cang's heart tightened. Liu San's intuition was always good. Now that he had said that, it was clear that the situation was too complicated to simply retreat. All the retreat routes were probably blocked by the enemy.

"Then prepare to fight." Qin Cang gritted his teeth and said, his eyes becoming more determined. "Everyone, prepare to fight the enemy. Stay calm, don't rush to attack, and wait for the enemy to show a flaw."

He gave his team orders, but his mind was rapidly calculating the battle situation. If the enemy had indeed begun to surround them, as Liu San had said, then the ensuing battle would not simply be a simple breakout, but a crucial decisive battle. Qin Cang knew that he and his team must make the calmest and most decisive judgment to break this impasse.

Qin Cang took a deep breath, feeling the oppression and silence in the air. His heartbeat was a little irregular, and every nerve in his body was tense, as if it could explode at any moment. And in this silence, an uncontrollable feeling of self-blame quietly rose and spread.

He silently repeated those words in his heart: "If I had retreated more decisively... If I hadn't let Liu San take Xiao Hu out alone... If..." These "ifs" were like a knife, silently cutting Qin Cang's mind. His mind kept echoing the decision he made in that instant, as if his heart was paying the price for every choice he made at that moment.

Qin Cang closed his eyes slightly, an unspoken burden welling up in his heart. He had never been one to waver easily. His decisions on the battlefield were swift, decisive, and uncompromising. He had used his composure and judgment countless times to ensure the safety of every member of his team, to avoid even the smallest risk. But this time, his heart began to struggle unconsciously.

"I was wrong," Qin Cang muttered softly, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps confessing to the entire team. He knew Liu San shouldn't act alone, especially before the enemy was fully exposed. Although he told himself that Liu San was a seasoned commander who could judge the situation, the faint intuition and the alertness that surged in his heart at that moment were ignored by Qin Cang.

He knew that as captain, his judgment must be impeccable. If he had been calmer and more careful, perhaps he could have stopped Liu San's actions, or at least allowed him and Xiao Hu to join the retreat and avoid the current predicament. The enemy had clearly begun deploying, perhaps even surrounding them. Every moment of Qin Cang's hesitation seemed to make this avoidable battle more complicated and dangerous.

His gaze fell on Liu San, standing in front of him. Liu San remained calm, his gun still in hand, his eyes revealing a deep solemnity. Xiao Hu stood behind him, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a sharp cheetah. Qin Cang knew that Liu San and Xiao Hu were his most trusted team members. Liu San's every decision would affect the survival of the entire team, and Qin Cang knew this deeply. He gritted his teeth, not daring to think about the "what ifs" just now.

"Can you please listen to me for once?" Qin Cang finally spoke, his voice low and calm.

Upon hearing this, Liu San turned around, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and then a slight frown. "Captain, there's no need to explain. We all know the situation. The enemy has more than one group, and they may be surrounded by several groups. Moreover, their movements are too subtle. If they attack, our retreat route will be completely cut off."

Qin Cang stared at Liu San intently, a trace of deep regret flashing across his eyes. He had made his words clear enough, but every word seemed to remind him that his own misjudgment had made the situation even more difficult to control. He tightened his grip on the gun, but an uncontrollable feeling of guilt welled up in his heart.