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

Qin Cang's stomach was already aching with hunger, but he didn't rush to eat. Instead, he put his ear to the ground, listening carefully to the movements of the enemy camp in the distance. He felt uneasy, as if the infiltration had been too smooth, even a little unreasonable. Although the enemy was on high alert, their actual reaction seemed slow, as if they were waiting for something.

"Captain Qin, you should eat something too." Xiaohu handed over a piece of compressed biscuit, his tone full of concern. "That trip just now was too thrilling. You need to replenish your energy."

Qin Cang waved his hand, his gaze still fixed calmly on the distant darkness. "I'm not hungry. You guys eat first." His words were calm, yet they carried a hint of deep thought. His mind replayed the scene over and over again: the enemy patrol routes, the distribution of the guards, even the arrangement of supplies in the tent... It all felt like a puzzle, yet it subtly revealed a certain elusive and eerie feeling.

"Captain Qin, have you discovered anything?" Liu San asked in a low voice, with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

Qin Cang didn't answer immediately, but frowned slightly. After a moment, he said, "Although the enemy's defenses are strict, they are too routine. Their patrol routes have hardly changed, as if they have deliberately left loopholes."

"Loophole?" Xiaohu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Captain Qin, you mean... maybe they deliberately let us in?"

Qin Cang nodded and said coldly, "That's possible. Their target may not be the supplies, but us."

Liu San's expression instantly turned grim, and his voice lowered a bit: "Then didn't we just play into their hands?"

"Not necessarily." Qin Cang shook his head. "If they really wanted to lure us in, that means they don't know our exact location yet, otherwise they would have taken action long ago. Also, they may have underestimated our reaction speed and didn't expect us to withdraw so quickly."

Xiaohu gritted his teeth and whispered, "Captain Qin, what should we do next? We can't hide here forever."

Qin Cang pondered for a moment, then said, "Observe first. If the enemy makes any follow-up moves, we will definitely be able to detect them."

As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled sound of footsteps and the faint murmur of conversation suddenly emanated from the distant woods. Qin Cang immediately gestured for everyone to lie down. His gaze fixed coldly in the direction of the sound, like a lurking cheetah, ready to pounce at any moment.

A few minutes later, the sound gradually became clearer, accompanied by several blurry figures appearing in sight. Qin Cang's eyes were like knives, quickly sweeping over those people. They were wearing enemy uniforms, but they seemed a little restrained in their movements. One of them, in particular, kept his head down, looking particularly uneasy.

"Traitor," Qin Cang said coldly in his heart. He could tell at a glance that the man with his head lowered was no ordinary soldier. His movements were too cautious, even a little timid, in stark contrast to the patrolling soldiers nearby.

"Captain Qin, that guy seems..." Xiaohu whispered, a hint of doubt in his tone, "Is he the guy we caught before?"

Qin Cang nodded, his gaze sharpening. He remembered that man, the one who had provided an important clue about his defection to the enemy after being captured a few months ago. Qin Cang had personally interrogated him at the time, but he had never expected that this man would appear here.

"Why is he here?" Liu San asked in a low voice, with a hint of anger in his tone, "Shouldn't people like him be imprisoned by the enemy?"

"It's very simple." Qin Cang said coldly, "The enemy took advantage of his familiarity with us and sent him back to deal with us."

Xiaohu clenched his fists tightly and whispered, "Captain Qin, should we kill him? Keeping a traitor like him around is a disaster."

"No rush." ​​Qin Cang pressed Xiao Hu's shoulders, a cold glint in his eyes. "Since he's here, it means the enemy has a plan. We can't act rashly. We have to see their intentions first."

Several people held their breath, quietly observing the group's movements. Intermittent voices could be heard between the traitor and the enemy soldiers, but the distance made it difficult to make out their specific content. Qin Cang's brow furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but wonder: What exactly is the enemy's purpose in sending this traitor? Are they trying to use him to lure us into a trap, or do they have other motives?

"Captain Qin, they seem to be heading west." Liu San whispered, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Isn't there an open space to the west? What are they doing there?"

"Open space?" Qin Cang's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he sneered, "Open space is the most dangerous place. They may have set a trap there, or... they are waiting for us to fall into their trap."

Xiaohu's face darkened and he whispered, "Captain Qin, what should we do? We can't let them succeed."

"Of course not." Qin Cang said coldly, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes, "But we can't expose ourselves so easily. The more complicated their plan is, the more flaws there are. We just need to find that flaw and then strike a fatal blow."

Liu San nodded and asked in a low voice, "Captain Qin, should we continue to follow them, or make other plans?"

Qin Cang pondered for a moment, then said, "Follow him, but keep your distance. Remember, don't get discovered."

The three quietly followed behind the group, always keeping a proper distance. Their movements were light and stealthy, like ghosts in the woods. As the enemy advanced deeper, Qin Cang's heart grew heavier. He could sense that the open space ahead was not simple, and that the enemy's plan was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

"What the hell are they doing?" Qin Cang asked himself silently. His eyes were like knives, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of him, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.

The night was deep, and the wind in the forest gently rustled the treetops, making a rustling sound, as if nature were whispering something. Qin Cang leaned against a thick tree trunk, his gaze piercing through the dense leaves, gazing at the sparse starlight in the night sky. His eyes were complex and profound, with a hint of fatigue, yet full of alertness.

Silence reigned, its silence only interrupted by the occasional chirping of insects. Xiao Hu and Liu San had curled up on the ground nearby, sheltering themselves with simple clothing and leaves, trying to fall asleep. Qin Cang, however, remained undisturbed. His mind was filled with images from the day: the enemy's schemes, the traitor's presence, the secrets of the clearing... These clues tangled together like a tangled mess, weighing him down and making him breathless.