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

The battle intensified, with flickering flashes of fire and the sound of gunfire emanating from the woods. Qin Cang's face was blurred by sweat and dirt, but his eyes remained sharp. He moved like a ghost, weaving between the tree trunks, each movement accompanied by precise suppressive fire, pushing the enemy back step by step. However, just as he leaped from behind a low rock, his footing slipped, and he stumbled. He rolled on the ground, ducking awkwardly to avoid the incoming bullets.

He quickly got up, only to find his right foot touching cold mud. He looked down and was stunned—his shoe was gone! In his panic, his right foot had stepped into a puddle of mud, and the shoe had been sucked into the mud.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, a flicker of regret in his eyes. He didn't have time to look for his shoe, so he gritted his teeth and moved barefoot across the rough ground. Every step he took was like a stinging needle in the sole of his foot. The damp, cold earth mixed with branches and gravel tortured his nerves.

"Captain Qin, are you injured?" Liu San's voice came from not far away, with an anxious tone. He was crawling behind a huge oak tree, firing continuously in the direction of the enemy.

"It's okay," Qin Cang replied in a low voice, his tone remaining calm, but only he knew he was rapidly assessing the situation. Moving barefoot would obviously affect speed and accuracy, and the enemy was closing in. He glanced down at his blood-stained right foot, frowning slightly, but not letting his anxiety show on his face.

"Calm down. I must," he told himself, forcing himself to ignore the stinging pain in his foot and refocus on the battle. He looked up and saw that the enemy had begun to slowly change their tactics, switching from suppressing them to small-scale, outflanking attacks. This change instantly alerted him.

"Captain Qin! They seem to be going around from behind!" Xiaohu's voice came from another direction, with a hint of nervousness.

"Don't panic. Suppress the fire as planned," Qin Cang replied in a deep voice, quickly analyzing the enemy's intentions. A clear battlefield map emerged in his mind, marking every possible enemy movement route. He raised his arm, aimed at an enemy attempting to cross the depression, and decisively pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting the target accurately.

"Very good, hold them back!" He continued to whisper orders, but a sense of unease welled up within him. He understood that the enemy wasn't just trying to defeat them, but to buy time for the arrival of a larger force. If they delayed any further, the situation would become increasingly unfavorable for them.

At the same moment, he felt a sudden sharp pain under his feet, like stepping on sharp gravel. He couldn't help but gasp slightly, but gritted his teeth and kept silent. He knew that any noise now could reveal his exact location. The wound on the bottom of his foot, though not deep, continued to bleed. The blood mixed with the mud, giving him a sticky and uncomfortable feeling.

"My shoes are gone. What bad luck." He laughed bitterly in his heart, but quickly calmed down. He knew that in a battle like this, any unnecessary emotion would become a fatal flaw.

"Xiao Hu, Liu San, listen to my orders! Prepare to concentrate firepower and break out while they scatter!" He quickly adjusted his plan and approached Liu San's position. However, every step sent a sharp pain through his feet; he could even feel the sharp objects on the ground piercing his skin. More cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he never stopped.

Liu San poked his head out from behind the bushes and asked in a low voice, "Captain Qin, are you really okay? Why do I feel like there's something... not right with you?"

Qin Cang took a deep breath, suppressed all his discomfort, and forced a faint smile: "Don't worry, it's just a minor injury, it's nothing serious." His voice was still steady, but the fatigue on his face could no longer be completely concealed.

Xiaohu also came over from the other side at this time, his eyes full of concern. He glanced at Qin Cang's right foot and asked in a low voice: "Captain Qin, is your foot injured? Do you want me to carry you?"

"Nonsense." Qin Cang glanced at him coldly, his tone filled with unquestionable majesty, "I'm fine, concentrate on fighting. Now is not the time to worry about me, understand?"

Xiaohu's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he finally closed his mouth. He knew that once Qin Cang made a decision, it would not change easily. Although he was filled with worry, he chose to obey the order and continued to shoot at the enemy.

The enemy's encirclement was getting tighter and tighter. Their movements were agile and stealthy, as if every move had been carefully calculated. Qin Cang observed the enemy's tactics while shooting. He found that the enemy's goal was not to capture them all in one fell swoop, but to force them to expose more weaknesses.

"These people...are quite interesting." He muttered to himself, but a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. "But I, Qin Cang, am not so easily crushed."

He readjusted his stance, lowering himself as much as possible while simultaneously using his left foot to exert force and minimize the time his right foot was in contact with the ground. While this would affect his speed, it would at least minimize damage to his foot. His gaze fixed on a large rock in the center of the depression. It offered excellent cover and was their next breakout point.

"Liu San, Xiao Hu, listen carefully." He lowered his voice, a hint of urgency in his tone. "On the count of three, you all move towards the stone at the same time to attract the enemy's attention. I will follow and cover you."

"But Captain Qin, your feet are like this..." Liu San couldn't help but protest in a low voice.

"This is an order!" Qin Cang interrupted him coldly, his voice low and powerful, "Don't worry about me, I have my own way. Remember, when breaking through, don't look back!"

Liu San and Xiao Hu exchanged a glance, and despite their worries, they nodded simultaneously. They knew that Qin Cang's decisions were always made with the entire team in mind, not simply out of sheer stubbornness. They said nothing more, silently adjusting their stances and preparing to follow his instructions.

Qin Cang raised his hand slightly, aiming the gun at the enemy's possible hiding spot. His finger slowly pulled the trigger, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He secretly warned himself: "This time, there can be no mistakes."

As Qin Cang's fingers gradually increased in strength, the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence of the woods like an explosion. His bullet accurately hit a hidden enemy sniper, who fell from a high altitude and hit the ground with a dull thud. Qin Cang knew that although this shot killed a threat, it also exposed his position.