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

Qin Cang raised the corner of his mouth with a slight sneer. Without even turning his head, he said, "If you can let your guard down because of the pain, then you are not far from death."

Liu San was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "I still can't learn to be as cruel as you."

"How cruel it is depends on how long you want to live." Qin Cang's tone was cold and hard, but it contained a different kind of encouragement. "Either endure it or die."

These few words pierced Liu San's heart like a knife. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "I understand, Captain Qin."

At the end of the woods, an open area gradually emerged. A breeze blew, bringing a slight coolness. Qin Cang stopped and looked into the distance, his eyes showing a hint of deep thought.

"There may be an ambush ahead." Qin Cang whispered, then turned to look at Liu San, "We have to take a detour to avoid the open area."

Qin Cang's pace quickened as he traversed the dense woods. Despite the dull pain from his injured foot, he paid it no mind, his sharp eyes scanning the front, searching for a familiar figure. Liu San followed cautiously behind him, glancing back from time to time to confirm there were no signs of pursuers. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, occasionally punctuated by the low chirping of insects, a stillness shrouded in murderous intent.

"Xiao Hu should be nearby." Qin Cang said in a low voice, his voice calm but with a hint of urgency.

Liu San nodded, but couldn't help but whisper, "Captain Qin, can Xiaohu handle it? After all, the enemy's number... and their equipment are more complex than we imagined."

Qin Cang pondered for a moment, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He was well aware of Xiaohu's abilities: the young man was resourceful, agile, and possessed a fierce determination to never give up. But precisely because of this, he felt a sense of worry. Xiaohu's fighting spirit sometimes made him forget to retreat, and this was his most fatal weakness when surrounded by the enemy.

"He can." Qin Cang said in a deep voice, as if trying to convince Liu San, but also as if to encourage himself, "But we have to find him quickly. We can't let him face those guys alone for too long."

As the two continued forward, a faint sound suddenly emanated from the nearby bushes, like something scraping through leaves. Qin Cang tensed instantly, his entire body raised, his gun fixed warily in the direction of the sound. His knuckles turned slightly white from the exertion, but he moved forward with extremely slow steps.

"Who's there?" Qin Cang shouted in a low voice. His voice was not loud, but it carried an authority that could not be ignored.

The bushes were silent for a few seconds, then a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.

"It's me!" Xiaohu responded in a low voice. His face was covered with dust and his clothes were torn in several places, but his eyes were shining with excitement.

Qin Cang put down his gun, his brows slightly relaxed, but his lips remained tightly pursed. He carefully examined Xiao Hu, confirming that he had no obvious wounds, and then asked in a deep voice, "You acted alone, are you still sane?"

Xiaohu chuckled, scratched his head, and whispered, "Captain Qin, it's not that I want to act alone, it's just that the situation is too urgent. There's an enemy squad lying in ambush here, and judging from the direction they're moving, they're clearly chasing us, so we might as well hold them off first."

"Hold them off?" Qin Cang narrowed his eyes, a barely perceptible chill in his tone. "You dare to hold off an entire team by yourself? Do you think you can take on ten, or do you think you're too old to fight?"

Xiao Hu shrank his neck, knowing that Qin Cang was really angry, and quickly explained: "I didn't do anything rash, I really didn't. I found a favorable terrain and set a few small traps to distract their attention. They thought there was an ambush, so they didn't dare to chase me for the time being."

Hearing this, Liu San couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Xiao Hu, you're really good. You dare to play tricks in a place like this! But it's really powerful. The enemy has taken the bait, right?"

"Of course!" Xiaohu's face showed a smug smile, but it quickly faded. He looked at Qin Cang cautiously, "But, Captain Qin, I'm not sure I can hold out for too long. They'll soon realize those traps were just bluffs and chase us."

Qin Cang was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on Xiaohu's torn clothes and muddy face. He knew that Xiaohu must have taken a great risk for this operation, but now was not the time to pursue it.

"You did well." Qin Cang finally spoke, his tone slightly softer. "However, don't act alone next time. You are not allowed to make decisions on your own without my order."

"I understand, Captain Qin!" Xiaohu nodded immediately, and there was a hint of awe in the smile on his face.

"How many people do they have left?" Qin Cang asked, staring at Xiaohu sharply.

"About seven or eight," Xiaohu answered quickly, his expression growing serious. "They're well-equipped, with two sniper rifles, and the others are equipped with automatic rifles. They've split into two groups. I've pinned one down, but the other might still be searching along the same route."

Qin Cang's brow furrowed slightly after hearing this. His gaze swept around, his mind rapidly forming a panoramic picture of the battlefield. He was thinking about how to quickly eliminate this group of enemies with minimal losses while ensuring that no more reinforcements would be drawn.

"Liu San, Xiao Hu, listen up." Qin Cang said in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over the two of them like a knife. "We will act in three groups. Xiao Hu, you are most familiar with this area and will be responsible for leading the enemy into the narrow area. Liu San, you will be on standby on the high ground on the east side and ambush and cover. If there is any emergency, take out the sniper first."

"What about you, Captain Qin?" Xiaohu couldn't help but ask, with a hint of worry in his tone.

"I'm responsible for dealing with their main force." Qin Cang said coldly, without a trace of hesitation in his tone, "Their firepower is concentrated in the middle group. I will cut in directly and completely disrupt their formation."

"Captain Qin, this is too dangerous!" Liu San tried to dissuade him. "You have an injury on your foot. What if..."

"There's no time for emergency." Qin Cang interrupted him, a cold glint in his eyes, "Everyone has his own position, and my mission is to lead the charge. Follow orders."

Liu San and Xiao Hu exchanged a glance. Although they were both a little uneasy, they knew that Qin Cang would never change his decision. They could only nod in agreement and quickly follow Qin Cang's instructions.

A brief moment of peace returned to the woods, with only the sounds of wind and footsteps echoing alternately. Qin Cang slowly stood up, gripping his gun tightly, his eyes filled with a quiet murderous intent. He knew this battle could not be lost, and he had to be the one to open a breakthrough for the team.

Qin Cang crouched behind a tree, holding his breath. He could clearly hear the beating of his own heart, which blended with the faint sound of the wind beside his ears, as if playing a low note for the battle.