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

Qin Cang didn't respond. His gaze fell on the biscuit in his hand, and a blurry image involuntarily surfaced in his mind—a memory from even longer ago. Back then, he was still young, new to the battlefield, and even a piece of compressed biscuit seemed like a luxury. He remembered his master once telling him, "A true warrior never complains when supplies are scarce, but learns to use the minimum resources to hold on until the very end."

"Hold on till the last moment..." Qin Cang repeated in a low voice, then broke the biscuit in half and handed one of them to Liu San: "Eat some too."

"I don't need it, Captain Qin." Liu San waved his hands quickly, a slightly awkward smile on his face. "You eat it, I can still carry it."

"Don't talk nonsense." Qin Cang's tone was low, but it revealed an unquestionable firmness. He stuffed the biscuit into Liu San's hand and said, "Eat it so you have the strength to work. I don't want you to be unable to hold your gun steady during the next battle."

Liu San was stunned for a moment, then nodded and silently stuffed the biscuit into his mouth. Although the dry taste made it difficult to swallow, he felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Xiaohu watched this scene and couldn't help swallowing. "Captain Qin, how about we grab some supplies next time? Even though I don't say it, I'm actually starving."

"Seize supplies?" Qin Cang glanced at him, his tone adding a hint of coldness. "Do you think it's that easy to seize supplies? Don't forget, there are enemies everywhere here. Exposing ourselves even once would be enough to get us killed."

Xiaohu shrank his neck and muttered softly: "I was just talking casually..."

Qin Cang said nothing more. He knew Xiao Hu was just grumbling, but he also understood that their current situation was close to the limit. If they didn't find a suitable supply point, this physical exhaustion would sooner or later become the final straw that broke their back.

"Captain Qin, how about we change direction?" Liu San tentatively suggested, "I remember there seems to be an abandoned building in the southwest. Maybe we can find some leftover supplies."

Qin Cang nodded, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "You can give it a try, but be careful, as those places are most likely to become ambushes. Xiaohu, you go ahead, Liu San will cover the rear, and I'll be in the middle observing the situation."

"Understood!" The two responded immediately and readjusted their formation.

A few minutes later, they were on their way again. As they advanced, Qin Cang's thoughts drifted away. He glanced down at the gun in his hand, his gaze growing more serious. He knew clearly that fighting was their only way to survive, and food was essential to sustain them.

"Perhaps, we really should take a risk." He made up his mind, but his face didn't show any hesitation. He knew that as captain, he had to remain calm and confident in front of his teammates, even as he was weighing countless possibilities in his heart.

A tense atmosphere gradually filled the air, and every step seemed to lead them closer to the unknown. Qin Cang's fingers unconsciously clenched the handle of his gun, his ears catching every subtle sound. Just as they were about to cross an open space, a muffled sound of footsteps suddenly came from the front.

Qin Cang immediately raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. His eyes swept in the direction of the sound like a hawk, and he pricked up his ears to listen carefully. He could hear more than one person, and their footsteps were not hurried, which meant that the newcomers might not be isolated enemy soldiers.

"There's someone." He whispered, a hint of caution in his tone, "Xiao Hu, see if you can go around to the side and observe without exposing yourself."

"I understand." Xiaohu nodded, crouched down and quickly disappeared into the woods.

Qin Cang and Liu San crouched there, holding their breath, awaiting Xiaohu's report. The atmosphere in the woods suddenly grew still, only the sound of the wind brushing past their ears. Qin Cang's mind quickly analyzed the possible scenarios: Was it an enemy patrol? Or some other isolated survivor? Regardless, he had to prepare for the worst.

About two minutes later, Xiaohu quietly emerged from behind the tree. His expression was somewhat complicated, and he whispered, "Captain Qin, it looks like they're two civilians passing by... but they don't look like ordinary people."

"Why doesn't it look alike?" Qin Cang immediately asked, frowning.

"Their backpacks are huge, and their steps are so regular," Xiaohu said with a frown. "I think they might be scouts from some team, disguised as civilians trying to explore the way."

Qin Cang was silent for a few seconds, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He knew that Xiao Hu's judgment was usually reliable, but in this case, there might be more complicated possibilities.

"Let's not alert the enemy for now." Qin Cang said in a low voice, "Let's go around and try not to be discovered. If the other party really has problems, we can decide whether to contact them or not."

The three of them carefully made their way through the bushes, their ears filled only with the gentle rustling of leaves and the sound of each other's steady breathing. Qin Cang's thoughts raced. Xiaohu's report had given him an uneasy feeling. The backpacks, the regularity of their steps, even their demeanor, didn't seem like those of ordinary civilians. And right now, he didn't have time to analyze it further; concealment and evacuation were clearly more important.

"Xiao Hu, hurry up and don't stay too long." Qin Cang reminded in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the movements around him.

Xiaohu nodded and quickened his pace, but he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Captain Qin, if they really are enemy scouts, if we let them go, won't that allow the enemy to track our movements?"

Qin Cang took a deep breath and lowered his voice: "If we act rashly, what if they have accomplices lying in ambush nearby? What do you think the result will be?"

Xiaohu was stunned for a moment, a trace of shame on his face: "I was anxious, Captain Qin."

Liu San suddenly interrupted from behind, "Xiao Hu, it's normal for you to be anxious. We've been so tense these past few days. But it's right to listen to Captain Qin. Only by staying calm can we win."

"Yeah!" Xiaohu nodded vigorously, as if to cheer himself up and to show his trust in Qin Cang.

As the three of them carefully circled, a faint sound of conversation emanated from deep within the woods. Though distant, the sound was particularly clear in the silence. Qin Cang raised his hand to signal a halt, pricked up his ears, and listened carefully. He caught a few vague words: "Frontline...traitor...catch..."

"Traitor?" His heart tightened. The meaning of this word could not be ignored. Was there a traitor among the enemy? Why had the traitor come here? What were his intentions? Whatever the answer, this news made him feel even more depressed.