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

Liu San remained silent, holding a nearly finished compressed biscuit in his hand. He cast his gaze toward the distant woods, seemingly lost in thought, but remained silent. Xiaohu, on the other hand, frowned, his eyes flickering with unease. Although he didn't show it easily, his anxiety was palpable.

"Xiao Hu?" Qin Cang called out softly again, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Xiaohu finally raised his head, a look of bewilderment and confusion in his eyes. "Captain Qin, if we keep going like this, can we really find the enemy's weakness? They always seem to strike back from where we least expect them, and every encounter costs us dearly." His voice was low, with a hesitant and uneasy tone he hadn't heard before.

Qin Cang didn't answer immediately. He turned to look at the shadowed forest in the distance, his inner confusion and helplessness growing stronger. Yes, the enemy was more cunning than they had imagined. They could always strike a fatal blow from the most concealed position, while their counterattacks always seemed to lack sufficient precision and power. Every move the enemy made was extremely precise, while they always seemed to be behind the enemy's pace, unable to seize the initiative.

"You're right." Qin Cang took a deep breath, his eyes gradually becoming deep. "We seem to be always chasing the enemy's pace, but we are never able to fully grasp the initiative. This feeling is very frustrating." He paused, his eyes fell on the fire again. The jumping flames seemed particularly dazzling at this moment.

"Xiao Hu." He said softly, "Do you know what I'm thinking?"

Xiaohu was silent for a moment, then finally shook his head. He had no answer, not even himself, why they always managed to regain a glimmer of hope, only to lose it again. After each battle, the stench of blood in the air and the ruthlessness of the enemy left them exhausted. But each time, they persevered, pressed forward, and continued to fight.

"I'm thinking, maybe we have been looking for the enemy's weaknesses and overlooked the simplest fact." Qin Cang slowly expressed his thoughts, with a firm look in his eyes, "We haven't really calmed down and examined our strengths." He closed his eyes slightly, as if recalling the days that had passed.

"Our strengths?" Xiaohu looked at Qin Cang with some confusion. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Yes." Qin Cang smiled slightly, with a hint of depth in the corners of his eyes. "Every time we fight, we are thinking about the enemy's layout, thinking about the enemy's weaknesses, thinking about how to take advantage of their negligence to counterattack. But have we ever really examined ourselves? What is it that we can control and grasp? Where is our advantage?"

This question plunged Xiao Hu into deep thought. Gazing at the flames before him, he suddenly felt lost. In the days of battle, they had never stopped. Every conflict had worn them down, yet also made them more resolute. But today, the question Qin Cang posed had left him somewhat lost. He didn't know how to answer, or even where to begin.

"Perhaps what we need most right now is to build on our strengths," Qin Cang whispered, his eyes devoid of anxiety or panic, only deep thought. "We've been led by the enemy's tactics, seemingly neglecting our own pace and what we can do."

Liu San finally spoke in a low voice, "Captain Qin, are you saying that we should do the opposite and change our approach?"

Qin Cang nodded. "Yes, change our approach." He paused, as if organizing his thoughts. "All this time, we've been moving towards one goal—that is, finding the enemy's weakness. But we never stopped to consider that perhaps the enemy has seen through all our plans, which is why they dare to act so recklessly. In other words, we have always been reacting to the enemy's strong plans, but have never had a moment to take the initiative to attack."

Xiao Hu's heart trembled upon hearing this. Yes, they always reacted passively, never striking back. They focused all their energy and attention on the enemy's weaknesses, not realizing that perhaps the initiative was their true power. Qin Cang's words were like a sharp knife, instantly slicing through the fog in his mind.

"We've been waiting for opportunities, waiting for the enemy to make mistakes." Qin Cang continued, his tone full of determination, "But sometimes, opportunities are not waited for, but created. We can no longer sit and wait for death. We must take the initiative and find their weaknesses."

Xiaohu's eyes gradually brightened, and he suddenly looked up at Qin Cang, "Take the initiative... That's right, we shouldn't wait passively anymore, but should control the rhythm and create opportunities!"

Qin Cang nodded slightly, a long-lost glint in his eyes. "Yes. We no longer need to second-guess the enemy's actions or focus on their weaknesses. Instead, we must disrupt their plans through our own actions. We must disrupt their expectations and make them feel a threat beyond their control."

Liu San finally raised his head, his eyes filled with determination. "We can do this," he said simply, his tone carrying a calm strength.

Qin Cang looked at them, a warm ripple in his eyes. He knew that the hardships along the way were not meaningless. It was these experiences that forged their resolve and gradually made them understand what true strength was.

He took a deep breath and walked down the mountain. Although he felt a little uneasy, he knew that his mission had never been so clear - that was to rescue Xiaohu, the boy he had been thinking about so much.

Xiaohu wasn't the only person he cared about, but he was undoubtedly the most important. Thinking back to that innocent boyhood, Liu San's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Back then, Xiaohu would always hide behind him, tugging at Liu San's sleeve, his childish voice always filled with uncertainty, asking him for answers to all his questions. Although Liu San didn't consider himself that remarkable back then, Xiaohu's trust remained like a burning flame, seared deep within his heart.

However, Xiaohu had now been captured by the enemy, and his fate was uncertain. Liu San gritted his teeth, not allowing himself any further hesitation.

Along the way, the wind howled and dust rose everywhere, but Liu San had no time to pay attention. The soil under his feet was trampled and pitted from the battle, and the air was filled with a strange smell of burning. At this moment, the valley seemed like a huge trap that could swallow him at any time.