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

Xiaohu's face remained youthful, a touch childish, but his eyes were filled with hostility and an indescribable coldness. Growing up with Qin Cang, he'd experienced all sorts of hardships, seemingly sharpened into a cold, hard edge in this world. Yet, today, facing Qin Cang's gaze, he felt a tinge of unease, a unease that came from a depth he'd never realized. The gradually fading sense of trust and the friendship they once held seemed to be quietly ripped apart.

"What do you mean?" Qin Cang's voice was low and clear, carrying an unignorable threat.

Xiao Hu frowned. He didn't want to clash with Qin Cang, but the situation forced him to make a choice. Standing before Qin Cang, the internal struggle weighed heavily on him. Every decision seemed to leave him with something to lose. His choice at this moment would determine their relationship and even their future.

"What do I mean?" Xiaohu sneered, a hint of hostility in his eyes. "Haven't you always known it clearly? Your own choice has determined everything."

Qin Cang clenched his fists, a hint of anger in his eyes. "Yes, that's my choice. But what about you?" He approached, his eyes becoming increasingly sharp. "What about you? Why did you betray me? Why did you choose to side with them?"

Xiao Hu's heart suddenly trembled, those words cutting through him like a knife. He pursed his lips tightly, trying to block out Qin Cang's words. However, the pent-up emotions in his heart continued to surge. He knew that the seeds of all this had been planted long ago, unknowingly. Long before the conflict between them manifested, some invisible cracks had quietly appeared.

"You're always so stubborn, Qin Cang." Xiao Hu said coldly, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "You never know how to compromise. You always think you're right. Unfortunately, you're wrong."

Qin Cang froze for a moment, the rage in his eyes burning even more fiercely. He had no intention of letting Xiao Hu go. The resentment and anger in his heart almost suffocated him. His relationship with Xiao Hu had once been so close, with an unspoken understanding between them. But now, it seemed to be crumbling. The root of all this lay in Xiao Hu's choice: betraying his trust and choosing to side with those who had once been his enemies.

"Xiao Hu, I never ask you to understand my decision, nor do I want to force you to make any choice." Qin Cang whispered, his tone full of coldness, "But why don't you tell me what the real reason is? Why do you stand on their side?"

"Why?" Xiaohu's eyes turned gloomy. "Don't you know? You know better than anyone. There's no turning back between us."

Qin Cang's heart suddenly trembled. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, and everything before him seemed to blur. He suddenly realized that the rift between him and Xiao Hu hadn't formed overnight, but had quietly accumulated over their respective choices and positions. Every compromise, every concession, had gradually weakened their relationship.

"I don't understand." Qin Cang almost murmured, a hint of loss in his voice, "You and I grew up together, we've been through so much together, are you really going to go against me?"

A complicated expression flashed across Xiaohu's eyes. He lowered his head, as if deep in thought. After a long moment, he raised his head, his gaze deep and cold, as if he had seen through everything.

"You don't understand," Xiaohu said slowly, "you never understood. You thought all your choices could bring us light, but you were wrong. You were terribly wrong. Each of us has our own path, our own beliefs, and our own choices. And you, all these years, have only lived for your own ideals and goals, forgetting the hearts of each of us."

"You're right," Qin Cang's voice was low, with a hint of gloom in his eyes, "but I would rather stick to my own path than regret it."

Xiaohu's eyes gradually turned cold, and a hint of irony appeared on the corner of his mouth. "That's it, Qin Cang. I don't want to waste any more time arguing with you." The indifference in his tone was like a knife, piercing Qin Cang's heart.

Qin Cang's chest felt as if weighed down by something heavy, his heartbeat growing ever more intense. He had never imagined that his breakup with Xiao Hu would be so heavy and final. The years they had lived in, the trust they had once shared, seemed to vanish in this moment, a memory that could never be retrieved.

Their eyes met in mid-air, frozen in time. There were no more words, only a deep estrangement and an insoluble pain.

"Xiao Hu, if you really think this is what you want, then I wish you good luck." Qin Cang's voice was low, with a hint of irrepressible loss and determination.

Xiao Hu didn't say anything else, but turned and walked away, his back becoming increasingly lonely and indifferent. Qin Cang stood there, watching him leave, the anger, loss, and helplessness in his heart intertwined, beyond words.

Liu San, the wrongfully accused man, had vanished from his sight days earlier. Initially, the matter was simple: Liu San was accused of being a major suspect in an assassination. However, Qin Cang knew Liu San's character and didn't believe the outspoken, upright man would commit such a despicable act. Unfortunately, the evidence and the circumstances at the scene all pointed to him, and Liu San had no choice but to bear the accusation.

"Unfair." Qin Cang muttered in a low voice, with a hint of cruelty flashing in his eyes.

That day, Liu San's face was pale, as if he had already anticipated the outcome. He tried his best to explain, to clarify, but those in the court wouldn't listen, not even giving him a chance to defend himself. Qin Cang still remembered the moment Liu San stood in court, his hands tightly gripping the chains, his eyes a mixture of despair and anger. In that moment, Qin Cang felt what it meant to be powerless.

Yet, Qin Cang's trust in Liu San never wavered. He knew that in this world, the more wronged someone is, the harder it is to prove their innocence. Those in power, from their high towers, looked down on the people below, watching with cold eyes. People like Liu San were left to their fate's devices.

He knew that behind all this, there was a bigger conspiracy, the means of which had already permeated every detail. Liu San was just one of the scapegoats pushed to the front. And he, Qin Cang, could not watch this injustice happen.