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

Chapter 491: Guarding the Food and Grass Tightly

"Is this Liu San's?" he whispered to himself, a hint of doubt in his tone, but more of an invisible fear. He quickly followed the trail of blood, his heartbeat accelerating, and the uneasiness in his mind growing stronger.

As he advanced, the bloodstains became increasingly clear, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the knife handle. Suddenly, the grass in front of him swayed slightly, and through the gap, he vaguely saw a figure—a standing figure, head lowered, as if unwilling to be disturbed.

Qin Cang's heart suddenly beat a few times. He quickly took a few steps forward and shouted in a low voice: "Liu San?"

The man suddenly raised his head, and a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the originally calm Qin Cang - the person standing in front of him was not Liu San.

It was an unfamiliar enemy soldier, his body covered in dirt and blood, holding a dagger, his eyes bloodshot, his face ferocious. Clearly, he was not Liu San, but the injuries on his body made Qin Cang's heartbeat suddenly stop.

"Who... are you?" Qin Cang's voice almost fell silent at this moment.

The soldier's eyes were empty and his lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just silently took off a piece of cloth soaked in blood from his wrist and handed it to Qin Cang.

Qin Cang was stunned for a moment, then took the piece of cloth and saw only a few crooked words on it:

"Liu San... couldn't leave... didn't have time..."

Qin Cang looked at the cloth in his hands. The writing was crooked and blurred, as if every stroke was too heavy for him to bear. The edges of the cloth were soaked with blood, and the dripping blood almost disappeared in the night. Only his clenched hands knew the weight they carried.

"Liu San..." Qin Cang whispered the name, his heart filled with a heavy pain. Every word, every syllable, stirred up waves within him that were difficult to calm. The young man who had fought alongside him, the comrade who had remained steadfast and fearless even in the most difficult times, was now completely gone.

His hands trembled slightly, and the cloth in his hands became heavier. Qin Cang felt a tightness in his chest. He didn't want to believe it, but those words ruthlessly pierced his last ray of hope.

"Liu San couldn't leave..." These words kept echoing in his mind, like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart with waves of pain. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, but the torment in his heart was like a huge rock pressing on his chest, suffocating him.

He looked at the strange soldier in front of him. The blood-stained man lowered his head, his lips were pale, and his face was sallow. His eyes were lifeless. It was obvious that this battle had brought him unspeakable pain and torture.

"He..." Qin Cang's voice was low and hoarse, almost with a hint of broken sobs, "What happened to Liu San?"

The soldier raised his eyes slightly, his gaze empty and lifeless, as if he had never seen anyone before. His mouth opened and closed slightly, and he uttered two words, so softly that they were almost inaudible: "Not alive."

Qin Cang suddenly felt his head spinning, his head buzzing as if he had been struck hard. A sharp pain throbbed in his chest, nearly knocking him off his feet. Liu San was dead, unable to escape the enemy's pursuit. The young man who had fought alongside him on countless battlefields had died in this unknown, dark corner.

No! Qin Cang shook his head violently, trying to shake this suffocating reality from his mind. He wouldn't allow himself to think like this, he couldn't admit this fact. Liu San was so smart and alert, the kind of person who could make a decisive decision in the critical moment. How could he die here? This was too unreal!

"No... Impossible." He screamed in a low voice, and couldn't help but clench the cloth tightly, his fingertips almost sinking into it, with a bit of crazy impulse.

"You..." He suddenly asked the soldier coldly, "How did you know? Who are you?!"

The soldier's eyes remained dull, as if he hadn't heard Qin Cang's question. He glanced around vaguely, and finally lowered his head and whispered, "I don't know. The person behind... took him away. I... saw it, but..."

"See?" Qin Cang lowered his voice, anger rising rapidly in his eyes. "What did you see?!"

"They took... him away, tied him up very tightly, I don't know... if he is still alive..." The soldier's voice became smaller and smaller, and finally became almost an inaudible murmur.

Qin Cang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he almost squeezed out these words from between his teeth: "Who took him away?!"

The soldier's eyes became even more distracted, and he murmured, "I don't know what those people are like... I don't dare to look..."

Qin Cang's rage threatened to consume him. His chest pounded violently, and he forced himself to calm down. This soldier seemed almost worthless, his words slurred and unclear, unable to provide even the most basic clues. And Liu San's whereabouts had become more urgent than any battle.

Qin Cang took a deep breath, slowly put away the cloth strips, stared at the soldiers coldly, and asked, "Do you know where the food and fodder are?"

The soldier was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't fully understand Qin Cang's question. His eyes were empty, but he finally nodded slowly: "I know..."

"Take me there." Qin Cang said in a deep voice, without a hint of negotiation in his tone.

The soldier's expression twisted slowly, as if realizing the situation he faced was still unclear, but he finally nodded slowly, his body involuntarily stiffening. "Okay... I'll take you there..."

Qin Cang said nothing more, simply following the soldier's footsteps. The anxiety and pain in his heart had become numb. He knew that this dark night had given him countless difficulties and challenges, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't let Liu San die in vain, nor could he let these food and fodder be taken away so easily by the enemy.

The two men walked around some dense bushes and passed through a rugged terrain. The soldier did not speak and did not look back at Qin Cang, as if he had given up all his thoughts and let his feet carry him forward.

Finally, they stopped at a secluded open space. Beside that space lay a large number of grain bags, neatly arranged. These were the very same grain and grass that Qin Cang had quietly moved earlier. However, this time, he didn't feel a single bit of satisfaction. Instead, he felt a deep sense of anxiety and uneasiness.

"Here... is it." The soldier whispered in a hoarse voice, as if he knew that he was not the "answer" Qin Cang wanted.

Qin Cang didn't answer. He quickly scanned the surroundings and then looked at the soldier: "Can you take me somewhere else?"

"No..." The soldier's voice was low and subtly suppressed. "Those people... have already guarded the food and supplies very well. They won't let anyone in."