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

Chapter 506 Rapid Breathing

Yet, the uneasiness still lingered. A complex emotion flickered in Qin Cang's eyes. Liu San, the comrade who had always been by his side, was the person he trusted most on the battlefield. In every battle, Liu San's calmness and composure often saved the day in the nick of time. But today's mission was different.

The enemy's defenses were so tight they were almost unimaginable. The intelligence they had just exchanged was especially daunting—the enemy commanders had already acquired extremely accurate intelligence, and their every move was practically under their control. Liu San, alone, was now deep behind enemy lines, facing countless unforeseen dangers.

However, Qin Cang never believed in failure. He was not blindly confident, but knew that behind Liu San was not only the glory of a warrior, but also an indomitable strength - the kind that could make him fight to the death even in the face of a desperate situation.

They continued walking, everything around them still swallowed by the darkness. Gradually, a faint sound of footsteps came from the front. The sound did not belong to the enemy, but to some creature lurking in the darkness, which seemed to be quietly approaching.

Qiu Chen became alert and asked in a low voice, "General, is it the enemy?"

Qin Cang didn't answer, but instead turned his gaze and quickly drew a dagger from his waist. His fingertips gently stroked the hilt, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight. He held his breath and listened intently until the sound gradually faded away, then he slowly lowered the weapon.

"It's the sound of the wind." Qin Cang's voice was low, but full of power that could not be ignored.

Qin Cang walked slowly, his steps steady and composed, each step making an almost inaudible sound on the fine sand. Darkness enveloped them. The night wind, carrying the scent of damp grass and earth, seemed to remind him of the heaviness of each step. This darkness, once the battlefield he was most familiar with, had become utterly unfamiliar at this moment.

The uneasiness in his heart grew stronger as he walked forward. Liu San was now alone, deep in the enemy camp, and the enemy's reaction was bound to be unpredictable. Every time he heard the wind around him, Qin Cang's heartbeat would inexplicably accelerate. Although he knew that Liu San was no ordinary person, the complexity and danger of this battle far exceeded anyone's expectations.

He suddenly stopped, turned his head to look at Qiu Chen, and whispered, "We can't get any closer."

Qiu Chen's eyes flashed with confusion, but he quickly understood Qin Cang's intention and nodded slightly. "The enemy must have set up many defenses. If we continue forward, we will only reveal our whereabouts."

Qin Cang took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "I can't rely on Liu San alone. Although he can sneak like a ghost, the enemy's eyes will not close." He paused, his eyes suddenly brightening, as if he had finally thought of something important. "I have to find Xiaohu."

Qiu Chen was stunned for a moment, "Xiao Hu?"

"He's outside the camp, responsible for reconnaissance and guidance." Qin Cang's eyes became sharper, and a slight sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. "The enemy may not have discovered him, but he is familiar with every path here. In his words, 'I'm not afraid of tigers and wolves, I'm only afraid of getting lost.'"

Qiu Chen nodded slightly. Although he didn't know Xiao Hu very well, he knew that behind every decision Qin Cang made, there were almost always unquestionable reasons. So, he followed Qin Cang in silence, stepping into the more private night.

They bypassed several possible enemy patrol points and headed towards a quieter corner. This was the place Qin Cang had anticipated—a hidden grassy path, so hidden that almost no one would notice its existence. This was the route they had used to mobilize troops, and Xiaohu was the one who knew this route best.

"I'll go find him." Qin Cang whispered, his tone carrying an undeniable strength. He turned around and prepared to leave, but suddenly stopped.

"General..." Qiu Chen called out to him, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "I know you don't like people asking you too many questions, but... why do you trust Xiao Hu so much? Is he really that important?"

Qin Cang's gaze paused for a moment, then he slowly turned around, his eyes flickering in the darkness. "You know what I value most."

Qiu Chen was momentarily stunned, then lowered his head, thinking to himself that he had overlooked this once again. He looked up at the general, whose composure and decisiveness seemed to calm the entire world. Qiu Chen knew that if Qin Cang had said he wanted to find Xiaohu, there would be no doubt about it—Xiaohu was absolutely indispensable to their plan.

Qin Cang said nothing more, but walked straight forward. In the darkness, his figure was like a cold sword, carrying a calm determination. His steps were light, knowing that time waits for no one. Every second of delay could plunge Liu San into an even more unfathomable crisis.

After walking about twenty steps, Qin Cang stopped and glanced around. Then, he gently raised his hand, motioning Qiu Chen to stay where he was, while he quietly moved forward.

Not far away, a shadow was moving silently in the darkness. Qin Cang approached quickly without hesitation, and almost instantly pounced on the shadow's back. The shadow let out a slight cry of surprise and turned to escape, but Qin Cang firmly grasped its shoulder.

"It's me." Qin Cang whispered.

"General!" the man exclaimed in a low voice, followed by a burst of rapid breathing. Then, a figure quickly emerged from the darkness. It was the scout they had already sent to scout the perimeter—Xiao Hu.

"Xiao Hu, what's the situation?" Qin Cang did not let go of his shoulders, staring at him closely.

Xiaohu was held down tightly, his head lowered in silence for a while, and finally raised his head. "The enemy has set up a tighter defense line, and the command has begun to mobilize troops. If we continue to get closer, I'm afraid they will notice us."

Qin Cang's heart trembled, and his brows furrowed. "Are you saying that the enemy's main force has begun to mobilize troops here?"

"Yes," Xiaohu replied in a low voice, "Their actions are very covert, but according to the intelligence I received, their main force has quietly assembled and may launch an attack at any time."

"When?" Qin Cang's voice was low, as if forcing Xiaohu to give an accurate answer.

Xiaohu's expression grew serious. "The enemy began maneuvering about half an hour ago. My guess is that they plan to encircle our vanguard and cut off our communications and retreat." He paused, hesitated, and added, "But I've noticed that they seem to be guarding a certain direction as well. There's a gap in their defenses, and that direction is extremely dangerous."