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

Chapter 519 I Didn’t Mean to Hide You

"What do you mean?" Qin Cang's voice suddenly became cold and hard, and he turned his sharp eyes to Xiaohu.

Xiaohu lowered his head uneasily and swallowed nervously. "I just feel like he's become a little... off lately. You've seen it yourself, Boss. There's something wrong with his eyes, and he's occasionally silent. Sometimes he's even reluctant to communicate with us."

Qin Cang's brows were furrowed, and a certain tension in his heart suddenly erupted. He stopped, stared at Xiao Hu, and asked in a deep voice: "Do you think Liu San is unfaithful to us?"

Xiaohu took a deep breath, clearly realizing the importance of this topic. "I... I'm not sure, I just have a feeling. Actually, I've always respected Liu San and considered him the backbone of our team. He's always stepped forward when we've faced danger. But these past few days, I've sometimes seen that complex emotion in his eyes, that... something indescribable. It's hard to describe, but I have a feeling he's hiding something from us."

Qin Cang's heartbeat quickened, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. Xiaohu's words only deepened a certain suspicion within him. Was Liu San's abnormal behavior really, as Xiaohu had suggested, a hidden cause? Or had he already fallen into a situation from which he could no longer extricate himself?

At this moment, suddenly, footsteps were heard from behind. Qin Cang's eyes flickered slightly, and he turned quickly. Xiao Hu also became alert, staring at the figure gradually approaching in the darkness.

"Liu San." Qin Cang said in a low voice. The suspicion in his eyes had not completely disappeared, but he still tried to remain calm.

When Liu San approached them, he didn't look directly at Qin Cang, but glanced at Xiao Hu lightly, then lowered his head again, as if he had some unspeakable complex emotions in his heart. "What are you talking about?" Liu San's tone was a little cold, with a hint of unconscious alienation.

Qin Cang sensed a change in Liu San. The man who had always appeared resolute and composed now exuded a subtle nervousness and uneasiness. Doubts were stirred once again. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and tried to appear more natural. "Nothing, we were just chatting casually."

Liu San didn't ask any more questions, but lowered his head and walked forward, continuing to walk towards the target location. Qin Cang couldn't see anything unusual from Liu San's back, but he knew that Liu San's mood was not right, and that emotion was not just calm on the surface, but seemed to be hiding some unfathomable secret behind it.

"Xiao Hu, are you deliberately provoking me?" Qin Cang asked in a low voice, with a hint of tentativeness in his tone, but more of an anxiety that was hard to conceal.

Xiao Hu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head gently, "Boss, I haven't. It's just that I really feel that Liu San has changed a bit during this period. You know I never speak without a purpose. If I didn't have some doubts in my heart, I wouldn't tell you this."

Qin Cang fell silent, a wave of unease welling up inside him. Liu San's abnormality had been a detail he had previously overlooked, but Xiao Hu's reminder forced him to confront this potential danger. Perhaps he had truly underestimated the complexity of the situation and Liu San's changing state of mind.

"I understand," Qin Cang said in a low voice, "but we don't have time to suspect anyone now. The enemy's movements are the most important."

Xiaohu nodded, but his eyes were still uneasy. "But, Boss, if Liu San is really a problem, what should we do?"

Qin Cang didn't answer immediately, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. He knew that the most important thing at this stage was to complete their mission and uncover the enemy's true identity. As for Liu San, he could only choose to trust him now, even though a voice deep in his heart kept reminding him that trust was a risk.

Qin Cang's heart grew heavier, as if the entire world was forcing him toward a point of no return. With each step, he felt the ground beneath his feet grow softer, as if every step would sink him deeper into the mire. And Liu San—he had never been one to be easily swayed, but at this moment, Liu San didn't seem to intend to give Qin Cang any room for maneuver.

As the three of them walked, their surroundings gradually became unfamiliar. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was heavy, as if even nature itself sensed the tension. Qin Cang's heart gradually grew heavy, each step like a huge rock pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He began to wonder if he had reached the end of this road, and if all this might not be accidental.

Liu San's steps were unwavering. From the outset, he gave Qin Cang no choice. His composure and determination were as if he had already decided on his path, refusing even the slightest resistance from Qin Cang. Qin Cang knew that Liu San's actions were no longer a simple matter of trust; they had become a form of coercion, an invisible threat.

"Liu San." Qin Cang finally couldn't help but speak, his tone was low, but full of suppressed power.

Liu San paused, but he didn't turn around. Qin Cang saw his shoulders move slightly, as if he knew what Qin Cang was going to say, but didn't give him enough time. The oppressive feeling in the air grew heavier.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Qin Cang continued to ask in a low voice, with an unconcealable doubt in his eyes.

Liu San's expression didn't change much. He continued walking forward with a steady pace. But at that moment, Qin Cang saw a glint in his eyes, an extremely subtle fluctuation, as if there was a deep undercurrent in his heart, ready to burst out at any moment.

"Boss, I didn't mean to hide it from you." Liu San finally spoke, his voice sounding unusually calm. "There are some things I can't tell you. Even I am struggling with it."

Qin Cang's knuckles turned white from the way he clenched his fists, and he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He couldn't ignore the meaning of these words—Liu San seemed to have already decided not to tell him the truth. Perhaps he had even made a decision, a decision to push Qin Cang in an irreversible direction.

"What are you hesitating about?" Qin Cang took a deep breath, suppressed the uneasiness in his heart, and his voice became even deeper. "We have come this far. Do you think we can turn back?"

Liu San paused, and he finally turned around, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. At that moment, Qin Cang could almost feel the fluctuations in his heart - a deeply suppressed, unspeakable pain.

"I'm not hesitating," Liu San finally spoke, his tone becoming low. "You know, I've always been responsible for our choices, but some things are beyond my control."