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

Chapter 542 I asked you to come, so you came?

Qin Cang didn't say anything, just took a deep breath and exhaled.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Xiaohu continued, "I know you're angry, and Liu San is angry too. You're both stubborn, and neither of you wants to give in first. But have you ever considered that we're fighting side by side now, and quarreling won't solve the problem. If a fight breaks out tomorrow, and you each follow your own ideas, who will take command?"

Qin Cang sneered: "So you come to persuade me to give in?"

Xiao Hu shook his head. "It's not about giving in, but about negotiating." He paused and looked at Qin Cang with a stern gaze. "Brother Qin, you should know better than anyone that Liu San is not unreasonable. He's just... too stubborn."

Qin Cang was silent for a moment, then whispered, "He is stubborn, but he is also a madman. He doesn't care about his life when fighting. Do you think I can trust him with my brothers?"

Xiaohu smiled bitterly and said slowly: "But don't you think he misses you the same way?"

Qin Cang frowned and looked up at Xiaohu.

Xiao Hu patted his knees, stood up, walked over to Qin Cang, and softened his tone: "You don't trust him, and he doesn't trust you either. You think he's reckless for risking his life, but he thinks your plan is risky. You think he won't listen to advice, but he thinks you don't understand him. In the final analysis, you both think you're right."

Qin Cang lowered his head in thought, the firelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting his complicated expression.

"It's not that I don't understand him." After a long moment, he spoke slowly, his voice a little low, "But I'm really afraid that he will lead his brothers into a dead end, and then no one will be able to save them."

Xiao Hu sighed, his eyes softening. "But if you two keep fighting like this, the situation will only get worse. Brother Qin, Liu San is stubborn, but he's not a fool. He knows deep down that what you're saying makes sense, but he just can't accept it right now. He's been fighting on the battlefield for so many years, and suddenly asking him to change his style is bound to make him resentful."

Qin Cang didn't say anything, just rubbed his eyebrows, his expression still solemn.

Seeing that he had stopped arguing, Xiaohu continued, "Besides, he's not completely against your approach. He's just afraid that our brothers will be attacked during the test. This is his sense of responsibility. Do you understand?"

Qin Cang sighed, looked up at the darkness in the distance, was silent for a moment, and finally nodded slowly: "Of course I understand."

Xiaohu breathed a sigh of relief, a smile forming on his lips: "That's fine. Go talk to him."

Qin Cang frowned: "Is he willing to listen?"

Xiaohu grinned: "No matter how tough he is, he doesn't really want to fall out with you." He patted Qin Cang's shoulder and said jokingly, "Besides, you are our commander. No matter how stubborn he is, he can't really treat you as an enemy."

Qin Cang shook his head helplessly, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, as if he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "This guy..."

Xiaohu smiled and took two steps back, stretching himself. "Then I'll take this as your agreement? I don't want to see you two doing your own thing when I go to the battlefield tomorrow."

Qin Cang looked at him, silent for a while, and finally sighed helplessly: "Okay, I'll go find him."

Xiaohu nodded with satisfaction and turned away. The night wind blew, the flames swayed, and Qin Cang stood beside the fire, staring at the burning wood with deep eyes.

He knew that Xiaohu was right.

The night deepened, and the campfires had mostly gone out, leaving only a few scattered flames flickering, illuminating Qin Cang's serene face. He returned to his barracks, where a single oil lamp lit the room, its dim light casting a swaying shadow on the map. He sat at a simple wooden table, upon which lay a layout map, folded countless times. The edges had yellowed and even showed some signs of wear, but the markings were still clearly visible.

Qin Cang's gaze slowly moved across the map, his fingertip sliding slowly along a red arrow. His brow furrowed slightly as he pondered the possibility of a battle. The enemy's main force was advancing westward, and Liu San had previously insisted on engaging them head-on. The problem was that the terrain was open and lacked sufficient cover. If the enemy concentrated their firepower, casualties would likely be extremely heavy.

"A head-on confrontation... simply won't work." Qin Cang thought silently, his fingers tapping the map lightly, making a dull sound. He wasn't afraid of fighting, but he didn't want to fight a meaningless war of attrition. He could see that the enemy was prepared this time. They weren't attacking rashly, but were deliberately delaying their forces, waiting for follow-up troops to form an encirclement.

Qin Cang took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to another spot—a dense forest to the southeast. A flicker of thought flashed in his eyes. The terrain there was complex and densely wooded, making it ideal for a covert march. If he could quietly deploy a team to flank the enemy and launch a surprise attack while they were fully engaged in their attack on the front lines, perhaps they could disrupt their rhythm and even force them to retreat.

The problem was that this plan was quite risky. Circumventing the dense forest meant marching at night, and maintaining extreme concealment was essential, preventing the enemy from detecting even the slightest movement. Otherwise, if exposed, the enemy could simply change their formation and trap the team in the dense forest, leaving them stranded and trapped, leaving them prey.

"But if I succeed... I could disrupt the enemy's rhythm in one fell swoop." Qin Cang weighed this in his mind, his fingertips slowly tapping the map, his mind playing out all the possible changes in the situation. He wasn't one to take risks lightly, but he wasn't one to stick to the rules either. On the battlefield, you had to be flexible and adaptable to survive.

While he was thinking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. The footsteps were not heavy, but Qin Cang knew who it was. He did not look up, still staring at the map, and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The door opened, and a gust of night wind blew in, carrying a slightly damp smell. Liu Sanda strode in, his face still stern, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. He stood at the doorway, not speaking immediately. His eyes scanned the layout diagram on the table. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly said, "Xiao Hu asked me to come."

Qin Cang still didn't look up, and said calmly: "Xiao Hu asked you to come, so you came?"

Liu San frowned and said impatiently, "Don't beat around the bush. If we keep wasting time like this and start fighting tomorrow, what are we going to do? I know what you want to say. I don't want to argue or fight with you, but I want to know how you plan to fight."

Qin Cang finally raised his head, looked at Liu San deeply, then reached out and tapped lightly on the map: "Here."

Liu San followed his finger and realized he wasn't pointing at the front line, but at the dense forest. His frown deepened, and a hint of hesitation crossed his eyes. "You want to go around? Through this forest?"