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

Qin Cang looked at Liu San sharply and said in a low voice, "If you find an enemy ambush, what are you going to do? What can you three do to change it?"

Liu San frowned slightly and pursed his lips tightly. After a moment, he whispered, "At least, I can provide you with more accurate intelligence before the real war begins."

Qin Cang stared at him for a long while, and finally let out a breath, his tone a little softer: "Forget it, since you are already here, let's find out together."

Liu San looked at Qin Cang, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He obviously didn't expect Qin Cang to make a decision so quickly, but he didn't say much. Instead, he nodded and whispered, "Okay."

Xiao Hu watched the confrontation between the two men from the sidelines, secretly relieved. He knew that although Liu San and Qin Cang sometimes disagreed, they were ultimately fighting for victory. It was just that their personalities differed: Liu San was more direct and impulsive, while Qin Cang was calmer and had a better overall perspective.

Qin Cang said nothing more, and disappeared into the darkness again, whispering, "Let's go ahead and explore."

Liu San also put aside his previous dissatisfaction and headed deeper into the dense forest with Qin Cang and Xiao Hu.

The night was still thick, and the wind in the forest rustled through the branches, carrying a hint of damp earth, as if hiding an unspoken secret. Qin Cang frowned slightly, lowering his head to observe the faint traces on the ground, mentally weighing the possible scenarios. He knew that there might be an ambush of enemy sentries ahead, and what he needed to confirm most at this moment was their identity—was it an enemy patrol, or one of his own hidden forces?

Liu San stood beside him, his brows also furrowed, his eyes scanning the surrounding tree shadows. He lowered his voice and asked, "What? Did you find anything?"

Qin Cang didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised a finger, signaling him to be quiet. Then, he slowly raised his head, his eyes fixed sharply on a shadow in front of him. The air seemed to freeze. Everyone held their breath, their bodies tense, waiting for the next move.

After a moment, Qin Cang finally whispered, "Maybe there is someone."

Liu San's eyes changed instantly, his fingers tightened slightly and pressed on the gun handle. Xiaohu also subconsciously grasped the dagger, his muscles tensed, like a cheetah ready to attack at any time.

Qin Cang knew very well that any rash action would most likely expose himself, and the only way to verify the other party's identity was to exchange secret codes.

He lowered his voice and slowly uttered a few words: "The autumn wind rises, and the wild geese fly south."

It was a simple code, circulated among their own squad, but the enemy would surely not respond correctly. The night was dark, the air seemed stagnant, and several people held their breath, waiting for a response.

A moment later, a low voice responded from the shadows: "The maple leaves fall, and the cold frost hangs."

Qin Cang's heart relaxed slightly, and a hint of understanding flashed across his eyes - it was one of his own.

But he didn't completely relax his vigilance. He knew that if the enemy was cunning enough, they might have intercepted the signal beforehand and disguised themselves as one of his own. He tilted his head slightly and whispered to Liu San, "Try again."

Although Liu San didn't quite understand why Qin Cang was so cautious, he didn't object. After all, it was better to be cautious than careless. He raised his head slightly and whispered, "It's midnight and the wind is strong, the moon is cold and dim."

This secret code is rarely used by their team, and even fewer people know it. If it were an enemy, it would certainly be difficult to respond accurately.

There was a moment of silence in the darkness, and then the shadow slowly moved and whispered, "The dawn is breaking, and the drums of war are beating."

This time, Qin Cang finally confirmed the other party's identity. He whispered, "Come out."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. It was a thin young warrior, his face covered in traces of frost and dirt. He had obviously been lying in ambush here for some time. His eyes quickly swept over Qin Cang and Liu San, finally landing on Qin Cang. He whispered, "Is it you?"

Qin Cang nodded and whispered, "Why are you here?"

The soldier quickly approached and said in a low voice, "We've received word that the enemy may have set up an ambush in the dense forest. We've been ordered to investigate, but we haven't found any suspicious signs so far."

Qin Cang's eyes flickered as he pondered inwardly. His judgment during the day was correct. The enemy had indeed begun to move around the dense forest, which meant that their actions had been partially discovered. If he continued according to the original plan, he would probably fall into a trap.

Liu San frowned and asked in a low voice: "How many of you are there?"

"Six," the soldier replied, a hint of caution in his tone.

After hearing this, Liu San couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "Only six people? How are you going to deal with the enemy?"

The soldier's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, "We are not here for direct combat. Our mission is reconnaissance. Once we discover enemy movements, we will report immediately."

Qin Cang glanced at the soldier, his eyes steady as he slowly nodded and said, "Very good, you continue to stay here. Notify me immediately of any new movements."

The soldier nodded, then whispered, "However, we just discovered something unusual."

Qin Cang frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "What?"

The soldier's eyes darkened slightly, and he spoke in a low, cautious voice, "We found some strange tracks at the edge of the dense forest on the north side. They seem to be left by the enemy, but... they don't look like ordinary patrol footprints. It's more like... someone has been here for a longer period of time."

Qin Cang's eyes suddenly became deep. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "Take us to see it."

The soldier nodded, turned, and led Qin Cang, Liu San, and Xiao Hu through the darkness, heading north. Along the way, Qin Cang's mind raced with possibilities—what had the enemy planned in the dense forest? Why had they lingered so long? Was it an ambush? Or was there some deeper purpose?

Liu San followed closely behind Qin Cang and asked in a low voice: "Qin Cang, what are you thinking about?"

Qin Cang didn't look back, his eyes were solemn, and his voice was low: "I'm thinking... this might not be just an ordinary ambush."

Liu San's brows were also tightly furrowed, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

The night deepened, and the wind through the dense forest carried a hint of chill, like an invisible hand gently brushing the back of Qin Cang's neck, causing him to involuntarily tense his shoulders. The team's footsteps were extremely light, with only the inaudible sound of fallen leaves being crushed. But despite this, with every step, Qin Cang's nerves were tense like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

The soldier leading the way walked cautiously, occasionally glancing back at Qin Cang, as if to check their situation. Liu San, on the other hand, followed Qin Cang from the side, his gaze shifting, as if still pondering what Qin Cang had just said—"This might not just be an ordinary ambush."