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

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the room. Qin Cang turned around and saw a figure approaching quickly. The figure was wearing a dark coat and his steps were steady and fast, obviously not intending to give Qin Cang too much time to react.

"You're here, Qin Cang." The man's voice was calm and powerful, as if he had already anticipated this moment.

Qin Cang raised his eyebrows, a strong sense of alertness instantly rising in his heart. He did not speak immediately, but quickly analyzed the other person's aura. There was no fluctuation in the man's eyes, and a smile on his face, as if everything was under his control.

"Who are you?" Qin Cang asked coldly, holding the tool in his hand even tighter, ready to attack at any time.

The man didn't answer immediately, but simply waved his hand gently, as if to signal Qin Cang to calm down. "Everything you see now is no longer important, Qin Cang. All your actions have long been within our expectations."

"What are you talking about?" Qin Cang frowned, his tone still cold, but the alarm bells in his heart had already sounded.

The man slowly took a few steps forward, his eyes filled with an elusive depth. "Do you think all your decisions and actions are entirely your own? No, Qin Cang, from the moment you stepped into this place, you've been led into a carefully planned trap."

Qin Cang suddenly felt uneasy, and he couldn't help but wonder if everything was really as the stranger in front of him had said. From his first encounter with Liu San to the progress along the way, every event, every detail, was filled with coincidences and arrangements, as if he had been manipulated by an invisible hand.

"Who... are you?" Qin Cang asked again, his tone clearly wary and his eyes filled with fear of the unknown.

The man finally cracked a smile, but it was filled with coldness and sarcasm. "You don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that Liu San has long been controlling everything about you behind the scenes. The clues and guidance he gave you are only leading you to a dead end."

Qin Cang's heart suddenly tightened, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He had never truly considered the deeper meaning behind Liu San's actions. Perhaps every mission and every instruction he gave was for some deeper purpose. And he was gradually entering an unsolvable mystery.

The man seemed to sense Qin Cang's change of mood, his lips curled up slightly, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. "You know, Qin Cang, Liu San is not as simple as you think. You are just a chess piece on his chessboard, and your every move has been calculated clearly."

Qin Cang couldn't help but feel an indescribable anger rising in his heart. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. No matter what, he couldn't let himself continue to fall into a passive situation. He had to fight back.

"If you really know this," Qin Cang's tone gradually turned cold, "then tell me what I should do to get out of this game."

The man didn't answer directly, but instead smiled even more smugly. "Escape? Do you think you can? You're already deeply trapped, and all paths are blocked. You're destined to reach that end—and I happened to be here to help you light the last lamp."

A chill ran through Qin Cang's heart. He knew he didn't have time to continue tangling with this person. Everything before him might be a trap. Although he was full of doubts and the stranger's words still echoed in his mind, his thoughts were suddenly occupied by a simple and plain thought - to ask Liu San to buy some food.

Perhaps due to the long hours of travel and stress, he realized he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. The hunger in his stomach grew ever more pronounced, even making it difficult for him to concentrate. It felt like long-suppressed emotions had suddenly found an outlet, bursting forth without warning.

"Perhaps eating something will help me sober up a little," Qin Cang thought to himself. He knew the situation before him was not simple and he could not stop exploring the truth, but at this moment, this thought seemed to help him regain some sanity.

"Liu San, have you gone to buy some food recently?" He called Liu San, his tone flat, almost without any extra emotion. Qin Cang realized in an instant that his dependence on Liu San was no longer so obvious. It was more like habitual dependence rather than pure trust.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then Liu San's hesitant voice came: "Now?"

Qin Cang didn't answer immediately, but fell into a brief silence. At that moment, all the emotions in his mind began to intertwine, and the oppressive feeling gradually dissipated, replaced by an indescribable feeling of fatigue.

He suddenly realized that he had been lost in this war without gunpowder for too long. Whether it was his cooperation with Liu San or his confrontation with those dangerous forces, he had gradually alienated himself from his inner self and from the things that once meant something to him - such as a simple life, ordinary enjoyment, and even the chance to eat.

"Yeah." Qin Cang's voice was low and helpless. "Yes, let's buy some food. We haven't been able to take care of it. It seems - something is wrong."

The silence on the other end of the phone lasted for a few seconds. Qin Cang could hear Liu San's breathing, as if he was thinking about something. Then, Liu San said softly, "What do you want to eat?"

Qin Cang was speechless for a moment, and several simple foods came to mind: dumplings, noodles, or simple fried rice? But he didn't say it in the end, because at this moment, he suddenly felt that he could no longer use those simple choices to deal with the complex situation before him.

"Whatever, anything is fine." Qin Cang finally spoke, his voice a little light. He knew that Liu San would choose food according to his own habits, but he suddenly had a strange feeling that this simple meal could be a temporary escape, allowing him to withdraw from the temporary confusion and regain some rationality.

The person on the other end of the phone didn't seem to be too hesitant, and Liu San quickly agreed: "Okay, I'll go buy something, please wait."

After hanging up the phone, Qin Cang's gaze returned to the mechanical equipment and complex wiring before him. Although he was filled with questions and mentally weighed how to deal with the situation, he knew he couldn't continue to let this oppressive feeling consume him. Eating something and drinking some water might help him clear his mind and give himself some breathing space.