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

He narrowed his eyes and approached cautiously with Xiaohu.

The light wasn't blinding, like a shimmering stream from a few dim oil lamps. A few low, mud-walled houses were faintly visible around them. The dilapidated little village, tucked away at the end of the valley, seemed a forgotten shadow in a corner of the world.

Qin Cang's heart stirred. He understood that this was an opportunity, but also a risk. The villagers might be able to help them hide and show them the way, but if they encountered someone timid or with ill intentions, all their efforts would be wasted.

He pondered for a moment and made a quick decision.

"Xiao Hu, listen to me." He whispered, "Follow me later. Don't talk too much and don't show your wounds. Whatever happens, follow my instructions."

Xiaohu nodded vigorously, his eyes full of determination.

Qin Cang patted him on the back, and then the two of them walked one in front and one behind, walking on the muddy path, approaching the village.

As we approached the village, several guard dogs suddenly started barking wildly, the sound was noisy and shrill.

The broken door creaked open, and an old man with a wrinkled face and a hunched body walked out, leaning on a wooden stick, looking vigilantly at the person coming in the dark.

"Who is it?" The old man's voice was hoarse and sharp, with a natural defensiveness.

Qin Cang raised his hands and whispered, "We are one of us. We are being chased by the enemy and need to hide urgently. We won't cause any trouble for you."

The old man squinted his eyes and looked at the two of them in the dim light of the oil lamp. Although Qin Cang was in a state of disarray, the calmness and composure emanating from his bones made the old man frown and seemed to weigh the pros and cons for a long time.

Finally, he coughed and waved his hand: "Come in. Don't hang around outside."

Qin Cang nodded slightly and walked quickly through the courtyard gate with Xiaohu.

The room was very simple, with some debris scattered on the dirt floor, hay piled in the corner, and a small fire in the middle, which barely dispelled the cold.

As soon as he entered the house, Xiao Hu's legs went weak and he almost had to be supported by Qin Cang to avoid falling. He was soaked to the skin and his wounds had opened during the intense exercise, and blood was faintly visible.

Qin Cang was secretly anxious, but he remained calm. He pulled a ragged blanket over and quickly wrapped Xiao Hu in it, letting him sit against the wall.

The old man looked at all this with his eyes slanted, his face gloomy and uncertain.

Qin Cang did not speak directly, but slowly squatted down, took out a small bag of dry food and a few broken coins from his arms, and placed them respectfully on the ground.

"We won't bother you in vain," he said calmly. "We need to stay out of the spotlight for about two hours. After that, we'll leave on our own."

The old man stared at the dry food and coins, his Adam's apple moved, and the vigilance in his eyes faded a little, but he still didn't let go.

Qin Cang added, "We are not bad people, and we don't want to hurt anyone. It's just... we've been forced into a desperate situation."

These words sounded heavy, as if weighed down by countless blood and pain.

The old man sighed deeply and tapped the ground with his stick, as if he had made some kind of decision: "You guys keep it. I don't want the money. Keep the food for yourselves. When the rain stops, go out from the old path in the back mountain. It's a difficult path, but it avoids patrols."

A sharp light flashed in Qin Cang's eyes, but he still saluted respectfully on his face.

"Thank you."

The barking of the dogs outside the house gradually died down, but Qin Cang's heart did not relax at all. He knew that the real danger was not over yet. If the enemy followed the trail and pursued them to the village, it would be a tough battle.

He turned to look at Xiaohu and saw the boy leaning against the wall, his eyes half-closed, his face pale but his teeth clenched tightly, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

Qin Cang felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. He squatted down and asked softly, "Can you still hold on?"

Xiaohu forced a smile: "Yes. It's okay."

Qin Cang nodded and said nothing more. He knew that Xiaohu's smile was more important than any oath.

He slowly stood up, leaned against the door, put his ear against the wooden door, and listened quietly to the movement outside.

The sound of rain gradually faded, leaving only the distant whimpering of the wind through the treetops, occasionally interspersed with a few low barks, as if hunting dogs were prowling in the distance, but there was no sign of them approaching.

The old man silently added some firewood to the fire, and the room was filled with the damp and warm smell of wood. The weak firelight reflected Qin Cang's tall and straight figure, like a silent barrier, firmly guarding this small but temporarily safe space.

Xiao Hu leaned against the wall, dozing off, but a corner of his consciousness remained alert. He knew that as long as Qin Cang was there, he could rest assured and close his eyes for even a moment.

Qin Cang's eyes, however, never closed once. His thoughts raced through the darkness, calculating every possible scenario—the enemy's movements, the villagers' reactions, the path of retreat, and... his chances of survival.

Without any hesitation, Qin Cang quickly turned around and slapped Xiaohu, who was dozing against the wall, awake. The boy's eyelids were still drooping, and his face was full of fatigue, but Qin Cang's tense expression and calm movements instantly brought him back to his senses.

"The enemy is coming." Qin Cang said in a low voice, his tone as cold as the spring water in the mountain stream, without any warmth at all.

Xiaohu woke up instantly and subconsciously reached for the dagger at his waist, but he quickly realized that acting rashly was not a good option in this situation.

Qin Cang lowered his voice and quickly arranged: "Don't move yet. We can't confront them head-on, we have to hide."

As he spoke, his eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the dilapidated little house.

The house was small, simply furnished, and offered little shelter. In the south corner, a pile of hay and a few dilapidated wooden boxes lay scattered about. Near the roof, there was a small ventilation hole, barely wide enough to squeeze through, but for the injured tiger cub, it was absolutely impossible.

Qin Cang's heartbeat was steady and powerful, each beat like a timer. He knew time was running out. The enemy had likely already reached the village, and the next step would be to search every house.

"Come." He walked quickly to the haystack and pulled away the grass on top in a few strokes, revealing a hidden small hole underneath. The hole was probably the remaining space after the rat hole was enlarged, and it was barely big enough for a person to fit in.

Xiaohu immediately understood what Qin Cang meant. He gritted his teeth and didn't ask any more questions, but a trace of unwillingness and worry flashed in his eyes.

"Hide inside first." Qin Cang said in a deep voice, "Follow my instructions. Don't come out without my voice."

"What about you?" Xiaohu lowered his voice, but the anxiety in his eyes could not be hidden at all.

Qin Cang showed a faint smile, like a hidden knife in the night, cold and calm.

"I'll find a way to hide, don't worry about me."

Xiao Hu gritted his teeth. Although he was reluctant, he knew that at this moment, questioning would only drag down Qin Cang. So, he silently crawled into the small pit. Qin Cang quickly and carefully covered it with hay, moving swiftly but with extreme caution to avoid leaving obvious traces.