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

"Dad, he doesn't seem like a good person," the child muttered, biting into his steamed bun.

The old man smiled and said, "I wasn't a good person either when your mother married me."

He turned to look at Qin Cang: "Come in. If you don't leave after you finish eating, you'll have to help me chop wood."

For the first time, amidst three days of exhaustion and chill, Qin Cang revealed a faint expression that was neither a smile nor a genuine one. He nodded slightly and stepped into the house.

The aroma of food filled the air.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), a broken porcelain bowl in front of him, the rice glistening. A pot of steaming bone broth floated on the surface, with a few large bones and wild vegetables. He picked up the bowl, scooped a spoonful of broth, and took a small sip. The temperature and the taste seemed to gradually dispel the chill from his very bones.

He ate slowly but very attentively, examining each bite as if he were scrutinizing something, confirming that this warmth was real and not an illusion. He didn't talk much to anyone in the room. When the woman handed him his second bowl of rice, he quietly said "thank you" and then buried his head in his food to continue eating.

After the meal, as he had said before, he got up and went to the back of the house, picked up the wood-chopping knife, and began chopping wood with a steady and powerful rhythm. The old man sat at the door smoking his pipe, watched him for a long time, and then said, "You've trained; you're a tough guy."

Qin Cang did not deny it, but only asked, "What kind of person do I look like to you?"

The old man exhaled a puff of smoke: "Like a knife. Sharp and cold."

"I can use a knife, but I can't chop firewood."

Qin Cang smiled slightly: "But today, I am just a living person who has eaten a bowl of rice from someone else."

He didn't stop chopping wood until the moon rose above the willow branches. He took off his outer robe, sweat plastering his inner shirt to his back, and a chill seeped down from his shoulders, but he didn't stop, as if he was using the act of chopping wood to shatter the emptiness and heavy thoughts that had been weighing on his chest for the past three days.

The old man looked at him for a long time, then finally stood up and nodded to him: "It's windy tonight, and there's no kang (heated brick bed) in the house. You can stay if you want."

Qin Cang nodded without saying thank you.

That night, he slept soundly, without dreams. But when he woke up in the middle of the night, his eyes were open, listening to the low whistling of the night wind through the bamboo forest outside, and he knew clearly—he was just using this place to gather his strength. Calmness is often the quietest time before the storm.

He turned to the side, looking at the stars outside the window, and his hand unconsciously touched the sword at his side.

"You shouldn't have come." Qin Cang's voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible anger.

Liu San stopped and stared up at Qin Cang, his eyes burning with an almost stubborn light. "You make it sound so easy. If I hadn't come, were you going to go and die alone?"

Qin Cang remained silent for a moment, his eyes flickered slightly, and finally he sighed: "You know I'm not going to my death."

"Then what are you going to do?!" Liu San's voice rose a few decibels, his teeth clenched. "You said I was seriously injured and needed to recuperate, but do you think I don't know you plan to venture into that Black Cliff alone? Do you think I don't know you're just gambling with your life?! I don't care, you want to die, but I don't!"

Qin Cang's gaze finally turned cold, and lightning seemed to flicker in his eyes. He took a step forward, lowering his voice even further, "If you don't want to die, you should take good care of your injuries. The affairs of Black Cliff are not for you to meddle in."

Liu San was as stubborn as an ox. Even though his injured arm was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely, and even though he knew that he was only at his last gasp, he still stared intently at Qin Cang, his lips almost bleeding from being bitten.

"Do you know why my name is Liu San?" he suddenly asked.

Qin Cang paused for a moment, then remained silent.

“Because my father died, my mother died, and my brother died. They all died at the hands of those Black Fiends,” Liu San said in a low voice, his voice seemingly sharp as ice. “You saved me. I recognized you as my elder brother, not to farm and grow old with you. You said I shouldn’t have set foot in Black Cliff, but have you ever considered that the people in Black Cliff are the very culprits who slaughtered my entire family back then!”

Qin Cang remained silent, simply gazing at him, his brows gradually furrowing.

Liu San continued, his emotions growing increasingly agitated: "You're afraid I'll drag you down because I'm injured. But you also know that you gave me this life. What's the use of it if I can't take revenge myself?"

"Revenge doesn't necessarily have to end in death." Qin Cang finally spoke, his tone softening slightly but still cold and stern. "Black Cliff isn't as simple as you think. I went there to test the waters and to investigate—not to risk my life."

"Take me with you!" Liu San almost shouted. "You know I'm good at stealth. Even though I only have one arm, I can still move. I can still kill!"

"You can't even protect yourself now." Qin Cang's voice was as cold as ice. "If you enter Black Cliff, not only will I be unable to investigate the truth, but I will also have to spare time to protect you."

"All you ever do is protect me, protect me, but you've never asked if I want you to protect me!" Liu San gritted his teeth and growled, his voice so low it was almost choked with sobs. "Have I followed you all this time just to survive? No, I want to live like a man, to live with dignity. I have grudges, I have hatred, and I will avenge them myself!"

A night wind suddenly swept up, causing their robes to flutter wildly. Qin Cang looked at him, a complex expression flashing in his eyes, as if hesitating or wavering.

Liu San lowered his head, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his forehead and soaking his clothes. He looked up at Qin Cang, his voice lower but heavier than before: "You think I'm not afraid of death? I am. But I'm even more afraid that one day you'll disappear, and I won't even have the chance to avenge you."

These words were like a hook, deeply ensnaring Qin Cang's heart. He stared at Liu San, speechless for a moment.

The wind in the forest subsided slightly, and the air seemed to freeze for a few moments. Finally, Qin Cang slowly reached out and took the short blade that Liu San was gripping tightly, and said in a low voice, "Protect your own life. After entering Black Cliff, follow my instructions. If anything goes wrong, I will not save you."

Liu San pursed his lips, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light. He suddenly knelt down, one hand on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "I swear I will not retreat until Liu San dies!"

Qin Cang didn't help him up, but turned and walked down the path. He knew that this journey would be fraught with peril, and taking Liu San with him would be tantamount to entrusting his back to a wounded soldier. But he also understood that if he didn't take him, the kid might really venture into Black Cliff alone in the middle of the night, which would only hasten his demise.

Silence returned to the forest as two figures disappeared into the depths of the mountains like ghosts of the night. Only the sound of the wind remained, like an old sigh or the slowly turning gears of fate.

Beyond the Black Cliff, the wind and sand blinded their eyes, and the gray rocks were jagged. Before dawn, Qin Cang and Liu San had already sneaked to the foot of the cliff. Under their feet were loose rocks and a ground littered with withered bones. Ahead, an iron suspension bridge spanned the cliff, with mist swirling on both sides, as if leading directly to the underworld.

"This place is heavily guarded, with dog whistles, eagle whistles, hidden arrows, and poisonous fog all readily available." Qin Cang whispered his instructions. "Before I leave, you stay behind the shadowy rocks. Only after I distract the two sentries on duty can you sneak into the side wall."