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

"What do you plan to do with me?" he asked in a low voice.

"I won't punish you." Liu San stood up. "They will come to pick you up. Whether you live or die is no longer my concern."

The man's eyes widened in disbelief and astonishment: "You just left like that?"

"You won't die." Liu San slowly walked towards the door. "Because death would be too easy for you."

The wind outside rushed in, carrying the damp chill of the mountains and the scent of earth. He stood on the threshold and glanced back at the room under the dim yellow light, his gaze heavy, as if bidding farewell to a former version of himself.

More than ten minutes passed, and there was still no sound from inside the room, except for the initial gunshot and struggle, after which it was as silent as still water. Qin Cang's eyes grew colder.

“He’s stalling,” he suddenly said, his voice as calm as a knife. “That’s not the attitude of stalling for a few minutes; he’s trying to prolong the time as much as possible.”

Xiao Hu was taken aback: "You mean... Liu San is playing a trick on us?"

“No, it’s because he hasn’t made up his mind yet,” Qin Cang said softly, his gaze still unwavering. “His heart is too confused and too soft. The moment he entered the room, he didn’t intend to leave immediately.”

"But didn't he say... that person harmed his sister-in-law's family?" Xiao Hu swallowed, a vague unease rising in his heart.

“Yes.” Qin Cang nodded. “But he still clings to the illusion that his former brother will have a change of heart and repent… He’s too naive.”

He put away his binoculars, pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned around: "I have to go in and take a look. You stay here and keep an eye on the west exit. If I don't come out in three minutes, take men and surround the entire area. Don't worry about my life or death, make sure to capture the target alive."

Xiao Hu's expression changed drastically: "Brother Cang... no, I'll go in with you."

"You're still trembling the first time you've seen blood." Qin Cang glanced at him, his tone devoid of emotion. "Following me isn't about protection, it's about being a burden."

Xiao Hu opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately couldn't utter a rebuttal. Qin Cang patted his shoulder, then walked silently into the village, his steps steady, his back resembling an unsheathed sword, its edge concealed yet exuding killing intent.

He didn't take the main road, but instead bypassed the ditch to the north, stealthily moving through the woods, his body as close to the ground as a cheetah's, so subtle that even the swaying of the wild grass was barely perceptible. He knew he couldn't hesitate in this situation, he couldn't give the enemy any breathing room. Liu San, after all, was just an ordinary person, burdened by guilt and the weight of his family, easily swayed in his actions. But Qin Cang couldn't.

The lights inside were dim, the oil exhausted and the wick charred. Liu San stood by the door for a long time, motionless, like a statue weathered by years of wind and rain. He listened to the increasingly rapid breathing of the person inside, but felt no pleasure whatsoever.

"You really... want me dead?" The man finally spoke again, his voice hoarse as if rags were scraping against a stone. "You think they'll let me go? You think they'll just interrogate me and that's it? You're too naive, Liu San. You have no idea how they'll deal with me."

Liu San lowered his eyes and did not answer.

"It's not too late for you to turn back now." The man's tone suddenly softened a bit. "If you let me go now, I can forget about our score, and I can even take you with me. Didn't you say you'd had enough? Didn't you say you regretted joining that side?"

“What I regret is not who I sided with,” Liu San said in a low voice, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “What I regret is not shooting you dead the first time I saw you hit my sister-in-law.”

The man was stunned and speechless for a moment.

"I always thought you were just ruthless and heartless, but I never imagined you could be this ruthless... You even went after her." Liu San's voice was filled with anger. "Who is she? She's my brother's woman, my nephew's mother, you shouldn't—"

"She looks down on me!" the man suddenly roared. "Do you think she has any feelings for me? She's always looked down on me with her eyes, she looks at me like I'm a dog! Why should I put up with her? I've been brothers with you guys for years, what is she to me?"

"She's a widow!" Liu San roared, his voice rising abruptly. "You, a man with a gun, hitting a widow, do you think it's some kind of honor? You say you've been brothers with me for years, but do you know what his last request was for me? He asked me to take care of her! But I failed to do so; you ruined her life!"

The air between the two was almost frozen.

"I won't let you leave," Liu San said coldly. "Even if you die in this house today, I won't care."

"you dare--"

Before the man could finish speaking, the door creaked open and a dark figure silently slipped in.

Qin Cang stood behind the door, his gaze sharp as lightning, his movements like a hawk swooping down. He strode into the room, first pulling Liu San behind him, his eyes fixed on the man on the ground.

"Captain Qin?" Liu San was taken aback. "How come you—"

"You've dragged this out for too long," Qin Cang said coldly. "I can't gamble any longer."

"He...he hasn't revealed their locations yet," Liu San said urgently. "He knows some other things too!"

"What do you want to get out of him? Conscience?" Qin Cang's lips twitched, revealing an extremely cold smile. "A person like him should have died the day he first hit your sister-in-law."

The man struggled to sit up, but Qin Cang pressed his foot down on his chest, rendering him immobile. The blood on his face was still wet, but his eyes still held a hint of crazed ruthlessness.

“If you kill me, you will get nothing.” He gritted his teeth. “What I know, only I know.”

"I don't need you to tell me." Qin Cang raised his gun, the muzzle pointing directly at the man's forehead.

"Wait!" Liu San grabbed his arm. "Please, give me a few more minutes. He'll talk, he definitely will!"

Qin Cang didn't fire, but he didn't lower his hand either. He stared coldly at Liu San, his gaze as if he were looking at a child.

"Do you still want to defend him?"

"No!" Liu San roared, his voice hoarse but firm. "I just... I just want to hear him say those things with my own ears, so that I can have peace of mind."

“If you want peace of mind, then he has to die,” Qin Cang said slowly. “You think the truth is important? No, the truth is a luxury we don’t need. We only need the result.”

Silence fell over the room once again.

The wind outside rattled the window paper, and the lamplight inside flickered. The three people stood facing each other like statues in this cramped space.

Liu San gritted his teeth, then suddenly bent down and slowly pulled an old knife from his waist, which he had secretly tucked behind his back before entering the house. His hands were trembling, but his eyes were extremely determined.

"What are you going to do?" Qin Cang asked coldly.

“I’m here to collect this debt,” Liu San replied in a low voice. “He owes my sister-in-law, and I’m going to collect it for her.”