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

From the right rear of the woods, an extremely fast black shadow streaked out like an arrow! Its target was the direction where Little Tiger was hiding!

"Tiger!" Qin Cang roared, instantly raising his crossbow, drawing the string, releasing it, and the arrow shot out, heading straight for the dark figure!

At the same time, he lunged towards Xiao Hu, his movements so fast they almost left afterimages!

But a chill suddenly ran through him.

The arrival was too fast. That speed was unlike that of ordinary mountain people, nor like those fleeing for their lives, and certainly not like those pitiful creatures who had been starving for three days.

"Tiger!" He shouted, not loudly, but as if he had used all his strength. He felt as if the sudden crisis had drained the warmth from his blood, leaving only a burning chill that shot from his spine to the top of his head.

The moment he leaped into the air, it was almost an instinctive reaction. He wasn't running towards a goal, but rather rushing towards his own bloodline—not the bond of kinship, but a responsibility heavier than blood ties. Little Tiger's face, Little Tiger's tiny hands holding the rations, the way Little Tiger held him and coughed at night—all flashed through his mind.

"No, this can't go wrong!" he cried out in his heart, but his eyes never left the black shadow that lunged out.

The crossbow bolt flew out with a "whoosh," tracing a thin trajectory in the air, almost parallel to his leap. The dark figure seemed to have not expected Qin Cang's reaction to be so swift, instinctively dodging to the side, a movement so fast it was almost invisible.

The crossbow bolt grazed the man's shoulder, struck an ancient tree, and embedded itself in the bark with a "thud," sending leaves rustling down.

The dark figure staggered for a moment, but did not retreat. He reached behind him and pulled out a dagger. He shifted his stance, changing his attack into a dodge, and ghost-like he circled around to Qin Cang's side.

Qin Cang caught this movement out of the corner of his eye, and his heart sank.

The other party was no ordinary thug. He had seen people who truly knew how to kill; those people didn't waste their movements or reveal unnecessary emotions. Just like the dark figure before him—calm, precise, and deadly.

"Little Tiger! Get down!" he roared suddenly, his voice sharp as a blade. Little Tiger seemed to be startled by thunder, and he suddenly fell to the ground, curled up into a ball, covered his head with his hands, and trembled.

Using the momentum from his fall, Qin Cang drew a dagger from his waist and instantly closed the distance with the shadowy figure. A flash of cold light from the blade, and sparks flew from their very first exchange.

"Ding--"

The crisp sound of metal clashing was particularly jarring in the forest.

Qin Cang did not back down. He was not one to back down, especially not in a life-or-death confrontation like this. He understood that if he retreated, Xiao Hu would be dead.

His wrists were as steady as old tree roots, his steps were firm, and every muscle was taut like a bowstring. He used the short-sword fighting method he had honed in actual combat, without any fancy tricks or shortcuts, relying entirely on experience and intuition.

The shadowy figure was like a strange beast in the mountains and forests, moving incredibly nimbly, dodging Qin Cang's blade time and time again, yet unable to find an opening to counterattack.

The two exchanged blows for only a dozen breaths, and the ground was already trampled into a mess of flying grass.

But Qin Cang's mind grew increasingly heavy. He could sense that his opponent was testing him. He wasn't simply fighting for his life; he was gradually tearing apart Qin Cang's defenses, stalling for time like a cat toying with a mouse.

"There are accomplices..." Qin Cang realized this instantly.

He suddenly feinted, forcing his opponent back half a step, then turned and shouted loudly towards the back of the forest, "Liu San! Go around to the right rear! Quickly!"

The echo reverberated through the woods, but no one answered.

Qin Cang's heart tightened, but the dark figure in front of him seized the opportunity to rush forward, the blade flashing like rain, aimed straight at his chest.

Without hesitation, Qin Cang spun to the side, forcefully blocking the incoming blade with his left arm, while simultaneously slashing back with his right dagger—blood splattered, and the dark figure groaned as he was finally stabbed in the shoulder.

But Qin Cang didn't have time to give chase. He clutched his left arm, blood gushing from between his fingers and dripping down his sleeve onto the withered leaves in the woods. He endured the excruciating pain, gritting his teeth as he turned back to search for Xiao Hu.

"Little Tiger!"

In that instant, all his consciousness was focused on that name, his eyes frantically searching through the woods.

The small figure huddled behind the fallen log remained motionless. Upon hearing the shouts, it timidly peeked out, its face as pale as paper, its eyes filled with extreme fear and unease.

"Brother Qin..." he murmured, his voice trembling with tears, "I...I didn't move..."

"Very good." Qin Cang nodded, his voice carrying an unprecedented gentleness. "Don't come out. Listen to me, stay there and don't move."

He gritted his teeth; his left hand had completely lost sensation, leaving him only able to grip the knife with one hand. He knew his opponent wouldn't back down so easily, and any further hesitation would leave him stalled with no chance of turning the tide.

The shadowy figure had retreated behind a tree, clutching the wound on his shoulder. He seemed surprised that Qin Cang was so formidable, even maintaining such agility after being injured.

"Who exactly are you?" Qin Cang stared at the figure behind the tree, his voice deep and thunderous.

The other person was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh, their voice hoarse, "You wouldn't want to know."

Before he could finish speaking, he turned and ran away!

Qin Cang instantly drew his sword to give chase, but suddenly stopped. He turned to look at Xiao Hu, his heart aching.

If we chase after him, he might find out the truth; but what if it's a trap?

He can't gamble.

"Little Tiger is more important than anything else," he told himself, forcibly stopping himself from taking another step.

He returned to Xiaohu's side and hugged the child tightly, not letting go even though his arm was burning with pain. The child trembled in his arms, his throat tight, but he didn't cry out.

Qin Cang touched his sweaty hair and whispered, "Good boy, you did a great job."

His eyes swept across the woods, but the dark figure had long since disappeared, and Liu San still hadn't returned.

“Something’s gone wrong.” He concluded almost immediately. “Liu San is most likely tied up.”

A flash of inspiration struck him. Staying here was unsafe, but continuing forward might expose the path; the only way out was to change direction immediately.

“Change route.” He muttered to himself, then turned to look at Xiao Hu. “We’re not going to take the path along the edge of the forest anymore; we’ll turn into that wet, low-lying area on the west ridge.”

Although Xiao Hu was still trembling, there was a small hint of determination in his eyes: "I can go with you, Brother Qin."

Qin Cang looked into his eyes and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

This child is so sensible.

He gently touched Xiao Hu's face, then turned around, picked up the crossbow, gripped the dagger tightly in his right hand, and walked with firm steps, as if the battle just now was just an insignificant interlude.

Unbeknownst to him, deep within the forest, another pair of eyes were watching his departing figure, their gaze cold and serpentine.