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

“They know too much.” Qin Cang stood up, a cold glint in his eyes. “And I suspect… we’ve made a mistake on our end.”

After he finished speaking, he didn't explain further. He turned around, lifted the vines, and disappeared like a shadow into the forest where the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

He didn't take the mountain path. That path was too familiar and too obvious; if the enemy had been prepared, they would have already set up an ambush. He chose to detour, crossing the mountain from the southeast, bypassing the defensive line that had been destroyed a few days earlier, and once again sneaking into the steep slope behind that woodland.

He moved through the mountains and forests like a ghost, the earth rustling silently under his feet, wild branches bouncing back as he pushed them aside. The night wind brushed past his ears, carrying an ominous chill. His mind was constantly echoing Xiao Hu's words, "They know our defenses."

He had always assumed the intelligence was intercepted because the route was exposed or the signal was delayed, but now, looking back, the enemy seemed far too familiar with their movements. Every hiding place and every supply route appeared to have been scouted in advance. He began to suspect that this was not accidental—but premeditated.

Who?

The thought was like a sharp thorn stuck in his heart.

Although there weren't many people in the team, he had personally seen each and every one of them. He really didn't want to think about who was a suspect. But if someone was really behind all this, it wouldn't be a misjudgment, but a disaster that was brewing.

He held his breath and crept out from behind an old elm tree, his gaze sweeping across the night until it settled on a hidden grove entrance not far away. It was originally one of their secret contact points, known to few and rarely used. But last night, while patrolling the mountainside, he discovered freshly turned soil at that grove entrance, as if someone had just buried something.

He lay down, his palm gently pressing against the soil. It felt loose, clearly indicating recent digging. He drew his dagger and carefully parted the top layer of fallen leaves and mud. Less than five inches in, he touched something wrapped in oilcloth. He quickly peeled it open—it was a small wooden box.

The box was extremely ordinary, only the size of a palm, but inside was a neatly folded stack of papers. His gaze sharpened, and he unfolded the papers, immediately recognizing the familiar handwriting—it was part of their defense map! Even more crucially, in the upper right corner of the paper, there was an extremely thin red mark, the internal secret mark he and Xiao Hu used to transmit enemy movements!

"It really was a mole." His throat tightened, and he almost tore the paper to shreds. He flipped to the second sheet of paper, which showed the distribution of supply points. The third sheet... was a map of the route to the refuge in the back mountain, clearly marked, with even the thickness of the grass drawn at the corners.

"Damn it!" He clenched his teeth, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes revealed a murderous intent.

He suddenly realized that the enemy not only knew their movements but also anticipated their response mechanisms—intelligence that couldn't be obtained in a short time. This meant that the mole had been with them for a long time.

What's even more troublesome is that this person not only had access to the highest-level route maps, but also knew their secret markings. This means that the other party is not just a simple spy lurking on the periphery, but very likely... one of their core members.

Qin Cang felt a cold sweat break out on his back, even his usually calm and collected heart felt a chill. That person was too well hidden, so well hidden that Qin Cang couldn't even begin to suspect anything.

He looked down and checked the box again for any traces, when he suddenly felt a short piece of paper between his fingers. He pulled it out and saw that it was a torn corner with a few words written on it: "Three people on the move, no need to doubt."

Qin Cang's eyes suddenly turned cold.

"Three-person operation"?

He gritted his teeth and quickly analyzed the situation. The enemy had laid an ambush that night with more than three people, but if the infiltration was carried out by three people working together, that would be very meaningful—a liaison, a cover man, and an inside man.

His breathing quickened, and the veins on his face throbbed slightly. He began to frantically recall everyone he had encountered recently—who arrived at the perfect time? Who asked the most questions? Who was always a beat slow in their actions?

Just then, he heard a barely perceptible sound coming from the depths of the dense forest to his right—three very low bird calls, intermittent yet rhythmic. His heart tightened suddenly. This was one of their simple internal signals used to contact the team at night, but the tone—was off!

They're not one of them!

The enemy has learned their signals!

His breath caught in his throat, and he instinctively pressed his body against the ground, slowly blending himself into the shadows of the forest. His gaze was sharp as he looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Sure enough, a shadow silently darted through the woods, moving swiftly, clearly not an ordinary scout. The man carried a pistol, with a rope and signal flares tied around his waist, and was lightly dressed—the standard attire of an infiltration soldier.

Qin Cang's gaze grew even colder.

He slowly drew his pistol, his fingertip as steady as a rock. His next step was not only to find the mole, but also to follow the trail and completely uncover the entire "three-person operation team."

He didn't believe that these people could escape his notice in the mountains.

His heart had long since turned to ice, except for that one deep, unwavering conviction, which burned like a flame within him.

No matter who you are, even if you're hiding right under my nose, I will personally drag you out.

Because as long as you are alive, Xiaohu will never be safe.

The entire team could be stabbed in the heart of the enemy at any moment.

Qin Cang bent down, refolded the pages of drawings, sealed them back in the box with an oilcloth, buried them again, but made a subtle mark on them, and then quietly retreated into the depths of the dense forest.

The shadows of the trees were dappled, the night was deep, and the forest was like a bottomless giant net, engulfing him. Qin Cang's gaze was extremely cold, so cold that it seemed to freeze even the night. But beneath that coldness was his heart beating like a drum—he knew his situation was dangerous, even a desperate gamble.

“These people know I’m investigating.” His thoughts raced through his mind. “That signal bird call wasn’t a warning, it was a lure, a way to let the real ‘them’ know that I’m in the game.”

He knew perfectly well that he was being watched. Every move he made was likely being observed by someone lurking in the shadows. And that person... might be hiding behind a tree right now, a gun in hand, just waiting for him to make a move.

But he couldn't stop. He had to move forward. He needed to find those hiding in the shadows, and more importantly, he needed to bring their secrets back. Otherwise, even Little Tiger wouldn't survive.

The woods grew denser, and the night wind grew colder. He crouched low, slipping past a clump of bushes, when suddenly he heard a few rustling sounds in the distance—like something being dragged on the ground, mixed with the faint clanging of metal. He immediately lay prone, close to the ground, moving forward with the utmost quietness.