I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

Lin Xi's voice caused a slight commotion in the group, and everyone stopped in their tracks. The silence was so hushed that only the sound of each other's heartbeats could be heard. Ferrens frowned and listened, but aside from the faint rustle of the wind through the grass, he caught no sound. "Xiao Xi, aren't you too nervous?" Zhao Yan soothed gently, patting her on the back as a gesture of caution.

However, Lin Xi shook his head firmly: "No, there is definitely a sound! It's very soft and quiet, but it's there!" His eyes showed unquestionable confidence. At this moment, a sharp and childish voice came from not far away again - "Help..."

The moment they heard the cry for help, everyone present was immediately alert. Zhao Yan was the first to react: "Hurry up and follow!" He quickly ran towards the source of the sound. Lin Xi followed closely behind him, his face filled with anxiety and uneasiness.

After passing through a dense thorn bush, they finally found the person who sent out the distress signal - a little boy in tattered clothes with messy hair scattered to his shoulders, sitting on the ground and shivering. Seeing the group of strangers who suddenly appeared before him, his eyes, which were originally filled with fear, suddenly showed a glimmer of hope.

"Are you... here to save me?" His voice was filled with obvious tears.

"Don't worry, little boy. We won't abandon anyone in need." Lin Xi soothed him softly, and squatted down to wipe the cold sweat from the little boy's forehead.

At this time, onlookers also gathered around, "Oh my God! What on earth did this child go through? It's so heartbreaking!" One of the young mothers said with sympathy on her face.

"Oh, look how scared the little girl is... But luckily she met some kind people, otherwise she really doesn't know what to do." Then someone else sighed at the coincidence of meeting a noble person today.

At this moment, the old hunter who had been standing silently by suddenly asked, "Young man, can you tell us what happened here? Why are you staying alone in such a deserted place?"

The boy shuddered slightly at the words, as if recalling something horrifying. "I, I came here on an adventure with my parents..." After a brief silence, he mustered up the courage to recount his story: what had been a happy, carefree family trip turned disastrous. They had stumbled into a cursed area, and then a series of strange visions began to appear...

"So what did you encounter later?" a curious kid interrupted impatiently, with a spark of desire for adventure in his eyes.

The old hunter stopped the young man from interrupting and said, "Let the kid finish speaking first."

"Then a monster attacked our camp... My parents tried to protect me... wuwu..."

-As the young man spoke, he broke down and burst into tears.

Just as everyone felt the atmosphere grow particularly oppressive and heavy, a series of wild animal-like roars suddenly erupted in the distance. "Listen! That sound seems to be approaching!" Lin Xi keenly sensed the unusual situation and quickly reminded everyone to prepare for the impending danger. "That's right, we must find a safe place to hide temporarily. It's too easy to be discovered here," Zhao Yan agreed.

As soon as he finished speaking, several gigantic monsters covered in spikes and emitting a strange green glow slowly appeared along the edge of the woods...

Ferens made a quick judgment and gave a decisive order: "Let's go! Follow me. I know there is a hidden cave not far ahead that should be big enough for all of us to take shelter temporarily." Everyone quickly picked up the little boy who was too frightened to move and headed towards the shelter before nightfall.

At the same time, on the other side of this mysterious land, the man in black who had been secretly watching for a long time now sneered:

-"Hey, looks like the plan is going well... Now it's time for the real show to begin."

What fate awaits them? Let’s wait and see the next chapter to find out.

As Ferens led everyone deeper into the cave, suddenly, a faint light appeared in front of them. Ferens waved his hand to signal everyone to stop, and he tiptoed to the front, carefully observing the light.

"It looks like someone left something here," Ferens whispered, "but we have to be careful, there may be a trap here."

A passerby couldn't help but whisper, "What kind of trap is this?"

Another passerby added with lingering fear: "I've heard that these ancient caves are full of traps. If you're not careful, you could die here."

Ferrens nodded, his eyes determined as he spoke, "No matter what, we have no choice but to move forward. Now, everyone, prepare your weapons and stay alert."

Lin Xi and Zhao Yan stood next to Feirens. They glanced at each other, their hearts filled with nervousness and anticipation. At this moment, Lin Xi turned to the little boy beside him and said, "Just follow uncle and don't run around, okay?"

The little boy nodded, still with a hint of fear in his eyes, but more of trust in this group of people.

As they approached the beam of light, it grew brighter and brighter, until finally, a vast, empty cavern unfolded before them. Several glowing gems inlaid in the walls illuminated the entire space. In the center of the cavern sat a large stone platform, upon which sat an ancient book. Its slightly yellowed pages seemed to tell a thousand-year-old story.

Everyone was stunned by the scene before them and no one spoke for a moment.

"What is this?" Passerby A asked in surprise, his eyes full of curiosity.

Lin Xi walked over and slowly opened the book. The densely packed text on the pages seemed to tell an ancient story. "This book records some secrets about this cave," she said softly. "Maybe it can help us find the exit."

At this moment, a low roar was heard from outside the cave again. The monsters had obviously discovered their hiding place. The barrier at the entrance of the cave began to tremble violently, as if it would be broken at any moment.

"We don't have much time left. We must leave here as soon as possible." Ferrens said in a firm tone.

Zhao Yan looked at the little boy beside him and said firmly, "I will protect him. You guys just focus on finding the way."

"Thank you," the young mother said gratefully, "If it weren't for you, we would have already..."

Before he could finish his words, the protective barrier at the cave entrance finally collapsed under the weight. With a loud bang, several monsters rushed into the cave, their roars echoing in the empty space, making people's hair stand on end.

Everyone took a step back in shock at this sudden turn of events, but Lin Xi and Zhao Yan remained calm. Lin Xi quickly turned the page to a map of the route and pointed to a narrow passage. "We should be able to avoid these monsters if we exit from there," he said.