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

The eldest prince and Liu Qingcheng continued to walk forward with firm steps. The surrounding scenery was dimly visible in the moonlight, as if the whole world was covered by a mysterious veil.

"Something seems wrong with the terrain here." Liu Qingcheng whispered, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, "We have to be careful."

"Yes," the eldest prince nodded, "This forest is too strange. It seems that something is spying on us in secret."

The two carefully walked through a dense forest and finally came to an open area. There was a deserted village with a few dilapidated houses, which looked extremely deserted.

"It seems that someone once lived here." Liu Qingcheng carefully observed everything around her, trying to find clues.

Just then, a breeze blew by, bringing with it the sound of light footsteps in the distance. The eldest prince immediately became alert and signaled Liu Qingcheng to hide.

"Someone's coming again." Liu Qingcheng lowered her voice and said, "I wonder if it's a friend or foe this time."

Soon, several men in black came from one end of the village, led by a stern-looking man. He looked around and finally stopped in front of a relatively intact house.

"This place is good, suitable for us to stay temporarily." The cold man said in a deep voice, then waved his hand to let his men disperse and set up defenses.

The eldest prince and Liu Qingcheng, who were hiding in the dark, listened to the general idea and realized that these people were also here to track down clues on the map.

A young woman suddenly appeared, seemingly the group's guide. "Sir, the terrain here is complex, we need to be careful," she said softly.

"Got it." The stern man nodded. "Set up traps all around, just in case."

Liu Qingcheng couldn't help but frown when she heard their conversation: "It seems we have to hurry up, otherwise it will be even harder to break through once they set their trap."

"Let's see if we can eavesdrop on some useful information first." Da Huangzi suggested.

Just as the two were discussing their next move, a little boy ran out of a house, apparently startled by the noise outside. He rubbed his eyes, looked around in confusion, and then discovered the eldest prince and Liu Qingcheng.

The little boy suddenly screamed: "Ah! Who are you? Why are you here?" The shout attracted the men in black to turn around and look vigilantly in the direction of the sound.

The eldest prince made a prompt decision: "Little brother, be quiet and hide aside."

The little boy stared at the two mysterious people in front of him with wide eyes. Although he was afraid, he was also full of curiosity. "Are you good people?"

"Of course!" Liu Qingcheng answered quickly, grabbing the little boy's hand and quickly hiding behind an abandoned house. "We will protect you."

The little boy felt a little relieved: "I am Xiaojie, and I live in this village. But everyone has moved away, and I am the only one left." There was a hint of grievance in his voice.

"Xiao Jie, do you know who they are?" the eldest prince asked softly.

Xiaojie nodded: "They are bad guys. I have seen them a few times. They are always sneaky."

At this time, the voice of the cold man was heard: "Search this village thoroughly and don't miss any details." The men began to search separately, and a tense atmosphere spread.

A villager suddenly walked out of the door and saw the armed men in black. He turned pale with fear. "Please, don't hurt me. I haven't done anything bad..."

The stern man walked forward and looked at the villager coldly. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I, I'm the village chief." The villager stammered, "All the villagers have left, and I'm the only one left."

"Do you know if anyone suspicious has passed by recently?" the stern man asked.

The village chief said timidly: "A few days ago, a few people wearing strange clothes passed through the village, but I didn't dare to get close to them."

At this time, a young passerby stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene. He said in surprise, "What's going on? Why are there so many people here with weapons?"

Another passerby came over, looked at the men in black in shock, and whispered, "These guys don't look like good people. Are they some kind of gang?"

"Shh, be careful when you speak and don't attract their attention." The first passerby whispered a reminder.

Liu Qingcheng, who was hiding behind the house, gently held the eldest prince's hand and whispered, "We must find a way to leave here and take Xiaojie with us."

The eldest prince nodded and said, "Well, you take Xiaojie away first. I'll go hold them back for a while."

"No!" Liu Qingcheng decisively rejected it. "We must act together and cannot separate."

In the midst of the argument, an unexpected figure appeared before them—it was none other than the middle-aged woman they had met earlier. She looked at the Crown Prince and Liu Qingcheng with a smile, a sly glint in her eyes. "It seems your situation isn't looking good."

The eldest prince looked at her warily: "Who are you? Why do you always appear at the most critical moment?"

The woman smiled faintly. "I've already told you I can provide you with information if you're willing to help. As for now...how about we make a small deal?"

"What deal?" Liu Qingcheng asked cautiously.

"Help me take out a few of these troublemakers," the woman said with a twinkle in her eyes, "and I'll not only give you important intel, but I'll also ensure Xiaojie's safety."

Da Huangzi pondered for a moment and looked at Liu Qingcheng. "What do you think?"

Liu Qingcheng was silent for a while, and finally decided: "Okay, but we must ensure our own safety. If we find anything wrong, retreat immediately."

The woman nodded with satisfaction. "That's all right, then. Get ready. I'll create an opportunity for you at the right time."

As the woman disappeared into the night, the eldest prince and Liu Qingcheng exchanged a determined look, gripped their weapons, and prepared for the coming battle.

Just as the two were about to strike, the sound of footsteps could be heard again in the distance. The eldest prince whispered, "Who could it be this time?"

Liu Qingcheng gripped her whip tightly, listening intently to the footsteps, her heart filled with vigilance. "No matter who it is, we will not back down easily. No matter what, we must uncover the truth tonight."

The night deepened, and a faint moonlight shone through the sparse clouds onto the dilapidated village. The eldest prince and Liu Qingcheng hid behind a house, anxiously awaiting the actions of the men in black. The little boy, Xiaojie, hid behind them, tightly grasping Liu Qingcheng's hand, a flicker of fear and curiosity in his eyes.

"Xiao Jie, don't be afraid, we will protect you." Liu Qingcheng comforted softly, while keeping a close eye on the movement ahead.