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

As the night deepened, the small village became remarkably quiet, save for the occasional chirping of insects. Everyone took turns keeping watch, ensuring safety. Lu Yining and Sheng Nanting were assigned to the first shift. They sat by the haystack, talking quietly, afraid to disturb anything.

"Who do you think the enemy is this time?" Lu Yining asked in a low voice.

Sheng Nanting frowned, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Based on the current clues, it is very likely the gang of men in black that we encountered earlier. They seem to have some larger conspiracy, and they acted quickly, obviously coming prepared."

"Then what should we do?"

"We must find their lair and destroy their plan in one fell swoop." Sheng Nanting's eyes were firm, "But before that, we need more information."

At this time, the little boy came over with two bottles of mineral water and a few packets of biscuits in his hands, and handed them to Lu Yining and Sheng Nanting. "This is the food left at home. It will replenish your energy."

Lu Yining took it gratefully and said with a smile: "Thank you, you are such a good child."

"Hehe," the little boy smiled proudly, "I'm a future hero!"

"Oh, right," the little boy continued, "I know there's an old man in the village who often goes to the mountains to collect herbs. Sometimes he brings back some strange things. Maybe he knows something."

Upon hearing the news, Lu Yining and Sheng Nanting exchanged glances and immediately felt excited. Lu Yining gently patted the little boy's shoulder and praised him, "That's great! You really helped a lot!"

"But," the little boy suddenly became a little worried, "I heard that the old man has a bad temper and rarely communicates with others."

"It's okay," Sheng Nanting comforted him, "We'll try to convince him. Do you have any other clues?"

"Hmm..." The little boy thought for a moment and continued, "There's one more thing. There's a small shop at the entrance of the village. The owner seems to know something about those men in black. You can go ask her."

"Okay, we'll go find her tomorrow." Lu Yining nodded, having already made plans for the next step in his mind.

Time passed, and the night gradually deepened. When it was Zhao Ming and Officer Zhang's turn to change shifts, they quietly replaced Lu Yining and Sheng Nanting. Zhao Ming looked at the dim lights in the distance, feeling a little uneasy.

"Do you think they can succeed?" Zhao Ming asked Officer Zhang in a low voice.

"Of course we can," Officer Zhang replied firmly. "Lu Yining and Sheng Nanting are both experienced. They will definitely lead us through this difficult time."

Zhao Ming nodded, and confidence ignited in his heart.

The next morning, just as the sun was rising above the horizon, everyone began their busy preparations. Led by the little boy, they arrived at the doorstep of the old man with the odd temper. The old man was drying herbs in the yard, and when he saw the group, his brows furrowed.

"What are you doing?" the old man asked impatiently.

Lu Yining stepped forward and said with a smile: "Old man, we are here to seek help. I heard that you know something about the trouble we are facing now."

The old man snorted coldly, obviously not having a good impression of these people. "I don't want to meddle in other people's business."

"Grandpa, this isn't just our problem," Sheng Nanting said solemnly, "These men in black could endanger the safety of the entire village. Please help us."

Seeing Sheng Nanting's sincerity, the old man finally sighed and motioned them to come in. The room was filled with various medicinal herbs and strange utensils, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.

"What do you want to know?" asked the old man.

"We would like to know if you have seen these men in black on the mountain? Also, do you know what their plans are?" Lu Yining asked seriously.

The old man was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "I've seen them a few times. They always wore black and moved in secret. I also heard them discussing some 'ultimate plan' in the woods, but I don't know what it was exactly."

Lu Yining nodded, already having a rough idea in mind. "Thank you, old man. The information you provided is very useful to us."

After saying goodbye to the old man, the group went to the store, hoping to get more clues from the owner. The owner was a kind-looking middle-aged woman who smiled when she saw them.

"Hello, are you here to buy something?" the proprietress greeted warmly.

"No," Lu Yining smiled, "We are actually here to ask about some things in the village."

"Oh, what's the matter?" asked the proprietress curiously.

"We are tracking down some people wearing black clothes. We heard that they have been active in this area recently," Zhao Ming explained.

The proprietress's expression changed, clearly fearful of the men in black. "They have certainly been here, always at night, and their movements are very mysterious. I've only seen them from a distance a few times, but I didn't dare ask any more questions."

"Then can you tell us where they usually appear?" Lu Yining asked.

The proprietress hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "They seem to frequent the valley to the west. There's an abandoned mine over there, and they say there's something hidden inside."

"That's great. With this clue, we can go one step further." Lu Yining said happily.

Before leaving, the proprietress reminded them with concern: "You must be careful, those people are not to be trifled with."

"Don't worry," Sheng Nanting replied with a smile, "We will be careful. Thank you for your help!"

Back in the village, Lu Yining gathered everyone to discuss the next course of action. The little boy listened with great interest, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"We now have a clear target, the mine in the valley to the west." Lu Yining said, "We need to scout it first and then formulate a detailed attack plan."

"Good idea." Sheng Nanting agreed. "We can split up and have some people sneak into the mine to conduct reconnaissance, while the other group will monitor the periphery to prevent any accidents."

"Then how do we get in?" Xiaohua asked curiously.

"I remember the old man mentioned a method to enter the mine secretly." Lu Yining said, "He will teach us how to use it. In addition, the little boy is also familiar with the surrounding environment and can serve as a guide for us."

"That's great!" the little boy exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"But we can't let our guard down," Officer Zhang warned. "We must proceed with caution."

"That's right," Lu Yining nodded, "We will start tonight and try to solve this problem as soon as possible."

As night fell, the group, led by the old man, passed through the dense forest and arrived at the edge of the valley. The entrance to the mine was hidden in a thicket, and all around was quiet.