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

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.

"Remember, stay alert," the old man warned. "Once you go in, follow my instructions and act covertly."

"I understand." Lu Yining nodded and led everyone carefully into the mine. The mine was dark and damp, and they could only move forward with the help of flashlights.

"There seems to be no one here." Xiaohua said in a low voice.

"Don't be impatient, take your time." Sheng Nanting said softly, "Let's split into two groups, one to explore the way inside, and the other to wait outside for support."

Just as they were about to go deeper, they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. Everyone's heart tightened and they immediately stopped moving forward.

"Who is it?" Lu Yining asked in a low voice.

The footsteps were getting closer, and a dark figure appeared in the flashlight beam. A man in black, holding a weapon, was walking towards them step by step.

"Are you here to die?" the man in black sneered.

At this tense moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door again. Everyone's heart was in their throat, not knowing what would happen next...

"Hurry, hide!" Lu Yining hurriedly ordered everyone to find a place to hide.

"What should we do?" Xiaohua asked anxiously.

"Stay calm and act accordingly." Sheng Nanting said firmly, "No matter what, we must find out the truth."

In the darkness, everyone held their breath, awaiting the next development. This adventure had only just begun… The mine was completely silent, with only the faint sounds of breathing and distant footsteps echoing through the narrow space. Everyone nervously hid behind stone pillars, their flashlights set to their lowest beams, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"What on earth do you guys want to do?" The man in black said with a hint of disdain, "How dare you break in here?"

"We are just here to check some things." Lu Yining said in a low voice, his voice firm.

The man in black snorted coldly, raised his weapon, and glanced around fiercely. "Then let me see what you are capable of!"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door again, getting closer and closer. Everyone was on edge, not knowing whether it was friend or foe.

"Who's outside?" the man in black turned and shouted towards the door.

After a moment of silence, a slightly hoarse voice sounded: "It's me, Lao Wang, don't shoot."

A thin man walked in, holding a worn-out flashlight, his face filled with anxiety. "Why...why are you here? It's dangerous here, let's go!"

Lu Yining reacted quickly and whispered, "Are you the guard here? We are not the enemy. We are tracking down those men in black. I hope you can help us."

Lao Wang was stunned for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and then he shook his head, "I'm just a janitor, I don't know anything."

"Stop lying," Sheng Nanting said coldly, "We know there are some secrets hidden here. It doesn't matter if you don't help, but we must find out the truth."

Lao Wang took a deep breath, looked at the man in black, then at Lu Yining and his group, and finally made a decision. "Okay, I'll tell you, but they're really not easy to deal with. You have to be careful. That abandoned mine is actually an underground base where they're conducting illegal experiments and creating something dangerous."

"Illegal experiment?" Lu Yining raised his eyebrows, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes, "What are they doing?"

"I don't know the details," Lao Wang continued, "but I know there's a laboratory inside, and some important documents. If you want to go in, I can lead the way, but you have to act quickly, because their patrols could be back at any moment."

"Thank you for your help. We will act with caution." Lu Yining nodded in gratitude.

Lao Wang nodded and motioned for everyone to follow him. They quietly followed him deeper into the mine, avoiding several traps and sentries along the way. Soon, they arrived at a massive iron gate.

"This is where they store the information," Lao Wang whispered. He inserted the key into the lock and twisted it gently. The iron door slowly opened with a creaking sound.

"Let's go in and take a look." Lu Yining led the group into the room, where various instruments and documents were piled. Xiaohua and Zhao Ming began to search carefully, hoping to find any valuable clues.

"There's a document here that looks very important." Xiaohua held up a yellowed piece of paper in surprise.

Lu Yining took a look at it. It was filled with densely packed data and charts, as well as a note: "Project code: Phoenix Project, goal: to create super soldiers..."

"Oh my God, this is really a crazy plan!" Lu Yining exclaimed, "We must stop them."

"Wait a minute," Lao Wang suddenly said, "Listen to me, you can't act rashly. They have a large number of people and advanced equipment. We need to make a thorough plan."

"You're right," Sheng Nanting agreed, "We need more intelligence and support."

Just then, there were noisy footsteps and voices outside the door, as if someone was approaching.

"Hurry, hide!" Lao Wang whispered anxiously, and everyone quickly hid, turned off their flashlights, and held their breath.

Several men in black pushed open the door and entered. The tall man in the lead looked around with a sharp gaze. "It looks like someone's been here before. Search!"

The other men in black immediately began searching, and the room was filled with a tense atmosphere. Lu Yining and the others hid in the dark, silently praying not to be discovered.

"Hey, what is this?" One of the men in black found the document and took it in his hand to examine it carefully.

"Damn it! That's important information!" the leading man cursed, his face darkening. "Looks like we need to speed up."

"Yes, Boss." The others responded.

The leading man turned and left the room, leaving a few others to continue the search. A few minutes later, the door closed again, and silence returned outside.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and came out of their hiding places. Lu Yining took the document and said seriously, "We must notify the villagers immediately and request reinforcements."

"No problem, I'll contact someone outside." Lao Wang nodded and took out his cell phone.

"We can't retreat this time," Sheng Nanting said firmly, "For the safety of the village, we must succeed."

Xiaohua and Zhao Ming glanced at each other, their fighting spirit ignited. They knew this was a life-or-death struggle.

"Time is running out," Lu Yining said, "Let's go back and prepare. Tonight will be a crucial battle."