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

At this time, another villager who had been silent before suddenly spoke up: "Brother Lin, I remember there is an abandoned cellar over there. We can go through it to the other side of the mountain and maybe avoid their siege."

"Good idea," Lin Chen immediately made a decision, "Everyone follow me and take this secret passage."

As the group hurried through the narrow and slippery cellar, their mutual trust and understanding deepened. Finally, after groping in the darkness for a long time, they successfully reached the exit on the other side.

"This... is incredible!" A villager exclaimed in amazement at the scene before him.

Outside, dawn had just broken, and the entire world seemed stained with a golden glow. However, at this moment, the cold voice of the man in golden armor could be heard again from afar: "Very good, indeed, it's not easy. But the game has only just begun."

Facing an unknown fate and challenges, Lin Chen looks towards the distance with determination: "As long as we unite as one, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome."

The mysterious old man who was standing behind them and watching all this silently said slowly: "The real test may still be ahead, but as long as there is unextinguishable faith in your heart, everything is possible..."

On the morning after the rain, a light mist filled the valley, adding a touch of hazy beauty to the world. But Lin Chen knew that this tranquility was only temporary - the man in golden armor would not give up easily.

"Is everyone okay?" Lin Chen turned around and looked at everyone, his concern evident in his words. "We can't stop and rest for too long. The enemy might be here soon."

"That's right. We should leave here as soon as possible before they catch up." Lu Yan agreed, "But which direction should we go?"

At this moment, Xiaomei, who had been observing the surroundings, suddenly spoke up: "I have an idea. Since they are coming from the ridge, we can walk along the bottom of the valley and perhaps avoid their sight."

This proposal was unanimously approved by everyone. So, under the leadership of Lin Chen, the group began to quietly advance along the bottom of the valley, trying to use the terrain to conceal their tracks.

However, not everyone was so optimistic. Ah Ming seemed a little worried: "But, what if... what if they find out where we are?"

Xiaomei comforted him softly, "Don't worry, we will be careful. And I believe that as long as we work together, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome."

At this moment, a young villager suddenly stopped and pointed to a dense forest not far ahead and exclaimed: "Look there!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw a small village hidden in the woods. Although it looked a bit shabby, it was still a good place to stay temporarily.

"This is a great place!" Uncle San said excitedly, "We can rest here for a while before continuing on our way."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement: "Okay, then let's go to that village and take a look at the situation. But remember to stay vigilant."

As the group approached the village, they discovered it was a long-abandoned village, surrounded by weeds and the houses were dilapidated. Just as they were about to find a place to rest, a few children suddenly jumped out from the bushes nearby, looking at these strange visitors with surprise and curiosity.

One of the older kids mustered up the courage to ask, "Who are you? Why are you wearing such weird clothes? And are those weird people chasing you?"

Seeing these innocent children, everyone couldn't help but smile. Xiaomei gently replied, "We are just friends passing by and are being chased by some bad guys. But don't worry, we will be away from here soon."

The children seemed touched by Xiaomei's gentle attitude and gathered around her. "Do you need any help? We know a great secret tunnel that leads all the way to the foot of the mountain!"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. It turned out that this seemingly inconspicuous tunnel might be the best way for them to escape pursuit.

"Thank you so much!" Lin Chen excitedly shook one of the children's hands and said, "Could you please take us to see the tunnel?"

"Of course!" the children answered in a rush. "Come with us!"

Following this group of cute and brave little guides, Lin Chen and his companions finally found the legendary secret tunnel. This passage was narrow and winding, but it was undoubtedly one of the best options under the current circumstances.

Just as everyone was about to enter the tunnel, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps and shouts from afar. "Hurry, they're chasing us again!" The voice of the man in golden armor echoed through the valley, as if foreshadowing the impending danger.

"Hide inside quickly!" Lin Chen made a quick decision and pushed everyone into the tunnel. "We don't have much time."

Xiaomei and Lu Yan immediately sprang into action, helping the others speed up. As Ah Ming ran, he looked back: "They're still far away, but they're moving really fast."

At that moment, the man in golden armor appeared not far away, followed closely by his soldiers. They had clearly not expected to find their target again in such a short time. "Stop! You have no way to escape!" the man in golden armor roared, drawing his sword.

Seeing this, the children hid in the bushes nearby, but their eyes flashed with anxiety and fear. The older child gritted his teeth and whispered, "Don't be afraid, they will be safe."

Just as the golden-armored man and his soldiers rushed into the village, Lin Chen and his companions had already successfully entered the tunnel. The entrance was quickly covered up, leaving only a few dead branches and some weeds as camouflage.

The tunnel was dark and damp, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. No one dared to speak loudly, fearing to alert those outside. Lin Chen gently reminded them, "Try to stay as quiet as possible. Don't let your footsteps reveal our location."

After walking for a while, Xiaomei, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and said softly, "There seems to be light here."

Sure enough, at a bend not far away, a faint ray of light shone through the cracks between a few stones. Lin Chen approached carefully and found a small cave there. Sunlight poured in from the cracks at the top, making the entire space brighter.

"We can rest here for a while and wait for the pursuers to leave before continuing on our way." Lin Chen suggested.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the ground to catch their breath. Amin wiped the sweat from his forehead and complained, "Why are these people so persistent? Can't they just let us go?"

Xiaomei gently comforted him: "Don't worry, we will definitely find a way out."