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

"It's about ten miles from here to the other side," Li Qiang replied, "but this road is very hidden and difficult for the enemy to find."

At this moment, Lin Chen suddenly stopped and looked back warily. He seemed to hear something, but he couldn't be sure.

"Listen, is there someone following us from behind?" Lin Chen said in a low voice.

Everyone immediately held their breath and listened carefully. Sure enough, they could hear faint footsteps in the distance, as if someone was cautiously approaching.

"Let's speed up." Lin Chen said.

"Be careful where you step, some places in this cave are very slippery." Li Qiang warned.

As they continued to move forward, a deep voice suddenly came from the front: "Are you fugitives?"

Lin Chen and the others immediately stopped and formed a circle cautiously. A man in black appeared in the torchlight, his eyes sly and cold.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Lu Yan asked.

The man in black smiled slightly but didn't answer his question. "I can help you, but only if you can pay me accordingly."

"We don't have time to talk nonsense with you!" Lin Chen drew out his sword and prepared to fight.

At this moment, Xiaomei next to him suddenly said, "Wait a minute! Maybe what he said is true?"

"What do you mean?" Lin Chen looked at Xiaomei, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"I know this guy..." Xiaomei whispered, "His name is Chen Feng. He's one of the biggest bandit leaders in this area, but he also has his own principles. If we can impress him, maybe he'll be willing to help us out of danger."

Hearing this, everyone looked at her in surprise. Especially Li Qiang, he couldn't help but ask, "How do you know such a person?"

"This is a friend I met at the foot of the mountain. He helped me before," Xiaomei explained. "I was in trouble at the time, and he saved my life."

After hearing this conversation, the black-clad man known as Chen Feng nodded slightly, a look of approval in his eyes. "It seems I wasn't mistaken about you. How about this: if you promise to do me a favor in the future, I'll guarantee your safe escape from this forest and provide you with a secret route to the outside world."

After a short and heated discussion, everyone agreed to this condition. After all, the current situation had left them with no way out.

"Deal!" Lin Chen reached out and held Chen Feng's hand.

Afterwards, under the leadership of Chen Feng, they passed through several hidden paths and finally came to the entrance of a well-hidden cave.

"This is the exit to the outside world." Chen Feng pointed ahead and said, "Just keep walking along this road and you'll get out. Remember the promise we made just now. We'll meet again later."

After saying these words, he turned and left, leaving several people standing there looking at each other, their hearts filled with complicated emotions.

"Let's set off quickly." Lin Chen took the lead and stepped forward.

The others followed closely behind him and entered this mysterious passage. As they gradually moved away from that dangerous place, an unprecedented sense of anticipation rose in everyone's heart...

"I wonder how the outside world will treat us uninvited guests?" Amin asked softly.

"No matter what, as long as we unite together, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome." Xiaomei responded firmly.

At this moment, not far away, another pair of eyes was silently watching all this happen...

"Have they finally found the right path? Or is this just the beginning of another, even more dangerous journey?" A meaningful smile played across the figure hidden in the darkness. The group continued along the secret passage, until a glimmer of light finally appeared at the end of the cave. They hurried toward it, eagerly anticipating a new life.

"We're finally here! We're free!" Amin shouted excitedly, his voice filled with a longing for freedom. He was the first to rush out of the cave, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The sunlight shining on his face made him feel particularly relaxed.

"Wait, don't rush to go too far." Lin Chen reminded, "We don't know what the situation is outside yet."

"Yes, this looks like a valley." Xiaomei added. She looked around cautiously and saw mountains covered with dense forests. A stream flowed through the valley, and a path was faintly visible in the distance.

Just as they were about to move on, several passers-by suddenly appeared on the path. They seemed to be local villagers, walking towards the valley.

"Look, how many people are there over there?" One of the young villagers pointed at Lin Chen and his group.

"Where are they from? They look quite unfamiliar." said another older villager.

"Maybe they are fleeing here. Bandits have been causing too much trouble recently." The young villager shook his head, looking a little helpless.

Hearing this, several villagers stopped and looked at Lin Chen and his group with curiosity and vigilance in their eyes.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" asked the older villager. Although his tone was calm, his hand was on the hilt of the knife at his waist, and he was obviously alert.

"Hello, we are a group of people being chased by bandits." Li Qiang took the initiative to step forward and replied, "Thank you for your kindness, we are temporarily safe."

"Oh, so that's how it is." The villagers seemed relieved and gathered around. "You're lucky. This valley is our village's secret back garden. Outsiders rarely find it."

"This place is indeed hidden." Lin Chen nodded in agreement. "I don't know what to do next. I would appreciate your advice."

"Don't worry, stay in our village for a few days first," a villager suggested. "Our village chief is always helpful. Maybe he can help you find a place to stay."

With the help of several kindhearted villagers, Lin Chen and his companions arrived at a nearby village. The people were simple and hospitable, and they quickly settled in. In the evening, the villagers gathered in the small square at the entrance of the village, sitting around a bonfire. They listened in amazement as Lin Chen and his companions recounted their experiences.

"Oh my God, you are so brave!" exclaimed a young woman.

"Yes, it's really not easy to escape from the clutches of the bandits!" The old man next to him nodded in agreement.

"But..." The old man paused, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes, "I always feel that the black-clothed man named Chen Feng you mentioned is not that simple."

"He is indeed not simple." Lin Chen smiled bitterly, "But we have no choice."