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

The villagers sat around the campfire, continuing their heated discussion. Lin Chen and the others listened quietly, their minds racing with thoughts.

"What are you going to do next?" a middle-aged woman asked with concern.

"We plan to rest here for a few days, and then find a way to contact our allies outside." Lin Chen replied, "We need to find a permanent safe place, and also prepare for future operations."

"Several elders in the village and my father know a lot of local forces. Maybe they can help," the young woman suggested.

"Thank you so much," Xiaomei said gratefully. "We really need help."

At this time, the village chief walked out from the crowd. He nodded slightly to Lin Chen and the others and said, "Since you are already guests of our village, please feel free to stay. Tomorrow I will arrange for someone to lead you to find some reliable allies."

"Village chief, you are so kind!" Amin stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to the village chief.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the distance. Everyone looked up and saw a young villager running into the square, panting, with a look of panic on his face.

"Oh no, there's a stranger outside!" he shouted.

Hearing this, the villagers immediately became nervous and picked up their weapons, ready to deal with any possible danger. Lin Chen and the others quickly formed a circle, watching their surroundings vigilantly.

"What kind of person is he? Does he have any characteristics?" asked the village chief calmly.

"They are a group of people wearing black clothes and masks. They look like bandits." The young villager answered hurriedly.

"Could it be that those bandits who were tracking us have caught up with us?" Lu Yan whispered, clenching his fists.

"We must leave here immediately and not implicate anyone." Lin Chen said firmly.

"Wait, we won't abandon you." The young woman came over, held Lin Chen's arm and said, "We have decided to help you, and we won't give up easily. Besides, our village has its own defense force."

"Thank you, but we really don't want to cause trouble for everyone." Lin Chen shook his head gratefully but firmly.

As the two sides were arguing, several masked men in black suddenly emerged from the bushes and entered the square. The villagers immediately went on alert, and Lin Chen and others also drew their weapons, ready to fight.

The leading man in black stopped and removed his mask, revealing a familiar face. "Don't be alarmed, everyone. I'm Chen Feng, and I've come here to check on the situation."

"How did you find this place?" Lin Chen asked in surprise.

"Of course I have my own way." Chen Feng replied with a smile, "And I found some enemies heading this way, so I came here to help."

"This..." The villagers looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

"Don't worry," Chen Feng turned to the villagers and said, "I won't hurt you. I just want to help these people out of danger."

"In that case, what are your plans?" Lin Chen asked.

"I know a more secluded place where we can temporarily avoid the enemy's pursuit." Chen Feng said, "But I need your cooperation."

Lin Chen and others exchanged glances and finally nodded.

"Then we'll follow you." Lin Chen made the decision.

"Okay, follow me." Chen Feng turned around and led everyone into the depths of the valley.

"I hope this is really the right choice this time..." the young woman said softly.

The villagers watched them leave, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. As the night deepened, the bonfire continued to burn, but the tranquility was broken by an unknown danger.

In the distance, a figure hiding in the shadows was observing all this quietly...

"This group of people are really lucky. They always manage to escape disaster after disaster." The figure raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"But the game has only just begun..." As the night deepened, the group, led by Chen Feng, quickly passed through the woods and headed deeper into the valley. Although visibility was poor in the forest at night, Lin Chen and the others were extremely vigilant, always ready to deal with any danger that might arise.

"We have to speed up," Chen Feng warned in a low voice, "the pursuers will be here soon."

"I understand." Lin Chen nodded and signaled everyone to speed up.

At this moment, a slight noise suddenly came from the team. "Who is it?" Lu Yan immediately asked alertly.

"It's me!" A young voice rang out, and Xiaomei ran out from the end of the team in a panic, "I accidentally stepped on a branch..."

"Shh, keep your voice down." Amin hurried forward and motioned for her to be quiet. "Now is not the time to speak loudly."

Just then, a young, capable hunter carrying a bow and arrow approached from a nearby distance. "Are you outsiders? I'm the village's hunting captain, Li Lei," he said, assessing the seemingly nervous group.

"Hello, we are..." Lin Chen was about to explain when he was interrupted.

"No need to say more," Li Lei smiled and waved his hand, "I already know about your situation. Although the village hasn't formally invited you, you can trust me - we will protect everyone on this land."

After hearing these words, everyone felt relieved. Younger companions like Xiaomei and A-Ming were especially impressed by this dashing young man.

Just as everyone was about to continue on their journey, another villager came running over, panting. "Hurry up, the bandits are almost here!" he shouted anxiously.

Upon hearing this news, Lin Chen immediately turned to look at Chen Feng: "Where is the hiding place you just mentioned?"

"There is a dense forest not far ahead. There are natural caves there where we can take shelter temporarily." Chen Feng replied and began to quicken his pace to lead them forward.

Finally, behind a dense bush, a hidden and spacious cave entrance appeared. Just as everyone was about to file in, they suddenly heard a noisy sound of footsteps behind them - the enemy seemed to be approaching!

"Hurry in!" Chen Feng shouted, rushing into the cave first. The others followed closely behind, quickly hiding in the darkness.

"You bunch of losers, you actually let your prey escape!" An angry yet slightly arrogant voice faintly came from outside, "Search the surroundings thoroughly, no matter what, don't let them escape!"

Everyone hiding inside held their breath, their hearts racing. Xiaomei, in particular, clutched Lin Chen's arm tightly, nearly crying with fear. Meanwhile, Chen Feng gently patted her shoulder to offer comfort.