Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Stormy waves hinder our progress

The darkness before dawn is always deepest. Based on new intelligence, we redesigned our plan, targeting the mysterious organization's core stronghold—a hidden cave deep in the mountains and forests. Master Hao drew a detailed map based on the intelligence, marking the enemy's deployments and patrol routes. We repeatedly rehearsed the plan, striving for absolute certainty.

Hao Yang, no longer his usual nonchalant demeanor, now studied the map with a serious expression, offering his insights from time to time. I was amazed by his keen observation and meticulous thinking; it seemed he truly had the talent for leadership in his blood. Elder Wei also offered valuable advice; after all, experience always brings wisdom.

The operation was scheduled for the next morning. We geared up, each of us with a look of determination on our faces. However, when we arrived at the designated location as planned, we discovered something was amiss. Security outside the cave was tight, with several times more guards than the intelligence had indicated, and each one was incredibly powerful. A tense atmosphere hung in the air.

"What's going on? Is the information wrong?" Hao Yang asked in a low voice, frowning.

"No, that's impossible." Master Hao shook his head, his face solemn. "My source of information is absolutely reliable, unless..."

"Unless someone leaks our plan." I took over, with an ominous premonition in my heart.

We immediately realized there was a traitor among us. This realization sent a chill through me, a chill running from my feet to my head. I looked around at my companions, their expressions serious, their eyes filled with wariness and suspicion. Could it be that someone among us had truly betrayed us?

This feeling of betrayal stabbed my heart like a sharp knife. I tried to remain calm and recalled every detail of the plan since its formulation, trying to find any clues.

"What should we do now?" Hao Yang broke the silence, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Retreat first." Elder Wei made a quick decision. "It's too dangerous here. We must make a new plan."

We quickly evacuated the scene and returned to our temporary base. Along the way, the atmosphere was suffocating and oppressive. Everyone was silent, and the trust between us seemed to collapse in an instant.

After returning to the base, we immediately held an emergency meeting. Elder Wei's face turned pale, and as he swept his gaze over everyone present, he said in a deep voice, "There's a traitor among us. We must find him now!"

I looked at Elder Wei, then at Hao Yang and Master Hao. Their expressions were all extremely solemn. My heart sank to the bottom, and a feeling of powerlessness washed over me. Just then, a voice broke the silence... "Oh, it seems the plan has failed." At the door, Wei Xue stood with her arms folded, a hint of sarcasm on her lips. She walked in slowly, her eyes fixed on me, and with a hint of teasing, "Wei Yao, you didn't expect that all this was my masterpiece..."

Wei Xue's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in my ears. I stood up abruptly, my rage threatening to consume me. "Wei Xue! You actually..." I gritted my teeth, each word coming out through a clenched fist.

She just sneered, her eyes filled with defiance. "Yes, it was me. How's it going? Are you surprised? Surprised?" She walked over to me, her tone flirting. "I've been waiting for this moment. Watching you fail step by step, it feels so wonderful."

I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. I wanted to rush over and tear her hypocritical face apart, but I knew now was not the time. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Wei Xue laughed out loud as if she had heard a funny joke. "Is there even a need to ask? Of course it's because of jealousy! Why do you get everything? Why do you become the proud daughter of heaven? And I can only live under your shadow!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, each word like a needle piercing my heart. I looked at her coldly, my heart filled with sadness. I had always considered her my sister, my family, yet she hated me so much, wishing I were dead.

"Do you think you can defeat me like this?" I raised my head, my eyes determined. "You are wrong! I won't let you succeed!"

"Really? Then let me see what else you can do!" Wei Xue sneered and clapped her hands.

Following her applause, a group of men in black emerged from the darkness and surrounded us. Each of them exuded a powerful and murderous aura, clearly masters of a mysterious organization.

"It seems that you have been prepared for this." I looked at Wei Xue with cold eyes.

"Of course." Wei Xue raised her chin proudly, "I've been preparing for this day for a long time."

A fierce battle was about to break out. The men in black launched the first attack, their fierce moves coming like a violent storm. Hao Yang, Elder Wei, Master Hao, and I stood back to back, forming a defensive formation to resist their attacks.

The strength of these men in black far exceeded our imagination. Their moves were strange and unpredictable, and their coordination was so perfect that we soon fell into a bitter battle. I waved my sword, pushing back one after another, but they kept coming like a tide, endless.

"Their moves are very strange, I have never seen them before." Master Hao said while defending against the attacks.

"Be careful!" I shouted. A man in black suddenly attacked Hao Yang from the side. I quickly swung my sword to block the attack, but I was also knocked back a few steps.

"Damn it!" Hao Yang cursed softly. His arm was scratched and blood was flowing.

"Hao Yang!" My heart tightened and I hurried forward to check his injuries.

At this moment, a man in black took the opportunity to attack me. I couldn't dodge in time and was about to be hit.

"Be careful!" Hao Yang suddenly pushed me away, but he took the blow head-on.

"Hao Yang!" I exclaimed and quickly supported him.

His face was pale, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. "Yao'er, I..."

Before he could finish his words, he suddenly grabbed my hand, pointed at a man in black in front of him, and said in a hurried tone: "Yao'er, look at his chest!"

I followed his gaze and saw a faint light flickering on the chest of the man in black...

"What is that?" I asked puzzledly.

"That's their weakness..." Hao Yang's voice grew weaker and weaker. "Attack there..."

Hao Yang's voice faded, almost inaudible, but his finger remained remarkably firm. The point of light flickered in and out amid the black-clad man's rapid movements, nearly imperceptible without careful observation. I concentrated, holding my breath, focusing all my attention on that flickering light. Was it some special rune? Or a hidden mechanism?

"Attack there..." Hao Yang's voice echoed in my ears, like a guiding light from the abyss. I gritted my teeth and mobilized all my spiritual energy. The system also provided me with powerful energy support at this critical moment. The sword in my hand hummed, and a dazzling light surrounded the blade.

"Now!" I muttered to myself, and as fast as lightning, I rushed towards the man in black. The tip of my sword precisely pierced the flickering light on his chest.

"Puff!" There was a soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

The man in black who was hit by me let out a shrill scream, his body trembled violently, and the light spot on his chest suddenly enlarged and turned into a black vortex, swallowing him up.

The other men in black were horrified when they saw this. They didn't expect that their flaws, which they had hidden so deeply, would be discovered by me.

I seized the opportunity and told Elder Wei and Master Hao about the flaw Hao Yang had discovered. They were both experienced and powerful, and they understood it immediately. The three of us joined forces and concentrated our forces to attack the flaw in the black-clad man's chest.

For a moment, screams were heard one after another, and the men in black fell down one after another like harvested wheat.

Wei Xue's face turned extremely ugly. She never expected that the situation that was originally sure to win would be reversed in an instant because of Hao Yang's discovery. She screamed hysterically and ordered the remaining men in black to continue the attack, but they had lost their fighting spirit and were in disarray.

I stood in the center of the battlefield, my sword dripping with blood, my robes fluttering, like a god of war. The system's energy flowed through me, making me feel more powerful than ever before. I stared at Wei Xue coldly, my eyes filled with contempt.

"You lost, Wei Xue." My voice was cold and firm.

Wei Xue's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment. She stared at me intently and said through gritted teeth, "Wei Yao, don't be so complacent! This is just the beginning. I won't let you go!"

After saying that, she turned and fled, and the remaining men in black followed her and disappeared into the night.

The battle was over, and I slowly walked to Hao Yang. He was pale and his breath was weak, but there was a smile in his eyes.

"Yao'er, you...you are so amazing..."

I supported him, my heart filled with worry and self-blame. If he hadn't protected me, he wouldn't have been hurt.

"Stop talking, I'll take you back to heal."

Elder Wei and Master Hao also came over, with a look of relief and appreciation on their faces.

"Yao'er, you did a great job." Elder Wei said.

"Yes, you are really the pride of our Wei family." Master Hao also echoed.

I forced a smile, but I didn't relax at all. I knew this was only a temporary victory. The mysterious organization definitely had more tricks up its sleeve, and Wei Xue wouldn't give up easily.

"Hao Yang, you must hold on..." I whispered, holding his hand tightly...

Hao Yang was placed in the guest room, and Elder Wei personally tended to his wounds. I sat by his bed, holding his hand, feeling his faint pulse, my heart aching with anxiety. Although we had repelled the men in black, this victory was a precarious one, precarious. Wei Xue's hatred was a thorn in our side, and the shadow of the mysterious organization still loomed over us.

"Yao'er, don't worry too much. Hao Yang is fine," Elder Wei reassured me after finishing his practice. He stroked his beard, a serious look in his eyes. "It's just that we still don't know the origins and purpose of this mysterious organization. That's what's most worrying."

Master Hao nodded and said solemnly, "They are well-trained and work in perfect harmony. They are definitely not just a mob. Moreover, they seem to be fully aware of our actions. I'm afraid there's a traitor among them."

A traitor? My heart sank. Could it be that someone among us had betrayed the family? I scanned everyone present, but couldn't identify a single suspect.

"The most important thing now is to find out their purpose and the mastermind behind this." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "System, can you find anything?"

The system's voice echoed in my mind: "Searching for relevant information... No results so far. The other party has used special blocking methods and cannot be tracked."

It seems that relying on the system is no longer enough. I rubbed my temples and felt a headache coming on.

"Yao'er, you don't have to worry too much," Elder Wei patted my shoulder, "This matter still needs to be considered in the long run."

"Yes, Yao'er," Master Hao also said, "You have done enough. Take a good rest."

I forced a smile, stood up, and walked to the window, gazing out at the inky black sky. Stars twinkled, as if telling ancient secrets. A feeling of powerlessness washed over me. We were like a lone boat sailing on the vast ocean, vulnerable to being swallowed by the waves at any moment.

"Wei Xue..." I whispered the name, a cold glint in my eyes. She must be the key to all this. If I could find her, perhaps I could solve this mystery.

"Yao'er, what are you thinking about?" Hao Yang's weak voice came from behind.

I turned around, walked to the bedside, and held his hand. "It's okay, just thinking about something." I forced a smile, not wanting to worry him.

"Yao'er, don't worry about me, I'm fine." Hao Yang held my hand, his eyes full of determination. "We will get through this together."

His words gave me a little strength. I nodded and secretly vowed in my heart that no matter what, I would protect him and protect our common future.

"Elder, Master," I turned to look at the two elders, "We must come up with a solution as soon as possible. We can't just sit there and wait for death."

Elder Wei and Master Hao exchanged a glance and nodded. "Let's go back to the meeting room and discuss our next plan," Elder Wei said.

The three of us were about to leave the room when the door suddenly opened. Wei Feng stood in the doorway, holding an ancient wooden box. The box emitted a strange light, and the air around it seemed to be distorted by it.

"I... I found this in the family vault..." He hesitated, his eyes filled with an indescribable... fear?