The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

"What the hell is this thing..." Elder Xuanfeng frowned. At this moment, he suddenly felt a powerful force approaching, and an unprecedented sense of crisis surged in his heart.

He looked up suddenly and saw that the man in white and Master Lingyin were standing together, with murderous intent in their eyes.

The man in white was as fast as lightning, his palms were fierce, and every move he made was powerful and devastating.

Master Lingyin had a solemn appearance, muttering something, and a Buddhist seal shining with golden light fell from the sky and smashed towards the black-clad killer like a huge rock.

Screams rang out one after another, and the black-clad killers fell to the ground like cut wheat, groaning in pain.

Their black robes were torn, revealing mottled scars, blood stained the ground red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Seeing the enemy injured, the originally frightened crowd suddenly became more motivated and waved their weapons to fight back.

Blacksmith Zhao's hammer was powerful and heavy, and each blow made a deafening roar, smashing the black-clad assassins' heads and causing them to bleed.

Wang the Hunter's bow and arrows were so accurate that they could hit the enemy's vital points accurately like meteors streaking through the night sky.

Even Xiaohong, who was usually weak, mustered up the courage and stabbed an enemy who tried to approach with the dagger in her hand.

Elder Xuanfeng's face turned pale as he watched his men fall one by one, his heart filled with anger and helplessness.

He didn't expect that this group of seemingly weak villagers actually possessed such powerful strength.

He clenched his teeth and his eyes flashed with ferocity, like an enraged beast.

Xiaohong snuggled up to the man in white, feeling his warm embrace, and the fear in her heart gradually dissipated.

The man in white hugged her tightly, using his body to shield her from the wind and rain, giving her an infinite sense of security.

Blacksmith Zhao and Hunter Wang stood back to back, taking care of each other. Their tacit cooperation allowed them to fight with ease.

Granny Lin stood in the distance, watching the crowd fighting bravely against the enemy.

Under the joint attack of everyone, the black-clad killers were defeated step by step and finally completely defeated.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Elder Xuanfeng had no choice but to flee in a panic.

Before leaving, he glared at everyone fiercely and said with gritted teeth: "Just wait, I will be back!"

Everyone looked at Elder Xuanfeng's fleeing back, their hearts filled with shock and anxiety.

They realized that this battle was just the beginning and the conspiracy behind it was far more complicated and dangerous than they had imagined.

The atmosphere became solemn and worry was written on everyone's face.

"He...he will come back..." Xiaohong's voice trembled.

The man in white held her hand tightly and said in a deep voice: "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."

The night was as dark as ink, covering this weather-beaten village.

The remaining firelight danced on everyone's faces, reflecting their solemn expressions.

Although they had won the fierce battle just now, the harsh words that Elder Xuanfeng said before he left were like a sharp blade hanging in everyone's heart, and could not be shaken off.

The air was filled with a faint smell of blood mixed with the scent of scorched earth, which was so oppressive that it made people feel breathless.

Xiaohong snuggled up to the man in white, her face still pale, with lingering fear in her eyes.

She trembled slightly, like a blade of grass swaying in the wind and rain.

"What...what should we do?" Her voice was as soft as a mosquito, but it was enough for everyone to feel her inner uneasiness.

Luo Xiaoyu looked around with a frown on her face. Her straightforward personality made it difficult for her to accept this situation of passive waiting.

"We can't just sit there and wait to die, can we? That old guy said he would come back, there must be some conspiracy." She punched the wooden stake next to her, making a dull sound, as if venting her anxiety.

Granny Lin sighed, leaned on her cane, and looked a little tired.

"Yes, there must be something complicated behind this. We have to find a way." A rare look of worry appeared on her kind face.

Elder Chen stroked his beard and said slowly, "I remember someone who might be able to provide some clues." He paused and turned his gaze to Xiao Hong, "Girl, do you still remember the most well-informed Ling Que in the martial arts world? Perhaps we can ask her for some information."

Xiaohong's eyes lit up, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Yes! Lingque! She knows all the news!" she said excitedly, her tone full of hope.

After some discussion, everyone agreed to go find the spirit bird and find out the truth of the conspiracy.

After some searching, they finally found Lingque in a dilapidated teahouse.

She was leaning lazily on the chair, playing with an exquisite dagger in her hand. When she heard someone coming in, she just raised her eyelids and a playful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, what a rare guest! What's the matter? Do you want to ask me for information?" Her voice was a little hoarse, but full of charm.

Luo Xiaoyu stepped forward and said bluntly: "Don't talk nonsense, we want to know about Elder Xuanfeng!"

Lingque chuckled and played with the dagger a little faster.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are so arrogant. You know, my information is very valuable. I won't tell you anything without sufficient compensation."

"You are taking advantage of the situation!" Luo Xiaoyu frowned.

Lingque glanced at her with disdain, not taking her anger seriously at all.

"I only do business, but I have no obligation to help you. If you don't have money, get out of here."

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to become tense, the man in white stepped forward, his stern face expressionless.

"I can exchange a portion of the treasure's power for it." His voice was low and magnetic, carrying an unquestionable power.

When Lingque heard this, she suddenly put away her dagger, stood up, her eyes became serious, and said, "Deal. However, I need some time to collect clues."

She turned and walked into the depths of the room, her figure disappearing into the darkness, leaving everyone standing there, waiting silently.

The dim light in the teahouse flickered, and the air was filled with the smell of stale tea leaves and a faint smell of mold.

Everyone felt very uneasy while waiting for the spirit bird.

An inexplicable sense of uneasiness enveloped them, as if there were pairs of eyes watching their every move in the dark.

Xiaohong clutched the sleeves of the man in white tightly, her fingertips turning white.

Luo Xiaoyu paced back and forth, looking out the window from time to time.

"I feel like someone is watching us." Hunter Li lowered his voice, and his rough hands unconsciously clenched the hunting knife in his hand.

He hunts in the mountains and forests all year round and is extremely sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment.

"Me too." Zhao the blacksmith echoed in a muffled voice, his burly body tense as if ready to fight at any time.

Everyone then noticed that there were indeed some sneaky figures around the teahouse. They were hiding in the shadows with flickering eyes, like poisonous snakes waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Damn it! We are being monitored!" Luo Xiaoyu cursed softly. The anxiety in her heart was like boiling water, making it difficult for her to calm down.

"Calm down." The man in white whispered. His voice was as cold as ice, but it carried a reassuring power.

"Let's see what's going on first."

Luo Xiaoyu suppressed the impulse in her heart, but she really couldn't stand the feeling of being restrained.

She quietly walked to the door, observed the situation outside, and tried to find a way to escape surveillance.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed past her eyes. Luo Xiaoyu was startled and dodged quickly, but accidentally knocked over a table, making a loud noise.

Everyone in the teahouse suddenly became nervous and looked towards the door.

Luo Xiaoyu's heart beat faster and cold sweat rolled down her forehead.

She knew she was exposed.

At this critical moment, Lingque walked out from the depths of the room, holding an antique wooden box in her hand.

"Found it." Her voice broke the tense atmosphere.

Everyone was surprised to find that Doctor Zhang, who had always been very stingy with money, actually took out a small cloth bag from his arms and opened it carefully. Inside were some precious medicinal herbs, emitting a strong medicinal fragrance.

He handed the herbs to Lingque and said, "These may be useful to you."

Lingque: "I didn't expect Doctor Zhang to have such a treasure. It seems that this transaction deserves my more careful attention." She opened the wooden box, and inside was an ancient parchment scroll with some strange symbols and patterns drawn on it.

"This is……"

Ling Que was about to explain the contents of the parchment scroll, but suddenly stopped. She looked out the window warily and whispered, "It seems that we don't have much time."

The pattern on the parchment scroll was actually a map pointing to a hidden valley.

Following the instructions on the map, everyone passed through the dense jungle, pushed aside the vines that blocked out the sun, and finally came to a valley surrounded by cliffs.

The entrance to the valley is hidden by huge rocks and dense vegetation, and it would be extremely difficult to find without the guidance of a map.

"It's here!" Xiaohong pointed at the valley entrance with a hint of excitement in her tone.

A cool breeze blew from the valley, carrying the smell of damp earth, making people shiver.

"Be careful, there must be an ambush here." The man in white reminded in a low voice, looking around vigilantly.

Everyone entered the valley carefully, and a gloomy atmosphere hit them. The valley was dim, with jagged rocks and swaying tree shadows, like ghosts.

Suddenly, an open space appeared in front of them, with some simple wooden houses built on the space. This was the stronghold of Elder Xuanfeng.

Several men in black were sitting around the campfire, talking in low voices, and were completely unaware of the arrival of the crowd.

"Kill!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted and rushed out first.

The crowd followed closely behind him, like a tiger descending from a mountain, and surrounded the man in black in an instant.

The men in black were caught off guard and immediately became confused.

The flashing of swords and the shouting of killing shook the sky, and the originally quiet valley instantly turned into a Shura field.

Luo Xiaoyu held two swords in her hands, like a dancing butterfly. Wherever the swords went, the men in black fell to the ground.

Blacksmith Zhao wielded the huge hammer, like a god descending from heaven, unstoppable.

The man in white was erratic, his swordsmanship was superb, and each of his swords was aimed directly at the enemy's vital points.

The battle ended quickly and the men in black were completely wiped out.

They searched the stronghold and found some important documents and items, including Elder Xuanfeng's conspiracy plan.

"What is this?" Xiaohong picked up a document and looked through it carefully, her expression gradually becoming solemn.

"What's wrong?" The man in white walked up to her and asked with concern.

Xiaohong didn't answer, but handed the document to the man in white.

The man in white took the document, glanced through it quickly, and his face became gloomy.

"This..." Elder Chen took the document with trembling hands. After reading it, his face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he was unable to speak.

Everyone looked at each other, and the atmosphere became extremely solemn.

They realized that the danger they faced was far greater than they had imagined.

"What...what on earth is this?" Granny Lin's voice was trembling. She clutched Elder Chen's sleeve tightly, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

Elder Chen did not answer. He just shook his head weakly and looked ahead with empty eyes, as if he saw something terrible.

Xiaohong tightly grasped the corner of the white-clothed man's clothes. The white-clothed man turned around and gave her a reassuring look.

Xiaohong felt a little relieved, but still couldn't stop the trembling in her heart.

She looked up at the determined profile of the man in white, as if she had grasped a ray of light in the darkness.

“This… is more complicated than we imagined…” Elder Chen muttered to himself, his voice low and hoarse, as if it was a sigh coming from the depths of hell.

In the dim room, the candlelight flickered, illuminating everyone's solemn faces.

The unfolded parchment scroll was filled with terrifying plans.

Every word was like a sharp knife, piercing their hearts and bringing chills.

Xiaohong's fingers were tightly clenched on the corner of her clothes, and her knuckles turned white.

Luo Xiaoyu bit her lips tightly, her straightforward face full of anger.

Granny Lin's breathing was rapid and heavy, and she seemed to be under tremendous pressure.

Doctor Zhang pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and the look behind the lenses revealed an unprecedented solemnity.

Even Elder Chen, who was always kind, clenched his fists and looked at me with a sharp gaze.

The air seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe.

Outside the window, the wind was howling, like the roar of a wild beast, foreshadowing that a storm was about to come.

The exposure of this conspiracy plan completely disrupted their peaceful life and pushed them to the brink of danger.

“Everyone,” the man in white took a deep breath and broke the suffocating silence. His voice was low and powerful, as solid as a rock. “Since they want to force us into a desperate situation, then we must fight back!”

Everyone looked at the man in white, their eyes filled with determination and resolve.

Luo Xiaoyu was the first to stand up. She drew the dagger from her waist and said in a sonorous and powerful tone, "Brother in white, you decide what to do. We will listen to you!"

"Okay!" Xiaoyu, the man in white, Zhao the blacksmith, Li the hunter, Wang the hunter, and I, we are responsible for the frontal breakthrough, and we must capture the Elder Xuanfeng.

Doctor Zhang, you are responsible for picking us up.

Master Lingyin, please lend us a helping hand at this critical moment.

"

As soon as the words fell, everyone began to act, tensely and orderly.

Everyone knows that this is a life-and-death battle, and any negligence will lead to eternal damnation.

They rushed out of the room and came to the courtyard.

However, a huge dark shadow blocked their way.

It was a monster that was more than two meters tall and covered with muscles. It was the Shadow Demon.

It let out a roar that shook the earth, the sound waves made people's eardrums hurt.

The Shadow Demon swung his huge arms and smashed at everyone like a giant hammer.

Luo Xiaoyu was the first to be hit, waving a dagger and trying to resist.

However, her attack was like an ant trying to shake a tree, and was completely ineffective in front of the Shadow Fiend.

Blacksmith Zhao and Hunter Li also joined the battle. They waved their weapons but could only barely resist the Shadow Demon's attack.

The man in white was agile and kept moving between the Shadow Demon's attacks, looking for flaws.

The battle became stalemate, the Shadow Fiend's attacks became more and more fierce, and everyone's defenses began to waver.

Luo Xiaoyu's knuckles were numbed by the shock and blood oozed from the corners of her mouth.

Li the Hunter's shoulder was scratched and his clothes were stained with blood.

Just when everyone was about to despair, Elder Chen suddenly exclaimed, "Wait! I think I found its weakness!" He pointed at the back of the Shadow Demon and said anxiously, "There is a relatively weak scale on its back! But..."

Before Elder Chen finished speaking, everyone understood what he meant.

In order to attack the Shadow Fiend's weakness, someone must risk getting close, but the Shadow Fiend's attack range is too large, making this undoubtedly an extremely dangerous task.

"Let me do it!" Luo Xiaoyu raised the dagger and was about to rush forward.

"No!" The man in white stopped her, "You are too impulsive. It will disrupt our plan. Let me do it!"

A trace of determination flashed in the eyes of the man in white. He turned back to the crowd and was about to give them the task again. At this moment, the Shadow Demon suddenly roared again...

The Shadow Demon's roar was like thunder, shaking the ground.

Its huge palm swept out, and Zhao the blacksmith was unable to dodge and was knocked flying. He fell heavily to the ground, and blood spurted out of his mouth, staining the ground red.

Li the Hunter was also knocked back by the Shadow Demon's tremendous force. He staggered a few steps and almost fell down.

He covered his chest, his face pale, and it was obvious that he had no strength to fight anymore.

Blood dripped from the corners of Zhao the Blacksmith's mouth and spread on the ground, like a blooming flower of death, foreshadowing the arrival of despair.

Xiaohong hid behind the crowd and watched her companions get hurt, feeling heartbroken.

She clenched the jade pendant tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white, but the cold touch of the jade pendant could not cool the fear in her heart.

Hope seems to have become increasingly slim, like a candle flame that is about to go out, flickering.

At this moment, Xiaohong, who had been hiding behind everyone, suddenly rushed out.

Her petite figure seemed so frail in front of the huge shadow demon, like a candle swaying in the wind, which could be swallowed up at any time.

Everyone looked at her actions in astonishment and were too late to stop her.

"Xiaohong!" Granny Lin exclaimed and wanted to reach out to pull her, but it was too late.

Xiaohong rushed towards the Shadow Demon regardless of everything. The jade pendant in her hand emitted a dazzling light, like a sharp sword, piercing the weak spot on the Shadow Demon's back.

The light of the jade pendant seemed to carry a divine power, illuminating the entire courtyard and the hope in everyone's hearts.

The Shadow Demon let out a painful roar, and his huge body trembled slightly.

This sudden attack obviously caught it by surprise.

Xiaohong's actions also inspired everyone's fighting spirit.

They picked themselves up again and, together with Xiao Hong, attacked Shadow Fiend again.

The man in white was as fast as lightning. He circled behind the Shadow Demon and waved the sword in his hand. The sword light flashed like a dancing silver snake, constantly attacking the Shadow Demon's weaknesses.

Luo Xiaoyu also rushed forward again. Although the dagger in her hand could not cause much damage to the shadow demon, she was like a nimble swallow, constantly shuttling around the shadow demon and interfering with its attacks. (End of this chapter)