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

Elder Sun is like a kind patriarch, caring about everyone and giving them encouragement and support.

The group chased the fleeing assassin all the way to a hidden cave.

The entrance to the cave is covered by dense vines and is difficult to find without careful observation.

Everyone pushed aside the vines and walked into the cave, a cold breath blowing in their faces.

Deep in the cave, a strange sound was faintly heard, which was creepy.

Everyone realized that they might have discovered something extraordinary.

A new crisis may have just begun.

"Here..." The voice of Wu Daxia trembled a little, and he clenched the long sword in his hand.

A chilly wind, carrying a biting chill, blew out from the cave entrance, making everyone's clothes rustle.

The entrance of the cave is covered by dense vines, like the bloody mouth of a giant beast, quietly waiting for its prey to enter.

The cave was pitch black, with no sight of one's hand in front of one's face. Only the occasional strange noise coming from the depths added a certain degree of horror to the atmosphere.

Hero Wu clenched the long sword in his hand, and the dragon pattern carved on the handle seemed to sense the owner's nervousness and became slightly hot.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, this place is strange and dangerous. Please be careful."

Taoist Qin stroked his gray beard, his eyes gleaming, "I also feel that this place is unusual, but since we are here, we should make the best of it. We will work together and we will surely be able to overcome the danger."

Scholar Song pushed his glasses up on his nose, holding a thick ancient book tightly in his hand, his eyes revealing a strong desire for knowledge: "Perhaps, there are some unknown secrets hidden in this cave."

Although everyone was a little nervous, they still stepped into the cave without hesitation when they thought of the purpose of this trip.

At the entrance of the cave, there were some strange runes engraved, emitting a faint red light that flickered like a ghost fire.

These runes have never been seen by anyone and appear mysterious.

"What kind of text is this? It looks like some kind of ancient spell." Scholar Song came forward, carefully observed the runes, and muttered to himself.

"No matter what it is, just break it!" Constable Ma was impatient and drew his sword to chop it.

"Don't be reckless!" Taoist Qin hurriedly stopped him, "These runes may be some kind of seal. If they are destroyed rashly, it may cause unpredictable dangers."

"What should we do? Are we just going to stand here and wait?" Merchant Feng said impatiently.

Everyone was immediately deadlocked, unable to reach an agreement.

At this moment, He Xiangu chuckled and said, "You don't have to argue, maybe I have a solution."

He Xiangu took out a jade pendant from her waist. The jade pendant was crystal clear and emitted a soft light.

She placed the jade pendant on the rune and muttered something. The light of the jade pendant became brighter and brighter, and the rune also made a buzzing sound.

After a moment, the red light gradually dissipated and the runes became dim.

"It's done!" He Xiangu put away the jade pendant and a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and praised He Xiangu for her wit.

Hero Wu took the lead and stepped into the cave, followed closely by the others.

The cave was pitch black, with no visibility of one's hand in front of one's face. The only thing that was visible was the bumpy road beneath one's feet and the occasional sound of dripping water, which added a somewhat eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

"Watch your step!" Hero Wu reminded.

Just as he finished speaking, Feng the merchant, who was walking at the end of the team, suddenly let out a scream and fell into a deep pit.

"what--"

Everyone was horrified and quickly lit torches, only then did they see that there were all kinds of traps under their feet.

Deep pits, spikes, traps...

It makes people hard to guard against.

"Damn it! Why are there so many traps in this place!" Constable Ma cursed angrily and accidentally stepped on a sharp thorn, causing him to grimace in pain.

"Everyone be careful, don't touch these mechanisms!" Hero Wu reminded in a deep voice.

Everyone moved forward cautiously. People kept getting injured and the groans of pain echoed in the cave. The atmosphere was extremely depressing.

Scholar Song accidentally stepped on a trap and his leg was caught, bleeding profusely. The ancient book in his hand fell to the ground and was covered with mud. He groaned in pain, his face pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.

Looking at the ancient books covered in mud, he felt heartbroken, but he was powerless to pick them up.

Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the depths of the cave, followed by a huge black shadow rushing out from the darkness.

"Monster!" Hu Liehu shouted in horror.

The monster was huge, covered with black scales, with a pair of blood-red eyes emitting a fierce light and fangs exposed in its mouth, which made people shudder.

Hero Wu and the Green Shirt Swordsman rushed forward without hesitation and started a fierce battle with the monster.

There were flashes of swords and sparks flying, and the battle was extremely fierce.

"Run!" Hero Wu shouted while resisting the monster's attack.

Seeing this, everyone fled in all directions.

The monster's power was incredible, and even the combined efforts of Hero Wu and the Green Shirt Swordsman were unable to resist it, and they were about to be swallowed by the monster.

"What should I do?" Hu Liehu hid behind a huge rock, looking at the scene in front of him, his heart filled with despair.

Hero Wu was knocked away by the monster's claw and fell heavily to the ground, with blood spurting out of his mouth.

"Hero Wu!" everyone exclaimed.

The monster let out a deafening roar and walked towards Hero Wu...

"You evil beast! Stop being so arrogant!" Taoist Qin shouted.

Taoist Qin swung his whisk and muttered something. A golden light shot out from the whisk and trapped the monster tightly.

The monster struggled frantically, but could not break free from the golden light. It roared angrily, making the cave buzz.

Everyone took this opportunity to carefully observe the monster and look for its weaknesses.

He Xiangu had sharp eyes and noticed that there was a scale on the monster's abdomen that was slightly lighter in color, and seemed to have weaker defense.

"Its weak point is in the abdomen!" He Xiangu shouted.

Hero Wu endured the pain and swung his knife at the monster's abdomen. The blade cut through its scales, and a stream of black blood gushed out. The monster let out a shrill scream and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang.

Everyone cheered and the joy of surviving the disaster surged in their hearts.

Their admiration for Taoist Qin was beyond words, and they surrounded him to express their gratitude.

Taoist Qin stroked his beard and smiled calmly: "Subduing demons and eliminating evil is my job." Everyone's morale was boosted and they were full of confidence in the upcoming expedition.

After the monster fell, a passage suddenly appeared on the stone wall behind it that was originally blocked.

The passage is deep and unknown where it leads to, but one can vaguely see a strange light flashing in it.

Unable to contain their curiosity and excitement, everyone headed towards the passage, as if they were about to uncover a huge secret.

At the end of the passage is a huge underground cave.

In the center of the cave, there is a huge stone table, which is engraved with complex patterns and symbols, like a huge formation.

Everyone gathered around the stone table and observed carefully, and found that these patterns and symbols actually corresponded one by one to the country's map and some important military deployments.

"This... this is..." Song Shusheng pointed at the pattern on the stone table, his voice trembling.
"Could it be... this is a huge conspiracy?" Constable Ma took a deep breath and clenched the knife in his hand.

Everyone realized that they had accidentally discovered a shocking secret that was related to the safety of the entire country.

They shoulder a huge responsibility to expose this conspiracy and prevent the disaster from happening.

Hero Wu took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination: "We must..."

The pattern on the stone table is as dense as a spider web, with crisscross lines and strange marks that are dazzling.

That is by no means a simple topographic map, but a stunning layout that turns mountains, rivers, cities and fortresses into chess pieces.

There seemed to be an invisible pressure condensed in the air, making everyone feel heavy in their hearts.

Deep in the cave, the damp rock walls exude a chilly breath that sends chills down one’s spine, as if one were in the belly of a giant beast, which was slowly opening its bloody mouth, waiting to catch its prey.

"This is simply insane!" Captain Lei's rough voice, with a slight tremor, broke the silence, "Someone actually dares to treat the entire country as a chessboard!" He clenched his fists, and his knuckles crackled.

"If this conspiracy is not stopped in time, it will lead to the destruction of all lives!" Miss Mo's beautiful eyes flashed with anger, and she tightly grasped the hilt of the sword, as if ready to draw the sword at any time. "We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible!" Master Xing swallowed his saliva, his voice trembling, "Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous!"

The atmosphere was stagnant for a moment, and everyone's face was extremely solemn.

After a brief silence, a heated argument broke out.

"I think we should disintegrate them from within, find out the mastermind, and defeat them one by one!" Song Shusheng pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and expressed his opinion.

"No! That's too slow! Since the other party dares to make such a plan, they must be prepared. It's better to attack directly and catch them off guard!" Hero Wu retorted firmly, his muscles tensed, ready for a tough battle at any time.

"I think we should unite all forces first so that we can form a joint force and avoid the risk of fighting alone!" Constable Ma said cautiously.

Everyone had their own opinions, and no one could convince the other. The arguments were getting louder and louder, as if a storm was brewing.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Master Lu's clear voice was like a breeze, calming the anxiety in everyone's hearts.

He scanned the crowd with a sharp gaze and spoke slowly, "Strong attack is direct, but the risk is too great; internal collapse is too slow and may delay the opportunity. In my opinion, it is better to do both at the same time." He paused and continued, "We can split our forces into two groups. One group will be responsible for investigating the inside and looking for the mastermind, while the other group will be responsible for gathering forces and preparing to deal with emergencies."

When Master Lu made the proposal, everyone looked at each other and began to seriously weigh the pros and cons.

Granny Hua remained silent, gently stroking the medicine jar in her hand. Only she knew that behind this storm, there must be immeasurable sacrifices and costs.

"I agree with the Imperial Master. This may be the best solution at the moment." Ms. Mo was the first to express her opinion.

"I agree too. We can't delay any longer!" Captain Lei also nodded.

Everyone finally reached a consensus and decided to act according to Master Lu's plan.

Just as they were about to take action, a strange noise was heard from deep within the cave, followed by a low laugh that echoed in the cave, full of mockery and complacency.

"Haha, you are finally here."

In the dark and damp cave, everyone acted separately according to Master Lu's plan.

Ms. Mo led a group of people to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes, while Captain Lei led another group of people to prepare for emergencies.

However, as soon as they took action, they found that the air around them became unusually heavy.

"Oh no! There's an ambush!" Hero Wu shouted loudly, and his sword was unsheathed, flashing with a cold light.

Before he could finish his words, countless men in black poured out from all sides of the cave and surrounded everyone like a tide.

They were agile and their moves were deadly, and it was obvious that they came well prepared.

The battle was about to break out, with swords flashing and screams ringing out.

The number of enemies was far beyond expectations, and each one was well-trained, so everyone was quickly at a disadvantage.

Blood splattered, staining the stone walls of the cave red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

"Ah!" With a scream, Song Shusheng was hit in the chest by a knife and fell in a pool of blood.

His glasses fell to the ground, the lenses shattered, just like his shattered life at this moment.

"Scholar Song!" Hero Wu was filled with grief and anger. He swung his sword and killed two men in black, but was soon surrounded by more enemies.

The enemy's attack was like a storm, and everyone had almost no power to fight back.

Miss Mo and the man in white fought desperately. With their exquisite swordsmanship and agile movements, they were like two lightning bolts among the enemy.

However, two fists are no match for four hands, and they gradually got more wounds on their bodies.

Master Xing hid behind the crowd, trembling with fear, his face as pale as paper.

He had never seen such a bloody scene, and he couldn't hold the sword steadily. He could only watch his companions fall one by one.

"It's over, we are all going to die here..." he muttered to himself.

The enemy's attack became more and more fierce, and everyone was defeated and forced into the corner of the cave.

Just as the entire army was about to be annihilated, a rough voice suddenly sounded:

"Brothers, kill me!"

Leader Lei was like an angry lion. He led his elite men and rushed into the battlefield from the side of the cave like a tiger descending from the mountain.

They brandished their weapons and roared deafeningly, instantly disrupting the formation of the men in black.

The men in black were caught off guard and their formation was thrown into disarray. They were caught off guard by Leader Lei and his men, and a gap suddenly appeared in the originally airtight encirclement.

"Counterattack!" Miss Mo seized the opportunity, shouted delicately, and the long sword in her hand was like a poisonous snake coming out of a hole, going straight to the enemy's vital points.

Her figure was as fast as lightning, her sword flashed, and she brought up bursts of blood rain, and she cut a bloody path through the enemy's encirclement.

The man in white followed closely behind, waving the sword in his hand, and cooperating with Ms. Mo. The two of them stood back to back and repelled all the enemies behind them.

Everyone woke up as if from a dream, their morale was boosted, and they rose up to resist. For a moment, swords flashed and screams rang out. The originally one-sided battle situation was reversed in an instant.

"Captain Lei, well done!" Hero Wu praised loudly while waving the sword in his hand, his tone full of surprise.

"Brothers, let's seize the opportunity to kill all these bastards!" Constable Ma also shouted excitedly. Holding a sharp sword, he rushed towards the enemy like a tiger descending from the mountain.

The enemy was defeated and fled in panic.

The crowd chased them relentlessly, wishing to tear them into pieces.

The sounds of pursuit echoed in the cave, and the originally solemn atmosphere became exciting.

During the battle, the man in white held Xiaohong's hand tightly, his eyes as gentle as water: "Xiaohong, this time, I will never let you get hurt again."

"Brother in white, me too!" Xiaohong's eyes were sparkling with crystal tears, but her face was filled with a happy smile.

Seeing this, the people around gave them kind smiles and blessings.

Granny Hua took good care of the wounded. She bandaged their wounds with her dexterous hands and fed them medicine. Her kind eyes were full of compassion.

She whispered to comfort the suffering wounded, making them feel a little warmth.

Ms. Mo and the green-shirted swordsman developed a feeling of mutual appreciation while fighting side by side.

One of them has sharp sword skills and the other has graceful body movements, and they cooperate perfectly, as if they were close friends who have known each other for many years.

While chasing the enemy, everyone accidentally discovered a secret room. In the center of the secret room, a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes was sitting upright with a sinister smile on his face.

When he saw everyone, his face suddenly turned pale.

"It's him! It's him!" Lei Duzhu roared, pointing the big knife in his hand directly at the man, "He is the one behind this!"

Everyone was furious and surrounded the man, their angry eyes piercing him like sharp swords.

They gripped their weapons tightly, making crisp metal collision sounds, and the air was filled with a murderous atmosphere.

"You..." The man looked at the angry people in front of him.

"..."

"You... think you can trap me like this?" The man in fancy clothes sneered, not afraid of the tight encirclement around him.

His voice was low and hoarse, like the cry of a night owl, creepy.

When everyone heard this, they were startled and looked at him more vigilantly.

Captain Lei's eyes were wide open with anger, and he held the sword tightly in his hand. The blade reflected a cold light, as if he was ready to kill him at any time.

Ms. Mo and the green-shirted swordsman tacitly spread out to the left and right, forming a pincer attack and blocking the man's retreat.

"How should we deal with him?" Captain Lei asked in a rough voice, glancing at everyone.

"Let's fight quickly and decisively to avoid any unexpected events!" The green-shirted swordsman spoke concisely. The long sword in his hand made a clear sound, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at the man in gorgeous clothes.

"Don't be reckless," Elder Ye stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Since this person dares to be so arrogant, he must have something to rely on. We need to act with caution."

"Elder Ye is right," Imperial Master Lu nodded, "Let's test his strength first, and then make a decision."

For a moment, everyone had different opinions and arguments, and the atmosphere in the secret room became increasingly tense.

"Stop arguing!" Master Lu shouted, and everyone immediately quieted down.

He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice: "In my opinion, Elder Ye should first set up a trap to restrict his movements, and then we will attack together and make sure to capture him!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Elder Ye immediately began to set up the formation.

His hands flew, and golden light shot out from his fingertips, interweaving into a complex pattern in the air, trapping the man in the fancy clothes tightly. (End of this chapter)