Courtyard House: Report enemy agents at the start, and you'll take off immediately.

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"No problem," the two replied in unison, each taking their weapons and sitting by the campfire, remaining vigilant.

Just as everyone was drifting off to sleep, a few soft footsteps sounded in the distance. The sound was extremely faint, but it was unusually clear in the silent night. Zhao De quickly stood up and gestured for Li Ming to be careful.

He gently drew his longsword and whispered, "I'll go check the situation. You stay here and protect everyone."

"Be careful." Li Ming nodded and stood guard in place.

Zhao De cautiously left the camp and followed the sound. In the moonlight, several figures could be vaguely seen stealthily moving through the woods.

Suddenly, a cold arrow shot out from the darkness, heading straight for Zhao De! In a flash, Zhao De reacted instinctively, dodging the arrow and simultaneously drawing his dagger and throwing it at the attacker. Immediately following was a muffled groan of pain…

"Who goes there? Come out now!" Zhao De shouted sharply, his whole body tense as if facing a formidable enemy, standing under the shadow of the tree.

Just then, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, raising his hands to indicate that he meant no harm. "Don't attack! We are not enemies," a deep voice said. "We are also travelers searching for the holy water. The attack just now was a misunderstanding caused by a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, Zhao De remained vigilant. "Then who are you? And why are you here?"

The man sighed and said, "I am Galad, an emissary from an ancient tribe. I had heard that evil forces were causing trouble here, so I came to investigate and hope to join forces with other righteous people to fight against them."

Hearing this explanation, Zhao De relaxed slightly, but remained vigilant. "Then please stay here for now and don't make any rash moves. We'll talk again tomorrow when we meet my companions." With that, he turned and walked back.

Just as Zhao De approached the camp, he suddenly heard Galad's voice behind him again: "Wait, I also brought important intelligence... about the new enemy we are about to face!"

Zhao De paused slightly and turned to look at Galad. In the moonlight, Galad's face was indistinct, only his serious expression was visible. "What new enemy?" Zhao De asked warily.

“Our ancient tribe has recently discovered new developments in the forces of darkness,” Galad said slowly. “They seem to be plotting a much larger conspiracy. And it is said that this time they will send even more terrifying monsters to deal with you.”

Hearing this, Zhao De's tension intensified. "Why did you tell us all this?"

Chapter 854 Inquiring about the latest situation

Chapter 854 Inquiring about the latest situation

Galad sighed: "Because we are all fighting for the same goal—to protect this land from evil forces. If we can unite, our chances of success will greatly increase."

Zhao De nodded, agreeing in his heart. "Alright, then come back to camp with me now. I'll tell my companions about your situation."

The two silently walked back to the camp. Zhao De remained vigilant, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings to prevent any further incidents. Seeing this, Li Ming quickly stood up to greet him, "What's wrong? What happened?"

“This is Galad. He says he is an envoy from an ancient tribe and has brought important intelligence.” Zhao De briefly explained what had just happened, then turned to Galad and said, “Now you can explain the details to them.”

Galad stepped forward and nodded to the team members gathered around the campfire. "Hello everyone, I'm Galad. As I mentioned before, our ancient tribe has learned of a major impending trouble, and I hope you'll hear our thoughts."

Reynolds immediately perked up, patted his chest, and said, "Just say it! As long as those guys suffer a bit, we won't stand idly by!"

“Thank you for your support,” Galad said gratefully. “According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the dark forces are planning to summon an extremely powerful creature to wreak havoc. That creature’s power far surpasses that of any enemy we’ve faced before.”

Thea frowned and said, "So, we need to be much more meticulous in our preparations to deal with this situation?"

“Yes, and I think the most important thing is to understand what the creature’s weaknesses are so that we can develop countermeasures,” Galad responded.

Emily stood up and said, "In that case, why don't we rest tonight and discuss the detailed battle plan tomorrow? That way, everyone can think it over properly."

After everyone expressed their agreement, they dispersed to their tents to rest, leaving only Galad and a few core members sitting around the campfire discussing the strategic plan for the next day.

The next morning, sunlight pierced through the thin mist and shone into the camp, and everyone looked full of fighting spirit. After breakfast, led by Zhao De, everyone gathered in a circle to begin their formal discussion.

“First we need to pinpoint the enemy’s exact location before we can consider how to launch an attack,” Thea suggested.

“There’s no need to worry too much,” Galad said, pulling out an old map and showing it to everyone. “This is the area of ​​activity of the dark forces that we’ve marked based on known information. It should help us locate our target.”

After studying the map carefully for a long time, everyone finally decided that a group of people would go ahead to scout, while the rest would stay at the camp to provide support.

"I'll go with Li Ming to scout out the situation!" Reynolds eagerly expressed his willingness to join the reconnaissance team.

“Alright, with the two of you here, the safety of the operation can be guaranteed.” Zhao De thought for a moment and agreed to his suggestion.

The four-person team then packed up their gear and quietly left the campsite at sunset...

A few days later, as the first rays of the setting sun bathed the forest in the evening light, the reconnaissance team successfully returned to base camp. "Did you find it?" The other team members, who had been waiting for some time, immediately rushed forward to inquire about the latest situation.

Chapter 855 Let's Go Together

Chapter 855 Let's Go Together

“That’s right!” Reynolds waved his hands excitedly. “Those guys really did gather at the location marked on the map! But there seem to be a lot more of them than we expected…”

“It looks like we’re in for a tough battle,” Zhao De said in a deep voice, “but we have to win.”

"Don't worry, Captain, we're all ready for battle," Lily said, looking at him firmly.

Night fell again, and everyone waited with a mixture of trepidation and excitement for the dawn to arrive...

At this crucial moment, Emily suddenly whispered, "Everyone, please be quiet. It sounds like someone is approaching..."

Everyone tensed up and quickly grabbed their weapons to assume defensive stances. A moment later, the sound of footsteps grew clearer and clearer in the distance.

"Who's outside?" Zhao De asked in a low voice. Immediately afterward, a figure wearing a gray robe and with a full beard appeared in sight. The figure slowly walked over with his hands raised.

“It’s me, I’ve come for help,” the man replied in a hoarse voice. His appearance aroused the suspicion of those around him.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Zhao De asked, frowning, his hand still holding the long sword.

The man nodded slightly, seemingly anticipating this reaction. "My name is Zhao De, and I'm a hunter from this forest. I know you've come to fight against the forces of darkness."

Reynolds stared intently at the other person. "How do you know all this?"

Zhao De smiled, revealing a hint of vicissitude: "Nothing in this forest can escape my eyes. I had long heard the news of the dark forces gathering here, and I also knew that a group of heroes would come to stop them."

Galad stepped forward, trying to glean credible information from the other person: "Can you give us more specific information about them?"

Zhao De nodded slowly: "I can take you to a key figure who might know how to defeat that guy."

Emily interjected, "Who is the key figure you mentioned?"

“It’s a woman named Vivian. She’s the only one who managed to escape those guys and has a lot of information about them.” Zhao De’s tone revealed a hint of urgency. “But we have to hurry. Vivian isn’t safe. She could be found by the dark forces and taken back at any time.”

Lily frowned and asked warily, "If it's so dangerous, why do you know all this and offer to help us?"

Zhao De sighed, "Vivian and I have a complicated relationship... Anyway, please believe me, the most important thing now is to rescue her. She is our hope in defeating the dark forces."

Hearing this, Zhao De turned to look at everyone and said, "This is indeed a clue, but we need to think it through carefully."

Galad agreed, "He makes a good point. If we can get our hands on that inside information, it will be a great help to our plans."

After observing the expressions of the other core members, Emily said, "Let's do as Galad says, but I suggest we send a small team to verify the situation first."

Reynolds immediately expressed his support: "Li Ming and I can go with Zhao De!"

Chapter 856 Don't Make a Sound

Chapter 856 Don't Make a Sound

Seeing that everyone had basically agreed to the proposal, Zhao De quickly added, "Okay, please follow me, I will take you to where Vivian is hiding as soon as possible."

As night fell, Reynolds, Li Ming, and the newly joined team followed Zhao De out of the camp and headed deeper into the unknown forest.

Shortly after the three left, Emily looked thoughtfully at the marked location on the map and said, "In any case, we have to prepare for the worst while seizing every possible opportunity. I just hope we can find that so-called 'key person' successfully."

Zhao De nodded in response: "That's right, no matter what happens, we can't give up any chance of victory. Is everyone ready for this battle?"

The group moved through the dense forest, surrounded by darkness, with only a few streaks of moonlight filtering through the thick canopy. Reynolds warily surveyed his surroundings, his hand gripping his longsword, ready to face any potential danger. Li Ming followed closely behind him, maintaining a safe distance between them.

"We're getting further and further from the camp," Li Ming said softly. "Is this Zhao De really reliable?"

Reynolds nodded. "We have no choice but to trust him now. If we can find Vivian, and the information she has is indeed as valuable as Zhao De said, it will be a lifesaver for us."

Zhao De suddenly stopped and turned around to smile at the two of them: "We're almost there. Vivian's hiding place is just ahead. Please move quietly and try not to make any noise that might disturb her."

"Why?" Reynolds asked, frowning.

Zhao De sighed, his tone becoming heavy: "Because she suffered severe psychological trauma, she has been extremely sensitive and suspicious ever since she escaped. If we suddenly appear in front of her, it might frighten her... and if we arouse her alertness, it will make it easier for those guys to discover our location."

After listening to the other person's words, Reynolds nodded slightly to indicate his understanding. Just then, a gust of wind rustled through the trees, sounding particularly jarring in the otherwise silent environment. As they cautiously continued forward, a slight noise suddenly came from not far away, followed by a figure flashing past.

"Stop! Who is it!" Li Ming immediately reacted and shouted, while at the same time he had already drawn his bow halfway, ready to fire at any moment.

The person didn't seem to run away but turned to face the three of them and stood still. Judging from her petite figure, she was clearly a woman. Although her features were unclear, in the moonlight, it was still possible to vaguely discern that she was a young woman. "Please don't hurt me, I am..." A gentle but slightly trembling voice drifted through the air.

Reynolds took a few steps forward to get a better look at the other person, but Zhao De quickly pulled him back. "Wait, Lord Reynolds, please let me do it." With that, he walked gently toward the girl, taking each step very carefully so as not to frighten her.

"Vivian, is that you?" Zhao De slowly approached the girl and spoke gently.

Hearing the familiar name, the girl seemed to drop all her defenses and relax, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in her eyes. "Zhao De...it really is you!" Her voice was filled with long-lost excitement and ecstatic joy.

Chapter 857 Extraordinary

Chapter 857 Extraordinary

After confirming each other's identities, Zhao De turned around and gestured to Reynolds and Li Ming, indicating that everything was fine and they could relax their guard.

He then turned to the girl in front of him and asked, "Why did you come here alone? That's too risky."

Vivian shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I had no other choice; the dark forces were hot on my heels. Luckily, I spotted you by chance just now..."

"It's good that you're alright." Reynolds relaxed and joined the conversation. "Since everyone is safe, why don't we find a secluded and safe spot to sit down and have a proper talk?"

“We need to know more detailed information about the enemy, including their plans, their strength distribution, and any intelligence that might be of our advantage,” he said earnestly, looking at his two old friends with whom he had just reunited.

Zhao De nodded in agreement and gently took Vivian's hand, trying to comfort her. "It's time to share everything you know, dear. These brave people are making their final efforts to save the world. Please believe that we will overcome the difficulties and win this battle!"