stonecrandall Page 455
Page 455
"Quickly, we need to get out of here right away!" Zhao De urged.
The three quickly jumped off the boat and ran along the riverbank towards the foot of the mountain. They knew that as long as they reached the rendezvous point, they could regroup and continue their journey.
"Captain, shouldn't we find a place to rest for a bit?" Chen Ming asked, panting.
Zhao De nodded. "You're right, but we can't get too close, lest we be discovered by the pursuers. Let's find a secluded place to rest for a bit."
The three walked for another ten minutes or so and found a secluded cave. The cave was spacious enough for all three to hide in. Zhao De cautiously looked around and, after confirming it was safe, gestured for the other two to enter the cave.
"What exactly is the origin of this jade talisman? Why has it attracted the covetousness of so many forces?" Li Tao asked curiously.
Zhao De took out the mysterious jade talisman, which emitted a faint green light and was engraved with intricate patterns. "This jade talisman is said to be a relic left by an ancient emperor, containing powerful energy and secrets," Zhao De explained.
"What should we do now? We've already got the items, but so many forces are hunting us down," Chen Ming said worriedly.
Zhao De pondered for a moment, then said firmly, "We need to find a safe place as soon as possible, unlock the secret of the jade talisman, and then contact our support. Only then can we get rid of these troubles completely."
"Okay, I'll listen to the captain," Li Tao nodded in response.
The three ate some simple dry rations and rested for a while. Just as they were preparing to continue their journey, they suddenly heard footsteps outside.
"Someone's coming!" Chen Ming said nervously.
Zhao De quickly stood up and said softly, "Everyone, stay calm, hide, and don't make a sound."
The three quickly hid in the shadows deep within the cave, holding their breath and waiting for the approaching figures. The footsteps outside grew closer, indicating there was more than one person.
Soon, a voice reached their ears: "Captain, there's a cave here, let's go in and take a look."
Chapter 1373 Easily Controlled
Chapter 1373 Easily Controlled
“Be careful, the enemy may be nearby,” another voice replied.
Two beams of flashlight shone into the cave, gradually approaching Zhao De and his group's location. Their hearts raced, and they gripped their weapons tightly.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared at the cave entrance, interrupting the two enemies' search. Zhao De looked up and was pleasantly surprised to find it was his teammate, Zhao De.
"Captain! We've finally found you!" Zhao De shouted excitedly.
Zhao De breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the shadows. "Zhao De, you've come at just the right time. We need reinforcements too."
The other two team members also walked in from outside and saluted Zhao De.
"Captain, the others have successfully regrouped as planned, and we can now continue to our destination," a team member reported.
"Alright, let's go." Zhao De nodded and waved for the team to set off.
The group embarked on their journey once more, this time with greater unity and determination. Many unknown dangers awaited them ahead, but they believed that as long as they trusted each other and fought together, all difficulties could be overcome.
"Captain, do you think we can find the secret of the jade talisman?" Chen Ming asked.
Zhao De smiled slightly, "We will find it. I believe fate will be on our side."
Zhao De's words instilled a strange sense of strength in everyone in the group. They exchanged glances, nodded silently, and continued on their way. Night had fallen, and apart from the occasional chirping of insects, the only sounds were their footsteps and heartbeats.
After walking for about an hour, Zhao De suddenly stopped and signaled everyone to stay alert. "Captain, we need to be careful. There's something suspicious ahead."
Zhao De nodded, signaling his team members to spread out and find cover. He and Zhao De then cautiously advanced towards the direction from which the sound came. Before long, the two discovered a hidden tent with a faint light coming from it, and several figures moving about.
“It seems to be another group of pursuers,” Zhao De said in a low voice. “We need to find out their intelligence.”
Zhao De nodded in agreement, and the two then quietly approached, trying not to make a sound. Through a gap, they saw several men in black cloaks sitting around a fire, discussing something.
"Have you heard? It's said that this jade talisman not only contains ancient secrets, but also the power to change the world," a man said mysteriously.
Another person chimed in, "So this operation cannot fail, or we will all lose everything."
Upon hearing this, Zhao De's heart tightened, realizing that this was not just a simple pursuit. There seemed to be a greater secret hidden behind this jade talisman, and these powers were not easily controlled by ordinary people.
Just as they were about to leave, an accident occurred. One of the team members accidentally bumped into a nearby dry branch, making a sound. Instantly, the enemy inside the tent became alert, and one of them quickly stood up and rushed outside.
"Retreat!" Zhao De decisively ordered, and the group quickly retreated in the opposite direction. However, the enemy was clearly prepared, and before they had gone far, several arrows whistled through the air.
Chapter 1374 Mechanisms
Chapter 1374 Mechanisms
With lightning speed, Chen Ming swung his sword and severed one of the arrows aimed at him. "Be careful! These guys are tougher than you think!" he said, then cleaved two more arrows flying towards him.
"Captain, we need to find a safer place!" Zhao De shouted.
Zhao De looked around and finally decided to flee into a dense forest not far away. "There's a valley over there; we can hide there temporarily!"
After several twists and turns, the group finally arrived at the valley they had been told. The environment was quiet and secluded, with lush trees providing natural cover. After setting up the sentries, Zhao De gathered everyone to sit down and discuss the next steps.
"Based on the information we just heard, we must unravel the mystery of the jade talisman as soon as possible. Otherwise, more dangers will befall us," Zhao De said solemnly.
“The problem is, we don’t know how to turn it on,” Li Tao said, frowning.
At this moment, Zhao De, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Do you remember me saying before? I saw a similar symbol recorded in an ancient book. Perhaps that book can help."
Upon hearing this, Zhao De's eyes lit up: "Lead the way, let's go find it now."
Led by Zhao De, the group followed a hidden path through the mountains and forests. After a difficult trek, they finally found an old bookstore hidden deep in the woods. Upon opening the door, they were greeted by an aura of timelessness.
“This is it,” Zhao De said, pointing to a thick book on the bookshelf.
The crowd crowded around for a closer look and saw that it was inscribed with characters that were difficult to decipher. Zhao De gently opened the cover, and on the inner page was a pattern that looked very similar to the jade talisman.
"Just as I thought! Now let's see how to solve this mystery," he suggested excitedly.
Just as everyone was engrossed in their research, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Li Tao quickly got up, walked to the door warily, and looked outside.
"Captain, there's another situation!" He turned around, his face grave.
Zhao De put down what he was studying and quickly went to the door to check the situation. "Who is it this time?"
"It looks like those guys in black are chasing us," Li Tao said nervously.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted outside. "Don't let them escape! Search the entire valley!" the leader roared.
Zhao De frowned. "We need to think of a way to divert attention quickly, otherwise we may not be able to escape unscathed today."
“I can try to use some of the mechanisms in the bookstore to buy time,” Zhao De volunteered.
Zhao De nodded in agreement, then turned to the others: "You all prepare your weapons and be ready for any possible conflict. We'll break out as soon as we have the chance."
Li Tao quickly distributed weapons to everyone, while Zhao De began to carefully inspect the mechanisms and traps around the bookstore. "There are a few hidden doors and some simple traps here. Hopefully, this will hold them off for a while."
Zhao De nodded. "Okay, let's do it that way. But remember, our primary objective is to save our lives; deciphering the jade talisman is secondary. Now, everyone, follow my instructions."
"Don't worry, Captain, we'll all listen to you!" everyone replied in unison.
Just as everyone was making their preparations, the footsteps of the men in black grew closer. The leader's voice rang out again: "There are definitely traps in this valley, everyone be careful!"
Chapter 1375 Hiding Place
Chapter 1375 Hiding Place
At this moment, the atmosphere in the study became unusually tense. Zhao De whispered, "Zhao De, is your plan ready? Trigger the trap immediately if you hear anyone approaching the study outside."
Zhao De nodded nervously, his fingers lightly touching a hidden switch. "Captain, I've adjusted it, and it's ready to start at any time."
On the other side, Li Tao checked the status of everyone's weapons. "You two are responsible for rear protection, I'll deal with the front. Try not to fight head-on, focus on delaying them, and once their attention is diverted, we'll sneak away from the other side."
"Understood!" the two replied firmly.
As the group of men in black approached, Zhao De signaled to his companions, "Get to your positions and proceed according to plan."
Immediately afterwards, a series of exclamations and chaotic footsteps could be heard from outside—clearly, some of the pursuers had triggered some simple mechanisms, and the scene instantly descended into chaos. Taking advantage of this precious moment, Zhao De quickly activated a more complex maze-like roadblock mechanism and closed the gates leading inside.
The noise outside gradually subsided, replaced by the confused and angry conversation of the men in black: "What's going on? How come there are so many winding passages here?"
"Damn it! Those guys must have sabotaged it! We need to find the right path quickly!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the four quickly evacuated the building through a hidden exit inside the bookstore. "Hurry up! We need to get away from this area as soon as possible," Zhao De said as he ran.
After a tense but orderly retreat, once they were confirmed to be out of the enemy's sight, the group was finally able to rest in a slightly safer place. "Phew...what a scare," one of the team members said, panting.
At this point, another teammate raised a question: "What should we do now? Should we go back to that bookstore to look for answers? It looks like it's been almost completely destroyed."
Li Tao frowned as well. "That's true. But now that we know the key..." He looked at the young man following behind, "Zhao De, how much of the specific details about the activation method do you still remember?"
Under the focused gaze of the crowd, Zhao De thought for a moment and then said seriously, "Actually, I can still recall a little bit. However, the specific details need to be confirmed by referring to books, since those are very old materials."
Zhao De pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Then let's do this: let's temporarily abandon going back to check the books. Since the enemy is very likely to track us down again, we must find another hiding place. Meanwhile, on the way, you can tell us as much as you can think of; perhaps we can gain some inspiration from it."
Zhao De nodded, though he felt uneasy, he tried to calm himself down. "Okay, I'll try my best to recall all the details. But we need to make sure we're safe first."
“Captain, there’s an abandoned hut over there,” one of the team members pointed to a dilapidated wooden hut not far away. “It looks like no one has lived there for a long time. We can hide there for a while.”
Zhao De glanced at the wooden house in the distance; it was indeed a good hiding place. "Good idea, let's go there."
Chapter 1376 Specific Conditions
Chapter 1376 Specific Conditions
The four men quickly made their way towards the cabin, with Li Tao leading the way and constantly looking left and right to avoid being caught off guard by any sudden enemy attacks. Once inside the cabin, they relaxed slightly. Although small, the cabin was sturdy, with the walls and roof still relatively intact.