Chapter 243 Shadow Pursuit

The morning sun shines on the roofs of Chenxi Town, bringing a touch of warmth to this quiet town. Qin Feng and his companions got up early, packed their luggage, and prepared to go back to the college. The secrets they found in the ruins last night filled them with a sense of urgency. They knew that they had to convey the news to Vice President Feng Jian as soon as possible.

"Is everyone ready?" Qin Feng put on his bag and looked around at everyone else.

"I can't wait any longer." Zhang Meng strode to the door and said energetically, "Let's go quickly. I don't want to run into those men in black again."

"Yes, let's leave at dawn to avoid any trouble." Chu Tian agreed. He had already prepared for today's trip last night.

"I brought those scrolls with me. I'll show them to the vice president when I get back." Ye Li patted her package, which contained the ancient scrolls she brought back from the ruins last night.

Qin Feng nodded: "Okay, let's go. Try to be as fast as possible and try to get back to the college before this evening."

The four of them walked out of the inn, and were greeted by a fresh morning breeze. Qin Feng took a deep breath and felt much calmer. Although the road ahead was unknown, he believed that as long as everyone worked together, they could overcome all difficulties.

They hurried along the path they had taken to the academy. The surrounding forests were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Not long after, Qin Feng suddenly felt a strange smell.

"Everyone be careful, I feel like we're being targeted." Qin Feng stopped and said in a low voice.

"Where?" Chu Tian looked around vigilantly, his hand already on the hilt of the sword.

"In the woods ahead." Ye Li narrowed her eyes and sensed an unusual fluctuation.

Zhang Meng raised his fist: "How about I rush over and take a look?"

"No, don't move yet." Qin Feng stopped him, "We have to see what the other party's intentions are."

As he was talking, a muffled sound of footsteps suddenly came from the woods. Then, several men in black walked out of the bushes, holding weapons in their hands and with sneers on their faces.

"It's you, indeed." The leading man in black sneered, "I smelled your scent in the ruins last night."

Qin Feng clenched the Dragon Shadow Sword and said coldly: "It seems that you don't intend to let us leave here?"

"That's right." The man in black replied with a sinister smile, "You know too much. You must die here."

"Then let's see who dies here." Zhang Meng grinned and rushed forward with his fists waving.

"Attack!" Qin Feng shouted and drew his sword to meet the enemy.

The black-clad men were obviously well prepared. They were numerous and quickly surrounded Qin Feng and his companions. Qin Feng wielded the Dragon Shadow Sword, the sword light was like lightning, and each sword accurately chopped at the enemy. Chu Tian beside him was not to be outdone, and the sword shadows flew, fighting fiercely with the enemy.

"You guys are always hiding in the dark and plotting. Today I'm going to let you taste my power!" Zhang Meng roared and punched a man in black away.

"We won't let you succeed!" Ye Li quickly took out a few talismans and threw them at the enemy. The talismans turned into golden light and bound the men in black.

The men in black were a little flustered when they saw how strong Qin Feng and his companions were. They had obviously underestimated the fighting power of Qin Feng and his companions. In just a few minutes, several of them had been knocked to the ground.

The leading man in black gnashed his teeth and looked at Qin Feng, with a hint of cruelty in his eyes. He suddenly blew a whistle, and a moment later, a group of men in black rushed out of the forest again, with more people than before.

"We have reinforcements!" The leading black-clad man grinned, "None of you can escape today!"

Qin Feng frowned, but soon calmed down. He knew that he had to deal with these enemies as soon as possible, otherwise the situation would get worse and worse.

"We can't fight any longer!" Qin Feng shouted, "Get out of the encirclement!"

Qin Feng gave an order, and the four of them began to attack in one direction, trying to break through. Chu Tian and Ye Li led the way, while Qin Feng and Zhang Meng followed behind, forming a tight combat team.

"Get out of my way!" Zhang Meng punched a man in black who tried to block him and followed him with big strides.

"Hurry, we're about to rush out!" Chu Tian used his sword to chop away the last enemy blocking his way, and saw an open space in front of him.

"Everybody hold on!" Qin Feng forced back several men in black with a sword and rushed out of the encirclement with his companions.

"Hurry up!" Ye Li shouted, and the four of them quickly ran towards the open area. The men in black saw this and wanted to chase them, but Qin Feng and Zhang Meng kept turning back to block them, forcing them to slow down.

Finally, Qin Feng and his companions rushed out of the woods and stood on an open hillside. The man in black was left behind and could not catch up for a while.

"We...we finally broke out." Zhang Meng said excitedly, panting.

"Don't relax, they will catch up soon." Qin Feng glanced behind him and frowned, "We have to find a safe place to rest and then continue on our way."

"There is a small village ahead." Ye Li pointed to a place not far away, "We can hide there for a while."

Qin Feng nodded: "Okay, let's go to the village to hide first."

The four of them quickly rushed to a village not far away. The village was not big, but the houses were clean and tidy, and it seemed that the villagers lived a peaceful life. They found a farmhouse and knocked on the door to ask for shelter.

"You have come from afar, thank you for your hard work." An elderly farmer warmly welcomed them, "Come in and have a rest."

Qin Feng thanked the farmer and went into the house. The farmer brought them water and food and let them rest for a while.

"Who are these men in black?" Chu Tian took a sip of water and couldn't help asking, "Why are there so many of them?"

"I think they should be the core followers of the Lord of Shadows." Ye Li replied, "They may have gathered a large number of people somewhere."

"If that's the case, then we have to speed up our actions." Qin Feng said, "We can't let them have the chance to complete the ritual of resurrecting the Lord of Shadows."

"Yes." Chu Tian nodded, "But the most important thing now is to get a good rest first, and then continue on our journey."

Just as they were resting, the farmer's grandson, a little boy about seven or eight years old, ran in with a black cloth bag in his hand.

"Grandpa, look, I found it in the woods." the little boy said excitedly.

Qin Feng became alert immediately after hearing the child's words. He walked over and took a look at the cloth bag, and found a symbol of the Lord of Shadows on it.

"What is this?" Qin Feng asked, feeling pleasantly surprised.

"I found this in the woods outside the village," the little boy answered. "There's something else in it."

Qin Feng opened the cloth bag and found several maps and some papers covered with ancient characters inside.

"This is... their plan!" Ye Li exclaimed, "It seems that these men in black have acted here before."

"We need to see what is marked on these maps." Chu Tian said.

Qin Feng quickly unfolded the map and found several locations marked on the map, one of which was on the route they were about to pass.

"These marked points may be the bases of the followers of the Lord of Shadows." Qin Feng analyzed, "We can take this opportunity to investigate."

"But be careful, their numbers are much greater than we expected," Zhang Meng warned.

"Don't worry, we won't act rashly." Qin Feng nodded, "But this is an opportunity that we can't miss."

They continued to check the other items in the bag and found a letter. On the letter were some instructions written in ancient symbols, which looked like some kind of order.

"The locations mentioned in this letter are consistent with the marked points on the map." Ye Li translated the text on the letter, "It seems that these bases are their gathering points."

"Okay, then our goal is clear." Qin Feng stood up, with a gleam of determination in his eyes, "Let's go to these strongholds and see what they are planning."

"I hope we can find more clues." Chu Tian agreed.

"Let's go now." Qin Feng said, thanked the farmer, and left the farmhouse with his companions.

The farmer walked them to the door and said, "Be careful on the road, it's not safe out there."

"Thank you for your help." Qin Feng replied with a smile, "We will be careful."

Qin Feng and his companions set out on a new journey, their goal being the stronghold of the followers of the Lord of Shadows. The sun shines on them, dispelling the haze in their hearts. They know that this action is full of dangers, but it is also the key to uncovering the truth.

"Brother Feng, do you think we can find that stronghold?" Zhang Meng asked as they walked.

"As long as there are clues, we will find it." Qin Feng said firmly.

"As long as we are together, we are not afraid of anything." Ye Li said with a smile.

"That's right." Chu Tian gripped the hilt of the sword, full of confidence, "We will definitely succeed."

The mountains in the distance were particularly clear in the sun, as if calling them forward. Qin Feng and his companions quickened their pace, knowing that new challenges and dangers were waiting for them ahead. But no matter what, they would not back down, because they were warriors guarding justice.