Chapter 308: The Mysterious Adventurer Camp and Unexpected Allies

In the morning, Qin Feng and his team set out from the abandoned watchtower, ready to go to the independent adventurer camp mentioned by Chu Tian. After a night's rest, everyone was refreshed and full of confidence.

"Where is this camp?" Lin Xiao asked Chu Tian as they walked.

"It's deep in the forest to the east, not far from here." Chu Tian replied, "It is said that it was founded by a group of adventurers who were unwilling to be employed by any force. They live a free life, but sometimes they will provide help - of course, there must be enough compensation."

"It sounds like they are some freelancers." Ye Li smiled, "But I guess they will also be interested in the Dragon Soul."

"They will definitely be interested." The old man interrupted, "These adventurers always like to pursue dangerous things - this is also their fun."

"No matter what, we have to let them know the seriousness of this action." Qin Feng said, "I hope they can become our allies."

After passing through the dense forest, they finally arrived at the entrance of the adventurer camp. The entrance looked simple, but it was full of traps and defense devices.

"It seems these guys are very cautious." Zhang Meng said, looking around vigilantly.

"Are you sure they will welcome us?" Lin Xiao asked Chu Tian.

"Don't worry, they may not be very friendly, but as long as we have good suggestions, they will listen." Chu Tian comforted.

Suddenly, several arrows shot out from the bushes, pointing directly at Qin Feng and his group.

"Stop! Who are you?" A rough voice came from above the tree.

Qin Feng immediately raised his hands to indicate that he had no ill intentions: "We are adventurers and want to seek help."

"Adventurers?" The voice in the tree snorted coldly, "How dare you barge in without even looking carefully at where this place is?"

Chu Tian quickly added: "We are friends! We know this is a camp for independent adventurers, and we came here to cooperate with you."

After a moment of silence, a tall and burly man jumped down from the tree and looked at them coldly. The man had a stubble on his face, wore a set of leather armor that looked very durable, and carried a large bow on his back.

"I'm the leader of this camp, my name is Hawkeye," the man said, "What do you mean by cooperation?"

"We are looking for the Dragon Soul." Qin Feng said bluntly, "We need allies, and you look like people with strength and wisdom."

"Dragon Soul?" Hawkeye showed a hint of interest. "That's a tricky thing. Do you know where it is?"

Qin Feng shook his head: "We know it may be in the ancient tower near Tiebi City, but we are still investigating the specific location and how to enter."

Hawkeye narrowed his eyes and was silent for a while, then turned around and waved his hand to signal his men to put away their weapons: "Okay, come in and talk."

They were taken to the camp, which was surrounded by rows of simple but sturdy cabins. In the center of the camp was an open space where several adventurers were training or repairing equipment. Despite the simple environment, everyone was full of energy and vitality.

"It's quite lively here." Lin Xiao whispered to Ye Li.

"Yes, these people seem to be well-trained warriors." Ye Li nodded, "Maybe they can really help."

Hawkeye led them to a small room, motioned for them to sit down, and then sat on an old wooden chair himself: "Okay, now you can tell me, how do you want to cooperate?"

Qin Feng briefly introduced their encounters and discoveries in Tiebi City, as well as the potential dangers of the Dragon Soul. He emphasized the importance of this operation and explained the need for adventurers' help.

After listening to this, Hawkeye sighed softly: "Your story sounds interesting, but we adventurers are not philanthropists. We take risks for profit."

"Of course, we understand." Qin Feng nodded, "We are willing to pay as long as you are willing to help us."

"We can negotiate the reward," Hawkeye said calmly, "but we need a more specific action plan and division of labor. If we want to break the defense of the ancient tower, we have to know what we have to face."

"We are still investigating this." Ye Li said, "We found that there is a traitor in Tiebi City, and it is very likely that he is colluding with the Dark Cult. We need you to help us find more information about the ancient tower."

"Finding information? This is our strong point." Hawkeye smiled, "But this will take some time."

"We can wait." Chu Tian said, "The sooner the better. We don't have time to waste."

Hawkeye nodded, "Okay, we have a spy operating near Iron Wall City, I'll have him investigate as soon as possible. If you need any equipment or support, you can also let us know."

Qin Feng thanked him, and then mentioned that they needed some specific medicines and tools to deal with possible traps in the ancient tower. Hawkeye immediately ordered his men to prepare.

While waiting for the news from the spies, Qin Feng and his team took a short break in the camp. The atmosphere in the camp was lively, with all kinds of sounds intertwined, as if it were a small market.

"You don't look like ordinary adventurers." Hawkeye came over and sat next to Qin Feng. "Have you ever fought against the Dark Cult before?"

"Yes, many times." Qin Feng replied, "Every time he was not very friendly."

"I've heard some rumors about the Dark Cult." Hawkeye said slowly, "They are looking for some ancient relics, including the Dragon Soul."

"What do they want to do with the Dragon Soul?" Ye Li asked curiously.

"Control." Hawkeye answered simply, "It is said that the Dragon Soul can control the mind of a dragon. If the Dark Cult obtains it, they may use this power to control all creatures with dragon blood."

"Then their goal is very clear." Qin Feng pondered, "It seems we must speed up our actions."

Hawkeye nodded, "We will help you, but remember that everyone here has their own life. We are willing to take risks, but we will not lose lives in vain."

"We understand this." Qin Feng said gratefully, "We will do our best to protect everyone."

In the afternoon, Hawkeye's scout finally came back. He was a thin, agile young man with a tired look on his face but a shrewd look in his eyes.

"Chief, I have news." The spy panted, "I found a hidden entrance in the ancient tower near Iron Wall City."

"Hidden entrance?" Qin Feng asked immediately, "Can you tell me more about it?"

The spy nodded. "The entrance was hidden in a ruin, disguised as an ordinary wall. I almost missed it when I found it. But there is a complicated mechanism at the entrance, so I didn't rush in."

"This must be the road to the Dragon Soul." Ye Li said excitedly, "We must act as soon as possible."

"Don't be impatient." Hawkeye interrupted her, "That entrance may be trapped, and there may be people from the Dark Cult inside. We need to make a careful plan."

Qin Feng agreed: "We need to plan carefully, and once we enter, we must ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Everyone gathered together and began to plan the operation to enter the ancient tower. Hawkeye and his men gave a detailed introduction to the terrain of the entrance and the possible locations of traps. Qin Feng and his team shared their understanding of the Dragon Soul and the enemies they might face.

"We can split into two groups." Chu Tian suggested, "One group is responsible for attracting the enemy's attention, and the other group sneaks into the ancient tower."

"That's a good idea." Hawkeye nodded in agreement. "My men and I can be responsible for attracting attention. We are familiar with the terrain there and can come and go freely."

"Then we will be responsible for sneaking in." Qin Feng said, "After finding the Dragon Soul, we will retreat immediately."

"Also," the old man interrupted, "some of my tools might come in handy, especially in breaking down mechanisms and traps."

"Very good." Hawkeye nodded with satisfaction. "It seems that we have a preliminary plan. Let's rest tonight and take action early tomorrow morning."

At night, a bonfire was lit in the camp, and everyone sat around the fire and discussed the upcoming adventure. Although the atmosphere was tense, everyone's face was full of anticipation.

"Do you think it will go smoothly this time?" Lin Xiao asked, looking at the jumping flames.

"Who knows?" Zhang Meng laughed, "We have been through so much along the way, nothing can scare us anymore."

"Yes, we are the best team." Chu Tian said confidently.

Qin Feng looked at everyone and said with a smile: "No matter what happens next, we must remember that we are fighting to stop the Dark Sect and protect world peace."

Ye Li nodded in agreement: "Yes, together we are not afraid of anything."

As the night deepened, everyone returned to their own tents to prepare to recharge their batteries for tomorrow's action.

The first rays of sunlight at dawn shone through the leaves and sprinkled on the camp. Qin Feng and his team were ready, bringing all the necessary equipment and props, ready to go.

Hawkeye walked up to Qin Feng and patted him on the shoulder: "Are you ready?"

Qin Feng nodded firmly: "I'm ready."

"Then let's go." Hawkeye said with a smile.

The team set out quickly, heading towards the ancient pagoda. They knew that this adventure would be the most dangerous one, but also the most important one.

"Come on everyone, we will definitely succeed." Qin Feng encouraged.

"Yes, we can definitely do it!" Lin Xiao responded excitedly.

The team moved quickly through the woods, heading towards unknown challenges and new adventures.