Chapter 823 "The unexpected arrival of a new mission"

The first rays of sunlight in the morning shone through the treetops into the valley, and the soft golden light was like a veil, covering the ground. Zhang Meng stretched himself and yawned loudly, looking energetic.

"What a great day today!" He sat up lazily and stretched out his arms, as if the whole world was waving to him.

"You are so easily satisfied." Ye Li smiled and shook her head. She was washing her face by the stream. The cool water made her feel refreshed. "You went through so many dangerous situations yesterday, and you can be so relaxed today?"

"Hey, those dangers are just a piece of cake for me, Zhang Meng!" Zhang Meng said proudly, "Besides, there must be a moment of relaxation after taking risks."

"Anyway, we do need to recover our strength." Qin Feng said as he sorted out his equipment. His tone was still calm, as if he would never completely relax. "But we should set off today and can't delay too long."

"Let's go?" Zhang Meng was stunned and immediately looked a little disappointed. "A new mission? I want to rest for a while."

"Do you think we are on vacation?" Li Xiao said coldly, obviously dissatisfied with Zhang Meng's laziness.

"Hey, Li Xiao, you have to learn to enjoy life!" Zhang Meng patted Li Xiao on the shoulder, "Don't be so serious all the time, smile, life will be better!"

"For me, completing the mission is the meaning of life." Li Xiao responded coldly, his eyes still calm.

"Okay, okay, you win." Zhang Meng raised his hands helplessly, "But anyway, where are we going next?"

Just as they were discussing their next move, suddenly, a black shadow appeared in the distant sky, flying towards them like a meteor, at an extremely fast speed.

"What is that?" Ye Li immediately became alert, and her hands habitually grasped the bow and arrow.

"Could it be a monster?" Zhang Meng's eyes widened. "We just sealed the dark forces. Could they be coming again?"

"Wait, it doesn't seem to be a monster." Qin Feng narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the flying object. As the black shadow gradually approached, several people discovered that it was actually an eagle carrying a letter.

"It's a letter." Li Xiao said coldly.

The eagle landed in front of Qin Feng, gently fluttered its wings, and handed over the letter. Qin Feng took the letter, unfolded it, and read it carefully. As his eyes swept over the words on the letter, his brows gradually frowned.

"It seems that our rest time will end early." Qin Feng sighed.

"What? A mission is coming so soon?" Zhang Meng asked with a bitter face, "What kind of dangerous mission is this time?"

"According to the contents of the letter, we need to head northwest immediately." Qin Feng said, with a hint of seriousness in his voice. "A nearby town was attacked by an unknown force, and many villagers disappeared mysteriously. All clues point to a monster we have never seen before."

"Another monster?" Ye Li frowned. "Does this power seem to be related to the dark forces we encountered before?"

"The letter doesn't describe it in detail," Qin Feng continued, "but we can't ignore this signal. Now that the power of the Soul Spring has been balanced, similar abnormal phenomena may occur in other places in this area."

"So, we have to deal with monsters again?" Zhang Meng shrugged. "That's fine, though. I got enough rest last night, so I'm full of energy!"

"I hope the enemy this time won't be as difficult as last time." Chu Tian said with some concern. "If it's a monster we haven't seen before, the situation may be more complicated."

"No matter what it is, we must be prepared." Li Xiao said calmly, "We can't make any more mistakes."

"Then let's not delay any longer and set off!" Zhang Meng immediately became energetic, put on his equipment and prepared to hit the road.

The group quickly packed their bags and headed northwest. They climbed over several hills and passed through several dense forests. The sky gradually darkened and there was a sense of uneasiness in the air.

"I don't like this feeling." Ye Li whispered, with a hint of vigilance in her eyes. "The air here seems... a little strange."

"Something is wrong indeed." Qin Feng nodded. "This heavy feeling of oppression cannot be ignored. We are getting closer and closer to our target location."

"Do you feel that the plants here seem lifeless?" Zhang Meng suddenly stopped and pointed to a patch of withered trees not far away.

Ye Li also discovered something unusual. "This area looks like it has been cursed. All creatures have lost their vitality."

"Perhaps we are facing more than just monsters." Qin Feng whispered, "Perhaps there are deeper dark forces at work here."

"Okay, this doesn't sound good." Zhang Meng touched his nose, "But we can't retreat, right? We're already here."

"Of course we won't retreat." Qin Feng said firmly, "Our mission is to uncover these mysteries and protect innocent lives."

The group continued to move forward and finally reached the target town before dark. The atmosphere in the town was extremely strange, the streets were empty, and only a few dilapidated houses could barely stand. The silence was so chilling.

"This place... seems to have been abandoned." Chu Tian looked around and said in a low voice.

"But this letter says that the attack just happened not long ago." Ye Li frowned, "Where are the people here?"

Zhang Meng walked to a half-open door and gently pushed it open. The door made a sharp creaking sound. He looked inside and found the room in a mess, with tables and chairs tilted here and there, which seemed to be traces left behind in a hurry.

"The people here seem to be running in a hurry." Zhang Meng touched his chin and said, "It seems that they don't know what happened either."

"We have to find more clues." Qin Feng said, "All the missing villagers may be related to this mysterious power. We can't miss any details."

Several people searched the town carefully separately. Almost every house in the town showed a similar chaotic scene, and everyone seemed to have disappeared overnight.

"Something horrible happened here." Li Xiao said coldly, "But there is no trace of blood or struggle, as if they left voluntarily."

"Voluntary?" Zhang Meng scratched his head. "Who would disappear voluntarily?"

"Perhaps they are controlled by some kind of power." Qin Feng guessed, "This kind of power can easily influence people's will and guide them unconsciously."

"This sounds too weird." Ye Li frowned, "But we need to find those people. We can't let them disappear like this."

"So, what should we do next?" Zhang Meng asked, with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

Qin Feng thought for a moment, then said firmly: "We must follow these traces to find their tracks. Although this town is deserted, there may be more clues hidden in the nearby mountains and forests."

"We have to go into the mountains again?" Zhang Meng sighed helplessly, "Why do I feel like this adventure is going to be very troublesome again?"

"The essence of adventure is unpredictability." Li Xiao responded coldly.

Finally, they decided to leave the town and head towards the mountains. As the night deepened, the atmosphere became more gloomy, and strange whispers could be heard faintly in the woods, as if something was watching them in secret.

"We must find the answer as soon as possible." Qin Feng whispered, "Otherwise, this power will become more difficult to control."

"Don't worry, I, Zhang Meng, am here and will definitely be able to deal with these monsters!" Zhang Meng strode ahead. Although he said this, he also felt a little uneasy in his heart.

This night is destined to be restless. New dangers are waiting for them in the dark, and the challenges they face will be more complicated and dangerous than any previous adventure.