Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the man in white were in the secret chamber, exhausted both physically and mentally from the attack of the poisoned needle traps. But they all knew that this was not the time to relax, as danger could strike again at any moment.

Xiao Yichen carefully put away the golden scroll and said to Lin Wan'er and the man in white, "We can't stay here any longer. We need to leave as soon as possible." The man in white nodded. They were about to head towards the exit of the secret chamber when suddenly, heavy footsteps came from outside the door. Each step seemed to pound on their heartstrings, instantly making the atmosphere tense.

"Someone's coming, and they're up to no good," the man in white said in a low voice, gripping his flute tightly, ready for battle.

Xiao Yichen shielded Lin Wan'er behind him, his gaze fixed intently on the doorway. As the footsteps drew closer, a group of mysterious figures dressed in black and wearing black masks appeared before them. These figures wielded various weapons, their eyes revealing a chilling killing intent.

"Hand over the scroll, and you will be spared physical punishment," one of the mysterious figures, seemingly the leader, said coldly, his voice low and hoarse, as if it came from hell.

Xiao Yichen sneered, "Hmph, if you want the scroll, let's see if you have the ability." With that, he charged towards the mysterious figures, his sword flashing like a dragon emerging from the sea, aimed directly at the leader of the mysterious men. The leader of the mysterious men was not to be outdone, brandishing his longsword to meet the attack. Swords clashed, producing a crisp clang and sparks flying.

Seeing this, the other mysterious figures rushed towards the man in white and Lin Wan'er. The man in white played his flute, attempting to use sound waves to disrupt the enemy, but these mysterious figures seemed prepared. They used their internal energy to resist the sound wave attacks and continued their charge. Seeing this, the man in white put away his flute, drew a soft sword from his waist, and engaged the mysterious figures in combat.

Lin Wan'er watched nervously from the sidelines, knowing she couldn't remain uninvolved. She concentrated, trying to use her mind-reading ability to perceive the thoughts of these mysterious figures. However, their minds seemed shrouded in a fog, difficult to penetrate. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Wan'er's forehead; she knew that if they couldn't quickly ascertain the enemy's movements, they might all be trapped in a desperate situation.

In the fierce battle, Xiao Yichen and the mysterious leader were evenly matched. The leader's swordsmanship was sharp, each strike carrying immense power, and Xiao Yichen gradually began to feel the strain. Seizing an opportunity, the leader suddenly slashed at Xiao Yichen's chest. The strike was swift and deadly; Xiao Yichen couldn't dodge in time and was about to be struck.

At this critical moment, Lin Wan'er suddenly shouted, "General Xiao, be careful!" At the same time, she closed her eyes and used all her strength to once again employ her mind-reading ability. This time, she finally broke through the fog and clearly perceived the mysterious leader's thoughts. It turned out that the mysterious leader's seemingly fatal strike was actually a feint; his true purpose was to use his other hand to shoot a hidden dart at Xiao Yichen's vitals while he dodged.

Without a second thought, Lin Wan'er rushed towards Xiao Yichen. The instant the mysterious leader fired his hidden arrow, Lin Wan'er used all her strength to push Xiao Yichen aside. The arrow grazed Lin Wan'er's shoulder and embedded itself deeply in the wall.

"Wan'er!" Xiao Yichen exclaimed, his eyes filled with worry and gratitude.

Lin Wan'er gritted her teeth and said, "General Xiao, I'm fine. Please be careful."

Enraged that his plan had been thwarted, the mysterious leader swung his longsword at Lin Wan'er. Xiao Yichen quickly stepped in front of Lin Wan'er, blocking the blow. Meanwhile, the man in white was also locked in a fierce battle. Although his swordsmanship was superb, he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies and was gradually finding himself unable to hold his own.

Lin Wan'er knew she couldn't continue like this. She closed her eyes again, focusing her attention on sensing the thoughts of the other mysterious figures. She discovered that these figures had a certain pattern of cooperation in battle, conveying information through eye contact and subtle movements. Several of them were preparing to ambush the man in white from behind, while others planned to flank Xiao Yichen.

"Man in white, watch out behind you!" Lin Wan'er shouted at the man in white. Hearing Lin Wan'er's warning, the man in white immediately understood. He dodged the attack from behind with a swift movement, and simultaneously slashed one of the mysterious figures' arms with his sword.

On Xiao Yichen's side, based on Lin Wan'er's tip, he also detected the enemy's encirclement plan in advance. He took the initiative and rushed towards the mysterious person who was preparing to flank him, disrupting their deployment. For a moment, the situation became somewhat chaotic, but thanks to Lin Wan'er's mind-reading ability, they temporarily stabilized their position.

However, the leader of the mysterious figures quickly realized something was amiss. He understood that Lin Wan'er might possess a special ability, allowing her to know their movements. His eyes hardened, and he gave a signal to one of the mysterious figures beside him. That figure immediately pulled a black sphere from his robes and threw it towards Lin Wan'er.

Lin Wan'er was still focused on sensing the enemy's intentions and didn't notice the sphere flying towards her. Xiao Yichen was shocked to see this and wanted to rush over to protect Lin Wan'er, but he was entangled by several mysterious people and couldn't break free.

"Wan'er, get out of the way!" Xiao Yichen shouted.

Just as the sphere was about to hit Lin Wan'er, the man in white leaped up and kicked it against the wall. The sphere exploded violently upon impact, the powerful shockwave forcing everyone nearby to stumble back several steps.

After the man in white landed, he said to Lin Wan'er, "Little girl, don't get distracted, concentrate." Lin Wan'er nodded; she knew she couldn't afford to make another mistake.

At this moment, the mysterious figures changed their tactics. They ceased their blind attacks and began to systematically tighten their encirclement, attempting to trap Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the man in white within. The leader of the mysterious figures stood outside the encirclement, coldly watching them, as if enjoying the struggle of their prey.

"You can't escape. Hand over the scroll. This is your last chance," said the leader of the mysterious people.

Xiao Yichen surveyed the surrounding enemies, pondering a countermeasure. He knew that a direct confrontation would be disadvantageous; he needed to find a weakness in the enemy's defenses. Lin Wan'er, meanwhile, once again used her mind-reading ability, attempting to glean a way to break through the encirclement from the enemy's thoughts.

After sensing the surrounding area, Lin Wan'er noticed that several of the mysterious figures on the right side of the encirclement were somewhat distracted, seemingly worried about the situation behind them. A thought struck Lin Wan'er, and she said to Xiao Yichen and the man in white, "General Xiao, man in white, let's break through from the right; there's an opportunity there."

Xiao Yichen and the man in white nodded, and they launched a fierce attack to the right. Xiao Yichen's swordsmanship swept towards the enemy like a storm, while the man in white's soft sword darted among them like a nimble snake. Lin Wan'er followed behind them, using her small size and agility to dodge the enemy's attacks.

The mysterious figures were caught off guard by their sudden breakout from the right flank and were momentarily thrown into disarray. The mysterious figures on the right were forced back by Xiao Yichen and the man in white, creating a gap in the encirclement. Xiao Yichen and his group seized the opportunity to rush out and head towards the exit of the secret chamber.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the mysterious men shouted, "Chase them! We can't let them get away!" The mysterious men then gave chase.

Xiao Yichen and his companions sprinted through the narrow passage, relentlessly pursued by the mysterious figure behind them. Traps were frequently triggered within the passage, but they had no time to worry about that now; they could only dodge the traps and continue running forward.

At a corner, Lin Wan'er suddenly stopped and said, "General Xiao, man in white, let's set a trap here to stop them."

Xiao Yichen and the man in white understood Lin Wan'er's meaning, and they began to use the surrounding environment to set up traps. Xiao Yichen used his sword to cut down some of the stone pillars supporting the ceiling, while the man in white scattered some of the remaining corrosive powder on the ground. Lin Wan'er, meanwhile, used her mind-reading ability to sense the distance to the mysterious man.

As the mysterious figures were closing in, Lin Wan'er shouted, "Run!" The three of them quickly left the trap area. The mysterious figures, unaware of the trap, fell into it one after another. The stone pillars collapsed, burying some of the mysterious figures beneath them, while the corrosive powder injured the feet of the others, slowing their movements.

"Haha, let's see how you guys chase after her now," Lin Wan'er said smugly.

But before they could rejoice for long, a new crisis appeared ahead. At the end of the passage was a huge cliff, below which lay unfathomable darkness, and there was no other way to go.

"What should we do? We've got nowhere to go." Lin Wan'er looked at Xiao Yichen anxiously.

Xiao Yichen looked at the cliff, then at the mysterious figures chasing after him, quickly considering a plan. He noticed some vines hanging down from the edge of the cliff; these vines might be their hope for escape.

“Let’s follow the vines down,” Xiao Yichen said.

The man in white looked at the vines and said, "This is our only choice."

So the three of them grabbed the vines and began to slowly climb down the cliff. When the leader of the mysterious men and the rest of the mysterious men arrived at the edge of the cliff, they only saw their figures gradually disappear into the darkness.

"Damn it, we can't let them get away. You guys, go after them!" the mysterious leader ordered.

Several mysterious figures followed the vines down, while Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the man in white continued their journey in the darkness below the cliff. They didn't know what awaited them below, but they knew that as long as the three of them stayed together, there was hope of turning danger into safety, unlocking the scroll's secrets, and completing this mysterious mission.

During the climb, Lin Wan'er's hand was accidentally scratched by thorns on the vines, but she gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound. Xiao Yichen noticed Lin Wan'er's unusual condition and asked softly, "Wan'er, are you alright?"

Lin Wan'er said, "I'm fine, General Xiao. We need to leave here quickly."

The man in white said from below, "I sense something's wrong here, everyone be careful."

Just then, they heard a low roar coming from below the cliff, as if some enormous monster awaited them. Their hearts pounded, unsure of what danger lay ahead, but they had no way out and could only continue forward into the darkness.

In the darkness below the cliff, the low roar sounded like the call of death, sending chills down everyone's spine. Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the man in white slowly descended along the vines, the atmosphere so tense it was almost frozen.

While keeping an eye on the commotion below, Xiao Yichen said to Lin Wan'er, "Wan'er, you were too reckless this time. Do you know how dangerous it is to come here on your own? If you hadn't been lucky, you would have been..." His tone was reproachful, but his eyes were full of concern.

Lin Wan'er said with some grievance, "General Xiao, I just didn't want you to take the risk alone. I know that what I did made you worry, but I really wanted to help you."

The man in white coughed lightly below: "Now is not the time to talk about these things. We need to figure out how to deal with the danger at hand."

As they approached the bottom of the cliff, the roars grew clearer, and the surrounding air became humid and stifling. When their feet finally touched the ground, a pungent, fishy stench assaulted their nostrils. In the dim light, they saw pairs of enormous, glowing red eyes ahead.

“It’s some kind of ferocious beast,” Xiao Yichen said in a low voice, gripping his sword tightly and shielding Lin Wan’er behind him.

Lin Wan'er peeked out from behind Xiao Yichen, looking into those eyes. She felt a little scared, but she still stubbornly said, "Let's face it together, we'll always find a way."

The man in white took out a flute and said, "I hope my music will work on these creatures." He then began to play a strange melody, attempting to calm the beasts. However, this time the music seemed to have no effect; instead, the beasts were enraged and pounced on them.

Xiao Yichen was the first to charge forward, his sword flashing in the darkness, each strike aimed precisely at the beast's vital points. These beasts were enormous, resembling tigers, but possessed hard scales. Xiao Yichen's sword struck the scales, only producing sparks, hardly causing any real damage.

Seeing this, Lin Wan'er became anxious. She noticed that although these beasts were fierce, they seemed somewhat clumsy in their movements. She shouted to Xiao Yichen, "General Xiao, they turn slowly. We can attack their sides and rear."

Following Lin Wan'er's advice, Xiao Yichen began to move nimbly, avoiding the beasts' frontal attacks and looking for opportunities to strike their sides. The man in white also put away his flute and joined the battle, his soft sword darting like a serpent, specifically targeting the beasts' vulnerable spots such as their eyes.

With their combined efforts, one of the beasts was finally wounded and fell to the ground, but the others did not retreat; instead, they attacked even more frantically. During the battle, Lin Wan'er was accidentally swept by a beast's tail and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Xiao Yichen was extremely anxious. He rushed over without hesitation, shielding Lin Wan'er and engaging the beast in fierce combat with his sword.

"General Xiao, don't worry about me, deal with them first," Lin Wan'er shouted.

"Shut up! If you get hurt again, I'll never forgive you!" Xiao Yichen roared, his eyes filled with anger and worry.

Seeing that Xiao Yichen was somewhat distracted, the man in white quickly said, "General Xiao, calm down! We can't lose our composure."

After a fierce battle, they finally repelled the beast, but everyone was injured to varying degrees. Xiao Yichen had several abrasions, the man in white was also somewhat exhausted, and Lin Wan'er had sprained her ankle.

"Let's find a place to rest for a bit," Xiao Yichen said. He helped Lin Wan'er up and looked around for a place to hide temporarily.

They found a cave in the cliff face. The cave wasn't large, but it was enough for them to hide in. After entering the cave, Xiao Yichen had Lin Wan'er sit down and began to examine her ankle injury.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Yichen asked softly.

Lin Wan'er shook her head: "It doesn't hurt, General Xiao, I'm fine."

The man in white watched them from the side and said, "You two have a really good relationship. However, we need to discuss our next move. This enemy attack was clearly well-prepared, and we can't continue to respond blindly like this."

Xiao Yichen nodded: "That's right, we need to replan our route and find a way to decipher the contents of the scroll."

Lin Wan'er said, "I think we can find a safe place first and study the scroll carefully. Maybe there are clues inside that can help us get rid of the enemy's pursuit."

The man in white agreed: "The little girl is right. However, safe places are hard to find. We need to leave here as soon as possible; the roars of these beasts may have attracted more danger."

While they were discussing, Xiao Yichen and the man in white disagreed on their methods of action.

Xiao Yichen advocated searching for an exit along the bottom of the cliff, believing there might be a hidden passage there, and that the enemy wouldn't easily find them. The man in white, however, thought they should climb back up the cliff along the vines and leave in another direction, fearing there were more unknown dangers at the bottom of the cliff.

“General Xiao, the bottom of the cliff is too dangerous. We know nothing about this place. If we encounter another ferocious beast like the one we just encountered, or some other even more powerful monster, we might not be so lucky,” the man in white said.

“But climbing up is equally dangerous. We could easily become targets for the enemy while climbing. Moreover, we don’t know if there are other enemies waiting for us up there,” Xiao Yichen retorted.

Lin Wan'er watched their argument, feeling conflicted. She felt they both had valid points, but they needed to make a decision quickly.

“General Xiao, man in white, could we check the scroll for any clues? Perhaps it can tell us which way to go,” Lin Wan’er suggested.

Xiao Yichen took out the golden scroll, unfolded it, and saw that the text and patterns on the scroll shimmered faintly in the dim cave. However, the contents were still obscure and difficult to understand, and after looking at it for a long time, they still couldn't find any clear clues about the route.

"What should we do?" Lin Wan'er frowned.

Xiao Yichen looked at the scroll, pondered for a moment, and then said, "No matter what, I still think it's more appropriate to go along the bottom of the cliff. Although it's dangerous here, we've already come down, and we can't give up easily."

The man in white said somewhat helplessly, "Alright, since you insist, we'll follow the bottom of the cliff for now. But if we encounter any danger, we'll have to reconsider our route."

After a short rest, they continued their journey. Lin Wan'er had injured her ankle and had difficulty walking, so Xiao Yichen carried her on his back. The man in white led the way, and they carefully made their way along the bottom of the cliff.

As they walked, they came to a river ahead. The water was swift and deep, and a layer of mist covered the surface, obscuring the view of the opposite bank.

"How are we going to get there?" Lin Wan'er asked.

Looking at the river, Xiao Yichen said, "Let's find some branches and try to make a raft."

The man in white was somewhat worried: "This river doesn't look right. What if there are undercurrents or dangerous creatures in the water?"

Xiao Yichen said, "We have no other choice but to take the risk."

They began searching for suitable branches to build a raft. Throughout this process, Lin Wan'er used her mind-reading ability to sense her surroundings; she felt something was amiss, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

As they finished building the raft and prepared to launch it, Lin Wan'er suddenly said, "Wait, I feel there's danger."

Xiao Yichen and the man in white stopped what they were doing and looked around warily. Just then, the river began to churn violently, and huge black tentacles emerged from the water, reaching out towards them.

"It's a water monster!" the man in white shouted.

Xiao Yichen put Lin Wan'er down and picked up his sword to slash at the tentacles. But the tentacles were extremely tough, and his sword could only make them retreat slightly. The man in white also joined the battle, attacking the tentacles with his soft sword.

Lin Wan'er watched them struggle against the tentacles. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to use her mind-reading ability to perceive the water monster's thoughts. She discovered that the water monster's attacks were patterned: it would first extend its tentacles to probe, and then concentrate its power to attack a single target.

"General Xiao, the man in white will probe first, then concentrate his attack on one person. We must be careful!" Lin Wan'er shouted.

Following Lin Wan'er's instructions, Xiao Yichen and the man in white began to pay attention to the water monster's attack patterns. They cooperated with each other, attacking together whenever the water monster's tentacles reached out, preventing the water monster from concentrating its power.

However, the monster seemed to have realized their strategy. It changed its attack method, and more tentacles emerged from the water, surrounding them completely.

"This can't go on. We need to find a way to attack the monster's main body," Xiao Yichen said.

The man in white looked around and spotted a huge rock not far away. An idea struck him, and he said to Xiao Yichen, "General Xiao, let's move that rock onto the raft, and then use the raft to ram the monster's body. Maybe we can hurt it."

Xiao Yichen nodded, and they ran together towards the rocks. With the monster's tentacles interfering, it took them a great deal of effort to move the rocks onto the raft. Then, they jumped onto the raft and paddled towards the monster.

The water monster saw the raft rushing towards it and tried to stop it with its tentacles. Xiao Yichen and the man in white rowed with all their might, while simultaneously attacking the tentacles with their weapons. As the raft got closer to the water monster, they forcefully rammed it towards it.

With a deafening crash, the raft struck the monster's body. The monster let out a painful roar, its tentacles flailing wildly. Xiao Yichen and the man in white were thrown onto the raft, but they saw that the monster seemed injured, its movements becoming sluggish.

"Let's cross the river now while we can," Xiao Yichen said.

They picked up their oars and rowed quickly towards the opposite bank. Before the monster could recover, they successfully reached the other side.

Once ashore, they all breathed a sigh of relief. But this battle with the sea monster also made them realize that while cooperation was important, disagreements over methods of action, if not properly resolved, could bring them even more danger.

"We need to discuss our future actions properly; we can't keep arguing like this," Lin Wan'er said, looking at Xiao Yichen and the man in white.

Xiao Yichen and the man in white exchanged a glance, both seeing agreement in each other's eyes. They knew that in this dangerous mission, only by working together could they have a chance to unlock the scroll's secrets and complete the mission.

This incident made their relationship more complex, encompassing both trust and understanding of differing opinions. After a brief rest on the other side, they continued their journey into the unknown, unaware of the dangers that awaited them.

After crossing the river, Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the man in white were exhausted, but they dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest. At this moment, the golden scroll in Xiao Yichen's possession seemed to possess some kind of mysterious attraction, urging them to continue forward and uncover the secrets hidden within.

They found a relatively secluded spot near the riverbank to rest. Lin Wan'er sat to one side, rubbing her injured ankle, her brows slightly furrowed. Despite the pain, her eyes remained resolute. Xiao Yichen was inspecting his weapons; the battle with the water monster had worn down the blades, and he took out a whetstone from his bag and carefully sharpened them. The man in white, meanwhile, surveyed his surroundings, his eyes deep in thought.

“We can’t stay here too long; the enemy may still be tracking us,” the man in white broke the silence.

Xiao Yichen nodded: "Yes, but we need to determine our next direction first. The information on this scroll is too obscure, and we haven't found any clear clues yet."

Lin Wan'er raised her head and looked at Xiao Yichen and the man in white, saying, "Let's take another closer look at the scroll; maybe we missed something before."

Xiao Yichen took out the golden scroll and unfurled it again. The three of them sat together, carefully examining the text and patterns on the scroll. The ancient text seemed to be telling a long-ago story, while the patterns were complex and mysterious, some resembling simple depictions of mountains and rivers, and others interwoven with strange symbols.

Lin Wan'er stretched out her finger and gently traced the pattern on the scroll. Suddenly, her finger stopped on a seemingly ordinary line. "Look, doesn't the direction of this line look a bit like the river we crossed earlier?"

Xiao Yichen and the man in white took a closer look and found that they did indeed bear some resemblance. The man in white frowned: "If this represents a river, then following this pattern..." His gaze moved along the direction of the lines and found that after a series of complex loops, the lines pointed to a pattern resembling a city, and in the city there was a special mark that looked like a place where water sources converge.

"Could this be hinting that the clue lies in the water source in the capital?" Lin Wan'er said softly.

Xiao Yichen pondered for a moment and said, "It's possible. We already noticed some unusual signs when we were in the capital, and this mission involves such a wide range of areas. As the center of Rong Kingdom, the capital is very likely the key to the conspiracy."

The man in white agreed: "The capital city has a large population, and if the water source is compromised, the consequences would be unimaginable. If the enemy really has some kind of conspiracy at the water source, then we must get back as soon as possible."

However, returning to the capital was no easy task. They not only had to evade enemy pursuit but also face various dangers along the way. But at this moment, they had a clear goal in mind: to reach the capital's water source as soon as possible and find out what was going on.

They packed their belongings and headed along the riverbank towards the capital. Along the way, they tried to choose secluded paths to avoid being discovered by the enemy. Even so, they still encountered some minor troubles.

Once, they passed through a small village, intending to sneak past, but were spotted by several villagers. Seeing the weapons on their backs and their panicked expressions, the villagers assumed they were robbers and rang the alarm bell. In an instant, the entire village erupted in activity, with villagers grabbing hoes, sickles, and other farm tools, surrounding them.

"Who are you? What are you doing in our village?" an elderly villager asked loudly.

Xiao Yichen quickly explained, "We are not bad people, we are just passing through this place and have no ill intentions."

But the villagers didn't believe her and pressed closer. Seeing this, Lin Wan'er stepped forward, offering a gentle smile: "Uncles and aunties, we really are good people. We're carrying out an important mission to protect everyone's safety. Look, I'm even injured, how could I be robbers?"

The villagers, seeing Lin Wan'er's injured ankle and her sincere eyes, wavered. At this moment, the man in white took out some silver from his pocket and handed it to the villagers: "We just want to pass through here. Consider this silver as compensation for everyone."

Upon seeing the silver, the villagers' attitude softened considerably. After some communication, they finally believed Xiao Yichen and the others and let them leave the village.

As they continued their journey, Lin Wan'er remained somewhat worried. "General Xiao, with us traveling at this pace, I wonder if something has already happened to the water source in the capital."

Xiao Yichen comforted her, "Don't worry too much, let's hurry on our way. Besides, if the enemy wants to make a move at the water source, they will definitely need some preparation time."

As they drew closer to the capital, they grew increasingly vigilant. A day's journey from the capital, they encountered a strange phenomenon. The roadside trees began to wither, and some of the grass turned yellow and dry, as if their life force had been suddenly drained away.

"Something's not right here. It seems like something's destroying life," the man in white said.

They walked along the withered vegetation and came across a stream. The stream should have been crystal clear, but now the water was murky and emitted a pungent odor.

Xiao Yichen squatted down, dipped his hand in the stream water, and smelled it: "This smells like some kind of poison."

Lin Wan'er was startled: "Has the enemy already started their operation? Are they polluting the water source?"

The man in white looked at the stream with a grave expression: "If the water sources here are polluted, then the water sources of the capital city will probably be too... We need to speed things up."

They didn't linger and quickened their pace towards the capital. By the time they reached the outskirts of the capital, it was already dark. The area in the direction of the capital was eerily quiet, lacking its usual bright lights and instead filled with a sense of oppression.

A sense of foreboding welled up in Xiao Yichen's heart. He said to Lin Wan'er and the man in white, "The situation is worse than we thought. We have to be careful."

They stealthily infiltrated the capital, heading towards the water source. The streets of the capital were deserted, save for the occasional bark of a dog, which added to the eeriness of the place.

As they approached the water source, they heard a commotion. There were some people talking in hushed tones, and some strange mechanical sounds.

Xiao Yichen, along with Lin Wan'er and the man in white, hid behind a wall and peered out. They saw a group of people dressed in black night clothes bustling around the water source, throwing black powder into it. There were also some strange devices nearby, as if they were extracting something from the water.

"As expected, someone was up to something." Xiao Yichen clenched his fist.

Lin Wan'er carefully observed those people, trying to use her mind-reading ability to obtain some information. However, these people seemed to have undergone special training, and their thinking was very rigorous. She could only sense some vague emotions, such as tension and excitement.

The man in white said in a low voice, "We can't let them continue like this; we have to find a way to stop them."

Xiao Yichen nodded: "But we need to figure out their purpose and the mastermind behind them first. These people are just pawns; we need to find the person who controls them."

They began searching the surrounding area for a route to the water source that would go unnoticed. Not far away, they discovered a passage leading underground. The entrance to the passage was well-hidden, concealed by some debris.

“Let’s go down from here and see if we can ambush them from behind, and also look for any more clues,” Xiao Yichen said.

They cautiously entered the underground passage, which was dark, damp, and filled with a putrid smell. Water droplets dripped from the walls, and the ground was slippery underfoot.

Lin Wan'er accidentally stepped on a patch of moss and almost slipped, but fortunately Xiao Yichen caught her in time. "Be careful, it's dangerous here," Xiao Yichen said softly.

The man in white led the way and discovered some strange markings on the walls of the passage, which resembled some of the symbols they had seen on the scroll.

“It seems this place is closely related to our mission; these markings might be some kind of guide,” the man in white said.

They followed the markings through the passage, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. As they drew closer, the light grew stronger, and the voices became clearer.

"This operation must succeed. We can't make any mistakes in what our master ordered. Once we control the capital's water supply, we can control the entire capital," a hoarse voice said.

"Don't worry, these poisons and devices were carefully prepared, there won't be any problems," another voice replied.

Xiao Yichen and the others hid at the corner of the passage, observing quietly. They saw a spacious basement filled with various bottles, jars, and complex instruments, where people dressed in black night clothes were busily operating them.

In the center of the basement stood a man dressed in a magnificent black robe, his face obscured by a hood, but his imposing presence revealed him to be the leader of the group.

“We need to find a way to capture him and get the mastermind out of him,” Xiao Yichen said in a low voice.

Lin Wan'er nodded: "But we must be careful not to alert them."

The man in white observed the layout of the basement and said, "We can flank from both sides, take care of the henchmen first, and then deal with the leader."

After formulating their plan, they began their operation. Xiao Yichen and the man in white quietly approached the men in black from both sides, while Lin Wan'er used her mind-reading ability to provide them with information about the enemy's movements from behind.

As they approached the men in black, Xiao Yichen and the man in white launched their attack simultaneously. Their movements were swift and agile; before the men in black could react, several were knocked to the ground. But these men in black were no pushovers either; they quickly recovered and engaged Xiao Yichen and the man in white in a fierce battle.

Lin Wan'er saw a man in black preparing to ambush Xiao Yichen from behind. She shouted, "General Xiao, be careful!" At the same time, she picked up a stone and threw it at the man in black. The man in black was hit by the stone and lost his footing. Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity to turn around and kill him with a single sword strike.

In the midst of the fierce battle, the basement was in chaos. Bottles and jars were overturned, their liquids spilled all over the floor, emitting a pungent odor. Some of the equipment was also damaged, emitting a buzzing electrical sound.

Seeing his men gradually losing ground, the black-robed leader snorted coldly, took out a black sphere from his robes, and threw it towards Xiao Yichen and the others. The sphere exploded in mid-air, releasing a plume of black smoke. The smoke contained a nerve-numbing poison; after inhaling it, Xiao Yichen and the others immediately felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Oh no, it's poisonous smoke!" the man in white shouted.

They quickly covered their mouths and noses, but were still somewhat affected. Taking advantage of the situation, the black-robed leader led several of his men to escape towards another exit.

Xiao Yichen gritted his teeth, enduring the dizziness, and said, "We can't let him get away, chase after him!"

Despite their physical discomfort, they chased after the black-robed leader in the direction he had fled, determined to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy and protect the capital's water supply.