Courtyard House: Report enemy agents at the start, and you'll take off immediately.

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"Should we increase patrols to prevent them from escaping or attacking again?" Chen Ming suggested.

Zhao De nodded and said, "That's a good idea. At the same time, we should strengthen the supervision of those arrested to ensure there is no risk of leaks."

At this moment, Lao Wei suddenly said, "Captain, there's another problem. We need to find a suitable time to enter the ancient tomb. The enemy is already prepared, so we need to choose the most advantageous moment to launch a surprise attack."

Zhao De fell into thought. He looked up at the deepening night outside the window and said softly, "Let's prepare everything tonight and move in tomorrow morning. We'll take advantage of the enemy's laxity and storm the ancient tomb in one fell swoop!"

Chapter 1369 The Existence of the Secret Passage

Chapter 1369 The Existence of the Secret Passage

The three nodded to each other, deciding to proceed according to the plan. They then quickly divided the tasks and began the tense but orderly preparations. Everyone knew that this operation concerned the safety of the entire team and could not afford to fail.

Just as they were busy, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A young team member pushed the door open and said anxiously, "Captain, one of the people who were arrested suddenly wants to see you. He says he has something important to tell you!"

Zhao De was taken aback, then turned to look at the other two. "I'll go see what's going on. You two continue with the plan."

After saying that, he quickly left the room and headed towards the temporary detention area. Along the way, various possibilities raced through his mind—was this a delaying tactic by the enemy, or an unexpected opportunity?

Zhao De quickened his pace and arrived at the temporary detention area. This place was specially set up by them, located in a dense forest, surrounded by a tight security cordon. He pushed open the door and entered the dimly lit room.

"Captain!" A guard stood at attention and saluted, his voice visibly tense. "That guy wants to see you alone, saying there's something extremely important to discuss."

Zhao De nodded, signaling his team members to step back, and then walked towards the cells where the detainees were being held. He stopped and stared at one of the men. The man was pale, and his eyes showed obvious fear and unease.

"Speak, what important matter do you have to say?" Zhao De asked calmly, his sharp gaze fixed on the other person.

The man's name was Li Tao, a minor leader of the opposing force. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly, "Captain, I... I know you want to enter the ancient tomb..."

Zhao De frowned slightly: "What do you know?"

Li Tao looked up at Zhao De, a determined glint in his eyes: "I know a secret passage that leads directly into the interior of the ancient tomb. Through this passage, you can bypass the enemy's defenses and enter the key area directly."

Zhao De's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface: "How did you know about this passage?"

Li Tao took a deep breath, as if making a major decision: "I am a low-ranking officer in 'Black Hawk,' usually responsible for logistics and intelligence gathering. Last time, I overheard a conversation among the higher-ups and learned about the existence of this secret passage. I know that the purpose of your operation this time is to seize the jade talisman. If I can help you, I hope you can spare my life."

Zhao De remained silent for a moment, clearly weighing the pros and cons. He glanced towards the door to make sure no one else could hear their conversation.

“Alright, I’ll consider your suggestion,” Zhao De said slowly, “but on the condition that you take us to see the passage and guarantee that there will be no danger.”

Li Tao nodded vigorously, repeatedly agreeing: "I'm willing, I'm willing! Please believe me, I really hope this matter ends as soon as possible, I don't want to be involved in this war anymore."

Zhao De glanced at him, then turned and walked towards the door. Before leaving, he instructed the guards, "Change him into civilian clothes, don't make him too conspicuous. He'll take us to that place later."

The team members quickly followed Zhao De's orders. Moments later, Li Tao was untied and changed into ordinary clothes, making him appear even more inconspicuous. Then, Zhao De, along with Li Tao and several other team members, quietly left the temporary detention area.

Chapter 1370 Mission Completed

Chapter 1370 Mission Completed.

The group walked through the dense forest and came to the foot of a secluded hill. It was surrounded by thick trees and was very inconspicuous.

"This is it," Li Tao said softly, pointing to a huge rock in front of him.

Zhao De examined the stone but found nothing unusual. He gestured for the other team members to check it.

The team members carefully examined the rock and quickly discovered an extremely fine groove on its surface. Zhao De stepped forward, gently pressed it, and the rock slowly moved away.

"Is there a mechanism down there?" Chen Ming asked, looking warily at the dark entrance below.

“There are no mechanisms; this is a naturally formed cave,” Li Tao explained. “But it has been transformed into a secret passage that leads all the way to the interior of the ancient tomb.”

Zhao De nodded, signaling his team members to go down and investigate first. Two team members, carrying flashlights, carefully descended into the cave.

A few minutes later, they returned to the ground and reported: "Captain, there is indeed a passage down there. It looks very stable and is passable."

Zhao De nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Li Tao: "You did a good job, but we can't let our guard down. Now, take us in and let's see the passage you mentioned."

"Okay, Captain," Li Tao quickly replied.

The group ventured deeper into the passage, surrounded by complete darkness, with only a few beams of flashlight beams flickering in the gloom. After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at the entrance to a narrow passage.

"Once you pass this point, you'll reach a large open area," Li Tao said, pointing ahead.

Zhao De nodded, signaling the group to continue. They passed through a passage and came to a spacious area. It was dimly lit, but some stone statues and murals could be vaguely seen.

"It seems this is the interior of the ancient tomb," Chen Ming said in a low voice.

Zhao De signaled his team members to split up and search, while assigning several members to stay at the entrance. He pulled Li Tao aside and whispered, "Where is that jade talisman?"

Li Tao hesitated for a moment, then finally pointed in the direction of a stone shrine: "It's right there, but there might be someone guarding it."

Zhao De nodded and quickly dispatched a small team to investigate. A few minutes later, the team returned with news that they had indeed found several enemies near the shrine.

"Prepare for action!" Zhao De shouted, quickly organizing a surprise attack.

A burst of gunfire rang out, and the enemy was quickly subdued. Zhao De led Li Tao closer to the shrine and finally found the jade talisman embedded in the stone tablet.

"Alright, mission accomplished." Zhao De smiled slightly, carefully removed the jade talisman, and placed it into a specially made protective box.

Just as they were preparing to retreat, a sudden burst of noisy footsteps and shouts came from outside.

"Captain, the enemy is here!" a team member reported urgently.

Zhao De's face darkened, and he immediately ordered his team to retreat. They quickly crossed the passage and returned to the original dense forest. Just then, a group of men in black burst into the ancient tomb, clearly having noticed their movements.

"Quick, get outside!" Zhao De shouted, leading his team in a frantic run.

Just as he rushed out of the forest, he discovered that even more enemies had already laid a trap around the perimeter. Zhao De's heart sank; the situation was critical!

"We're trapped!" Chen Ming shouted.

Chapter 1371 Reinforcements

Chapter 1371 Reinforcements

"Don't panic, we must find a breakthrough!" Zhao De said calmly.

At this moment, Li Tao suddenly said, "Captain, there is another hidden exit over here that can bypass their encirclement."

Zhao De immediately seized the opportunity and, following Li Tao's directions, led his team to another exit. They desperately escaped the encirclement and ran towards safety.

Zhao De led his team, closely following Li Tao, running at full speed. The shouts and gunshots of the enemy echoed intermittently from the dark, dense forest, but under Li Tao's guidance, they gradually moved away from the danger.

"Captain, this is the hidden exit," Li Tao said breathlessly, pointing to a huge rock in front of him. The rock had a tiny crack that blended almost seamlessly into its surroundings; without Li Tao's guidance, it would have been impossible to spot.

Zhao De nodded and waved to his team members to speed up. They passed through the crack and entered a narrow tunnel. This tunnel was more winding and circuitous than the ancient tomb passage they had just passed through, but fortunately, the light was still sufficient, and it wasn't completely dark.

After traveling for about ten minutes, the tunnel began to slope upwards. Zhao De vaguely heard a commotion coming from above.

"Everyone be careful, we're almost at the exit," Zhao De whispered a reminder. "Keep quiet and try not to be spotted by the enemy."

The group held their breath and proceeded cautiously. When they finally crawled out of a hidden hole, they found themselves in a dense thicket of grass. Several men in black were patrolling in the distance, but they hadn't yet spotted them.

Zhao De quickly surveyed the surroundings and, after confirming that it was temporarily safe, whispered, "We need to split up to reduce the chances of being discovered. You two follow me, and the rest of you split into two groups and circle around to the left and right. We'll meet at the rendezvous point at the foot of the mountain."

"Okay, Captain." The team members responded immediately and split into three groups as instructed by Zhao De, each disappearing into different directions.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming stayed with Zhao De's group. "This place is too dangerous. I don't know if we can get out of here safely," he muttered to himself.

Zhao De patted his shoulder and chuckled, "Don't worry, we've successfully obtained the jade talisman. As long as we persevere, we'll definitely find a way out."

The three of them moved stealthily, weaving through the trees. Suddenly, several patrolmen in black appeared ahead.

"Stop!" one of them spotted them.

In a flash, Zhao De leaped up, punching the nearest enemy and then kicking another away. Chen Ming wasn't far behind, rushing forward to engage the third enemy in combat. Li Tao swiftly drew his dagger and finished off the remaining man.

"Hurry up," Zhao De urged, "They'll be sending reinforcements soon!"

The three started running again, more footsteps approaching from behind. Clearly, the men in black had begun to realize something was amiss and were preparing to give chase.

Just as they were struggling to break through the encirclement, a wide river suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way. The river was swift and deep, and crossing it would not be easy.

"What should we do? We're stuck in a dilemma..." Chen Ming looked at Zhao De with some despair.

Just then, a small boat quietly moored nearby. On board, an old man who looked like a fisherman was bent over repairing something, unaware of the commotion on the shore.

Chapter 1372 Jade Talisman

Chapter 1372 Jade Talisman

Zhao De's eyes flashed, and he quickly stepped forward, saying politely but firmly, "Uncle, may we borrow your boat for a moment? We will pay a reasonable fee."

The old man looked up, staring at Zhao De and his two companions in surprise. He clearly hadn't expected this to happen. He squinted, scrutinizing the three panting, disheveled strangers.

"What do you do?" the old man asked, puzzled.

Zhao De hurriedly explained, "We are an archaeological team member, and we are being chased by the enemy. We need to cross the river to escape, please help us."

The old man pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I can lend you the boat, but you'll have to pay."

"Thank you, sir. This is your reward." Zhao De quickly took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it to the old man. "There is 10,000 yuan here. The password is 123456. You can withdraw it anytime."

The old man took the bank card, examined it carefully, and then nodded. "Come with me."

The three quickly caught up with the old man and boarded the small boat. Zhao De untied the rope and rowed vigorously, the boat slowly moving towards the opposite bank. The river was swift and the waves were turbulent, but they finally crossed the river successfully.

As soon as they reached the shore, Zhao De looked back and saw a large group of men in black gathered on the opposite bank, anxiously searching for their whereabouts.