Multiple Personalities

Shen Jingqi and his companions hid in the shadows, barely daring to breathe. They watched these black-clad figures, their hearts filled with doubt: "Who exactly are these black-clothed men? Why are they preventing us from investigating the secret of the Mysterious Land?"

The black-clothed men searched the library thoroughly, turning over every corner, but never managed to find Shen Jingqi and his friends. The leader of the black-clothed men angrily said, "Keep looking, they can't have gone far."

Shen Jingqi knew that hiding like this was not a solution. They had to find a way to escape from these black-clothed men. Shen Jingqi whispered, "Let's sneak out while they're not paying attention."

They moved cautiously towards the exit, careful with each step. Just as they were about to reach the door, a black-clothed man suddenly spotted them.

"There they are!" shouted the black-clothed man.

Hearing the shout, the other black-clothed men rushed towards them. Shen Jingqi and his companions had no time to think and had to engage in a fierce battle with the black-clothed men. They waved their weapons and fought vigorously. For a moment, the library was filled with the sound of battle cries, and the flashing of blades and swords.

Shen Jingqi moved swiftly, dodging left and right, continuously attacking the black-clothed men. Xu An, with his tremendous strength, wielded a wooden stick, knocking down black-clothed men one by one. Lin Yu was not to be outdone, using stones and nearby debris to attack the black-clothed men.

However, more and more black-clothed men appeared, and they began to feel overwhelmed. Shen Jingqi was anxious: "This isn't working, we must find a way to break through."

Suddenly, he thought of a plan. He shouted, "Follow me!" He led Xu An and Lin Yu towards a side door in the library. Behind the side door was a narrow passage, and they dashed into it, closing the door behind them to temporarily stop the black-clothed men from pursuing.

The three ran desperately along the passage, not knowing how long they had been running, but they finally escaped the black-clothed men's pursuit. Exhausted and panting, they collapsed onto the ground.

"Who on earth are these black-clothed men? Why are they so determined to stop us?" Xu An asked, gasping for air.

Shen Jingqi shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but we can be sure that the secret of the Mysterious Land is more complicated than we imagined, hiding a huge conspiracy."

Lin Yu looked at the map in his hand and said, "No matter what, we cannot give up. With this map, we have hope of uncovering the secret of the Mysterious Land."

After resting for a while, they continued their journey. Following the map's route, they reached an ancient valley. The valley was shrouded in a thick mist, obscuring the path ahead.

"This place seems eerie, everyone be careful," Shen Jingqi warned.

They walked cautiously into the valley, careful with each step. Suddenly, they heard a strange sound, as if someone was softly crying. The sound echoed through the valley, sending chills down their spines.

"What is that sound?" Xu An asked nervously.

Shen Jingqi raised his ears, listening intently, and said, "I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem like something good. Everyone stay alert."

As they continued walking, a group of dark shadows suddenly appeared from the mist, rushing towards them. These shadows were different from the black-clothed men they had encountered in the library; they seemed more sinister, their bodies twisted and deformed as if created from darkness.

Shen Jingqi and his companions quickly waved their weapons, engaging the shadows in battle. The shadows attacked fiercely, their claws razor-sharp, each strike leaving a wound on their bodies. They began to feel overwhelmed, covered in injuries.

"This won't do, we have to find a way to escape them," Shen Jingqi shouted.

He looked around and spotted a cave not far away. He shouted, "Everyone, run to the cave!"

They ran towards the cave, the shadows chasing closely behind. They dashed into the cave and blocked the entrance, temporarily halting the shadows' attack.

The cave was pitch black, their hands invisible in front of their faces. They lit the torches they carried, illuminating the surroundings. A damp smell filled the cave, and strange lights flickered on the walls.

"What is this place? Why are there so many strange things?" Xu An asked with a frown.

Shen Jingqi looked around and said, "I don't know, but one thing is for sure, this place is closely linked to the Mysterious Land. If we keep moving forward, we might find some clues."

They carefully moved forward along the cave when suddenly they heard a deep roar. It sounded like it came from Hell, sending a shiver down their spines.

"What is that sound?" Lin Yu asked fearfully.

Shen Jingqi gripped his dagger and said, "Not sure, stay cautious, everyone."

They continued forward, when suddenly, a gigantic Monster appeared before them. The Monster was huge, covered in black scales, its eyes glowing red, and it bellowed hot breath from its mouth.

"What... what kind of Monster is that?" Xu An asked, pale with fear.

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and said, "No matter what kind of Monster it is, we can't back down. Everyone, attack together!"

They charged towards the Monster with their weapons drawn. The Monster roared, swiping at them with its massive claws.

They focused their attacks on the Monster. The Monster roared in pain, attacking them even more ferociously. But they didn't back down, continuing to fight valiantly.

Finally, through their efforts, the Monster fell with a crash. Exhausted, they collapsed, gasping for air.

"Finally defeated it," Xu An said.

Shen Jingqi looked at the fallen Monster and said, "This is just the beginning; the secret of the Mysterious Land still awaits us to uncover. Let's keep moving forward."

They continued along the cave, not knowing how long they had walked, until they finally exited the cave. Outside the cave was an expansive meadow, at the end of which stood an ancient castle.

"Could the secret of the Mysterious Land be hidden within this castle?" Lin Yu said excitedly.

Shen Jingqi nodded and said, "It's quite possible. Let's go in and take a look."

They walked towards the castle, but its large gates were tightly shut. Shen Jingqi pushed hard against the door, but it didn't budge.

"Looks like we'll have to find a way to open this door," Xu An said.

As they searched around the castle, they finally found a hidden mechanism on one side of the castle. Shen Jingqi pressed it, and the gates slowly opened.

They entered the castle, which was filled with a stale atmosphere. Ancient portraits hung on the walls, the eyes of the painted figures seemingly watching them with a mysterious gaze.