Chapter 69

Chapter 69

As he spoke, his gaze swept around and suddenly landed on Qin Han and Li Yang. He immediately ordered, "You two, follow Manager Liu to the Ninth Mining Area. If you hear any monster sounds, report back. If not, give those troublemakers ten lashes each to teach them a lesson."

Li Yang promptly thumped his chest and declared, "Supervisor, rest assured. This humble one will not fail your mission. I’ll carry out your orders flawlessly."

The Supervisor nodded. "Then I’ll leave it to you."

Qin Han had initially thought of slipping away, but when he heard the Gray-robed Elder mention strange noises deep in the mine, his eyes grew contemplative. Could it be that thing down there? If it really was, then this might be a huge opportunity!

The mining area stretched deep underground. The Gray-robed Elder led Qin Han and Li Yang further inside, passing one mining zone after another. Qin Han was inwardly surprised—the scale of this Gold Mine was far larger than he’d imagined. There must have been thousands of workers in total, along with nearly two hundred guards patrolling the tunnels.

Unfortunately, just as Li Yang had said, the amount of gold ore currently being extracted was pitifully small. Aside from the Supervisor’s personal stash of over ten thousand gold coins, the rest combined likely amounted to no more than nine thousand.

After walking for a while longer, the temperature inside the mine seemed to rise by over ten degrees. Finally, the three arrived at their destination—the Ninth Mining Area.

Located at the deepest part of the Gold Mine, its entrance was sealed by a massive Cast Iron Door, making it look less like a mining zone and more like a prison. Though Qin Han was curious about the identities of those "imprisoned" inside, he kept his questions to himself to avoid suspicion.

Li Yang, however, couldn’t resist asking, "I’ve heard from others that there’s a mining area deep inside sealed by an Iron Door. I didn’t believe it at first, but here it is. Manager Liu, why is this place locked up like this? Are you afraid the people inside will escape?"

The Gray-robed Elder’s expression was inscrutable as he replied meaningfully, "The Ninth Mining Area houses Serious Criminals. These people should have been executed, but the High Priest, in his mercy, spared their lives and gave them a chance to survive."

"However," he added sternly, "whatever you see or hear inside must never be spoken of. Act as if you know nothing. Understood?"

Both men nodded immediately.

Satisfied, the Gray-robed Elder gave a slight nod and said nothing more. He pulled a key from his robes, unlocked the Iron Door, and with a creak, heaved it open with his aged hands.

At the same time, the workers inside, hearing the noise, stopped their labor. Countless eyes turned toward the entrance—filled with anger, fear, resentment, and suppressed emotions.

From the crowd, a strong, white-haired elder stepped forward cautiously, his gaze wary. When he saw the Gray-robed Elder and the two newcomers, he forced a faint smile.

"Ah, Manager Liu has arrived."

The Gray-robed Elder responded with only a cold nod before gesturing to Qin Han and Li Yang.

"Go in. I’ll wait outside."

With that, as Qin Han and the other stepped through the gate, the Gray-robed Elder promptly shut the heavy cast iron door behind them. With a sharp click, it was locked. His face cold and indifferent, he stepped aside.

Inside the Ninth Mining Area, as the door locked, the miners seemed to have coordinated in advance—they all closed in, surrounding Qin Han and the other with furious glares, as if harboring some deep-seated grudge against them.

Li Yang stumbled back in fright. "What do you think you're doing? Planning a rebellion? I'm the High Priest's guard! If you dare act recklessly, you're dead!"

Though his words were bold, the fear on his face was unmistakable.

Qin Han, however, remained unfazed. Despite their numbers, these people looked sallow and emaciated, weak to the point of being easily toppled by a gust of wind.