Chapter 50: Chapter 46: Behind

Looking at the miasma thriving in Chu Zheng's hand, the people lying on the ground turned pale.

"Chu Zheng..."

Ji Feng was about to speak when a blob of nearly liquefied miasma smeared across his face.

He instinctively tried to hold his breath, but his body was already out of control, his breathing becoming more rapid.

The effect of the Poison Warding Pill could only last for a day. At this hour, the medicinal power had nearly dissipated, its effect minimal.

As the miasma entered their bodies, the complexions of the few turned green and purple in the blink of an eye, with veins popping on their foreheads, their breathing more labored.

Ji Feng's body quivered, and he was the first to fall silent.

Chu Zheng did not stop his actions and continued to forcefully inject the miasma into Ji Feng's body.

In his eyes, Ji Feng's body still harbored a vigorous Life Origin, clearly in a state of suspended animation, pretending to be dead.

However, unfortunately, such tricks were meaningless in front of Chu Zheng. In front of a Qi Cultivator, distinguishing life and death was the easiest.

As time dripped away, the vitality of the people on the ground grew weaker and weaker until it withered.

The moment they died, a surge of black mist suddenly burst out of the mine shaft and flew directly toward the still warm bodies on the ground.

There were still evil spirits lingering.

Chu Zheng narrowed his eyes and swallowed a mouthful of miasma, dispersing the Yuan Qi in his Dantian, and lay down on the ground, contacting Fu Quanliang through the Life-link Seal.

"Come quickly!"

The approaching black mist circuNovelFireented the vigorously Blood Qi-filled Chu Zheng and entered the corpses. Within a few breaths, the recently deceased were shakily standing up.

......

......

Outside the mine.

"Come quickly!"

Fu Quanliang, who had been unsettled by Chu Zheng's prolonged absence, was shocked by the sudden voice in his mind.

Without any hesitation, he turned and ran straight for Elder Han's tent.

"Elder Han."

Arriving outside the tent, Fu Quanliang composed himself, bowed respectfully, and said steadily:

"It's well past the time to stop work, and a few have not yet come out. I fear there may have been an accident. Shall we go in to look for them? Please instruct, Elder."

Rousing people also requires tact. In such moments, showing too much haste could backfire, so it was better to give the initiative to Han Yuliang.

As soon as he finished speaking, a divine light burst from the tent, heading straight for the mine.

Shortly after, Han Yuliang walked briskly out of the mine, dragging several figures behind him with Mana, his expression slightly unpleasant.

Having made assurances just the day before, and now several had died—undeniably, it was a slap in his face.

Fu Quanliang cautiously glanced over, saw Chu Zheng, and temporarily let go of his worries. Seeing the others, however, he could not help but frown.

Their skin was green and purple, and it was almost impossible to discern their original features. Their eyelids were wide open, pupils dilated, clearly dead beyond doubt.

Han Yuliang stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping over the bodies and settling on Chu Zheng for a moment.

He quickly approached, checked him over, and then let out a sigh of relief, took out a Detoxification Pill, and placed it in Chu Zheng's mouth.

Shortly after, Chu Zheng slowly opened his eyes, his expression somewhat bewildered, his gaze vacant, as if he had not yet regained his senses.

Han Yuliang stood up, glanced at Fu Quanliang, "What is your name?"

"In reply to Elder Han, the disciple's surname is Fu, first name Quanliang," Fu Quanliang bowed and said.

"You were alert this time. I'll record a merit for you."

Han Yuliang nodded slightly, flipped his palm and took out a jade bottle, tossed it to Fu Quanliang, then continued:

"Take this man down, take good care of him, find out the details of what happened, and report back to me."

"Thank you, Elder Han."

Fu Quanliang did not say much, instead, he bowed and then helped Chu Zheng up as they walked slowly toward the nearby large tent.

"These people, were they killed by you?" Fu Quanliang transmitted his voice secretly.

"Yes."

Chu Zheng nodded and activated his Yuan Qi to dissipate the residual poisonous vapors in his body.

"Why?"

"Killed is killed, there aren't so many reasons."

"I still need to give Han Yuliang an explanation," said Fu Quanliang, feeling helpless.

After pondering briefly, Chu Zheng summarized curtly, "Those men tried to snatch my raw ore, likely for that monthly reward of twenty spirit stones. It dragged on for a while. That's about it, see if you can handle it."

Upon hearing this, Fu Quanliang stopped walking, his expression slightly odd: "Among those, was there one named Ji Feng?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"I don't know him, but I know the reason behind this, those twenty spirit stones are just an excuse." Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Fu Quanliang shook his head, "Cutting off the ore, Ji Feng is just a pawn. Behind him are those cultivators from the Han Family who guard the mines."

"What do you mean?" Chu Zheng was puzzled, it was only twenty spirit stones, why would these cultivators be tempted?

"Those twenty spirit stones are nothing, the real bulk is in the resources given to the odd-jobbers. By taking the raw ore from them and then delivering it in full to the sects at the end of the month, the profit is hundreds of spirit stones."

"The salaries of these odd-jobbers are managed by the sects."

Hearing Fu Quanliang's words, Chu Zheng quickly understood, falling silent for a moment, realizing he had thought too simply.

One person holding back one stone, ten people would mean ten stones; with over three hundred people, that's at least three hundred more spirit stones a month — and the actual amount is much more than this number.

Moreover, this operation had no cost at all, an immense profit!

In two to three months, it could equate to one magic artifact!

For a cultivator in the Spirit Spring Realm, this was also a considerable amount.

"Are you also involved in this?" Chu Zheng's gaze slightly hardened.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me," Fu Quanliang said, somewhat speechlessly, "I've only been here a few days, do you think they would share the spirit stones with me? Do I qualify?"

"Talking to Han Yuliang about the ore cutting will be useless, they are all from the Han Family. They will at most get a scolding, and you could end up in trouble. Leave it to me, I'll handle it."

Suddenly, Fu Quanliang had a plan in mind and brought Chu Zheng to his designated tent. He did not stay long and soon left.

......

......

Early the next morning.

As Chu Zheng just stepped out of his tent, he found the area already crowded with martial masters, no fewer than thirty to fifty people.

Fu Quanliang stood to one side and spoke loudly, "From today onward, once you're in the mine, you will follow Chu Zheng's orders."

Next to him stood a Spirit Spring Realm cultivator, about twenty-five to twenty-six years old, dressed in the garments of a Phantom Spirit Sect disciple, with a blue lotus embroidered on his chest and a calm expression.

"I told them, you'll replace Ji Feng..."

Before Fu Quanliang could finish speaking, Chu Zheng interrupted him:

"I won't do it."

Fu Quanliang's expression slightly tightened, his brow slowly furrowed as he transmitted, "I remember you saying you were here to do something big, and those who aim to achieve big things should not fuss over the small details."

This was the best solution he could think of, one that wouldn't cause trouble for Chu Zheng.

"This is not a small detail," Chu Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly, "this goes against my conscience."

Before Fu Quanliang could speak again, he transmitted once more:

"Just because I can't help these people now doesn't mean I should exploit them. I know it's difficult for you, give me three more days."

"Once I find what I'm looking for, we'll leave this place and return to Illusory Spirit City."