’What could possibly have tempted Li Jinghong?’

’It obviously couldn’t have been ordinary money or wealth.’

Chu Mu had never seen Li Jinghong tempted by wealth. The only time he’d witnessed him show such desire—or perhaps, greed—was this one time... for that mysterious, higher-tier Extraordinary legacy from Qili Village.

’In other words, what tempted Li Jinghong was something Extraordinary, something mysterious and from a higher tier.’

’And that man in white... as soon as he arrived, he hunted down that youth, then turned the old man’s body into a mummified corpse.’

’What could tempt a man like that obviously wasn’t worldly riches. It had to be some kind of Extraordinary prize, something on his level.’

’In other words... hidden within the mines is some kind of treasure that could tempt even an Extraordinary being on the level of the man in white.’

All at once, Chu Mu’s thoughts turned to the source of all this turmoil.

It was the order from the Commandery City to increase the mine’s production.

Now that he thought about it, it was likely the will of the Nanshan Li Family.

But regardless, all the recent turmoil in Nanshan Town, and even all of Qinghe County, had stemmed from that one order.

The already unbearable burden of Forced Labor had been deliberately made heavier, which led to the uprising in Qili Village and all the present turmoil.

’And could this be the reason why Li Jinghong and the man in white are searching for their so-called "treasure" in the mines?’

As far as Chu Mu knew, the Nanshan Iron Ore mine had been in operation for decades. And while annual production fluctuated, there had never been a demand for such a massive increase in output.

’It was definitely a possibility.’

Chu Mu took a bite of a large meat bun, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

A bowl of noodles and several baskets of buns later, his stomach was finally somewhat full. Chu Mu picked up the remaining baskets of buns, which the waiter had already packed, and slowly made his way downstairs.

He had only taken a few steps and hadn’t yet reached the ground floor when a shrill whistle echoed from the street, growing louder as it approached. The bustling inn instantly fell silent.

Immediately, the Inspectors dropped their bowls and chopsticks one after another and sprinted out of the inn.

The whistle was shrill, extremely ear-piercing, and its meaning was dire. It was a summons!

When the whistle blew, all Inspectors not on active duty were required to assemble at the Inspection Office within fifteen minutes. Lateness was punishable by summary execution.

Chu Mu instinctively recalled this military order of the Inspection Office.

With no time to think, Chu Mu grabbed the baskets of buns and sprinted toward the Inspection Office.

Even before reaching the Inspection Office, Chu Mu could see figures gathering both inside and out, and the chaotic din was already clearly audible.

Most of the Inspectors wore baffled expressions, clearly confused by the sudden summons.

"The Thousand Households has given an order! All off-duty Inspectors are to enter the mine and await instructions."

"Assemble! Into the mountain, quickly!"

Before Chu Mu had a chance to ask what was happening, the shouts to assemble rang out.

Hearing this, Chu Mu’s heart skipped a beat. ’Such an abrupt summons into the mountain... Have the Forced Laborers in the mine rebelled?’

As the crowd gathered, the order was given without even a headcount, and the assembled Inspectors headed straight for the mine.

Given the haste and urgency, it was clear Chu Mu wasn’t the only one worried. After all, in Nanshan Town, a popular uprising was hardly a rare event.

But no matter how common it was, if a rebellion truly broke out, it would be up to nobodies like them to fight with cold, hard steel—to risk their very lives!

The tragedy of the battle at Qili Village was still fresh in their minds!

Right now, there were several thousand Forced Laborers in the mine. If they rebelled, it would be no laughing matter.

Once their blood was up, several thousand laborers, each armed with a pickaxe, could easily overwhelm the few hundred of them.

Chu Mu racked his brain, trying to recall the layout of the mine. He had already made up his mind: ’If this really is a rebellion and things go south, or if they expect me to throw my life away, I’m getting out of here, no questions asked!’

’Things are different now.’

’When I first got here, I was completely in the dark, without even the most basic ability to protect myself.’

’But now, I’ve learned what I can, I’ve studied Martial Arts, and I have some ability to defend myself.’

’Worst case, I’ll just shed this uniform. With money and Martial Arts, I can make a good life for myself anywhere.’

"Hm?"

As he entered the mine and took in the scene, Chu Mu was taken aback.

The mine was as orderly as ever. The Forced Laborers were toiling away, the Inspectors were standing guard—everything was just as it always was. There wasn’t the slightest hint of anything unusual, let alone a popular uprising.

’No uprising... Then what is all this for...?’

Chu Mu was puzzled. But soon, after the troop passed through several mining areas and stopped at the bottom of a pit, he saw the conspicuous figure in white, as well as the large group of laborers that had been gathered nearby. He was starting to understand.

"Thousand Households."

The lead Inspector stepped forward quickly.

Li Jinghong nodded, then turned to the man in white, looking as if he wanted to speak but thought better of it.

"Now that they’re here, let’s begin."

The man in white glanced at the newly arrived Inspectors and waved his hand dismissively.

"As you command!"

Li Jinghong quickly replied, then began shouting for the Forced Laborers to come forward. Following his orders, the Inspectors formed up in their squads and took up guard positions throughout the mining area. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"What are they digging for?"

Xu Yuan asked, taking a large bite of a bun while curiously watching the dozens of busy laborers.

"Help yourself."

Chu Mu shoved the baskets of buns he was carrying into Xu Yuan’s hands, his own gaze drifting toward the subservient Li Jinghong and the man in white standing not far away.

His gaze lingered on them for a moment before shifting to the dozens of laborers digging at the rock face.

Considering everything he had seen and heard lately, it wasn’t hard to figure out what this whole spectacle was about.

’After searching all night, the man in white and Li Jinghong must have found the "treasure" they’d been looking for.’

’And now, they were obviously digging it up.’

’But... for something like this, shouldn’t the fewer people who know, the better?’

’Why go to all the trouble of bringing them—all the off-duty Inspectors—over here?’

Chu Mu couldn’t figure it out. But as long as it wasn’t a rebellion and he wasn’t being forced to risk his life, he couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. He might as well just watch the show.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Dozens of laborers swung their tools with all their might. Rock chips and sparks flew as the ear-piercing sound of their impacts echoed through the pit.

While the laborers toiled desperately, the nearly two hundred summoned Inspectors just stood around the pit like statues, idly watching the dozens of men work.

Although he was curious about what they were digging for, after watching for a good while and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Chu Mu lost interest. He found a rock to sit on and began to ponder his Qi and Blood Cultivation.

Time flowed by slowly, marked only by the constant CLANG, CLANG, CLANG of the tools.

Chu Mu sat on the rock as still as a meditating monk, showing no sign of movement.

Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, half an hour, one hour, two hours...

Time passed, and everything seemed normal, without the slightest hint of anything unusual.

But Chu Mu, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly snapped to attention!

’Something’s wrong...’