Immortality from Taming Elephant
Chapter 568 - 251: Hidden Mine Treasure, Black Fire Association, Bone Masks (2)
"Good!"
...
The next day.
Xu Guang was in his room checking the accounts; the mine’s ledgers were perfectly done, with all expenses and income marked in great detail. At first glance, there seemed to be no problems.
Lei Dong came to visit.
"Young Master Xu, last night I spent the night in the mine with a few elders and finally found some clues about the reduced production."
"Oh?"
Lei Dong had a fawning look, "The Phoenix Stone in Mine Number Nine is somewhat depleted, and a mysterious pit has appeared near Mine Number Seven which we hadn’t noticed. I suspect the disappearances and deaths of the barbarian mine slaves are related to this pit."
Xu Guang looked at Lei Dong with a faintly amused expression.
"Didn’t you, the mayor, notice the depletion of the mine?"
Lei Dong shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I have too many day-to-day affairs to manage. It’s difficult to see deep into the mine, and yesterday I only figured it out using a measuring talisman that the Chamber of Commerce sent over. That thing is too precious; if not for your arrival, I wouldn’t have dared to use it."
Xu Guang’s gaze turned indifferent, his smile fading.
"That really must have been hard work for Mayor Lei."
Lei Dong looked visibly anxious.
...
Outside the town.
Du Dayong was desperately escaping, like a ghostly shadow.
Behind him, several figures were relentlessly chasing, and above the clouds, a multicolored Phoenix silently followed.
"You’re insane!"
Du Dayong’s face showed anger; he hadn’t expected Lei Dong would actually dare to kill him.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a talisman from his chest.
As if standing on the brink of life and death, facing those rushing black shadows without hesitation, he turned and drew his sword.
The shadows landed, each wearing a bone mask, like a very unique organization.
Bai Xiaozhu displayed surprise; she didn’t recognize these masked people but felt vaguely familiar, like she had heard of such a power somewhere.
Du Dayong’s talisman suddenly exploded, faintly forming a portal.
He thrust his sword forward.
"Tell Lei Dong and his son, this matter won’t end here!"
With a roar, he entered the portal and vanished completely.
The bone-faced figures showed anger in their eyes, completely surprised that a mere Fifth Grade could escape from them.
Du Dayong’s escape talisman was of a very high grade.
...
"Who do you think those people are?"
Bai Xiaozhu discussed what she saw while waiting for Xu Guang’s answer.
Xu Guang squinted, "Some minor rats, that’s all. This mining site is getting more interesting."
At first, he thought the decrease in minerals was due to embezzlement above or the consumption from overt and covert struggles between various mining sites.
But now it seems...
The situation is more complex than he imagined, deeper than he envisioned.
The Black Fire Association behind Du Dayong, the Bone-faced People’s force behind Lei Dong...
...
"Young Master Xu, are you leaving already?"
Xu Guang smiled, "There’s some business at the Northern Imperial Academy, Xu Mou must return."
Lei Dong showed regret, "I was hoping Young Master Xu, with your great strength, could help us inspect that pit."
Xu Guang said no more and just turned to leave.
...
Hundreds of miles outside Qing Town, in a small town.
Du Dayong sat in a teahouse, silently eating the food before him.
He did not expect Lei Dong and his son to be so ruthless, really daring to attack him.
Do they truly want to involve the Golden Bull Chamber of Commerce?
As Lei Hai had said, Du Dayong indeed liked a barbarian girl at the mine; initially, his intention was merely to take the girl away, but...
With his efforts, he connected with a core disciple of the Black Fire Association and discovered, Qing Town’s mining site concealed a great secret.
He’d been investigating, faintly sensing it was some kind of treasure.
Opposite him sat a young man, the Black Fire Association’s core disciple - Li Kelin.
"Did Lei Dong try to kill you?"
Li Kelin frowned.
"Seems your earlier assessment was correct; Lei Dong has sided with another group, the secret stash in the mine is quite a hot potato."
Everyone has their own desires and little schemes.
The Phoenix Stone mine seems to have discovered an ancient secret treasure; such a heavy treasure, naturally Lei Dong and his nephew want it for themselves.
Du Dayong luckily found out, wanting a share, but with his power and background, he could only find help; Li Kelin was the help he found.
Li Kelin also has his plans, using his title as a core disciple of the Black Fire Association to gain Du Dayong’s loyalty but did not report the matter to the Black Fire Association.
Lei Dong and the others are the same; they’d rather cooperate with another force than report the matter to the Golden Bull Chamber of Commerce.
The greed of human nature is evident.
"Do you have any leads on the people Lei Dong is cooperating with? Do you know their identity?"
Li Kelin asked.
Du Dayong contemplated, then spoke softly, "Lei Dong and his nephew are old miners, rarely going out, and the ways of these people don’t seem local to Jizhou; the mining slaves are all bought from overseas, maybe, when Lei Dong was buying mining slaves, he collaborated with some overseas forces."
Li Kelin frowned.
Du Dayong had described the characteristics of these people, wearing white bone masks, their Qi Force carrying a decaying aura.
He had no recollection of any force with such traits.
Overseas forces?
Li Kelin pondered inwardly.
Not far behind them, Xu Guang quietly watched them, Divine Thought sweeping over them.
Li Kelin is a core disciple of the Black Fire Association, but his strength is only Third Grade, insignificant to Xu Guang, though there seems to be a Guardian next to him.