Bai Ziling froze at his words, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Zhang Chen said unhurriedly, "Those female educated youths had to find someone to rely on after coming here. Otherwise, a delicate woman like them would never be able to endure the hard labor in the mountains."
"So that was it." Realization dawned on Bai Ziling. She then turned to Zhang Chen, her gaze brimming with relief. "Good thing I met you."
Zhang Chen smiled, rubbing Bai Ziling's head. "Go back inside. Don't catch a chill."
The days continued to pass one by one. Ever since that great tomb had been opened, the Evil Being within had grown increasingly sinister, already reaching the realm of Night Wandering. Even the enclosure had no choice but to endure the losses and halt operations. Hundreds of thousands of criminal laborers were withdrawn from the mines to await further arrangements.
Night.
Zhang Chen stood where he was, gazing toward the mines. The crimson radiance there had grown so dense it was almost solid, with threads of blood-red light slithering through it. "That earthbound demon is about to reach the realm of Day Wandering. Fortunately, the mines have already ceased work. Otherwise, if it had been given more chances to harm people, it would have broken free of the territory's bounds and brought calamity upon the world."
(The Great River Crab God crawled across eight hundred words here. Sigh...)
Zhang Chen nodded at the words and was just about to say something when he suddenly raised his head toward the bright moon. The moon flickered almost imperceptibly in his eyes. A strand of moonlight descended from the void and fell into the crimson radiance shooting into the heavens, becoming nourishment for it. As the moonlight entered the red pillar, the pillar trembled and grew several