The mysterious figure in black
"It was from that time on that my father and the others started working much longer hours."
"Because the New Mountain Sect group created labor Contract that don't allow anyone to leave the Mine Mountain!"
He Niannian clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, saying, "Some people resisted, but they were all killed by the Soul Master of the New Mountain Sect!"
"Later, after the situation at the Mine Mountain stabilized, New Mountain Sect gave each miner the opportunity to take turns resting, but the exploitation was still severe."
The New Mountain Sect did not treat these people as complete slaves because they did not want the situation to escalate or be exposed prematurely.
After all, behind these hundreds of miners are hundreds of families.
If a family member has been missing for too long, even if the family member is afraid to report it to the police, the local city defense officers will definitely notice.
The disappearance of hundreds of young and middle-aged laborers raises serious concerns that someone might be trying to stop the rebellion.
New Mountain Sect probably took this into consideration, which is why he later gave the miners a chance to rest.
All they had to do was target the miners' families to make them obedient and dare not speak out.
At this moment, as long as these miners are dealt with, no one will know that the New Mountain Sect is involved.
Wu Qi continued, "He Niannian, have you seen any people from out of town with the surname Wu at the Mine Mountain? Especially those dressed in fine clothes?"
He Niannian shook her head.
There are some locals with the surname Wu, but none of the outsiders who meet the criteria.
Perhaps thinking of something, he added, "I remember my father saying that in the beginning, there was a man who called himself Master Wu Cheng, who was their Team Leader. After Master Charles left, we never saw this Master Wu Cheng again."
Wu Qi considered a possibility and said, "Is it possible that Charles and the rest of the Wu Family were killed by the New Mountain Sect, and the Contract Document were forged?"
He Niannian wasn't very clear about this; she was still young then and barely knew any words, so how could she know the details?
Qiangu Changkong asserted, "It's highly likely. To be able to kill Wu Qinan's deputy so silently and without anyone noticing afterwards, the Wu Family must have an inside man."
He Niannian added, "However, I also feel that Mr. Charles won't leave easily."
"Back then, after Lord Charles awakened my Martial Soul, he said he would take me to Heaven Dou City."
Even if he sells the Mine Mountain, he'll most likely not forget me.
Since she started practicing Soul Master cultivation, He Niannian naturally knew what innate level eight Soul Power meant.
Since Charles already knew of her existence, he couldn't easily forget her; there must be some reason why he couldn't come.
Of these, the other party is most likely to be dead.
Whether it is true or not, it is impossible to verify unless the bodies of Charles and the Wu Family from that time are found.
But after so many years, the New Mountain Sect probably already had the body crushed to ashes and could not be found anywhere.
After asking some questions, Wu Qi arranged for He Niannian to rest and sent a Soul Saint to protect her safety.
It wasn't that she was worried He Niannian would leak their plan, but rather that there were scouts from the New Mountain Sect inside the city.
A small team from the New Mountain Sect had just gone missing, but He Niannian, who entered the Mine Mountain last night, appeared in a nearby city. It's hard not to suspect that He Niannian brought out some major news.
If the New Mountain Sect detonates the explosives ahead of time, the miners will have no chance of survival.
"Wu Ge, what's the next step?" Qiangu Changkong said in a deep voice, "He Niannian knows a lot of information, but it's too scattered, and many details haven't been clearly revealed."
"Right now, all we know is that Charles disappeared a long time ago, and that New Mountain Sect took over the Mine Mountain with the Contract with him. But is that enough to clear the Wu Family of suspicion?"
Logically speaking, Charles did not have the authority to sell the Mine Mountain.
But they still did it anyway, and afterwards, the New Mountain Sect even gave Wu Qinan a share of the profits. The entire Wu Family didn't notice anything amiss.
Therefore, the most likely explanation is that the mole held a very high position in the Wu Family!
He was at least a close advisor to Wu Qinan, or perhaps even his steward.
The Wu Family's butler was Wu Qinan's comrade-in-arms and deeply trusted by him. If he wanted to conceal information, Wu Qinan would definitely be deceived.
Next, unless He Niannian's father can be found, it will be difficult to advance the clues any further.
However, there is no vegetation around the Mine Mountain, making it impossible to sneak in secretly.
Before they could think further, a commotion broke out outside the door.
He Niannian had not gone far from the room when a man in black suddenly appeared, seemingly about to kidnap her.
The Soul Saint experts from the Spirit Hall acted swiftly, repelling the opponent in the first instance and rescuing He Niannian.
The other person was dressed in a black robe, was burly, and his face was covered by a mask, making it impossible to determine his identity.
Neither side wanted to escalate the situation or attract outside attention, so neither used their Soul Power.
But the Soul Saint of the Spirit Hall had his hands trembling slightly.
His opponent was far stronger than him; if the opponent attacked immediately, he wouldn't be able to stop him.
When Wu Qi and his two companions arrived, the two sides were in a standoff.
Golden Gong Soul Sage said in a deep voice, "My lord, this person is very strong, and I'm afraid I am no match for him."
"I will do my best to hold him off for a while. You should go and meet up with the Venerable Master."
Wu Qi shook his head.
Qian Jun and Subduing Demon Douluo are both Super Douluo; their perception can cover the entire city without any problem. How could they not have noticed?
They didn't show up, perhaps because they assumed the other party wasn't hostile.
He Niannian was still shaken. Wu Qi comforted her for a moment, then stepped forward and asked, "Who are you?"
"If you need any help, you can simply ask. Why come here to snatch people away?"
The other party did not directly reveal their Martial Soul or Soul Power, so they probably didn't come to kill and silence us.
It's highly likely that the other party is also investigating matters related to the Mine Mountain.
If that's the case, the two sides could potentially join forces instead of fighting each other.
The man in black robes didn't speak, but his emotions clearly wavered the moment he saw Wu Qi.
He paused, then lowered his voice and said in a deep tone, "Okay, but you must share intelligence with me."
Wu Qi shrugged, neither refusing nor agreeing, "We don't want to share intelligence with a cowardly fellow."
"Since this is a collaboration, shouldn't you show some sincerity? At the very least, let us know who you are."
The man in black robes did not answer his question, but instead asked, "Are you investigating the New Mountain Sect?"
Having received an affirmative answer, he took out a simple Route Map from his pocket and said, "Go out from the east gate and follow the route I indicate; you will find new clues."
"You don't need to know my identity for now; this is my sincerity, how about it?"
He paused, then added, "I'll sit here and wait for you to return. You can go and verify whether it's true or false."
Qiangu Changkong hesitated for a moment, then nudged Wu Qi's sleeve. "Wu Ge, if we have any new leads, it could be enough to turn things around for us."