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"Wu Que was gone all night and only came back in the morning?"

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, his gaze turning sharp.

"Constable Yang, how did you know Wu Que had been gone all night?"

Yang Ling thought it over. "I was in such high spirits that night, I couldn't sleep. I lay awake until dawn.

"In the morning, I heard Supervisor Wu come back."

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

The middle-aged man pressed him.

Yang Ling smiled. "That day, Captain Lin agreed to let me fill a vacancy at the Qingshan City yamen."

The middle-aged man seemed to understand. Then he said politely,

"Constable Yang, don't blame me for asking so many questions. This is a serious matter involving Wu Que, and even the Sect Master may personally look into it."

"Xiao Yang, you may not know this, but something serious has happened at our ore vein. Our stock is short by a full three thousand jin of Fire Crystal Rock. We may have to ask you to help look for Wu Que, too."

Steward Niu spoke with a grave expression.

Yang Ling smiled wryly. "I'm just a lowly constable. I doubt I'll be involved in something this serious."

"Constable Yang, Wu Que's excuse for taking you out that time was Dou Mine. That's rather strange. Why don't you come back to Mountain River Sect with me? I'm afraid I won't know how to answer if the Sect Master asks about it."

The middle-aged man spoke again.

Yang Ling felt a little helpless.

He knew the other man was afraid of being held responsible and wanted to shift the attention from his superiors onto someone else.

"Steward Li, Yang Ling may not have time to go to Mountain River Sect."

Xu Qing entered the hall with a faint smile.

"Xu Qing?"

The middle-aged man was slightly startled.

"Senior Brother Xu."

Steward Niu stepped forward to greet him.

Xu Qing looked at the middle-aged man.

"Steward Li, actually, I've long suspected that Wu Que not only stole Fire Crystal Rock but may also have been keeping a gang of mine bandits to run rampant.

"Steward Niu is an informant I placed by his side. I've known everything Wu Que has done over the past few years."

"What!?"

The middle-aged man stared at Steward Niu in shock.

Yang Ling felt a flicker of understanding.

"It's just that I didn't have enough evidence, and Wu Que was also a talent my eldest senior brother had taken a liking to. I didn't want to expose him."

Xu Qing paused in thought. "This time, Wu Que realized he couldn't make up the shortfall, and the sect was about to audit the books. Naturally, he could only run.

"As for Yang Ling, I plan to appoint him as the supervisor of the Red Gold Mine. He's one of my people, too.

"If you think there's something wrong with him, then there's something wrong with me."

"Junior Brother Xu, the sect has already put you in charge of the Red Gold Mine?"

Steward Li looked at him strangely.

"That's right."

Xu Qing nodded slightly.

Steward Li felt a chill creep over his scalp.

So the struggle had already been decided.

He hadn't heard a word about it. He'd almost brought disaster upon himself!

If he carelessly dragged Xu Qing into this matter now, he might not be able to stay in Mountain River Sect much longer.

"Junior Brother Xu, so Wu Que was lining his own pockets and fled in fear of being punished. Should we leave this matter to Qingshan City to handle?"

Steward Li asked respectfully with cupped hands.

"If word of this gets out, it'll only bring shame."

"As one of the mine gangs, if people learn that a supervisor under Mountain River Sect could steal a full three thousand jin of Fire Crystal Rock, we'll become a laughingstock."

Xu Qing shook his head. "I'll report this to the Sect Master. The sect will deal with it internally."

"I understand."

Steward Li nodded.

"Steward Niu, we still need someone here to keep watch and prevent trouble. You'll serve as acting supervisor for now."

Xu Qing gave the order.

Steward Niu's expression turned solemn. He cupped his fist and bowed.

"Yes!"

Steward Li silently marveled at his skill.

In the blink of an eye, the other man had not only taken control of a Red Gold Mine, but might even gain this Fire Crystal Rock mine, which should have been under that person's control...

"Steward Li, sorry for the trouble. Please go back and report everything here truthfully."

"I need to stop by the Red Gold Mine on the way, to make sure nothing similar has happened there."

Xu Qing said.

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Xu. I'll set off right away."

Steward Li nodded readily. He immediately took the mine's accounts with him and hurried back to Mountain River Sect.

After he left, Xu Qing looked at Yang Ling thoughtfully.

"How did you become a constable?"

"Senior Brother Xu, I gave Captain Lin ten taels of silver."

"..."

Xu Qing said, "Did Captain Lin know you were one of my people?"

Yang Ling nodded sheepishly.

"He didn't want to accept the money at first, so I brought up Senior Brother Xu as my backer. Captain Lin's attitude changed immediately."

"Of course. If he hadn't known you were one of my people, he wouldn't have dared accept your ten taels of silver. Even if he had, he wouldn't have given you the position of constable."

Xu Qing nodded slightly. "It's good that you became a constable. You'll have a chance to join the Iron Clothes Department in the future.

"That would be a great help to Mountain River Sect."

Seeing Xu Qing's attitude, Yang Ling immediately felt relieved.

"Do you have any luggage? I plan to head to the Red Gold Mine right now."

Xu Qing asked.

Yang Ling's expression shifted. "Senior Brother Xu, I'd like to bring a few helpers."

"Can you trust them?"

"I can."

"Then bring them along."

Inside the carriage, Chen Xu was rather ill at ease. Chen Guoqing had more experience in the ways of the world, but he knew the Divine Domain had a strict hierarchy, unlike modern society, so he didn't dare strike up a conversation with Xu Qing along the way.

"Yang Ling, you really do like mining."

Xu Qing sounded a little bemused. "If I were you, I'd enjoy the good life in the city after becoming a constable. Why would I still go work in a mine?"

"Senior Brother Xu, mining makes money."

Yang Ling smiled. "Besides, if I don't work hard while I'm still young, I won't have the strength to do it when I'm old."