Sand Bandit Raid

The chaos in the mine tunnel did not end with Chen being subdued.

Instead, just as two overseers were lifting the trussed-up Chen to retreat, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from the deep darkness ahead!

The whistle was piercingly shrill, echoing with jarring intensity through the narrow tunnel.

"What is that sound?" Wang He whipped his head around, his face turning deathly pale.

Both overseers stopped in their tracks, their expressions equally grim.

One of the overseers gasped, "It's the bandits from the Black Sand Society!"

Before the words had even faded, numerous flames suddenly ignited in the darkness ahead!

Following this, a barrage of phosphorus grenades was hurled forward.

Dazzling light instantly flooded the tunnel, and more lethally, a massive cloud of powder dispersed the moment the grenades detonated.

"Hold your breath! It's poison powder!" the overseer roared, but it was already too late.

Those closest had already inhaled the dust and immediately began to cough violently.

"Kill them!"

A hoarse roar erupted from the darkness. Seven or eight black shadows lunged from the corner of the tunnel, moving with the agility of leopards! They wore dark brown coarse cloth garments and had their faces covered with black fabric, revealing only pairs of fierce, predatory eyes.

"It's an ambush by the Black Sand Society! Defend yourselves!" the overseer shouted sharply, yet he was the first to turn and run.

However, this "vanguard scouting team" was nothing more than cannon fodder meant to die; what combat power could they possibly have? Wang He and the others were already terrified out of their wits and turned to flee. But the tunnel behind them was just as narrow, packed with people, making it impossible to run quickly.

"Pfft!"

The man at the very back was pierced through the back by a short spear, the tip protruding from his chest. He looked down at the blood-stained spearhead emerging from his torso, opened his mouth, but could make no sound, left only to await the arrival of death.

Li Tui had moved the instant the whistle sounded.

He did not charge forward, nor did he join the crowd scrambling backward. Instead, taking advantage of the blinding white light from the exploding phosphorus grenades, he dropped his body low and rolled toward the side, pressing against the slick rock wall.

There was an inconspicuous side passage there that he had noted when they passed by earlier; the entrance was half-hidden by fallen rubble, but it was just wide enough for someone of his build to squeeze through sideways.

In the chaos, no one noticed him.

Li Tui squeezed into the side passage and had just steadied himself, about to peer inside, when a figure caught his eye.

It was the "miner" who had been wearing a tattered felt hat and remained silent the entire time.

At this moment, the person was driving short needles with a faint blue luster into the cracks of the rock wall, seemingly preparing for something.

Almost at the same instant Li Tui spotted the other person, that individual sensed his presence!

Beneath the felt hat, those narrow, elongated eyes snapped upward. The moment they saw Li Tui, the pupils contracted to pinpricks. Then, the person's crouching posture shifted abruptly, and their right hand flicked out like a venomous snake, throwing the needles in their hand!

"Swish!"

Three blue-glowing needles tore through the air, aimed straight at Li Tui's face!

Fast! Ruthless! Accurate!

Every hair on Li Tui's body stood on end as a life-or-death crisis exploded within him. But he did not retreat; the main tunnel behind him was a slaughterhouse, and retreating meant death. He could only throw himself forward and to the side!

His body rolled across the slick ground, the needles grazing his ear and embedding themselves into the rock wall behind him with a dull "thud."

Before he could even steady himself, a second volley of needles arrived!

This attack came for his lower body; the slender figure had already closed in on him, cold light flashing between their fingers as they struck at his legs.

The movements were ghostly and swift, offering no chance to catch his breath.

Cannot block this head-on!

Thoughts raced through Li Tui's mind as his gaze swept the ground. He kicked off the floor, sliding backward while his left hand scooped up a handful of gravel mixed with muddy water, flinging it directly into the other person's face!

It was not a sophisticated move, but in the narrow passage, with gravel and mud flying into one's face, anyone would instinctively close their eyes or dodge.

The opponent's movements indeed faltered, turning their head and raising a hand to shield their face.

In that split second of hesitation, Li Tui sprang to his feet, widening the distance, and hissed in a low voice, "I am not with the Zhou Family!"

His voice echoed in the side passage.

The slender figure stopped. Beneath the felt hat, a pair of cold, piercing eyes stared fixedly at Li Tui through the gaps in their fingers, the needles still poised for action.

A moment later, a hoarse, low voice—yet clearly carrying the timbre of a young girl—spoke up:

"Then you are a sand bandit?"

"I'm just another scapegoat who was dragged here." Li Tui spoke rapidly, his hands slightly raised to show he held no weapons. "The Black Sand Society is killing everyone outside; none of the Zhou Family overseers will survive. Since neither of us wants to die here, we should cooperate."

He paused, then added, "This side passage only has an entrance, no exit. If they search their way in, we're both dead."

The sounds of slaughter outside were drawing closer. Occasionally, he could hear the crude shouts of the Black Sand Society bandits:

"Over here! There's another side passage! Search it!"

Mixed footsteps were approaching the mouth of the side passage.

The girl's eyes beneath the felt hat remained locked on him, her hand still pressed against the needles at her waist.

"Name," the girl said suddenly, her voice cold and hard.

"Lin Qing." Li Tui naturally used the name of this life.

"Su Lueying." The girl's voice was extremely low, as if squeezed through her teeth. "Follow me, and don't make a sound."

Before the words were finished, she had already turned, her slender figure darting into the depths of the side passage like a civet cat.

Li Tui did not hesitate and immediately gave chase.