Temporary Cooperation

The side tunnels were deeper and more winding than Li Tui had imagined.

Su Lueying was shockingly familiar with the terrain. In the dim light, she crouched low like a cat to navigate the narrow passages, always managing to avoid the sand bandits along the way.

The two traveled for about half an incense stick's time before Su Lueying suddenly stopped in front of a rock wall. She reached out to feel the surface, her fingers pressing lightly against a certain indentation.

"Click."

A section of the seemingly solid rock wall slid inward by half a foot, revealing a narrow crevice only wide enough for one person to crawl through.

"Get in," Su Lueying whispered, slipping inside first.

Li Tui followed closely behind.

Behind the crevice was a natural stone chamber. A faint light filtered down through tiny cracks in the ceiling, making it just bright enough to see.

Su Lueying leaned against the rock wall, panting. She finally took off her tattered felt hat, revealing a head of uneven, shoulder-length hair. She then coldly sized up Li Tui with her long, narrow eyes, her hand never leaving the needle pouch at her waist.

"I'll pretend I never heard what you said earlier," she began, her voice returning to a calm, yet even colder tone. "Once we leave this crevice, we go our separate ways."

Li Tui did not respond immediately.

He was also observing the stone chamber; although small, it was well-organized, with various daily necessities piled in the corner.

This woman was not simple. It wasn't just her familiarity with these mine tunnels, which far exceeded the norm; looking at this chamber, he could tell she had made plenty of preparations in advance.

"Go our separate ways?" Li Tui finally spoke, his voice calm. "How do you plan to go? Back the way we came? The place is crawling with Black Sand Society members right now. Once they search the side tunnels and find no one, they will definitely expand their perimeter. No matter how hidden this chamber is, it won't withstand repeated searches."

Su Lueying's gaze turned cold. "That is my business."

"It is my business too," Li Tui said. "Because right now, we are grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If you are exposed, I won't survive either. I don't think you want to die, so why not cooperate?"

Hearing Li Tui's words, Su Lueying's eyes grew even colder. "I could kill you right now."

"You can try," Li Tui said, looking at her. "But killing me takes time and will make noise. And... are you sure those people outside won't hear it?"

Although the stone chamber was hidden, it was not completely soundproof. The sounds of a fierce struggle would inevitably carry outside.

Su Lueying was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "You talk about cooperation. On what grounds?"

Li Tui replied calmly, "I managed to survive two of your killing blows and faced your killing intent without fear. Is that enough?"

Su Lueying's eyes flickered.

"Furthermore," Li Tui continued, "you set traps here—are you trying to deal with the Zhou Family or the sand bandits? But have you thought about it? Even if you successfully kill a few people, how will you leave? The mine is surrounded by the Zhou Family, and the Black Sand Society is roaming everywhere. Alone, how far can you get?"

These words struck a nerve. Su Lueying's hand, which had been stroking her short needles, stopped.

"I have my own methods," she said, her voice still cold and hard, though it lacked some of its previous conviction.

"Your method is to hide in the mine tunnels and wait for an opportunity?" Li Tui shook his head. "Opportunities don't come on their own. You have to go out and find them."

Su Lueying stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we can help each other," Li Tui said bluntly. "You know the terrain and how to hide in the tunnels. I can coordinate with you. No matter how capable you are, there will always be times when you can't cover everything."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the short needles at Su Lueying's waist. "Your poison needles are lethal, but they require close range. If someone helps you distract the enemy and creates an opening, your chances of success will be much higher."

"More importantly," Li Tui's voice dropped lower, like a blade scraping against stone, "there aren't just the Zhou Family's dogs in these tunnels now, but also the wolves of the Black Sand Society. As they bite each other, they will always leave behind scraps of meat."

Su Lueying's eyes narrowed.

"Meat?" she asked, sounding somewhat puzzled.

"Rations, water, weapons," Li Tui stared into her eyes. "And the pills and talismans they strip from the dead. Those people were too stingy to use them while they were alive, but once they're dead, they belong to whoever finds them."

He paused, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "How much can you take on your own? If you run into a whole squad, do you fight or flee? If you get injured, who keeps watch for you?"

"You certainly know how to calculate," she said. "But how do I know you won't stab me in the back while we're looting corpses?"

As her voice fell, the stone chamber plunged into silence.

Li Tui met her gaze without immediately refuting her. He knew that in a place like this, empty words were worth nothing.

"Because right now, I need a 'way out' more than you do," his gaze swept over the enclosed rock walls.

"These mine tunnels are a labyrinth. If I go alone, it's nine-to-one that I'll hit a dead end. Not to mention that I can't evade the Black Sand Society or the Zhou Family's overseers, I'll likely end up trapped to death inside."

He then looked at Su Lueying, stating his position clearly: "Until you lead me out, half of my life is tied to your hands. Killing you would be cutting off my own only path to survival. I can calculate that much."

"You still don't trust me?" Li Tui probed.

"I don't trust anyone," Su Lueying replied flatly. "Especially those who take the initiative to suggest cooperation. But you're right; two people are indeed more convenient than one. So, we can cooperate temporarily, until we leave this place."

She emphasized the words "cooperate temporarily" heavily.

Li Tui calculated quickly in his mind. This woman was far more cautious than he had anticipated. But there was no better choice at the moment.

"Fine," he nodded. "Then we cooperate temporarily. What do you need me to do?"

"First, prove you aren't a burden," Su Lueying said. "I know three possible ways to leave the mining area, but each one has its troubles. I will choose one we can handle, provided you can keep up and pull your weight when needed."

She did not reveal the specific route, offering only a vague promise.

"How do I prove it?" he asked.

"Follow me for a stretch and you'll see," Su Lueying stood up and readjusted her tattered felt hat. "We move in a few hours. The first test is simple: stay alive, keep up with me, don't fall behind, and don't make a sound."

She walked to a corner of the stone chamber and began checking her crude tools, no longer looking at Li Tui.

Li Tui sat where he was, his gaze calm.

The plan needed to be adjusted. This woman was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined. But looking at it from another angle, cooperating with someone so cautious might actually increase his chances of survival.

As for the route... there would always be an opportunity to figure it out.

He was not in a rush.

Li Tui leaned against the rock wall and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Inside his body, that wisp of pale cyan true qi circulated slowly. There was no spiritual rice provided here, but there was an endless supply of baleful qi.

This was his foundation.

In this mine, the baleful qi that others feared like a tiger was, to him, an aid to his cultivation. As long as he was given time and resources, his growth speed would far exceed that of bitter cultivation at home.

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