Behind

Seeing the miasma surging in Chu Zheng's hand, the faces of the people lying on the ground all turned pale.

"Chu Zheng..."

Ji Feng was about to speak when a mass of nearly liquid miasma smeared across his face.

He instinctively tried to hold his breath, but his body was already beyond his control, and his breathing grew ever more ragged.

The Detoxification Pill only lasted for a day. By this hour, its medicinal potency had long since nearly dissipated, leaving it with barely any effect.

As the Miasma Poison entered their bodies, the faces of several people turned bluish-purple in the blink of an eye. Veins bulged across their foreheads, and their breathing became increasingly rapid.

Ji Feng's entire body trembled, and he was the first to go still.

Chu Zheng did not stop. He continued forcing the miasma into Ji Feng's body.

In his eyes, Ji Feng still possessed exceedingly vigorous Life Essence. Clearly, he had used some method to enter a Hibernation State and was playing dead.

Unfortunately for him, such a trick was utterly meaningless before Chu Zheng. Before a Qi Cultivator, life and death were the easiest things to distinguish.

As time trickled by, the life force of those on the ground weakened more and more, until it finally withered away.

The instant they died, a cloud of black mist suddenly surged out from the Mine Tunnel, pouncing straight at the corpses on the ground that still retained their warmth.

There were still evil entities lingering.

Chu Zheng narrowed his eyes, swallowed a mouthful of miasma, dispersed the Primordial Qi in his Dantian, and lay on the ground. Through the Life Bond Seal, he contacted Fu Quanliang.

"Come quickly!"

The onrushing black mist bypassed Chu Zheng, whose blood vitality was still abundant, and burrowed into the corpses. Within only a few breaths, the people who had just died staggered to their feet.

Outside the Mine Tunnel.

"Come quickly!"

Fu Quanliang had been uneasy after Chu Zheng failed to emerge for so long. The voice that suddenly exploded in his mind made his entire body jolt.

Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and rushed toward the large tent where Han Yuliang was staying.

"Elder Han."

Outside the tent, Fu Quanliang suppressed his emotions, bowed, and said steadily:

"It is already well past the end of work, yet several people have not come out. I fear something may have happened. Should we go in and search for them? I await Elder's instructions."

Even calling for help required finesse. If he appeared too anxious at a time like this, it might backfire. Better to hand the initiative to Han Yuliang.

The moment his words fell, a beam of divine light shot out of the tent and sped toward the Mine Tunnel.

A short while later, Han Yuliang strode out of the Mine Tunnel, using Mana to drag several figures behind him. His expression was somewhat unsightly.

He had made a guarantee only yesterday, yet several people had died today. It was undoubtedly a slap in his face.

Fu Quanliang cautiously glanced over and saw Chu Zheng, which eased his mind for the moment. But when he saw the others, he could not help frowning deeply.

Their skin was bluish-purple, their original features almost unrecognizable. Their eyes were wide open, their pupils dilated. They were unmistakably dead beyond all doubt.

Han Yuliang stopped, swept his gaze over the corpses, then fixed his eyes on Chu Zheng. His expression immediately tightened.

He hurried forward, examined him, then breathed a sigh of relief and took out a Detoxification Pill, stuffing it into Chu Zheng's mouth.

A moment later, Chu Zheng slowly opened his eyes. He looked somewhat dazed, his gaze dull, as though he had yet to recover his senses.

Han Yuliang rose to his feet and glanced at Fu Quanliang beside him. "What is your name?"

"Replying to Elder Han, this disciple's surname is Fu, given name Quanliang," Fu Quanliang said with a bow.

"You showed good vigilance this time. I will credit you with a merit."

Han Yuliang nodded slightly, produced a jade bottle with a flip of his hand, and tossed it to Fu Quanliang before continuing:

"Take this man away and care for him properly. Ask clearly about what happened, then return and report to me."

"Thank you, Elder Han."

Fu Quanliang said no more. After bowing, he helped Chu Zheng up and slowly walked toward a large tent not far away.

"Did you kill those people?" Fu Quanliang transmitted secretly.

"Yes."

Chu Zheng nodded, circulating Primordial Qi to dissipate the lingering miasma within his body.

"Why?"

"I killed them because I killed them. Why do I need so many reasons?"

"I need something to tell Han Yuliang," Fu Quanliang said helplessly.

After thinking briefly, Chu Zheng gave a concise account. "Those people wanted to seize my Raw Ore. It should have been for the monthly reward of twenty Spirit Stones. It dragged on for a while, but that was roughly it. Handle it as you see fit."

Hearing this, Fu Quanliang stopped walking, his expression turning somewhat strange. "Was there someone named Ji Feng among them?"

"That's right. You know him?"

"No, but I know the reason behind this. Those twenty Spirit Stones are merely an excuse."

Fu Quanliang shook his head. "Ji Feng was only a pawn in front of the horse in this business of intercepting ore. Behind him stood the Han Family cultivators guarding the mine."

"What do you mean?" Chu Zheng did not understand. Why would a mere twenty Spirit Stones tempt these cultivators?

"Those twenty Spirit Stones are nothing but shit. The real bulk is the resources issued to the menial laborers. They take away the Raw Ore from their hands, then at the end of the month hand over the full amount to the sect according to headcount. Going in and coming out, that nets them hundreds of Spirit Stones in profit."

"These laborers' wages are paid from the sect's accounts."

Upon hearing Fu Quanliang's words, Chu Zheng quickly understood. For a moment, he fell silent. He had still been thinking too simply.

If they withheld one piece from each person, then ten people meant ten pieces. With more than three hundred people, that was at least three hundred Spirit Stones a month. The real figure was far greater than that.

Moreover, this scheme had no cost at all. What staggering profits!

In two or three months, they could scrape together enough for a magic artifact!

Even for Spiritual Spring Realm cultivators, that was no small sum.

"You have a share in this too?" Chu Zheng's gaze darkened slightly.

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me." Fu Quanliang was speechless. "I've only been here a few days. Do you think they would give me Spirit Stones? Am I worthy?"

"Reporting this ore interception to Han Yuliang would be useless. They are all Han Family members; at most, they would get a scolding. You might even bring trouble upon yourself. Leave it to me. I'll handle it."

In an instant, Fu Quanliang had formed a plan. After bringing Chu Zheng to his tent, he did not linger and quickly departed.

The next morning.

The moment Chu Zheng stepped out of the tent, the outside was already packed with people. All of them were Martial Masters, no fewer than thirty or fifty in number.

Fu Quanliang stood to one side and announced loudly, "Starting today, once you enter the mine pit, you will work under Chu Zheng."

Beside him stood a Spiritual Spring Realm cultivator around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He wore the robes of a Phantom Spirit Sect disciple, Twin Green Lotuses embroidered over his chest, his expression calm.

"I told them you would take Ji Feng's place..."

Fu Quanliang transmitted an explanation, but before he could finish, Chu Zheng interrupted him:

"I won't do it."

Fu Quanliang's expression tightened slightly, and he slowly frowned. "I remember you said you came here to accomplish great things. Those who accomplish great things do not fuss over trifles."

This was already the best solution he could think of. At least it would keep Chu Zheng from getting into trouble.

"This is not a trifle." Chu Zheng's gaze lowered slightly. "This goes against my heart."

Before Fu Quanliang could speak again, Chu Zheng transmitted once more:

"Just because I cannot help these people right now does not mean I should suck their blood. I know this puts you in a difficult position. Give me another three days."

"Once I find what I want, we will leave this place and return to Phantom Spirit City."