Underground Mine Passage!

Qian Yaoting stopped at the entrance to the stone chamber and raised the Soul Guidance Lamp higher, its light illuminating the entire space.

The chamber was roughly the size of two or three ordinary rooms. Its ceiling was arched, the walls bore numerous excavation marks, and the ground was relatively level, as though it had been artificially cleared.

In one corner of the chamber, a deeper passage extended farther inward, though its entrance was half-blocked by a pile of rubble, obscuring the view within.

Li Long walked over to the dark gray coat, crouched down, and spread it open for a look.

The fabric was of good quality, and the stitching was neat. A small metal button, polished bright from wear, sat at the collar, its surface engraved with a blurred mark resembling the emblem of some merchant association.

He turned the coat over and examined its lining, finding a folded note in the inner pocket. When he unfolded it, he saw several lines of hasty handwriting that appeared to record directions and numbers.

Qian Yaoting came over, glanced at the note, then took it and carefully deciphered it beneath the Soul Guidance Lamp.

The note contained a rough diagram of the mineral vein's course and several coordinate points marked with numbers. Though the writing was messy, its logic was clear. It seemed to be information Zhou Yuan had recorded about the vein distribution during his survey.

He put away the note and continued searching the chamber.

On the other side of the chamber, beneath the wall, lay a crushed wooden toolbox. Its lid had split open, scattering its tools across the floor—mostly chisels and hammers for taking ore samples, along with several blank tags.

Beside the toolbox was a pile of cold ashes, containing several partially burned pieces of