He was still keeping it a secret, obviously not wanting me to know.
Chen Pingfan was helpless but could only do as Li Chonglou said. After all, they had made an agreement long ago, and he had almost completely trusted Li Chonglou after this day.
After they parted ways, Li Chonglou first pretended to return to the forest. Then, using his Heavenly Eye's clairvoyance, he scanned around and, finding no one following him, quietly returned to the edge of the deep pit.
The village elder's wife had said that cultivators could not enter this special mine, but he was unclear about the consequences. However, as long as he didn't undergo soul fusion, he was still just an ordinary person!
Ever since hearing this news, Li Chonglou had decided to personally go down and investigate.
"Old An, you should rest for a while."
"Mm, be careful. Call me if anything feels wrong."
Then, the two of them dispelled their soul fusion.
Li Chonglou stretched his limbs. Since returning from the underground world, he had rarely dispelled soul fusion to act alone. He hadn't expected that being sealed by the curse power would one day be useful.
The deep pit was at least a hundred meters deep. If he were just an ordinary person, it would probably take more than ten minutes to reach the bottom, as the path was not a straight descent but wound around in large circles.
The moon was already high in the sky. Under the moonlight, the entire deep pit looked like a crouching beast, and the entrance at the bottom resembled its gaping abyss. Just standing there and looking at it would create an inexplicable sense of pressure.
It felt as if something might charge out at any moment, or that it would swallow him whole!
Li Chonglou watched for a while, his brows suddenly furrowing slightly.
"I didn't notice earlier. Does this only affect those without inner energy, or..."
This place was indeed unusual. He was an experienced traveler, yet he felt an unsettling sensation facing this deep pit.
This was clearly not a mere illusion but the peculiarity of this place!
However, as the saying goes, one cannot catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den. Li Chonglou leaped directly down, jumping onto the stone steps several meters below.
Although he couldn't use his inner energy without soul fusion, Li Chonglou's body had already been developed to an extraordinary level. Even a master of the first level of cultivation could only contend with him for a short while.
In a short while, Li Chonglou arrived at the entrance at the bottom of the deep pit. A slide was built there, indicating that there was still a considerable distance to descend.
Inside the mine.
The entire underground mine was actually divided into three levels.
The first level was mainly a transition zone. The mineral resources here had been depleted through years of development and served as a temporary resting place for the miners. However, despite it being midnight, the area was completely deserted.
When Li Chonglou arrived, he only saw brightly lit large common rooms.
Looking at the simple wooden beds lined up one after another, one could imagine the living conditions of the miners.
However, so far, Li Chonglou had not felt any discomfort.
"Didn't that elder's wife say that even they could only stay for a while? Where is the problem?"
With his doubts, Li Chonglou soon found the way to the second level.
The path was not difficult to find; there were signs at regular intervals. Li Chonglou stood before a stone staircase, and at the entrance to the stairs, a sign labeled "Work Area" was hung.
Just as he was about to descend, a strange voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Damn it, those scoundrels from the island nation really don't treat people as humans. It's been days, and they still won't let us return to rest!"
"Don't talk. Hurry and gather some fresh grass, otherwise, our people won't be able to hold on much longer. If we lose this time, the mine will be handed over to others."
It was the conversation of two men. From their voices, one could tell he was angry, while the other sounded helpless.
Li Chonglou pondered for a moment, then quietly retreated to the side, completely concealing his presence.
Although it was a rest area, the walls were still exposed mine walls, uneven and rough. Hiding a person was not a problem at all.
The footsteps of the two men grew closer, and they seemed to be walking towards him.
Li Chonglou looked up at the nearly three-meter-high ceiling and leaped up, gripping the sides with his hands, suspending himself there.
The two men walked by below, talking as they went.
"I don't know what that dog is thinking. Why not cooperate with us to get rid of the island nation people first? We're at least half like ourselves."
"You're thinking too much. They've long wanted to replace us. Why would they cooperate with us? We still need to guard against them cooperating."
"I don't know what the higher-ups are thinking. It's come to this point, and they still haven't sent reinforcements. Are we really going to be abandoned?"
As the two men walked into a corner, Li Chonglou felt a bit confused. He had looked there earlier, and it was clearly a dead end. Could there be a secret passage inside?
As he was thinking, a vibrating sound reached his ears.
Following quietly, he found that there was indeed a mechanism. Behind the stone wall, there was actually a spacious area. Through the gap between the two men, Li Chonglou saw a patch of green.
Fresh grass, could it be an herb garden?
"Are you guarding here? Or are you going in?"
"You go ahead. I really can't stand the smell inside."
"Alright, then you guard the door."
One of the men finished speaking, took out a mask from his pocket, and put it on. Then, one stayed at the door, while the other walked in.
The stone door was not closed, but the one who went in quickly disappeared from sight, indicating that the space inside was even larger than what he could see now.
Li Chonglou thought for a moment and then slowly crept forward.
"Sigh, I don't know if I can keep the mine this time. It seems I need to find a new job in advance. The higher-ups are really unreliable..."
The man muttered. Before he could finish, a large hand suddenly covered his mouth.
Contrary to Li Chonglou's expectations, the man did not panic excessively. He twisted his body and even tried to counter-grapple!
Feeling the subtle strength erupting from his body, the man in front of him was actually a martial artist.
However.
Li Chonglou's muscles suddenly bulged, and a force erupting from his acupoints directly pressed down the man's arm. He quickly turned and used a shoulder strike, pinning the man firmly against the wall, unable to move.
Only then did the man show a look of panic. Just as he was about to shout, Li Chonglou quickly covered his mouth.
"If you speak again, I'll kill you!"
The man immediately became obedient.
"Can you understand me?"
Li Chonglou asked coldly. The man nodded repeatedly.
After thinking about it, to ensure his safety, Li Chonglou dragged the man to the corner before chokling his neck.