Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 161 Hello everyone

Lin Jiang heard rustling sounds coming from deep within the cave.

It seemed to be a group of men talking.

He raised an eyebrow, then shook the lantern in his hand, disappearing into the shadows.

After walking a short distance along the mine tunnel, a spacious cave suddenly appeared before us, with several torches sticking out at an angle on the rock wall, casting flickering light and shadow.

Three figures were sitting around a wooden box left behind by a miner: an old farmer in a coarse cloth jacket was rubbing his legs and sighing; a miner in gray clothes was shaking his head with his arms crossed; and a fisherman in a straw raincoat and hat was fiddling with a bamboo basket.

I have no idea how he fishes.

Lin Jiang slowly approached the three of them, who were completely unaware that someone had appeared behind them.

An old farmer-looking man was slapping his thigh and complaining bitterly:
"The masters are really going to exhaust us! We're groping around in the dark, how are we supposed to know what that thing they want even looks like!"

"It's just our fate to be paid by the government." The miner shook his head helplessly. "As long as you get enough money, we can rest and search again. Sun Zhong won't embed that object into the mountain."

"That's hard to say. I heard that Sun Zhong used to hang out with some powerful figure when he was young. That person offended a big shot in the capital but managed to get away unscathed and his whereabouts are still unknown. Sun Zhong might have gotten some benefits from him."

The fisherman said this:
"What if he really has some amazing methods to throw things into the mountains?"

"Where did you hear about this?"

"Older generations say that some treasure once appeared in the capital. Many people wanted to snatch it, but they couldn't beat the owner of the treasure. Later, the owner left and couldn't find the location, so the matter gradually subsided."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang, who was standing nearby, finally understood why his old man wanted to find a secluded place; it was probably to hide from people.

"If you ask me, since the adults don't know whether we worked hard at night anyway, we might as well find a quiet corner to take a nap for half the night and then report back at dawn."

The old farmer's dismissive remark made the miner frown.
"How can you take someone's money and not do their job? There are rules to follow in our line of work!"

"Your grandma's work, all you do is show off how capable you are!" the old farmer said angrily. "We brothers have been searching in the cave for ages! We've felt every crevice in the rocks! We just can't find anything!"

The miners were also furious: "In the world of martial arts, integrity is paramount! It's people like you who have ruined our reputation! Do you know how much the imperial court dislikes us these days?!"

"So what if they don't like me? What's it to me? There are plenty of ways to make money in this world! Wouldn't it be much easier for me to find a rich merchant than this official? It's all trouble, it's bad for my health, and sometimes you might even lose your head!"

The old farmer and the miner in front of him were at loggerheads.

The two men rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight, while a fisherman nearby tried to break them up.

These three are obviously looking for the key.

It is currently unknown whether this group of people are in cahoots with the stone Buddha. If they are, then the stone Buddha must have come to the mine to look for the key.

If they are not all in cahoots, it proves that besides the General, there is at least another force that is also interested in the box in Lin Jiang's arms.

Lin Jiang thought for a moment, then felt he should let out a soft sigh:

“I am a warrior, and I am crude and vulgar.”

The cause-and-effect relationship here is really complicated, and Lin Jiang doesn't quite understand it.

However, it seems they haven't found the key yet.

The three did not notice him, and Lin Jiang did not intend to make a move.

See? I'm not a bloodthirsty person!

Lin Jiang praised himself in his heart, and then decided to bypass the others and explore on his own.

However, before he could leave, he suddenly noticed that the three people not far away froze.

Lin Jiang subconsciously turned around and saw a strangely dressed person walking up behind them.

The man had disheveled hair, a dirty face, and was covered in black mud. He was barefoot, and his clothes were open in the middle, revealing his collarbone and a skeletal body. He swayed as he walked, as if he couldn't stand steadily.

Behind him followed a centipede.

This centipede is unlike any other; it's a large, venomous insect, almost the size of a large dog kept in some mansions. It even has a straw hat on its head, giving it a somewhat chivalrous,江湖侠客 (jianghu xiake, a term referring to a wandering swordsman or martial arts master) air about it.

The old man staggered up to the three men, and one of the miners immediately broke into a smile:

"Sir, what brings you here?"

"If I don't come, wouldn't someone be taking the general's money for nothing?"

The old man looked at the old farmer with a half-smile, the latter's forehead already beaded with sweat.

"Brother, I really didn't mean anything by it, I just feel that blindly searching isn't a good solution..."

He had just finished speaking when he suddenly tensed up.

Behind him, a centipede had crawled up his shoulder.

The centipede tilted its head and glanced at the old farmer, the edge of its straw hat almost touching the old farmer's forehead.

"The journey has been long and I've been walking for a while. Would it be alright to rest my feet on your shoulder, brother?"

It turned out to be a woman's voice.

Of course, the sound wasn't very pleasant; it was like someone sharpening a rusty knife, so harsh it was painful to the ear.

"I don't mind... I don't mind."

The old farmer was almost in tears.

Although he didn't hear a single harsh word, the oppressive aura emanating from the man and the demon had already soaked his back.

"Relax," the old man said with a smile, waving his hand. "It's human nature to be lazy. Besides, what you said makes sense. Searching for a solution like a headless fly is really testing one's willpower."

At this point, the old man paused:

"But this time it's not just me who came; a lieutenant general came along too. He's a big shot with a strange temper, so he's definitely not going down into the mine. You better behave yourself; if that big shot really sees you, you might really lose your life."

The old farmer nodded repeatedly.

After saying this, the old man reached into his robe and pulled out a bronze compass that gleamed with a bluish light.

The circular iron plate below the compass was rusty, and there were no directional markings on it. The copper spoon was in the old man's other hand, with some scarlet stains on the end. The old man smiled and said:

"The adjutant brought a treasure from the mansion. This thing has Sun Zhong's blood on it, so we can find out where it is."

"There's such a good thing!" the miner exclaimed with delight. "Does this mean we can find it very quickly?"

Lin Jiang nodded frequently along with the miners.

Yes! There really is such a good thing! No wonder you're the general's subordinate; following you always brings rewards!
"This was commissioned by the General to be made by the Casting Department," the old man sighed. "The Casting Department and the General had a very unpleasant falling out some time ago, and unfortunately, all the skilled craftsmen who make precious artifacts are with them, so there was really nothing we could do."

"It's better than blindly searching around."

The five people, along with the centipede, gathered around.
The old man simply placed the spoon on the flat surface, and then the magnetic spoon trembled slightly half a circle before steadily pointing towards the depths of the mine.

It looks like the depths of another cave entrance.

Having learned the location, they didn't linger and the group went down the cave together.

The winding cave path soon came to an end, where a whole rock wall stretched out before us, with several rusty pickaxes leaning against the cracks in the rock.

Nothing else.

“Sun Zhong hid it well; he actually threw it into the mountains.”

As the old man spoke, he turned his head and his gaze fell directly on the miner next to him.

The miner simply pulled out a pickaxe from behind his back.

He stood next to the unexplored mine shaft, and the others tactfully made way for him.

The miner raised his pickaxe high and swung it down, causing the stone wall in front of him to tremble slightly, melting away like warm snow in March.

The speed was even much faster than the excavation of Linjiang.

Lin Jiang was also looking forward to the fun and followed behind.

The miners kept walking forward with a clattering sound, digging for an unknown amount of time and to an unknown depth. The only remaining light source was the firelight emanating from their bodies.

The flames gradually thinned out.

After digging for a while, the miners stopped.

"Why don't you continue?"

“No, it won’t work.” The miner shook his head. “This mine has been dug too deep, beyond the limits of my cultivation. If there are no supports, the entire mine will probably collapse if we continue to dig.”

He then looked at the lanterns in everyone's hands:

"Moreover, if we dig any deeper, we won't have enough air. Once the torches go out, we'll probably all die inside."

The old man stared at the mine shaft in front of him, his brows furrowed.

He clearly didn't want to give up halfway, so he took two more steps forward.

He placed his hand on the soil, closed his eyes, and tried to sense it. Suddenly, he frowned.

"Keep digging forward."

"But……"

"Listen to me," the old man said.

The miner was clearly a little helpless. After pondering for a moment, he said:
"It's possible, but we can only dig seven more times at most."

"it is good."

The miner raised his pickaxe again and swung it down at the stone wall in front of him.

One…two…

He counted silently in his mind, all the way to four, when he suddenly felt that there seemed to be some changes at the beginning of the manuscript.

With just a slight movement of my wrist, I felt much more relaxed in an instant.

Upon closer inspection, the view suddenly opened up.

They dug straight up to a stone chamber.

The entire stone chamber was perfectly round, with walls that were also perfectly smooth, making it look as if someone had used some unique method to completely remove the stone.

In the very center of the stone chamber, on the floor, lay a strangely shaped object.

It looks like a square box, but there's a mechanism-like structure in the middle, I don't know what it's for.

"found it!"

Upon seeing the box, the old man's face lit up with joy.

He didn't really know what the general's men wanted this thing for, but they had promised that if he could get his hands on this treasure, he would enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor!
This isn't some strange-looking box at all! It's clearly a treasure right before your eyes!
He braced himself against the wall, intending to slide down the semi-circular angle to retrieve the box.

But just as he slid to the bottom and was about to reach out to touch the box, he suddenly saw another hand grab the box.

The old man's brows furrowed immediately.

Who!

I don't know if the leader should take this first?
He looked up.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to reprimand, his eyes suddenly froze.

Before him stood a middle-aged man with a menacing look; the slightly weathered beard he wore only made him appear even more chilling.

Who is this!?

Lin Jiang weighed the "key" in his hand and smiled.
Hey guys, how are you?

(End of this chapter)