Who told him to make the cards!

Is this something to be proud of?

"Of course. Because the line between a madman and a genius is very thin."

Chen Zhi couldn't understand.

But I was deeply shocked.

The outside world actually takes pride in madness?

"Ignore him," Shen Qinglian said. "How do we get out now?"

"Let's find the way," Chen Zhi said.

Shen Qinglian looked around: "Is there still a way?"

"Have."

Chen Zhi walked to the edge of the mine chamber and inspected several newly appeared rock walls in turn.

"Water needs to be drained outwards, and gas needs to dissipate outwards. As long as the mining hasn't completely sealed off this area, we'll definitely be able to find traces of its connection to the outside world."

"What if it's completely sealed off?"

"Shut up, crow."

Shen Qinglian: "..."

Chen Zhi took a pickaxe and gently tapped the rock wall.

If Shen Qinglian's prediction is correct and the mine is sealed off, then everyone is doomed.

He can find the way, but he can't create it.

Fortunately, Shen Qinglian is not a crow.

After some searching, Chen Zhi found a newly formed narrow crevice next to the collapsed cluster of green stone.

The crevice is about two meters high and can only allow one person to pass sideways. The rock walls on both sides are still slightly undulating and may close at any time.

It was risky to walk through this crack, but they had no other choice.

The earthquake is still intensifying.

Large sections of the top rock layer have broken off, and there is already a tendency for it to collapse.

If they don't leave now, they'll be buried alive here.

"Stay close to me."

Chen Zhi made a quick decision, using a pickaxe to probe the way and was the first to drill into the crevice.

Shen Qinglian followed behind him without hesitation.

The old servant was the third to enter, followed by Liu Bai, who was escorting Luo Xiao.

The space inside the crevice was very crowded and getting lower and lower.

The ground was covered with gravel, and dull thuds could be heard from above.

As the group moved close to the rock face, they briefly felt as if they were being squeezed by the mountain.

After walking nearly a hundred steps, the road finally opened up ahead, revealing an abandoned mine tunnel.

Chen Zhi, however, slowed down his pace.

The mine shaft and the passageway were just legally connected, and the splicing marks are very obvious.

At the entrance to the mine tunnel, Chen Zhi found a nail.

He crouched down and wiped away the thick layer of mineral dust from the ground, revealing more mineral nails driven into the rock strata.

"Did you leave this before?" Shen Qinglian asked.

"No."

Chen Zhiliu's nails had fragments of discarded cards, but these didn't.

There are nine nails in total, three on top and six on the bottom.

The top three pieces form a triangle, while the bottom five pieces are nailed together to form a circle.

The nail heads were rusty and looked like they had been there for many years.

“This road leads out, but there are alleyways in the middle,” Chen Zhi said.

Shen Qinglian was slightly surprised at where Chen Zhi got the information, but quickly guessed: "Do these nails have a meaning?"

“Hmm.” Chen Zhi nodded. “The triangle represents that there are three forks in this mine tunnel, and the circle represents a return tunnel, where you might get lost.”

"There's a gap below, which means we can get out..."

"The old miner who used to mentor me taught me."

Miners frequently drive nails into the ground and rock walls to hide ore fragments, avoid ore-eating insects, or find alternative exits in case of mining accidents.

Chen Zhi did that for this reason.

When moving rock strata, the nails are taken along with them. The marks you leave behind may not help you, but they will help others someday.

Liu Bai seemed to have returned to normal at this point, and said, "Your master is quite reliable."

Chen Zhi: "You've met him."

Liu Bai: "Hmm?"

Chen Zhi: "You even gave him a ride earlier."

Liu Bai: "..."

He remembered the living corpse that Chen Zhimo was mourning in the mine chamber, and immediately shut his mouth.

The group entered the abandoned mine tunnel.

The supports and beams here were much older than they had seen before; the wood was blackened by moisture and would crumble into rotten pieces at the slightest touch.

Chen Zhi walked at the front and soon saw the first fork in the road.

There are two roads.

Chen Zhi chose the right side, which had a relatively milder damp smell.

The second fork in the road is still to the right.

Because there was the sound of insects on the left.

At the third fork in the road, Chen Zhi didn't choose any path, but instead walked towards the moss-covered rock wall to the side.

"Another illusion?" Liu Bai asked.

Chen Zhi didn't answer, but instead raised his hand and swung his pickaxe at Qing Tai.

The seemingly solid rock wall suddenly broke open, creating a hole about half a person's height.

Clearly, this is not an illusion.

That's common sense.

“The low temperatures and complete darkness of deep mines prevent moss from growing; this is a man-made marker,” Chen Zhi said curiously. “Don’t you city folks study biology?”

Liu Bai: "..."

Row.

You know so much, you're amazing!

whispering sound.

Shen Qinglian felt a strange urge to laugh.

But I held back.

Chen Zhi led the way, bending down to enter.

This is a cave that was dug out by hand; people once took refuge here.

The space inside was small, with several empty wine bottles lying on their side, a tattered blanket, and a few broken entertainment cards.

Abstract drawings and words were carved into the stone wall with nails.

It's barely recognizable that the painting depicts a woman with large breasts, with the words "Want" written next to it.

And below that, there are phrases like "When I get out, I'm going to open a noodle shop in the city" and "I want to drink the most expensive wine," etc.

It was like a wish, but I don't know if they ever fulfilled it.

Chen Zhi picked up the discarded card and put it in his bag, then continued forward.

His expression was calm, without much regret, clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time he'd encountered something like this.

Shen Qinglian's attention was more focused on Chen Zhi's "licking the bag" action.

Very skilled.

Is it because they can't buy white cards in the mining area and want to learn how to make cards, and this is the only way?

She looked up and glanced at Chen Zhi.

This man is somewhat different.