He changed Tiwat

Besides them, there was a group of people with black masks covering their faces, dressed similarly to Jiang Xue, and carrying tools such as shovels and spades. They were busy rummaging through the ore in the boxes and using tools to pry open the cargo boxes that were tied with hemp rope.

"These are all top-quality raw ore!" one of them exclaimed as he rummaged through the ore.

The other person slapped him on the head and said, "Stop talking nonsense, carry as much as you can, Second Brother is waiting for us to go back!"

It appears to be a group of thieves who steal and resell raw ore from the Lower Rock Abyss.

It's not uncommon for treasure-hunting gangs to do this kind of work; many unemployed miners at Blackrock Mines joined such gangs out of necessity, leading these petty thieves to steal ores. The question is—how did they end up stealing from the bottom of the Layered Rock Abyss?

He personally unsealed the Abyss of Layered Rocks yesterday, and today the Treasure Thieves have appeared, and in such a deep place at that.

Just as Han Fulai was wondering, a clear and melodious bird song suddenly came from behind him.

Because they were not far apart, not only Han Fulai, but also the members of the treasure-stealing group could hear the voice clearly.

"Who is it?!" The members of the treasure-hunting gang all looked toward the source of the voice, toward the dark tunnel.

Chapter 138 Rescuing the Missing Miners (Part 7): Delicate Flower and Iron Ox [4k]

The bird chirping sound naturally came from the little magpie in Zhiqiong's hand.

Han Fulai could silence Zhiqiong, but the little sparrow couldn't understand human speech and would chirp when it was hungry.

The cage of baby birds in Zhiqiong's hand was fed by her when she got up this morning. More than three hours have passed since then, and the baby birds are calling for Zhiqiong to feed them.

Zhiqiong quickly covered the cage with her hands, but she couldn't stop the little magpie from chirping.

"I'm sorry..." She was at a loss and hurriedly apologized to Han Fulai.

"Sigh..." Han Fulai sighed softly. He had originally wanted to observe the situation more, but now that was no longer an option.

"It's okay, it's not your fault, Zhiqiong."

Just as Ye Lan had said when he was tracking Zhi Yi, information gathered when others are off guard is more reliable. Professional intelligence agents like Ye Lan usually use methods such as disguise, identity fraud, and even surveillance to get close to intelligence sources and obtain the most accurate information possible. He was simply imitating what the treasure-hunting group was doing.

But he wasn't a professional intelligence officer—a professional intelligence officer wouldn't let the little sparrow chirp at a time like this.

Fortunately, he could also obtain information using less professional methods, such as the method that his son, Ah He, was best at.

Han Fulai slowly walked out from around the corner, shouting in a rough voice, mimicking the tone of the treasure-hunting gang, "It's me, it's me. Second Brother sent me to check on the situation."

"What... Don't scare people when you're on the same side..." Some members of the treasure-hunting team were clearly relieved.

But one of the gang leaders, a rather burly man wielding a hammer, slapped his accomplice hard.

"Idiot, is that tunnel the way we came from? Besides, wasn't our Tuanque turned into Central Plains scum by Second Brother a long time ago?"

"I didn't expect there to be a clever person in the treasure-stealing gang," Han Fulai chuckled. "Then he's the one we'll arrest."

A figure in a blue Moonsea Pavilion uniform emerged from the shadows of the tunnel. Almost simultaneously with seeing the figure, the squad leader exclaimed, "Damn it, it's the guy in the hat!"

Han Fulai was not wearing a hat. The phrase "wearing a hat" is most likely slang used by the treasure-hunting gang, probably referring to government officials.

He clasped his hands together and chanted softly, "The rock is drawn together by the six directions to form its bones!"

A bright yellow light shone around him, and an indestructible jade shield surrounded him.

Seeing this, even the dumbest of the thieves in the gang knew that this "hatted guy" was no ordinary person.

"Brother Hua, what should we do?" someone asked anxiously.

The leader gripped the iron hammer in his hand, seemingly unsure of what to do.

At the same time, Han Fulai already had his black-tasseled spear in hand.

He twirled his spear beautifully, held it horizontally, and pointed it at the treasure-hunting gang opposite him.

"Ha, you thieves, why don't you surrender?"

As he spoke, he strode quickly toward the leader known as "Brother Hua".

These petty thieves never expected that a government official would appear at this time. Although Han Fulai didn't look like a member of the Thousand Rock Army, his imposing presence was clearly far superior to that of the Thousand Rock Army soldiers.

But then, he saw golden light of immortal power flowing across his spear, which, with unstoppable momentum, pierced towards the face of the minor leader.

This time, Han Fulai immediately used the "Emperor's Spear" he had used in his battle against Clement. The spearhead carried a chilling killing intent and unparalleled majesty, intimidating all the members of the treasure-hunting team. They watched helplessly as Han Fulai charged forward, and not a single one of them even tried to stop him.

After all, he was now cosplaying as an emperor with the mindset of a Son of Heaven. Just the sheer aura of that domineering emperor was enough to terrify this group of thugs made up of unemployed miners and petty thieves.

With the gun pointed at his head, the petty boss finally remembered to defend himself, but he couldn't lift his hand no matter what he did. He could only stare wide-eyed as death approached, his face filled with terror and despair.

Fortunately, Han Fulai's gun stopped right at the tip of his nose.

"Brother Hua's" legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

"Put down your weapons and come with me." Han Fulai's gaze was sharp as lightning as he swept his imposing eyes around the group. The thieves were all trembling with fear and dared not make a move.

Han Fulai had originally planned to capture them alive for interrogation, and these members of the treasure-hunting gang had only stolen raw ore; their crimes didn't warrant the death penalty. His shot was intended as a deterrent, clearly achieving the effect of subduing the enemy without a fight.

Just as Han Fulai was about to call Zhiqiong and Jiang Xue over to take the man away, the sound of wind breaking rang out, and two spinning hand axes grazed past "Brother Hua's" ears and smashed towards his face.

This attack was launched from "Brother Hua's" blind spot, using his tall stature as cover. Moreover, the angle and technique of the axe throw were impeccable; a mere hair's breadth could have sliced ​​off "Brother Hua's" head. It was a daring and unexpected attack. If this were a street performance, it would likely have drawn thunderous applause.

Moreover, since the other party was able to intervene, it was clear that the attack was launched outside the range of his immortal power. The longer the distance, the more difficult it is to control the trajectory of the hand axe—the person who threw the hand axe is probably the strongest member of the treasure-hunting group, perhaps even the "second brother" they are talking about.

Facing the unknown enemy, Han Fulai's eyes narrowed slightly. Although protected by the Jade Shield, he remained cautious. He brought his spear to his front and twirled it between his hands.

Two loud clangs rang out as he knocked both hand axes away.

Behind the treasure-hunting gang, a shout rang out: "Run!"

The voice turned out to be a woman's voice.

The henchman, nicknamed "Brother Flower," finally snapped out of his daze and decisively roared, "Run!"

After saying that, he threw down the hammer in his hand and ran away.

Upon hearing this, the members of his treasure-hunting gang dropped the raw ore or boxes they were holding and turned to run away.

"You stupid flower, quickly release the smoke!" the female voice reminded.

Han Fulai then saw clearly that about twenty meters away in the shadows in front of him stood a petite figure wearing a black hoodie.

Surprisingly, despite being a woman who didn't appear particularly robust or strong, she was able to accurately throw a hand axe at Han Fulai from over twenty meters away. Moreover, her composure and quick thinking in the face of danger were remarkable, displaying the demeanor of a great general and making her a true heroine.

It was unclear whether she had been hiding in the shadows all along or had just arrived. But it was obvious that this woman held a higher position in the treasure-hunting group than that "delicate flower."

As "Brother Hua" fled at top speed, he pulled out two round, firework-like objects from his pocket and slammed them hard into the ground.

With two loud bangs, the gunpowder exploded, and two plumes of smoke immediately spread out, obscuring the figures of the treasure-hunting team.

Han Fulai snorted coldly and was about to give chase when he heard the woman's voice shout again: "Where's the 'cocktail' Kritov gave you?"

"I have it, Sister Tie Niu!"

One of the escaped members of the heist gang took two bottles from his waist.

"Cocktails"... Han Fulai was slightly taken aback when he heard this, and suddenly remembered something - "Molotov's cocktails".

Could this so-called "cocktail" be the improvised incendiary bomb thrown by the apothecary in the game's treasure-hunting group?

"Smash it onto the raw ore!" the female treasure-hunting gang leader, known as "Sister Iron Bull," shouted.

"Roast you!" Two bottles burst out of the smoke.

Although it was only for a moment, Han Fulai still smelled the pungent smell he had smelled before—the smell of asphalt.

His gaze fell on the scattered ore on the ground, among which there was a lot of black coal.

If this Molotov cocktail comes into contact with coal, not only will it be difficult to extinguish, but it will also produce a large amount of toxic carbon monoxide gas.

Without any hesitation, Han Fulai spun around, his spear flicking and sweeping, altering the trajectory of the two Molotov cocktails and causing them to fall into the open space beside him.

Amid the sound of shattering glass, two flames rose from the ground, their fire slowly flowing along the asphalt.

Oil fires cannot be extinguished with water; in such situations, the air must be cut off. There's certainly no insulated asbestos blanket available here—but Han Fulai possesses the power of the Salt God. He can use his power as a fire extinguisher.

He activated the power of the demonic remnants within his body, and white powder fell down, instantly covering the ground—it was salt.

When salt burns, it not only absorbs heat but also melts into a liquid state that adheres to the surface of the burning material, thus isolating it from oxygen.

The flames were quickly extinguished.

As the flames died down, the light source also disappeared, plunging the scene into darkness. Han Fulai put away his black-tasseled spear and took out the "Luminite" catalyst, turning it on.

The smoke released by the treasure-hunting group slowly dissipated, and the group had vanished without a trace.

Seeing that the crisis had passed, Han Fulai also removed the jade scepter's shield.

Jiang Xue appeared silently behind Han Fulai.

"It seems... you really haven't killed anyone." Jiang Xue's tone sounded surprised.

"I have never lied to Senior Jiang Xue," Han Fulai replied sincerely.

"Actually, if you want to capture them alive, it would be easier to just knock them out... or break one of their legs."

His implication was that Han Fulai lacked experience.

Han Fulai smiled wryly, thinking to himself, "If I were like you experts, able to control the amount of force I exert at will, then I wouldn't need to bother with this."

"If we meet again... I'll give it a try."

So far, the opponents he has fought using his divine power have been either demonic beasts or remnants of demon gods, or at the very least, powerful members of the Fools' Clan with evil eyes—in short, opponents against whom he has no room for mercy. As for when Shen He taught him spear techniques… Shen He had to hold back with him then.

If he were to actually attack these ordinary members of the treasure-hunting gang, and misjudged the force, knocking them unconscious could turn into killing them, and a broken bone could turn into an amputation…

If he were to encounter the notorious thieves "Iron Bull" and "Delicate Flower" again, he would call Jiang Xue to resolve the situation without hesitation.

At this moment, Zhiqiong also came to the two of them and bowed to Han Fulai to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Master Han, for protecting the ore for us."

In Zhiqiong's view, it was naturally Han Daxia who stepped forward to protect the miners' hard-earned fruits of labor. If the Layered Rock Abyss were to resume production, the raw ore in the ore warehouse that couldn't be transported in time would be extremely valuable. It would be a great pity if it were destroyed by the Molotov cocktails of the treasure-hunting gang.

As for letting those petty thieves from the treasure-hunting gang escape—that was obviously because their opponents were too low-class, and Master Han disdained to get entangled with them.

Han Fulai nodded and asked, "Miss Zhiqiong, what do you know about these treasure-hunting groups?"

“This…uh…” Zhiqiong hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

Han Fu glanced at her. "Even if you didn't say it, I already knew...were there former miners among them?"

These treasure-hunting gang members mostly carried miners' tools, and they were able to find this ore warehouse in the complex environment of the Layered Rock Abyss, without even bringing any magpies down into the mine—indicating that there were skilled miners among them who understood the environment and had a very keen sense of smell.

"...Yes. And the 'second brother' they mentioned...I may have met him before."

Zhiqiong's gaze wandered, fixed on the small, bright blue finches in the cage.

"There used to be a foreman at the mine, the second oldest in his family, everyone called him 'Second Brother.' He was notorious for his gluttony at the mine. After the miners had been eating dry rations underground for a long time and their mouths were tasteless, he would give them the little pheasant... After the Layered Rock Abyss was sealed off, he disappeared without a trace. I suppose that's when he joined the treasure-hunting gang..."

"But how did they manage to break through the seal of the 'Seven Star Formation'?" Han Fulai raised a new question.

The methods those treasure-hunting groups used were clearly different from theirs, and forming such a team couldn't have been done overnight. Han Fulai believed that these people had been doing this business long before the seal was broken.

"I don't know about that," Zhiqiong shook her head.

Jiang Xue, however, gave him an answer: "'The Seven Star Formation' is only effective against virtuous people, not wicked people. Virtuous people walk the righteous path, while wicked people walk the evil path."

"A heretical path...?" Han Fulai turned his head to look at Jiang Xue. Jiang Xue was one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, so he must have a much better understanding of this sealing formation than others, and he also seemed to have entered the Layered Rock Abyss before.

Jiang Xue nodded gently, "There are many 'crooked methods' in the Layered Rock Abyss."

"I see." Han Fulai understood.

"Uh... what are you two talking about?" Only Zhiqiong opened her big eyes, but she didn't understand.

"It's not important." Han Fulai smiled and moved on from the matter. He then added, "By the way, didn't Miss Zhiqiong say there might be clues left by Old He here? We might as well look for them. Also..."

He pointed to a shelf in the corner of the warehouse, where a faint blue light emanated from the crack of a box. He had noticed those faint lights in the brief darkness after the fire went out, and the Lumenite catalyst in his hand had also reacted.

“Jinwu asked us to collect some Lumen Crystals for her, and we happen to have some here.”

Han Fulai opened the cargo box, and sure enough, there were several pieces of lumen crystal left behind by the miners.

Not only that, but there was also a note lying on the Lumen Crystal, which looked like a piece of paper torn from a diary.

Needless to say, this was Old He's doing.

Han Fulai invited Zhiqiong and Jiang Xue to come and see.

The paper contained only a few lines of text:

"Getting close to the black 'lava' causes mental confusion, heightened senses, and irritability. But being near this crystal alleviates these symptoms considerably. I heard that Jinwu and her friends have some kind of 'catalyst' that can draw energy from these crystals. Once we get to the surface, I must ask her about it..."

"...My ears are still itchy. I heard someone calling me. She said there's water and mushrooms deep inside... Holy crap, I think I'm going crazy..."

Chapter 139 Rescuing the Missing Miners (Part 8) [4k]

The black "lava" that Lao He mentioned should be the black mud they had encountered before. It seems that Lao He also encountered black mud at the bottom of the Abyss of Layered Rocks. The sensations he recorded about being near the black mud, such as mental confusion and irritability, are probably the reason why those monsters "go berserk."