Chapter 159: Chapter 152: Betrayal, Ambush

Just as Chen Che had guessed. The Han Family’s retreat was merely a strategic move.

The next morning, they came to seize the mine, mobilizing a large number of archers equipped with Poison Arrows. Thanks to the Antitoxic Pills, the Poison Arrows weren’t much of a threat, and they eventually left behind a dozen or so corpses. They returned on the third day with a new type of Poison Arrow.

But Chen Che was prepared and neutralized them again, preventing mass casualties.

At the same time, the second wave of reinforcements arrived:

In addition to over ten disciples from within the Valley, there were also two hundred Loose Cultivators from the Market.

In a short time, Jinyun Valley’s numbers swelled to six hundred.

Moreover, Lu Yi had another trick up his sleeve; he could summon several hundred more Loose Cultivators from the Market at any time.

Although the Han Family lacked an advantage in numbers, their strength lay in the unity and discipline of their members. The two sides clashed in several small-scale battles, but neither gained the upper hand.

"If the fighting gets out of hand, will the Han Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators get involved?"

Chen Che walked through the mining area. The tunnels branched out in all directions, and each was equipped with a Ventilation Array, so even a thousand feet underground, it didn’t feel the least bit stuffy.

"Judging by the current situation, it’s not yet time for them to intervene."

Meng Qingxuan shook her head. Hailing from a major clan, she had a deep understanding of such matters:

"When Foundation Establishment Cultivators enter the fray, it means a fight to the death. Although the Han Family has two Major Cultivators, they only reached Foundation Establishment a short time ago. They’re nowhere near Ye Jingzhou’s level unless they have a decisive advantage. If both sides suffer heavy losses... the situation will become even more complicated."

Chen Che understood upon hearing this.

It was true.

In Yunzhou and Chi State, Jinyun Valley and the Han Family weren’t the only ones eyeing this Wuyin Ore Mine. If their Foundation Establishment Cultivators were to fight and cripple each other, a third party would surely step in.

"In other words, the final outcome depends on the results of the game these people are playing."

Chen Che nodded slightly.

As things stood, the Han Family didn’t have much of an advantage.

But Jinyun Valley couldn’t sustain this war of attrition either. Many miners were watching from the sidelines. If the situation couldn’t be brought under control, they might choose to leave.

"Huh? Why is this path blocked?"

Meng Qingxuan, who was walking with him, suddenly asked.

Chen Che looked up and saw that the tunnel ahead seemed to have collapsed from an external force. As far as he could see, it was sealed off by rubble, and there was no telling how far the blockage extended.

Zhao Ping, who was leading the way, spoke up to remind them:

"Ahead is the Demon Spider’s nest..."

The two had been wandering the mines during their free time these past few days, and Lu Yi had assigned him to be their guide.

"A Demon Spider nest?"

Curious, Chen Che took a step forward and extended his Divine Sense through the pile of rocks.

Just as he expected, behind the rubble lived a dense swarm of Demon Spiders, each as large as a carriage wheel.

On the back of each Demon Spider grew a human face with a green complexion and sharp fangs. As they scurried through the cave, the faces on their backs twisted, seemingly expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, which was a horrifying sight.

Just as Human Race Cultivators consumed Pills or absorbed Spiritual Qi to raise their Cultivation, some Demon Beasts could also absorb the energy contained within minerals to improve themselves.

For this reason, these Demon Spiders had made their home here.

When they returned to the main cavern, they found Lu Yi sitting cross-legged to one side while several Jinyun Valley disciples were cursing nonstop.

"What’s going on?"

Chen Che asked.

"Just now, Han Tong contacted us. They want to develop the mine jointly with us—a seventy-thirty split in their favor. I refused."

Lu Yi sneered, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip.

Chen Che instantly understood. No wonder everyone was so indignant. Ye Jingzhou had been the first to discover this mine; it should have belonged to Jinyun Valley. For the Han Family to just show up out of nowhere and suddenly demand the lion’s share of the mine—who would agree to that?

However, Chen Che sensed there was more to Lu Yi’s words. "Valley Master Lu, what are you planning?"

Lu Yi said, "The most I can concede is thirty percent!"

!?

Everyone was stunned by his words, clearly not expecting this, but no one dared to speak up.

It was Hu Yao who cupped his hands and spoke:

"Master, why should we give them thirty percent?"

"I don’t want to either, but what if the Han Family refuses to back down and fights us for three or five years? How many miners will die then? And even if they don’t fight us to the death, what if they just harass us day and night?"

Lu Yi sighed heavily and set down his teacup.

"The miners are here to earn money, not to die for us. If this drags on, morale will surely crumble. For us, every day of delay is a huge loss. If we develop it jointly, we can also prevent a third party from getting involved."

"...This is the only choice."

The disciples were left speechless.

Although Lu Yi was speaking the truth, they found it difficult to accept emotionally. An enemy they were fighting to the death with just a few days ago was now going to be a partner.

Chen Che, however, found it normal.

Lu Yi’s starting point was always what was best for Jinyun Valley. Besides, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.

"In this world, strength is all that matters. Without strength, you can only compromise."

Lu Yi sat there, slowly and deliberately sizing up the disciples around him.

"However, if we use this mine to grow and Jinyun Valley produces a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, we can turn the tables. At that point, swallowing the Han Family whole won’t be a problem."

"Hu Yao, among all the disciples, your talent is the highest and your comprehension is excellent. You have a high chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future. Remember to cultivate diligently!"

"The rest of you, remember this as well."

"Yes!"

Hu Yao took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and accepted the command.

"Strength..."

Chen Che nodded to himself.

"The next few days will be for games and negotiations with the Han Family."

Lu Yi turned to Chen Che.

"The Han Family is willing to sit down and negotiate thanks to Tributor Chen’s Antitoxic Pills. Otherwise, we would be the ones begging to talk. At that point, we’d be lucky to get even thirty percent of this mine. When the Valley Master comes out of seclusion, I will report this truthfully and ensure Tributor Chen is handsomely rewarded."

Without the Antitoxic Pills, the Han Family would have had the advantage.

With just their Poison Arrows, they could have slowly encroached upon the mine. And then, Jinyun Valley would have been the one to bow its head.

It could be said that Chen Che played the decisive role.

’Who knows when Ye Jingzhou will come out of seclusion?’

Chen Che grumbled inwardly.

Over the next few days, the two sides negotiated continuously.

Lu Yi stood firm on only conceding thirty percent, but Han Tong held fast at fifty percent, refusing to budge an inch. The talks broke down on the spot, and another small-scale battle broke out, with several casualties on each side.

The peace talks resumed the next day, and Han Tong backed down, demanding forty percent.

Lu Yi did not agree, and the negotiations stalled there. Nevertheless, he was still in high spirits. Thanks to the talks these past few days, normal mining operations had finally resumed. The daily CLANG CLANG of pickaxes created a bustling scene, and the Han Family had not made another move.

During this time, Chen Che mentioned wanting to return to the Market.

The Spiritual Qi here couldn’t compare to his Cave Mansion, and his Cultivation speed was slow. Without the help of Concentration Incense, the growth of his Divine Sense had nearly stagnated.

But Lu Yi refused:

"The situation at the mine is unstable. Although the Han Family is negotiating on the surface, they certainly haven’t given up. Your presence has neutralized their Poison Arrows, so they must hate you to the bone. Once they learn you’re heading back, they will definitely set up an ambush."

"Right now, the Valley’s high-end combat power is tied up at the mine, and I can’t be in two places at once. Once this matter is settled, I’ll have these men escort you back to the Market."

Lu Yi glanced sideways at the seven or eight heavily armed Jinyun Valley disciples beside him.

’...They’re supposed to protect me? Me, need their protection? If we ran into danger, I’d probably be the one protecting them!’

The corner of Chen Che’s mouth twitched.

Sweeping his Divine Sense over them, he found that the highest Realm among them was only the Eighth Layer. He sighed inwardly but could only agree helplessly.

"Thank you, Valley Master Lu."

...

’Good thing I asked Old Li for time off. Otherwise, if he didn’t hear from me for half a month, he’d probably show up at my door for a home visit.’

Chen Che thought to himself.

After learning that the conflict at the mine would be a long-term battle, he had immediately found a moment when no one was around to secretly return to Earth Element Star and send Li Xiaoshuang a text message saying he was going into seclusion. Otherwise, after missing class for half a month, Old Li would have definitely called the police.

"I can’t leave the mine, and you seem happy about it?"

He glanced sideways and saw that Meng Qingxuan, his companion, seemed to have a smile in her eyes.

"...I’m not!"

The corners of Meng Qingxuan’s mouth lifted, and her starry eyes darted to the side.

Of course she was happy. If they went back to the Market, Chen Che could go anywhere, and he would run off after just a few words with her. Only here in the mines could she stick to his side without leaving.

"Sigh!"

Chen Che sighed helplessly. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

In truth, the mines were incredibly boring. He wasn’t a combatant and didn’t need to mine, so he had almost nothing to do. But having a beautiful woman by his side made it less tedious.

It was just that her status gave him pause, so he was unwilling to get too deeply involved.

Zhao Ping walked ahead, carrying a lantern.

The two of them strolled along behind him, wandering deeper and deeper without realizing it. The number of miners around them gradually dwindled, and it seemed they were getting farther and farther from the surface.

"How far have we walked?" Meng Qingxuan asked.

"We’re probably about three to four thousand feet from the surface here."

Chen Che glanced up.

"We’ve already gone this deep?"

Meng Qingxuan was stunned. She looked around, a puzzled expression on her face. "I remember this tunnel wasn’t dug out a few days ago. Could this have been newly excavated...?"

She noticed that the surrounding rock walls all bore the marks of recent excavation.

"Miss Meng is correct."

Ahead, Zhao Ping turned back and explained, "These miners dug this section out in the last two days. The Wuyin Stone content is higher here, and not many people know about it."

As soon as his voice fell, Chen Che, who was beside her, suddenly stopped walking.

Meng Qingxuan didn’t notice at first. She turned to look at him and asked casually, "What did you see? Why did you stop...?"

"Meng Qingxuan, go back now. The faster, the better!"

Chen Che’s eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low voice.

"Huh?"

Just as Meng Qingxuan was feeling confused, Zhao Ping, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.

"Since you’re here, Miss Meng the Elder, why not stay? It won’t be too late to leave after the Han Family and Tributor Chen have reached an agreement!"

"What did you say?"

Meng Qingxuan was horrified. Then, to her utter shock, the miners all around them—who had been mining, resting, or chatting idly—suddenly rose to their feet in unison. They took off their bamboo hats, drew their Weapons, and produced Crossbows. In an instant, thirty to forty miners had completely sealed the path in front of and behind them.

Surrounded by the crowd, a burly man with a giant blade on his back strode forward.

Upon seeing him, Meng Qingxuan’s expression changed drastically:

"Han Tong?"