Chapter 56: Wanting to Kill Yan Hua
[Jing Ru: Successive disciple of the Wind Lightning Sect. In the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm. She used the same method as Situ Jian to bypass the Lawless Tower and enter the mine of the Heavenly Note Sect. She saw that you weren't ruthless, so she deliberately let you discover the talismans. The two talismans were both triggers. Regardless of whether they are destroyed or not, they can attract experts from other sects. She, along with Situ Jian, wanted to damage the mine and free the captives. She secretly communicates with others by using a secret talisman and will be able to perfect the location in half a month.]
'So, she thought I didn't look heartless and used me?' Jiang Hao sighed. It wasn't the first time that something like this had happened.
There was still half a month left! He still had time. As long as he mined quickly enough to find more bubbles, he could advance to the intermediate stage soon. If he reached the intermediate stage soon enough, he might still be able to avoid Yan Hua.
As for the attacks from the Blackheaven Sect…
He wasn't sure if he could face all of them. However, if he could deal with Situ Jian and the others before the sect arrived, he would be safe.
He couldn't tell anyone about his suspicions. He hadn't even found the runes in the mine that Situ Jian had supposedly hidden.
Jiang Hao knew that danger was approaching. He couldn't slow things down any longer. He dug with all his might.
The others found Jiang Hao's behavior incomprehensible. However, seeing their supervisor being so diligent, they didn't dare lag behind. Besides, if they worked well, they would get better meals at night.
Three days later, Jiang Hao finally finished mining.
Almost all the blue bubbles were wasted today because his interface didn't absorb it at all. However, Jiang Hao continued a while longer for the white and green bubbles.
If he was lucky, he could accumulate more attributes and preserve them to advance to the next level.
He mined when the others did and took a break after a while. He observed the workers around him.
'I can finally advance tonight,' thought Jiang Hao.
As for Situ Jian and the other three, he had already appraised them all.
Shangguan Wen was indeed very dangerous. Although he was only in the early stage of the Golden Core Realm, he was gifted. He had the ability to control every inch of his skin and his power.
They had implanted an explosive somewhere. Its energy was reduced to the point that it was almost untraceable.
Jiang Hao investigated the ground very closely. If he wasn't careful, he could trigger whatever they had hidden.
However, he found nothing once again.
He sighed in defeat. He had to admit that the enemies were very meticulous. Even with the help of the knowledge from the nameless manual, he couldn't sense anything at all.
Unfortunately, time was of the essence. He needed to master the nameless manual if he wanted to find the runes. However, he couldn't do that in one day. Jiang Hao always remained alert, even in his own courtyard. He rarely slept.
However, he needed some rest today.
Some spirit herbs swayed in the wind in his courtyard. Jiang Hao had planted them thinking that they would produce some bubbles.
He placed his special hoe in the courtyard and looked at it. He didn't know if anyone had bugged the hoe to monitor him, but it was better not to keep it with him inside the house.
Jiang Hao walked into his house and opened his interface.
[Lifeblood: 100/100 (can be cultivated)]
[Cultivation: 100/100 (can be cultivated)]
He chose the option to cultivate. The next moment, spiritual energy surged into his body. Jiang Hao was taken aback at the strength of the energy.
The Hong Meng Heart Sutra began to circulate, and purple energy guided his lifeblood.
After the circulation started subsiding, his spiritual energy returned to his core. His lifeblood strengthened his body to a hundred meridians.
At this moment, the Golden Core was being nourished by his spiritual energy, and it was growing stronger by the second.
As his spiritual energy calmed, Jiang Hao knew that he had advanced to the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm.
Everything had gone smoothly. He did not stop there. He made his lifeblood circulate to enhance his cultivation further.
At the same time, he concealed much of his cultivation so that he didn't accidentally reveal it to others.
Early the next morning, Jiang Hao opened his drowsy eyes. He got up and took out his Primordial Heavenly Blade. He practiced the stance for the first form out of the Seven Forms of The Heavenly Blade.
He sensed the powerful intent of the saber. It made him feel more at ease.
'Should I look for Yan Hua?' Jiang Hao hesitated with the thought.
Yan Hua rarely stayed back in the mines after dark. If anyone was killed outside the mines, it would attract the attention of the Law Enforcement Hall. He had to be patient.
Jiang Hao headed to the mine and continued digging. Mining was indeed the fastest way to earn more bubbles! For a moment, Jiang Hao thought that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to work here.
However, the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower was too big of a responsibility for him to leave unattended.
Jiang Hao saw a shadow outside. He was on his guard. However, when he went outside, he saw that it was just the demoness. 'Why is she here?'
Jiang Hao was puzzled.
Hong Yuye held a hoe and observed everyone around her. She turned to Jiang
Hao after a while.
"You seem surprised," she said.
"Greetings, Senior." Jiang Hao bowed. "I am a little surprised, to be honest."
He didn't think she would appear in the mines.
"Where is my flower?" she asked without emotion.
"A-at my house," said Jiang Hao. Hong Yuye stared at Jiang Hao for a long time. "Hm… and my tea?"
Jiang Hao was rendered speechless
Chapter 57: Special Treasure Under The Mine
It seems you've been ignoring my instructions," said Hong Yuye. Her aura surged. It was vast and massive, like the Yangtze River.
"S-Senior…" stammered Jiang Hao. "I didn't really mean to do that intentionally. I was, in fact, trying to find that blend of tea when I was called to work in the mines. I cannot disobey the order from the sect. I couldn't uproot the flower and bring it here with me. I thought the environment would be unsuitable for its growth."
Hong Yuye's gaze pushed him against the wall with a force. However, she let him go.
She picked up the hoe. 'You like mining?
"I-I have begun to…"
Hong Yuye turned to him. Jiang Hao got nervous. "Yes, I like it!"
She threw the hoe back to him. Then, she walked out of the mine as though she was there for a leisurely stroll. "Follow me." Jiang Hao picked up his hoe and didn't dare hesitate a second longer. Hong Yuye stopped at the edge of the mine.
"Senior, there are a lot of people here." Jiang Hao reminded her.
Hong Yuye glanced at him. "Are you worried that I'll be in danger if someone sees me here?" she asked. "Or… are you worried you'll be in danger if you are seen with me?"
"The first one, of course," he lied. He was only worried about himself.
"I see you haven't stopped with your lies," said Hong Yuye. She didn't berate him this time.
She looked around the mine. "Did you find an inheritance inside?"
Jiang Hao hesitated and then nodded. "Yes." That wasn't a lie.
He had indeed found an inheritance in the mines. It had appeared when he was still refining his advancement. He had practically done it right under her nose. She would already know by now that he was in the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm.
This was dangerous. Who knows what other secrets this woman would pry into?
"It is said that this mine was the center of war in the distant past. Some still believe there are many fallen treasures inside. Many spent their time digging persistently to find them. Others tried to blow up the mines because they thought these treasures were hidden in the depths," said Hong Yuye without emotion.
She sounded like she was talking about something ordinary and unimportant. However, her words shocked Jiang Hao. He realized that whoever had put Situ Jian and the captives here was planning to find out if the legend was true.
Jiang Hao had never heard about the legend. No one had ever mentioned it. Situ Jian and the others probably didn't know about it, either.
However, if Situ Jian's plan succeeded, the Heavenly Note Sect would suffer a crushing defeat even if they won against Azure Mountain.
"Senior, are you also here to obtain the special treasure?" asked Jiang Hao.
Even though he didn't know what the treasure would be, he guessed it might be something valuable if the demoness was after it.
He didn't want the treasure. The Law Enforcement Hall's investigation was meticulous. They would eventually hunt him down if he hid the treasure.
So, he would hand the treasure in if he happened to find it. He didn't want to attract any attention to himself. He wanted others to think he wasn't someone significant, and that he was just a simple disciple who planted and took care of the spirit herbs.
Hong Yuye glanced at him, but she didn't answer. However, her look was full of disdain.
Jiang Hao's heart sank. 'When will I get rid of this demoness?'
He sensed that she hadn't sought him out because of his background, or to keep an update on the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. It was something else…
Was it because of The Heaven Extinction Yang Gu Poison?
That made him feel even more nervous as though a knife was hanging above his head. She was even more dangerous than the Heavenly Joy Pavilion, the Sunset Immortal Sect, and the Heavenly Saint Sect combined.
Jiang Hao had offended so many people at once. He sighed inwardly.
Hong Yuye turned around and left. She took a few steps and disappeared into thin air.
A voice sounded in his mind. "Remember that your job is to take care of my flower. If I see you in the mine next time, there'll be consequences."
Jiang Hao was speechless. He needed to find a way to leave the mines.
He didn't linger around and went down. He saw Yan Hua smiling at him.
Jiang Hao always felt her gaze on him. Whenever he sensed her watching him, it made his scalp tingle.
"Junior Brother Jiang, the group you led to the 6th open-pit has shown so much progress!" said Yan Hua. "It seems assigning the job to you was the right thing to do."
Jiang Hao thought that keeping Yan Hua happy right now was his best bet to delay her attacks. As long as he did well, she would be content.
Good progress meant better rewards. If Jiang Hao increased the progress, Yan Hua would receive the reward, or so she thought. That was fine with him.
He thanked her and went off to mine again. If possible, he wanted to advance to the next stage as soon as possible. It was always better to become stronger than the enemy.
Besides, from what the demoness said, people from the Blackheaven Sect must be on their way to invade the mines. They wanted the treasure hidden in the mines.
At night, Situ Jian and the other three captives returned to their accommodation. This was just a crude shelter that provided some protection from the wind and the rain. The space was very small. It was quite crowded.
"Isn't it about time?" asked Beixue flatly. Her face held no emotions at all as if they had been sucked dry.
"I still need some time. About seven to eight days," said Jing Ru. "The person with the talisman doesn't move very often, so I can't set the perimeter of the location. That's why the progress is so slow. I was so worried that he might not have found the talismans, after all."
"It's risky. What if he makes a move?" asked Shangguan Wen.
"That won't happen," said Jing Ru with a smile. "I can sense that Jiang Hao isn't very ruthless. He is not a killer. He seems to be far too cautious for his own good. I didn't expect him to hand over the talismans directly, though. He seems to be an honest person. But I am prepared for the worst. Even if I am caught, I won't implicate any of you. If it wasn't for the fact that destroying the talismans requires someone from the Golden Core Realm, we wouldn't need to go through so much trouble."
Jing Ru turned to Situ Jian.. "How are your preparations going?"
Chapter 58: Killing Jiang Hao in One Move
Situ Jian shook his head. "I stopped setting up the runes."
The others were surprised. Although they were assigned together to get the job done, they weren't very familiar with each other in the beginning. It had taken a few days for them to get to know one another. After that, they assigned small tasks among themselves to get things done. Even if they were caught, they were loyal enough not to put each other in danger.
"Why?" asked Beixue.
"I did set up runes in the beginning, but…" Situ Jian sighed. "After we met Jiang Hao, I stopped."
"Is he that dangerous?" asked Shangguan Wen.
"I don't know… He shouldn't be. He doesn't look dangerous or powerful," said Situ Jian.
"He did notice my little trick, though. He is definitely not mediocre, or he wouldn't have noticed it at all," said Jing Ru.
"I just… sense something, you know. I feel that he is more dangerous than he looks," said Situ Jian. "So, I stopped setting up the runes to prevent him from noticing it." He looked at them. "Also, didn't you notice? He always hangs around at the end and searches the ground as though he is looking for something. I think he knows what we are up to. He is just trying to find evidence. Be careful."
"Aren't you just being unnecessarily cautious?" asked Jing Ru.
"Better that than getting caught," said Situ Jian with a smile. "Now, we just need to wait till the location is perfected. The things we prepared till now will be enough. There's no need to take extra risks. Have you secured the escape route?"
"Yes," said Beixue. "I found a way out from the back. When the time comes, we just need to leave that way. We don't need to do anything else. I am guessing the seniors are planning to attack the mine for some bigger purpose?"
"Maybe," said Situ Jian. "Have you found the people you wanted to save?
Remember to inform the seniors when the time comes. Don't take too long."
"Once our plan is a success, I feel like Jiang Hao will chase after us. Do we kill him when that happens?" asked Shangguan Wen.
"My opinion is that if he doesn't harm us directly, we shouldn't make him our enemy," said Jing Ru.
Shangguan Wen looked at Beixue and Jing Ru.
"If he's really powerful like Situ Jian seems to think he is, then having him as an enemy will only ruin our plan," said Jing Ru.
"We'll see what to do when we get to it. We'll need to act quickly depending on the situation," said Beixue.
"I don't think it will be particularly difficult to kill him. I can kill him in one move," said Shangguan Wen. "I have observed him. In terms of strength, cultivation, and spirit, he doesn't seem to have any outstanding points. Getting rid of him should be easy. Don't worry about him. We can observe for a few more days to see if anything happens."
"The Heavenly Note Sect will keep a close eye on us, so things won't go as smoothly as we expect," said Situ Jian.
The others remained quiet. They waited and observed the situation for a few more days.
Jiang Hao spent the next few days mining. Every time he sensed Yan Hua close, he felt her eyes on him. It felt as though she couldn't get her hands on him soon enough to turn him into one of her puppets.
Jiang Hao stayed calm and composed. He didn't mind. In fact, he was waiting for her to strike, so he could fight back.
He had gone to look for Yan Hua a few days ago. It had already been five days since he had advanced to the intermediate stage.
He also knew that people from the Blackheaven Sect were coming here soon.
He was about to check his interface when he heard a sound coming from the ores nearby.
"Retreat! Quickly!" shouted Jiang Hao to the workers.
The miners were confused. Only three people seemed to take his words to heart. They fled.
A huge snake demon broke out of the rock. As it slithered, chunks of rocks broke off and fell to the ground. It was a Rock-Drilling Snake.
The miners who didn't move out of the way were struck by the falling rocks. The miners who had managed to hide were a little nervous.
At this moment, the Rock-Drilling Snake opened its mouth wide, preparing to swallow the people who were trapped beneath the fallen rocks.
The junior supervisor, Wu Jing, was about to attack the snake.
However, a silver light glinted somewhere, and the snake's head fell to the ground. The light appeared again, like rays of moonlight, and cut the snake into pieces.
The creature in the intermediate stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm was killed just like that. It had happened so quickly that everyone was surprised.
Wu Jing looked at Jiang Hao in disbelief. At this moment, Jiang Hao was retracting his saber.
Wu Jing had come across many Rock-Drilling Snakes in the mine. They always caused panic among the miners. The creature wasn't very strong, but it sometimes caught people defenseless. Sometimes, even the inner sect disciples were helpless before the creature. However, it had been killed the moment it appeared.
The miners looked at Jiang Hao with newfound respect. They felt that this supervisor was indeed very strong.
Situ Jian looked at Jiang Hao. He felt that it would be better not to run into him in the future. His instinct told him that Jiang Hao wasn't as simple as he seemed.
Three people had been caught under the falling rocks. Two men and one woman.
Jiang Hao walked over to them. One of the men had suffered a severe injury on his thigh. The woman's arm was wounded, too. She wore the clothes of some other sect.
Jiang Hao took out a Pain-Relieving Talisman and threw it on her arm. The woman looked around smugly, as though to say that even as a captive, she was better than them.
The injured man lowered his head and didn't say anything.
Jiang Hao kicked him. "Open your mouth."
The man was surprised. He opened his mouth, and Jiang Hao placed a medicinal pill into it. The man swallowed.
There was an immediate effect. His lifeblood surged, and his thigh began healing. He could even feel his cultivation improving. "This…"
"Just sit and rest for a while. I'll continue with my work," said Jiang Hao.
As he was about to leave, the woman grabbed him. "Was that a spirit-gathering pill?" she asked. "I'm injured too. Why didn't you give me one?"
Jiang Hao was stunned..
Chapter 59: The Stupid Woman
The people in the mines were shocked at the woman's actions. Many were also surprised that Jiang Hao had talismans and pills on him.
"Why should I give you a spirit-gathering pill?" Jiang Hao asked the woman.
Judging trom her build, she seemed to be in the late stage ot the Foundation Establishment Realm. She was young, which meant she could still advance rapidly.
However, she had quite an attitude. Those who were of a lower level of cultivation should know their place. They needed to have respect for the ones who were of higher cultivation level than them, otherwise, they would end up dead.
The fact that the woman was demanding something from someone who was of higher cultivation than her meant that she might have been born into a noble family and lacked manners.
"He's injured, and I'm injured too. Why is it that I only get a Pain-Relieving
Talisman, and he gets a spirit-gathering pill?" asked Ren Shuang haughtily.
She assumed that she didn't need to be afraid of Jiang Hao since he was kind enough to give the injured workers talismans and pills. She was the daughter of an elder of the Blackheaven Sect. She wasn't inferior to anyone here!
Jiang Hao raised his Half-Moon Blade and placed it at her throat. It wasn't unsheathed, but he didn't need to. The threat was clear.
"Are you able to mine?" he asked.
"I'm injured. I can't work in this condition!" said Ren Shuang indignantly.
The blade flashed, and blood flowed out of a cut on Ren Shuang's neck. It was only a small cut.
She covered her neck. A chill ran down her spine.
"I'm going to ask again," said Jiang Hao. "Can you mine or not?"
"Yes! Yes, I can!" Ren Shuang trembled in fear. The hand that covered the cut on her neck was already tainted by blood. She knew that if she said no, she would be decapitated.
"That's great!" Jiang Hao retracted his blade and turned to leave.
He instructed Wu Jing to drag out the corpse of the beast. After collecting two blue bubbles, he picked up the hoe and began to dig.
The others followed suit. Ren Shuang covered the cut with her hands and tried her best to stop the bleeding.
Jing Ru glanced at Jiang Hao and frowned. It seemed that he was indeed different from what she had imagined.
Shangguan Wen lowered his head and continued to dig. No one knew what he was thinking.
After what had just happened, everyone seemed to be a little afraid of Jiang Hao. They worked quietly and diligently.
Their progress at the end of the day was 30% better than yesterday. Wu Jing was in disbelief. He had never seen the miners work so diligently before.
He was shocked by Jiang Hao. It seemed that inner sect disciples were not someone to mess with.
Yan Hua smiled. "Junior Brother Jiang, you are amazing!"
"You flatter me, Senior Sister Yan," said Jiang Hao humbly.
"By the way, the four people from before? Do they seem suspicious?" she asked.
Jiang Hao shook his head. Other than the information he got from the appraisal; he hadn't found anything else.
It made him curious. He needed to read the nameless manual and grasp the concepts once more. However, he didn't have time. He could only focus on refining his cultivation for now.
Two days later, Jiang Hao appraised Jing Ru again. The information he got from the ability revealed that she would be able to perfect the location tomorrow. The attackers might then arrive.
'Tomorrow…'
It would be dangerous in the mine as well as outside.
That day, Jiang Hao opened his interface when he reached home.
[Name: Jiang Hao]
[Age: 21]
[Cultivation: Intermediate Stage of Golden Core Realm]
[Cultivation Method: Heavenly Sound Hundred Revolutions, Hong Meng Heart
Sutra]
[Divine Ability: Nine Revolutions Death Substitution (unique), Daily Appraisal,
Clear and Pure Heart]
[Vitality: 70/100 (can be cultivated)] [Cultivation: 75/100 (can be cultivated)]
[Divine Power: 2/3 (cannot be obtained)]
'Even if I find more bubbles tomorrow, it won't be enough. I need at least two days to accumulate the attributes. Besides, I need one whole night to break through to the next stage!'
Jiang Hao was silent. There was no other choice.
He let out a weary sigh and went out to look for Wu Yuanwu.
As he got near the mine, he observed the people who were strolling around. Some of them were in the early stage of the Golden Core Realm. A few were even above that level.
He didn't know if the Heavenly Note Sect had sensed anything. Jiang Hao wondered if he should just leave the sect. However, if he left, he would be at the mercy of others.
'The best I can do right now is to avoid the calamity and focus on my cultivation. I have to survive tomorrow.'
Tomorrow was a big day. If he died tomorrow, all his effort would have been for nothing.
Jiang Hao felt that it was a pity he couldn't break through to the late stage of the Golden Core Realm when he was this close. He went back to his house.
At daybreak, Jiang Hao walked out of his house. He glanced at the spirit herbs growing around his courtyard.
When the Blackheaven Sect and the others attacked today, this place would be targeted too. He couldn't make any changes now because that would attract suspicions.
He wanted to tell someone about the impending attack but didn't know who he should turn to.
When he arrived at the mines, Jiang Hao saw Yan Hua. She smiled. She seemed even more happy than usual.
Jiang Hao realized that she knew about the attack from the Blackheaven Sect. Once the attack began, she would come for him.
"Junior Brother Jiang, don't run around once you enter the mine. If something…
happens, wait for me," said Yan Hua. "Otherwise, you might get injured." Jiang Hao nodded and said nothing more. He led the workers into the mine..
Chapter 60: Don't Try To Test Me
Jiang Hao could feel Yan Hua's gaze on him as he walked into the mine. He couldn't help it. He turned around to check.
Yan Hua was staring at him unwaveringly. When she saw him turn around, she smiled brightly.
Jiang Hao nodded at her and entered the mine. It unsettled him to live as someone's target. Moreover, Yan Hua had some twisted plans for him.
When they reached the depths of the mine, Jiang Hao looked around and found a place that looked sturdy enough.
"Let's dig here today," he said.
No one had any objections. Usually, when they couldn't find anything good in one place, they chose another area. So, it wasn't unusual at all.
When everyone was busy digging, Jiang Hao glanced at Situ Jian and the other three. He noticed that they stood a little apart.
The four of them had spread out a little. They stood near other captives.
One of them was the woman from yesterday. It seemed like she was one of the people the Blackheaven Sect was going to rescue.
Jiang Hao was a little worried. He didn't care about being targeted by the outside sects because he had no intention of leaving the Heavenly Note Sect anytime soon, at least not until he sorted the matter with the Heavenly Joy Pavilion.
However, he was worried that the woman would order Situ Jian and the other captives to kill him when the Blackheaven Sect attacked.
This was too troublesome. He had to worry about Situ Jian and the others, Yan Hua, and the attackers!
It would be easier for him to expose his cultivation to the Heavenly Note Sect instead.
It was the beginning of the nightmare. He needed to be careful.
Jiang Hao observed Situ Jian and the others to see if they would make a move. He wanted to be ready if that happened.
Jiang Hao knew what his next steps would be. He would use the Demonic Sound Slash with the Primordial Heavenly Blade. He wanted to get rid of them all as soon as possible and escape from there.
That would be his last resort. He hoped no one would attack him so that he wouldn't have to use such a violent method.
Jiang Hao picked up his hoe and got ready to dig. He didn't know when the enemy would attack, but he couldn't just stand around and do nothing.
Situ Jian projected his thoughts onto the arrogant Ren Shuang. "Junior Sister Ren, I am warning you. I am here to rescue you. But if you order me around or dare to act out, I won't hesitate to leave you behind. After that, you'll be trapped here for a lifetime. When I take you away from here, stay quiet. You can do as you please after we're out of here, but until then, your life is in my hands. Don't try to test me."
Ren Shuang lowered her head and continued digging. She didn't say a word.
She wished there was someone else who was tasked with rescuing her.
However, his cultivation was higher than hers, so she couldn't go against him.
At noon, Yan Hua looked up at the sky and smiled. Then, she strode towards the mine. No one knew why she was suddenly making her way to the mine. Nobody dared to ask her.
In the cave, everyone was taking a break. Situ Jian and the others were sitting outside. Ren Shuang was also there with them. She lowered her head nervously.
She was not the only one. Some of the people in the Lifeblood Refinement Realm were also feeling anxious. Everyone seemed to know that today was the day.
Shangguan Wen and the others were much calmer. They had already made their preparations.
Inside, Jiang Hao, who was also taking a break, felt the sudden fluctuation in spiritual energy. It was very faint, but it was there.
'They're here.'
He held onto his Half-Moon Blade and made his own preparations.
Boom!
An explosion rang outside. The entire cave shook, and some parts of the mine collapsed.
Fortunately, Jiang Hao and the others weren't in the line of fire.
Jiang Hao got up. He wanted to leave because he knew Yan Hua was coming for him and didn't want to kill her here.
He was worried that Situ Jian and the others would take the opportunity and attack him along with Yan Hua.
Situ Jian was quick. He tore the talisman apart and began to retreat with the others.
"Fellow disciple Jiang, it seems there is something happening outside. I'm going to go and check," said Situ Jian as the other disappeared deeper into the mine.
Jiang Hao was relieved. This could buy him some time.
The tremors stopped. Everyone felt helpless.
Wu Jing looked at Situ Jian and the others. He was angry. These people dared to run wherever they pleased without his permission!
He was going to chase after Situ Jian, but Jiang Hao stopped him. "Stay here and watch the miners. I'll take a look outside. Wait for me here."
Jiang Hao didn't linger around to see if Wu Jing understood him. He ran outside.
Situ Jian and the others were going to escape from a route that was somewhere at the corner. Jiang Hao had found out the location when he had appraised Beixue. All he had to do was avoid that path.
They couldn't go in or out of the mine. Yan Hua must be on her way. He needed to find other caves and decide whether he wanted to attack head -on or choose a defensive approach.
Not long after Jiang Hao left, Yan Hua appeared before Wu Jing.
"Manager Yan," said Wu Jing in greeting.
Yan Hua looked around. Many people were missing from the mine. She didn't care about the others. She was looking for one specific person.
"Where's Jiang Hao?" she asked.
"Senior Brother Jiang went to check what was happening outside. He asked us to wait here," said Wu Jing truthfully.
"Is that so?" Yan Hua smiled.
"Then you have to wait here. You're not allowed to leave until he comes back."
"Yes, of course." Wu Jing lowered his head. Her smile scared him..