Before them, only the jagged rocks and pitch-black mine shafts were visible.
No sign of Wang Lai and his party could be seen.
Bai Zisheng asked, "What should we do?"
Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and then pointed down a path, "Let's go this way."
Thus, the three of them, with the Concealment Formation activated to hide their tracks, quietly headed toward the mine shaft.
Inside the pitch-black mine shaft, Wang Lai led the way.
Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu were in the middle.
Three rogues followed behind them.
The mine shaft at night was damp and sinister; within the silent cavern, only the disordered footsteps of the few echoed, with occasional drips of water falling, near and far, unnerving those present.
Tang Wu asked, "Big Brother Wang, where is the ore?"
Wang Lai replied, "Just follow me."
Wang Lai walked ahead, his tone neutral and echoing in the shaft, carrying an indescribable inscrutability.
Wang Er, trailing behind, felt something was off and cautiously asked:
"Big Brother Wang, do you often come here to mine secretly?"
"This is my first time."
"But you seem so familiar with this route..."
Wang Lai paused briefly, then slowly replied:
"I scoped out the place in advance, bribed the Lu Family Cultivators, and left the concealed door, so it's been smooth sailing..."
Wang Er nodded, half-convinced.
Old Yu walked in silence, not speaking much but feeling uneasy.
He had started to sense that something was wrong.
Wang Lai was too familiar with the mine, as if he had been there many times before.
Yet he claimed it was his first time stealing ore.
That was clearly not possible.
Even if he had scoped out the place, he couldn't be this familiar with it.
Old Yu kept his expression neutral, but inside he was beginning to regret his decision, and his steps slowed.
Wang Lai noticed and turned around to give Old Yu a glance, "We're almost there, pick up the pace."
But that one look made Old Yu's heart skip a beat.
Wang Lai's glare was like that of a person looking at a dead man.
What were they planning?
Cold sweat dripped down Old Yu's back.
But he still had to follow Wang Lai and the rest.
They walked deeper into the mine, the deeper they went, the more silent and desolate it became.
After a few steps, Wang Er suddenly stumbled and fell, muttering under his breath:
"Why is the ground so slippery?"
Wang Lai said displeasedly, "Be careful."
With an awkward smile, Wang Er said, "Yes, Big Brother Wang."
His glance flickered slightly as he slowly stood up, deliberately lagging a few steps behind everyone else. When Wang Lai and the others weren't paying attention, Wang Er turned and ran, trying to escape to the entrance of the mine.
Hearing the hurried footsteps, Wang Lai turned around fiercely, his expression ferocious:
"Catch him!"
A big man quickly stepped forward, catching up to Wang Er in just a few steps. He grabbed Wang Er's collar, pulling him down to the ground.
Wang Lai said coldly, "Wang Er, what do you think you're doing?"
Wang Er's face turned somewhat pale: "Nothing... nothing at all..."
"Then why did you run?"
"I wasn't running."
Wang Lai's expression grew colder.
Grinding his teeth, Wang Er said, "You didn't bring us here to steal from the mine at all!"
Wang Lai looked somewhat stunned before responding coldly,
"How do you know that?"
Wang Er pointed towards the deeper parts of the mine and said, "There is no ore here, nothing at all!"