Yin Qing wants to understand the matter of the disappearing miners, but he has to wait until Si Tu Fang’s side has clarified things.

After three days, Yin Qing was still searching for Teacher Yan in Nan Yue City every day, but there were still no clues.

On the contrary, Si Tu Fang’s side received news first.

Still in that small teahouse, Si Tu Fang invited Yin Qing for tea and then said to Yin Qing:

“I went to ask the families of the disappeared miners what exactly happened. They didn’t say, and they were also evasive and tangled. They said Dao Ting Si and the Lu family colluded to bully the common people…”

“The Liu family?”

“The mine belongs to the Lu family.”

“Oh.” Yin Qing nodded.

Si Tu Fang continued: “I then held them for a few days. They became afraid and then told the truth.”

“What did they say?” Yin Qing asked curiously.

Si Tu Fang sighed: “These several disappeared miners disappeared because they stole from the mine…”

“Stealing from the Lu family’s mine?”

“Yes.” Si Tu Fang nodded. “It is said that before they disappeared, they told their families that they were about to get rich and no longer needed to live a hard life.”

“Then they went out at night and never returned…”

Yin Qing understood, “They are afraid that the Lu family will find out about this matter, and the Lu family won’t compensate them with spirit stones, so they dared not say?”

“Yes.”

Si Tu Fang was somewhat helpless.

Probably the Lu family would not only not compensate them with spirit stones but also demand compensation from the families of these disappeared miners.

Because stealing from the mine is a big taboo among miners.

The mine they stole from is nominally the Lu family’s.

“No wonder…” Yin Qing nodded.

That’s why they were evasive and tangled and unwilling to tell the truth.

Of course, another part of the reason was seeing Si Tu Fang’s soft heart, which made them push their luck.

“Sister Si Tu, what are you planning to do?” Yin Qing asked.

Si Tu Fang pondered: “The matter of stealing from the mine, I can’t disclose… Now the most important thing is to find a way to locate these disappeared miners. Whether they are alive or dead, there must be an answer.”

Si Tu Fang sighed, “Moreover, if these miners really died, we also need to find a way to demand some compensation from the Lu family. Otherwise, the families of these miners will have no income and won’t be able to survive.”

Yin Qing also felt some emotion and couldn’t help but ask:

“Will the Lu family compensate?”

“I went to ask, and the Lu family said that unless the bodies of these several miners are found in the mine shaft, they will not compensate.”

Yin Qing frowned, “Has the Lu family always done this before?”

“Yes,” Si Tu Fang nodded, “No bodies seen, no spirit stones compensated.”

She explained again:

“It is indeed somewhat inhumane for the Liu family to do this, but because there were instances of miners faking their deaths to cheat compensation before, it’s also hard to blame them.”

Yin Qing thought for a moment and then asked: “Are there any clues about these disappeared miners?”

“Yes.” Si Tu Fang took out a map and handed it to Yin Qing.

“The mountain peaks where these disappeared miners entered the mine shaft when they went out, I have all marked on the map.”

Si Tu Fang sighed again:

“These things, their families were originally unwilling to say. Now that they know fear, they said them out.”

“After all, once these things are said out and the Lu family knows, they will have leverage.”

“These several disappeared miners, even if they died, will have died in vain, and their families will not get even a cent of compensation.”

“Then we can secretly investigate and not let the Lu family know.” Yin Qing whispered.

Si Tu Fang nodded, but halfway through the nod, she suddenly reacted and corrected herself: “It’s me investigating, not us. What are you, a child, doing getting involved in this kind of matter?”

Yin Qing rolled his eyes and smiled: “Sister Si Tu, you are so good to me, I also want to help you.”

Si Tu Fang’s heart warmed, then she felt something was wrong and looked at Yin Qing suspiciously: “Really?”

“Really!” Yin Qing nodded seriously.

Si Tu Fang still refused: “No, this matter is a bit suspicious, I can’t pull you in.”

Yin Qing then said: “One fence needs three stakes, one good man needs three helpers.”

“I, and my senior brother and senior sister, will all help you. Moreover, the mine shaft has array formations, and in some places, you might not be able to find them…”

Si Tu Fang frowned.

Array formations are indeed a problem…

There are indeed many array formations inside the mine shaft. Without knowing array formations, it is easy to overlook some key places.

She herself knows a little about array formations, but not much. She estimates she cannot see the intricacies inside.

It seems not okay to invite other array masters either.

The Lu family in Nan Yue City is the most powerful and is also on good terms with other array masters. If she goes to the mine shaft to find people, no array master will help her.

As for Yin Qing’s array formations, although she doesn’t know how good they are, Zhang Lan has praised them.

Zhang Lan comes from a noble family background, and his vision is still very good. If he praises Yin Qing’s array formations for being well-drawn, then Yin Qing’s array formations should indeed not be bad…

Si Tu Fang hesitated for a long time and then made a decision: “Okay, but you must pay attention to safety. The inside of the mine shaft is not the same as outside. You absolutely cannot be negligent.”

“Sister Si Tu, rest assured.”

Yin Qing nodded.

After finishing the discussion, two days later.

Si Tu Fang then brought Yin Qing, Bai Zi Sheng, and Bai Zi Xi to the Lu family’s mine.

Miners disappeared, and Dao Ting Si is investigating. The Lu family has no reason to refuse, and they also dare not refuse.

Only the Lu family overseer guarding the mine had no good face.

So Si Tu Fang then brought Yin Qing and the other three, and one accompanying Lu family cultivator, into the mine.

This was still Yin Qing’s first time entering a mine.

Before on the road, he only looked from afar and only heard the clanking sounds, feeling it was noisy and busy.

Now seeing it up close, he only then knew the hardship of the miners.

In the boundaries of Xiao Huang Zhou, the weather is hot, and the mountain stones are all sun-baked hot.

These sun-baked black miners, bare-armed, bending their waists, exposing whip marks one after another on their bodies, are trying their best to mine the ore under the overseer’s urging.

The ore produced here is Qing Shi Tie.

This kind of iron ore is low-priced and hard in quality. It takes great effort to mine it.

These miners need to mine for one day to earn one spirit stone.

Those who are not body refining cultivators fundamentally cannot do this work.

Even strong body refining cultivators may not be able to persist.

This is only the outer mountain. If they go to the deep mine shaft, it is dark and damp, and the foul gas is abundant. It is not only hard but also more dangerous. One carelessness, and they will lose their lives.

Yin Qing felt somewhat uneasy looking at it.

Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi also frowned deeply.

Bai Zi Sheng couldn’t help but say to Yin Qing: “These miners are too miserable…”

The accompanying Lu family cultivator beside him coldly snorted, “What is this misery? People have high and low, noble and humble. This is just their fate, and they should just do this.”

“On the contrary, they should thank my Lu family. Without my Lu family, even if they worked hard for a day, they wouldn’t be able to earn this one spirit stone.”

After saying this, the Lu family cultivator again sarcastically warned: “This little brother, please be careful with your words in my Lu family’s mine.”

Bai Zi Sheng gave him a cold look, “I don’t like your tone of voice. If you talk to me like that again, I will twist your mouth.”

The Lu family cultivator was a bit angry.

Bai Zi Sheng displayed the spiritual power pressure of Refining Qi level nine peak.

The Lu family cultivator’s face turned pale, and only then did he reluctantly shut his mouth.

Si Tu Fang beside him was also somewhat surprised.

Yin Qing’s little senior brother looks only a few years older than Yin Qing, but unexpectedly, his spiritual power is so deep…

It seems that Yin Qing’s teacher is indeed not ordinary.

Then his level of array formations is probably not low either.

“Hope he can see something and find those few disappeared miners…”

Si Tu Fang said silently in her heart.

Several people walked around the outer mountain, asked several miners, found nothing, and then decided to enter the deep mine shaft to look.

The Lu family cultivator again said with a fake smile that wasn’t a smile: “You can enter the mine shaft, but don’t blame me for not reminding you. The inside of the mine shaft is very dangerous. It’s not something you outsiders can casually…”

Bai Zi Sheng gave him a knife-like glare.

The Lu family cultivator’s words then suddenly stopped, and he dared not say more.

Afterwards, everyone entered the mine shaft.

The so-called mine shaft is the general name for the tunnels, caves, and stone rooms inside the mine.

Inside the mine shaft, it is dark and damp, and the air is stifling.

Array formations are engraved on the stone walls. Generally speaking, these array formations are used to reinforce the stone walls, prevent the mine shaft from collapsing, and also have lighting, ventilation, and foul air removal effects.

Yin Qing glanced at the array formations and shook his head.

The array formations on it were indeed extremely rough.

Only some reinforcing uses and weak lighting effects.

Like this, the outer stone walls are not solid, and the foul gas accumulates inside. It is indeed easy to have accidents.

It seems the Lu family doesn’t care about the lives of these miners.

“Are the lives of rogue cultivators not lives…”

Yin Qing sighed silently in his heart.

Several people walked step by step along the mine shaft.

While walking, Yin Qing studied the array formations and reconstructed the pattern of the mine shaft in his mind.

These array formations were extremely shallow.

Yin Qing could see through them at a glance. He didn’t even need divine sense calculation. He just needed to glance a few times to see clearly.

By seeing through the array formations, he naturally also mastered the pattern of the mine shaft.

Well paths can deceive people, but array formations cannot.

At first, the Lu family cultivator led the way. As they walked, Yin Qing walked in front.

The Lu family cultivator frowned.

This young cultivator is clearly here for the first time, how is he more familiar with this place than him?

Si Tu Fang also looked slightly doubtful and somewhat surprised.

Yin Qing led several people along the mine shaft and walked for half a day, but there was still no discovery.

The Lu family cultivator became somewhat impatient, “Almost enough, the mine shaft is so big, no matter how you look, you still…”

Before he finished speaking, Yin Qing stopped.

He looked at the stone wall in front, his gaze narrowed, and he took out a pen and ink, sketching a few array patterns.

Subsequently, the array patterns flashed with faint light and dissolved into each other.

The stone wall trembled, crumbled and fell off, revealing a black hole.

Si Tu Fang was slightly lost in thought.

That Lu family cultivator also turned pale.

(End of this chapter)