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Chapter 43: The Old Mine
The mine shaft wasn’t a narrow, downward-sloping tunnel—it hadn’t been for a long time. Fengyuan Copper Mine was a classic vertical shaft operation. Its shallow deposits had long since been exhausted, and now the valuable ore lay deep underground. If they wanted to escape deeper into the mine, their only option was to descend via the chutes. For a while, the townsfolk wouldn’t be able to locate them. But the mine wasn’t ventilated naturally; air circulation depended on an exchange system housed in a nearby plant. If someone above ground decided to shut off the ventilation, Li Xingyuan and his companions would suffocate in the depths.
So, while descending into the mine wasn’t an ideal choice, it was their only one.
Once inside, a pungent, rotting stench assaulted their senses. Looking down, Li Xingyuan noticed that the same viscous, tar-like substance coating the snow outside now covered the entire floor of the mine. It bubbled faintly, as if on the verge of boiling.
Chen Yingyao’s face was grim. He hadn’t anticipated being cornered like this. Old Liu couldn’t buy them much time.
Li Xingyuan scanned his surroundings. His vision had grown sharper—or perhaps his ability to perceive locks and keyholes had heightened. Even in the darkness, he could see doors and locks glowing faintly.
He approached a large room adjacent to the mine entrance. The door was locked, but that posed no challenge for Li Xingyuan. With a light touch, the lock clicked open.
This was where miners collected their equipment before descending. Rows of lockers lined the walls, each coated with the strange, tar-like liquid, obscuring any nameplates. Not that Li Xingyuan cared. He opened several lockers with his fingers, finding lamps, helmets, boots, and other gear. Grabbing a few items, he handed them to Chen Yingyao’s men.
“Put these on,” he instructed, strapping a lamp to his own helmet. “We need to go deeper—to lose them.”
Chen Yingyao stared at Li Xingyuan incredulously. “Mr. Li, there’s no power here. We can’t take the elevator down.”
“We’re not taking the elevator.” Li Xingyuan could still hear Old Liu fighting outside. Even without a gun, the man remained formidable—but Li Xingyuan hoped desperately that Old Liu could hold out until they found a way to rescue him. “Fengyuan Copper Mine was built on top of an old mine, right?”
Chen Yingyao and his subordinates exchanged glances. “Yes—but what does that matter?”
“We’ll take the old tunnels.”
“The original mine shafts?” Chen Yingyao sounded skeptical. “Are they even still accessible?”
“They usually are. I’m certain Fengyuan’s old tunnels are intact.” Li Xingyuan recalled the research he’d done during his earlier visit, though he hadn’t ventured into the mine itself back then. Switching on his lamp, he scanned the area for the entrance to the old tunnels. “The geology here is unique. The surrounding rock of the old tunnels is severely weathered. Collapsing them could destabilize the entire ore layer.”
He never imagined the groundwork he’d laid during that previous investigation would prove useful—or that he’d find himself back at this mine under such dire circumstances.
Li Xingyuan had forgotten most of what he’d learned about Fengyuan Copper Mine after completing his report years ago. Yet now, thanks to the mysterious presence occupying part of his mind, he could vividly recall every detail—including the blueprints of Fengyuan’s new mine that he’d barely glanced at.
The entrance to the old tunnels was unassuming, hidden behind a thick iron door with a lock that showed no signs of rust—evidence that it was frequently opened. Li Xingyuan touched the lock, and it sprang open eagerly, revealing the path ahead.
Inside, the conditions were grim. The same sticky liquid filled the space, spilling out when Li Xingyuan opened the door, nearly submerging the soles of his miner boots.
“Is this Di Mu’s milk?”
At Li Xingyuan’s question, Chen Yingyao hesitated, following him into the old tunnel. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes, but… they’re dead now, Mr. Li. When I saw them before, they were alive.”
Alive. The word startled Li Xingyuan.
It was hard to imagine how such viscous substances could be considered living.
“How will we get out once we’re inside?” Chen Yingyao asked anxiously. “Won’t this place collapse suddenly?”
“This isn’t the original entrance to the old tunnels,” Li Xingyuan explained. “It was constructed later, connecting the new tunnels to the old ones. The original entrance is far away—we can circle around through there.”
“Why?”
Li Xingyuan didn’t answer. It wasn’t because he thought Chen Yingyao asked too many questions—he simply didn’t know the answers himself.
Why had Fengyuan Mine built an access point to the abandoned old tunnels? Why, when the old tunnels should have been sealed off entirely, was the lock on this door completely rust-free?
Something important was hidden within those old tunnels—something vital not just to the new mine but to the people of Fengyuan.
The answer wasn’t difficult to deduce.
Their lamps illuminated the narrow tunnels, which were pitch-black and reeked of decay. Thankfully, it was only the stench—for in such ancient mines, far more dangerous things could lurk, like toxic gases.
They had entered the mine with eight men, but now only five remained, including Li Xingyuan. Besides Old Liu, two others had been captured by the townsfolk.
He hoped they were safe.
Li Xingyuan especially worried about Old Liu. Frowning, he resolved to hurry and find a way to rescue him.
Escape through the old tunnels, regroup with the police station reinforcements—and then what? Even if they managed to evade the entire town, rescuing Old Liu would still be nearly impossible.
Shaking his head, Li Xingyuan secured the thick iron door behind them—not with a physical lock, but with his ability, something far stronger.
They walked for a long time along the tunnel, the sounds of pursuit fading into silence. The townsfolk hadn’t followed—or if they had, they couldn’t unlock the barrier Li Xingyuan had set.
But as they pressed on, the exit remained elusive. And then—
“Are we going deeper?”
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