Chapter 419: The Killing Plan

The night was pitch black, the moon cold and bleak.

Outside Nanyue City, a group of cultivators crept toward the mine.

Behind them, three hidden young cultivators followed stealthily.

They walked in silence; soon, Wang Lai and the others reached the mine's outer edge.

The mine ceased operations at night, its perimeter sealed by several heavy iron gates.

Wang Lai pressed against the gate, walked twenty paces to the right, crouched down, and in the darkness, felt with his hands—soon, he opened a low, hidden door.

Lao Yu Tou and Wang Er exchanged glances.

They had mined here for years and never knew such a hidden door existed outside the mine.

"Go."

Wang Lai whispered, then crouched low and led the way through the hidden door into the mine.

Lao Yu Tou hesitated.

Several hooligans pushed him from behind.

Fortune favors the bold.

Lao Yu Tou clenched his teeth and followed Wang Lai's example, crouching to slip into the mine.

All of Wang Lai's group entered the mine; the last hooligan shut the hidden door.

Mo Hua and the others arrived at the hidden door and found it not only shut but bound with iron chains, which bore a padlock.

Bai Zisheng asked: "Shall I smash it open?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Too noisy."

"Then how do we get in?"

Mo Hua pointed at the lock. "There's an array on this lock."

"Can you unravel it?"

Mo Hua raised his tiny eyebrows:

"If I can't unravel this little lock, I don't deserve to be called a first-grade array master…"

Bai Zisheng muttered: "Not every first-grade array master can unravel arrays…"

Bai Xi raised his pale little finger, shushed them, then said to Mo Hua:

"Hurry and unlock it."

"Mm."

Mo Hua nodded, pulled out brush and ink, did a quick calculation in his mind, and immediately understood the lock's array.

A first-grade, seven-stroke iron lock array.

Mo Hua casually traced a few array lines; a flash of light appeared on the lock, then faded—*click*—it opened.

His technique was fluent, as effortless as using his own key to open his own lock.

Bai Zisheng was slightly awed.

Mo Hua felt a small sense of pride, then carefully tried to push open the hidden door—but after several pushes, it wouldn't budge…

The hidden door was heavy; only a body cultivator could easily push it open.

Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zisheng understood, reached out, gave a light push—and the door swung open; he grinned triumphantly at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua shook his head and was about to enter when Bai Zisheng blocked him.

"I'll go first," Bai Zisheng said.

Mo Hua wasn't a body cultivator; his physical form was a weakness—if he went in first and danger arose, it would be troublesome.

Mo Hua paused, understood Bai Zisheng's intent, hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Though he had already scanned with his spiritual sense and confirmed no danger behind the door, he still appreciated his little brother's concern.

Bai Zisheng slipped through the hidden door first, then whispered:

"No danger. Come in."

Mo Hua and Bai Xi then entered the hidden door one after another.

Behind the hidden door lay the mine.

This was Mo Hua's second time entering the mine.

The first time, it had been daytime, with many mining cultivators at work.

The mine had been hot and noisy then.

Now, at night, the mine was utterly empty.

The pitch-black night settled over it; the entire mine appeared eerie and lifeless.

All he could see were jagged rocks and pitch-black mine shafts.

Wang Lai and the others had vanished.

Bai Zisheng asked: "What now?"

Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense, then pointed down one path. "This way."

The three of them activated their concealment array, masked their traces, and quietly moved toward the mine shaft.

In the pitch-black mine shaft, Wang Lai led the way.

Lao Yu Tou, Wang Er, and Tang Wu walked in the middle.

Three hooligans followed behind.

The night-time mine shaft was damp and sinister; in the silent cavern, only the scattered footsteps of the group echoed, occasionally joined by dripping water—now distant, now near—sending unease through their hearts.

Tang Wu asked: "Big Brother Wang, where's the ore?"

Wang Lai said: "Just follow me."

Wang Lai walked away from them, his voice unreadable, echoing through the mine with an unsettling edge.

Behind him, Wang Er sensed something off, and cautiously asked:

"Big Brother Wang, have you been stealing ore here often?"

"This is my first time."

"But this path—you seem to know it too well…"

Wang Lai paused slightly, then slowly replied:

"I scouted ahead, bribed the Lu family cultivators, left a hidden entrance—so it went smoothly…"

Wang Er nodded, half-skeptical.

Old Yu walked silently, saying little, but his heart was uneasy.

He had already sensed something was wrong.

Wang Lai moved with too much familiarity, as if he'd been here many times before.

Yet he claimed this was his first time stealing ore.

That was clearly impossible.

Even with scouting, no one could know the path this well.

Old Yu's expression didn't change, but he already regretted it—his steps slowed slightly.

Wang Lai noticed, turned back, and gave Old Yu a cold glance. "We're almost there. Hurry up."

That single glance made Old Yu's heart jolt.

Wang Lai's gaze was like that of a man looking at a corpse.

What were they planning?

Cold sweat poured down Old Yu's back.

Yet he could only keep following Wang Lai and the others.

They walked deeper into the mine, growing ever deeper, ever more silent.

After a few steps, Wang Er suddenly slipped and fell, muttering under his breath:

"Why's the ground so slippery?"

Wang Lai frowned. "Watch your step."

Wang Er forced a nervous laugh. "Yes, Big Brother Wang."

His eyes flickered; he rose slowly, deliberately lagging behind the group. While Wang Lai and the others weren't looking, Wang Er turned and ran—trying to escape toward the mine entrance.

Wang Lai heard the hurried footsteps and spun around, his face twisted with fury:

"Catch him!"

A burly thug rushed forward, closed the distance in a few steps, grabbed Wang Er by the collar, and yanked him to the ground.

Wang Lai spoke coldly: "Wang Er, what are you doing?"

Wang Er's face paled. "N-nothing…"

"Then why did you run?"

"I didn't run."

Wang Lai's expression grew colder.

Wang Er gritted his teeth: "You're not leading us here to steal ore!"

Wang Lai looked momentarily startled, then replied coldly:

"How do you know that?"

Wang Er pointed into the depths of the mine. "There's no ore here—nothing at all!"

Before he finished speaking, Old Yu's face turned ashen; he stepped back, trying to flee.

But it was too late—Wang Lai had already drawn his knife and slashed at Old Yu.

Old Yu, old and frail, was no match for Wang Lai, especially caught off-guard.

The knife struck his shoulder; a hard kick sent him sprawling. He collapsed against the cold stone wall, gasping for breath.

Tang Wu remained stunned—he didn't understand why Wang Er had suddenly run, nor why everyone had suddenly turned violent…

"Big Brother Wang, what's going on?"

Before he could finish, a thug beside him punched him hard in the stomach.

Tang Wu cried out in pain, clutching his belly, sinking slowly to his knees.

Before he could grasp what was happening, another thug swung a club into the back of his skull.

The club carried spiritual force—its impact was brutal. Blood smeared the club after the blow; Tang Wu slowly collapsed to the ground.

Wang Er cried out desperately:

"Tang Wu!"

Though they didn't share a surname, they had grown up together, mined side by side, and were close friends.

His earlier attempt to flee was only a moment of fear, an instinctive impulse—but he never imagined Wang Lai and the others would actually kill Tang Wu.

They had no grudge—why kill him?

Wang Er's eyes burned with rage as he shouted at Wang Lai:

"Wang the Liar, you bastard—"

A thug punched him in the face, cutting him off; another swung a club into his head.

Blood seeped from Wang Er's scalp; his head slowly drooped.

Old Yu lay sprawled on the ground, bitter and broken:

"Wang Lai, what exactly do you want?"

Wang Lai shrugged. "You poor devils, living is just suffering. Better to die, spare yourselves some pain—and let me earn some Spirit Stones."

Lao Yutou's face turned ashen.

He should have known sooner.

Wang Lai was a wolf; trying to share meat with a wolf was like asking a tiger for its skin—utterly impossible.

He shouldn't have been greedy and believed Wang Lai's words.

Lao Yutou pleaded in fear: "Let us go. Whatever you want, I'll give you."

Wang Lai sneered. "What could you possibly have? All your worldly goods aren't worth even one Spirit Stone. What's there to discuss?"

"Tang Wu is still young—don't…"

"Young and strong fetch a better price."

One of the thugs said: "Big Brother, it's getting late. We can't stay here long."

Wang Lai nodded. "True."

He turned his head, glanced at Lao Yutou, and smiled with cold mockery:

"I told you—wealth comes from danger. Without danger, how can there be wealth? But the risk is yours. The wealth is mine."

Lao Yutou's voice trembled. "If you kill us, what benefit will you truly gain?"

Wang Lai smiled. "That's none of your concern."

Several thugs pulled iron chains from their storage bags and shackled Wang Er and Tang Wu.

Wang Lai instructed: "Cut their heart meridians, kill them—but don't damage their limbs or break their skin."

Then he glanced at Lao Yutou. "I'll handle this old man myself."

Wang Lai's cultivation was high, his methods cruel. Killing Lao Yutou would take no effort at all.

Facing death, Lao Yutou was filled with terror and regret.

He shouldn't have been greedy and dealt with a man like Wang Lai.

Then came a deep sense of guilt.

Life as a miner was miserable. His son had died early; he had raised his grandson alone.

If he died now, what would become of his helpless, orphaned grandson?

If he died, would his little grandson have clothes to wear? Would he get a single meal? Would he be bullied? Would he starve to death on the street at night?

Lao Yutou's heart burned with bitterness.

He suffered from failing to protect his grandson—and from his own greed.

Tears streaming, he begged desperately:

"Wang Lai, I beg you—spare my life. Please… my little grandson…"

Wang Lai remained unmoved. He gripped his knife in his right hand, raised it high, and curled his lips into a cold, emotionless sneer.

Lao Yutou felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, helplessly watching the blade descend toward his chest.

His aged tears turned cold; his gaze was filled with utter despair.

At that moment, a deep red flame flashed through the air, illuminating the dark mine shaft.

The fire was blinding, surging with intense Fire-elemental Spirit Power.

Lao Yutou instinctively shut his eyes. Moments later, when he opened them again, his chest was unharmed—he was still alive.

He stared up in stunned silence and saw Wang Lai's entire arm engulfed in roaring flames.

Deep red tongues of fire licked at Wang Lai's arm, charring it black; his knife had already fallen to the ground.

Wang Lai, writhing in agony from the searing heat, knelt on the ground, gasping in pain.

Lao Yutou's numb mind slowly returned to awareness.

That had been… Fireball Technique?

(End of Chapter)