Chapter 582: A Choice Without Choice!

"Get out!" the van's rear door was yanked open violently.

A blast of cold wind mixed with dust and stone fragments poured in.

Lin Yuan, on guard, scanned his surroundings.

Immediately, a rough large hand grabbed Lin Yuan's arm and violently hauled him out of the van.

As Lin Yuan's feet touched the ground, he could clearly feel its hardness and unevenness.

Under his feet lay fine gravel that emitted a soft "creak".

The next second, the black hood over Lin Yuan's head was yanked off violently.

A blinding light flooded his eyes instantly… Lin Yuan instinctively narrowed his eyes.

After a few seconds, he gradually adjusted.

Once his vision cleared, Lin Yuan looked around and instantly realized where he was.

This is an abandoned mine...

As far as the eye could see, there were exposed rocky hills and mine pits of varying depths.

The air was thick with the smell of dust and a faint hint of rust...

The surroundings were so quiet that only the wind's moan through the mine shafts could be heard.

At the mine entrance at that moment, several bandits were shining flashlights on Lin Yuan, making the light extremely glaring.

This… is the Thunder Tiger Sect's final destination, an abandoned mine.

Lin Yuan stood alone at the mine entrance, his wariness growing.

He noticed that the mine entrance was heavily guarded.

Behind the rock bunkers on both sides and beside the abandoned mine carts, more than ten ancient martial arts masters lay in ambush.

Each of them was tall and straight, with a deep, restrained aura, and each held a long sword that flashed with cold light.

The blade reflected an icy light.

The bandits stared at Lin Yuan with sharp eyes, as if any slight movement would cause them to pounce and hack him to death.

"Stand still, don't move! Search him!" a burly ancient martial arts master stepped forward and barked in an icy tone.

Afterwards, two masters flanked him left and right and began a thorough search of Lin Yuan.

Their actions were rough yet meticulous, checking Lin Yuan's outer shirt pockets, trouser linings, and even the insides of his shoes, one by one.

Only after confirming he carried no weapons and had concealed no other communication devices did they nod to the leader nearby.

The silver needle on Lin Yuan's person seemed to have vanished?

This surprised the bandits somewhat.

"Take him inside!" the leader waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

One master immediately stepped behind Lin Yuan, gave him a push, and gestured for him to walk forward.

Lin Yuan steadied himself, offered no resistance, and walked forward following their push into the depths of the mine.

He knew this was not the time to act impulsively.

He first needed to ascertain the mine's internal situation and locate Su Monong's whereabouts.

Just as he entered the main tunnel deep in the mine, Lin Yuan sensed something was off.

This tunnel had been specially modified by the Thunder Tiger Sect into a temporary stronghold.

Originally dark, the tunnel's sides now had oil lamps hung at intervals; their yellowish light barely illuminated the way ahead, yet it made the tunnel's atmosphere even more gloomy.

What put him on alert was that faint tripwires could be seen on the ground along the way, and the rock crevices in the tunnel ceiling seemed to conceal a rockfall mechanism.

Moreover, a faint, elusive strange odor drifted in the air, clearly indicating a poison gas mechanism had been set up.

These traps were interlocking; a slight mistake would mean doom.

Lin Yuan was pushed from behind by the master, step by step deeper into the main tunnel.

Lin Yuan's expression grew increasingly solemn.

He thought to himself:

The Thunder Tiger Sect… actually managed to find such a concealed, easy-to-defend-but-hard-to-attack stronghold within Hangcheng's territory?

And they had set it up with such meticulous detail; it was certainly not accomplished overnight.

How exactly did they manage it?

Hangcheng's controls have always been strict; how could an out-of-town martial arts sect possibly establish such a temporary stronghold without anyone noticing?

Could it be that they have local collaborators in Hangcheng?

Once this idea arose, it spread like vines in Lin Yuan's mind, making him ever more suspicious.

After walking along the main tunnel for about ten minutes, the space ahead suddenly opened up.

Ahead appeared a huge mine cavern.

This should be the mine's core area; a few Thunder Tiger Sect masters guarded the cavern entrance, and upon seeing Lin Yuan brought over, they immediately cleared the way.

As soon as he stepped into the cavern, Lin Yuan halted.

Lin Yuan's sharp gaze swept over the cavern interior, and he shouted in a deep voice: "I'm here! Where's Su Monong? Bring her out!"

His voice echoed in the spacious cavern, carrying an unquestionable firmness.

"What's the rush?" a teasing voice came from deep within the cavern.

Immediately after, two Thunder Tiger Sect masters escorted a figure out. Lin Yuan's eyes locked onto that figure, his heart clenched… it was Su Monong!

At that moment, Su Monong's pretty face was panicked and deathly pale, her clothes stained with much dust, her beautiful eyes showing obvious fear and exhaustion.

Fortunately, Su Monong was uninjured.

Evidently, the bandits had not yet laid a hand on her.

Only then did Lin Yuan let out a breath of relief.

Su Monong also raised her head at this moment, and the instant she saw Lin Yuan...

A flicker of complexity and collapse still passed through Su Monong's beautiful eyes.

But her mouth was blocked by a strip of cloth.

Su Monong could only make a muffled "um-um" sound. She kept shaking her head at Lin Yuan.

She seemed to be gesturing, telling him not to come, telling him to run quickly.

But Lin Yuan did not leave.

Lin Yuan had just stepped forward when he was stopped by the expert beside him.

Lin Yuan forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, and his gaze continued to sweep.

Only then did Lin Yuan notice that two more people stood beside Su Monong.

One of them was a young man, about thirty years old, wearing a black brocade robe, handsome in appearance, yet possessing an innate arrogance and ruthlessness.

This young man exuded a remarkable martial aura, clearly indicating his extraordinary status.

And the other person—Lin Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes instantly turning scarlet!

Because Lin Yuan recognized this man!

Lin Yuan's voice cold with anger: "Qian Renhao?!"

Exactly, the man standing beside Su Monong was indeed Qian Renhao!

He never expected to see Qian Renhao here.

Isn't Qian Renhao the young master of the Qian Shi Group? How could he be mingling with people from the Thunder Tiger Sect?

Hearing Lin Yuan's voice, Qian Renhao's face curled into a ferocious, vicious smile.

Qian Renhao stepped forward, looking down at Lin Yuan from above, his tone full of triumph and hatred: "Lin Yuan, didn't expect that? You too have today! You actually fell into my hands!"

"Are you colluding with the Thunder Tiger Sect?" Lin Yuan's voice was ice-cold and piercing, his aura instantly turning sharp.

Lin Yuan finally understood why the Thunder Tiger Sect could act so recklessly in Hangcheng, finding this foothold.

Behind this was Qian Renhao's support!

"Colluding?" Qian Renhao snorted, his tone arrogant: "What's colluding? I've now formally allied with the Thunder Tiger Sect! You've repeatedly ruined my plans and made me lose face in Hangcheng—this debt we'll settle today!"

Qian Renhao paused, his eyes gloomy as he added: "Rest assured, you will surely die today! Everything of the Su Group will be mine!"

At that moment, the young man in black brocade standing beside Su Monong slowly stepped forward.

He first glanced contemptuously at Qian Renhao, then turned his gaze to Lin Yuan, the corner of his mouth curling into an arrogant smile.

The young man slowly spoke to introduce himself: "Let me introduce myself, I am Lei Chen Zhou."

He deliberately paused, watching Lin Yuan's expression shift, then continued: "That's right, I am the crown prince of the Lei Hu Sect. You've probably heard of the Lei Hu Sect, haven't you? This great Lei Hu Sect was built single-handedly by my father. Our Lei Hu Sect has stood in the martial world for decades, its influence spreading across several provinces; capturing a small fry like you, Lin Yuan, is as easy as reaching out and taking it."

Lei Chen Zhou's tone was filled with absolute confidence and arrogance, as if in his eyes Lin Yuan was already a sure thing.

Lei Chen Zhou looked Lin Yuan up and down, his eyes gleaming with a hint of greed:

"I know you possess peerless hidden-weapon techniques; if you obediently hand over your hidden-weapon art and cooperate with us in forcing Su Monong to surrender the Su Group's shares, I might consider sparing your life."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan's fierce expression instantly softened.

Lin Yuan lowered his eyes slightly, his tone conciliatory: "Wanting my hidden-weapon secret art… is not impossible."

As soon as he said that, a flicker of delight crossed Lei Chen Zhou's eyes.

Qian Renhao even revealed a schadenfreude smile.

Meanwhile, the restrained Su Monong anxiously shook her head, making muffled "uh-uh" sounds of struggle, her eyes full of dissuasion.

Lin Yuan, however, seemed not to have noticed Su Monong's reaction.

Lin Yuan continued: "But I have a condition… I must first confirm Su Monong's safety and get her out of this mine. Only when she is safe can I rest assured handing over the secret art."

Lin Yuan lifted his head, deliberately lowering his posture to the extreme.

He perfectly played the role of a weakling willing to compromise for his beloved.

"Hmph, you sure know how to scheme." Lei Chen Zhou snorted, his eyes instantly turning icy, and without hesitation he refused: "You want her to leave? Impossible! Su Monong is the lever holding you in check; before you hand over both your hidden-weapon secret art and the core technology of the Su Group, she won't be going anywhere!"

Lei Chen Zhou stepped forward, closing in on Lin Yuan.

Lei Chen Zhou's tone carried icy amusement: "I see you haven't grasped your current situation. If you want to negotiate terms, you first need to show your sincerity."

"I know you're not only skilled in hidden weapons but also versed in the Ghost Doctor Sect's ultimate arts. Since you say you're willing to hand over the technique, first demonstrate one of the Ghost Doctor Sect's supreme arts for me—say, the Overbearing Dragon Piercing Heavens Needle. If your demonstration satisfies me, proving your sincere allegiance, I will naturally consider your request."

Lei Chen Zhou's plan was simple.

He both wanted to test Lin Yuan's strength and take the opportunity to observe the subtlety of the Ghost Doctor Sect's ultimate arts.

If he could glean even a hint of its essence from it, that would be an unexpected bonus.

Lin Yuan secretly sneered inside.

But on the surface Lin Yuan… showed a hint of hesitation.

He seemed to be weighing the pros and cons.

After a moment, Lin Yuan slowly nodded: "Alright, I can demonstrate."

A flicker of joy just flashed in Lei Chen Zhou's eyes.

But then, Lin Yuan suddenly shifted his tone, saying: "But demonstrating the Silver Needle hidden weapon requires a 'target.' This needle technique is extraordinarily powerful; it needs someone with a certain martial foundation to bear it in order to show its effect—ordinary disciples probably couldn't withstand it. Why not let one of your capable aides nearby come forward to serve as that target?"

Lin Yuan's words sounded reasonable, but actually concealed ulterior motives.

First, he could use the opportunity of demonstrating the needle technique to closely observe the breath flow and martial traits of the Lei Hu Sect's core experts, find their weaknesses, and prepare for a later escape and counterattack;

Second, the demonstration would inevitably bring him near the central area of the mine.

Then, Lin Yuan could seize the chance to rescue Su Monong.

Lei Chen Zhou furrowed his brows slightly, as if considering whether Lin Yuan's proposal was a trick.