Chapter 68: When the Map Is Exhausted, the Dagger Appears!

At the bottom of the pit, the atmosphere was oppressive to the freezing point.

Dozens of dark, homemade gun muzzles protruded from various corners, aiming at Lin Yue and the others.

The air was filled with a strong gunpowder smell, mixed with the peculiar salty fishy odor of rock salt, making every breath feel heavy in the chest for everyone present.

The miners who had just been working hard were now terrified into silence, each crouching on the ground with heads in their hands, bodies trembling violently, lacking even the courage to lift their eyes.

They knew Lei Shi's character all too well—a moody demon who treated human lives as grass.

Gui Ying immediately placed his hand on the dagger at his waist, his body slightly sinking, muscles tensed like a black panther about to pounce, instantly entering a combat stance.

In the field, only Lin Yue remained calm and composed.

He even had the leisure to pat nonexistent dust off his sleeve, his gaze calmly sweeping over the surrounding ferocious bandits, finally landing on Lei Shi's grim face, so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

"City Lord Lin, your people have broken my rules."

Lei Shi's voice was hoarse like two rusted iron plates scraping, every word revealing undisguised killing intent.

He slowly raised his hand, pointing to the not-so-distant mine shaft where an alarm had sounded; Han Ya's figure was surrounded by over a dozen bandits, yet her face showed no fear.

"She shouldn't have gone there, and even less should she have... seen what she wasn't supposed to see."

Lei Shi's gaze grew increasingly dangerous,

"So today, none of you will leave here alive!"

As his words fell, over a dozen bandits at the concealed cave entrance shoved out over a hundred hostages!

Most of the hostages were women and children, each in ragged clothes, emaciated, their faces and bodies covered in wounds.

Their eyes were hollow; when the bandits violently shoved them into the pit, they had no strength left to struggle or resist, merely closing their eyes in despair as tears slid silently down.

"Do you see? City Lord Lin!"

Lei Shi pointed at the over a hundred hostages, the muscles on his face twisting from ferocity, while his mouth occasionally emitted bouts of manic laughter.

"This is my trump card!"

He stepped forward and roared in an almost manic tone:

"Now I give you two choices!"

"First, I believe you definitely have more than fifty tons of grain, so hand over all your grain to me now and get out of my territory!"

"Second..."

His smile grew increasingly cruel,

"We'll all perish together!"

"I only give you ten seconds to decide! Ten! Nine! Eight..."

Lei Shi's death-omen-like countdown echoed in the dead silent pit.

"Lin kid... what... what should we do?"

Wang Gongtou was sweating profusely from anxiety, his voice trembling.

Gui Ying didn't speak, but his clenched dagger hand showed bulging veins on the back, revealing his extreme inner unrest.

The hostages are their greatest weakness.

Any forceful attack would inevitably cause massive casualties among these hostages.

"Three! Two!"

Lei Shi's countdown was nearing its end; the bandits behind him had already raised their slaughter knives high, faces filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

The women and children held as hostages let out desperate sobs.

"I choose the first option."

Just as Lei Shi was about to shout "one," Lin Yue's calm voice broke the suffocating atmosphere.

"What?"

Lei Shi blinked, seemingly not expecting the other side to actually "compromise."

"I said, I choose the first option."

Lin Yue's tone showed no ripple; he raised his hand and gestured for everyone to retreat.

"City Lord!"

"Mr. Lin!"

Everyone spoke almost simultaneously, their faces full of anxiety and confusion.

"This is an order."

Lin Yue's voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

A few exchanged glances, but ultimately they chose to obey Lin Yue's command to step back.

"Hahaha! He who knows the times is a true talent! City Lord Lin, you've made the wisest choice!"

Seeing Lin Yue truly "back down," Lei Shi instantly burst into an extremely smug laugh.

The bandits behind him also broke into a chorus of jeering laughter,

"Our boss is still badass—no matter if it's people from the refuge, they still have to listen to the boss!!"

"Exactly, having such a terrifying beast but not using it is a waste of such a great treasure!"

"Keep it down, don't provoke them, or else they'll ignore us and fight to the death, and we'll be doomed!!"

"Don't say that, it really could happen!!"

Immediately, the bandits' discussion lowered.

Unconcerned about his subordinates' worries, Lei Shi found this tactic always effective against the refuge people.

He even gave Han Ya, who was retreating, an aggressively suggestive look, licked his lips, and said with a lewd smile:

"Tsk tsk, this girl is really hot! City Lord Lin, why not give this girl to the brothers for some fun?!"

Hearing this, Han Ya's eyes flashed with a hint of cold killing intent, but she forcibly suppressed it.

She trusts Lin Yue.

He is absolutely not someone who would easily compromise.

He does this; there must be his profound intention.

Lei Shi's attention has been completely absorbed by the "victory fruit" about to be obtained.

For those survivors taken as hostages, he and his subordinates also relaxed their guard.

However, at this moment, an abrupt change occurred!

In the crowd, a young miner who looked only seventeen or eighteen, upon seeing his mother and sister being pointed at with knives by the marauders and wantonly humiliated, his already numb eyes instantly turned blood-red!

"Ah——!!!"

He, like a rabid wild beast, let out a heart-rending roar, then leapt up from the ground and fiercely bit the neck of the nearest marauder!

"Pfft!"

That marauder didn't even have time to react before his throat was bitten off, blood gushing out like a fountain.

"Damn it! Seeking death!"

Lei Shi's smile on his face instantly froze, replaced by fury!

He never expected that in this situation, someone would dare to resist!

"Kill him for me! Chop that little bastard's family into pieces in front of everyone! I'll see who dares to cross me from now on!"

Two marauders sneered, raised their sabers, and fiercely chopped down at the young miner's mother and sister!

At the critical moment.

Lin Yue, who had been retreating all along, seemingly truly compromising, finally took action.

"Take action."

Two words, lightly spoken from his mouth.

The next second.

Boom!!!!

Without any warning, the entire Green Mountain Mine Pit, together with the massive mountain mass within several kilometers, began to violently tremble!

Lei Shi's arrogant laughter came to an abrupt halt.