Chapter 45

The felled trees couldn't be transported all at once, not because Zhu Shangbiao and his companions couldn't carry them, but because the winding underground passage was not wide enough to allow a large load at once.

When Zhu Shangbiao and Cheng Shanping delivered the first batch of trees, Yu Qing gestured for them to place them gently, fearing that too much vibration might disturb the fire crickets, which might or might not be present.

While the two were away cutting more trees, Yu Qing had already carved out several stone slabs from a large rock in the tunnel and moved them to a corner of the molten lava lake. He set up a "well" shape behind a stalagmite, using the stone slabs. The reason for using the stone slabs was that there was no flat ground behind the stalagmite, only a lava trench.

Yu Qing personally built a wooden fortress with the felled trees on the "well" shaped stone slabs, with a hollow vertical shaft in the middle.

Zhu Shangbiao and his companions, who helped move the wood quietly, couldn't understand what this was for. They asked Tie Miaqing, but she didn't explain, as she herself wasn't quite sure. She only knew that it was some kind of altar.

"Boss, it's already dark outside," Cheng Shanping reminded Tie Miaqing as he passed by, then couldn't help but whisper to Yu Qing, "You're not thinking of using smoke to drive them out, are you? I tell you, we've tried every possible method, and none of them worked. Fire crickets that can survive in molten lava don't fear smoke." He was reminding Yu Qing not to let them waste their efforts.

Tie Miaqing frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Yu Qing remained silent. Once the pyramid-shaped wooden fortress, taller than a person, was securely built, he told Tie Miaqing, "It's almost ready. Have everyone else step back; it's inappropriate for those who do not respect the divine to be here."

Having experienced the "safety" incident, Tie Miaqing tentatively believed that he might indeed have a plan. She turned and followed his instructions, making a few people step back, especially instructing Sun Ping to watch over them.

With no one else around, Yu Qing picked up a long, trimmed tree trunk, jumped onto the wooden fortress, and inserted the trunk into the vertical shaft, pushing it into the molten lava below the stone slabs. He then let go and jumped down.

The freshly cut, damp wood didn't ignite immediately but first emitted thick smoke, which gradually turned into a slow-burning fire.

What was this for? Tie Miaqing found the altar a bit strange but couldn't understand it. When she turned around, she saw that Yu Qing had already lit nine incense sticks.

He inserted three into the ground in front of the altar and called out, "Step back."

After the two jumped onto the land, Yu Qing inserted three more incense sticks into the ground and watched the fire slowly burning in the middle of the wooden fortress.

The damp wood was hard to ignite, so it didn't quickly set the entire fortress ablaze. However, the high temperature in the underground space was like roasting the damp wood over a fire.

In essence, Yu Qing wanted to create a large amount of smoke to assist the Word of Observation, which lacked sufficient cultivation. Throwing the wood directly into the molten lava would also work, but the burning wouldn't last long, and the smoke wouldn't last either. Therefore, he built a wooden platform that would collapse from the inside slowly.

Most importantly, since he had already deceived them with supernatural nonsense, he needed to create a convincing process, not just rely on empty talk. They weren't fools.

The smoke from the damp wood slowly spread in the underground space.

Yu Qing observed that his design should work, and the wooden fortress should gradually catch fire. He then led Tie Miaqing away from the entrance, to a point where they couldn't see the molten lava lake, to avoid the fire crickets from noticing their presence.

Only then did he sit cross-legged, inserting the last three incense sticks into the ground, facing the red glow.

Should they leave again? Tie Miaqing didn't know how to act and asked, "What's next?"

Yu Qing also wanted to know, but he had no confidence in this method. He was purely trying his best, and if it didn't work, he would have to escape alone, leaving the money and other valuables behind. His life was more important.

To be honest, he had already made the worst-case scenario plan, preparing to abandon Xu Fei and Chong'er. He couldn't escape with two people.

For him, as the head of Linglong Temple, dying here would be a disgrace. No one in the temple would know how he died, which would be too humiliating. He thought it was better for one to escape and have a chance to seek revenge than for all three to die.

If he escaped and left a warning, the people of Miaqing Hall might not dare to harm Xu Fei and Chong'er. They were part of the escort from the Sining Prefecture, and the Sining Prefecture's reputation couldn't be tarnished by a mere Miaqing Hall. Breaking the neutral rules would not be tolerated by Youya.

Of course, he would try the unreliable method first. If it really didn't work, he wouldn't want to give up Xu Fei's 4,000 taels of silver, let alone the 20,000 taels' worth of demon-revealing dew, rainbow silk, spirit rice, and silver bills that Cheng Shanping had taken. He couldn't easily give up on them.

"Wait!"

Yu Qing gave Tie Miaqing a response, filled with many thoughts.

Tie Miaqing had no choice but to sit cross-legged as well, sitting behind Yu Qing and waiting.

A moment later, Tie Miaqing smelled the smoke. The smoke from the burning wood in the molten lava lake had expanded to a certain extent and was now spreading outward.

Yu Qing knew this was just the beginning, and the smoke would only get thicker.

He wasn't anxious and calmly took out the towel Tie Miaqing had prepared for him, wet it with water from a water bottle, and repeatedly covered his mouth and nose, folding it to the optimal filtering thickness. He then tore off a piece of his sleeve to tie it around his mouth and nose.

Tie Miaqing, who smelled the increasingly thick smoke, was speechless. She realized that this guy had known he would be smoked and had prepared in advance, but he didn't tell her, which was quite mean.

The smoke was already choking. Yu Qing turned and said, "Endure the smoke and don't cough, or you might disturb the fire crickets."

Tie Miaqing nodded, indicating she understood. She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, took a deep breath of clean air, and used her inner energy to reduce her body's need for air.

Yu Qing glanced at her, coldly thinking that when the smoke got thicker, he would see how long this woman could hold out.

As he predicted, the smoke became thicker. Tie Miaqing found it impossible to filter out clean air with just her sleeve and didn't know how long they would be in the smoke. After holding her breath for a while, she stood up and said softly, "The smoke is too choking. I'll go prepare and come back."

To her surprise, Yu Qing stood up with her, gesturing to turn back.

Tie Miaqing, holding her breath, asked, "What are you doing?"

Yu Qing: "I'll go with you to get my spirit rice."

"Spirit rice?" Tie Miaqing was confused. "Why get it now?"

Yu Qing: "It might be used as an offering later."

Since that was the case, Tie Miaqing understood. "I'll get it for you when I go back."

Yu Qing: "I'll be in the thick smoke for a long time. I'll be smoked out, and you won't be able to help. You might even distract me when I communicate with the spirits, which could backfire. So there's no need for you to suffer with me.

Also, you need to restrain your people. They shouldn't make any noise or walk around in the tunnel, as it will transmit vibrations underground. I need a completely silent environment to perform the ritual. The smoke might spread to them, and I'm worried they might cough, especially my two companions. I suggest you all leave the tunnel and guard the entrance."

It seemed reasonable, and Tie Miaqing wasn't worried about him escaping. She was just a bit hesitant. "It's a ten-mile journey..."

Yu Qing: "If you want a higher chance of success, listen to me and wait outside for good news."

Tie Miaqing, almost out of breath, had to agree. "Alright, as you wish." She quickly left the area.

Yu Qing followed, deliberately reminding her, "By the way, please watch over my two companions. I'm worried that Cheng might do something rash. I'm working hard for you here, so don't stab me in the back, or I'll destroy the fire crickets we catch."

His tone suggested he was confident about catching the fire crickets.

Knowing that he would risk his life for his companions, Tie Miaqing smiled. "You're overthinking it. As long as you don't do anything rash, I guarantee they'll be fine."

The two quickly reached a place about a mile away, where Sun Ping and others were waiting, with a portable oil lamp on the ground.

Seeing the two return suddenly, the people sitting on the ground stood up one by one. Xu Fei and Chong'er were particularly surprised to see Yu Qing with his face covered.

The air here circulated slowly, but the terrain sloped upward, and the smoke was about to reach this area. Tie Miaqing, taking a deep breath, immediately called out to Cheng Shanping, "Old Cheng, bring his spirit rice."

Cheng Shanping, not knowing why, still opened the bag beside him and took out the bag of spirit rice, handing it to Tie Miaqing.

Tie Miaqing handed it to Yu Qing without a word.

Cheng Shanping and the others were stunned.

Yu Qing's gaze towards Xu Fei and Chong'er was complex, and he smiled, then turned and left without a word, not knowing what to say, or rather, unable to say anything.

After disappearing from their sight, he tied the spirit rice to his back, ready to take it with him when he escaped.

He didn't care about the valuable demon-revealing dew or rainbow silk, and he couldn't justify taking the silver bills. In this situation, only the spirit rice had a plausible excuse. He couldn't let go of any opportunity to recover something.

After sitting back down in front of the three incense sticks, he took a deep breath of clean air, then used his inner energy to reduce his consumption and sit quietly. He repeated this process, occasionally sprinkling water on the towel covering his mouth and nose.

Using his inner energy to resist the smoke, he endured for nearly half an hour. Then he quietly stood up, tiptoed, and carefully made his way to the entrance, to the place where he had retrieved the spirit rice. Seeing no one there, he confirmed that Tie Miaqing had followed his instructions and led the others away. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his escape plan was halfway successful.