Chapter 25

Wujiao did not expect any unexpected developments and was momentarily stunned on the spot.

The many disciples present all had fiery eyes, as if they were watching a wealthy peasant, almost drooling, and perhaps about to pounce viciously. The few managers were also quite surprised, but each had an inexplicable expression.

Manager Gou Jun was still scolding: "You are not allowed to bring personal items down the well, yet you disobeyed the order, knowingly committing a violation by hiding a magical weapon..." As he reached out to grab the sword, a short sword with rust flew up from the ground. He was about to examine it closely, but the short sword seemed as solid as copper and iron, making it difficult to draw. He couldn't help but ask, "This is..."

In the blink of an eye, the other three managers also gathered around. Especially the leader, Ge Qi, who looked like a wolf encountering prey, his face with a beard showing a hint of excitement. The surrounding disciples whispered and gazed around, treating it as a spectacle.

Wujiao saw the situation and his mind raced. He hurriedly defended himself: "I am new here and don't understand the rules. I hope the managers will forgive me..." He saw that Gou Jun and Ge Qi were both curious about the short sword and continued, "That is a relic left by my father. Though it is old and ordinary, it is not common, so I carry it with me..."

At this point, if it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, it can't be avoided. He decided to take the risk!

Wujiao pointed to the ground: "The items on the ground were left by Daoist Chang Xian from Red Mist Peak..." That person only destroyed the beast skin scripture and did not take anything else, so the remaining items must have been left by him. This excuse, though with ulterior motives, was not entirely false.

He bent down to pick up a stone, or perhaps a spirit stone, and held it out to Ge Qi, sincerely pleading, "Manager Ge, I violated the rules and am willing to accept the punishment. This is the fine, please accept it!"

Ge Qi was trying to draw the short sword, but his face turned red without success. He was somewhat angry but then calmed down, took the spirit stone, nodded, and sternly said, "Considering it's your first offense, it won't happen again. Keep the short sword, and return the other items to your residence. Don't delay, go quickly and come back quickly!"

Xiang Rong looked at the spirit stones, jade slips, and talismans on the ground and said resentfully, "Bringing prohibited items should result in confiscation..."

Gou Jun and another manager agreed, nodding in unison.

Ge Qi suddenly became agitated and glared, "If Daoists Xuan Yu and Chang Xian investigate, how will you all respond?" He left with a parting shot and walked away.

Wujiao took the opportunity to pick up the scattered items and ran back. Regardless of the long-term plan, he decided to keep his treasures first. It seemed that the spirit stones and jade slips, besides the talismans, were also valuable.

Following the stone steps down the mountain and through the valley, the slope where the shack was located was soon in sight.

Wujiao was about to run to the shack but slowed down, panting heavily. He looked around, his eyes flickering, and turned into the forest, climbing a tall tree. He dug a hole in a branch with the short sword, hiding the talismans, jade slips, the remaining four spirit stones, and other items he thought were useful, covering them with bark. Then he slid down the tree and ran back through the forest.

The valley where the jade well was located became very quiet, with many disciples and Ge Qi all gone. Only Xiang Rong and Gou Jun were guarding the shack.

Wujiao ran to the shack, wiping the sweat from his head and nodding in greeting, panting.

The two managers shook their jade pendants, seeing no abnormalities, and raised their chins, looking very dignified and proud, but their expressions were somewhat ambiguous.

Wujiao didn't pay attention and headed for the cave entrance. In a hurry, he couldn't help but look back at the place where the corpse had been burned.

Stepping into the cave, he faced a deep well with several thick wooden poles on top and a wicker basket hanging below, attached to a pulley and rope.

Wujiao slowly walked to the well and looked around, then stepped into the basket. Before his feet were steady, he suddenly dropped. He quickly grabbed the hanging rope and gradually slid down. In no time, he was in the deep well.

The jade well mine lived up to its name.

After sliding down about thirty zhang, his feet trembled. He must have reached the bottom, or the belly of the mountain. It became increasingly dark, and boundless coldness spread from all directions.

Wujiao stepped out of the basket and released the rope. Without anyone operating it, the basket "creaked" and rose. He sensed something wrong and quickly jumped away. Sure enough, there was a loud thud as something heavy landed.

It turned out that a large stone was attached to the bottom of the basket to provide weight. By pulling the rope, it could move up and down, saving a lot of effort.

Wujiao took out a pearl from his leather bag and looked around with its light.

He was in a cave about ten zhang in size. Ahead were several cave entrances, all deep and mysterious, making it unclear which to take.

"Ha ha! Junior Brother Wu..."

At that moment, someone emerged from one of the cave entrances, laughing, "I was afraid you would get lost, so I've been waiting for a long time!"

It was Zong Bao, quite considerate.

Wujiao breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, "It's Senior Brother Zong, thank you for your care!" He held the pearl and asked, "We're just mining jade, how can one get lost? What about the dead person?"

Zong Bao replied, "There are five paths here, those five cave entrances. Four of them are passable, but the last one is a dead end. If you enter by mistake, it could be dangerous. I heard this from others, but I don't know the details..." He explained while gesturing.

Five cave entrances, four open, one half-blocked by rubble, which must be the dead end. Why didn't the managers mention this when he went down the well? Was it an oversight or intentional?

Wujiao secretly noted the cave entrances and heard Zong Bao continue, "The deceased was a fellow Daoist whose lifespan had run out, nothing unusual! Perhaps one day, you and I will follow in his footsteps..."

This sounded rather melancholic!

Wujiao thought to himself, although he couldn't cultivate, he still had Fairy Ziyun to look forward to. He didn't want, couldn't, and wouldn't follow anyone's footsteps!

Following Zong Bao into a cave entrance, the path gradually sloped downward, and after a turn, the originally dark cave walls became much brighter, with white jade everywhere. Along the way, he saw the figures of Jade Well disciples, but none were mining jade; instead, they were sitting on the ground, practicing.

After another turn, they came to a slightly messy tunnel. In the middle, there was a depression showing signs of jade mining.

Zong Bao walked to a flat piece of jade and lay down, smiling comfortably, "This is where I rest every day, ha ha!"

Wujiao was puzzled, "Since we are working, why are you so relaxed? If we don't mine enough, won't we be punished?"

Zong Bao took out a pearl and embedded it in a crack in the cave wall, making the white jade shine even more. He propped his head on his arm and laughed, "What can punishment do? When I first started, I was as cautious as you. Later, I saw others using the opportunity to practice and realized..." He glanced at Wujiao and asked, "What's the use of mining jade?"

Wujiao found a stone to sit on and honestly shook his head.

"Refining jade slips, jade boxes, elixir bottles, talismans, and related elixirs all require refined jade. The amount we mine daily is enough to meet the needs of the Spirit Mountain. Since that's the case, we might as well take it easy. Remember, the spirit energy here is abundant, making it an excellent place for cultivation..."

After explaining, Zong Bao sighed, "Perhaps... we have no hope of cultivation, but we dare not slack off. If we achieve great success, we can ride the sword and become immortals... Otherwise, we will only become a speck of dust in the wind!"

Wujiao smiled but had no response.

After coming to Spirit Mountain, he had a rough understanding of the path of cultivation. Having a spiritual root only means having the qualification to cultivate, but whether one can become an immortal still depends on hard practice and opportunities. In short, this path is not easy!

Zong Bao continued earnestly, "Junior Brother Wu, I advise you to sit and meditate more and seize the opportunity to practice. If you can't become a true cultivator, it would be a waste of the earnest instructions of your family's seniors!"

Wujiao was surprised, "What family seniors?"

Zong Bao looked lazy but his eyes flashed with intelligence, "If you didn't have the protection of your seniors, how could you have such wealth? The managers of the Jade Well only get a few spirit stones a year. Yet you gave one away so easily, how generous..."

So that was it! The bluff about his family's influence not only fooled the managers but also convinced Zong Bao!

Wujiao didn't argue, pulled out his sword, and the blade sank deeply into the jade beside him. He sighed, "What a sharp sword!"

Zong Bao said, "It's not the sword that's sharp! Stones become hard when exposed to wind, and jade is the same. Here, there is no wind, so it's as easy as cutting tofu!" He smiled bitterly, "Brother, you know nothing, how are you different from a mortal..."

Wujiao apologized, "I am a mortal..."

Zong Bao took it as a joke and said disinterestedly, "Brother, don't be discouraged, who isn't a mortal..."

Seeing that the tunnel had more to explore, Wujiao stood up, "I'll go mine jade, Senior Brother Zong, do as you please!" The other didn't stop him, and he went on alone.

Not far ahead, an old man was sitting in a pit, meditating, but he was quite alert and quickly turned to smile, "Junior Brother, I didn't expect you to be so wealthy. Could you lend me a spirit stone? I'll pay you back double one day..."

The old man looked to be in his sixties but had lived for a hundred years, Yun Shengzi!

Wujiao respectfully bowed and then continued forward, showing a helpless expression. He only had four spirit stones left, not enough to share!

Another ten zhang ahead, a woman in her thirties or forties was sitting by the tunnel, oblivious to the surroundings, practicing continuously.

Wujiao looked at her determined figure and suddenly felt a bit restless.

These disciples in the tunnel, whether young or old, were all busy practicing. Accompanied by loneliness and solitude, only the faint light from a pearl illuminated the darkness. It was like a spark in the night sky, eternal but distant and cold, hard to reach.

Why go through such hardship to cultivate?

At the end of the tunnel, it was all piled with jade.

Wujiao looked around and swung his sword wildly.

Sure enough, the originally hard jade could be mined easily. However, cutting it into blocks required more effort. After half an hour, he finally cut out two pieces of jade, each about a foot square and weighing sixty to seventy pounds.

Wujiao was so exhausted that he sat on the ground, struggling to catch his breath. The lack of wind underground made him dizzy and lightheaded after working. Hunger made him even more tired, and he remembered the two pieces of cricket meat in his leather bag, feeling nauseous...

...

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