The inside of the mine is dry and not many weeds grow. The entrance to the cave is relatively spacious, and sunlight flows down from above, illuminating the wooden beams embedded in the entrance. The gray wooden beams have an extra layer of golden color, and the light and shadow are perfectly mixed. The darkness in the cave serves as the background, and the fine golden dust at the entrance is highlighted.
You should ignore the spring-like evil spirits deep in the mine. The scenery at the entrance of the cave even feels a bit sacred.
Xiang Jiang did not have the romantic feelings of a thousand-year-old monster. He made a gesture to indicate to the group of people to quickly enter the cave to work.
Inside the mine, aging wires and lighting still remain on the walls. The wires had long since dried up and peeled, and the red and blue colors had turned into muddy brown and gray. However, except for the lighting, neither the clean cave walls nor the flat gravel layer under the feet bear many traces of time.
As long as the old lamps on both sides are replaced, Yin Ren will believe it even if he says someone will come to work tomorrow.
Qi Xin was wearing a simple gray and black office suit and stood at the entrance of the mine, incompatible with the surrounding scenery. The woman was almost silent except when necessary. The cold wind blowing from the cave ruffled her hair, and Yin Ren could not detect the slightest breath of a practitioner from her body, but she could not tell how much she believed in it, whether it was a science post or a metaphysics post.
Having arrived at their destination, Qi Xin watched the nine groups taking out the messy spiritual weapons and working on them without asking a single word.
She just stood silently, like a robot that came to guide them.
Compared to this office worker, Huang Jin looked even more worried: "Since we know that there are high-risk evil creatures raised by the Sinking Society, why do we need to collect data? Group B should have free time."
The balance of his bank card flashed through his mind, and Huang Jin felt heartbroken. He decided to think in another direction, such as focusing on Xiang Jiang himself.
"Let's do a preview first." Seeing that Xiang Jiang was about to throw his sword at him again, he quickly added.
"I did a brief investigation, and I can only determine the quantity and danger at the moment." Xiang Jiang said, "The Sinking Club is secretly raising evil creatures, not a zoo. The terrain inside the mine is complicated. Do you think you can go in just by buying a ticket?" visit?"
This person's mind is like a sea urchin, with sharp thorns sticking out in all directions. Xiang Jiang's mental state seemed not to be very good. The runes on his body were twisted and deformed as if they were being pulled by liquefaction, making it difficult for people to see the content.
Unfortunately, Xiang Jiang’s idea is also ugly—in the literal sense of the word.
Perhaps Huang Jin's troubleshooting had an effect. Xiang Jiang withdrew his gaze and looked down at the ground full of gravel and sand. His messy bangs hung down, a little dirty, and just covered his eyes.
Xiang Jiang was definitely lying. Even if the specific type of evil object was not determined, Shi'an at least knew its approximate abilities and location. Otherwise, if they couldn't find the evil object, or if they found an evil meat ball with no fighting power, Shi'an and they would be very embarrassed.
"It's actually similar to the method of investigating new species."
The soul-suppressing nails are arranged in a formation, and the cold air suppresses the evil spirit at the entrance of the cave, making people feel quite safe. Of course, it would be better if the six of them were not surrounded inside the cave entrance.
"If it's even slightly dangerous, let Group B do it. What do you want to do? Check the trivial things in the city every day? I remember your information. You were not such a naughty person when you started doing trouble."
As for the piece of wood in the center of the nail, Huang Jin didn't even recognize it. He could only tell that it was an ancient piece and must be expensive.
Soon, Xiang Jiang finished nailing the soul-suppressing nails. The hole is centered on the wood piece and has six additional rings of wooden nails. They are very close to each other, a bit like some kind of teeth, always ready to bite someone.
Since someone has made the journey, all he needs to do is lie down and wait. Who doesn’t like fully automated, human-guided tasks that require no mental effort at all
Zhong Cheng said that his attention was completely attracted. He looked at Xiang Jiang without blinking, listened extremely seriously, and solidified into a human sculpture on the spot.
"The type of evil, the type of ability, the specific location... nothing has been determined. You need to proceed step by step, collect clues bit by bit, and gradually determine its habits and characteristics."
After setting up the Soul-Suppressing Nail, Xiang Jiang kept leaning on the rock wall to rest. Sunlight slanted in from the entrance of the cave, and he stood right in the shadow, with the toes of his shoes just on the dividing line between light and shadow.
At this point, Huang Jin gave up the idea of questioning the work itself. He resignedly continued to ask: "What kind of evil thing is there? Do you have any information?"
Xiang Jiang said as he bent down and inserted a piece of wood at the entrance of the hole.
He used the wood piece as the center and hammered in wooden nails one by one. The wooden nails are about the thickness of a little finger and are dim in color. They emit a strong fishy smell, and fine runes can be faintly seen on them.
Huang Jin looked at the circles of top-notch wooden nails and spiritual weapons on the ground. He didn't know how to answer the question for a while - Brother, you have already inserted spiritual nails at the entrance of the hole to protect against large evil objects. Why don't you ask me a few more questions?
The Soul-Suppressing Nail is an excellent spiritual weapon for dealing with large evil objects. The raw materials require corpse coffins that are more than a century old. Occasionally one or two will leak out from the night walkers, and they can fetch a six-figure price.
Yin Ren did not stop arranging the spiritual weapons in his hands.
Shi'an is rich and powerful, and one yard like this is dozens of pieces.
Seeing that Xiang Jiang didn't continue for a long time, Lu Xiaohe picked up the call in time through the earphone.
"You should be studying a new beast - find more clues to judge its habits. The more data we have, the more we will understand about it. This way, even if we encounter it, we will have confidence."
"Then I think it's better not to meet him." Huang Jin muttered.
Ge Tingting nodded halfway, then felt something was wrong and firmly held his neck.
Normally, Lu Xiaohe would probably have used something like, "Oh, I'll pooh three times, we're definitely fine." This time, she just laughed and continued on her own.
"Don't be impatient in data collection. Everyone should be cautious! It's difficult for drones to enter the mine. I will try my best to provide intelligence support for everyone. Even if there are uncertain clues, you can report it to me at any time."
"Don't be too stressed. Today is just a base layout. Let's consolidate the road near the exit first. With Miss Qi here, there is no need to go deep for the time being."
Zhong Cheng said and instantly showed an expression as if the cold rain had splashed all over his face. Then he reacted belatedly. Under the premise of "worrying about his lover", he should be relieved.
Like a person who has never danced in his life and wants to move his limbs in harmony with the music. As a result, the "thinking limbs" that Zhong Cheng mentioned were tripping over each other and falling flat to the ground.
Yin Ren almost laughed immorally, but he managed to hold it back.
His lover looked clumsier and more animated than ever.
Yin Ren couldn't resist the itching of his hands. He put his hand on the back of Zhong Chengshuo's head and rubbed it soothingly.
Warm, black hair still smooth and soft. Zhong Cheng's hair is slightly long, and the ends of it lie softly on the back of the neck. They seemed to have swallowed up the sunlight, glowing as dark as crow feathers.
Yin Ren unconsciously thought about the appearance of them turning white for a few seconds, and his original comfortable mood disappeared.
I don’t know why I thought of this for no reason. Is it because there are too many old people here
Yin Ren rubbed his temples and took a moment to adjust his breathing. We’ll talk about the rest later, the most urgent thing is to get through this first.
At around two o'clock in the afternoon, the layout of the stronghold was completed.
The waterproof blanket and sleeping bag were placed properly, and a lightweight alloy kettle was placed next to the water condensation device. Xiang Jiang started the stove on the spot, boiled some water, and made six bowls of instant seaweed and egg drop soup. The pie was a little greasy after it cooled down. The originally crispy dough shell was stained with water, making it soft in the mouth. It was not as amazing as when it was freshly baked. But paired with the hot soup, it tastes unique.
"Why is Gengsheng Town so hostile to outsiders?" Zhong Cheng said, looking at the cake in Yin Ren's hand, he spoke directly to Qi Xin.
Qi Xin raised her eyes to look at him, her ordinary brows and eyes were like a piece of white paper with no emotion: "I don't want to talk about things other than work."
Yin Ren: "..."
These two people really go in and out with a white knife and a red knife, and their questions and answers are very straightforward.
"I'm curious, but it's related to our investigation." Zhong Cheng said he was not discouraged. "Raising special organisms also depends on the environment. The more special the organism, the more stringent the requirements for the environment. Understanding the characteristics of the environment, we can also Learn about the characteristics of the living thing itself.”
Zhong Cheng said that no matter how emotionally slow he is, he can still see the abnormality in Geng Shengzhen.
The locals' hatred of outsiders has reached a twisted level. No one would believe it if this was a purely spontaneous act.
And his ghost also gave information. There are a hundred times more evil things here than in the outside world. Shen Shen would choose to raise high-risk evil things here. There must be a reason.
Not far away, the Yinren people sang ghosts and struck while the iron was hot: "Sister Qi, something is very wrong with this mountain town. This is why we came here in Zhi'an. There are some things that only locals know, so just tell us."
Qi Xin sat on the horse neatly. She took a sip of the soup and thought for a long time.
"Okay," she said.
At this time, not only a few people present, but also Lu Xiaohe in the earphones held their breath.
"When I was young, there was no such atmosphere in Gengsheng Town." Qi Xin put down the soup and wiped his mouth with a tissue. "I heard from my mother that in those earlier years, people in Gengsheng were actually very hospitable."
"This was originally a mountain village, but then a mine was discovered. The village chief at that time was smart and took the opportunity to develop this area into a town. The next mayor was even more powerful and turned it into a well-known wealthy town. In those decades , everyone’s life is moving forward.”
The latter matter is actually mentioned in the work information.
More than 20 years ago, this place was affected by a natural disaster, and nearly a hundred people died. The mountain that was originally rich in minerals also has problems, and the rare minerals it produces are getting less and less day by day.
Gengsheng Town has a single industry. Mining-related industries collapsed, and most people lost their jobs. Investors shook their heads, collaborators turned around, and the labor force who came here gradually left the place, leaving only a gorgeous mess. Not to mention outsiders, even the children of locals show signs of fleeing.
"I saw him building a Zhulou, and I saw him entertaining guests." Mountain villages have grown into mountain towns, and mountain towns have become prosperous towns.
Then it "ages" rapidly.
People are not ready yet. Whether it’s saying goodbye to the glory and wealth of the past, or sending away relatives who never want to come back.
People started to come here again - but the purpose of their return was not investment or sightseeing, but to talk about "the merger of nearby mountain towns" and "the reconstruction and reconstruction of the town."
The town was aging, and they came to bury it.
"If you don't talk about her background, Ren Jiying is a typical 'outsider'. In fact, she is very capable. If she had not come here, she could sit higher."
Qi Xin commented lightly.
"Ren Jiying originally planned to dismantle the ring line and re-plan the vacant area - such as a more reasonable layout, such as building a few roads leading to Linzhen."
"But the townspeople didn't allow her to touch anything, and if she did, they would seek death and live. There are several times more elderly people over the age of 70 here than elsewhere. They all lay down on the ground collectively, and even the police came and couldn't do anything."
Ge Tingting was a little dumbfounded when he heard this: "I can understand that people in Gengsheng Town don't like outsiders. But the current level of malice..."
"I don't know any more. I left for more than ten years before coming back. If you want to know more, you can only ask the local elders."
The corners of Qi Xin's mouth moved.
Yin Ren knew what she wanted to laugh about - the old people in the town wanted to rush over to touch her from eight hundred meters away, and it was impossible to tell them what happened that year.
However, he is indeed very interested in the "natural disaster" that caused the town to undergo changes more than 20 years ago.
And the familiar feeling in the town always lingered, like a piece of dirt stuck on the screen of his mobile phone, always drawing his attention away from time to time.
"I'm going to use the toilet." After Qi Xin finished telling this ordinary town history, she stood up and walked deeper into the mine.
Xiang Jiang: "Go out and get up."
"I saw it just now. There is a dug single room inside. It's too bright and open outside." Qi Xin kept walking.
"Ge Tingting, Yin Ren and Zhong Cheng said. You three go with her, Huang Jin and I will stay here." Xiang Jiang did not continue to argue with her, "Go early and come back early, don't run around. "
The single room wasn't too far away, about a dozen steps away. It was probably a space that was accidentally discovered by digging a mine, and was transformed into a rest room or storage room. After they put lighting inside the cave, it was quite visible.
When illuminated by the light, the low doorway became deeper and deeper. Qi Xin was really brave.
Qi Xin went to the toilet, followed by a group of people, out of the atmosphere of an emperor inspecting the harem. In the increasingly thick shadow, her shoes still hit the ground rhythmically, without any chaos.
She and Ge Tingting entered the single room, while Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo stood guard outside the doorway, transforming into toilet door gods.
The cruel reality tells Yin Ren that the ghost king cannot touch the "god" position of porcelain, not even the door god. He, the goalkeeper, had just been on duty for three seconds—
The large area of light at the entrance of the cave shrank into a point in an instant.
The originally straight road suddenly turned into sheep's intestines, and the rock wall's intestines wriggled like they were incessantly moving. It was as if they were being swallowed without their knowledge.
Yin Ren's face darkened.
Qi Xin is still nearby, and no matter how outrageous Shi'an's execution mission is, it will not involve innocent people.
The person who attacked them was definitely not Shi'an.
(End of chapter)