After seeing off Hu Shaomeng, Jiang Chen reassembled everyone and announced that the mining operation would be extended for half a year, until the mineral vein was completely exhausted.
As Chongxuan's envoy, he had effectively become their superior.
Aside from Manager Hu's obvious delight, the other two cultivators remained indifferent.
Zhang Hai was visibly uneasy—probably worried about his pills and Jiang Chen's authority—so he didn't dare ask to leave for the time being. Xiang Qian still wore that half-dead expression of his.
Honestly, Jiang Chen didn't want either of them. But with his hands completely bare, he had no choice but to make do for now.
Just as Chongxuan Sheng had said, everyone had their uses and their value.
More capable cultivators wouldn't come to work in a mine like this.
The two cultivators left one after another, leaving only Manager Hu and the maid Xiaoxiao in the room.
Jiang Chen was about to give Manager Hu a few instructions when Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke up: "Master, there's something I'm not sure if you remember? That jar of tiger bone wine in your room—there's something wrong with it."
Jiang Chen glanced at her. "That note was from you?"
Xiaoxiao's heart tightened. She lowered her head. "Yes. I... I learned to read a little when I was young."
"How did you know the wine was poisoned?" Jiang Chen asked.
"I just know Ge Heng's temperament. You offended him, so he would definitely try to harm you."
At this point, Manager Hu dropped to his knees with a thud. "Envoy, sir, the wine had poison in it, poison! I replaced it!"
That answered one of his questions, though the answer was no longer worth much.
"No need to kneel." Jiang Chen reached out to help him up. "Tell me exactly what happened."
"That bastard Ge Heng has such a small mind. He wanted to teach you a lesson, so he poisoned the wine and made me deliver it to you. I didn't dare refuse, and I didn't dare say anything!"
Manager Hu kept wiping his sweat, utterly terrified. "I could only secretly replace it. When he asked, I said you might not drink wine."
He was about to kneel again.
Jiang Chen waved a hand, stopping him. "You replaced the poisoned wine—what crime is that? I should thank you for your care."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Watching the little old man's servile demeanor, Jiang Chen sighed inwardly.
He didn't expect Manager Hu to treat him normally after learning his identity—that would be unrealistic.
"Don't overthink it. You'll continue managing the mine. Keep doing things the way you did before—maintain the status quo." He gave the order directly. "I only set the direction; I don't handle the details. Understood?"
Manager Hu felt reassured and steadied on his feet. "Understood, understood."
"Oh, right." Jiang Chen thought of something. "Are you really Hu Shaomeng's clan uncle?"
"That part isn't a lie," Manager Hu said, somewhat embarrassed. "But since he was young, he's never been close to any of us. I tried to claim the connection because I had no choice—I was afraid the cultivators would look down on us..."
"I see."
Jiang Chen gave an understanding smile and left with Xiaoxiao.
The little old man was rather interesting. Despite being forced by life into a habit of bowing and scraping, deep down he was someone who valued his own sense of self and dignity.
Never underestimate anyone with an independent mind, Jiang Chen reminded himself.
For instance, that jar of poisoned wine—if Xiaoxiao hadn't warned him, and if Manager Hu hadn't replaced it, things could have ended very differently.
Walking through the mine, Jiang Chen asked casually: "Do you hate him?"
Xiaoxiao didn't dare hide it. "He was the one who recruited me to work here."
Jiang Chen didn't mind this level of leveraging connections. Grudges repaid in kind was only human nature. But it made him more acutely aware that everyone had their own desires—even if her only identity at this point was a mere maid.
"Xie Hao didn't leave. He was killed by Hu Shaomeng," Jiang Chen said instead. "Perhaps everything he told you was sincere."
Xiaoxiao followed behind him, walking in silence. After a long pause, she said: "It's strange. There was a time I wished he would die, and die as horribly as possible. But when he actually died, I realized—I would rather he had been lying to me. I would rather he truly was a despicable, heartless person. As long as he was still alive."
She didn't appear especially sad, just somewhat lost. "Master, you are someone who has transcended the mundane. Tell me—why are people like this?"
"People are just like this," Jiang Chen said.
...
Ge Heng was dead.
He had been beaten to death by the enraged miners.
No one remembered who had thrown the first punch. After a long bout of kicking and punching, Ge Heng lay motionless on the ground.
The crowd dispersed.
Xiaocui's body was buried by the miners.
Miners were expert hole-diggers, and they chose a spot with a nice view.
Ge Heng's body, meanwhile, lay alone in the courtyard.
Someone suggested throwing it into the furnace to burn, but no one was willing to carry his corpse, so the idea was dropped.
Ge Heng's death was not difficult to handle. First, his crimes were proven. Second, he died from the righteous anger of the crowd. Third, this place belonged to Qingshe Town, and the case ended with the village head Hu You.
Through him, the matter was reported to Jiacheng, and Jiacheng generally wouldn't make things difficult.
By now everyone had left. Shuanzi stood alone outside the courtyard, seemingly lost in thought.
Jiang Chen walked over and casually tossed a ball of Flamebloom, reducing Ge Heng's corpse to ash.
After leaving Ge Heng here, he had already anticipated this scene, so he wasn't surprised. Burning the body was simply to avoid potential problems like plague.
"Oh, right," he said to Shuanzi. "What did you see the day Hu Shaomeng killed Xie Hao? Tell me everything you know. Don't be afraid—I guarantee your safety."
The Sea of Blossoms was not a specialized interrogation art. Jiang Chen had merely used its hallucinatory effects to guide the conversation before.
Now that he had established his authority, it was better to be direct. Surely Shuanzi wouldn't dare hide anything now.
Jiang Chen asked this mainly to learn about Hu Shaomeng's fighting style in advance, so he could prepare accordingly.
He didn't expect Shuanzi to freeze for a moment. "I didn't see Hu Shaomeng kill Xie Hao."
Only then did Jiang Chen realize he might have been mistaken.
"Then who did you see him kill?"
Jiang Chen's question was a bit urgent. Shuanzi swallowed nervously and said timidly: "A miner. Just one slap, and his head was gone. I was squatting there... relieving myself. I didn't dare make a sound."
"Was it the miner who saw a sheep in the mine?" Jiang Chen asked.
"I don't know. There are many people at the mine—people come and go all the time. I didn't recognize him."
Though Shuanzi couldn't be certain, Jiang Chen was now sure in his heart.
Because these two incidents were too coincidental.
Hu Shaomeng, being a disciple of a prestigious sect, wouldn't kill openly everywhere. There had to be a reason for each killing.
But...
A worker mysteriously saw a sheep in the mine.
And Hu Shaomeng killed him.
What could that mean?
Sheep. Sheep.
Jiang Chen felt like he was grasping at something.
Qingshe Town—Green Sheep Town!
"Xiaoxiao, go back first. I'm going to take a look in the mine."
Jiang Chen hurriedly dropped those words and turned toward the mine entrance.
With his status, naturally no one stopped him.
The miners were curious why he would enter the mine in person, but no one dared ask.
After years of excavation, the mine had become a labyrinth, almost completely hollowing out the mountain.
The interior of the cave was pitch black, growing darker the deeper one went.
Although Chongxuan was wealthy, they wouldn't provide the miners with Bright Suspended Lanterns.
The mine was lit mainly by oil lamps.
Of course, for Jiang Chen, a single Flamebloom would suffice.
The deeper he walked, the quieter it grew. His footsteps echoed hollowly on the ground.
Jiang Chen didn't know what he was looking for—he was simply making a show of searching.
He knew this news would inevitably reach Hu Shaomeng's ears.
He was waiting for possible clues.
Or for Hu Shaomeng's reaction.