Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1158 Strange

The branches of trees are festooned with red ropes, tokens of the townspeople's prayers for peace. The inhabitants of Qingshi Town have mined the mountains for generations, their skin dark, their hands calloused, their voices resonant as bells. Every morning before dawn, the townspeople, tool bags on their backs, flock to the mines outside town, returning home exhausted only after sunset. Occasionally, immortal cultivators pass through, clad in flowing robes and wielding flying swords, as they soar over the town, drawing gasps of astonishment from the townspeople. These cultivators usually stop briefly, buying a jug of wine at the town's tavern, asking the townspeople a few questions about the depths of the mountains, and then hurried on their way. No one would even spare this ordinary town a second glance, much less imagine that it would one day become the starting point for a turmoil that would shake up the entire Canglan Continent. Yunchen, the sixteen-year-old son of an ordinary miner's family in Qingshi Town, is the son of an ordinary miner. He lacked the playfulness of his peers. His skin, tanned by years of exposure to the mountains with his father, held a healthy tan. A faint scar still lingered on his neck—a scratch from falling debris while working in the mines the previous year. Slender but with a straight back, he resembled a tenacious sapling growing in the mountains. His eyes were exceptionally bright, their dark pupils revealing a calmness belying his age. Yunchen lost his mother at a young age. When he was five, his mother fell from a cliff while trying to gather herbs for his illness. Since then, his father, Yun Kaishan, has played both father and mother, supporting them both with his masterful mining skills. Yun Kaishan was a renowned strongman in town, eight feet tall, with arms thicker than an average man's calves, capable of lifting hundreds of pounds of ore with a single hand. He had a simple and honest personality, yet was exceptionally gentle with Yunchen. Before each trip to the mines, he would carefully inspect Yunchen's tools and repeatedly remind him to be careful. Yunchen was a gifted man, having been working in the mines with his father since he was ten. Initially, his father only had him help sort the ore outside the mine. Later, seeing his nimble hands and meticulous mind, he gradually taught him the techniques of mining. Now, Yunchen has become his father's right-hand man. He can accurately identify which rock face holds the finest ore, and he strikes with his pick with just the right amount of force and angle. Even the town's veteran miners can't help but praise him, "Mountain mining! Your son Chen is a real talent!" That morning, before dawn, Qingshi Town was shrouded in a thin layer of mist. The mist clung to the houses and ancient locust trees like a veil, and the vast mountains in the distance loomed only vaguely. Yunchen rose early and neatly folded the old cotton-padded jacket his mother had left him the night before, placing it by his bed—it was his mother's only relic, and he would examine it every day. Then, he picked up the tool bag in the corner, which contained a polished pickaxe, a kerosene lamp and two flatbreads - that was breakfast for the father and son. "Chen'er, are you ready? It's time to go." Yun Kaishan's voice came from outside the door, a little hoarse. Yun Chen responded and walked out of the room quickly. His father had already packed up, carrying a larger pickaxe on his shoulder and a hatchet on his waist - in case of encountering wild animals in the mountains. When the father and son arrived at the town entrance, there were already more than a dozen miners waiting. The leader was Lao Wang, with gray hair and wrinkles on his face. He was the oldest miner in town. It was said that he had seen glowing stones deep in the mine when he was young. "Kaishan, Chen'er, you're here!" Old Wang greeted with a smile, revealing a missing front tooth. "Last night, on my way home from work, I passed by the mine and thought I heard a strange noise inside. It was a buzzing sound, like the sound of bees, but much louder. You guys have to be careful when you go down into the mine today." Yun Kaishan frowned. He had been mining for decades and had never heard such a sound from a mine. "Old Wang, did you hear it correctly? Could it be the wind blowing through the mine?" Old Wang shook his head, his tone firm. "Absolutely not! The sound is very regular, not like the wind. I've lived for over sixty years, and I've never heard anything like it." Yun Chen stood aside, silently taking note of Old Wang's words. His hearing was exceptionally keen. As a child, when he was herding sheep in the mountains, he could hear the scurrying of rabbits a hundred meters away. He looked up at the mine. Shrouded in fog, he could only see a pitch-black entrance, like a dormant beast waiting for its prey. "Okay, stop being so depressing! We still have to make a living from mining!" said a slightly plump miner named Li Er, who was optimistic and always brightened the mood. "As long as we're careful, we'll be fine. Maybe that sound is a treasure hidden deep within the mine, calling us!" Everyone laughed at this, and the tense atmosphere eased considerably. Chatting and laughing, the group headed towards the mine outside the town. The mine was located halfway up a branch of the Cangmang Mountains. It took half an hour to walk from the town. The path was bumpy, covered with gravel and weeds. The morning dew dampened everyone's trouser legs, bringing a chill. Along the way, Yunchen saw many strange sights: the "fluorescent grass" by the roadside glowed faintly green in the morning mist, like scattered stars on the ground; occasionally, a few "spiritual birds" flew overhead, their feathers colorful and their calls melodious. Eating their feathers is said to enhance hearing. Yunchen had loved these mountain creatures since childhood, and whenever he passed by, he would stop to watch for a moment. Soon, they arrived at the mine entrance. The opening was about two meters high and less than one meter wide, pitch black, like a yawning maw ready to devour anyone. The rock walls surrounding the entrance were covered with dense mineral marks, some deep, some shallow, bearing the marks of generations of miners' toil. The air was filled with the damp, musty smell of ore, and a faint whiff of sulfur, which made one frown. "Everyone, light your torches! Watch your step! Follow the people ahead! Don't fall behind!" Old Wang shouted, then pulled a tinder from his pocket and lit his torch. The other miners followed suit, and suddenly, the light of more than a dozen torches illuminated the path ahead. The flickering flames cast long shadows on the rock wall, and as the miners moved, the shadows shifted constantly, like an eerie dance. Miners filed in, Yun Chen followed behind his father, and they continued to pour into the vast mountains. Some returned with a full load and became powerful people; some stayed in the mountains forever, becoming part of the mountains. And beside the outermost branches of the vast mountains, there was an alluring medicinal fragrance. These legends attracted countless cultivators, who carried long swords and magical tools.