Several days later, outside the Zhu Family Castle’s phosphate mine.
This mine had been taken over by the court, and following investigation by officials sent from the Ministry of Industry, its reserves proved to be astonishingly vast.
What the thieves had excavated was rely the tip of the iceberg.
Phosphate, a substance that might be used in chemical industries in the future, had little use in this era and was not highly valued by the court.
However, due to the developnt of firearms in the military, a significant amount of yellow phosphorus was needed, prompting the garrison to send troops, close off the waterways, and construct a mining site here.
Mining phosphate was dangerous, and the miners’ lives were short.
When hostilities broke out in Ezhou, prisoners and war captives from various places were sent here to dig and mine.
Naturally, magicians accompanied the troops. The deadly aura of the Corpse Suppressing Land in Zhu Family Castle had leaked, so they toppled the Tibetan monk’s divine statue and erected the Mountain God Temple to suppress it instead.
By now, the mine was bustling with activity, densely packed with makeshift shelters, and guarded by stationed troops.
Under the cover of night, the flickering candlelight indicated brisk activity.
In the distance, atop a high mountain, stood several n in black, observing the scene.
Among them was one with an odd appearance, abnormally thin and a bit hunched, squatting on the ground like a large monkey.
With a pointy mouth and large eyes, he ford the Yang Jue with his hands and stared intently ahead while saying, "There are about five hundred soldiers from the garrison. They all look green and their defenses are not tight."
Despite being far from the mine and in the dim night, he saw everything as if it were right before his eyes.
The group of n in black all wore solemn expressions and exuded a cold aura.
In their center, a white-bearded old man stood with his hands behind his back. Tall and strongly-built with eyes sharp as an eagle’s, he bore a hooked nose.
His eyes were exceptionally dark as he asked, "Have you checked thoroughly?"
A middle-aged man next to him waved and bowed, "Reporting to Your Majesty, they are side door magicians from the pugilistic world, hailing from Shan State, and have so reputation there."
"They were attacked while passing through here and killed Master Gama, but they hid the ’Thunderclap Fire Scripture’ without reporting it to the court."
"Hmph!"
The white-bearded old man said coldly, "These side door magicians, always ddling in things they shouldn’t touch."
"Where are they now?"
"News has co that they were seen in Jingzhou yesterday and have already headed to Yichang. Commander Wang has personally gone to intercept them."
"Hm."
The old man nodded slightly, then looked behind him and said softly, "Are you sure Zhao Changsheng will appear in Ezhou?"
A man slowly raised his head, respectfully saluting, "Your Majesty, the ’Red Lady’ has been spotted multiple tis in Ezhou, she is a close confidant of Zhao Changsheng, surely staying here for so purpose."
If Li Yan were here, he would recognize this man as Bai Ruoxu, the broker Hall Master who had escaped from Chang’an.
The elder pondered for a mont, "You were once a mber of the Maitreya Sect, so the task of contacting the ’Red Lady’ is yours."
"Tell her to relay a ssage to Zhao Changsheng that the Heavenly Saint Sect and the mountain people will soon be ready; if this operation succeeds, the treasure he desires will be willingly offered by ."
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ruoxu hesitated.
A person beside him chuckled, "Brother Bai, what are you afraid of?"
"You set up the Maitreya Sect, and Zhao Changsheng is even hunted by people from the Maitreya Sect. Sharing a common plight, he surely wouldn’t harm you?"
"Since you are under our master’s command, you must not be too cautious in your actions."
Seeing the indifferent gazes of those around him, Bai Ruoxu sighed inwardly, knowing he could not avoid this task, and gently saluted,
"As you command."
...
Yichang, also known as Yiling, was originally an ancient Xiling tribe.
It is said that the wife of the Yellow Emperor, Lei Zu, was a daughter of the Xiling Clan.
When Eastern Jin divided the western territory of Yiling and established a new county, it was nad "Yichang," implying prosperity suitable for the nation’s fortune, and the na "Yichang" first appeared in history.
Upon establishing the Great Xuan Dynasty, the na Yichang was officially confird...
"Young Hero Li, we have arrived!"
On deck, "Fast Ship Zhang"’s hearty voice rang out.
He had been on tenterhooks the entire trip.
Not because of the intricate network of dangerous waters, but rather due to the nurous firearms on the ship.
While he had often engaged in murky deeds as a mber of the pugilistic world, the court’s emphasis on firearms was now famously strict.
Furthermore, with the ongoing conflict in Ezhou and increased inspections by officials along the river, being caught would an not only risking escape but also being pursued and forced to join the outlaw bands.
Fortunately, his exceptional boating skills, coupled with Lv San constantly deploying hawks for reconnaissance to evade the Imperial Navy at a distance, allowed him to reach Yichang without incident.
Naturally, the firearms could not be taken into the city, so halfway there, they found a small hill by the river and hid them in a concealed cave.
Upon hearing Zhang’s call, Li Yan and the others also erged from the cabin.
The sky had just brightened, overcast, with a light drizzle falling.
On the vast Yangtze River, waves surged; nurous boats crisscrossed as a giant river bend lood in the distance, with the vast city built upon it.
This place was just as bustling as Jingzhou, which they had passed earlier.
Old Man Zhang introduced with a smile, "Gentlen, the Yichang town’s dock controls Ba Shu and leads to Jingxiang. It is an important pugilistic dock in Hubei."
"The pugilistic factions here not only include those from Hubei but also many from Ba Shu, making it a mix of dragons and snakes. However, with your skills, gentlen, you can stand firm anywhere."
Li Yan nodded and solemnly saluted, "Senior Zhang, it’s been hard on you this journey. Once we disembark, we shall part ways here."
"Fast Ship Zhang" blinked, "Aren’t you going elsewhere after finishing your task here? I can wait."
Sha Lifei smiled from the side, "You don’t need to say more; we’ve stirred up so trouble, and our opponents are not easy. We wouldn’t want to drag you into this."
"When tis are more peaceful, we’ll definitely co to drink with you, Senior Zhang."
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