50: Chapter 50: Leaving the Mine

At the exit of the vein, it was still that same shabby shed.

Manager Wang sat behind the table with his legs crossed, dozing off.

Three years had passed, and this place hadn't changed a bit—except for a few extra white hairs on his head.

Today was the monthly rent collection day, but there weren't many people.

Anyone who could survive three years in the vein was an old hand; they had either saved up enough Spirit Stones to leave or had long since died in some corner, turned into fertilizer.

Manager Wang was dreaming about being transferred back to the Sect, no longer having to smell the earthy stench of this miserable vein, when footsteps sounded outside the shed.

He groggily opened his eyes and saw two people walk in.

One man and one woman.

The man wore a tattered yet clean green robe, a lazy smile on his face. The woman... hm?

Manager Wang's eyes snapped wide open, all his sleepiness instantly vanishing.

"Su Li?!" he blurted out. "You... you're still alive?!"

It was no wonder he was shocked.

Su Li was famous in the vein as the "Black Fiend Woman," but she had always appeared punctually on every rent collection day like clockwork.

But last year, she hadn't come—not even once.

Not coming to pay rent in the vein meant only two possibilities: either she had saved up enough Spirit Stones to pay it off all at once, or... she was dead.

Manager Wang had naturally assumed it was the second option.

After all, in a godforsaken place like the vein, people dying was all too normal. He had even felt pity back then—such a pretty girl, what a waste.

But now, Su Li was standing right before him, alive and well!

Not only alive, but...

Manager Wang sized her up from head to toe.

Her aura was steady, her gaze sharp, and the Evil Qi on her body had faded significantly, replaced by an... indescribable charm? It was as if her entire being had come alive.

What surprised him even more was the man beside Su Li.

"Xiao Yuan?!" Manager Wang cried out in surprise again. "You're still alive too?!"

This kid was even more ridiculous!

He had come out once during the first year to pay rent, but for the following two years, there had been zero news of him.

Manager Wang had long since put him on the "deceased list."

Furthermore, the two Qi Condensation 9th Layer cultivators sent by Chen Yin and Zhao Tianlei hadn't come out after going in either—Manager Wang had once suspected if some great terror inside the vein had swallowed them all up.

Yet now, Xiao Yuan was also standing right here, alive and well!

The two of them had walked in one after the other, separated by a few paces, appearing as if they weren't very familiar with each other.

But Manager Wang had been around for decades and possessed sharp eyes—the way that kid looked at Su Li, along with the subtle position Su Li instinctively took when turning slightly, all indicated that their relationship was anything but simple.

"There's a story here..." Manager Wang murmured in his heart, though his expression remained composed. He knocked on the table and feigned ignorance, saying, "Name, purpose."

Su Li stepped forward, unfastened a bulging Storage Pouch from her waist, and placed it on the table.

"Su Li. Paying off my sentence to leave the vein."

Manager Wang raised an eyebrow, picked up the Storage Pouch, and swept it with his Divine Sense.

Then his hand trembled, and the Storage Pouch almost dropped onto the table.

"Sixty... sixty-three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones?!" His voice went out of key. "Where... where did you get so many?!"

According to the vein's rules, Su Li's converted sentence indeed required over sixty thousand Spirit Stones to redeem at once.

But the problem was—no one had ever actually been able to produce that much!

Those old hands in the vein saving up a few thousand Spirit Stones was already hitting the ceiling. Any extra was kept for cultivation.

Sixty thousand? Keep dreaming!

Su Li's expression was calm. "Mined them."

Manager Wang: "..."

Like hell I'd believe you!

But he had no proof. Inside the Storage Pouch, over sixty thousand Spirit Stones were indeed stacked neatly, not a single stone more, not a single stone less. According to the rules, once the Spirit Stones were paid in full, he had to let her go.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. He pulled out a black token from the drawer, engraved Su Li's name and the date on it, and handed it over. "Hold onto the token and give it to the array-guarding Disciple when leaving the vein. The Storage Pouch... open it for inspection."

This was routine procedure.

Su Li cooperatively opened her Storage Pouch—inside were only a few changes of clothes, a little dry ration, and several bottles of the most basic Medicinal Pills. It was so shabby it made one's heart ache.

Manager Wang glanced over it, found nothing abnormal, and waved his hand. "Alright, off you go."

Su Li took the token and turned to leave.

As she passed by Xiao Yuan, her steps paused almost imperceptibly, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Xiao Yuan winked at her.

The corners of Su Li's lips curved slightly before she quickly regained her composure and walked out of the shed.

Manager Wang saw all of this, his curiosity clawing at his heart like a cat—there was definitely something between these two!

But he didn't have time to dwell on it, because Xiao Yuan had already stepped forward.

"Name," Manager Wang said grumpily.

"Xiao Yuan. Paying the back-owed Spirit Stones to leave the vein."

Manager Wang looked at him with a complex gaze.

This kid's Qi Condensation 4th Layer aura was clearly displayed right there—so weak that he could squash him with a single finger.

Yet such a guy had survived in the vein for three years, and bloody saved up enough Spirit Stones to come out?

"How much do you owe again?" Manager Wang flipped through the ledger.

"I paid one thousand in the first year, leaving two years unpaid. According to the vein rules, it's twenty-five hundred for the second year and forty-five hundred for the third year, totaling seven thousand." Xiao Yuan handed over another Storage Pouch with a beam. "Here's seven thousand, please count them."

Manager Wang took it and swept it with his Divine Sense.

Neither more nor less, exactly seven thousand.

He stared at Xiao Yuan for a full five breaths before finally sighing, pulling out a token, and engraving characters onto it.

"You kid... really have great luck to stay alive."

Xiao Yuan chuckled. "Thanks to your blessing, Manager."

"Cut the flattery." Manager Wang tossed the token to him. "Check your Storage Pouch."

Xiao Yuan candidly opened the shabby Storage Pouch at his waist—it was even shabbier than Su Li's. Twenty-three Low-Grade Spirit Stones, five bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, and two tattered garments.

Manager Wang swept his Divine Sense across it three times, yet couldn't find a single abnormality.

Strange.

How did this kid survive? How did he save up enough Spirit Stones? Did he really strike it ridiculously lucky and hit a rich mineral vein?

But even if he hit a rich vein, at the Qi Condensation 4th Layer, could he protect it?

Manager Wang was full of questions, but rules were rules. He waved his hand. "Get lost."

Xiao Yuan put away the Storage Pouch, took the token, and turned to leave.

As he reached the entrance of the shed, Manager Wang suddenly spoke up, "Kid."

Xiao Yuan turned his head back.

Manager Wang looked at him and said meaningfully, "After you get out... be careful. Chen Yin and Zhao Tianlei's side won't let this rest."

Xiao Yuan was startled for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you for the warning, Manager."

He walked out of the shed, sunlight spilling onto his face.

Three years—finally seeing the light of day again.

In the distance, Su Li stood beside the exit of the vein's grand array, waiting for him.

The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

Xiao Yuan walked over quickly and naturally took her hand.

"Let's go home."

Su Li's face turned slightly red, but she didn't pull away, giving a soft "Mm."

Side by side, the two walked out of the vein's grand array, their figures disappearing into the distance.

Inside the shed, Manager Wang watched their retreating figures and shook his head.

"Ah, it's nice to be young..."

He picked up a brush and crossed off Xiao Yuan's and Su Li's names from the ledger.

Having finished, he closed the ledger, leaned back against his chair, and gazed at the sunlight outside the shed.

"I heard the vein has been quite peaceful lately! Who knows how long that peace will last."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than fierce sounds of fighting and screams echoed from deep within the mine cave.

Manager Wang: "..."

Well, spoke too soon.

This damn place will never be peaceful.