33: Chapter 33: The Brothers' Conspiracy Part 2

"You five, listen up."

Yuwen Jinyuan swept his gaze over the five men led by Toad, his tone cold and hard, "Go into the Mine Cave now. Be clean about it and clear out anyone irrelevant."

He paused slightly, his eyes revealing a calculating coldness, "Lest we accidentally involve those Miners when we start fighting later—they are the ones who pay us Spirit Stones every month. Losing them for nothing wouldn't be worth it."

"Yes!" the five replied in unison, turning and quickly slipping into the Mine Cave.

Inside the Mine Cave, several fierce and menacing figures suddenly appeared in the winding mining tunnels.

Rough shouts hit the rock walls, echoing back and forth: "If you don't want to die, get out immediately!" "Evacuate quickly! Don't get in the way here!"

The Miners, who were sweating profusely, stopped their work in astonishment, their faces full of confusion and unease.

Under the coercion of the fierce gazes from those few men, they swallowed the questions on the tips of their tongues. Though full of reluctance, they could only hurriedly put away their mining hoes and night-luminescent pearls, then lowered their heads and quickly exited the Mine Cave.

Once the back of the last Miner disappeared at the cave entrance, the five men led by Toad also came out of the cave and nodded to Yuwen Jinyuan.

Yuwen Jinyuan nodded, took a bag of Spirit Stones from his bosom, and handed it to Fox: "Fox, you take this bag of Spirit Stones to him and say it's this month's payment, paid in advance."

"Remember, when you get close to him, take the opportunity to scatter the 'Mind-Confusing Powder' near him. Be quick and skillful; don't mess it up."

Fox and Black Bear exchanged a look.

A cold light flashed in Fox's narrow eyes, while Black Bear twisted his thick neck, his bones making a "click" sound, as if he were loosening his joints.

The two said nothing more and stepped into the Mine Cave, one after the other.

Deep inside the Mine Cave, Yun Song was completely unaware of the turmoil outside.

All his attention was focused on the mining hoe in his hand. He was using the hard ore vein to hone the Eight Styles of the Mining Hoe. Every strike was incredibly precise, and stone chips flew everywhere.

Fox and Black Bear wandered inside the Mine Cave for a full half-hour before following the knocking sounds to find where Yun Song was mining.

The two stopped at a corner. Fox quietly poked his head out and saw Yun Song with his back to them, focusing on chiseling the rock wall, a smile appearing on his face.

That smile did not reach his eyes; instead, it only made the calculating light in his pupils burn brighter.

The mining hoe in Yun Song's hand suddenly paused. The vigilance he had honed through years of danger allowed him to sense a gaze watching him from not far away.

He turned around abruptly, subconsciously holding the mining hoe horizontally in front of his chest in a defensive posture, breaking the silence first: "Why are you staring at me?"

Fox stepped out from the corner, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Nothing. Brother Yuan instructed that this month's Spirit Stones be delivered to you in advance."

As he spoke, he walked toward Yun Song unhurriedly, holding the bag of Spirit Stones in his hands.

Just as Yun Song reached out to take the Spirit Stones, Fox's left arm, which seemed to be swinging naturally, shrank slightly, and his hand under the sleeve reached into his bosom.

The wide sleeves perfectly concealed his movements, and a small celadon bottle less than the size of a palm was pinched out by his fingertips.

His thumb pressed against the bottle stopper, flicking it silently. The bottle mouth tilted slightly, and a pinch of nearly transparent, fine powder followed his sideways movement.

Taking advantage of a barely perceptible current of Qi in the Mine Cave, it drifted silently toward Yun Song's head and face.

Yun Song took the Spirit Stones and was just about to put them away when he felt a faint, slightly astringent scent brush past his nose, and immediately, his nose felt itchy.

He thought it was just ordinary dust from the Mine Cave, frowned, rubbed it casually with the back of his hand, and didn't pay it any mind.

However, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, an abnormal feeling of exhaustion suddenly seized him.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, as if being pulled down by an invisible force.

A sour, heavy sensation came from the joints of his arms and legs, as if they had been filled with lead.

His head began to feel dizzy, and a faint, needle-like stinging pain came from his temples.

What shocked him even more was that the mining hoe in his hand now felt as heavy as a thousand jun, making it difficult even to lift, and his movements inevitably became sluggish.

"Not good!" Yun Song's heart jolted, and a cold chill shot from his spine to the top of his head.

It was that strange smell! He bit the tip of his tongue hard. The sharp pain made him clear-headed for a moment, but the drowsiness surged in like a tide, still to no avail.

Fox, hiding at the corner, saw Yun Song's body begin to sway and his eyes become unfocused. A mocking and sinister smile curled the corners of his lips as he whispered: "Black Bear, do it!"

Before his voice had even faded, a burly figure stepped out from the shadows behind.

The flesh on Black Bear's face tightened, and his eyes were as fierce as a beast's. Without the slightest hesitation, his right hand reached into his lapel, and four yellow talismans were already clamped between his fingers.

"Go!" Black Bear exhaled and shouted, his wrist snapping violently. The four Earth Spike Talismans instantly transformed into four yellowish streaks of light, whistling through the air as they shot toward Yun Song!