15: Chapter 15 Cause of Father's Death

A few days later.

Early morning.

A team of twenty people assembled in front of the Li Family's main gate.

Eight guards, eight Miners, two pharmacists, plus Li Changsheng and Li Changhu as leaders—this was the first group from the Li Family to enter the mountains.

"Remember, safety comes first."

Li Zhenshan solemnly instructed.

"If you encounter danger, retreat immediately. Although the mine is important, it is not worth a human life."

"Rest assured, Uncle."

Li Changsheng nodded.

Today, he was dressed in martial attire and carried a specially made medicine box on his back.

Inside, besides the usual medicines, were several self-defense items specially prepared by the Grand Elder.

When the team set off, the morning mist had not yet dispersed.

On the streets of Qinghe Town, many early-rising townsfolk stopped to watch.

News that the Li Family had secured the mine had already spread; seeing the Li Family's team enter the mountains now, everyone's expressions varied.

Envy, jealousy, and awe were all present.

"Young Master Changsheng, be careful on the road!"

Some familiar townsfolk shouted out.

Li Changsheng smiled in acknowledgement, but his vigilance did not waver.

He could feel several gazes from the shadows, clinging to his back like venomous snakes.

Five miles out of town, they turned onto a mountain path.

The Black Iron Mine was located among the northern mountains; the road was rugged, and the forest grew denser.

Li Changsheng deliberately slowed down, observing his surroundings as he walked.

"Brother Changsheng, what are you looking at?"

Li Changhu caught up and asked.

"Looking at the trees."

Li Changsheng pointed to several ancient pines by the roadside.

"These trees have axe marks, but they aren't from logging; they look more like... markers."

Li Changhu looked closely and indeed found inconspicuous nicks on the bark—three short and one long—pointing in a certain direction.

"Is this... a secret signal?"

"It should be something left by my father."

Li Changsheng said in a low voice.

Last night, he had looked through all of his father's notes.

Among them, a marking method was mentioned that only the father and son understood.

As the team continued forward, Li Changsheng secretly noted the positions of all the markers.

These intermittent markers pointed toward a secluded valley on the eastern side of the mine.

At noon, the team arrived at the mining camp.

There were five log cabins and a simple mine shaft here; it had been the Li Family's extraction point for the past three years.

The guard captain, Li Tie, a middle-aged man with a full beard, came forward to meet them.

"Young Master Changsheng, Young Master Hu, you've finally arrived!"

Li Tie's voice was booming.

"The mine hasn't been peaceful these past few days. There are always strange noises at night, and several brothers are afraid to go down the shaft."

"Strange noises?"

Li Changsheng frowned slightly.

"It sounds like... the scraping of iron tools, or like someone whispering."

Li Tie lowered his voice.

"The old Miners say it's the 'Mountain Spirit' deep within the Ore vein expressing its anger."

Li Changsheng's heart stirred.

His father's notes had also mentioned similar phenomena, but the description was more specific.

"On the night of a full moon, a faint green light appears deep within the Ore vein, accompanied by the sound of clashing metal."

Today was the fifteenth, the night of the full moon.

After arranging food and lodging for everyone, Li Changsheng used "surveying the Ore vein" as an excuse to head toward that secluded valley alone, following the markers left by his father.

The valley was deep and serene, with trees blotting out the sun.

After walking for about half an hour, the markers ended in front of a cliff face.

The cliff was covered in vines.

It seemed ordinary, but with the keen observation skills he had developed through his medical studies, Li Changsheng noticed that the distribution of the vines was slightly unnatural.

In several places, they were too dense, as if deliberately concealing something.

He pushed aside the vines, revealing a cave entrance just large enough for one person to pass through.

There were traces of manual excavation at the entrance, and a line of small characters was carved into the stone wall:

"Zhenyue arrived here; suspect there is a profound mystery."

"Should anything happen to me, let those who follow enter with caution."

It was his father's handwriting!

Li Changsheng took a deep breath, lit a fire starter, and bent down to enter the cave.

The cave was narrow at first, but after walking about ten zhang, it suddenly opened up into a natural karst cave.

Stalactites hung from the ceiling, a stream gurgled on the ground, and the air was filled with a faint metallic scent.

What shocked Li Changsheng even more was that a faint white fluorescence flickered on the cave walls.

That was the characteristic of "Secret Profound Iron," a rare associated mineral found within Black Iron Ore.

According to the mine map, there shouldn't have been an Ore vein in this area.

"Is this the 'unusual thing' father discovered?"

He continued deeper; the karst cave wound downwards, and the temperature gradually rose.

After walking about a hundred zhang, a fork appeared ahead.

One path continued downward, where a red light faintly flickered.

The other path extended horizontally, with what seemed to be a glimmer at the end.

Li Changsheng thought for a moment and chose the horizontal one.

Instinct told him that his father would not rashly venture deep into an unknown, dangerous place.

This passage clearly showed signs of manual modification.

The stone walls were smooth, and simple patterns were even carved in several places.

"Eh? This looks very much like a fragmented pattern from the Spirit Ape Fist."

Li Changsheng recognized it as a pattern recorded at the end of the Spirit Ape Fist, but because a corner was missing, no one in the Family knew its purpose.

At the end of the passage was a stone room.

The stone room was not large; in the center were a stone table and two stone stools.

In a corner of the stone room, a skeleton sat leaning against the wall.

The clothes on its body had already decayed, but judging from the remaining fabric, they were Li Family attire.

Li Changsheng's heart tightened, and he stepped forward quickly.

The skeleton held a letter written on a stone slab in its hand.

At its waist was a jade pendant—the very one his father never let leave his side!

"Father..."

His voice trembled.

Li Changsheng picked up the stone slab; on it was written:

"I, Li Zhenyue, explored this place and was plotted against by a villain."

"My Meridians are completely severed; my life is nearing its end."

"I leave this letter specifically to inform those who come after."

"Deep within this Ore vein lies the ruins of the ancient True Lord Xuan Yun's Immortal Cave."

"The Spirit Ape Health-Preserving Technique practiced by the True Lord..."

"...shares the same origin as our Li Family's Spirit Ape Fist, though the Spirit Ape Fist is only a fragment."

"I have already obtained the Mind-Cultivation Technique for the first three levels of the Spirit Ape Health-Preserving Technique."

"If a descendant of the Li Family obtains it, they should be able to complete the Cultivation Technique and revitalize the Family."

"But be warned: the Immortal Cave has a Restriction; no one who has not cultivated the Spirit Ape Fist may enter."

"Deep within the Restriction, it seems something evil is being suppressed..."

"The one who plotted against me was not from the Wang or Zhao families, but a masked person in black."

"Their Cultivation Technique was bizarre, resembling the methods of the Demonic Path."

"The person has six fingers on their right hand—a distinct characteristic."

"My son Changsheng, if you are able to see this letter, your father is no longer in this world."

"There is no need for revenge; I only ask that you keep the Family safe."

"The path of martial arts is full of perils; remember this well!"

The handwriting was scrawled, and the last few words were almost illegible, showing the hardship his father faced at the end of his life.

Li Changsheng knelt before the remains and kowtowed three times heavily.

Though they had not met in this life despite over ten years of father-son bond, their Bloodlines were connected, and he still felt a heart-wrenching pain at this moment.

"Father, your child will surely uncover the truth and keep the Family safe."

He whispered.

After standing up, Li Changsheng followed his father's prompts and found a hidden compartment at the bottom of the stone table, taking out a scroll of beast hide.

The beast hide was densely covered with cultivation formulas—it was indeed the first three levels of the Spirit Ape Health-Preserving Technique.

A quick glance confirmed it shared the same lineage as the Spirit Ape Fist, but it was much more profound and mysterious.

He was just about to look closer when the entire stone room suddenly began to vibrate!

It wasn't an earthquake, but a vibration coming from deep within the Ore vein.

At the same time, a cold aura spread out, and a faint whisper echoed in the air:

"Blood... fresh blood..."

Li Changsheng's hair stood on end. What was that?!

He tucked away the beast hide and was about to exit the stone room.

Suddenly, he noticed a complex Formation pattern carved into the ground beneath his father's remains.

In the center of the Formation was a groove, the shape of which...

...was actually somewhat similar to a spirit ape!

"Could it be..."

He hesitated for a moment, then bit his fingertip.

He dripped a drop of blood into the groove.

As the blood seeped in, the Formation instantly lit up!