I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

Morning light streamed through the tiny iron-barred window on the high wall of the prison, casting a pale, eerie patch on the damp stone floor. Li Bai sat leaning against the wall, his gaze calmly fixed on the patch of light as it slowly moved from the corner to the center of the cell, and then back to the corner on the other side.

He remained unusually quiet.

Even when the two jailers opened the iron gate and brought him a bowl of thin porridge and half a hard biscuit, he didn't try to ask anything as usual. He just silently accepted the food and ate it in small bites. The porridge was cold and had a sour smell, and the hard biscuit hurt his gums, but he ate it carefully, even picking up the crumbs that fell on his clothes and putting them in his mouth.

The jailers exchanged a glance, and one of them whispered, "He's been behaving himself today."

"I guess he's resigned to his fate." The other scoffed, locked the door, and left.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.

Li Bai put down his bowl and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He needed to conserve his strength and make everyone think he had given up the struggle. He closed his eyes and began to slowly regulate his breathing, feeling the faint, almost imperceptible flow of true energy in his dantian. The shackles were still heavy, suppressing the circulation of his spiritual power, but after a night's rest, at least the tearing pain had lessened somewhat.

Mid-morning, the cell door was opened again.

This time, it wasn't a jailer who entered, but a middle-aged man dressed in a blue Taoist robe. The robe was made of ordinary material, but it was meticulously tailored, with faint cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. The man had a lean face and sharp eyes, and he carried a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand, followed by two jailers.

"Li Taibai." The middle-aged man's voice was calm, with a condescending scrutiny. "The Imperial Preceptor has ordered that he ask you a few questions."

Li Bai opened his eyes, but did not get up. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Please speak."

The middle-aged man gestured for the jailer to step outside, then walked to the center of the cell and stopped three steps away from Li Bai. He didn't sit down, but stood there, looking down at Li Bai.

"I've heard you've traveled to Mount Shu." The middle-aged man opened the bamboo slips. "Tell me, what wonders did Mount Shu have?"

Li Bai's heart stirred. The Imperial Preceptor was indeed interested in Mount Shu. He lowered his eyes, feigning recollection: "Mount Shu... its terrain is precipitous, shrouded in mist. When I accompanied my master into the mountains to gather herbs, I only reached a few of the outer peaks. I remember a waterfall, over a hundred zhang high, its roar like thunder. Below the waterfall was a deep pool, its water emerald green and chillingly cold."

These are all true, but they are only the most superficial things. In his previous life, as a geological engineer, he had participated in geological surveys of the Shushan region and knew its topography and landforms like the back of his hand. Saying them now is both true and credible, yet utterly worthless.

The middle-aged man was writing something on the bamboo slips with a pen, and continued to ask, "Have you seen any strange phenomena in the mountains? Or... unusual architecture?"

"Strange phenomena?" Li Bai looked bewildered. "This disciple is dull-witted and does not know what strange phenomena are. As for the buildings... there are occasional Taoist temples in the mountains, mostly built of wood and stone, which have been in disrepair for many years and are nothing special."

Have you ever heard of the "Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom"?

Li Bai's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. He shook his head: "I have never heard of it."

The middle-aged man stared at him for a long time, his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through his flesh and reach the depths of his soul. Li Bai met his gaze calmly, his eyes filled only with weariness and confusion.

After a while, the middle-aged man closed the bamboo slips.

"Who is your master? What school of thought do you follow?"

"My master was a wandering Taoist, without any sect or school, who passed away three years ago." Li Bai's voice lowered, carrying just the right amount of sorrow. "This disciple is dull-witted and only learned a little bit before descending the mountain to travel, but unexpectedly..."

He didn't continue, but just sighed.

The middle-aged man didn't ask any more questions. He turned and walked towards the door, glancing back at Li Bai before stepping over the threshold: "The Imperial Preceptor is merciful, giving you three days to consider. If you still offer the same excuse after three days..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat in his words was clear enough.

The iron gate closed again, the chains rattling.

Li Bai leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath. His back was already soaked with cold sweat. The middle-aged man's gaze reminded him of the scanners he had seen in a laboratory in his previous life—cold, precise, and offering no privacy.

But he pulled through.

At least we've made it through for now.

In the days that followed, Li Bai became even more compliant. He would thank the jailer when he brought him food; he would nod to the patrolling guards as they passed by; and even when a mouse scurried across the corner of the wall, he did not disturb it as usual, but simply watched it disappear into the darkness.

Night finally fell.

There were no candles in the prison, only an oil lamp hanging at the end of the corridor, its dim light barely illuminating an area of ​​a few feet. Li Bai lay on a straw mat, his eyes open, staring at the darkness above him. His ears, however, were perked up, catching every sound outside.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the guards changed shifts. Footsteps were chaotic, interspersed with a few hushed conversations.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), the patrolling guards passed by twice, each time about half an hour apart.

It's almost midnight.

Li Bai sat up slowly and silently from the straw mat. He listened intently—the corridor was quiet, with only the faint sound of snoring in the distance, likely from a sleeping guard. He took a deep breath and began to move toward the corner of the cell.

The shackles on his wrists made a slight creaking sound with each movement, which was particularly jarring in the silence. Li Bai stopped moving, waited a few moments, and only continued moving after confirming that he hadn't attracted attention. His movements were slow, like a wounded reptile, inching closer to the stone slab.

Finally, he arrived at the location indicated by Duan Qiniang.

A sliver of moonlight peeked through the iron bars, barely making out the general outline of the stone slab. It was a square slab, about three feet on each side, its edges and the ground filled with black grime. Li Bai reached out and touched it, feeling a rough texture on his fingertips—it was a mixture of mortar and sawdust, hardened yet fragile over a century.

He pulled the hacksaw blade from his pocket.

The saw blade was only the length of a palm and no more than two fingers wide, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the moonlight. Li Bai held one end of the saw blade and carefully inserted the other end into the gap at the edge of the stone slab.

"sand……"

An extremely faint sound arose, like a silkworm nibbling on mulberry leaves.

Li Bai stopped what he was doing and held his breath. The corridor remained quiet. He waited a few moments before continuing. This time, he adjusted the angle, keeping the saw blade close to the side of the stone slab instead of cutting perpendicularly. This made it quieter, but also less efficient.

Time passed slowly in silence.

The saw blade moved back and forth in the gap, scraping off only a tiny bit of debris each time. Li Bai's arm quickly began to ache and go numb, sweat seeped from his forehead, trickled down his cheeks, and dripped onto the stone slab, leaving dark spots. He dared not wipe the sweat, afraid of making too much noise, and could only let the sweat run into his eyes, causing stinging and blurring.

He gritted his teeth and continued.

"Shh...shh...shh..."

The monotonous sound echoed in the cell, but by the time it reached the corridor, it was barely audible, blocked by the thick stone walls. Li Bai was completely focused, all his senses concentrated on the saw blade in his hand—tactilely feeling the resistance as the blade cut into the filler, hearing capturing every subtle change in sound, and visually staring intently at the gap in the dim light.

After an unknown amount of time, the saw blade suddenly felt lighter.

Li Bai's heart tightened, and he quickly pulled the saw blade out to check—it wasn't broken, but the tip was dull. He changed the angle and continued sawing. This time, the filler loosened even faster, and the debris fell like black snow powder.

almost.

Soon.

Li Bai silently counted the time in his mind. Midnight should be approaching. He quickened his pace, the saw blade moving rapidly back and forth in the gap, making a hissing sound. The sound was a bit louder than before, but he didn't care anymore.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded in the corridor.

Li Bai froze, immediately stopping what he was doing. He stuffed the saw blade into his clothes and curled up in the shadows of the corner. Footsteps approached slowly, gradually growing louder—the sound of patrolling guards. The footsteps paused briefly at the cell door, followed by the sound of a small window in the iron door being pulled open.

A dim, yellowish light shone in from outside the door, sweeping across the cell.

Li Bai held his breath, buried his face in his knees, and pretended to be fast asleep. He could feel the light linger on him for a moment before moving away. The small window closed again, and the footsteps continued forward, gradually fading into the distance.

Only when the footsteps completely disappeared did Li Bai slowly raise his head and exhale a long breath. His back was completely soaked; cold sweat drenched his thin prison uniform, clinging to his skin, icy and bone-chilling.

He took out the saw blade again and continued working.

This time, he held back. The saw blade slashed wildly back and forth in the gap, shavings flying everywhere. His arms trembled from the excessive force, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger was chafed raw by the saw blade, bleeding, but he felt no pain. All his attention was focused on that gap, on the freedom that was about to come.

"Click."

A slight, crisp sound.

Li Bai stopped what he was doing and reached out to touch the gap—in the upper left corner, the filling had been completely sawed through, revealing a dark, empty hole underneath. His spirits lifted, and he immediately turned to the other three corners.

Time passed by, second by second.

It's almost midnight.

When the last corner of the filler was sawed through, Li Bai was almost exhausted. He leaned against the wall, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his forehead like rain. He raised his trembling hand, wiped his eyes, and looked at the stone slab.

Now, all you need to do is pry it open.

Li Bai took out the medicine bottle given to him by Duan Qiniang from his pocket, poured out a healing pill, and put it in his mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, turning into a warm current that flowed through his limbs and bones. He closed his eyes and forcibly circulated the meager thirty percent of true energy in his dantian.

True energy flowed through his meridians to his arms, bringing a tearing pain—the shackles still held, and forcibly circulating his spiritual power was tantamount to self-harm. But Li Bai did not stop. He gritted his teeth and concentrated all his true energy in his hands.

Then he inserted his fingers into the gaps along the edge of the stone slab.

"rise--"

A low growl squeezed out from deep in his throat.

The stone slab remained completely still.

Li Bai's veins bulged, his true energy surging wildly through his meridians, and blood seeped from where the shackles rubbed against his skin. He exerted his strength again, this time using all his might, even bracing his legs against the wall.

"Crunch...squeak..."

The stone slab emitted a teeth-grinding groan as it slowly lifted up a crack.

A strong, musty smell, mixed with the stench of rotten mud, wafted from the crack, hitting Li Bai so hard he coughed, but he didn't dare loosen his grip. He continued to pry the stone slab upwards, little by little.

The stone slab was heavy, weighing at least two hundred pounds. Without the aid of true energy, it would be impossible to pry it open with physical strength alone. Even with true energy, the process was extremely difficult. Li Bai's arms trembled like leaves in the wind, and sweat stung his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and pried the stone slab open little by little.

Finally, a wide enough gap was pried open in the stone slab.

Li Bai released his grip, and the stone slab fell back into place with a "bang," but it was tilted, revealing a dark, gaping hole. A strong stench of decay wafted from the hole, almost suffocating him. Li Bai covered his mouth and nose, waiting for the smell to dissipate slightly before going closer to investigate.

The cave entrance was small, about two feet in diameter, and below it was a bottomless abyss of thick darkness. The cave walls were rough stone, covered with slippery moss, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from deep within—it must have been an abandoned drainage channel.

right here.

Li Bai pulled another small porcelain bottle from his pocket; it contained the sleeping potion given to him by Duan Qiniang. He uncorked the bottle and sprinkled the powder evenly on the ground around the cave entrance. The powder was colorless and odorless, but anyone who got close and inhaled it would fall into a deep sleep. This was his backup plan.

After doing all this, Li Bai glanced back at the prison cell.

The moonlight outside the iron bars was still pale and stark. Straw mats lay haphazardly on the ground, and a broken bowl sat in the corner. Everything was the same as yesterday, yet everything was different. How long had he been here? Ten days? Half a month? Time had blurred; only the weight of the shackles and the coldness of the stone walls were real.

But now, he's leaving.

Li Bai took a deep breath, concentrated the last bit of his true energy into his limbs, then curled up, head down, and crawled into the narrow opening.

The cave walls were slippery and cold, and the moss rubbed against his face, leaving a sticky sensation. The stench of decay was so strong it was almost tangible, filling his nostrils and assaulting his senses. Li Bai held his breath, supporting himself with his elbows and knees, and slowly moved downwards.

The entrance was narrow; his shoulder was almost stuck at the edge. He adjusted his angle, turning sideways, and barely managed to squeeze in. The moment his body was fully inside the passage, darkness engulfed him like a tide. The faint light filtering through the cracks in the stone slabs above quickly vanished, leaving only pitch blackness.

Li Bai dared not linger and continued climbing downwards.

The cave passage sloped downwards at a steep angle, its jagged walls tearing at his clothes and skin. He could only feel his way forward with his hands, his fingertips touching only the cold, slippery stones and moss. After climbing for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard the sound of water ahead—not the faint dripping sound, but the gurgling sound of flowing water.

Arrived.

Li Bai quickened his pace and climbed a few more feet, but his hand suddenly went empty, and he slid out from the end of the cave.

"Thump!"

He was instantly engulfed by the icy, bone-chilling sewage.

Caught off guard, Li Bai choked on a mouthful of water. The water was filthy and foul, with a strong smell of silt. He struggled to the surface, gasping for breath. It was still pitch black, but he could sense that he was in a relatively spacious area—probably the main drainage channel.

The water wasn't deep, only up to his chest, but the current was strong, propelling him forward. Li Bai steadied himself and looked back at the cave entrance he had just slipped out of. The entrance was on a dark, looming stone wall about ten feet above the water, resembling a silent mouth.

He hesitated for a moment, then swam back to the bottom of the cave entrance, reached out and grabbed the edge, and pushed upwards with all his might.

The stone slab was slowly moved back to its original position, but it was not completely sealed off, leaving a tiny gap—this was just in case, so that if someone outside noticed anything unusual, they wouldn't immediately suspect the secret passage.

After doing all this, Li Bai let go and allowed the current to carry him forward.

Just as he turned around, preparing to drift downstream—

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Heavy footsteps came from overhead.

It wasn't the light, quick stride of a patrol guard, but rather slow, heavy footsteps, each one firmly planted. The footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the cell, approaching from afar, finally stopping at the door of the cell where he had just been.

Li Bai froze, held his breath, and sank into the water, leaving only his nostrils above the surface.

The sound of an iron gate being opened came from above.

Then came a brief silence.

Then, a deep voice rang out: "Where are they?"