Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

It seems that Stone's guess was correct. The secrets of this mine are far deeper than they appear on the surface, and the deaths of those miners were by no means accidental.

And these secrets are hidden behind this bronze door.

Li Yuan suppressed the urge to rush in and find out what was going on, patiently lying in wait in the shadows for his chance.

Time ticked by, and in the mine, there was no distinction between day and night. After an unknown amount of time, the patrol leader yawned and waved his hand: "Shift change! Everyone, stay alert!"

The guards breathed a sigh of relief, stretched their stiff limbs, and prepared to hand over their shift to another team.

This is the opportunity that Li Yuan has been waiting for.

He retreated to a secluded corner and happened to see a guard hurriedly leave the group and head towards a secluded corner, obviously to relieve himself.

Li Yuan followed silently, and just as the guard loosened his belt and was enjoying himself, Li Yuan delivered a clean and precise chop to the back of his neck.

The guard groaned and collapsed limply. Li Yuan reached out and caught him, dragging him to a corner piled with waste. He quickly stripped off the guard's coat and put it on himself.

A moment later, he emerged from the shadows with his head down and quickly caught up with the guards.

"Halt! Password!"

The squad leader stopped him.

Li Yuan lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, trying to appease him, "I was on shift change. I had an upset stomach and went to the outhouse, which delayed me."

The squad leader glanced at him, didn't think much of it, and waved his hand: "Next time, be quicker, don't keep the captain waiting."

Li Yuan hurriedly responded, lowered his head and quickly followed, standing to the side of the bronze door, keeping his eyes down and pretending to be a dutiful guard.

At this moment, a middle-aged cultivator who appeared to be the leader walked out of the stone chamber on the side of the bronze door, his gaze sweeping over the guards with an imposing air.

"Cheer up, everyone. We've reached the most crucial moment. Whether we succeed or not depends on these next few days. If we succeed, you'll all be heroes of the sect, and you'll reap the rewards."

"Pills, cultivation techniques, spirit stones—the sect will never treat you unfairly!"

The guards perked up and replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Li Yuan mingled in the crowd and shouted along, his mind clear as day. Just as he had expected, something was being kept behind the bronze door that needed to absorb a large amount of life essence.

Those miners were probably lured in by the sect under the guise of recruitment from the very beginning. The so-called mining was just a front; on the surface, this was a righteous immortal sect, but behind the scenes, they were engaged in heinous and unscrupulous activities.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the distance, and a woman dressed in a moon-white dress with a cold and beautiful face walked towards them, surrounded by several disciples.

She possessed an elegant demeanor, walked with composure, and carried a subtle sense of aloofness between her brows.

Li Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted; it was actually Leng Ningshuang.

What is she doing here? And judging from her clothes and demeanor, she seems to hold a fairly high position in this sect?

His mind raced, but his face remained impassive. He lowered his head slightly and observed Leng Ning Shuang's every move out of the corner of his eye.

Leng Ningshuang walked to the bronze door, stopped, and glanced indifferently at the guards at the entrance.

The leader hurriedly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles: "Senior Sister Leng, why did you come in person? Leave this to us, don't worry, everything will go smoothly."

"I've come to take a look." Leng Ningshuang's voice was like an icy spring. "Master said that this period is of utmost importance and cannot be compromised. You all need to be on your guard. If anything goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility."

"Yes, yes, Senior Sister Leng, don't worry, we will definitely guard this place well." The leader nodded and bowed repeatedly.

Leng Ning Shuang gave a faint "hmm," her gaze casually sweeping over the guards. When she passed over Li Yuan, she paused for a moment before continuing her gaze.

Just as she turned to leave.

"Senior Sister Leng, please wait!"

Li Yuan suddenly stepped out of the queue, walked a few steps to Leng Ningshuang, put on a fawning smile, cupped his hands and bowed, saying: "This disciple has long admired Senior Sister Leng's name. Seeing her today, it is indeed well-deserved. Senior Sister is truly a celestial being, whom we admire greatly."

"Thank you for your hard work, senior sister!"

The surrounding disciples were all stunned.

Everyone knows that Leng Ning Shuang is the sect leader's last disciple, with exceptional talent but a cold personality like an iceberg. She hates sycophants the most.

Once, an outer disciple tried to curry favor with her, but was so frightened by her gaze that he couldn't even speak properly. This guard who appeared out of nowhere, has he eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard?

The disciple beside Li Yuan quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Are you crazy? Senior Sister Leng hates this kind of thing the most! Get out of here!"

Li Yuan seemed not to hear him, still smiling broadly as he looked at Leng Ning Shuang with eyes full of admiration.

Leng Ning Shuang stopped and slowly turned around, her gaze falling on Li Yuan's face. Her cold eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if she were looking at an insignificant stranger.

She paused for a moment, then asked calmly, "What's your name?"

Li Yuan quickly replied, "This disciple's name is Shi Tou, and I'm a gatekeeper. Today is my first day on duty, and it's truly an honor to meet Senior Sister!"

Leng Ning Shuang glanced at him, said nothing more, just grunted in response, and then turned and left with several disciples.

The disciple next to him breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "You're really lucky, Senior Sister Leng didn't punish you. Don't do something so stupid again next time."

Li Yuan chuckled, scratched his head, and looked rather simple and honest: "I just admire my senior sister too much, and I couldn't help myself."

Leng Ning Shuang, who had already left, suddenly stopped and said indifferently without turning her head, "That guy named Shi Tou, come with me."

The disciples beside him were all stunned, staring wide-eyed at Li Yuan as if they had heard something unbelievable.

Senior Sister Leng actually specifically requested a gatekeeper disciple to accompany her? Is the sun rising in the west?

Li Yuan was also taken aback for a moment, but he reacted quickly, immediately putting on an expression of being flattered and replying repeatedly, "Yes, yes, thank you, Senior Sister Leng."

He hunched over and hurried after them, leaving his disciples standing there dumbfounded.

"That kid... he really hit the jackpot."

"Who says otherwise? Senior Sister Leng didn't punish him, and even let him follow along..."

"Sigh, I should have gone up and flattered him a bit."

Amidst the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the crowd, Li Yuan lowered his head and followed closely behind Leng Ning Shuang, passing through several mine tunnels until they arrived at a stone chamber.

This stone chamber is located on the upper level of the mine, far from the miners' camp area. It is in a remote location and the environment is much quieter. Two lanterns are hanging at the entrance of the stone chamber, and the door is half closed.

Leng Ning Shuang stopped and waved her hand: "You can all leave, except for Shi Tou. I have something to ask you."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went in without looking back. The other disciples glanced at Li Yuan with envy and obediently left.

Li Yuan followed him inside. The stone chamber was not large, but it was decorated quite elegantly, with a wooden bed, a desk, several chairs, and a bookshelf in the corner with several bamboo scrolls on it.