Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

There were checkpoints at the entrance of the mine, and anyone who entered without permission would be subject to a strict search. Ning Xiu was no exception. When two burly men came up to ask him questions, Ning Xiu handed over the slip of paper he had taken off and said, "Take me to see your mine owner. I'm here to apply for the position of chief foreman."

"You? Chief Engineer?" Upon hearing this, the two gatekeepers couldn't help but chuckle, but they were both well-mannered and didn't immediately ridicule Ning Xiu.

"Young man, go back to where you came from. Our mine owner isn't a good-tempered person. If you're going to mess with him, you'll definitely end up in trouble. You'd better leave now."

Faced with the gatekeeper's advice, Ning Xiu took out a silver ingot and threw it out: "You two just need to do your own thing and don't need to worry about so much. Now take me to see your mine owner."

The moment the silver left their hands, it grazed past the ear of a gatekeeper and embedded itself powerfully into the mine gate pillar behind them, sinking to a depth so deep that the silver was no longer visible on the surface.

Around the dent, there were even scorch marks from friction igniting and generating high temperatures. This single move alone was enough to demonstrate that Ning Xiu's strength was far from simple.

The two gatekeepers' expressions changed instantly, and their gazes toward Ning Xiu shifted from disdain to seriousness.

Regardless of Ning Xiu's actual abilities, if he really becomes the chief engineer, the two of them will definitely not fare well. For now, they can only cooperate if they can.

"This way, please. I'll take you to see the mine owner right away," a gatekeeper quickly changed his tone, no longer using the same teasing manner.

"Thank you for your trouble." Ning Xiu nodded calmly.

Seeing his companion leave, the other gatekeeper hurriedly went to the gatepost and tried to dig the silver out of the post, but no matter how hard he tried, the silver was fixed inside the post and could not be moved no matter how he tried to pry it out.

"Goodness, how strong must this person be to throw the silver like that?"

Led by the gatekeeper, Ning Xiu quickly followed him to a large building in the mine, which was said to be the mine owner's office.

When Ning Xiu entered, there were already several people standing inside, including two who were at the sixth rank of Immortal Path and the sixth rank of Martial Path, respectively. Judging from their arrogant expressions, they were probably there to apply for the position of chief engineer.

Sitting in the main seat was a well-dressed, chubby man adorned with jade and jewelry. He was speaking politely to the two mid-level experts, his face beaming with a happy smile.

At the same time, any mine owner would be happy to have two mid-level experts come to apply for the job.

"Young man, this is our mine owner, Manager Feng Cai," the gatekeeper who brought Ning Xiu over immediately introduced.

“You are…” Feng Cai, who was talking to others, turned to look at Ning Xiu and Ba Wang, and a puzzled expression immediately appeared on his face.

"Manager Feng, is this a notice posted by your mine? I'm here to apply for the position of chief engineer," Ning Xiu said loudly, holding up the paper in his hand.

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent. Feng Cai's expression turned quite serious, while the two mid-level experts looked at Ning Xiu with amusement.

With the existence of the concealment technique, they were completely unable to see Ning Xiu's true strength. At this moment, in their eyes, Ning Xiu did not even have the aura of a ninth-grade cultivator; he was just an ordinary young man.

Who gave him the courage to apply for the position of chief engineer at the Daqingshan Mine? In everyone's eyes, Ning Xiu was just an arrogant fool.

The gatekeeper was the only one who remained calm. Just as he was about to introduce Ning Xiu, Feng Cai waved his hand and shouted, "Throw those two out!"

"Manager Feng, is this your attitude towards hiring experts? It doesn't seem very sincere to me," Ning Xiu suddenly laughed.

In the blink of an eye, the ground beneath Ning Xiu's feet suddenly began to crack rapidly. Starting from Ning Xiu's right foot, a large area of ​​spiderweb-like cracks instantly appeared on the floor of the entire room.

With another loud bang, a shallow pit was created in the ground. This was just a casual kick from Ning Xiu. If he had used his full strength, the house would have collapsed in an instant.

Dust billowed up, and everyone's expressions changed from before, now looking at Ning Xiu with incredulous expressions.

Especially the sixth-rank martial artist who had initially given a disdainful smile, instantly lost all interest, as he, being a martial artist himself, knew this all too well.

Even if he used all his strength, he could not generate the power of Ning Xiu with just one kick, and this was definitely not something a fifth or sixth-grade martial artist could do.

This person's strength is unfathomable!

Not only these two, but also Feng Cai and his guards were all shocked by Ning Xiu's simple kick. When had they ever seen such power?

As the manager, Feng Cai quickly recovered from the shock of everyone and stood up excitedly as he approached Ning Xiu: "Forgive my ignorance, young hero, please sit down. If you could become the chief supervisor of my mine, it would be a great honor and I could rest easy."

Feng Cai was clearly not a cultured person. Although his choice of words was illogical, it was also reasonable. It sounded strange, but for a moment, one couldn't quite put one's finger on what was wrong with it.

Ning Xiu had already shown enough strength to secure the position of chief engineer. He was there to investigate the missing persons case, not to compete or spite others, so there was no need for him to put on a show with Feng Cai. He immediately accepted the invitation to sit down.

"I'm passing through Jinbian City and will be staying here for a while. I happened to see that your mine is hiring, Manager Feng, so I've come to apply for a job. Manager Feng, please keep these two experts with you as well, so that you won't be without anyone to use after I leave," Ning Xiu said directly after sitting down.

Having demonstrated his abilities first and witnessed Ning Xiu's methods, few dared to object to his words now, and they all nodded in agreement.

The two, one a sixth-rank Immortal and the other a sixth-rank Martial, didn't dare to compete with Ning Xiu for the position of chief engineer. They sat to the side, repeatedly agreeing to Ning Xiu's wishes.

“I understand. I am willing to hire you two experts with the monthly salary of a chief engineer, and I will add another fifty taels for this young hero and his friend,” Feng Cai said excitedly.

The mining operation needs a strong leader to oversee it. This serves two purposes: firstly, it demonstrates strength, and secondly, it provides a solid foundation. In case of any unexpected events, there will be someone to step in and cover for the losses.

With news of recent disappearances spreading, many mine owners are seeking out high-level experts (rank 3-1) to oversee operations and prevent any evil spirits from causing harm in the shadows.

Today, not only have two mid-level third-rank experts arrived, but also Ning Xiu, an unfathomable master. Presumably, the friend who has been silently following behind him is not weak either, Feng Cai thought to himself.

Ning Xiu quickly waved his hand: "You don't need to worry about my servant."

Ning Xiu became the chief foreman of the Daqingshan Mine with great ease. This position offered the same level of leisure as that of a mine owner. He didn't need to do any work on a daily basis; he could simply delegate everything to his subordinates.

……

into the night.

As darkness fell, the miners, exhausted, left the mine and began their journey back to their lodgings.

To make it easier to get home quickly, miners who can afford it choose to rent houses in the eastern region to make a living, while those who cannot rent have no choice but to settle down in more distant places.

Since dozens of people went missing, miners returning home at night have become more cautious, and they have to travel in groups with other miners to find a semblance of safety.

However, this behavior could not effectively prevent disappearances. Every day or two, news of someone going missing would still be heard, thus exacerbating the sense of insecurity among everyone in Jinbian City.

This was only possible because Qi Dong deliberately suppressed the spread of information. Without such remedial measures, such a strange event would have already become the talk of the town.

Just as the workers from various mines were beginning to leave, a lithe figure darted out from the Daqingshan mine and quickly disappeared into the night, unnoticed by anyone.

Standing atop a building, Ning Xiu looked down at the miners below, observing each one with his Qi-gazing technique.

[083] The source of the disappearance: the square-cornered purple-gold coffin

In Ning Xiu's eyes, the luck lines of everyone on the street were now fully exposed, with eight or nine out of ten being shades of blue, forming a large expanse of green, while red was quite rare.

In the end, Ning Xiu chose a middle-aged miner whose luck had deteriorated to the point of turning gray, and followed him along the rooftops of the houses on the street.

If anyone goes missing again tonight, it will most likely be those with extremely bad luck. Ning Xiu couldn't guarantee that the miner he had chosen would definitely be in trouble.

But if the miner actually encounters danger, then he can figure out what exactly is guiding this disappearance.

Thanks to his lightness skill, the miner chosen by Ning Xiu had no idea that someone was secretly following him. After a day of mining, he was exhausted and just wanted to go home and get some sleep. After all, he had to continue working in the mine the next day, and there was hardly any time for him to catch his breath.

As fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the road, the streets gradually became deserted.

Ning Xiu kept an eye on the miner while also watching the nearby streets, so he could detect anyone approaching immediately.

Soon, Ning Xiu noticed something was amiss. A faint sound was coming from a box not far in front of the miner.

If Ning Xiu hadn't had such sharp hearing, he wouldn't have noticed the commotion.

Within moments, several figures rushed out of the alley. The miner didn't even have a chance to react before he was knocked unconscious with a stick. He was then quickly stuffed into a cloth bag and carried away by the men.

This scene made Ning Xiu frown. Could it be that things were not as he had imagined?

The disappearances of people in Jinbian City were not caused by evil spirits or demons, but rather by someone secretly abducting people.

Ning Xiu immediately followed silently, wanting to see who in Jinbian City would dare to be so bold as to commit such a violation of the law.

There were five men who kidnapped the miner. They were all ordinary big men, but each of them was strong and could carry a miner without any problem.

Furthermore, this group had an excellent understanding of the terrain, constantly traversing deserted streets and alleys, perfectly avoiding any routes that would allow them to be discovered. Finally, they arrived outside a mine, ran directly into the mine through a side gate, and quickly disappeared without a trace.

Ning Xiu, who had witnessed the entire scene, found a secluded spot to sit down. If this mine was truly involved in the clandestine abduction of people, then it was impossible for them to only capture one person in one night.

Just as Ning Xiu had expected, within half an hour, several more groups of people carrying sacks entered the mine. Judging from their skillful operation, this was probably not their first time doing this.

"Blue Water River Gold Mine..." Ning Xiu was slightly surprised when he saw the signboard outside the mine. What a coincidence! This was the same gold mine where the person had come to recruit him during the day.

After a while, when no new people arrived, Ning Xiu set off and quietly sneaked into the mine.

Once night falls, the mine is completely quiet except for the guards.

Ning Xiu followed the fresh footprints on the ground and headed deeper into the mine, eventually arriving at the outside of a mine pit surrounded by a cloth shed.

If you didn't enter the Blue River Gold Mine, you would never have realized that there was such a place inside the mine.

The area outside the tent was guarded by soldiers with swords, so there was no chance of sneaking in to find out what was going on. The only way to get in was to force your way in.

The pitch-black shed could block all eyes from trying to see inside. Ning Xiu hid in the shadows, observing whether there were any other ways to enter, but to his disappointment, there were none.

Since that's the case, Ning Xiu doesn't plan to sneak in anymore; tonight, we're going to investigate openly and honestly.

He reached out and tore off a piece of cloth from his body, poked a hole in each of his eyes and nose, and then tied it tightly to his face. In this way, relying on the cover of night, it was impossible for anyone to remember what he looked like.

After doing all this, Ning Xiu immediately set off and rushed towards the location of the cloth tent. With the speed of the Seven Steps to Catch the Cicada, before the guards could react, Ning Xiu had already arrived in front of them and quickly and steadily knocked them all down.

In just over two breaths, Ning Xiu knocked all eight guards unconscious. After confirming that there were no other sentries nearby, Ning Xiu immediately lifted the curtain of the tent and went inside.

To everyone's surprise, the inside of the tent was even darker than the outside, practically pitch black, as if someone was deliberately trying to control the light and listen to the sounds around them.

There were several breaths about ten steps away, belonging to the guards stationed inside the tent. Ning Xiu did not make any rash moves, but waited until his eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness before slowly walking towards the guards.

"This place has been dug for who knows how many days. I don't know what the shopkeeper has been busy with, that he would go to such lengths just to create a pit."

“I’ve seen that pit once before. It’s incredibly deep. I have a feeling that there might be some ancient tomb hidden underneath.”

"An ancient tomb? Who would have their tomb in a place like Phnom Penh?"

"Shh! Do you guys have a death wish? You dare to discuss the manager's affairs in private? Be careful that the manager's people don't hear you and drag you over to be slave laborers like those guys."

Upon hearing this, the guards, who had been whispering amongst themselves, trembled and shut their mouths, daring not to say another word.

Ning Xiu, who had been secretly listening to all of this, seemed to understand something. It seemed that the disappearance of people in Jinbian City was not related to evil spirits and demons, but rather that the Blue Water River Gold Mine was secretly causing trouble.

However, why would this group of people be digging so secretly? The laws of the Great Shang Dynasty do not prohibit private forces from excavating ancient tombs. There must be other issues hidden behind this.

After sorting out his thoughts, Ning Xiu quickly stepped forward and swiftly knocked out the guards, then continued walking deeper into the shed.

Upon reaching the innermost part of the tent, Ning Xiu was greeted by a giant pit with a diameter of four or five zhang. The pit was bottomless, but the sound of metal striking could be clearly heard coming from below.

Having spent a day as the chief foreman at the Daqingshan Mine, Ning Xiu was quite familiar with this sound; it was the sound of miners striking the rock wall with their picks as they dug.

Generally, at night, in order to prevent accidents and allow miners to get a good rest, the mine will stop all operations. However, there is still an area inside the Blue River Mine where operations are underway.

This immediately made Ning Xiu understand why the mine was secretly arresting people.

If internal personnel are used to dig day and night without interruption, it will inevitably cause protests. After all, people come to work as miners to make money, not to die.

Using insiders would easily expose the secret that the Blue River Mine was secretly excavating an ancient tomb. To keep it a secret, it's natural that no one except trusted subordinates should know about this.

Arresting people and then using the pretext of disappearance becomes the best disguise. When everyone suspects evil spirits, no one would suspect that the mine is behind it.