Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

The whereabouts and fate of those captured are unknown, making it perfect to exploit their labor and force them to mine continuously. If someone dies from exhaustion, then new miners will need to be kidnapped from elsewhere.

Ning Xiu stood at the edge of the pit, and after he had formed some thoughts in his mind, he jumped directly into the pit. He wanted to see what the owner of the Blue Water River Mine was trying to dig out by causing so much trouble behind the scenes.

……

There are twelve mines in the eastern part of Jinbian City. Among them, the Blue Water River Mine is the most special. This mine has the smallest area of ​​all the mines, but it produces the most gold ore. Even though it has to hand over 50% to the government, Wu Changyong, the manager of the Blue Water River Mine, can still make a fortune from it.

This has always made the owners of the other mines secretly extremely envious and jealous, but they are helpless. After all, these mountains were in an unmined state back then, and who would mine where was all arranged in advance.

What you dig up depends entirely on luck, it's like opening a blind box. In the end, it was obvious that Wu Changyong had the best luck and got the most profitable mining area.

Below the pit, torches were lit. Wu Changyong and his trusted men were excitedly looking at a huge stone wall covered with cracks. On the surface of this stone wall were many exquisite murals, which were obviously the work of a master.

Near the stone wall, there are many buried brick walls and pillars that are not in the style of the Shang Dynasty, which should undoubtedly be an ancient tomb.

If Ning Xiu hadn't found this place today, he probably would never have imagined that there would be an ancient tomb of unknown origin beneath Jinbian City.

Beside Wu Changyong nestled a beautiful young woman. She appeared to be only in her early twenties, with a youthful appearance, but her entire being, from her demeanor to her figure, exuded the alluring charm of a mature woman. Her eyes were full of captivating allure, making her irresistible to anyone who looked at her.

Wu Changyong put his hand on the young woman's waist and laughed heartily, "Beauty, it really is just as you said. There really is an ancient tomb under my mine. Tell me, what kind of tomb is it?"

"The tomb of Eunuch Yin, the last eunuch of the Shang Dynasty a hundred years ago. Master, if you can dig up his coffin and retrieve the treasures inside, you'll be rich." The young woman tapped Wu Changyong's nose lightly and chuckled.

Standing on the two men were four Taoist priests dressed in different styles. These four were all retainers of Wu Changyong's household, whom he had hired at great expense over the years. They shared Wu Changyong's interests and setbacks. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances during the excavation of the ancient tomb, Wu Changyong had specially brought all four of them along for safety.

boom!

As a miner slammed his hammer against the rock face, the rock could no longer maintain its original shape and began to collapse. A large number of rocks fell, directly hitting several miners who were hammering the rock face below, causing them to suffer head injuries and eventually burying them alive in the rubble.

"Master, be careful." Seeing the sudden unexpected event, Wu Changyong's guards immediately escorted him away. Dust filled the air, and for a moment, no one could see the surrounding environment clearly.

After the stone wall collapsed, a stone chamber made of dark blue ore immediately came into everyone's view. Four chandeliers hung in the chamber, all of which were burning with dark blue flames, which looked very strange.

Beneath the four chandeliers lay a square-cornered purple-gold coffin, its four sides adorned with patterns never before seen by anyone, its craftsmanship being remarkably exquisite.

Not long after the stone chamber came into contact with the outside air, the flames in all the chandeliers began to weaken, then dimmed one by one, and finally went out completely. Everyone's eyes were then focused on the mysterious coffin.

The miners who had been kidnapped all put down their pickaxes, but dared not dig any further. When they were brought in, none of them knew what Wu Changyong wanted them to dig for, but now they did.

“Master Wu, this coffin is an ominous sign,” one of the four Taoist priests standing behind Wu Changyong suddenly said.

"Unfavorable?" Wu Changyong asked, puzzled. "What do you mean by unfavorable? Tell me about it."

"This coffin faces northwest, which is the most yin direction in this stone chamber. In addition, the purple-gold coffin in the corner is always used only for those who had great fortune in life but cannot be suppressed after death. In addition, there are four cold ghost fires in the room, all of which are measures to suppress the dead. This place is not simple, and this coffin is also ominous," the Taoist priest explained.

Another Taoist priest immediately echoed, "Master Wu, that is indeed the case. We did not expect this situation before we came. We still suggest that you do not open the coffin to avoid causing unforeseen trouble."

These four Taoist priests were all experts who had followed Wu Changyong for many years, and he trusted them completely. But now that they had said this, Wu Changyong was somewhat hesitant and began to have second thoughts.

If it could lead to very dangerous consequences, it's best not to open the coffin to avoid causing any uncontrollable dangers.

“My beauty, you heard it too. How about we just leave the coffin closed this time and call it a day?” Wu Changyong said, turning to the woman nestled beside him.

The woman had already noticed the hint of fear in Wu Changyong's eyes. She reached out and cupped Wu Changyong's cheeks, turning her back to the four Taoist priests.

Just then, a strange green light suddenly appeared in the woman's eyes. She said to Wu Changyong in a sweet voice, "Master, Eunuch Yin's power during his lifetime was comparable to that of a king or nobleman. He amassed countless treasures. Although his family was raided by the Shang Dynasty royal family before his death, he still managed to take some of the good stuff with him into his coffin."

"Believe me, there really is treasure in that coffin. If you open it, you'll be set for life, with wealth far exceeding what you have now. Why would you need to open any more mines? Open it; nothing bad will happen."

Faced with the woman's gaze, Wu Changyong's eyes gradually became somewhat confused. Finally, he slowly nodded and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. Open the coffin."

The four Taoist priests' expressions changed slightly upon hearing this, but since it was Wu Changyong's decision, there was nothing they could do about it.

We can only hope that nothing major will happen after the coffin is opened.

"open."

At Wu Changyong's command, his men immediately forced the captured civilians to go to the stone chamber to prepare to open the coffins.

Although the miners were terrified by this bizarre scene, they were powerless against Wu Changyong's men.

Because here, anyone who dares to resist will suffer a terrible fate. Someone who was dissatisfied and planned to strike was beaten to death by Wu Changyong's men. The next day, they arrested a new innocent person to replace that person.

Seven or eight miners entered the stone chamber. Faced with the indifferent gazes of Wu Changyong and the others, they had no choice but to pick up the iron pestle used to pry open the coffin and begin to work.

With the effort of these people, the square-cornered purple-gold coffin quickly became loose, and even made a clicking sound as it was pushed.

Just then, Ning Xiu jumped down from above the pit and landed softly.

Because everyone's attention was focused on the square-cornered purple-gold coffin, no one noticed Ning Xiu's arrival.

Ning Xiu witnessed the entire scene of this group preparing to open the coffin.

click!

With a forceful pry from the miners, the coffin lid loosened instantly and opened.

Then a strange fragrance wafted out from inside the coffin, which was smelled by the miners.

"So? What's inside the coffin?"

Seeing that the miners suddenly stopped what they were doing, Wu Changyong's men immediately asked.

But the miners didn't react at all; they were all as if they were mesmerized, standing still without making any movement.

Wu Changyong gave his men a look, and two of them immediately walked toward the coffin.

"The coffin has been sealed inside for many years, so there must be a lot of strange smells inside. Smelling them will cause adverse reactions. Master Wu, you must be careful," a Taoist priest warned.

The woman leaning against Wu Changyong's side felt an intense surge of excitement the moment the coffin lid was lifted. Had the lid not been partially opened, she would have rushed over long ago.

When Wu Changyong's men walked up to the square-cornered purple-gold coffin and looked inside, their expressions became extremely shocked.

He then turned around and shouted loudly in Wu Changyong's direction, "Master! There's a skeleton inside, and lots of treasures too!"

These words stirred up agitation among everyone present, but the four Taoist priests standing behind Wu Changyong became increasingly uneasy.

They could vaguely sense that something bad was about to happen, and the source of the danger was inside that square-cornered purple-gold coffin.

This is quite an ominous sign!

[084] The True Purpose of the Purple-Haired Zombie Demoness

"Quickly, bring the coffin out!" Hearing his men's words, Wu Changyong felt an urgent urgency, eager to see what treasures were inside the coffin.

More people were called to help, and the group quickly and slowly moved the entire square-cornered purple-gold coffin out of the stone chamber using tools such as carrying poles and ropes.

Ning Xiu vaguely sensed something was wrong, so he quickly used his Qi Observation Technique to check everyone present. What he saw was truly astonishing: the Qi lines on everyone present were shrouded in a deathly aura.

Since acquiring the ability to observe qi and predict destiny, Ning Xiu had never seen such a special situation before.

He knew he couldn't let this group continue their rampage; he had to stop them. So he immediately shouted, "The Demon-Subduing Officer is handling a case. Everyone, stop!"

Hearing Ning Xiu's shout, everyone quickly looked back, only then did they notice that Ning Xiu, a stranger who had appeared at some unknown time, had appeared here.

"Demon Suppressor?" Wu Changyong's heart skipped a beat. He knew better than anyone what he was up to in secret. If the government found out, he would suffer the consequences, let alone if the Demon Suppressor found out.

The reason he dared to kidnap the miners was purely because he was tempted by his new concubine, Zhao Wanwan, which made him take the risk.

Many years have passed since the events surrounding Eunuch Yin, but some people still know about his past. In the era when eunuchs still existed in the Shang Dynasty, they wielded considerable power in the palace, and Eunuch Yin was the head of the eunuchs.

With countless retainers and talented individuals serving them, coupled with the deep trust of the former emperor, the eunuchs became greedy and unscrupulous in accumulating wealth. If these eunuchs had been merely like this, the existence of the Shang Dynasty's eunuchs could have continued.

But some people, having grown accustomed to a comfortable life, lose their senses and dare to cross the line.

Eunuch Yin, along with several chief stewards, colluded with demons, using information from the Demon Subduing Officers to exchange for precious treasures. This thwarted numerous plans of the Demon Subduing Division and resulted in the deaths of several Bronze Leopard-level Demon Subduing Officers.

This matter was subsequently investigated secretly by the Demon Subduing Division. When the truth came out, the Five Trial Hall took swift and decisive action, thoroughly purging and investigating all eunuchs in the Shang Dynasty. Those with official positions were all demoted to slaves, and those who had contact with Eunuch Yin were all beheaded.

As for the newly entered eunuchs, regardless of whether they had been castrated for a few years or just a few days, they were all expelled from the palace and sent back to where they came from.

In just one month, the Shang Dynasty was completely rid of its eunuch system, and the purge was remarkably thorough.

During this purge, the head eunuch, known as "Grandfather" by all the eunuchs, the Nine Thousand Years Old Eunuch Yin, disappeared without a trace overnight.

Even though the Demon Subduing Division searched the entire capital, they couldn't find a single trace of Eunuch Yin. In the end, the matter had to be dropped and remained a mystery in the internal archives of the Demon Subduing Division.

Wu Changyong's plan was that if he really dug up Eunuch Yin's tomb, he would take the treasure and leave Baisha Prefecture with all his men and property to start a new life elsewhere.

When the time comes, bury all the miners who have been kidnapped from outside underground, and no one will ever imagine that this matter is related to Wu Changyong.

But now, an unexpected event has occurred: a Demon Slayer has infiltrated this place without anyone noticing, catching Wu Changyong completely off guard.

"M-Sir." Wu Changyong said in a somewhat panicked manner when he saw Ning Xiu, who claimed to be the Demon-Subduing Commandant.

What kind of status does the Demon-Subduing Commander hold within the Great Shang territory? He is high above everyone else, and his power is comparable to that of the highest-ranking local official. You simply cannot suppress such a person by any means. If you want to keep it a secret, the best way is to kill him to silence him.

But the consequences of killing a Demon Slayer have been made perfectly clear to most people over the centuries.

For a moment, Wu Changyong's mind was in complete chaos. He had no idea what to do and could only stand there, waiting for Ning Xiu to speak.

"Put that coffin down, and everyone get away immediately," Ning Xiu ordered.

In his eyes, the gray aura on the luck lines of everyone present was becoming increasingly dense, to the point that Ning Xiu could no longer see the color of the luck lines themselves.

Although it's unclear what will happen, it's definitely not a good thing. The most urgent task right now is to get everyone away from that square-cornered purple-gold coffin to avoid any unexpected accidents.

But at that moment, no one noticed that Zhao Wanwan, who had been quietly nestled beside Wu Changyong, suddenly lowered her head, and a purple light flashed in her eyes.

Wu Changyong's men, who had been preparing to evacuate the square-cornered purple-gold coffin, froze. They rushed towards the coffin and frantically began to move its lid.

This scene was quite sudden, and no one expected it. Ning Xiu's eyes changed drastically, and he quickly mobilized his inner strength, forcefully swinging his palm out in that direction.

What are you doing?!

Ning Xiu's palm force erupted instantly, transforming into a massive palm wind that swept out and arrived at the location of the square-cornered purple-gold coffin in the blink of an eye, repelling all those who tried to move the lid.

But it was too late. The lid had already been partially opened by Wu Changyong's men in the stone chamber, and with this latest action, the coffin lid was opened to about one-third of its original position.

An invisible sense of oppression instantly spread from the coffin, as if some peerless ferocious creature was being conceived and born.

The four Taoist priests who had been following Wu Changyong were so solemn that they were almost sweating. Although they had never seen what the corpse in the coffin looked like.

But judging from the current situation, it must be a case of a corpse coming back to life. It is rare for a corpse to remain uncorrupted for many years after death. If it is placed in a place with suitable yin energy to nurture a corpse, it will definitely become a rigid corpse after many years.

What this kind of being fears most is absorbing the yang energy of living people. Once it absorbs it, something bad will definitely happen, and it will inevitably rise from the dead and harm people. Right now, we can only pray that the corpse in the coffin has not grown too much. Even if it becomes a zombie, it can still be dealt with. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Master, something's not right. We should evacuate immediately," a Taoist priest whispered to Wu Changyong.

There are many Taoist sects in the world, and each sect has its own unique features. However, none of the four people following Wu Changyong were skilled in fighting zombies. For safety reasons, retreating as soon as possible became his first choice.

Before Wu Changyong could speak, Zhao Wanwan immediately refused, saying, "No, sir, that coffin is full of treasures. That Demon-Subduing Officer has already discovered what we're doing. We definitely won't be able to stay in Jinbian City anymore. If we can't take away Eunuch Yin's treasures, how will we go to other places to start our own business?"

A strange light flashed in Zhao Wanwan's eyes, and Wu Changyong's expression quickly changed from timid to resolute. He said decisively, "I'll listen to you and not leave yet."