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Nodding, Yu Qi frowned and said, "In that case, either they were lured by something and chose to leave the mining area on their own initiative... but with so many people, it's impossible that no one would think of telling others."

"Either..."

"He was confused by the black fog and was controlled by someone to leave here in a daze!" Taking over Yu Qi's words, Zhongli said with an unchanged expression.

"Ordinary evil spirits don't have the ability to control so many people at the same time, and they are all young and strong men. The blood energy they emit when they gather together is enough to suppress ordinary evil spirits, let alone being directly controlled."

"So, is it a big demon or an evil ghost? Or is it a demon..." Pursing his lips, Yu Qi couldn't help but worry about the safety of the miners.

“Not sure yet.” Shaking his head, Zhongli looked around and said, “I didn’t find any strong evil spirits here. Apart from the monsters that broke into here before, it seems that no other evil spirits have come here.”

Hearing this, Yu Qi was stunned and looked at Zhongli in astonishment: "Even you didn't feel it?"

Such a thick black fog, and the miners were obviously problematic... Judging from the current situation, there must have been an extremely powerful evil spirit here.

Yu Qi originally thought that he didn't sense the evil spirit's aura because he was not strong enough and was not familiar with evil spirits, but now even Zhongli didn't find any trace of the other party...

That problem seems a bit serious!

"I am not omniscient. It is normal to be deceived by others." Shaking his head, Zhongli stood up and walked to the shack to take a look. He frowned and said, "The mining manuscripts seem to be gone. Did they take them away?"

"Indeed, you see, the miners' tool kits are still here, but the mining drafts are missing."

Nodding, Yu Qi quickly ran to other shacks around to take a look: "Sure enough, the mining manuscripts here are also gone."

"That is to say... this should be the person who kidnapped the miners, who asked them to take the mining manuscripts away?" Yu Qi frowned, a little puzzled: "But, if it was really done by the evil spirit, why did it take the mining manuscripts away? Could it be that it wanted the miners to help it mine?"

No matter how you think about it, this is unlikely!

Just when Yu Qi was feeling depressed, he accidentally noticed that Kunjun was holding a piece of ore not far away, and his expression seemed a little strange. He walked over with an idea in his mind.

"Kunjun, what are you looking at? Why do you look unwell? Did you find something?"

"Ah, oh..." Being awakened from his deep thoughts by Yu Qi, Kun Jun put down the ore casually with a somewhat inexplicable expression: "It's you, you came just in time."

As he spoke, he pointed to the ore he had just put down and said, "I just found some clues from the ore and was just about to tell you."

"Ore?" After looking up and down at the ore Kunjun pointed at, Yu Qi thought it was just an ordinary crystal ore. He immediately asked in confusion: "Is this ore related to the missing case?"

"Well, it's like this." After a pause as if he was organizing his words, Kunjun said, "I saw many people, they were lined up in a neat team, walking in a certain direction, and their movements looked a little stiff. I guess they might be controlled by someone."

"Unfortunately, the black fog was too thick, and the image was a bit blurry, so I couldn't see clearly where they were going."

"Well, that proves what Mr. Zhongli and I had guessed, but..." Yu Qi frowned and looked at Kunjun in confusion: "'See'?! Could it be that what Mr. Kunjun just said was 'seen' from the ore?"

"Ah, it literally means 'see'. I'm telling you, but you must not tell anyone else!" Kunjun said in a low voice after carefully looking around and making sure that no one else could hear him.

"I think this is rather strange, and I haven't dared to tell anyone - in fact, I can see the memories of minerals!"

"Eh?!" This time he was really stunned. Yu Qi looked at Kun Jun in amazement: "Seeing" the memory of the ore? Just like you did just now, just grab the ore in your hand?"

"Yes." Kunjun nodded and seemed a little surprised. "For me, minerals also have "memories". They occasionally record what happens around them. As long as I touch and feel with my heart, I can see those "memories".

"So amazing?!" Yu Qi exclaimed in surprise. He didn't doubt that Kun Jun was lying. He just looked at him with some doubt: "But, is it really appropriate to tell me this kind of thing?"

After all, this kind of ability should be kept well hidden no matter how you think about it. If it were to be spread out rashly, God knows how much trouble it would bring him.

"Haha, no problem." Kunjun chuckled and shook his head: "Although we have only been together for one day, I can see that Mr. Yu Qi is not a treacherous person. Even if I tell you, you will not easily reveal it to others."

"So that's how it is. Thank you very much for your trust, Mr. Kunjun." Nodding, Yu Qi's expression was obviously much more relaxed, and he seemed less unfamiliar with Kunjun's words and actions.

"But if that's the case, doesn't that mean Mr. Kunjun can find the traces of the miners as long as he looks at the "memories" of the surrounding stones?"

“Not really!” Shaking his head, Kunjun explained, “It depends on the specific stone. Different ores have different memory abilities.”

"Common ores such as iron ore and white iron are basically useless, as they only give vague memories. Amber and crystal have stronger memory abilities and can record more and clearer scenes."

"As for ordinary stones, I can't communicate at all."

"It could also be ordinary soil and stones, which are one with the earth and carry the memory of the earth. It is too vast, so Brother Kun naturally has no way to check it." Zhongli came over and interrupted from a distance.

"Although Brother Kun's ability to use stones is rare and miraculous, we are all mortal after all, so it is natural that we have some limitations. But even so, it is a wise move for Old Dai to ask Brother Kun to help."

"Haha, what Mr. Zhongli said makes sense."

"Uh..." Listening to their conversation, Yu Qi couldn't help but look around, and was speechless for a moment.

As if he had seen through Yu Qi's thoughts, Zhongli nodded and said, "Brother Kun had already informed me of this matter this morning."

"Is that so?" Thinking of the fact that they left together early in the morning, Yu Qi suddenly realized and didn't say anything else.

In this way, Kunjun continued to check the "memory" of the ore while following the direction the miners left. Eventually, the three of them came to the north of the mining area.

"From what I can see, they should have gone forward along this road." Pointing at the road in front of him, Kunjun said in a serious tone: "In the last ore "memory" I saw, about dozens of people followed an unclear figure and left the mining area together!"

"If this is... the north of the Layered Abyss, did they go to the ruins of Lingju Pass?"

"I'm not sure about that."

"That's right." Nodding, Yu Qi turned around and said, "Let's go back first and tell Old Dai about our current gains, and then follow their trail to look for them; coincidentally, we will also pass Lingju Pass on our way, so let's just stop by."

"Alright."

Just like that, the three of them turned around and returned to the center of the mining area.

Just when they found Lao Dai and were about to explain to him the clues they had found so far, Yu Qi and the others suddenly saw a team of Qianyan soldiers appear in the distance and quickly rush over here.

The leading figure looked particularly familiar.

"Eh~" After a pause, Yu Qi raised his hand and greeted the other party from a distance, then quickly walked over and said, "Ms. Keqing, why are you here?"

"It's you, Boss Yu Qi and Guest Zhongli." With a proper smile on her face, Keqing greeted Yu Qi and the others and said, "We've received news about Stratum Crusade in Liyue Harbor. I happened to be free so I came to check out the situation. I didn't expect to meet you, Boss Yu Qi, here."

"It just so happens that I went to the store to look for you yesterday, but Miss Mei said you were not there and had been invited out by Mr. Zhongli. I was a little disappointed and thought I would not have the chance to meet you this time."

"As a result, just when I got here, I heard from the Qianyan Army that the guest scholar from the Wangsheng Hall brought two people to the Layered Rock Abyss yesterday."

"I knew right away that you, Boss Yu Qi, were here too, so I hurried over."

"So that's how it is." Nodding, looking at Keqing's seemingly bright smile, Yu Qi couldn't help but ask: "Miss Keqing, is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, it's just a small matter." Looking up at her surroundings, Keqing said, "How about we make an appointment with Boss Yuqi to talk alone after we finish the work here and return to Liyue Harbor?"

Hmm? Is this because you have some private matter that you are not comfortable telling others?

Yu Qi raised his eyebrows, guessing in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded: "Okay, I'll let Ganyu inform you when the time comes."

A few days ago, when the immortals were busy in his shop, Ganyu naturally came frequently. After a few visits, Yu Qi got Ganyu's private contact information - well, a communication talisman, a very immortal-style method.

"can."

While chatting, the two walked side by side and soon returned to Zhongli and the others.

"Nice to meet you again, Guest Zhongli." Keqing nodded calmly at Zhongli. Her eyes fell on Kunjun and she paused: "Huh?"

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Kunjun, a man Zhongli and I met on the road. He's very capable." Seeing Keqing's puzzled expression, Yu Qi thought she didn't know Kunjun, so he quickly introduced them to each other: "Mr. Kunjun, this is Miss Keqing."

"It turns out to be Lord Yuhengxing in person. I have heard of your great name for a long time."

"Hmm~" Compared to Kunjun's calmness, Keqing's expression was a little strange: "You are Kunjun? The most famous blacksmith of this generation of Kun family, why are you here?"

"Hey?"

“Eh~?!”

"Why--?!"

Chapter 169 Keqing's Misunderstanding

In the empty mining area, surprised shouts echoed in the wind. Yu Qi, Kun Jun, and Keqing, who was a little confused by their reactions, looked at each other.

After a long while, Kunjun came back to his senses and couldn't help but take a step forward, looking at Keqing expectantly: "Ms. Keqing, do you know me? I mean, do you know who I am?"

“Uh~” As if she had noticed Kunjun’s abnormality, Keqing frowned and nodded, saying, “I don’t think I know you. I’ve only heard of your name.”

"Well, could you please tell me more about it?"

“Yes, but I don’t know much!” Keqing looked at Kunjun deeply, nodded, and spoke in a deep voice: “Kunjun, a descendant of the Kun family, is a descendant of the legendary master craftsman Kunwu. He has had a great interest in forging since he was young and is extremely talented. Therefore, he is regarded by the Kun family as someone who has the potential to restore the glory of their ancestor Kunwu…”

After briefly describing what she knew about Kunjun, Keqing shook her head and said, "I don't know much about you. Most of it is just hearsay. If you really want to know more details, you can only go to Kun's family and ask."

After just a few moments of contact, Keqing vaguely guessed that something was wrong with Kunjun, most likely he had lost his memory, so she deliberately reminded him to go home as soon as possible to find out his condition.

“Hmm~” Kun Jun groaned, as if thinking about what Keqing had just said. After a moment, he nodded slightly: “Thank you. I will verify the matter about the Kun family and my identity carefully later.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Old Dai, who was sitting a little restless, and said softly, "The most important thing now is to find the missing miners first. After all, human lives are at stake."

"Yeah." Keqing nodded, and her expression softened as she looked at Kunjun. She then turned to look at Yu Qi and asked, "I heard from the Qianyan Army soldiers that you came here to help find someone. Did you find any clues?"

"Well, we haven't found many clues so far, but they should all be very important." After looking at Zhongli and the others and seeing that they had no objection, Yu Qi nodded and told Keqing one by one the clues they had collected during this period.

"First of all, the footprints left by these miners are very flat, with no signs of struggle. According to our speculation, they must have been bewitched by some force and left here on their own."

"Bewitched the mind? Could it be that an evil spirit is causing trouble?" Keqing frowned and couldn't help but look at Zhongli.

As if he had guessed what she wanted to ask, Zhongli shook his head and said, "Sorry, I didn't find any evil aura here except for ordinary monsters."

"You can even hide this from the people in the Hall of Rebirth?! Is that so..."

"Secondly, the missing miners are basically all from this area, and they are specific people. When the black fog came, some miners were with the missing miners, but they were not taken away. So we guess that the missing miners must have something in common."

"For example..." After pondering for a moment, Zhongli glanced at Lao Dai and asked, "Have you and the miners nearby encountered any unexpected situations recently?"

"This, an unexpected situation, I don't even know what counts as an accident..." Seeing several people looking at him in unison, Lao Dai scratched his head nervously and tried to think.

"Don't be too nervous. Unexpected situations are not necessarily special." After reassuring him, Zhongli deliberately pointed out: "For example, have you recently dug up any special ores in the mine, picked up any strange things, or encountered any bizarre situations?"

"Well, now that you put it that way, it seems to be true..." Old Dai nodded hesitantly and said, "Well, I'm not sure if it's right."

"Just over a week ago, we were mining with several people from nearby shanties, and suddenly a few rock dragon lizards broke into the mine. We were shocked and thought they were here to destroy the mine. As a result, the rock dragon lizards were seriously injured and died shortly after they emerged from the ground."

"And their bodies, somehow, suddenly disappeared after they died, leaving only bone fragments on the ground. They were like broken bones that had been weathered for many years, and there was not even any elemental power left in them."

"Out of curiosity, we miners each picked up a few pieces and brought them back as collections and amulets."

As he spoke, Old Dai turned and walked into the shack. After searching for a while, he said in confusion, "Hey, that's weird. I clearly picked up two pieces, but how come I can't find them?!"

"Rock dragon lizard, and bone fragments..." Zhongli frowned as he pondered, "Are those miners who were taken away the ones who carried these bone fragments with them?"

"This, I don't know, but now that you mention it..." His brows gradually frowned, and Old Dai thought carefully for a while, his expression becoming surprised.

"Hey, it seems to be true. A'long, Hu Zi and the others all put the bone pieces in their waist bags. The other missing people seemed to have made the bone pieces into amulets and also carried them with them."

"Hiss~" When he said this, Lao Dai couldn't help but take a breath, looked around, and suddenly felt a little hairy all over.

He shivered with fear and stammered, "Could it be that the ghosts of the rock dragon lizards came back to take our lives? But we didn't kill them. We just picked up their bones. We didn't mean to desecrate them!"

"Calm down!" Keqing frowned at the frightened Old Dai and shouted, "Don't panic!"

If that were the case, Keqing would be happy! It was just a cricket rock dragon lizard, even if it was a ghost, how strong could it be!

"I think the person behind the scenes was just using the rock dragon lizard's bone fragments as a medium to bewitch the miners. It wasn't the wronged ghost of the rock dragon lizard who committed the crime."

"Ms. Keqing is right." Nodding, Zhongli glanced at Kunjun who was silent beside him, with a hint of thought between his brows.

"Huh, what about the other clues?" After calming down, Keqing continued to ask, "Did you find any traces of those miners? So many people left together, I don't believe that there were no clues left behind."

"Yes, there are." Nodding, Yu Qi stretched out his hand and pointed to the north: "According to the clues deduced by Mr. Kunjun using his special methods, we found that all the miners finally left the Layered Rock Abyss from the north. In addition, for some unknown reason, their mining manuscripts were taken away."

"North? Could it be Lingju Pass?"

Looking up at the direction Yu Qi was pointing, Keqing suddenly thought of something and her expression froze: "North, Rock Dragon Lizard... Could it be, Tianqiu Valley?!"

In the Liyue region, although the Rock Dragon Lizards are distributed over a wide area, their main distribution areas are still in Qingxupu and Tianqiu Valley.

Now that the miners were heading north, and with the condition of the rock dragon lizard's bone fragment, Keqing immediately thought of Tianqiu Valley and...what had happened in Tianqiu Valley recently.

"Tianqiu Valley?!" With a surprised look on his face, Yu Qi couldn't help but look at Zhongli again: "Isn't that the same destination as ours this time?"

Hearing this, Keqing couldn't help but look at Yu Qi and the others in surprise: "Same destination? Are you going to Tianqiu Valley as well? Have you accepted the mission from the Adventurer's Association?"

"A mission from the Adventurer's Association?" But to Keqing's surprise, Yu Qi was even more confused than she was when he heard this, and asked back, "What mission? Did something happen in Tianqiu Valley?"

"You don't know?" She glanced at Yu Qi in surprise, and then Keqing's eyes instantly fell on Zhongli: "Mr. Zhongli doesn't know either?"

According to Miss Mei, it was Zhongli who invited Yu Qi to Tianqiu Valley, asking him for help. But now Yu Qi doesn't even know what happened in Tianqiu Valley. This makes Keqing instinctively wary.

“Uh~ I know a thing or two.” Zhongli nodded, not getting nervous at all because of Keqing’s increasingly sharp gaze. “I heard it was just a slight vibration, not a big deal.”

"?" Keqing frowned and shouted coldly, "The rock dragon lizards are rioting on a large scale, and even the legendary ancient rock dragon lizards have appeared among them. Isn't this a big deal?!"

“Ancient Rock Dragon Lizard…” After a moment’s silence, Zhongli shook his head and said, “That has nothing to do with our purpose. I would not intentionally bring Mr. Yu Qi and his men into the habitat of the Rock Dragon Lizard and the Ancient Rock Dragon Lizard.”