nucmednet Chapter 390 Gravel Clues, the Culprit
Chapter 390 Gravel Clues, the Culprit
The warehouse door slowly opened, revealing rows of neatly stacked ores, shimmering with a faint spiritual light.
“Fellow Daoist, we have examined these ores multiple times and found nothing unusual.” Lan Ze’s face showed a hint of impatience, and doubts arose in his heart once again.
These are goods that the Lan family wants to sell. If they don't check them carefully, wouldn't they be ruining their own reputation?
Besides, the Lan family has been in the jade mining business for many years and has a wealth of experience. Even the children in the family can tell if there's a problem with the jade.
He really didn't understand why she would investigate these minerals that had already been confirmed to be safe.
Chu Lengyu seemed oblivious to Lan Ze's various doubts and grievances.
She approached the pile of ore and began to carefully observe the texture, color, and shape of each piece of ore.
Then, she slowly infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the ore, allowing it to penetrate every corner of the stone and explore its contents.
The Lan family's jade mine mainly produces a type of jade called "Qingwen Jade".
This first-tier spirit jade is widely used in the cultivation world.
Small pieces of Qingwen jade can be used to make ornaments such as thumb rings and hairpins, as well as jade bottles and boxes for storage. Larger pieces of Qingwen jade are used to make furniture such as screens and jade beds.
Even low-grade waste mines contain a lot of spiritual energy and are not easily discarded. They are used for practical purposes such as making bricks and building walls.
Chu Lengyu had seen ponds made of low-grade blue-veined jade in the Lan family home. The jade ponds had ripples as blue as scales, and the gentle spring water reflected the spring clouds, creating a unique and charming scene. (Note)
The high transparency of jade allowed Chu Lengyu to be examined quite quickly.
She checked each shelf one by one, carefully examining every piece of ore.
However, the results were disappointing; the ore was indeed fine, consistent with the Lan family's previous tests.
The Lan family watched her movements intently, their initial anticipation gradually turning into disappointment.
Looking at Chu Lengyu's serious expression, they had assumed she had some unique methods, but they found that she was nothing special.
His disappointment was palpable.
They began to suspect that the Hundred Swords Pavilion disciples they had invited might be nothing more than empty names.
Just then, Chu Lengyu's gaze inadvertently fell on the inconspicuous black sand in the corner of the shelf.
The sand was ordinary, no different from any other sand found in the mine, just carelessly left there.
However, Chu Lengyu felt a little curious.
She scooped the black sand into her hand, gently moving her fingers through it, carefully comparing it.
“There’s something wrong with this sand.” Chu Lengyu’s voice was soft, but it sounded very certain.
Upon hearing this, Lan Ze and the other members of the Lan family gathered around, their faces filled with curiosity.
They examined the sand in Chu Lengyu's hand carefully, but found nothing special about it; to them, it was still just ordinary sand.
Lan Ze frowned even more deeply, his heart filled with confusion.
He looked at Chu Lengyu and asked, "What's the problem? This sand looks perfectly normal."
Chu Lengyu did not answer immediately, but turned and walked out of the warehouse: "Come with me."
Lan Ze and the rest of the Lan family exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt, but they quickly followed Chu Lengyu's steps.
They returned to the mine and, using the black sand as a clue, carefully searched every corner.
Chu Lengyu continued walking at the front, following the winding mine tunnels, until she finally stopped in front of a stone wall.
She frowned slightly, a thoughtful look in her eyes, then reached out and gently tapped the stone wall with her fingers, listening to the sound coming from it.
The green-veined jade ore is light, hard, and brittle, and when struck, it produces a relatively crisp echo. However, this stone wall is different; the sound when struck is noticeably deeper.
Chu Lengyu already had the answer in her heart, and she turned to look at the Lan family.
Upon seeing this, Lan Ze and the others immediately took action, either wielding magical artifacts or unleashing their spiritual power, working together to affect the stone wall.
With a deafening roar, the stone wall shattered, and amidst the billowing dust, the scene behind it was revealed to everyone.
Several miners' bodies lay twisted and curled up in the rock wall.
They had been dead for a long time, but the deathly despair emanating from them sent chills down one's spine.
Their faces were contorted in pain; some had their eyes tightly shut, as if they were still unable to escape fear even in their sleep; others had their eyes wide open, filled with resentment and astonishment, as if they were witnessing something horrifying until the very last moment of their lives.
His clothes were tattered, and the remaining bloodstains had dried, revealing a dark color.
This scene shocked everyone present.
Chu Lengyu's gaze lingered on the corpses for a moment before she said, "Take them away."
After the words were spoken, the Lan family finally snapped out of their shock.
They obeyed her instructions, hurried forward, and carefully moved the desiccated corpses away from the stone wall.
The mine tunnels were not spacious, so the bodies were put into storage bags one by one, to be disposed of after they were taken out.
They all knew that finding the body was only the first step; the matter was far from over.
The miner's mysterious disappearance and death in the rock face have a hidden reason, which is the key point.
However, the fact that Chu Lengyu was able to find the missing miners in the mine in such a short time was already beyond everyone's expectations and became an unexpected surprise.
Despite the slim chances, a glimmer of hope still rose in the hearts of the Lan family.
They wondered whether this earnest, intelligent, bold, and meticulous woman would be able to uncover the final truth.
Knowing what they were thinking, Chu Lengyu stepped forward and used an earth-based spell she rarely used—Mud Swamp Spell.
The stone wall in front of them slowly melted, turning into a writhing mud pit, and more and more fine black sand fell to the ground.
The space behind the stone wall was filled with this kind of black fine sand, and the culprit behind all this was actually hidden within it.
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Note:
The jade pool's waves are as green as scales. Dew-laden lotus blossoms. A clear song plays, her brows furrowing. Dancers tread the splendid path. —Song Dynasty, Yan Shu, "Looking at the Immortal Gate"
The painted wheels of the red bridge on the lake echo with the sound of flowing water; the gentle spring waters reflect the spring clouds; the clear, smooth surface is like polished glass, free of any dust. —Ouyang Xiu, Song Dynasty, "Huanxi Sha: The Painted Wheels of the Red Bridge on the Lake Echo"