Yang Ling entered the vein and asked a few miners he knew, confirming Zhang Wei hadn't lied.
Huineng and the others had indeed left.
"Even so, I can't let my guard down."
"The Vajra Wisdom King Art is a first-rate art. To lose it just like that... Bitter Enlightenment Temple surely won't let the matter rest."
"But no matter what, it won't lead back to me — as long as I don't reveal the art I'm cultivating."
After some thought, Yang Ling looked for a chance to head to Cave No. 2.
Seeing no one around, he slipped in with a single flash of movement.
"But I can't spend four or five days straight in the caves anymore."
Unlike before, he now had to find chances to go back and cultivate the Vajra Wisdom King Art and the Mountain-Crushing Fist.
Those couldn't be exposed, so naturally he wouldn't cultivate them in the caves.
So once he'd mined enough, he had to leave.
After the Vajra Wisdom King Art reached First Glimpse, perhaps he'd set aside a stretch of time to push his level and allocate more attribute points.
Opening the map, Yang Ling picked a route and slowly went deeper.
He met no large blocks of Fire Crystal Ore along the way.
He wasn't in a hurry.
Watching for movement — mine bandits, mine worms — he pressed steadily onward.
Reaching a fork, Yang Ling checked the map and chose one of the entrances.
Not long after, the space ahead suddenly opened up.
It was a natural limestone cavern.
He flicked open the fire-starter and looked around; there were plenty of signs of digging.
"This'll do."
Yang Ling began digging here and there, hunting for Fire Crystal Ore.
His strength was great enough that a few swings of the pick would probe a meter deep.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he found a block of Fire Crystal Ore and set to work at once.
In the pitch-black depths, only the sound of Yang Ling's ceaseless digging remained.
Bang, bang, bang!
Every strike threw off sparks and knocked loose ore fragments.
Streams of experience poured into his body, easing his fatigue and muscle ache, building his endurance.
Like a machine that never tires, he dug with all his might.
He didn't know how long it took before the crisp level-up chime rang again.
"Ding!"
「Congratulations, you have leveled up and gained 1 Free Attribute Point.」
Level 10!
A trace of feeling welled up in Yang Ling.
He put the point into Spirit and glanced at his panel:
Name: Yang Ling
Class: Martial Artist
Level: 10
Strength: 11
Agility: 5
Spirit: 12
Martial Art: Vajra Wisdom King Art (first-rate art, Beginner)
Experience: 60/100
Mountain-Crushing Fist (First Glimpse)
Proficiency: 87/1000
HP: 110
「Congratulations — player Yang Ling is among the first thirty top players to reach Level 10; reward: one Random Treasure Chest」
"What!? There's such a good thing!?"
Yang Ling was stunned. Amid a flash of white light, a treasure chest took shape before him.
"Now that looks like a game — finally, a bit of game flavor."
Yang Ling gazed at the glittering white chest, a little excited.
"So here you are. I've had a hard time finding you."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
Xu Qing walked in, a torch in hand, its light throwing Yang Ling's stunned face into clear relief.
"You..."
Yang Ling's muscles slowly went taut.
What now?!
The other man had seen the chest!
How was he going to explain this thing!?
If the man turned greedy, Yang Ling was no match for Xu Qing!
Huineng had left, Wang Jing had left — why hadn't Xu Qing?
"Am I that surprising to see?"
Xu Qing said helplessly.
Then he walked over, seemingly unable to see the chest on the ground.
He couldn't see the chest?
Yang Ling's mind stirred.
"You came out of nowhere — you startled me. I thought you were a mine bandit."
Yang Ling forced a look of displeasure onto his face.
"If I were a mine bandit, would you still be alive? Though honestly, even if one came for you, one swing of your pick and he'd be dead through and through."
"You've honed that strength of yours till it's about a match for the guards outside."
Xu Qing smiled.
"It's all right — a bit of dumb brute strength."
Yang Ling smiled.
"Here's the thing: I'm about to head back to the Shanhe Sect."
Xu Qing said with a faint smile: "Don't be surprised — I'm a Martial Artist of the Shanhe Sect, and of higher standing than Wang Jing. I disguised myself as a miner this time to see whether Bitter Enlightenment Temple's scripture was really in our vein. Clearly, a treasure like that isn't here, and Bitter Enlightenment Temple has given up searching here too, turning to Qingshan City. They think it more likely the Prisoner Butcher hid the scripture there. Everything done afterward was just to throw people off."
"You..."
Yang Ling put on a look of shock, then said respectfully:
"So you're a great personage of the Shanhe Sect."
"I preferred your earlier attitude. But it's only natural."
Xu Qing smiled: "You're dogged about mining, dogged about earning money — which means you're a man who strives. Interested in throwing in with me?"
"Hss!"
Yang Ling sucked in a cold breath inwardly.
Had the chance for a class change come already?
He said with utmost respect: "I'm willing to join the Shanhe Sect!"
"Bah!"
Xu Qing laughed and cursed: "What qualifies you to join the Shanhe Sect? To get in, you need pedigree, money, or talent. Which do you have?"
"Then what do you mean, sir?"
Yang Ling was taken aback.
"The sect master intends to grant me a Crimson Gold Ore vein, so I'm badly short of hands. I want someone who understands mining and is reliable, to watch over things there for me. Just like Wu Que watches the Fire Crystal Ore vein for Wang Jing."
Xu Qing said with a faint smile.
"Like Overseer Wu?"
Yang Ling hesitated: "I'm more familiar with Fire Crystal Ore; I've never mined any other kind..."
He wasn't sure whether Crimson Gold Ore gave as much experience as Fire Crystal Ore.
At bottom, all he wanted now was to gain more levels.
Xu Qing: "Here you can only earn petty scraps. Do you know how much Wu Que earns? His monthly salary is a hundred taels of silver — you couldn't earn that if you mined till your pick smoked."
"Beyond that, there's one greatest benefit."
A faint smile crossed Xu Qing's face:
"Don't you want to become a Martial Artist? True, you're not qualified to join the Shanhe Sect. But our Shanhe Sect also has some martial arts that can be taught to outsiders. And I happen to have the standing to teach you one."
He paused: "Besides, Crimson Gold Ore is more valuable than Fire Crystal Ore, and the sect prizes it more. If you can raise output and make some achievements there, you might just win an exception and be brought in as an outer disciple. You're younger than Wu Que — so you have more of a future than he does."
Crimson Gold Ore is more valuable than Fire Crystal Ore?
And a chance to learn a martial art?
Yang Ling cupped his hands, his expression grave:
"If you don't mind me, sir, then from now on I, Yang Ling, am your vanguard!"
"Good, very good."
Xu Qing smiled: "That word from you is enough. The Crimson Gold Ore matter still needs some days before it's handed over to me. When the time comes, I'll come for you. Until then, stay put here and don't breathe a word of this to anyone."
"Understood!"
Yang Ling nodded hard.
Xu Qing left.
Yang Ling stood in thought a while.
Mostly listening for breathing.
To see whether Xu Qing had really gone.
Once he'd confirmed it, he looked at the white chest on the ground.
"What's inside, I wonder..."