Chapter 29: A Letter from Meng Guan
In the days that followed, He Song and Lin Cong gradually immersed themselves in drinking and conversation, leaving their worries behind and focusing solely on enjoying the feast.
For Lin Cong, having successfully advanced to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement and been warned away from a life-threatening situation by He Song, his mood was particularly elated. He drank freely, without the slightest concern for the cost of spirit stones.
Because of this, one cup of spirit wine after another left Lin Cong utterly intoxicated in no time.
He Song, on the other hand, drank sparingly.
Although they were within the safety of the Immortal Market, He Song maintained his vigilance.
At his current cultivation level, which barely qualified as the lowest in the cultivation world, He Song had no intention of letting down his guard and making mistakes due to drunkenness.
By the end of their drinking session, He Song was only slightly tipsy—far from drunk.
Fortunately, Lin Cong had settled the bill beforehand. Seeing Lin Cong completely unconscious, He Song carried him back to his home.
Once Lin Cong was safely returned to his residence, He Song stepped out and headed back to his own abode.
Since the two were neighbors, it saved He Song some time.
Time passed quietly, and the days went by.
Half a month later, on a morning like any other, He Song received a transmission paper crane.
The writing on the crane was from none other than Meng Guan.
"Daoist He, this is Meng Guan. I have been at the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine for a month now. Today, I received thirty-five spirit stones as payment. It should be a joyous occasion, yet due to the mine's restrictions on leaving, I can only share the news through this transmission."
"Thanks to Brother Wei's connections, I arrived when the mine was not yet overcrowded. The overseer learned that I was formerly affiliated with an Immortal Market and assigned me to lead a team of wandering cultivators and supervise their mining efforts. As such, my monthly pay was increased by five spirit stones."
"By my reckoning, today is the usual day of our monthly gathering. Unfortunately, I cannot return this time. I hope you will not take offense."
"When I am finally able to leave, I will personally apologize and drink three cups as penance."
"Meng Guan."
He Song carefully read through the message, his expression calm but contemplative.
After a long silence, he folded the paper neatly and stored it in his meditation chamber.
Exiting his residence, He Song made his way to the spiritual farmlands under his care, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Leading a team of wandering cultivators means that Meng Guan has avoided being at the very bottom of the hierarchy in the mine. At the very least, he's now a minor overseer."
"This improves his safety significantly, reducing the likelihood of him meeting his end in the mine."
With such thoughts in mind, He Song felt less concern about Meng Guan's decision to work at the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine.
Everyone has their own fate.
Take Meng Guan, for example.
Initially, he simply wanted to mine for spirit stones.
But unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the mine, he was promoted to a small leadership position.
As a result, the inherent dangers of the mine, which were most threatening to regular miners, no longer applied to him.
While the mine undoubtedly held its own risks, being a small overseer gave Meng Guan more opportunities to safeguard his life.
Moreover, with his cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and a supply of spirit talismans and artifacts at his disposal, his chances of survival were significantly increased.
Thinking this over, He Song concluded that Meng Guan's journey to the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine might no longer be as dire as "nine deaths and one life."
The danger was real, but so was the hope of survival.
Lost in his thoughts, He Song soon arrived at the spiritual farmlands and began casting the Spirit Rain Technique.
After half an hour of work, the rain spell was completed.
Turning on his heel, He Song headed toward the Spirit Builder Pavilion.
Today was the scheduled date for their monthly gathering.
Although Meng Guan could no longer attend, reducing the trio to a duo, this tradition of several years was something He Song felt compelled to uphold.
He decided he would still go, even if it was only him and Wei Fan at the table.
When He Song arrived, he found Wei Fan already waiting.
At that moment, Wei Fan held a piece of paper in his hand, his gaze fixed upon it. His expression was hard to read—neither fully joyous nor entirely worried.
"Brother Wei, did you also receive a transmission from Old Meng?" He Song asked casually as he sat down beside Wei Fan.
If Meng Guan had sent him a message, there was no doubt he would also reach out to Wei Fan. He Song's question was more rhetorical than genuine.
"Indeed," Wei Fan replied with a faint smile, setting down the paper. "Old Meng said I've done him a great favor, and when he's back, he wants to take me out for some fine company and wine."
In their trio, Meng Guan, despite his aged appearance, was the most lively and lighthearted. His playful nature often led to jokes, so Wei Fan's words didn't surprise He Song.
The fact that Meng Guan still had the humor to jest suggested that his current situation was manageable, which allowed He Song to feel somewhat reassured.
As for the talk of drinking with courtesans—it was clearly a joke, not meant to be taken seriously.
Still, if Meng Guan truly returned safely, he would likely find a way to express his gratitude to Wei Fan.
"Let's just hope he comes back safe and sound. That's what matters. But have you heard any other news about the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine recently?" He Song shifted the topic, showing little interest in Meng Guan's playful banter.
Wei Fan, being at the late stage of Qi Refinement, had far better access to information than He Song did.
In the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator was among the elites—near the top of the pyramid.
Above them were only a few ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivators and a single Foundation Establishment master.
"Not much news, but I've got a strange feeling about that mine," Wei Fan said thoughtfully, taking a sip of tea.
"By all logic, for a mine yielding tens of thousands or even just hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, there shouldn't be multiple Foundation Establishment masters stationed there."
"Perhaps there are hidden details we're not privy to. I'll keep an eye out. If anything serious comes up, you'll be the first to know." Wei Fan reassured He Song, ending his remark with a note of certainty.
His instincts told him there was something unusual about the mine.
But without concrete information, he couldn't draw any conclusions.
If something significant did happen, he would make sure to warn He Song immediately.
Nearby, He Song's face changed subtly as he processed Wei Fan's words.
"Multiple Foundation Establishment masters stationed there?"
These words echoed in his mind, raising his guard instantly.
The rumors he'd heard earlier had mentioned this too: that several Foundation Establishment masters were overseeing the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine.
At first, He Song dismissed it as mere hearsay.
After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators weren't common.
Even though the Vast Earth Sect was a large Golden Core sect, Foundation Establishment masters were not abundant, and certainly not casually deployed.
However, now that Wei Fan had corroborated the claim, He Song's internal alarm bells began to ring loudly.
The Crimson Spirit Gold Mine wasn't far from Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
If something significant were to happen at the mine, the repercussions would likely reach the market in no time.
The thought chilled He Song to his core. A wave of cold dread coursed through his body, causing his hair to stand on end.
If the mine were indeed the site of an impending incident, Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market might not remain untouched.
And when that time came...
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