Chapter 192:

On the other side, Qiu Wuji used her earth manipulation technique and drilled deeper and deeper. She quickly surpassed the depth that the original geological team had reached, delving into the deeper underground until the thick rock layers blocked her from going any farther, forcing her to stop.

She wanted to understand the source of the so-called revival of spiritual energy more than anyone else in the world.

Unfortunately, it was different from what she had imagined. She thought that going deeper would lead to denser spiritual energy, and she could follow the clues to find its source. But the further she went down, the thinner the spiritual energy became. By the time she stopped at her current position, the spiritual energy had vanished…

So, it didn’t come from below; it must be from another direction?

But that didn’t seem right either. If it came horizontally, then other areas would also be filled with spiritual energy. Why was it only in Old Zhu’s mine? It was truly strange.

Qiu Wuji had explored countless secret realms and various dungeons, but she rarely encountered such a peculiar phenomenon. No wonder nobody had found the answer for so many years.

Could it be coming from the sky?

A scene appeared in her mind… On a certain day, a cluster of spiritual energy descended from the sky, and wherever it landed, it granted abilities to those who bathed in it. Though it sounded a bit absurd, it was the closest assumption based on the current investigation results.

In fact, it was also the current interim conclusion of the authorities: that the revival of spiritual energy was global and not from a single source.

The most supportive evidence for her theory was that the spiritual energy in Old Zhu’s mine was dissipating. In a few more years, it would probably be gone completely. This indicated that the spiritual energy didn’t have a strong and long-lasting source; with mining and exploitation, it would eventually run out.

No wonder even the top-level experts of the country (SSS rank) didn’t bother with these places. Only the likes of them and Du Lianfeng, who had just learned about it, were interested in this matter. Thinking of this, Qiu Wuji wasn’t disappointed about the clue’s interruption. Instead, she let out a sigh.

This was just a fake purple clay mine with spiritual energy that would dissipate in a few years. Even the spiritual energy before it dissipated was so thin. But it had caused so much trouble and even brought life-threatening dangers… Qiu Wuji shook her head and turned back using earth manipulation.

Wait a minute…

As she passed the part that the geological team had dug open, Qiu Wuji suddenly stopped again. She had a sudden feeling of dissonance.

Earth manipulation was not about breaking through the earth; it was about integrating oneself with the soil, especially for her spiritual body, the process was smooth and wouldn’t disturb the surrounding rocks and soil. But this time, as she passed, she accidentally knocked open a small piece of rubble.

Qiu Wuji carefully stared at the broken rock. The more she looked, the more it felt odd.

It was just a piece of rock with no discernible difference from the surrounding rocks. It was merely a small part of the rubble that broke off when someone else dug it up. Its profile, texture, and even internal structure all perfectly matched with all the other rocks in this area. There was not even a slight difference in the trace of spiritual energy it contained.

But how could she have bumped into it on her way? Could it not be a rock? Then what could it be?

Qiu Wuji kept her eyes fixed on it, as if she felt that the rock was also looking back at her.

She furrowed her brows and pondered for a while, secretly suspecting that this couldn’t be the source of the spiritual energy; instead, it might have a different meaning. Perhaps it was as Chu Ge had speculated, and Cai Zhijian was observing this place?

She didn’t touch the rock and pretended not to notice anything. Then, she returned to the surface.

Chu Ge was up in the pit, anxiously pacing around, like a husband waiting outside the delivery room for his wife to give birth.

When he saw Qiu Wuji appear, Chu Ge let out a sigh of relief and rushed forward to hug her, “It took so long; I was so worried…”

Qiu Wuji felt a bit touched. He was anxious about her condition, not asking about any discoveries. “I found nothing,” she said lightly, “I can’t bring you a pearl this time.”

While speaking, she transmitted her thoughts, “I made a different discovery. Let’s talk about it when we get back.”

Chu Ge understood and smiled, “Well, it’s fine. This mine has been here for so many years. If there was anything significant, it would have been found long ago. We were just trying our luck. Finding something others couldn’t find in a few minutes would have been too good to be true…”

Qiu Wuji chuckled, “I really wanted that too, otherwise who else would go digging holes.”

“Haha…” Chu Ge held her hand as they walked away, “That’s a protagonist treatment. Ever since I found out I couldn’t sell the copyright, I knew I don’t have that kind of treatment anymore. I should be honest and go back home to write.”

“Are you not the protagonist treatment? That’s right, you’ve surpassed the protagonist.” Qiu Wuji muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction but didn’t say much. The two of them returned to the cable car and made their way back to the surface.

Cai Zhijian was still waiting above. When he saw the two coming out, he looked at Chu Ge up and down with a playful gaze and said, “Impressive, impressive. You can handle this kind of environment.”

Chu Ge pretended to kick him, “Alright, I didn’t find anything. Let’s go back.”

Cai Zhijian didn’t feel depressed about wasting time in vain, he still smiled slightly, and drove the two of them back to the hospital.

…………

“This whole incident makes me feel like our family needs a man,” Old Zhu leaned against the hospital bed, holding Cai Zhijian’s hand, and sighed, “Take good care of Mengmeng.”

Cai Zhijian replied firmly, “Dad, don’t worry, I’ll move back home.”

Zhu Mengmeng’s expression showed some delight.

“You’re not getting any younger. Don’t just focus on having fun. Live a good life and have a child,” Old Zhu advised Zhu Mengmeng.

Zhu Mengmeng replied with an “Oh.”

“As for this mine…” Old Zhu pondered for a moment before saying, “I really don’t want it anymore… I plan to sell the mine at market price to the state-owned enterprises. That’s its most appropriate destination, and it won’t harm anyone. From now on, we’ll just make pots and sell tea. Actually, it’s also very profitable. It’s enough to support you and have several kids, and still have plenty left.”

Zhu Mengmeng had no interest in the mine, but she seemed quite happy with the decision, “That’s how it should be, let them deal with the country. Those people are still around, and I’m afraid they might come back to cause trouble.”

Cai Zhijian smiled and remained silent.

Qiu Wuji spoke up, “The likelihood of them coming back is not high. Don’t worry too much. But I want to ask something else, Uncle. When the geological team came to investigate, were there any special circumstances?”

Old Zhu thought for a moment, “There were a few people who didn’t quite look like members of the geological team. Oh, yes, the leader of the group looked a bit like Chu Ge, haha.”

Chu Ge was taken aback, “Looks a bit like me? How old is he?”

“About fifty or so, he looks quite handsome, with a mustache like Lu Xun, a bit of a literary vibe,” Old Zhu replied.

Chu Ge said, “Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Qiu Wuji transmitted her thoughts, “What’s going on? I still wanted to ask…”

Chu Ge said, “What’s there to ask? That’s my dad, that flashy mustache gives it away. Otherwise, who could be as handsome as me…”

Qiu Wuji: “…”

So, that strange rock was left behind by Chu Ge’s father? Left there to observe this mine? That rock is really weird…

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Chu Ge transmitted his thoughts, “If there’s anything special, let’s talk about it later. We can just ask my mom, she probably knows everything, it’s better than guessing blindly.”

Qiu Wuji nodded in agreement.

Chu Ge then said, “There’s nothing for us to do here. Should we go back first, me and Qiuqiu?”

“I’ll see you off,” Zhu Mengmeng affectionately linked her arm with Qiu Wuji’s and walked outside, “Qiuqiu~ You are my benefactor. If I were the emperor, I would definitely take you into the palace.”

Chu Ge complained, “It’s like I didn’t contribute at all, and you’re trying to take away my girlfriend like this?”

Qiu Wuji smiled and said, “Really father and daughter. Her dad also acts like I didn’t contribute anything and wants to marry his daughter to you.”

Zhu Mengmeng playfully whispered, “Qiuqiu, you look so cute when you’re jealous…”

“Hmph, who’s jealous? You big pig. If you have the ability, go after him.”

“I don’t have the ability. I’m afraid you’ll beat me up,” Zhu Mengmeng giggled, “Maybe my husband has the ability. I even saw a line connecting him and Chu Ge. Not sure if it’s a friendship line or a love line, hehe.”

Qiu Wuji glanced at Chu Ge.

Chu Ge’s footsteps paused slightly, then he casually laughed and scolded, “Damn, I’m not into that!”

Qiu Wuji asked, “Mengmeng, can you tell what these lines represent?”

“Besides the love line, it’s hard to tell,” Zhu Mengmeng sighed, “Maybe when I reach a higher level of training, I’ll be able to see. Right now, it’s no different from my dad’s unreliable divination. Who doesn’t have some relationship lines with others? I have them with you too.”

Chu Ge casually asked, “Do Cai Zhijian and Zhong Yi also have lines?”

“Well, they’re acquaintances, so they probably do,” Zhu Mengmeng replied.