Chapter 0005: Haze Days

You two outsiders, I do not know you, so how can I trust what you say? If you want me to guide you, it is only possible... only if you pay me first

After crawling through a small rock cave for about ten meters, the two women were taken aback by what they saw. This place, which resembled a dog hole, was indeed extraordinary. The interior of the cave was not like an ordinary rock wall, but rather a vein of ore, with semi-transparent crystals surrounding them in all directions. Some were clear and sparkling, while others were murky and yellowish, yet all emitted a peculiar radiance. As the cave suddenly widened, allowing them to stand, Jielin and Meiying were dazzled by the brilliant colors of light coming from all around.

What does it mean

I, I want you to do this? The girl in the green dress was both surprised and angry, "How could I? You are slandering me!"

Meng Yan felt that this situation was likely one of hidden agendas. However, in the service industry, it is all about getting paid for services rendered; after all, there is no need to bear the losses personally. If the clients' demands are somewhat unreasonable, it is still open to negotiation

"Hello, doesn't the value of this item increase with the number of colors?" Meng Yan stroked his chin and said, "About ten steps ahead, there are nine colors and nine patterns. It’s not easy for you to come here, so why not take a little back as a souvenir?"

The intensity of Heron's reaction indicates that there must be something significant over there. Senior sister, we are certainly not here in vain this time

A group of people quickly arrived at the back mountain of the side peak of March Mountain. On the entire wall covered with climbing plants, there was a cave concealed by vines, appearing quite hidden. If it were not for the local guide, outsiders would truly find it difficult to discover. However, the cave was narrow and small, estimated to be hardly larger than a dog hole. To claim that this small cave is a forbidden area is indeed lacking in persuasiveness.

Why this kind of expression with the * picture * book? Isn't it just that you want me to do this? Don't think you can renege on the gold you owe me!

In the earliest days, this cave was quite spacious; the entrance was large enough not only for people to walk through but also for carts to pass. At that time, it was common to see outsiders emerging from the cave, often in a hurry and in a disheveled state. However, at some point, the entrance began to shrink, eventually becoming as small as a dog hole. Those outsiders would often appear nearby with a look of confusion, unable to understand the situation, while the locals were equally perplexed.

No, that's not wrong. I was just using this as an example to help you understand that regardless of who is responsible, anyone who seeks to take advantage of migrant workers and defraud them of their hard-earned income will inevitably face dire consequences

Meng Yan took the lead, claiming to be at the forefront, but in reality, he was the first to crouch down and burrow through the hole. Although Jie Lin and Mei Ying felt somewhat astonished, they had already arrived here, and there was no reason not to follow suit. Even a village beggar dared to crawl through... if they did not follow along...

Upon encountering the phenomenon, Jielin appeared even more excited, as if she already possessed a treasure. Meng Yan could not help but say: "Not necessarily, though. Livestock is ultimately just livestock; their reactions can only serve as a reference and cannot be taken as definitive. When I fertilize my fields, the birds in the surrounding woods all fly up into the sky and do not come down for a long time. Could it be that there is something in my fields as well?"

Along the way, Jielin was always excitedly rushing ahead, while Meng Yan, who was leading the way, fell behind. He didn't think much of it, but when they reached a bend in the mountain path, the beautiful Mei Ying suddenly grabbed him and whispered, "Little brother, our young lady is playful and unruly, lacking in discretion. When we arrive at the forbidden area, just let her linger near the entrance; do not take her deeper... I will arrange additional compensation for you later with the library association."

This is the forbidden area; the villagers nearby do not dare to come here. If you are afraid, I will take the lead and walk at the front.

However, what Meng Yan did not expect was that just after agreeing to Mei Ying's request, Jie Lin came up from behind under the pretext of her shoelaces being untied. She pulled him over and whispered, "Hey, could you do me a favor? Is there anywhere here where we can shake someone off? I'm here to treasure hunt, but with my senior sister watching, I can't do anything at all. In a moment, find a place for us to shake her off, and then we can continue the treasure hunt... I'll give you gold. Hmm, you know what gold is, right?"

This object is a divine item that exists without a market. Throughout history, there has been no specific method for obtaining it. It is said to be a type of dragon marrow, and it must be formed from a fierce battle between two dragons, where the dragon blood vaporizes and crystallizes under intense combat. It is far more powerful than ordinary dragon marrow and possesses many remarkable uses. The higher the rank of the dragons engaged in the death struggle, and the more intense the battle, the more splendid the colors of the resulting marrow crystals. Single-colored marrow crystals are already high-priced goods. Recently, a five-colored crystal set a new high price at an auction, while the seven-colored ones... have only been recorded in ancient texts. It is still unknown which forces or sects in the world today actually possess them, and it is uncertain whether they truly exist. However... there happens to be a pile of them here...

Payment? Is this what you care about? Not the safety issue?

Wow! Meng Yanqi said: "Why are you all gaping? Are these stones delicious?"

The young boy and girl were playfully taunting each other, and the plum blossom shadow nearby could no longer bear to watch. She stepped aside and approached Meng Yan, placing a silver coin into his palm. "This is a pre-order from https://www.hetushu.com. Please take it for now. We never oppress kind-hearted citizens, nor do we take advantage of migrant workers. Please lead the way..."

I have not heard of it either. March Mountain must certainly conceal a great mystery. Perhaps long before ancient times, this place once..." Mei Ying shook her head and said, "Let’s not worry about that. Since this is a marrow crystal mine, you cannot extract and take it all. If the news leaks out, we will immediately face serious trouble. We should return first and inform..."

If I remember correctly, it seems that I killed all the people. Are you trying to scare me with the people I killed

Mei Ying was quite taken aback, and Jie Lin could understand why her usually composed senior sister would behave so out of character. Although her own knowledge was not as extensive as her senior sister's, she had certainly heard of the renowned Five-Colored Heavenly Essence Crystal.

Although I am a simple person from the countryside, I am not so unsophisticated. Since there is gold, let it be settled with a word.

As soon as the words were spoken, the surrounding crystal mines shone brightly. Mei Ying stood still, yet the distance between her and the two individuals rapidly widened. Before she could react, it stretched from ten meters to a hundred meters, eventually becoming completely invisible. This unexpected situation startled Jielin, who quickly turned around, colliding heavily against the crystal arm behind her, distancing herself from the youth, and glared at him as if facing a formidable enemy.

Meng Yan, accompanied by two strikingly beautiful individuals, headed towards the forbidden area in the March Mountains. Jie Lin and Mei Ying had originally planned to ride cranes to their destination, but as they approached within five miles of the target, the two cranes became startled by something, flapping about chaotically and unable to settle down. Left with no choice, they had to land and proceed on foot.

Give me a hint!

Do not think about escaping

Oh, this... having received the money, will definitely get the job done

Above the seven colors, there is the nine-colored essence? This attraction is indeed too great. Mei Ying and Jie Lin rushed out together, but Meng Yan pulled Jie Lin back, leaving only Mei Ying to dash forward ten steps. This action... Jie Lin had not yet realized anything, but Mei Ying sensed a hint of danger and immediately stopped, not taking the time to check if there were any nine-colored essence crystals around, and quickly turned to look at the boy behind her.

Meng Yan scratched his head and said, "This is really the place. If you don't believe me, I can't help it..."

Who exactly are you? Who is directing you?

Jielin placed her hands on her hips and frowned, saying: "Are you out of your mind? You took the money and still brought us to the wrong place. Do you think of us as sheep to be slaughtered?"

Sister, is this ... ... crystal

Jielin did not expect that her request would lead to such consequences, unexpectedly putting this rural beggar in a difficult position. Filled with a mix of shock and anger, she immediately wanted to subdue the person and control the situation. Meanwhile, seeing her unusual expression, Meng Yan dared not linger and quickly turned around, rushing towards the cave entrance.

"You really don't understand, do you?" Jie Lin said, "Senior Sister, how could there be so many Essence Crystals here? It seems like a vein of Essence Crystals... I've never heard of such a thing having a vein..."

Jielin clearly regarded this as the ordinary farming of a peasant, while Meng Yan was quite tempted to retort, "That's only because you haven't seen the scene of peas chasing after people to eat them." However, after some thought, he decided it wasn't worth the effort to argue about it and chose to remain silent while leading the way

Little brother, you need not be afraid; my senior sister and I will protect you

How can this be compared? The birds here do not dare to approach, whether it is due to the brilliance of the treasure or the ominous energy. As for you... what you have done... who knows what foul substance you have poured, it is so stinky that even the birds flying in the sky do not dare to come down

Jielin immediately gave chase, with one fleeing and the other pursuing. In the blink of an eye, they dashed out through the tunnel.

Isn't that your request? To hold your senior sister back for a moment, allowing you to seek treasure? Meng Yan shrugged, "As long as you enter the cave more than thirty steps, it will trigger something here, something like 'a step away from heaven and earth.' I don't understand the details, but as long as your senior sister walks back for ten or eight years, she will return, or... if she doesn't take anything recklessly, she will automatically come back in about half an hour. ... Does that meet your requirements? Your senior sister asked me to just have you wander around the entrance, and I have done that, ensuring you didn't get trapped. Now... the money you owe me should be paid, right?"

Meng Yan was taken aback for a few seconds, not expecting that the two of them would play such a trick. However, since he was in the service industry, as long as there was money to be made, the content of the task was not an issue. Accompanying the young lady to stroll through the garden was certainly much easier than digging a pit to bury a corpse, so there was no reason to object.

I led the way, and you all will die when you arrive... I ran away, and I ended up working for nothing; this is what you call a safety issue, right? Don't bully me just because I'm from the countryside, thinking you can dismiss me with a few coins or meat buns. Those who tried to do that just now, their bodies are still lying at your feet!

Not all of it is pure; some contain excessive impurities, while others... etc. This is the multicolored agate... and there are also the seven-colored ones. My goodness! What is going on? I have never heard of such agate being naturally formed!

In response to the invitation from the two beauties, one large and one small, Meng Yan resolutely refused. This reaction was deemed entirely reasonable, as it is normal for an ordinary beggar to avoid approaching forbidden areas, which further illustrates the dangers of such places. There are many forbidden areas on the earth, where even divine beings dare not tread. Not to mention ordinary people, even the strong from various sects and major organizations are filled with trepidation at the mere mention of them. Yet, these forbidden areas are filled with countless treasures, making them irresistibly alluring.