inspire-indiana Chapter 389: The absence of anything unusual is the abnormal one.
Chapter 389: The absence of anything unusual is the abnormal one.
When Chu Lengyu and her group arrived at the mine entrance, they saw that the surrounding vegetation was desolate, the wind was howling, and some mining tools were scattered haphazardly to the side, exuding a sense of oppression and unease.
At this moment, a fellow Lan Clan disciple stepped forward.
He held a specially made jade talisman in his hand and chanted incantations. The faint light of the array near the mine flickered a few times and then opened a portal.
Then several members of the Lan family stepped forward and worked together to slowly move the boulder blocking the entrance to the mine.
The Lan family members stationed there were surprised and disappointed when they saw that only Chu Lengyu had come.
Although they did not speak, their furrowed brows and scrutinizing eyes revealed their inner doubts and dissatisfaction.
They had placed high hopes on the Hundred Swords Pavilion, hoping they could send a master expert to unravel the mystery of the mine's anomalies. However, could this seemingly ordinary woman truly shoulder such a heavy responsibility?
Looking back, the Hundred Swords Pavilion had sent people to investigate twice before. Those people were either shrewd and not easy to deal with, or they were full of confidence and seemed to have everything under control.
However, despite receiving numerous benefits from the Lan family, they failed to uncover any clues about the anomalies in the mine, which greatly diminished the Lan family's trust and expectations of the Hundred Swords Pavilion.
As the saying goes, there are only three things that can happen.
If the disciples of the Hundred Swords Pavilion fail to resolve the issue this time, the patience and trust of the Lan family will likely be completely exhausted.
The Lan family head was extremely anxious. The abnormality in the mine had caused it to be sealed off for several months, resulting in a significant loss of jade production and making the family business extremely difficult.
He had secretly contacted a Foundation Establishment cultivator and earnestly requested him to come and investigate, hoping to unravel the mystery of the mine as soon as possible and restore the jade mine to normalcy.
That's why when Chu Lengyu arrived, his attitude was noticeably more relaxed, and his eyes lacked the usual anticipation and eagerness, instead showing a cold and distant indifference.
He no longer placed high hopes on Chu Lengyu, or the two senior brothers who had not yet arrived.
The boulder was slowly moved aside, and the deep entrance to the mine, like the mouth of a giant beast, slowly opened.
A gust of wind, mixed with various complex scents, surged out from the cave. The wind carried the unpleasant smell of decay and mold, yet it was also mixed with the faint, pure spiritual energy unique to the spirit jade.
Chu Lengyu took out a lighting talisman from her storage bag and made it float in front of her.
The illumination rune emitted a soft glow, quickly illuminating the mine and bringing a ray of light to this dark place.
After making all the preparations, Chu Lengyu took the lead and stepped into the mine.
The mine shaft had been sealed off for some time, and the interior was dark and damp, with a faint musty smell permeating the air—a mixture of damp earth and decay that made one involuntarily frown.
Chu Lengyu followed the illumination talisman, proceeding cautiously, her hands forming hand seals, ready to deal with any potential dangers.
In contrast, the Lan family disciples following behind seemed much more indifferent.
They strolled along lazily, talked in hushed tones, or looked around, seemingly unguarded.
The Lan family has been mining this jade mine for decades, and it's as familiar to them as their own backyard.
In their memory, there was no trace of monsters here, not even insects were common, let alone any danger.
However, Chu Lengyu dared not be careless in the slightest.
She carefully explored the mine, not even missing the smallest cracks in the mine walls, examining every corner of the mine, searching for possible clues.
However, the result was quite unexpected for her.
From any angle, this mine looks like an ordinary jade mine.
The patterns on the stone walls, the scattered ore, and the damp air were no different from those in other mines.
There were no traces of any monsters or ghosts, as if nothing unusual had ever happened here.
Chu Lengyu was unwilling to give up, so she used a variety of detection spells, and even used a monster detection artifact specially made by the Hundred Swords Pavilion.
This magical artifact is scroll-shaped. When infused with spiritual power, it can automatically search for the aura of low-level demonic beasts within a radius of dozens of miles.
But inside the mine, it did not react at all.
No matter how hard she tried, she still achieved nothing.
Apart from some abandoned tools and scattered rubble, there was nothing else in the mine.
Chu Lengyu frowned.
The fact that the disciples sent by the Hundred Swords Pavilion had not discovered anything was itself unusual.
The absence of any abnormality is what is truly abnormal.
This place is far more complex than it appears on the surface.
Lan Ze, one of the disciples accompanying the Lan family, stood aside and watched Chu Lengyu check the same area again and again, and couldn't help but feel a little contemptuous.
He thought to himself, "This disciple of the Hundred Swords Pavilion, although of noble status, seems to be nothing special. He's just wasting his time."
Finally, he couldn't help but speak up: "Fellow Daoist, we have checked this mine countless times, and there really is nothing unusual about it. Isn't your repeated inspection just a waste of time?"
His words carried a subtle hint of sarcasm.
Chu Lengyu did not answer immediately; her gaze continued to sweep across the walls of the mine, not missing a single inch.
“I know the Lan family has inspected it many times,” she replied calmly, “but sometimes, the problem lies hidden in seemingly ordinary places. Often, the real secrets are hidden in the places we are most familiar with and least concerned about.”
Upon hearing this, Lan Ze sighed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
He didn't really doubt Chu Lengyu's abilities, but they had already searched the entire mine, every corner. If there really was a problem, how could they not have discovered it?
Chu Lengyu didn't say anything more; actions speak louder than words.
She continued to examine the items, scrutinizing every detail. This focus diminished Lan Ze's initial disdain.
He stopped talking and just stood silently to the side. Although the disappointment in his heart was still there, it was no longer as intense.
Perhaps, this disciple of the Hundred Swords Pavilion might actually discover a secret that they had not noticed before; who knows?
Chu Lengyu threw herself back into the intense investigation, carefully recalling the reports from the disciples she had sent on the previous two occasions.
She savored every word and every sentence, trying to catch the overlooked details and the clues that might hide the truth.
However, despite repeated searches in the mine, she was unable to find anything unusual.
She fell into deep thought. Perhaps the problem had nothing to do with the mine, and she had to change her strategy to find the truth.
So she decided to approach it from another angle and proposed to examine the ore produced in the jade mine.
This decision displeased and confused the Lan family, who felt that Chu Lengyu was wasting his time.
After all, the disciples had already inspected the ore multiple times and found no problems.
Moreover, the warehouse is a key location for the Lan family, containing valuable goods that outsiders are not allowed to enter easily.
However, Chu Lengyu was determined to investigate thoroughly. Out of respect for Baijian Pavilion and Nangong Xue, the Lan family had no choice but to reluctantly cooperate and open the warehouse storing the jade mine.