The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 316: Chapter 308: Five Hearts Facing Heaven

"Liu... where did those two go?"

Bai Yuan had intended to ask about Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong, but he figured they had likely changed their names, so he simply referred to them as "those two."

Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong’s identities were too sensitive. The less information he revealed, the safer it would be.

Ma Hong, of course, knew Bai Yuan was referring to the two men who had claimed to be his retainers.

"They headed for Jingyang Mine two hours ago."

Bai Yuan nodded. "And the Patriarch of the Chen Family?"

’Since this happened in the Chen Family’s mining area, he would naturally need to question their Patriarch to understand the situation.’

As the Lingzhou General, he was familiar with the important locations in the province.

Jingyang Mine, for instance.

Although the Court controlled the mine, the Jingyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office alone couldn’t possibly excavate the ore efficiently.

If they failed to meet the military’s demand for ore, Jingyang Prefecture would be in serious trouble.

To improve mining efficiency, the Jingyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office had allowed some of the prefecture’s local powers to participate in the excavation.

The only caveat was that all excavated ore had to be sold exclusively to the Jingyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

While some smuggling and black-market dealings were inevitable in practice, overall mining efficiency had increased significantly.

For a thousand years, the system had run without any major issues.

It was a strategy with the same underlying principle as the Court and the various sects co-governing the realm.

For this very reason, when a demon scourge broke out at the mine, the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office was obligated to dispatch troops for protection.

Ma Hong reported, "The Patriarch of the Chen Family is already at the mine."

Bai Yuan said, "In that case, let’s set out for the mine."

"Yes!"

Prefect Ma Hong was struck by Bai Yuan’s swift and decisive manner.

’He truly lives up to his reputation in the Capital City as Ren Tu, the Butcher...’

Jingyang Mine was not far from Jingyang Prefecture City, only about fifty li away.

The Demon Slayer Guard soldiers Bai Yuan had brought were all mounted on Blood Demon Horses. They traveled at incredible speed, and the group arrived at Jingyang Mine before dusk.

From a distance, they could see a giant mountain peak, its surface pockmarked and scarred with countless mine pits.

’The destructive power of humankind on nature is truly terrifying.’

Bai Yuan arrived at a cluster of tents at the foot of the mine.

Jingyang Mine was less a single mine and more of a mining district.

Each faction was assigned a mountain by the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, and the Chen Family was responsible for the very peak that now stood before them.

The Chen Family members guarding the path to the mountain were sharp-eyed. Upon spotting Ma Hong, they immediately cleared the way, not daring to cause the slightest delay.

Bai Yuan and his party entered the Chen Family’s encampment without any trouble.

As Ma Hong led Bai Yuan and Zhou Lin into the Chen Patriarch’s tent, they found Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong in conversation with a portly, middle-aged man.

Liu Zhengwen sensed the movement behind him. He had just turned his head when his eyes met Bai Yuan’s.

Both men were taken aback for a moment.

The portly man, however, was extremely enthusiastic. He recognized Ma Hong.

"Prefect Ma, thank you for your trouble."

He scurried over to Ma Hong, his eyes silently questioning the identities of the other two men.

Ma Hong cleared his throat. "This is the Lingzhou General, Lord Bai, and this is the General of the Lingzhou Demon Slayer Guard, Lord Zhou."

Upon hearing the title of Lingzhou General, the portly man’s face bloomed into a deeply crinkled smile.

"This humble servant, Chen Liu, Patriarch of the Chen Family, greets Lord Bai."

The Patriarch of the Chen Family was a major figure in Jingyang Prefecture. With the authority to operate a mine and a familiar relationship with Prefect Ma Hong, he was clearly no ordinary man.

Bai Yuan first nodded to Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong before turning his gaze to Ma Hong.

"What’s the current situation at the mine?"

Although Ma Hong had already explained the situation to Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong, he could only dutifully repeat himself now that Ling Province’s Chief Official was asking in person.

"The mine is now occupied by a Tier Seven Old Ape and a Tier Seven Leopard Demon, who are leading dozens of demons of varying ranks, including Tier Six and Tier Five."

Bai Yuan nodded.

’Demons are inherently stronger than Martial Artists of the same tier.’

’Although Ma Hong was a Sensing Master, he was old, and his Qi and Blood were no longer what they once were. It was perfectly normal that he couldn’t defeat two Tier Seven Great Demons.’

"Understood," Bai Yuan said.

After discussing it with Ma Hong and Chen Liu, he decided they would scout the mine late at night.

The largest tent in the Chen Family’s camp should have belonged to the family’s Patriarch, Chen Liu.

But with Bai Yuan’s arrival, it was naturally repurposed as his temporary quarters.

After everyone else had dispersed, Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong deliberately stayed behind.

Bai Yuan looked at the two of them. "Lord Liu, General Fang, could this mining disaster be related to the demonic seed?"

Liu Zhengwen smiled faintly. "The emergence of a demonic seed is always accompanied by disaster. We only heard about the mining accident and came to investigate, not expecting to run into you, Lord Bai."

Bai Yuan was surprised. "The demonic seed has that kind of power?"

Liu Zhengwen nodded. "According to the Supervisor, the demonic seed is inherently tied to a calamitous fate. Wherever it appears, people are bound to suffer."

Thinking back to the incident at Longevity Palace, Bai Yuan found it quite plausible.

"What are your plans, Lord Liu? How can I assist you both?"

Since Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong had come from the Capital City, it was only natural for him to show them deference.

"You may proceed as you normally would, Lord Bai. The two of us will assist from the sidelines."

"Excellent!"

Bai Yuan was quite pleased to see that Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong had no intention of trying to run the show.

Bai Yuan then discussed the demonic seed further with the two men.

Before they knew it, the appointed hour of midnight had arrived.

Although most demons had more stamina and required far less sleep than humans, they still let their guard down in the dead of night, making it the perfect time to investigate.

Bai Yuan didn’t bring many men.

Only Liu Zhengwen and Ma Hong accompanied him into the mountains; the others remained at the camp.

Their mission was merely to scout the mine’s situation, and a larger group would be too easily discovered.

Besides, there were only two Tier Seven Demons. Bai Yuan was only scouting ahead out of an abundance of caution.

’Once he understood the situation, he was confident he could slay all the demons by himself.’

"Lord Bai, this way,"

Ma Hong said respectfully.

He had fought the demons occupying the mine once before, so he was very familiar with the terrain.

Bai Yuan followed Ma Hong’s lead.

’With himself, the Prefect of Ling Province, Ma Hong, the Prefect of Jingyang, and Liu Zhengwen of the Astronomical Bureau all present, the lineup could be considered terrifying.’

The base of the mountain was only three li from the occupied mine site.

With their speed, it took them only a quarter of an hour to reach a dense forest on the mountainside.

Using his sensory abilities, Bai Yuan could clearly perceive dozens of demons of all shapes and sizes gathered on a rocky outcrop.

With his skills as a Demon Hunter, he quickly assessed the demons’ strength and found it matched Ma Hong’s report.

Looking closer, he saw an old ape sitting cross-legged atop a huge boulder like a Daoist master. Its palms rested on its knees, facing upward, and its feet were crossed with the soles also turned toward the sky. Its head was held high.

This was clearly the Five Hearts Facing Heaven Cultivation Method.

Bai Yuan was stunned.

’Could this Old Ape have studied under a Daoist Sect? How else would it know one of their cultivation methods!?’

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