In her previous life, Li Wang only discovered the gold mine after its collapse. Even the Emperor was shocked at the time, but Wu Caiwei was then a village woman in the northwest, had never been here, and had no idea about the location of the gold mine.
He heard it was in a range of rolling mountains. When he arrived at this small county town, he realized that the county town was surrounded by mountains, and all the mountain ranges were continuous, so he had no idea which one they were looking for.
This stumped them. Wu Caiwei decided to personally lead her men to scout the foot of each mountain. Although all the mountains looked similar, since gold and silver were to be transported out, there must be mountain paths and roads that vehicles traveled on year-round.
Everything started smoothly enough. They visited many mountain ranges. As they walked, he suddenly heard the sound of a sharp sword. He tilted his head, and an arrow grazed his face, embedding itself in a nearby tree.
Wu Caiwei immediately drew the sword at her waist and moved in the direction the arrow came from. Although the other party tried their best to escape, they were no match for Wu Caiwei. She quickly caught up and, after a fight, captured him alive.
Seeing the defeated look on his face, Wu Caiwei realized they were not soldiers but ordinary villagers from the vicinity. How could an ordinary villager possess such skill? Thus, she decided to interrogate him thoroughly.
Initially, Xiao Liu was nonchalant. He often heard stories about people who came to their area as spies, only to be caught by Prince Ping, tortured severely, and made to suffer immensely. His sister, upon hearing these tales, could not help but scoff, thinking those people were too weak. With just a little effort from others, they would confess everything. He wondered how agonizing it would be if it were him.
He didn't know what they had given him to eat. He felt pain in every joint and muscle, making even breathing difficult. If possible, he wished for death. Now, with no strength in his body, tears streamed down his face. In the past, he would have ridiculed such behavior. In his eyes, a true man shed blood, not tears.
"Since you are here, you should know what I want to know. When you are ready to tell me, nod your head. Otherwise, you will continue to suffer like this." Wu Caiwei looked at his reaction and nodded with satisfaction. It seemed the medicine she had recently developed was very effective. In just a few hours, the other party was showing signs of giving in.
Xiao Liu, wracked with pain, wavered between confessing and remaining silent. He knew that once he confessed, he would be free. Even if they stabbed him or killed him, it wouldn't be this agonizing. Honestly, this was his first time experiencing a life worse than death. Yet, he felt he had let down his master, who had taken them in from outside, taught them martial arts and literacy, and led them to guard this place. He never expected to be caught on his very first mission. He didn't care if he died, but Prince Ping would surely hold him accountable.
If he didn't confess, he felt he would eventually break and might even confess after enduring all the suffering.
Wu Caiwei smiled at him, no longer wanting to play games. She directly threw him into a tent and assigned guards.
That night, he heard sounds from the tent and quickly drew his sword and rushed out. Seeing a masked man taking the person captured earlier outside the tent, he couldn't help but frown. Even the guards he had stationed were not weak, yet in such a short time, the intruder had succeeded. He realized how formidable the opponent's martial arts must be. Without hesitation, he rushed forward. As their swords clashed, they both looked at each other with astonishment. This was the first time in their lives they had encountered someone who could fight them to a standstill. Su Dan Novel Network
Under normal circumstances, they could have engaged in conversation and sparred to improve their skills. But now, with a mission to fulfill, they could only maintain their focus and deal with each other cautiously. Wu Caiwei was surprised to find someone in this world whose martial arts could match hers. She had spent many years perfecting her own unique training method. Although she hadn't trained for an extended period, her experience was extensive. She considered herself a top-tier expert and dared to venture out, only to encounter such a formidable opponent today. Although the man's hair was white, reaching such a level at his age was undoubtedly a sign of genius. The man also looked at her with a serious gaze, surprised that she, so young, could fight his elder brother to a draw. He felt ashamed, thinking of the praise he had received from his masters since childhood. He once believed himself to be a divinely gifted prodigy, the most talented and hardworking among all the children in martial arts. He thought he would surely achieve great things in countless endeavors, and everyone said he would become a rare master in the world. When his master was on his deathbed, he resolutely left his legacy to him, hoping it would be passed down through him.
Today, he had come to rescue his young disciple, bringing only a few men. He believed that with his formidable martial arts, he could take his disciple away shortly. However, he did not expect to encounter such a troublesome person. If he was not mistaken, his young disciple had been poisoned by the opponent.
Seizing the moment when the man was distracted, Wu Caiwei launched an attack, her sword thrusting directly at him. The man reacted with incredible speed, immediately using his sleeve to block. A bright red gash suddenly appeared on his arm, a shocking wound.
Realizing he was no match for her today, the man whistled and signaled for a quick resolution. Although they could not rescue his disciple today, as he had supported him, he had felt his pulse. The poison he had contracted was beyond his ability to cure. Rescuing him would be simple, requiring only a favor from the opponent. As for what kind of favor, that was not for him to decide.
"You must have come here for the gold mine, haven't you? If you release my disciple, I will tell you the location." He was Prince Ping's trusted subordinate. Prince Ping, prioritizing this area, had ordered him to guard it, to eliminate any intruders immediately, and to ensure the gold mine remained secret. Although he had nodded at the time, he hadn't taken it too seriously, as the gold mine had existed here for so many years without any incidents. Moreover, the Emperor's attention was fully occupied by Prince Ping. He never expected to encounter her here, the first person in his life, so young, whom he deeply admired.
"That's easy, that's easy. But how do I know if you are telling the truth? I'll need to keep your disciple." Wu Caiwei didn't believe him at all. Her disciple's martial arts were inferior and he was poisoned by her. By keeping his disciple as a hostage, he would surely be forced to honestly reveal the gold mine's location. If, however, she let his disciple go, he might be cunning enough to lead them into a trap, and without his disciple, she would have no leverage.