The Double
Chapter 287 - 112 East Mountain_5

Chapter 287: Chapter 112 East Mountain_5

It was for this reason that at first, Ye Mingyu thought Jiang Li’s claim of knowing the way through the East Mountain Mine Path was just comforting words, but now, he had gradually come to believe that Jiang Li did indeed know the way around East Mountain.

It was unclear how much time had passed when the carriage stopped. Ye Mingyu called out from outside, "Jiang Li, we have arrived."

Jiang Li jumped down from the carriage.

East Mountain was located to the west of Tongxiang and was seldom visited on regular days. The mountain was not lush and tranquil like ordinary mountains; instead, it was desolate to the extreme. Occasionally, the cry of a crow would pierce through the sky, adding an extra layer of bleakness to the atmosphere.

Jiang Li looked up towards East Mountain.

What she saw was a bare, round-headed mountain, standing lonely beside a dried-up lake. The mountain was covered in bizarre rocks, giving it an odd shape, like the head of some monster, which was unsettling to the onlooker. Ye Mingyu had previously visited at night and couldn’t see the mountain clearly, but now in daylight, he too felt a chill down his spine. He intended to tell Jiang Li not to be afraid, but he saw Jiang Li staring straight at the peak, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, showing not a trace of fear, but rather a hint of joy.

Ye Mingyu suddenly felt he had nothing to say.

In fact, Jiang Li didn’t feel joy as such, but she did indeed feel a genuine sense of familiarity. When she had first come here with Xue Zhao and Xue Huaiyuan, Xue Huaiyuan wanted to investigate the history of East Mountain and had brought them along just to take a look at the entrance and had not gone inside the mountain.

But Xue Zhao had a bold and adventurous nature, and he had sneaked inside a few times. Not only that, but he had also dragged Xue Fangfei along with him. Although she appeared demure on the outside, she was not bound by convention and was very willing to join Xue Zhao in exploring the secrets of East Mountain. However, unlike the legends and wild histories recounted, they did not find any treasures. Yet, after many visits, she became very familiar with the inside of the mine and its terrain.

Now that Feng Yutang had people reopen the mine to start mining again, Jiang Li initially thought that the pathways inside the mine might have changed. But upon further thought, her father’s subordinates, the former government officers, amounted to merely a dozen or so people. For a dozen or so people to reopen many paths in the mine was not an easy feat. Furthermore, Feng Yutang sent these government officers not truly to dig for gold but to torment them. It was well known for many years that gold could not be mined from East Mountain.

Therefore, the mine paths inside the mountain were most likely still the same. As long as there were no accidents, they would still be able to find those people.

Ye Mingyu asked Jiang Li and two bodyguards to wait where they were, as he and his men went ahead to "take down" the two lookout guards. He was uncertain if the opponents had any tricks left, and if anything went wrong, the bodyguards would take Jiang Li and escape first.

Jiang Li and the bodyguards waited quietly in the bushes. While waiting for Ye Mingyu to return, Jiang Li closed her eyes and went through the scenes of exploring the East Mountain Mine Path with Xue Zhao in her mind once more.

As she was preparing to recall it for a second time, one of the bodyguards beside her announced, "Third Master is back!"

Jiang Li opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Ye Mingyu’s elated face. Ye Mingyu said, "We’ve taken down both men, and I’ve left a few guys there to watch them. Jiang Li, I’ll go in with you first, and the others will wait outside! If anything goes wrong, we’ll fire a signal arrow!"

Jiang Li thought to herself that, in reality, if anything went wrong, her familiarity with the mine paths inside East Mountain meant that she could use the cover of the tunnels to hide, but she couldn’t sustain herself inside without food or water. Moreover, she would have to come back out eventually to handle the matter of Xue Huaiyuan; hiding was not an option. However, the mine tunnels were indeed an excellent place to deal with villains.

Thinking about it, she found it interesting and couldn’t help but reveal a trace of a smile.

This faint smile caught in Ye Mingyu’s sight, and he thought it was because she was very pleased with his performance, which made him even more proud. He said, "Jiang Li, let’s not wait anymore, let’s go inside!"

Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu together entered the entrance of the mine.

The inside of the cave was very dark. The torch lit by Ye Mingyu illuminated their surroundings, revealing the emptiness and vastness of the mountain’s interior. Looking up, Ye Mingyu exclaimed in shock, "My goodness, this place is truly huge. Can we even find people here? Where should we start looking?"

Jiang Li replied with a smile, "It’s okay, uncle, follow me." She didn’t wait for Ye Mingyu to continue expressing his amazement and took the lead, walking straight ahead.

Ye Mingyu was unable to stop her and had to quickly follow.

Jiang Li’s guess was correct; the paths within the East Mountain Mine Path had not changed at all. Even if they were to change, there was no need to alter the already excavated mine paths. Following her previous memories, Jiang Li moved forward, examining the fresh footprints left behind and changes in the wind and smells along the way.

The mine was very deep. Worried that Jiang Li might venture too far and not be able to find her way back, Ye Mingyu marked their path as they went. However, his marking could not keep up with Jiang Li’s pace. She moved quickly and with certainty, giving Ye Mingyu no chance to stop her.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Ye Mingyu felt surrounded by mine tunnels, unable to discern any difference from earlier on. He was about to suggest that maybe they should turn back when, deep within the mine, the sound of a human cough suddenly echoed.

Jiang Li called out, "Who’s there?"