Chapter 22: Taking Precautions

Chen Chao stood up feebly and entered the courtyard. Closing the door, he slowly headed towards the stove and still subconsciously sat down on that long bench. It was just that after sitting down, he suddenly lifted his head and saw that the old chair opposite was empty.

Chen Chao pressed both hands on his face. Only after shaking for a bit, did he perk up a little. Then, he stood up and practiced a set of fist techniques in the corridor. Then, he remembered that his small courtyard was already in utter ruins. That fight previously had practically demolished half of the entire courtyard.

Putting his hand on his forehead, Chen Chao cursed under his breath, "Your Father should have hacked you a few more times."

After cursing, Chen Chao prepared to go out and buy some blue tiles from the store outside to fix his roof. As for those holes in the courtyard and in the corridor, they had to be repaired one by one too. Oh, right, he also had to buy a new water vat for the courtyard.

It was just that just as he was about to go out, knocking sounds came over from the courtyard door.

Chen Chao opened the door, the arrival was indeed that black, skinny teen, Lin Cheng.

The moment he opened the door, Lin Cheng looked inside the courtyard and did not find that petite and exquisite figure. This kid scratched his head, "Where's Sister-in-law?"

Without waiting for Chen Chao to reply, Lin Cheng yelled out strangely on his own, "I bumped into a horse carriage when I came over, the kind that needs two horses to pull it. Is it Sister-in-law's family? Big Brother Chen, did you bully Sister-in-law, then Sister-in-law asked her family to bring her away?"

The corners of Chen Chao's mouth twitched. He was just about to speak when Lin Cheng nodded his head again, "Either that, or Sister-in-law looks down on Big Brother's poverty. As I said, Big Brother, you're a warden. No matter what, you're a big shot on the same official rank as a magistrate. You should totally buy a bigger house. Yet, you insist on this lousy courtyard. See, now Sister-in-law..."

Lin Cheng suddenly stopped. Not that he did not want to say anymore, but because Chen Chao pressed one hand on his shoulder and lightly exerted strength. It made him wince in pain and he could not say anything anymore.

"Stop being ridiculous."

Chen Chao shot a glare at the dark, skinny youth in front of him and let go of his hand.

Lin Cheng gave an mhm. Reaching his hand out to press on his other shoulder to rub it, just when he wanted to say something else, Chen Chao gave him a look and he immediately became obedient. Then he started talking about that Xuanming Stone Mine matter without omitting any details.

Actually, for an ordinary civilian like Lin Cheng, the things that he came into contact with would not be some secret. But since that Warden Li asked him to wait for people, Chen Chao felt that he still had to make preparations early. The only one around him who knew some things was this youth who was mining in the quarry over there.

"Actually, there's nothing special either, we just mined like that every day. After breakfast in the morning, we'll go down into the mines, load up a cart, and ask the people upstairs to pull it out. When we leave the mines at night, the supervisors will search our bodies to see if we pocketed any stones. Actually, most of those things are very big, we can't hide them. The small ones aren't easy to hide either. Some people feel that hiding it up the butt..."

"You don't have to go into such details."

Chen Chao frowned. If he did not stop this youth in front of him, who knew what else this guy was going to say?

"You think about it, did anything special happen? Otherwise, why would there be so many mine collapses at the same time?" Chen Chao furrowed his brows. Actually, he had some preliminary judgment. But, he wanted to get the answer from Lin Cheng.

He knew that this teenager would not lie to him.

Lin Cheng had some difficulty and hesitated for a moment. But he still lowered his voice and said, "The mine forbade us to talk about this matter. Big Brother Chen, you mustn't spread it."

Chen Chao nodded and asked first, "Was the mine overexploited, causing multiple cave-ins?"

Lin Cheng was stunned, somewhat in disbelief, "Big Brother, how did you know?!"

They had always been very methodical when mining that stone mine previously. Nothing had ever happened. All the way until recently, when the official in charge over there asked them to speed up the progress. Even the mines that had already been harvested to the limit had to continue to be mined too. They heard that after the completion of this batch of ores, they would continue to mine in a new mine. Actually, his return this time was the last holiday given to him by the mine there. After they have settled their household affairs, who knew when would be the next time that they would come back?

Chen Chao did not answer his question. He was just silently thinking that if things were so simple, if the truth was just like that, then it did not seem too worthwhile for that Warden Li to personally make a trip. He could have written a letter. Even if there was anything that could not be written in the letter, then why did he not say it clearly when they met? Instead, he was so vague.

Chen Chao rapped on the stove lightly, his expression solemn.

Just this trivial matter and he even had to wait for people to go together?

Chen Chao kept feeling a little uneasy.

Who was he waiting for? Great Liang Dynasty's officials? Or was it some other people?

"When are you guys withdrawing? Are those Ministry of Works officials really gone?"

Chen Chao retracted his hand. Casually peeling off a piece of paint from the wooden pillar, he threw it into the stove. Very soon, some black smoke emerged from the stove. The smell was a little unpleasant.

Lin Cheng pinched his nose and said in a low, muffled voice, "We're going tomorrow. Originally, I'll be going over there after coming to find you today. Those officials are long gone and the ores have also long been carried away. Right now, there are just a few low-ranking supervisors left in the mine. When we leave, it should be completely empty over there!"

He reached his hand out and fanned. After discovering that it was futile, he gave Chen Chao a rather resentful look.

Chen Chao ignored these things. He just nodded and said to himself, "What are they investigating in an abandoned mine?"

Lin Cheng did not hear clearly what Chen Chao said. He just watched as no more black smoke emerged from the stove before reaching his hands out to bake it as he said with some vicissitudes of emotion, "If there wasn't Sister-in-law, how could there be a fire here."

It was not his first time coming to Chen Chao's place too. He still remembered that he came here previously in the winter too. The entire courtyard was icy-cold. How could there be any fire?

Actually, this could not be blamed on Chen Chao either. After starting cultivation, even Initial Realm immortal cultivators could remain impervious to the cold and heat, let alone Chen Chao this Divine Trove martial artist.

"Alright, you can go back."

Chen Chao waved his hand and was about to chase him away.

"You're not even inviting me for a meal?" Lin Cheng was somewhat aggrieved.

Chen Chao could not be bothered with him and sent him off to the entrance. Lin Cheng looked at him with some reluctance.

Chen Chao thought about it before saying calmly, "I'll help you keep the Seven Star Grass that you gave me before. Whenever you want it, come find me again. I have no use for that thing in the near future. Oh, right, when you go to the new mine, don't take the initiative to cause trouble. However... if you get bullied, don't be in a hurry to take action. Remember to write to me and tell me."

Lin Cheng acknowledged it a little distractedly.

Chen Chao patted his shoulder and said in earnest, "In this chaotic age, staying alive is the most important."

Lin Cheng saw what was in Chen Chao's eyes this time and nodded his head earnestly.

......

......

After sending Lin Cheng off, Chen Chao returned to the courtyard and lifted his head to take a look at the dilapidated roof. Currently, there was already some accumulated snow in the corridor. Those snowflakes fell down from the holes above. However, he was in no mood to buy blue tiles for now. Instead, he sat back down next to the wooden pillar. Leaning against the wooden pillar, he started circulating his qi activity. Having just stepped into Divine Trove Realm, his foundation was not consolidated yet.

Now that he was going to face the unknown, Chen Chao subconsciously wanted to make himself become a little stronger.

In this chaotic age, nothing else was important. The only important things were the saber at his waist and his cultivation.

After an incense stick of time passed, Chen Chao opened his eyes. Taking a look at the old chair over there, he then closed his eyes again and began continuing to circulate qi activity through his meridians. Each time qi activity was circulated, it was actually greatly beneficial to martial artists. Not only could it broaden the meridians, but it could also even make the flow of qi activity smoother. Although it was all trivial work, if one persevered on like this, they would achieve great things in the future too.

Over the next few days, Chen Chao cultivated all the way at home and never went out. Naturally, he did not go and mend the holes in his roof either.

During this time, the county government sent someone over in the middle of the night. Mi Ke invited him to eat supper, but was sternly rejected by Chen Chao!

Until one day in the middle of the night, when Chen Chao opened his eyes, the snow outside had already stooped. But it was still freezing. he sat next to the pillar and flipped through an old book that was about daoist magic. Although it was useless to a martial artist like him, it was good to read more too.

After a long time, he put this old book down and recalled those words that Warden Li said, and the strangeness of the Xuanming Stone Mine now.

Everything seemed all too unusual.

He watched the day break.

Thinking about it, Chen Chao stood up and headed over to the county government. It was time to make some preparations for some things.