The two men calmly gripped the hilts of their knives, but the knives remained unsheathed.

With a little judgment, they knew that those who came out were all the lowest-level workers, and how could the person in charge possibly do such hard work?

If those people don't notice the three of them in the corner, let them leave first; if they do, they can just knock them out.

In such a dark environment, a person's mental state is inevitably affected. Shen Yunting was a little stiff, and when he moved his fingers, he belatedly realized that there was cold sweat on his palms.

Most of the time, she was openly fighting to the death on the battlefield, so she felt inexplicably nervous in this dark environment.

That's pretty unbelievable.

Could it be that there's actually a little girl inside her who's afraid of the dark? She'd better hide it well, or she'll definitely be laughed at.

The formidable "female Yama" of the battlefield was rendered ineffective in the pitch-black environment.

She refrained from making a move, listening to the sound gradually approaching, and her mind involuntarily conjured up various horror stories she had heard before.

Although none of the stories take place in the mine, the environment is so dark that it feels like you could easily move any of the ghosts and monsters from the stories here.

The psychological pressure brought by darkness is really quite great.

She couldn't help but think that if people lived and worked in such an environment for a long time, it would be strange if they didn't develop psychological problems.

It's said that people who come from the battlefield are left with mental problems. But in her opinion, the longer you stay in a place like this, the bigger the problem becomes.

She was even less inclined to harm these people; she figured if she hurt them, no one would treat them, which would be quite pitiful.

Shen Yunting grew increasingly tense in the darkness, her breathing becoming erratic. Just then, a hand reached out from the side and groped to grab her.

She was startled at first and almost jumped up, but in the cold environment, the warm touch quickly made her realize that it was her husband.

A force flowed through their clasped hands, and she felt her heartbeat gradually calm down. The fear of the darkness in her heart was slowly dispelled by the warmth.

She wasn't alone; the two people she loved most were right beside her.

One needs her protection temporarily, while the other will protect her forever, doing everything in his power.

Shen Yunting had never known before that he was so afraid of the dark. It was probably because the darkness he had experienced before was always in his familiar bedroom or in the military tent.

Because it is familiar, it is not easy to feel fear.

For the first time in such a dark and oppressive environment, all the negative emotions in my heart gradually surfaced amidst the tension.

It made her become someone she wasn't anymore.

She gently squeezed her husband's fingers, imagining what his hands looked like. Not only did she lose her fear, but she also boldly and gently stroked them, as if she were teasing him.

Luo Qi'an grabbed her fingers with his other hand and held them firmly in his hand, not allowing her to continue acting recklessly.

The sound of wheels was getting closer, and the light of the torches gradually appeared, illuminating a small area. Eyes accustomed to the darkness could not look directly at that small patch of fire.

Shen Yunting mustered her courage and looked over. She saw that the two people pushing the cart were both hunched over and looking down. They were not paying attention to the road conditions at all, and were just using all their strength to push the heavy cart forward.

This place relies entirely on manpower; horses can't get into some areas, so people are the best option.

As they approached, Shen Yunting could hear their heavy breathing, and even from their voices, he could sense their exhaustion.

The road was all uphill, and they had to push heavy ore. Shen Yunting was worried that if they were not careful, the vehicle would roll backward and knock them down.

She tried hard to suppress the urge to go up and help.

They sneaked in, so hiding and offering help would be completely out of place.

There were two carts and four people, who all appeared to be laborers. There was no one guarding them, which meant their fighting strength was not a threat.

Shen Yunting even felt that they were already on the verge of collapse.

They don't even need to attack; just a little resistance from the cart is enough to knock them down and run them over.

Even as they passed by, those people didn't notice anything unusual. It wasn't that they weren't vigilant enough, but rather that they were physically exhausted and had been drained by the heavy labor.

...

When Shen Xingmian woke up, she wanted to share her joy, but she keenly sensed that something was off. She asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Shen Yunting's voice was a little muffled: "Nothing much, four people just passed by, but they didn't notice us."

Shen Xingmian was a little confused and asked in bewilderment, "If we didn't find out, we don't have to fight, isn't that good? Why does the atmosphere seem a bit heavy?"

Luo Qi'an explained, "Because those people looked so pitiful, your mother is soft-hearted and felt a little sad seeing them."

ah……

I see.

Shen Xingmian actually had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. Just by looking at what they were eating and thinking about the working conditions and intensity, she knew that the people inside wouldn't have it too easy.

But I never imagined it would be so miserable that even my mother couldn't bear to watch.

“In that case, let’s rescue them.” She spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.

"But rescuing them is not just about freeing them from being trapped here, but also about making follow-up arrangements, such as how to leave this mountain and how to go home."

In this freezing weather, they probably won't make it home; they'll freeze to death in the mountains.

Shen Yunting felt a little worried when she thought about the weather outside.

With Mianmian and Xuetuan around, it's easy for them to go into the mountains, but what about the miners?

"Oh, Mother, don't worry. With me here, all these problems can be solved. Let's think about it as we go. Maybe by the time we get inside, everything will be sorted out."

“Mianmian is right. There’s always a way out. Madam, don’t worry.”

Luo Qi'an knew Shen Yunting well, knowing that she always preferred to solve problems with violence and had never worried about things that far ahead.

It's nice to use your brain once in a while; it's a good way to exercise.

The three continued walking inside. The gentle light from the nightlights was comfortable for their eyes and enough to see the surroundings clearly.

There were two deep ruts on the ground. Even though the road surface in the mine was made of stone, over time, the heavy carts had left their marks.

Looking at these marks and thinking about how exhausted those people looked, Shen Yunting felt even worse.

This world truly embodies the law of the jungle. For ordinary people at the bottom of society, let alone living a good life, even just wanting to live a less miserable life is incredibly difficult.

As a border general, her greatest responsibility was to protect the people. Seeing people being enslaved made her feel both distressed and angry.

Those people can get a group of people to risk their lives for them with just a few words, and not only their own lives, but also the lives of many others.

They peel back layer by layer, just like when they pay military salaries.