Deep underground, in the abandoned tunnels, near the narrow, twisted exit of the "rat tunnel".
The air was thin, filled with dust and coal ash, making it almost suffocating.
"Heh...heh..." Half of the pillar's body peeked out of the passage exit, his bare upper body covered with bloody cuts from sharp rocks.
With his last ounce of strength, he desperately dragged the nearly unconscious miner in front of him out.
"Get out! Get out quickly!" Li Dachui and several other miners who had crawled out first knelt on the cold, damp cinder ground outside the exit, frantically helping to pull people out.
Everyone was in a sorry state, their faces covered in coal dust and blood, their eyes unfocused, and the bewilderment and exhaustion of surviving the ordeal made them tremble all over.
In the passageway, Jiang Chan's petite body was held tightly at the very back.
Her shoulder was pressed firmly against a miner's buttocks. The passage was narrow, and she could only use this clumsy and desperate method to push the person in front of her out little by little!
"Quickly...pull him...out..." Jiang Chan's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, each word exhausted.
Just then—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several blinding beams of light suddenly swept from the direction of the abandoned alleyway entrance! The beams of light, like sharp swords, instantly pierced the darkness deep within the alleyway!
"Here! My lord! Here!" a constable shouted excitedly.
The chaotic footsteps and the clatter of armor drew rapidly closer!
Light! Intense light! Suddenly shone at the exit of the passage!
The light first stung the pillars, and they instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.
In the narrow open space outside the exit, a dozen or so dark figures were slumped or kneeling haphazardly, each one like a demon crawling out of hell, coughing and panting violently.
Zhu Zi and several other people were desperately dragging a limp person out of the passageway.
The most impressive thing is the entrance to the passage itself!
At that narrow opening, barely wide enough for one person to crawl through, was a surprisingly small figure. Her (his) shoulder was pressed tightly against the waist of a miner, and with all her might, she was pushing him out little by little, like pushing a boulder!
Those hands, stained with coal sludge and blood, gripped the wet, cold rocks at the edge of the cave entrance with all their might, their knuckles turning deathly white from the excessive force!
Tiny pebbles and coal dust kept falling from the cave entrance, landing on the head and body of the thin figure.
The light illuminated "Little Stone's" face perfectly.
That little face was covered in black mud, but only its eyes shone brightly!
It burns with an extreme exhaustion, yet with a tenacious will to survive, as tenacious as wild grass!
That look, like a brand, was fiercely seared into the hearts of Lord Han and all the constables who rushed in!
"Save them!" Lord Han's voice trembled slightly as he abruptly waved his hand!
The voice was resolute!
Several constables rushed forward and helped to carefully drag the last miner out.
The pillar could no longer support it and collapsed backward onto the cold ground, its chest heaving violently, only able to gasp for breath.
Jiang Chan felt the heavy pressure on her shoulders suddenly disappear, and her tense nerves relaxed abruptly.
An overwhelming feeling of exhaustion washed over her instantly, her vision went completely black, and her body slumped forward.
"Little Stone!" Li Dachui, who was nearby, exclaimed in surprise and rushed over in a panic.
Jiang Chan did not completely faint, but she was so exhausted that she could not move even a finger, and her eyelids were too heavy to lift.
She leaned against Li Dachui's chest, coughing violently, each cough aggravating the pain throughout her body.
"Child! Child, how are you?" Lord Han strode over, squatted down, and looked at Jiang Chan (Little Stone), who was being supported by Li Dachui and was extremely weak. His stern gaze was filled with a hint of emotion and lingering fear.
Jiang Chan barely opened her heavy eyelids, looked at the dignified official in front of her, her lips moved but no sound came out, she could only shake her head slightly.
Gouwa spotted Jiang Chan (Xiao Shitou) being helped up and Zhu Zi and the others collapsed on the ground. Tears welled up instantly, and he choked out, "Xiao Shitou! Brother Zhu Zi! Uncle Li! You...you really came out!"
He rushed to Jiang Chan's side, tightly grasping her cold hand, crying and laughing at the same time, "I...I ran there! I beat the drum! I told them the Black Stone Mine collapsed! Wang Bapi was going to bury people alive! Lord Han...Lord Han believed me! He brought his troops!" Gouwa was so excited that he was incoherent.
Lord Han looked at the group of miners who had survived the ordeal and were crying with their heads in their hands. His gaze swept over the weak but stubborn "Little Stone" and then over Wang Bapi, who was slumped on the ground with a deathly pale face. His face was so gloomy that it could drip water.
Lord Han abruptly straightened up, his voice as cold as ice, "You are utterly depraved, treating human life like dirt, your actions are intolerable to Heaven! Guards!"
"Yes, sir!" the constables replied in unison, their voices echoing through the night.
"Arrest Wang Ba and his gang of criminals immediately! Seal off the mine! Search for evidence! Provide proper accommodation and medical treatment for all surviving miners!" Lord Han's gaze was sharp as a knife. "I want to see just how many shady dealings are hidden in this Black Stone Mine! Sealing off the mine to cover it up? Hmph! The net of heaven is vast, and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it! Search it! Dig three feet into the ground, and find out all the evidence of their crimes!"
"Yes, sir!"
The constables sprang into action. The cold iron chains rattled as they were fastened around Wang Bapi's fat neck.
Cries and pleas for mercy erupted instantly.
The constable roughly tore open Wang Bapi's thick silk coat, rummaged around in his arms, and quickly pulled out a small, heavy cloth bag carefully wrapped in oilcloth!
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