Just as the three were whispering among themselves, Xu Yuehuai suddenly pulled out a stone that shimmered with an eerie light from her bosom. This was a mysterious treasure she had obtained by chance during an adventure. She held the stone tightly in her hand and began to try to use the secret technique that Qi Guze had mentioned.
As Xu Yuehuai chanted incantations, the light from the mysterious stone gradually brightened, as if an invisible force was being quietly released.
The manipulated laborers began to behave strangely. Some stopped working and looked around blankly; others covered their heads as if they were in great pain.
However, those who were awakened did not regain their senses; instead, they fell into even deeper confusion.
"I don't want to be trapped here!"
"I want to get out!"
"Don't even think about trapping me!"
"Let me leave this place!"
Some fled in panic, knocking down the mine's pillars; others seemed to have lost their minds, attacking their companions frantically. In an instant, the entire mine descended into chaos.
"How could this happen?" A hint of worry flashed in Qi Guze's eyes. "Could it be that our method is wrong?"
Xu Yuehuai was very serious. "It seems that these people can't accept being sober all at once."
Rapid footsteps echoed at the mine entrance, followed by a deafening roar that reverberated throughout the mine: "Don't move! Anyone who dares to misbehave will be killed on sight!"
Xu Yuehuai and the other two felt a chill run down their spines and quickly lowered their heads, pretending to be nonchalant as they continued moving the crystals.
A burly, ferocious-looking puppet administrator strode in, brandishing a long whip. His piercing gaze swept over the chaotic crowd before finally settling on Xu Yuehuai and his two companions.
The long whip lashed out towards Xu Yuehuai, but fortunately Qi Guze reacted quickly and pulled her back, while simultaneously pretending to fall and cleverly blocking the blow.
Seeing this, the puppet administrator roared angrily, "You three, watch out! If you join in causing trouble, you'll taste the power of the whip!"
In order to quell the chaos, the puppet administrator immediately ordered the capture of all those who tried to escape.
He ruthlessly executed several people on the spot as a warning to others, and their blood stained the ground of the mine.
Seeing this, the others dared not make any further moves and could only continue their endless labor in fear.
Xu Yuehuai, Qi Guze, and Pei Hai had no choice but to continue moving the crystals. However, the shock in their hearts was hard to calm down for a long time. This unexpected attempt made them realize the seriousness of the problem.
As night fell, the noise in the underground space gradually subsided, leaving only the occasional low groans and the distant footsteps of patrolling guards.
By the dim light of the fire, Xu Yuehuai carefully bandaged Qi Guze's wounds. Her movements were gentle and swift, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping ones around her.
"Are you alright?" Xu Yuehuai asked softly, her eyes full of concern.
Qi Guze gently patted the top of her head. "This little injury is nothing. It's just that the current situation is not good for us."
Pei Hai watched all this silently from the side. "Yes, we need to find a way to remove these talismans as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if we can escape from here, we won't be able to truly save these people."
Xu Yuehuai pondered for a moment, then looked up at the mountain of crystals in the distance. "These crystals may be the key to solving all these mysteries. The energy fluctuations they emit are very likely the source controlling these puppets."
"So our goal is to find a way to control these crystals, or to destroy them completely?" Qi Guze asked.
Xu Yuehua nodded. "That's right. This underground space is heavily guarded, so we can't confront it head-on. We need to devise a meticulous plan that will both rescue the people being manipulated and expose this conspiracy."
They then began to observe their surroundings and the condition of other workers more carefully, looking for another opportunity to rescue these manipulated people.
At the same time, they silently vowed to expose the truth about this dark mine and rescue those innocent people from their suffering.
After repeated observations and analyses, they discovered a pattern: the manipulators would relax their vigilance slightly when it was late at night and all was quiet.
This gave them an opportunity, so the three decided to act again late at night.
Xu Yuehuai was responsible for continuing to infiltrate the transport team and looking for opportunities to approach the core areas that controlled the crystals; Qi Guze used his lightness skills and intelligence to create chaos on the perimeter to attract the guards' attention; and Pei Hai was responsible for monitoring the movements of the entire underground space to ensure unimpeded communication between the three of them.
With the plan set, the three of them set about their own actions.
Xu Yuehuai changed back into the clothes for moving puppets and joined the moving team to begin another day of work.
While carrying the heavy crystals, she secretly searched for an opportunity to enter the core area.
Finally, during one of her transports, she discovered the entrance to a secret passage hidden in the shadow of a pile of crystals.
This entrance is extremely well hidden; it is difficult to discover its existence without careful observation.
Xu Yuehuai felt a surge of joy, knowing that this might be the breakthrough she had been searching for.
She approached the entrance to the secret passage discreetly and slipped inside quickly during a break in the moving.
The secret passage was pitch black, but Xu Yuehuai relied on her extraordinary senses to feel her way forward step by step. Soon she arrived at a spacious and brightly lit hall.
In the center of the hall stood a strange stone statue, inlaid with countless dazzling crystals.
Around the stone statue stood several wizards dressed in black robes, chanting ancient incantations and making complex hand gestures in the air, performing some kind of evil ritual.
Xu Yuehuai realized that these black-robed wizards were the masterminds behind the manipulation of puppets and control of crystal energy.
She held her breath and quietly approached the statue, trying to find a way to break the spell.
However, just as she was about to reach the back of an outer wizard, the black-robed wizard suddenly turned around and stared coldly at her.
"It's you! An enemy of my people! Prepare to die!" he shouted fiercely.
Xu Yuehuai swiftly pulled a sharp dagger from his pocket and lunged at the black-robed wizard.
The black-robed wizard was caught off guard by Xu Yuehuai's sudden attack and frantically waved his staff in defense.
However, Xu Yuehuai was swift; with her extraordinary speed, she subdued the black-robed wizard in one fell swoop.
Seeing this, the other black-robed wizards attacked Xu Yuehuai, but Xu Yuehuai quickly searched the black-robed wizards for clues to remove the spell.
She quickly found a jade pendant engraved with intricate runes. Holding it tightly in her palm, she felt a warm current gently seep into her body.
Xu Yuehuai closed her eyes and concentrated, carefully savoring the pulse of this power, silently reciting the incantation to dispel it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com