Chapter 189: Helpful Citizen

Two days later.

Abyss of Mist.

The stone forest area had long since lost its former tranquility.

Countless Professionals shuttled back and forth like worker ants amidst the shouts of the overseers.

With heavy Ore on their shoulders and numbness and exhaustion on their faces, they carried magic-infused crystals out of the deep mines and piled them in designated open spaces.

Qin Ming stood atop a towering stone pillar, his hands clasped behind his back.

With a stern expression and lightning-like gaze, he scanned the busy crowd below.

"Pull yourselves together!"

"Be quick with your hands and feet! Whoever dares to slack off won't get any dinner!"

He solemnly fulfilled his duties as a team leader, his voice loud and full of Qi.

Just then, the shadow elongated by the stone pillar beneath his feet stirred slightly.

"Qin Ming."

The expression on Qin Ming's face did not change in the slightest, maintaining its cold and ruthless look.

Seemingly casually, he turned around, walked down the stone pillar, and paced to an unnoticeable, secluded corner.

Only then did he lower his voice and speak respectfully.

"Master, you're here."

In the shadows, Moria let out a faint "Mn."

"Recently, is there any new situation with the Radiant Alliance and this Secret Realm?"

Qin Ming immediately reported the intelligence he had gathered.

"Reporting to Master, the Radiant Alliance has been dragging more and more people in recently."

"I haven't counted carefully, but there are at least four thousand people in the entire Secret Realm currently."

"And…"

Qin Ming's voice dropped even lower, carrying a hint of solemnity.

"This time, the Liu family's third son, Liu Ziang, brought quite a few powerhouses."

"I probed around and found out there are at least twelve people above level 50."

"There are also at least two at level 60."

"As for how many of them are S-rank, I have no way of knowing, and I didn't dare to ask rashly."

"I heard they are mainly responsible for exploring the depths of this Secret Realm."

"Being able to dispatch so many powerhouses means there must be something extraordinary in this Secret Realm."

Zhou Huai's consciousness was inside Moria, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

Not only were there level 50 Professionals.

Even level 60 ones had come.

The Liu family's emphasis on this Secret Realm far exceeded his imagination.

Seemingly remembering something, Qin Ming quickly added.

"Right, Master, among those two level 60 powerhouses, one is extremely skilled in perception."

"If you encounter him, please be sure to be careful."

"A few days ago, an undercover operative sent by the military was discovered by them, causing quite a commotion."

"I heard that person was struck to death on the spot with a single palm strike by that level 60 powerhouse."

Zhou Huai's heart skipped a beat.

Li Gang?

He quickly pressed on.

"What did the person who was beaten to death look like?"

Qin Ming shook his head.

"I'm not clear on this either."

"At that time, I was leading a team mining deep within the Secret Realm and wasn't at the scene."

"I only heard about it from others later."

Zhou Huai understood.

A level 60 powerhouse skilled in perception was indeed a huge trouble.

Although Moria was good at hiding in the shadows, it didn't mean he was completely incapable of being perceived.

"Is that powerhouse in that huge cave now?"

"Not there," Qin Ming replied.

"They have ventured deep into the Secret Realm again to explore, and they probably won't be back for a while."

"Understood."

Moria's voice sounded again.

"Be careful yourself."

"When the time is ripe, I will take you out."

"Thank you, Master!"

Qin Ming's voice was filled with gratitude and excitement.

Moria said no more, his figure quietly retreating from the shadow beneath Qin Ming's feet.

He passed through the gate connecting the Secret Realm to the outside world, arriving once again in that huge, spacious underground cave.

Just as Qin Ming had said.

In today's cave, the number of people was obviously much greater than before.

The number of Radiant Alliance guards had also more than doubled.

Holding weapons, they patrolled back and forth among the crowd with vigilant eyes and a grim atmosphere.

Moria carefully navigated through the shadows, like a drop of water blending into the sea, without attracting anyone's attention.

With an unintentional glance.

He saw that familiar figure in the distant crowd.

Li Gang.

At this moment, he was sitting on a protruding stone pier, sweating profusely and panting heavily.

His clothes had long been soaked with sweat, and his face was covered in dust, making him look extremely disheveled.

Zhou Huai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately.

This Lord Li Gang wasn't dead.

He was a rather important link in his plan and couldn't just die so easily here.

After a few shadow leaps.

Moria's figure had silently arrived in the shadow beneath Li Gang's feet.

"Lord Li Gang."

An abrupt voice rang directly in Li Gang's mind.

Li Gang's hand wiping sweat suddenly paused.

His sharp eyes instantly turned vigilant, seemingly looking around casually.

Around him were still those numbly working miners and patrolling guards.

There was nothing unusual.

He frowned, feeling somewhat puzzled inside.

"What the hell, could my nerves be too tense lately, causing auditory hallucinations?"

However, the next second.

That cold voice sounded again.

"Lord Li Gang, don't look for it."

"I am beneath your feet."

Li Gang's body stiffened abruptly.

Slowly, inch by inch, he lowered his head.

Sure enough, within the pitch-black shadow under his feet, a pale, bloodless human face was slowly emerging.

That face seemed to merge with the shadow, with only a pair of silver eyes quietly gazing at him.

Even with Li Gang's extensive experience, he was startled so much by this bizarre scene that his heart skipped a beat.

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart without making a sound.

He lowered his voice, speaking in a volume only he could hear to ask.

"Who are you?"

"How do you know my name?"

Controlling Moria, Zhou Huai spoke in a calm voice.

"You don't need to care who I am."

"You can call me… Helpful Citizen."

"Helpful Citizen?"

Hearing this title, Li Gang was stunned for a moment.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

What the hell kind of thing is a helpful citizen?

Zhou Huai ignored his reaction and continued to guide him step by step.

"Lord Li Gang, not only do I know your name."

"I also know your identity."

"Most importantly…"

A hint of bewitchment tinged Moria's voice.

"I can help you get out."

Li Gang's brows furrowed even deeper.

He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

His voice carried guard.

"Why should I trust you?"

Zhou Huai seemed to expect him to ask this, simply stating a fact calmly.

"You don't seem to have any other choice right now."

"This is a thousand meters underground."

"Without my help, you won't get out."

Hearing this, Li Gang fell silent once again.

He knew what the other person said was a fact.

Ever since he was trapped here, he hadn't stopped thinking of ways to escape.

But every time ended in failure.

He even lost a team member because of it.

The defense here was too strict, with powerhouses as numerous as clouds.

What's more, overhead was a layer of rock a thousand meters thick.

Even if he could miraculously rush out of this cave, it would be absolutely impossible to punch through the rock layer and escape before being discovered.

Right now, he was a tiger trapped in a cage.

Having all that strength with nowhere to unleash it.

Seeing him waver, Zhou Huai continued.

"In the next two days, a major event will happen in this cave."

"At that time, you can take advantage of the chaos to escape."

"I dug a passage leading directly to the surface in that corridor outside."

"Now the entrance to the passage has been resealed with rocks and camouflaged by me; ordinary passersby won't be able to see any trace."

"However, I will make a mark on the lowest stone."

"At that time, as long as you find that mark, with your strength, you should easily be able to break through the stone wall and escape."