Years turn into wind

Chapter 158 Abandoned Mine Mystery

The wind from the abandoned mine howled, bringing a slight chill. Cheng Yuwei, draped in a thick cloak, stood beside Ling Xiaotian, looking at the pile of broken wooden boxes and scattered military rations before her with a complicated expression.

"It's right here," Ling Xiaotian whispered, his eyes scanning the scene sharply. The adjutant stood aside, pointing to a deep pit not far away. "This is where the rations were found, along with three bodies nearby. We suspect they were from the escort team."

Cheng Yuwei walked forward, squatted down, and carefully examined the scattered grain bags. She ran her finger over the black substance remaining on the bag's opening and sniffed it gently.

"Is this... the smell of gunpowder?" She raised her head, her eyes full of questions.

The adjutant nodded. "Yes, preliminary judgment is that these grain bags were blown open during transportation."

Ling Xiaotian frowned slightly: "Gunpowder? Ordinary robbers wouldn't use such means."

"It's more like a premeditated act of sabotage." Cheng Yuwei took over the conversation. "They left these things here on purpose to draw our attention. This might just be a bait."

Her words plunged everyone present into deep thought. Ling Xiaotian looked at the deep pit before him and asked coldly, "Have you thoroughly investigated the area surrounding this mine?"

"We've checked it, and no other suspicious signs were found in the mine," the adjutant replied.

Cheng Yuwei stood up and looked towards the depths of the mine: "Have you noticed that the soil over there is a little loose?"

Ling Xiaotian followed her gaze and indeed spotted a patch of ground that looked different from the surroundings. He waved his hand and said, "Go take a look."

Several soldiers immediately stepped forward to dig, and soon a hidden entrance was revealed. The dark hole was like a giant mouth, emitting an unsettling aura.

"It seems we have found some clues." Ling Xiaotian sneered, "Let's go in and take a look."

Mine thrills

The mine was pitch black. Ling Xiaotian held a flashlight in one hand and supported Cheng Yuwei with the other as they walked carefully forward. The ground was damp, and the occasional sound of water dripping could be heard.

"Are you sure you want to come in?" Ling Xiaotian asked in a low voice.

"We're already here, are you asking me to go back?" Cheng Yuwei glared at him. "Besides, with you here, what do I have to fear?"

Ling Xiaotian chuckled softly, "Okay, that's what you said."

The two had just walked a short distance when they heard a sudden noise behind them. The adjutant quickly signaled everyone to be on guard and scanned the surroundings with his flashlight, but found nothing suspicious.

"Maybe it's a rat," the adjutant whispered.

Ling Xiaotian said nothing, but continued walking forward. The further he went, the more humid the air became, with a faint smell of blood.

"There's something ahead." Cheng Yuwei suddenly reminded softly.

By the light of the flashlight, they saw some broken boxes and ammunition debris scattered on the ground. These things were obviously supplies lost from the transport team, but there was no one around.

"Why are these things here?" Cheng Yuwei asked in a low voice.

"Obviously someone deliberately moved them." Ling Xiaotian looked at the traces on the ground and said coldly, "They are leading us deeper."

"So what do we do now?" asked the adjutant.

"Now that we're here, we have to get to the bottom of this." Ling Xiaotian turned to look at Cheng Yuwei, "Follow me, don't wander around."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, but her heartbeat quickened a little because of the weird atmosphere.

Going further in, the mine suddenly opened up. A huge underground space came into view, filled with all kinds of weapons and supplies, obviously a hidden arsenal.

"This is... a smuggled weapon!" the adjutant said in shock.

Ling Xiaotian's eyes were stern: "It seems that this is their lair."

Cheng Yuwei was about to go forward to investigate when Ling Xiaotian stopped her. He swept his flashlight around and, sure enough, spotted several thin, almost transparent threads in the corner—explosive fuses!

"Everyone step back!" Ling Xiaotian shouted and quickly pulled Cheng Yuwei behind him.

Almost at the same time, a loud noise came from deep in the mine, the entire space began to shake, and rubble continued to fall from above.

"This is an ambush! Get out!" The adjutant immediately ordered the soldiers to retreat.

Ling Xiaotian held onto Cheng Yuwei's hand tightly, protecting her as he quickly retreated towards the cave entrance. The sounds of explosions and falling rocks mixed in, creating a dangerous atmosphere.

After finally rushing out of the mine, the few people just breathed a sigh of relief, but found that a large number of enemies were lying in ambush outside.

"It seems that they don't want us to go back alive." Ling Xiaotian sneered and pulled out his pistol.

Counterattack

The enemy was clearly well prepared, and bullets rained down like raindrops. Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei hid behind a rock and turned back to order his adjutant, "Protect the retreat, at all costs!"

"What are you going to do?" Cheng Yuwei grabbed his hand, her eyes full of worry.

"Stay here to provide cover," Ling Xiaotian whispered, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination. "You go with them."

"Ling Xiaotian!" Cheng Yuwei was anxious. "Are you crazy? If you stay, won't you become a target?"

"Be obedient." He reached out and touched her face, his tone suddenly softening. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving!" Cheng Yuwei gritted her teeth, "I'm going with you."

Ling Xiaotian looked at her stubborn expression, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes: "Okay, then let's go together."

The two fought side by side, Ling Xiaotian commanding the soldiers to counterattack while protecting Cheng Yuwei. After a fierce exchange of fire, the enemy gradually couldn't hold on and fled in all directions.

When everything was over, Cheng Yuwei was already panting and sweating. She turned to look at Ling Xiaotian, only to find that there was blood at the corner of his mouth and his face was a little pale.

"You're hurt!" Cheng Yuwei's heart tightened and she hurried forward to support him.

"It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about." Ling Xiaotian waved his hand, a smile on his face. "Look, didn't we win?"

Cheng Yuwei glared at him fiercely, but couldn't stop her eyes from moistening: "If anything happens to you, I will never forgive you!"

Ling Xiaotian suddenly laughed out loud after hearing this: "Madam, don't worry, I'm lucky."