"Be careful not to drink too much, it can be fatal. Take it slow."
Liu Dayi always listened to Uncle Qi the most, so no matter how thirsty or tired he was, he wouldn't disobey his wishes.
He took the kettle and drank some water slowly, and only then did he feel better.
The others were not idle either. They continued to enlarge and reinforce the cave entrance. Once it was large enough for three or four people to enter and exit simultaneously, they hurried inside to rescue the trapped individuals.
The space inside was quite large. From the outside, it looked completely sealed, but there were several cracks from the explosion inside, so the air was not entirely stagnant.
A large group lay there weakly. These were usually strong men, but now they were so weak they didn't even have the strength to speak.
Feng Jinhua stepped forward and checked the breathing of several people. Fortunately, although weak, there was still a chance of survival.
So, one by one, they were carried out on stretchers.
After a lot of effort, and confirming that all seventy-six people from this location had been rescued, Feng Jinhua and Uncle Qi turned to leave.
Stepping out of the dark cave entrance, the light outside was truly inviting.
Madam Hua directed everyone to quickly send those with breathing to be treated. Some with strong wills woke up not long after emerging from the cave.
Seeing everyone working hard to rescue them, they were very excited.
However, their bodies were weak and they couldn't speak much.
But there were also those whose bodies were weaker. By the time they were carried out, their bodies were already cold. So, Madam Hua had them covered with white cloths and sent to another place for a proper burial.
Thus, when Feng Jinhua and Uncle Qi came out, Madam Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was impossible not to worry, but since her son's entry could boost morale, she wouldn't deliberately stop him.
"Mother, how is it?"
"The situation isn't too bad. Only three people didn't make it. The rest have been sent for treatment."
Three people. It didn't sound like a terrifying number, but it involved three families. Some might have had elderly parents, some might have had young children. Now that they were gone, their families would also be devastated.
Feng Jinhua's eyes reddened, and he roared.
"I want that person to pay with his life!"
"Alright, the immediate priority is to rescue everyone. We can discuss the rest later!"
Madam Hua interrupted him in time. There were many things she needed to arrange, so it was not yet time to alert the enemy.
As they were talking, Xiao Muqian strode towards them.
"We've also made progress at the other cave entrance."
Everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they quickly ran over.
The cave entrance here extended downwards, making excavation more difficult. Fortunately, the Feng family had made more thorough preparations for sinking mine shafts, so they found a safe corner every so often as they progressed.
More than thirty people had been rescued one after another. Apart from being mentally shaken, they were not seriously injured.
After all, the safe corners had plenty of clean water and food, enough to last for ten days to half a month.
Their condition was much better than those who had just been rescued.
Uncle Qi pulled over someone who was resting, having been rescued from the mine shaft not long ago, and asked.
"What's the situation inside?"
"The brothers on the upper levels are fine, but it's hard to say about those below."
Although Uncle Qi had been mentally prepared, he still felt immense self-blame.
Why hadn't he discovered the mole earlier? Or if he had been more careful when managing the explosives, this disaster might have been avoided.
He could only hope that the number of casualties among the brothers would be as small as possible, otherwise, the guilt would crush him.
With the experience of rescue, the soldiers worked faster, and soon dozens more were pulled out, similar to the previous situation.
They were all mentally distressed, but their physical injuries were not severe.
However, one person died suddenly. It was unclear if it was due to the excitement of being rescued or some other reason. Everyone felt it was a great pity.
They worked day and night, and it wasn't until the third day, just before dawn, that everyone was finally pulled out of the mine shaft.
Seven had died, sixteen were injured, and the rest were hungry and gradually recovered after eating.
After this turmoil, the Feng family's mine had suffered a great blow.
It wasn't just the casualties, but more importantly, the morale of the people.
In the past, going into the mine was a common occurrence, but now everyone had a lingering fear. It would be extremely difficult to go in again in the future.
This was why the Feng family had always strictly enforced safety regulations in the mine.
Matters of life and death, even once, were enough to shatter people's resolve.
Fortunately, the Feng family did not rely solely on the mine for their livelihood. Especially after Madam Hua married into the family, she and Feng Shan had managed the other family assets in an orderly fashion.
Therefore, Madam Hua had already considered the future of the mine before she came.
The warm sun in the sky cast a gentle golden hue on the mine again, and it was only then that people felt a hint of warmth.
Most of the houses had been destroyed and were uninhabitable.
So, everyone was resting in makeshift tents.
At this moment, Madam Hua quietly led a group of people away, heading towards the ruined houses.
When she reached the room Feng Shan had visited before, she saw that the people who had followed her averted their gazes. For some reason, she stumbled a few steps and disappeared.
A moment later, she reappeared, holding a bulging package, which looked very important.
Du Fuzi, who had been waiting in the shadows for a long time, was already impatient.
They had been lurking here, blowing up the mine, and even faking signs of the houses being searched, all to lure the Feng family to come and look for it themselves. That way, he could just snatch the account book by force.
"Attack!"
With a sharp command, several black-clad men rushed forward to snatch it, their swords pointed at Madam Hua.
They were determined to get the package she was holding!
Madam Hua was shocked and clung to the package, refusing to let go. How could the black-clad men tolerate this? They intended to kill her and take the package.
The sword tip reached Madam Hua's face, and just as blood was about to splatter, Xiao Muqian suddenly appeared from elsewhere, blocking the attacker's sword energy. Not only that, but he also severed the hand holding the sword.
With a cry of pain, the others were also wounded by Xiao Muqian. Seeing that their presence was exposed, they all gritted their teeth and committed suicide, except for the one who lost a hand. Before he could do anything, his jaw was broken, and he rolled on the ground, clutching his bleeding right hand.
Du Fuzi, hiding in the dark, was greatly alarmed. How could this happen in a situation that was supposed to be a sure victory!
He tried to slip away, but was trapped in place by Xiao Muqian's deputy.
Du Fuzi, unable to move after being acupunctured, was carried to Xiao Muqian. Madam Hua and Feng Jinhua had never seen this person before, but Xiao Muqian knew him very well.
"Du Fuzi, I trust you are well."
Du Fuzi was now unable to speak or move. Even if he wanted to react, he was powerless.
So, Madam Hua stepped forward and asked, "Young General, is he one of the Ninth Prince's men?"