Otherworldly Desert Dust-Chapter 338 - 293: Shake People!

"Shall we go have a look?" Wu Hen said to Ruan Muhuan.

Ruan Muhuan nodded; she too felt the faint scent of stone from within the Jade Cave, which was very soothing to the senses. It seemed as if every inch of her meridians were stretching open, as if she were soaking in a medicinal bath. The True Qi circulating within her body also inexplicably became more active.

The two proceeded deeper into the Jade Cave. The people of Jiang Mansion had only mined the outer area, but using his own sonar exploration, Wu Hen discovered that this cave was actually very deep, reaching into the earth’s depths and its entire structure was like a labyrinthine cave. Rainwater drizzled, turning into several streamlets flowing into the Jade Cave...

Wu Hen would not get lost in the caves.

He led Ruan Muhuan to a narrow gap and found it filled with rainwater pouring down from above. To go deeper, they would have to swim through.

"Is there air inside? Shall we dive in?" Wu Hen asked.

"I should be the one to go, just in case there is a powerful cave demon spirit cultivating inside..." Ruan Muhuan said.

"The Spiritual Energy is so pure here, it’s still so rich even though it’s blocked by this water system. It looks like we really have found treasure," Wu Hen said with a smile.

"It’s actually yours by right, passed down from your ancestors," Ruan Muhuan said.

"It seems that this was indeed a precious Jade Spirit Mine all along. People from Ya City only mined its outer cave in the past, doing business with some jade. After generations of relentless digging, they finally touched the Jade Spirit Ore of the inner cave, yet this happens to be when Ya City is at its most vulnerable," Wu Hen said.

"Now that the people from Jiang Mansion have dug up to this point, they must also know about this secret. They will come out in full force, take over this area, and maybe even move the entire Prefecture City here, heavily guard it, and form Martial Artist’s sealed land," Ruan Muhuan said.

"But didn’t you say Mrs. Zeng, the most powerful in this region, would definitely notice if Jiang Mansion tries to mobilize on such a large scale?" Wu Hen said.

"Mrs. Zeng is from Wuting, sent here as a demotion, a royal noble banished to the frontiers. It’s impossible for Jiang Mansion’s troops to contend with her power..." Ruan Muhuan said.

"That means, while we used to be able to coexist peacefully with Mrs. Zeng, now with the emergence of this Jade Spirit Mine, she has become our biggest enemy," Wu Hen nodded in understanding.

Ruan Muhuan fell silent.

Her current strength was only enough to negotiate with Mrs. Zeng, but not enough to contend with her.

Mrs. Zeng had no fewer than twenty people under her command who had reached the Wu Family realm, and she herself was of the Ninth Level martial family...

In the past, Mrs. Zeng’s collection of treasures from this area was merely a hobby, but once she learns of the Jade Spirit Mine, she would also dispatch all her forces to flatten Ya City.

"Now that Jiang Mansion wants it, and Zeng Mansion does too, can we make them fight each other and buy us some time?" Ruan Muhuan inquired.

Wu Hen shook his head.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

With any sense at all, Jiang Mansion should know that they probably couldn’t hold on to this Jade Spirit Mine with their strength, so their only option would be one.

"They might join forces," Wu Hen said.

One was a local tyrant, the other a Shallow Water Jiao; the chances of them banding together were high.

"Mrs. Zeng could eradicate Jiang Mansion and monopolize this mine," Ruan Muhuan said.

"No, this mine requires a large amount of manpower and military force to exploit. Even if you wanted to kill the donkey after it ground the mill, you would have to wait for the donkey to finish the work," Wu Hen said.

"What if we offered this Jade Spirit Mine to Mrs. Zeng?" Ruan Muhuan asked.

"It’s better to flee than to do that. We’re not even as good as the donkey but crows that know the message, sure to be shot dead by them. The news needs to be sealed immediately, not letting it spread beyond this territory..." Wu Hen said.

Ruan Muhuan looked at Wu Hen, already contemplating the idea of taking this man and fleeing.

Such a massive treasure wasn’t something they could afford to shoulder now.

"What should we do if we can’t mine it in a short time and have to face both Jiang Mansion’s troops and Mrs. Zeng’s Martial Warriors?" Ruan Muhuan asked.

"Mining isn’t difficult; I have some friends who are experts in this field. The key now is how to hold Ya City, and see the overall strength of the troops I’ve gathered," Wu Hen said.

"Do you plan to take this mine??" Ruan Muhuan asked, a little surprised.

"It’s mine to begin with!" Wu Hen said.

"But..." Ruan Muhuan began to speak, but upon seeing Wu Hen showing no sign of fear, she swallowed her concerns and said, "Alright then, wherever you are, I shall be."

"It will take their army nearly half a month to get here, so don’t panic. We may indeed have difficulty in massively exploiting the Jade Spirit Ore here, but it’s easy to collect some Jade Spirit that could help you improve quickly," Wu Hen said.

"Hmm!" Ruan Muhuan responded, untying the thick coat she wore, leaving only the thin undergarment.

"What are you doing?" Wu Hen was taken aback.

The cave was dim, lit only by the glow of a single torch reflecting on their cheeks. Wu Hen was puzzled why Ruan Muhuan, out of so many temples and tree bottoms and single-room inns they had been to before, where she could have indulged in a moment of joy with him before death, had instead chosen the edge of this cave’s water pool. An interesting choice indeed!

"Plop~"

Ruan Muhuan didn’t answer but gracefully dove into the water like an elegant Merfolk, swimming towards the deeper part of the Jade Cave, her silhouette barely visible under the chilly water, moving with graceful curves...

Oh, she’s out treasure-hunting.

Wu Hen, initially excited for another reason, had to also shed his outer clothing and bravely dive into the cold water of the cave.

...

Entering the depths of the cave, a strong exotic fragrance assaulted their nostrils.

For Wu Hen, this was the first time encountering an ore that emitted a fragrance akin to a sea of flowers, a sensation even more thrilling than when he first stumbled into the Bai Ze’s Glazed Cave.

"This place, just meditating here for a few years, one could cultivate into a monster!" Wu Hen exclaimed in amazement.

Ruan Muhuan was equally excited and agitated, yet she quickly regained her composure.

The time they had was severely limited, and they were to face enemies that numbered in the tens of thousands; even if their cultivation could skyrocket, surviving might still prove difficult.

"Little Yi, this place is perfect for you to sleep in." Wu Hen communicated with Little Yi subconsciously.

But his soul remained eerily silent, without any response.

It was then that Wu Hen remembered he was traversing through consciousness and thereby unable to communicate with Little Yi who resided in his true soul.

"This Lu Yun’s host body must be brought back to Nuwa God End, but the transfer requires ample time, not to mention Nuwa God End isn’t nearby."

"To log out now and then re-enter in spirit form... but the login wouldn’t be through the ’Lu Yun’ account, and it’s possible to awaken in some other, farther realm. Plus, every Lost One has their own quandaries to settle, and I’d need to solve the problems there before flying here, which again does not address the immediate issue."

"Come directly from the Pure Land and descend here as a Desert Dust Life?"

"Such an act would cause too much commotion. Here in the True Martial Continent where Martial God level beings exist, striding across the Sky Dome with great leaps would inevitably alert some hidden powers. If there’s someone from the Hua Chen Realm, both Little Yi and I would be finished right away. It’s too risky; as valuable as this thing is, it’s not worth our lives."

Wu Hen pondered his options immediately.

Yet, whether in spirit form or as his true Desert Dust Life form, neither seemed like the best strategy. Though he could easily overpower the local martial army with force, the situation could still turn sour.

"No choice then, time to call in connections among my kin."

"Summon as many as possible to fight a defense battle for Ya City against the local tyrants and the Shallow Water Jiao!"

In reality, Wu Hen had already instructed the female college student to start recruiting, offering high salaries to attract comrades, but those who would come were somewhat limited, mostly civilian experts.

Now, Wu Hen had to leverage official powers, going head-to-head with Jiang Mansion and Mrs. Zeng!

"Han Han, practice cultivation here; I will teach you some Ancient Clan Battle Skills from the Scroll Realm. Comprehend them well," Wu Hen told Ruan Muhuan.

"When I’m not by your side, how will you deal with them? Mrs. Zeng has a group of martial artists under her called Shadow Guests, each one an elite fighter, swift in action and decisive in killing. If Mrs. Zeng already knows about this place, these Shadow Guests might already be on their way..." Ruan Muhuan spoke.

"Be good and listen to me. You are the defender of Ya City. Until the opponents show their trump cards, don’t act rashly. I’ve already summoned a group of loyal and righteous people and they’re also on their way. Until then, improve your cultivation as much as you can. Even if we end up overwhelmed, we would have at least tasted the first Peach. Running away can always wait until later," Wu Hen said.

Ruan Muhuan would voice her concerns, but she wouldn’t engage in pointless resistance.

"Mm, take care of yourself," said Ruan Muhuan, who didn’t add anything else, as she closed her eyes in the dimly lit Jade Cave.

Wu Hen unconsciously opened his arms, feeling that given the atmosphere, a hug seemed appropriate...

But she already sat down, her expression cold and determined, and her lightly trembling long eyelashes seemed to indicate she was forcing herself to remove all distractions, to break free from her ordinary restraints no matter what.

Wu Hen scratched his head, didn’t take advantage of the situation, and thus reluctantly swam out of the Jade Cave.

He found a safe house and lay down on the bed.

Wu Hen immediately chose to log out of Otherworldly Dust and returned to his Home Base.

"Shen Wenhai, come at once!"

Wu Hen immediately sent a message to Shen Wenhai.

Shen Wenhai was the Home Base Chief, responsible for everything big and small.

He had recently come to Wu Hen to see what remarkable Otherworldly discoveries the Lord Wu Hen had made, only to be disappointed to find that Wu Hen was still an unknown little soldier and left feeling let down.

Shen Wenhai was already run ragged, but upon seeing Wu Hen’s message, he immediately took a mecha from Lun Mountain City to hurry over.

"Lord Wu Hen, have you encountered some trouble?" Shen Wenhai inquired.

"Have you got a handle on all the virtual identities humans possess on the True Martial Continent?" Wu Hen asked.

"Of course, except for some special individuals," Shen Wenhai responded.

"List all those who can reach Ya City within half a month," Wu Hen said.

Stay connected through novelbuddy

"Ya City? What place is that? Sounds pretty remote," Shen Wenhai approached the subject.

"I’ve discovered a Jade Spirit Mine, the kind that could produce a Martial Saint," Wu Hen revealed.

At those words, Shen Wenhai’s eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets, his facial muscles accumulated rapidly, forming a greasy grin.

"I’ll issue a summoning order right away!" Shen Wenhai declared.

"Whether we can defend this treasure depends on our kin’s war effort over the next few months; don’t disappoint me," Wu Hen said tersely.

Mainly, he could not afford to lose face in front of Ruan Muhuan; this was the perfect moment for a man to showcase his Jianghu status in front of a woman.