Chapter 898: Ambush in the Mining Area

“Bastards!”
“How did those from the Mu family get in here?”
“Are the people at the front-line branch temples blind? All eight resource sites were attacked, and thousands of them slipped into our territory without anyone noticing in advance!!”
After a burst of furious shouts, the temple master “Unbreakable Affection” mounted his horse fully armed, leading hundreds of First-Class Hall disciples out of the branch temple. Together with thousands more who came from the city and nearby towns, they formed a large force and split into four groups, charging toward the attacked resource mines with great momentum.
Boom!!!
A loud earthquake shook the area. The people in Wengcheng had never seen the First-Class Hall’s forces mobilize in such a grand scale before. Standing at a distance, they pointed and discussed eagerly:
“What are they going to do?”
“Who provoked the First-Class Hall?” Since the incident happened suddenly, many inside the First-Class Hall hadn’t been informed yet, and few outside knew about it.
Moreover, Wengcheng’s resource sites had always been under the control of the First-Class Hall, and many were unaware of the massacre on the second level.
A few people in the crowd who were aware of the situation started spreading the news:
“Provoke them?” Waving a fan with a smug expression, they said, “It’s not just about provoking them—this time, the First-Class Hall is in for a huge trouble.”
“How so?”
There were always troublemakers in the Central Plains, so people gathered around, eager to hear the explanation.
These days, in the martial world, those well-informed were highly sought after.
The man enjoyed himself for a while, then, seeing all the players’ attention on him, cleared his throat and began to explain:
If someone helped an old lady cross the road, no one would pay attention. But if someone offended the top figures in the hierarchy, it would draw countless spotlights and cruel glances—the First-Class Hall was undoubtedly the supreme power in northern Central Plains.
“Heh, the First-Class Hall is in big trouble this time.”
“I just came from the Martial Temple. Guess what I saw…”
“Stop teasing us. Just tell us!”
“What did you see?”
“The open area outside the Martial Temple was full of First-Class Hall members—hundreds of them, all sitting there meditating and practicing their techniques.”
At these words, the players around were shocked:
“…Resource sites!”
“Damn it! The First-Class Hall’s resource sites have been taken over!”
“That’s right! When I passed by, I heard the First-Class Hall members cursing nonstop. Eight resource sites! All of them! At the same time, everyone from the second-level mining area died—none survived!”
The well-informed player looked extremely proud, as if he had done it himself—how exhilarating!

Players around them all took a sharp breath at the same time and exchanged glances.
Wengcheng was the city with the most resources in the entire north, truly the financial powerhouse of Yipin Tang. According to experts familiar with the situation, its eight resource sites could generate mineral materials worth three billion silver coins in a single day.
“No wonder Yipin Tang has brought everyone from the vicinity here.”
“Nearly a million in revenue in just one hour! They must ensure the normal operation of these resource sites right away.” Players’ eyes were filled with thoughts of wealth—since the game had entered a stable phase, the ratio of silver to RMB had long since dropped.
“Who on earth is that bold enough?”
A voice rang out in the crowd. The person immediately noticed that all the players around him were turning to look at him with strange expressions, so he lowered his voice: “A newbie asking for some information…”
The group rolled their eyes simultaneously and said in unison,
“A newbie, why mix in so recklessly? Go train instead.”
“…”
In the end, the timid newbie left holding a sign that read “Defend Human Rights”.
……
Boom!
Boom!!!!
The sound of iron hooves echoed.
A force of over five hundred riders from Yipin Tang, carrying dozens of blazing torches, charged into the mountains with great fanfare and astonishing momentum.
Having been in the game for over a year, these people had already mastered excellent riding skills, allowing them to navigate mountains and forests with ease. They reached the mining area in no time.
“Guys, show off your skills later! If you see anyone from the Mu family, no matter who it is, capture them all!”
The leader of the group, a high-ranking official, shouted loudly.
Although Wengcheng had suffered significant losses from the attack, it was still close to the capital and had natural defenses. Moreover, the Mu family only targeted the resource sites and did not dare to attack the players from Yipin Tang directly or enter the city to assault their headquarters, which showed their insecurity and limited numbers—they were merely there to disrupt the economy.
So, after leaving the city, the thousands of troops split into eight groups, ready to head straight for the second level of the mining area and eliminate any remaining forces from the Mu family.
However…
In the dark forests, where the torchlight couldn’t reach, a person hid motionless in the bushes, quickly releasing a homing pigeon.
……
“The target is approaching.”
Outside the entrance of the southeast mining area, a group of people in nightwear exchanged quick nods and swiftly climbed into the nearby forests, disappearing like ghosts.
In less than twenty seconds…
The roar of iron hooves arrived unexpectedly.
Hundreds of Yipin Tang troops rushed to the entrance.
“Go in!!”

The leading servant of Yipin Hall dismounted in one swift motion, knelt briefly, and darted into the cave—everything in one fluid action.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!
The others followed suit, putting down their mounts and rushing into the mine.
Inside the cave, a few players were still mining on the first level…
Most of them were low-ranking members of gangs with good relations with Yipin Hall, here to hone their practical skills or seek mining materials—though by now, very few people mined on the first level.
The situation inside the cave was clear at a glance.
Many miner players were caught off guard by the sudden influx of people; not knowing what was happening, they stopped working and looked around.
The leading servant casually asked someone if they had seen anyone from the Mu family head to the second level. The person nodded, saying they had seen them go in but no one come out.
“They’re still in there!”
“What do we do…?”
The others were immediately at a loss.
The second level of the mining area was a special zone, allowing at most a dozen people in at a time.
“Get the colorful minerals ready!”
After asking about the number of people who had gone in, the sub-temple servant sighed in relief before becoming serious again. “Fortunately, the enemy count isn’t high. Once we get in and establish a foothold, it should be fine… Alright! Those with the best equipment and high defense, come with me as the first group. The second and third groups, get the colorful minerals ready and rush in to support us as fast as possible!”
“Understood,” came the collective response. A dozen men with excellent equipment and imposing presence stepped forward.
Boom! Boom!
With the air currents surging, the group activated their full powers, their defenses at their limit, as they nervously entered the secret chamber.
“Open it!”
Boom!!
As the Dragon-Blocking Stone behind them was set down, the second level became visible.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!!
The group, tense and ready, rushed into the cave without hesitation the moment the stone door opened…
But what they saw left the sub-temple servant and the elite members of Yipin Hall stunned.
The second-level cave was completely empty! Not a single person in sight.
The group exchanged glances for several seconds when suddenly, a loud noise came from the stone door behind them—the second group had also rushed in.
“What’s going on?”
The expected fierce battle never happened.
The group was confused: “The people from the Mu family must not have left…”
“They probably logged off.”
“Haha! These fools! We’ll just stay here and send them back as soon as they come up!”
Someone in the crowd suggested casually.
The members of Yipin Hall, who had thought a tough battle was ahead, relaxed and agreed.
Only the sub-temple servant remained frowning, feeling something was off.

The Mu Family has mobilized quite a number of people this time—ranging from infiltration to reconnaissance to actual action—showing a thoroughly planned and forceful strategy. But as the largest gang in the Central Plains, it’s unlikely they would engage in such a costly move as exchanging a group of elite disciples for the lives of hundreds of ordinary players, since injuries don’t affect the skills of those ordinary players. Yet upon reflection, there are indeed many suspicious aspects. Nearly half an hour has passed since the incident occurred. During this time, the Mu Family’s people had every chance to leave calmly, take advantage of the darkness to exit the weng city, and hide in a more concealed place. But on the first floor, thinking that the Mu Family’s people were still on the second floor, they forgot to consider this in their excitement… Now that he remembers, the sub-temple administrator suddenly breaks into a cold sweat! “Bad!!” “There’s an ambush!!” His expression changes, and he turns around to shout angrily, “Quickly send messages to the brothers outside to warn them to be vigilant! There might be more than just these people from the Mu Family—there could be a large force outside the cave!” At this moment, he finally understands. The Mu Family’s people deliberately stayed behind to lure them into the cave, aiming to catch them like fish in a net. Although he still finds it hard to believe how bold the Mu Family’s people are to launch such a large-scale attack in the heart of the First Rank Gang, he can no longer afford to overthink it. By now, the third and fourth groups have arrived one after another… Before they can rush out, they hear the sub-temple administrator’s furious shouts and turn pale. But to leave here, they need to log out. “Log out!” “Quickly log out!!” … The sub-temple administrator quickly logs in and out of the game. When he returns to the game, he’s in the mining hall on the first floor. “There’s a sneak attack!” “There are people from the Mu Family outside!” “Brothers, rush forward! The enemy isn’t on the second floor—they’re outside.” As soon as his feet touch the ground, he hears the shouts and cries of his own people from afar, and his face darkens instantly. It’s too late… Communication between the first and second floors is cut off. By the time messages are sent, the Mu Family has already launched the attack. With no defense against attacks from behind… When hundreds of Mu Family experts emerge from the darkness, the people left outside the cave by the First Rank Gang have no chance to react and are immediately shot dead. Those inside hear the commotion and send out two groups, but both are wiped out… The sub-temple administrator rushes to the front line and sees his brothers being shot dead in large numbers. He shouts from behind to tell them to return, but it’s useless!

The deafening roars and clashes of swords had become the dominant sound. The people of the Mu family deliberately let a few disciples from the First Rank Hall go out to fight outside, drawing more and more of their forces out from inside. What greeted them was wave after wave of arrow showers and intense attacks. Seeing this, the attendant in charge broke into cold sweat: In the blink of an eye, out of over 500 people, less than half remained in the mine.