NOVPUBChapter 111: Chapter 110: Not a Hero
Chapter 111 -110: Not a Hero
On the fast-moving carriage, Luowei Siya looked apologetically at Jin Kefu, “I’m sorry, we didn’t expect the plan to deviate like this… It wasn’t until today that we found the opportunity to rescue you.”
“No, it’s not your fault… My being captured was the root cause of everything.” Jin Kefu shook his head, indicating the fault was his own, “I’ve heard about what happened in the Misty Zone. How are the brothers… Are the casualties severe?”
“We lost one hundred thirty of our core members.” The masked person known as Haiqi took off her mask and hood to reveal short white hair and a scale on her brow, “Although we disguised multiple abandoned mines as hiding camps, we still had to leave some people to lure in the enemy. What we didn’t expect was that the city guards would join in. If they hadn’t acted, most of those people could have safely retreated!”
After speaking, she angrily pounded her thigh.
As they talked about the casualties, a heavy atmosphere momentarily filled the carriage.
“Their sacrifice will not be in vain, as long as we are successful, all miners will be liberated,” Luowei Siya comforted everyone, “And you… Haiya, as the leader, you should be more composed, rather than letting your emotions affect others.”
“I’ve said it before, I’m not cut out to be a leader! That position should have been yours—”
She suddenly stopped, because Luowei Siya was now clearly showing an extremely pained expression.
“Damn it! Hegt, fetch the medicine!”
Haiqi laid the woman next to her on her lap, then proceeded to undo the buttons on the back of her garment, parting it to reveal her entire back. There were dozens of thick bandages wrapped around her back, and underneath, it appeared as if something was squirming.
She pulled out a dagger and cleanly sliced through the bandages, then dozens of thin little hands abruptly shot up, waving menacingly at the others. Beneath those hands, there were cracks, like wounds split open on Luowei Siya’s back that even oozed blood continuously. And upon closer inspection, one could see rows of teeth growing inside these cracks, the very image of lipless mouths!
“The medicine is ready!” another masked person handed her a porcelain jar.
Haiqi popped the cork and shoved the entire jar into one of the splits, whereupon the little hands immediately reacted, gripping Haiqi’s forearm, their nails piercing her skin, causing her arm to bleed profusely.
Yet she didn’t so much as frown.
As the powdered medicine was poured in, the struggling hands began to slacken, one by one falling limp onto Luowei Siya’s back. The latter’s expression of pain finally eased, and she weakly tilted her head back to lie down on the seat.
“Before, using the medicine once would have lasted a day, why is it…” Haiqi bit her lip, looking troubled.
“The erosion is very serious,” Jin Kefu said gravely, “Her organs are mutating, and at this rate…”
He didn’t continue.
“Isn’t this… what was predetermined?” Luowei Siya managed a weak smile, “The fact that I’ve lived until now is already a pleasant surprise; you can’t expect me to stay by your side forever. Besides… the Brotherhood needs a leader who can lead them to defeat the company, and you are the only one… who has that ability.”
“I only know how to fight… but I have no idea about what needs to be done after the fight is over,” she admitted.
“Worry about those troubles when the time comes…” Luowei Siya interrupted gently, “For now, make sure everyone survives this battle. That is your responsibility.”
“…” Haiqi fell silent for a moment, her breathing gradually calming down. As she reapplied the bandages on the other person, she asked Jin Kefu, “How was your inspection on the city’s foundation pillars?”
“The northeast and southeast corner pillars both have sewers connected nearby. As long as the explosives are in place, we can act at any time. The northwest corner pillar is in the old city area, with no underground passages, so we have only one route from above if we want to break it,” Jin Kefu said. “Of course, we have a shortcut that we can take, which is to use the port railway to transport the things we need near the pillars!”
As the former head of the Gaotian Mining Company’s blasting department, Jin Kefu was adept at handling explosives. At the same time, he was also one of the few Talents who could operate artificial constructs. Thus, his joining the Brotherhood was like sending charcoal in snowy weather, and he was a key figure in the determination of Haiqi and others to destroy the GaoTian Mining plans.
However, the company saw things differently. The betrayal of a managerial staff member sent them into a rage, and they immediately spent a great deal of money to collaborate with other police departments for a search and quietly issued a bounty reward, compelling the entire Magnificent Castle’s underground factions to join in the dragnet.
If Jin Kefu had chosen to hide in a secret base in the Misty Zone for a year or two before resurfacing after the storm had passed, he might have been a lot safer. The problem was that time waits for no one. The GaoTian Mining’s underground mining area progressed daily, with batches of miners dying from overseers’ whips and strange erosion diseases. The Brotherhood had to act quickly if there were to be any chance of seizing that slim opportunity for victory.
“If we have a direct confrontation with the city guards, I’m afraid many people will die…” Luowei Siya whispered, “Not just the Miners’ Brotherhood but also the residents of Magnificent Castle…”
“We have no choice,” Haiqi pressed her hand. “The city guards may not seem like they’re enslaving the miners, but this large-scale roundup has proven that they will definitely stand with the corporations when it counts. As for the local residents, they never cared about our fate… So why should I care about their safety? It’s all destiny.”
“I’m not trying to stop you, but what about the Yeni Temple? They have saved the lives of many miners…” n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
Haiqi clearly hesitated, “Then we’ll warn them two hours in advance. Besides, the Yeni Temple has that guy looking over them; I think no matter how chaotic the city becomes, they won’t be hurt in the slightest.”
“By the way, what do you feel about our contact with Mr. Zhao?” Jin Kefu asked curiously.
“Why are you also using an honorific title for him?” Haiqi said in dissatisfaction, “You didn’t really tell him about our business, did you?”
“Of course not!” The former promptly waved his hand, “I only told him the name.”
“I thought as much. Even when those company people tortured and interrogated you, you didn’t reveal any information about the Brotherhood. You wouldn’t be coaxed into talking by a stranger. As for that guy…” Haiqi crossed her arms and stomped her foot, “He makes me so angry! We thought he was a great hero for daring to rob the GaoTian Mining train and reaching out to help the slaves. Yet, when we risked our necks to see him and immediately revealed our identities, his first reaction is denial! He really underestimates people too much!”
“Err… We are, after all, the ‘rebels’ in the lord’s view, and Mr. Zhao was probably being cautious…”
“I never asked him to stand on our side, nor did I expect his assistance!” Haiqi sighed, “I only wanted… to personally express the Brotherhood’s gratitude and let them know… that in this city, they are not fighting alone. Now that I think about it, maybe my expectations were too high…”
“You’re just too impatient. You were worried about a mishap, so you had me represent the Miners’ Brotherhood, yet you couldn’t keep still and made a fuss behind the scenes,” Luowei Siya said, half annoyed and half amused as she shook her head, “Thankfully Mr. Zhao is magnanimous and didn’t take your impoliteness to heart.”
“Hmm… Mr. Zhao is indeed not like ordinary people. I see that he has a high reputation in the temple; the nuns’ respect when greeting him is all genuine,” Jin Kefu concurred, “I hope these people can all leave Magnificent Castle safely in the end.”
“We still don’t know how he found out about your identity,” Haiqi pouted, “Forget it, let’s not talk about him anymore. This matter can only rely on us in the end. Even without any help, the Brotherhood will definitely make it happen!”
Looking at Luowei Siya’s eyes, which showed agreement, she silently made up her mind—
Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, it didn’t matter.
