This was a risk Zhou Chun could not afford to take.
Fortunately, he didn't take it!
Because the disturbance caused by the previous strike from the Mini Thousand Hills Seal was simply too great, many Loose Cultivators mining nearby felt it.
They thought someone had found treasure and had come to blows over an uneven division of the loot.
Thus, many set out to search for the location of the incident, trying to find that lucky person who had dug up the treasure.
As Zhou Chun prepared to leave the mine, he happened to encounter three Loose Cultivators who had entered his mine together.
When the two parties met not far from the mine's exit, both were slightly startled.
Then, after seeing the cultivation level of the other party, the expressions of the three Loose Cultivators changed dramatically, with a skinny, white-haired old leader immediately pulling his two companions and giving multiple respectful bows to Zhou Chun, saying, "Taoist Friend, we beg your pardon, we did not know this place was already claimed. We will leave at once!"
Even as he spoke, his two companions had their hands on their Storage Pouches at their waists, clearly ready to take action if necessary.
Life for Loose Cultivators eking out a living in these abandoned veins was not easy; They often had to fight others.
Now that Zhou Chun's cultivation level was evidently much higher than theirs, it was necessary for them to be cautious.
"Taoist Friend has misunderstood; Han does not claim ownership of this place,"
Zhou Chun shook his head slightly, as if he hadn't noticed the small movements of the other two, and responded indifferently.
Then he narrowed his eyes and, without waiting for the skinny old man to speak again, asked, "The three of you, you came because of the disturbance earlier, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, the skinny old man immediately shook his head in denial, saying, "Taoist Friend, you are mistaken, we just wanted to go down to the bottom of the mine to dig."
"Yes, we just wanted to go mining, that's all."
"Exactly, that's it."
The two youths, one tall and one short, behind him echoed in agreement.
Zhou Chun found their responses, which sounded as if they had been prearranged, somewhat amusing.
But he did not expose them and instead waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter whether you admit it or not. There's an opportunity to make money here; are you interested or not?"
This time the short, plump youth was the one who responded.
He reacted almost reflexively, and after speaking, he noticed the skinny old man and the tall youth looking at him with disapproval. Only then did he realize his mistake.
Seeing this, his expression changed, and he immediately slapped himself hard across the mouth.
Then he hastily looked at Zhou Chun with a sheepish grin and said, "Heh, Taoist Friend, don't take it the wrong way, I just spoke without thinking. If you have business, you should go to the Marketplace to find someone. We three are only good for the hard labor of mining; we really aren't suited for other types of business!"
"It seems you have misunderstood Han. Why not listen to what Han has to say before you decide whether to take the deal or not?"
Zhou Chun shook his head lightly, and regardless of whether the three were interested in listening, he began to explain his intention to hire the skinny old man to seek treasure in the den of the Golden Armored Piercing Mountain Beast.
Originally, he intended to go to a mortal town outside the mountain to find a petite young man to help him retrieve the treasure.
But upon seeing the skinny figure of the old man, he realized that he might be a more suitable candidate for the job.
After all, a Cultivator's knowledge of Spiritual Objects was incomparable to that of a mere Mortal, and by hiring him there would be no concerns about missing any treasures.
After hearing the details of the deal from Zhou Chun, the three's respect and fear towards him grew immense.
The Loose Cultivators had been making a living in these deserted veins and had heard of the formidable nature of the Demon Beasts like the Golden Armored Piercing Mountain Beast.
Now that they learned Zhou Chun had actually killed such a formidable Demon Beast, how could they not be shocked and awed?
Hearing his offer, the skinny old man looked at Zhou Chun with a bitter expression and sighed lightly, "Since Taoist Friend Han has shared such a secret with us, it seems we have no choice but to accept!"
After saying this, he bowed respectfully to Zhou Chun with a pained expression and said, "This old man dares not ask Taoist Friend Han for any reward, I only hope that Taoist Friend Han will spare our lives when the time comes!"