"She is," Li Shi replied. "Ever since Lao Zen informed me about your third entrance exam, I have had my eyes on you."
"Then, why add her?" Amon asked.
"A colleague of mine proposed that there should be a representative from the junior class. Otherwise, people might talk about students from the senior and freshman classes visiting the ancient ruins, but the junior class is left out. That’s how I ended up with six students, but that’s fine. More of you means I have more manpower search the ruins."
When Amon didn’t say anything more, Li Shi said, "You truly are interested in her, aren’t you? Is she your type? As far as I know, she is still single, but she has lots of admirers from the opposite sex. With her pretty face and pleasant attitude, it is not strange."
Amon didn’t comment. Instead, he asked about a different subject, "The kingdom should have plenty of cultivators with strong minds. Why choose to let students enter?"
"As I said, I don’t want people to plunder the things inside and end up damaging the ruins. I require people on the inside who follow my commands to the letter."
"That’s why you choose students," Amon said.
"That’s why I choose students," Li Shi confirmed.
’Heh,’ Amon snickered within. ’Then you have chosen the wrong one.’
"I will go to rest. Don’t stay up too late," Li Shi said.
The next morning, they continued their journey.
After leaving the road, their traveling speed slowed. Other than because of encounters with spirit beasts, the terrains were also more difficult to traverse.
The spirit beasts weren’t too strong. Perhaps it was because they were not that deep into the wilderness yet. The strongest spirit beast they encountered was on one occasion when a lower superior beast attacked. The Mystic stage leader fought it while Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive! They failed to kill it but wound it enough to cause it to flee. The soldiers themselves were not without wounds.
Li Shi and the other academy officers helped treat the soldiers’ wounds before they continued their journey.
Eight days after they departed from Qishurg City, they finally arrived at their destination.
They stood at the edge of a large mound where the center had collapsed. Underneath it was a hole where they saw man-made structures within. Tents were set around the mound. Squads of soldiers were patrolling, making sure there were no trespassers.
A soldier with a lavish suit came to them. The leader of the soldiers who escorted them here saluted this soldier.
"Captain Xu Shi," Li Shi greeted. She gave the soldier a salute as well.
Xu Shi nodded. "These are the students you bring to investigate the ruins?" He asked.
"Yes. We are eager to start immediately. Have you located the entrance to the ruins?" Li Shi asked.
"Several entrances," The captain replied. "The ruins are not exactly in good shape. Some parts have crumbled, providing additional entry points. However, the entrance is not the problem. It’s how long you can stay inside is the issue."
"I have read the report. That’s why I picked suitable candidates for this mission."
Captain Xu Shi looked at the six students. His expression showed that he was unconvinced these students were up to the job. He told Li Shi, "Before you proceed, I have one additional piece of information. You have one month to do your investigation. After that, the army will take over."
"What? I was promised as much time as I need!" Li Shi exclaimed.
"Change of plans. Rumors of rebel activities have surfaced around here. The general wasn’t willing to take chances. You have one month."
"This is unacceptable!" Li Shi protested.
"Take your objection to the kingdom if you must. I am just carrying out orders," the captain replied. "Now, do you wish to start exploring the ruins? Or do you wish to continue wasting your time arguing with me?"
Li Shi gritted her teeth. She never liked these military people. All they cared about were just the possible treasures hidden inside the ruins. Didn’t they know the knowledge contained within these ruins was worth more than the treasures?
She didn’t try to prove her points. Talking with these greedy people was like talking to a brick wall. She had tried to convince these types of people in her younger days, but all were met with disappointment. She had learned to accept that sometimes people’s viewpoints were just too far apart it was impossible for them to understand one another.
She wondered if this whole rumor about the rebels was true or if it was just a make-up excuse because the army was unwilling to wait so they could start plundering whatever was inside these ruins.
Li Shi took a deep breath before heaving it out. She said to the captain, "Take us to those entrances."
Captain Xu Shi nodded. He gestured for them to follow. They walked into the hole at the center of the mound and around the revealed structure. As the captain had informed them, the structure was not in the best condition. Cracks and fissures were everywhere. The structure seemed to be able to collapse at any time.
Li Shi used a hand to touch the wall.
"Blackstone," she uttered.
"What is blackstone?" Lei Gun asked.
"It’s a very hard material. Very difficult to process. Only the best smith can work with this material," Li Shi explained.
"And it’s a very rare material," Captain Xu Shi joined in the conversation. "No one has ever found any mine that produces this material anymore. The ones we have were salvaged from ancient ruins , and this ruin appears to contain a large amount of it. Imagine the number of good quality weapons our master smiths can produce from them."
"Is that why the army can’t wait to get their hands on this ruin?" Li Shi asked.
Xu Shi shrugged. "Tutor, there is no use complaining about it to me."
"The fact that this structure is covered by a layer of blackstone implies its significance," Li Shi explained. "This building must have served as an important place to the ancient civilization. For a blackstone wall to degrade until this stage means this place is very, very old. It is highly probable this place is from the previous epoch."