Chapter 119: The Underground Temple

The mine owner presented the items found within the cavern, yet Wu Qingsong was disappointed. What was unearthed were merely mundane life utensils such as bottles and jars, along with a handful of ordinary ornaments, none of which were magical artifacts. The mine owner confessed that any items of slight value had already been sold off in Tannar.

Wu Qingsong subtly asked about the possible existence of parchment scrolls among the findings, to which the mine owner adamantly denied seeing any. 

Wu Qingsong further questioned the mine owner’s key subordinates, discovering that the vast majority were not privy to the details of the discovery. They were aware something had been unearthed and that a treasure hunter had been consulted, but they were not involved in the specifics.

The few close associates of the mine owner who were in the know provided accounts nearly identical to his, with minor discrepancies attributed to the passage of a year possibly blurring their memories, rather than indicating any significant inconsistency.

Ultimately, they persuaded the mine owner to guide them to the site for a firsthand look.

Beneath the mine, a labyrinth of passages sprawled like a spider’s web, disorienting to navigate. Several tunnels had been sealed with stone, and the ceilings were merely propped up by wooden stakes, evoking an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and insecurity.

The crevice formed by the collapse was located in the southwest of the third level of the mine, nearly a kilometer from the main entrance. 

Shortly after traversing it, they entered what appeared to be an ancient passage, with the walls supported by rough-hewn stones and the floor laid with uneven stone slabs, offering a bit more reliability than the passages before. The ceiling was low, barely two meters high, making Nina feel as if her head could brush against it at any moment.

“We’re almost there,” the mine owner said with caution.

Following the lengthy corridor, they arrived at a space resembling an underground palace, constructed entirely of large stone blocks and standing over three meters tall. It wasn’t particularly spacious but was filled with numerous pillars. 

The stone walls around them had clearly been meticulously crafted. Illuminating their way with a torch, Wu Qingsong immediately noticed the inscriptions and drawings densely packed from about thirty to forty centimeters off the ground up to the ceiling, where the stone was entirely adorned with engraved patterns.

“The pillars have inscriptions too,” Nina said.

Beyond lay several smaller chambers that seemed meant for habitation. Leading them to a dead-end, the mine owner revealed a section where the floor was not paved with stone but was earth, now chaotically dug up, leaving numerous shattered bones scattered aside.

“There were a few tombs here before, and those bones were dug out from this spot,” the mine owner explained. “Most have already decayed.”

Despite the absence of visible air shafts, the air quality here was significantly better than inside the mine, indicating that the builders of this underground palace must have constructed highly concealed ventilation systems.

“Where were the bodies discovered?” Wu Qingsong asked.

Leading them once more through the previously traversed corridor but in the opposite direction, the mine owner quickly brought them to an opening resembling the midpoint of a well. 

This area opened into a small chamber, appearing as a basic defensive structure. Exiting this chamber revealed a vertical shaft-like space outside. Due to it being night, the exit above was not visible, but they could faintly make out many vine-like things overhead, with the walls also covered in similar growths.

“There is a large tree above us, these are its roots. Next to it are stone steps carved into the wall, but they are completely blocked by the roots. From above, this looks as a well,” the mine owner disclosed. “The bodies I found were in the water at the bottom of the well, all decomposed.”

“Did you attempt to retrieve them?” Wu Qingsong shone his torch down into the accumulated water below and kicked a stone into it. The water seemed quite deep.

“Besides those few bodies, there was nothing else.”

“Are there any signs that someone has left this place?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“Yes, yes!” the mine owner hastily responded. “I’m not sure what you’re searching for, but it must have been taken by those damned mine slaves.”

Nina had the mine owner escorted out, and the two carefully examined the site again. Despite a year having passed, there were still clear signs of prying and hammering in many places, indicating that either the mine owner or the treasure hunter had once scoured this area very carefully.

“Nina? What’s your take on this?” Wu Qingsong asked.

The undead mage undoubtedly fed them many lies, yet there was a kernel of truth in his words. However, discerning exactly what transpired initially from these remnants was challenging.

Yet, Wu Qingsong, who had read numerous novels, had already pieced together a complete narrative of a dynasty’s fall.

Constructing such an underground palace with the labor available in this world seemed nearly impossible. However, if the other party utilized undead beings that knew neither fatigue nor need for rest, then it suddenly appeared wholly plausible.

Perhaps this location was a secret refuge constructed by the Batiz nobility, or even the royal family itself. After their total defeat in the war against the elves, a handful of survivors might have escaped here to live in hiding.

Located nearly thirty miles from Tannar, this secluded spot could have been untouched by copper mining operations at the time of the Batiz Kingdom’s legendary downfall. No one would wander nearby. 

They could have hidden by day and sent undead creatures to hunt or gather fruit at night. Consumed by hatred and the anguish of defeat, with idle time on their hands, they started to inscribe their proud heritage of the Batiz Kingdom onto the stones.

Wu Qingsong suspected that among these, there might be information related to necromancy. However, the sheer volume of texts and patterns meant that fully transcribing and replicating them would require a considerable amount of time.

“I don’t believe what you seek is here,” Nina countered. “If there were any details about magic, the mine owner would never dare to conceal them. If exposed, his entire family would face execution, and all his assets would be confiscated and awarded to the whistleblower. If there truly were magical secrets here, he would never risk letting so many individuals in on it, much less allow the treasure hunter to leave.”

“Something important must be documented here,” Wu Qingsong remarked, his voice tinged with frustration.

“We can’t afford to linger too long,” Nina pointed out. “They likely have an outpost in the city. It won’t be long before they notice something unusual. If they seek assistance from the sheriff and the mines nearby, we could be surrounded.”

“But…” Wu Qingsong let out a sigh.

Without the ability to replicate all the engravings within this chamber, attempting to copy just a portion would be nearly pointless. 

Given his lack of understanding of the Batiz script, there was a high chance that his efforts to transcribe could end up being a meaningless account of some event.

“If you want to find out the exact content here, there’s a more straightforward approach,” Nina proposed.

“The treasure hunter?” Wu Qingsong immediately caught on to her suggestion.

Nina affirmed with a nod, “If we find him, we’ll find out the mysteries written in this place.”