C16 A Crazy Plan

Kong Qing still wore a look of guilt when Jiang Wen gently patted his shoulder.

"Brother Kong! Don't fret over the ancient peak matter. He's all bark and no bite. I'll have a heart-to-heart with him once we're back," Jiang Wen assured him out of the blue.

"In that case, I trust you, Brother Jiang, and Brother Guang!" Kong Qing quickly nodded in agreement.

"However, now that I've joined you, I can assure you, I won't hold you back. If there's anything you need, just give me a shout!" Kong Qing added earnestly.

Jiang Wen furrowed his brow at Kong Qing's words, "You're taking this too seriously, Brother Kong. Let's be clear, since I, Jiang Wen, invited you to join us, we're brothers. Forget this talk of needs and wants. Besides, I didn't make this decision lightly. The first reason was your previous response."

Kong Qing's mind flashed back to when Jiang Wen had inquired whether he would supervise and report on others.

Kong Qing had never intended to engage in such self-serving and harmful acts. In fact, he believed that had he not made that statement, he wouldn't have earned Jiang Wen's trust.

Even with his ability to harness source energy!

He was not yet at a level where he could single-handedly overcome Jiang Wen and the others.

"The second reason is that I trust your character and believe you won't betray us."

"And also, my gut feeling tells me..."

When Jiang Wen paused, Kong Qing eagerly asked, "Intuition? What intuition?"

"My gut tells me you're crucial to us!" Jiang Wen revealed slowly.

Upon hearing this, Kong Qing let out a relieved chuckle, "Brother Jiang, you really have a way with words. I just happen to be naturally strong, that's all, haha!"

"Oh, Brother Kong, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would've almost forgotten how strong you truly are. You make cutting through the hardest Origin Stone Essence look like slicing through mud!" Guang Tao chimed in, giving a thumbs up.

"Haha, my dad's got a lot of strength too!" Kong Qing quipped.

"Dad?" Jiang Wen blinked in surprise.

A pang of discomfort hit Kong Qing, "Is 'dad' not the correct term here?"

While Kong Qing was pondering this, Guang Tao slowly looked up and explained, "I've heard that in the Northern Empire, 'dad' is a term used by the nobility."

"Ecraechemid Empire? Aristocrat?" Jiang Wen was even more bewildered as he shifted his gaze to Kong Qing.

At a loss for words, Kong Qing could only offer an awkward, sheepish grin. He never imagined that their nickname for him would lead them to believe he was from the Ecraechemid Empire.

Feeling uneasy under the intense scrutiny of Jiang Wen and Guang Tao, Kong Qing quickly returned a laugh, "Haha, Brother Guang, you're quite knowledgeable. I came across the term in a book and liked the sound of it. It became a habit to use it at home, so... haha!"

Their light-hearted banter significantly eased the tension among the trio.

Jiang Wen and the others didn't seriously think Kong Qing hailed from the Ecraechemid Empire. Setting aside the vast distance to the empire, the sheer geographical span between the two nations precluded casual visits, especially for a young man like Kong Qing.

"Brother Kong! Let's get down to business. I'll fill you in on our plan," Jiang Wen said, his smile fading into seriousness.

Kong Qing composed himself, ready to listen.

Jiang Wen cast a covert glance at Guang Tao, who quickly averted his gaze, silently signaling for Jiang Wen to handle the situation.

With an embarrassed chuckle, Jiang Wen proceeded.

Catching their subtle exchange, Kong Qing grasped their meaning. "Brother Jiang! I must admit, I, Kong Qing, have nothing to offer as collateral. But I hope you'll trust that although I'm not the most virtuous person, I would never betray a trust once given."

"Brother Kong, there's no need to continue. I trust you!" Jiang Wen responded earnestly.

Kong Qing could empathize with Jiang Wen's reluctance. An escape plan from the Ancient Quarters was nothing short of madness. Beyond the need to gather intelligence from various sources, the plan itself was a direct challenge to the most forbidden aspects of the Ancient Quarters.

If such a plan could be shared lightly, Jiang Wen and his companions wouldn't have survived this long. Kong Qing considered himself fortunate to have earned their trust.

"The plan is as follows. Based on all the intelligence we've gathered..."

The Ancient Quarters are divided into nine major mines, each comprising dozens to hundreds of smaller mining areas.

Each major mine operated independently, each fortified by a formidable high-ranking warrior and a cadre of lesser warriors. The Ancient Quarters were nearly in a state of lockdown, only opening to acquire new slaves before sealing off once again.

The overseers of the Ancient Quarters relied on external supplies for their essential goods and various materials for cultivation practices.

The region was sustained by three mighty rivers, which served as the sole lifeline for the tens of millions of slaves within the Ancient Quarters.

Kong Qing was fortunate that the seventh mine, where he resided, was situated along one of these vital rivers. This river was also the ultimate target of Jiang Wen's meticulous plan.

The most daunting challenge was figuring out how to reach and escape into the river. Kong Qing and his group were stationed in Zone 26, and the seventh mine's zones were scattered across different locations. To get to the river, they would need to traverse Zones 43, 14, 52, 8, 21, 4, and finally, Zone 1, which lay closest to the river.

Their success hinged on stealthily bypassing the vigilant eyes of the overseers and navigating through the iron gates and warrior-guarded passages in each mining area.

Every fortnight, the supervisors would convene with the Chief Supervisor to report on their workloads. This was the sole opportunity for Kong Qing and his companions to transition between zones.

With the supervisors absent, the iron gates could be passed safely, but the warrior-guarded passages required a different strategy.

Excluding Zone 26, they needed to cross seven mining areas. Given the chance that arose every two weeks, Kong Qing and his companions had a mere four hours to make their move.

This meant that, barring any unforeseen complications, it would take them approximately three and a half months to navigate through all seven mining areas.

The plan's success also depended on their ability to remain undetected and survive within the other mines.

After laying out the plan, Jiang Wen fixed his gaze intently on Kong Qing.

Kong Qing, however, was already deeply moved by the audacity of Jiang Wen's scheme.

They had to elude the watchful eyes of both the Supervisory Committee and the warriors, maintain their safety across the various mines, and, crucially, keep their plan under wraps.

They were a mere five people!

It was madness! Yet Kong Qing couldn't help but admire Jiang Wen and his group. They had managed not only to pinpoint the location of the Great River and map out the routes through all the mining areas along the way but also to gather intelligence on the schedules of the Chief Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee meetings.

Ultimately, they had crafted this audacious plan.

To Kong Qing and his companions, the plan seemed like a pipe dream, mere fantasy. However, compared to the despair of endless mining, it offered a glimmer of hope.

After some time, Kong Qing looked up and declared, "I have two questions!"

"Go ahead!"

Kong Qing hesitated, then asked deliberately, "How do we handle the passageway guarded by the warrior?"

Without Jiang Wen's revelation, Kong Qing would have remained unaware that a warrior stood guard on the passageway in each mining area.

"Just walk past," Jiang Wen stated flatly.

"Just walk past?" Kong Qing echoed, perplexed.

Seeing Kong Qing's confusion, Guang Tao quickly explained, "Generally, those warriors won't lay a hand on us. They're there to prevent slave uprisings and other unforeseen incidents."

As Kong Qing opened his mouth to inquire further, Guang Tao assured him, "We can vouch for this! Warriors are not like ordinary people. They don't have the time to bother with us slaves."

With Guang Tao's reassurance, Kong Qing dropped the subject and posed his second question, "What about when we reach the Great River?"

Jiang Wen's response came with a light smile, "We jump in, of course."

"That's the final step," Guang Tao added. "We've never been there, but it's said the Great River is unfathomably deep, and no one knows its true length. All we know is that it eventually leads to other regions within the Bateoryn Dynasty!"

Kong Qing's brow furrowed as he pondered in silence.

Observing this, Jiang Wen chuckled and stood up. "Truth be told, whether it's the Great River or elsewhere, the dangers are many. You still have the opportunity to choose."

With that, Jiang Wen crouched down, gave Kong Qing's shoulder a reassuring pat, and walked past him.

Suddenly, Kong Qing's gaze sharpened, and he rose to his feet, exclaiming decisively, "I'm in. I'll join you!"