Chapter 274

On the mountain range, everything was proceeding systematically.

The information about the mineral veins discovered in the mountains had been well concealed, and now, apart from the people stationed in the mountains, including Fei Yanchen and Shen Yu’an, no one else was aware of it.

Due to the discovery of the mineral veins, Fei Yanchen had deployed a significant number of people.

In addition to the soldiers who were originally stationed there, many craftsmen for weapon forging and miners had also arrived.

Despite the large number of people on the mountain, there was hardly any commotion. Everyone was quietly engaged in their respective tasks.

The few senior craftsmen who had previously learned from Shen Yu’an were no longer within the camp. They had cleared a space near the mineral vein to construct a forging workshop, making their operations more convenient.

The newcomers didn’t know Shen Yu’an, but seeing the deep respect the people who had been there for a while had for her, they didn’t dare to act out of line.

Time passed quickly, and it was already the end of September.

The sweltering weather had everyone feeling restless, including the scholars from various places preparing for the provincial examination.

The Shen and Zhang families in Longxian Village were no exception.

A few days before the exam, the Shen family left a few trustworthy individuals in charge of their workshop and went to the town with the Zhang family.

Except for the third son, who had no intention of continuing his studies, the others who had previously passed the scholar’s exam were all going to give it a try.

While they couldn’t be certain of passing the examination, it was still an opportunity to gain valuable experience.

For the provincial examination, one had to travel to the capital city, and not everyone could go.

So, they decided to gather in the town today, considering it a way to support Shen Dalang and the others.

They didn’t go to a restaurant in town either. Tian Qiu and Chen Quan had come to town, and their culinary skills were no less impressive than those of the restaurant’s chefs.

As night fell, the courtyard had gradually become lively.

With the place bustling with people, they called over the innkeeper Liang and his two companions who were just a wall away.

During the meal, everyone kept offering words of encouragement to Shen Dalang and the others.

Innkeeper Liang raised his glass and said to Shen Dalang and the rest, “I’d like to offer my congratulations in advance to all of you.”

Shen Dalang and the others quickly raised their glasses in response.

As the conversation continued, it turned to the topic of the siblings Hua Nan and Hua Ling, who had been away for quite some time.

When they were at the Shen family, their relationship with Shen Yu’an was the closest.

Shen Rong asked, “Have they sent any letters since they left?”

Shen Yu’an shook her head and replied, “No, but the person who escorted them back made sure to leave them outside the forest, watching them go in before leaving.”

It had been a while since they returned, and even if Hua Ling, who was carefree, forgot, Hua Nan’s nature would definitely lead him to send a letter to let them know they were safe.

However, up until today, Shen Yu’an had indeed not received any letters from them.

Shen Yu’an explained, “Perhaps they were too happy to be back, and they forgot. They’ll remember and send a letter when they do.”

The others agreed, and they continued their meal with laughter and chatter.

Meanwhile, in a dense forest far away, Hua Nan and the couple from the Hua family had arrived at the poison room under the cover of night.

Next to the Hua family’s poison room, there was a darker and more ominous-looking house, from which intermittent, eerie sounds of buzzing could be heard.

Hua Nan approached the door and lit an oil lamp at the entrance.

However, the dim light did little to dispel the darkness and only revealed a room filled with insect corpses and animal skeletons, making it appear even more sinister and terrifying.