Chu Lingguang decided to wait until after he took up his new post to find a time to visit the area near Blood Wolf Cave.
If Yang Lijun hadn’t lied to him, and the heart truly came from a she-wolf in Blood Wolf Cave, then the vine must be somewhere nearby.
After all, the bodies of Yang Lijun’s family were found in the vicinity.
The heart must have been found somewhere close as well.
The next day, Chu Lingguang entered Chaojiang City and was received by local officials. Two days later, they escorted him into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
He arrived at Wolf Valley Pass two days before he was due to assume his post, just as planned.
He had imagined Wolf Valley Pass would be deep within a dense forest, surrounded by the Hundred Thousand Mountains and difficult for ordinary people to find. That was not the case.
On the contrary, Wolf Valley Pass was situated in a very conspicuous location within the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
It was located right at the foot of the two Wolf Head Mountains.
The Wolf Head Mountains were over two thousand zhang high, their peaks piercing the clouds. They were the highest mountain range for a hundred li in any direction.
Their silhouettes were even visible from Chaojiang City.
Every day, ore from Wolf Valley Pass was transported to Chaojiang City, then distributed throughout the Great Yuan. A dedicated corps had even carved a wide road between Chaojiang City and Wolf Valley Pass.
However, the road was dotted with checkpoints.
Some were even guarded by experts of the True Martial Realm.
These guards were dispatched directly from the Imperial City by the emperor. They did not answer to Chu Lingguang; their sole duty was to secure the transport route and ensure the ore from Wolf Valley Pass reached its destinations.
This also served to prevent any unauthorized personnel from using the road to approach Wolf Valley Pass.
Wolf Valley Pass itself was situated between the two Wolf Head Mountains.
What was once a mountain of ore, two to three hundred zhang high, had been reduced to a third of its original size through relentless, round-the-clock excavation.
"We welcome you, Commander Chu."
The soldiers guarding Wolf Valley Pass, led by Grand Commander Lin Shirong, were at the gate to greet him.
According to his briefing, as many as thirty thousand soldiers garrisoned Wolf Valley Pass—more than ten times the number stationed on Black Bear Island.
Lin Shirong had been stationed here for many years. When Guo Xiaotian was imprisoned at Wolf Valley Pass, Guo Wei had sought help from many people, trying to contact Lin Shirong in the hopes that his son would be treated better.
By the time Guo Xiaotian was released, his legs were permanently crippled and his body was exceptionally weak. Had he not been pardoned early, he likely would have died there within another six months.
Chu Lingguang’s gaze swept over the laborers working on the mountain of ore.
There had once been two to three thousand Turkic prisoners held at Wolf Valley Pass, but now fewer than a thousand remained. They, along with convicts sent here for various other crimes, were all toiling away.
Although they wore no shackles or manacles, their expressions were vacant. A pungent, medicinal odor hung in the air of Wolf Valley Pass. It seemed as though they were controlled by some kind of drug, forcing them to mindlessly repeat the same task day after day.
They had long ago lost both the courage and the strength to resist.
’The fact that Guo Xiaotian managed to endure for so many years must be a testament to the efficacy of his Day and Night Breathing Technique,’ Chu Lingguang thought. ’Of course, Guo Wei pulling some strings likely had an influence as well.’
"Grand Commander Lin, I look forward to working under your guidance," Chu Lingguang said, cupping his fists in a salute to Lin Shirong.
Lin Shirong was a big, burly man, a fierce general whose strength was on par with the likes of Liu Ziyun and Zhang Tao. He too was a third-level expert of the True Martial Realm and had long been stuck at a bottleneck.
"Haha, no need for such formalities, Commander Chu," Lin Shirong boomed, slinging an arm around Chu Lingguang’s shoulder. "I’ve heard about what you did on Black Bear Island. I’m sure that with your help, Wolf Valley Pass will be transformed for the better, just like the island was."
"I will do my utmost to assist you in defending Wolf Valley Pass, Grand Commander Lin," Chu Lingguang said.
"None of that ’Grand Commander’ business. From now on, we’re brothers. First, let me give you the rundown on Wolf Valley Pass, and then I’ll show you around," Lin Shirong said warmly.
"Then thank you, Lin."
Although Chu Lingguang was the second-in-command at Wolf Valley Pass, he knew that when it came to important matters, he would still have to defer to Lin Shirong’s arrangements.
He had already learned from Yu Wanshao that the ore from Wolf Valley Pass was of critical importance to the Court; no mistakes would be tolerated. Lin Shirong had been stationed here for many years and undoubtedly had a well-established system for managing the operation.
Chu Lingguang had no intention of trying to usurp his authority. In fact, he planned to cooperate fully with Lin Shirong, hoping only to serve his term, leave without incident, and avoid any black marks on his record from the higher-ups.
"This mountain before you is a Profound Iron Ore mine," Lin Shirong explained. "The Profound Iron content is extremely high. Once it’s all been mined, there will be enough to outfit an army of three hundred thousand men in Profound Iron from head to toe."
"You must be aware of the defensive power and strength of Profound Iron, my friend," Lin Shirong continued. "As long as the Great Yuan can successfully forge three hundred thousand sets of Profound Iron Armor, wiping out the Turkic will be within our grasp!"
"No wonder the route is so heavily guarded, and thirty thousand troops are stationed here," Chu Lingguang said, a look of dawning realization on his face.
’A single Profound Iron Spearhead is considered an heirloom treasure.’
’The value of a mine that can produce enough ore for three hundred thousand sets of Profound Iron Equipment is simply staggering. If I hadn’t been transferred here as Vice Commander, I never would have known the true worth of the mine at Wolf Valley Pass.’
’There are rumors in the outside world about a Profound Iron Ore mine at Wolf Valley Pass, but almost no one knows just how massive its yield is.’
He finally understood. ’No wonder Tian wasn’t released even after his father, Guo Wei, became a Martial Arts Grandmaster. If the emperor hadn’t personally granted a pardon, he would have died in Wolf Valley Pass long ago.’
’It also explains why the casualty rate among the prisoners is so high. The higher-ups never intended for any of them to leave this place alive.’
’Even Guo Xiaotian’s release must have been subject to intense scrutiny. The authorities likely only let him go after determining that he either couldn’t or didn’t know enough to leak the secrets of this place.’
He looked again at the laborers. Most of them had vacant expressions, repeating their tasks like automatons. Chu Lingguang couldn’t help but notice the pungent, medicinal scent that permeated the air.