Then, she darted behind a large rock and low trees.

Qu Zhiwen assumed Su Yujin was going to relieve herself, so they each turned their heads to look in opposite directions.

Su Yujin, having hidden herself, took a small, one-inch-long razor blade she always carried, used for cutting gauze, and with a “swish,” tore a strip of cloth about an inch wide from the inner lining of her dress. She then wrapped the wide skirt around her legs, using the strips in a zigzag pattern, starting from her ankles above her socks and gradually tying them up to her calves, stopping below her knees.

After tying both legs, Su Yujin looked at her work with satisfaction, then walked back and forth a few times to test the leg bindings.

Good!

The tightness was just right; not only would the skirt no longer interfere, but the leg bindings also made walking easier.

Su Yujin quickly walked back.

Seeing Su Yujin’s unusual attire, Qu Zhiwen and the others were initially taken aback, but knowing it was for ease of movement, they didn’t say much and continued their journey into the mountains.

However, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of admiration.

Ordinary women, even if it were incredibly troublesome, wouldn’t do something so unseemly, but Su Yujin was willing to sacrifice her dignity so as not to hold everyone back.

No wonder a scion of a prominent family like He Yanxiu would dote on and cherish a mistress so much…

Because of Su Yujin’s improved equipment, the others were energized by her actions and walked even faster than before.

After about another half hour, Su Yujin and Qu Zhiwen reached the cave that had collapsed and buried He Yanxiu.

The cave entrance faced east, and the semi-circular opening was now piled high with rubble that had fallen from the collapse.

Those present were frantically moving the rubble away from the cave entrance, trying to clear it and rescue the people inside.

However, due to the cave’s collapse, rocks continued to fall from above; after clearing one batch, another would slide down, making it seem like the cleanup was never-ending.

“This won’t work,” Su Yujin frowned. “We need to get enough sturdy wood to prop up the entrance, and then use stone slabs or planks to support the top of the entrance and stop the falling rocks. Only then can we continue clearing the entrance and get it clean.”

Otherwise, it would just be a waste of time.

Qu Zhiwen nodded hurriedly upon hearing this, “That’s right.”

He quickly instructed people to prop up the entrance as Su Yujin had suggested.

Since they were miners, the timber for scaffolding and the formwork for barriers were readily available. With so many people, it didn’t take long to prop up the entrance.

With the entrance supported, clearing the rubble became much easier.

To prevent a secondary collapse at the cave entrance, after clearing away some rubble, they used wood and planks to prop up this section.

Although the process was slow, like ants gnawing at a dam, the steady work and the concerted efforts of everyone present gradually cleared away the rocks, creating a passage several meters deep.

At this rate, they were sure they could rescue He Yanxiu and the others!

Qu Zhiwen was full of confidence.

But the deeper they dug, the more the rubble turned into large boulders, and the slower their progress became. Finally, a huge boulder blocked the cave completely.

“Sir, this boulder is impossible to move,” someone reported to Qu Zhiwen, wiping sweat from their brow. “And even if we could move it, it has already destroyed the wooden support structure, which could easily trigger another collapse.”

If He Yanxiu and the others were on the boulder, another collapse could easily cost them all their lives!

Qu Zhiwen was also extremely anxious, pacing back and forth like a headless fly, wondering, “What should I do…”

Su Yujin lowered her head and thought for a moment, then asked the miners, “Is there a way to blast the edge of this large rock?”

“There is,” said a man in his forties, “but it’s a bit troublesome. We’ll chisel a ring around the edge of this large rock, stuff a small amount of gunpowder inside, and after it explodes, pour water on the edge. The outer edge of the rock might crack and peel off.”

Rocks are classified as sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks due to their different formation processes. Through the vicissitudes of time, they form mountains. Regardless of their formation method, rock formation is slow, mostly layer by layer.

Theoretically, it was possible to achieve what this man described—to peel off the outer layer of the rock.

And at this point, there was no better way; they could only try it as a last resort.

Seeing Su Yujin nod slightly, Qu Zhiwen spoke up, “Then let’s get started.”

The man discussed the amount of gunpowder with several skilled gunpowder handlers, then instructed the excavators on the width of the slits to be made.

Qu Zhiwen, meanwhile, instructed the others to support the large rock with wooden frames, so that once it shrank, it could be pulled out smoothly without causing the cave to collapse further.

Watching the men skillfully build the frames, excavate the slits, and place the gunpowder…

Su Yujin couldn’t help but exclaim, “Eh?”

“What’s wrong, Miss Su?” Qu Zhiwen asked.

“Nothing,” Su Yujin waved her hand, her eyes blinking repeatedly.

After waiting for a while, the gunpowder was placed, and the fuse was lit. A hissing sound was followed by a dull “thud.”

After the sound subsided, water was poured onto the large rock, producing a series of cracking sounds.

“Start excavating!” the man shouted.

Men wielding hammers and chisels swarmed in, filling the cave with a deafening clanging sound.

Su Yujin, Qu Zhiwen, and the others had to cover their ears.

After a flurry of activity, the rock had been loosened, and the wooden frame had noticeably sagged. A gap had been successfully created between the rock and the cavern, large enough to fit a thick rope, providing leverage for pulling the stone outwards.

“One, two, pull!”

“One, two, pull!”

“…”

With everyone’s combined effort, the rock loosened and moved slowly outward.

As it moved a little, someone would patch up the wooden frame.

Once the large rock was pulled to a relatively spacious area within the cave, it was large enough for people to walk over it.

Su Yujin, Qu Zhiwen, and the others hurried inside.

The situation inside was better; although some of the supporting wooden stakes were broken or bent, the cavern wasn’t completely filled with rocks.

That meant the person was most likely still alive.

The group hurriedly searched among the rocks of all sizes, and finally, deeper into the cave, they spotted a corner of a robe!

(End of Chapter)

---