The wooden box was the size of a palm, jet-black, with complex patterns carved on its surface.

Even through the box, one could feel a faint chill emanating from within.

"This is the Blue Marrow Stone." Yamamoto Ichiki gently opened the wooden box.

Inside the box lay a fist-sized ore, translucent blue, with what seemed to be liquid slowly flowing within.

It shimmered with a dreamlike glow under the candlelight. It was ice-cold to the touch and carried an indescribable energy fluctuation.

Umekawa Kojiro's gaze narrowed. Given his experience, he had naturally heard of this legendary ore, which was born deep underground and was extremely rare.

If buried in a vein, within three days, all ore-eating monsters within a fifty-mile radius would gather frantically to dig for the ore.

"It truly lives up to its reputation," Umekawa Kojiro praised.

Yamamoto Ichiki closed the wooden box and took a small jade pendant from his bosom.

The pendant was pale purple, with a faint, flowing light shimmering on its surface; it was clearly no ordinary item.

"This is an item to prevent deduction," Yamamoto Ichiki said, placing the jade pendant next to the wooden box.

"It is of purple quality and can interfere with deduction-type skills and items. Coupled with the magnetic field interference of the Copper-Tin Mine itself, even if those in Great Xia have incredible abilities, they won't be able to deduce the truth."

A sharp light flashed in Umekawa Kojiro's eyes: "In other words, even if that Lord Lin suspects us, he has no evidence?"

"Exactly," Yamamoto Ichiki smiled. "Official channels won't work.

He will either have to swallow the loss and watch helplessly as the mine is destroyed by ore-eating monsters; or fly into a rage and launch a territorial war against Baigui County."

He paused, his smile deepening: "If he chooses the latter, that would be even better.

Once a territorial war is initiated, we will have a legitimate reason... to keep him on the battlefield forever."

Umekawa Kojiro was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "What if he doesn't fall for it?"

"Then we will have misjudged him," Yamamoto Ichiki said, putting away the jade pendant. "The plan ends here; Baigui County does not need to participate further. Osaka Castle will find another way."

Umekawa Kojiro nodded and reached out to take the wooden box.

"When will you act?"

"Tonight." Yamamoto Ichiki stood up and put his hood back on. "Delays only lead to complications; the sooner, the better. I will go myself."

Umekawa Kojiro raised an eyebrow: "Yamamoto-kun, you are going yourself? You don't need any help?"

"Too many people make it easier to be exposed," Yamamoto Ichiki shook his head. "I alone am sufficient."

He picked up the wooden box and the jade pendant, tucked them into his bosom, and gave a slight nod to Umekawa Kojiro: "Head of the Umekawa family, await the good news."

As his voice faded, his figure flickered like a black phantom, disappearing silently into the shadows of the Council Hall.

Umekawa Kojiro sat in his original seat, looking at the empty guest seat, a faint smile slowly curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself. "Let this old man see how you will respond."

...

The night deepened.

The Copper-Tin Mine.

The mining area was located between some low hills; it was bustling during the day but quieted down after nightfall.

A few simple work sheds were scattered about, and several oil lamps hung at the entrance of the mine tunnel, their dim, yellowish halos barely illuminating the surrounding few zhang.

Seven Beacon Guards were scattered throughout the mining area, with two guarding the mine entrance and two patrolling near the work sheds.

Three others were lurking in the shadows. They were as silent as {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} iron, with only the occasional soft sound of footsteps during their patrols.

In the night sky in the distance, a black shadow approached silently, like a ghost merging into the darkness.

Yamamoto Ichiki.

Although his stealth techniques were not as ghostly as Shadow Snake's, as a trusted aide to the Lord of Osaka Castle, he naturally had his own unique skills.

He crouched behind a large rock and observed carefully for a moment, then figured out the patrol pattern of the Beacon Guards.

Two minutes later, he moved. Like a wisp of black smoke, he used the cover of night and the terrain to bypass the patrol route, approaching the mine entrance silently.

The two Beacon Guards guarding the entrance were only Level 10 and could not detect his presence at all.

Yamamoto Ichiki paused in the shadows of the entrance for a moment, confirmed there was nothing unusual, and then slid into the depths of the mine like a shadow.

The mine was extremely dark, but he was well-prepared; he took a night-luminescent pearl from his bosom, its faint light illuminating the few meters ahead.

He moved quickly deep along the mining tunnel, occasionally stopping to determine the direction before continuing forward.

About a quarter of an hour later, he arrived at a relatively open area deep in the mine.

Here, freshly mined ore was piled up, with Copper-Tin Mine ore mixed together, reflecting a dull metallic luster under the light of the night-luminescent pearl.

Yamamoto Ichiki took out the wooden box and opened it. The Blue Marrow Stone lay quietly in the box, emitting a ghostly blue light.

He lifted the ore with both hands, feeling the ice-cold touch and the faint energy fluctuation, and then gently buried it into the pile of ore.

The moment the Blue Marrow Stone touched the surrounding ore, a sudden change occurred, and the ghostly blue light surged instantly.

In the blink of an eye, the fist-sized Blue Marrow Stone began to soften and melt, turning into a pool of ghostly blue liquid that seeped silently into the depths of the vein, vanishing without a trace.

It was as if it had never existed.

Only the faint chill remaining in the air proved that everything that had just happened was not a hallucination.

Having done all this, Yamamoto Ichiki smiled with satisfaction, put away the night-luminescent pearl, and, just as he had come, retreated silently from the mine and disappeared into the vast night.

The mining area remained quiet.

The seven Beacon Guards continued to patrol in silence.

No one noticed that in the mine tunnel dozens of meters beneath their feet, a blue seed had already been planted.

It only waited for a few days to take root and sprout.

The morning sunlight spilled onto the open space in front of the Council Hall, and a few sparrows hopped on the steps, foraging for food.

Lin Feng stood outside the door, looking at the busy crowd in the distance, his brows slightly furrowed.

It had been two days.

Two full days had passed since Zhang Ping reported that the people from Baigui County had come to provoke them.

He ordered the mine to continue operations, had the Beacon Guards increase their vigilance, and waited in the town for the other party's next move.

But nothing happened.

Baigui County neither sent anyone else nor launched a so-called resource war.

The news coming from the Copper-Tin Mine every day was "everything is normal," with miners mining as usual and the Beacon Guards patrolling as usual.

It was too quiet.

So quiet that Lin Feng felt something was wrong.

He looked up at the sky and checked the cooldown time; the Eye of Probability would refresh tomorrow.

It was time to retrieve that golden necklace.

Yesterday, the training of the five hundred Great Qin Garrison Soldiers was completed.

Four hundred infantrymen and one hundred Crossbowmen, all uniformly at Lv13, equipped with standard leather armor, Long Halberd, and Qin crossbows.

The moment they walked out of the Elite Camp, the entire inner city was enveloped by that silent, iron-blooded aura.

Lin Feng arranged them all in the core military area, in the fully restored barracks in the northeast corner. (PS: Elite Camp soldiers can enter the core area)

The four hundred infantrymen were stationed in four barracks, and the one hundred Crossbowmen were in a separate camp.

This was the true foundation of Beacon Fire Town.