The rescue elders found Guang Ming sweeping Floor Six.
Wu Nian was mopping behind him. Ling Yue cleaned the outside of a switchgear cabinet while keeping a safe distance from its live panels.
Elder Chen drew his sword. “We have come to free you.”
Guang Ming pointed at the muddy tracks behind them. “Red mountain clay, on a floor I sealed myself. You can start by stepping off it.”
The elders stopped in confusion.
Chen looked at their orange vests. “Has the demon bound your minds?”
“No,” Ling Yue said. “We signed paid eighty-two-day contracts. They are still active. We chose them after the battle.”
Wu Nian held up his weekly statement. “The debt falls. The wages and meals are real. Our disciples went home.”
