Mine Vein Riot

The next day.

Under the urging of overseers and guards, the mine slaves on the mountain were mining ore in full swing. Cart after cart of freshly mined ore was sent to the stockyard.

"Move faster! I'm talking to you! Dilly-dallying like that—are you tired of living?"

A fat overseer waved the whip in his hand and pointed at a middle-aged mine slave as he roared. Two guards followed behind him.

The middle-aged mine slave gave him a deep look, then quickened his pace.

Yet that look made the fat overseer rather unhappy.

For some reason, when that lowly mine slave had looked at him just now, a trace of fear had actually risen in his heart. That was something he could not tolerate.

Fuming, he strode toward the middle-aged mine slave.

With a crack, the whip in his hand lashed viciously across the middle-aged mine slave's back.

The blow staggered the mine slave. A vivid crimson welt immediately appeared across his bare, dark back.

"How many lives do you have? How dare you glare at me?"

The fat overseer brandished his whip and sneered.

The mine slave secretly clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He drew a deep breath, about to flare up.

But as though he had thought of something, his clenched fists slowly loosened.

"Lord Overseer, I am a rough fool. Please do not lower yourself to my level."

The mine slave lowered his head.

"Hmph. This grandpa is in a good mood today, so I'll spare you this time. If there's a next time, watch that dog life of yours."

The fat overseer said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Having said that.

He swaggered away with his two subordinates.

As he watched the fat overseer's mountain-like back, the mine slave's eyes were filled with gloom.

Elsewhere, the overseer and his men had walked some distance away.

A guard grinned and teased the overseer, "Brother Hu, why did you suddenly grow such a bodhisattva heart today? If this had been before, that brat would have lost his life already for daring to defy you."

Hearing this, the overseer snorted coldly.

"That bastard got lucky. Word came down from above that a great figure from the main family will be coming to inspect the mine in the next couple of days, so we are to behave ourselves."

"A great figure?"

The guard's eyes lit up.

He hurriedly asked, "Brother Hu, your reach is vast and your news is always swift. Do you know which great figure is coming?"

The overseer was greatly pleased by those words, and his eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled.

He pointed at the sky overhead.

In a low voice, he said, "A figure as great as the heavens."

The guard understood at once and sharply sucked in a breath.

"Don't go spreading this around, understand?"

The overseer shot him a glance.

The guard grinned. "Brother Hu, don't you know me? My mouth is famous for having a lock on it."

The overseer gave a disdainful snort.

The group laughed and joked as they walked away.

In the distance.

The middle-aged mine slave's ears twitched. His hands froze, and his expression visibly darkened.

A day of blood-and-sweat labor finally came to an end after the sun set.

The sky gradually darkened.

A bright moon poked its head out at the horizon.

After dinner, the utterly exhausted mine slaves lay sprawled in all directions inside the mine tunnel to rest. This was the most pleasant time of their day.

After counting heads, the overseer on night patrol sneered.

"It is curfew now. All of you had better behave and sleep properly. If anyone is caught running around outside, everyone in this tunnel will die! Do you understand?"

"We understand."

The crowd answered weakly.

The night patrol overseer nodded in satisfaction and went to inspect the next location.

After making sure he had gone far away.

A fairly sturdy mine slave sighed. "Another six people were lost today."

"Maybe tomorrow, it'll be our turn."

The mine slave lying beside him gave a bitter smile.

"If I had known surrendering would lead to this, I might as well have died cleanly on the battlefield. In this lifetime, we probably will never return to our homeland."

"A miserable life is still better than a good death. We'll live one day at a time if we can."

"..."

Half an hour later.

Thunderous snores filled the cave.

Several people carefully climbed to their feet and sneaked toward the depths of the mine tunnel.

Among them was the middle-aged mine slave who had been whipped during the day.

"General, we can't wait any longer. While working today, I overheard that damned overseer's conversation. They said a great figure from the Li Family behind this mine will be coming to inspect it!"

The middle-aged mine slave respectfully reported to a gaunt old man.

The old man frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Do you know who this so-called great figure is?"

The middle-aged mine slave shook his head. "They did not mention it. They only said he was a figure as great as the heavens."

The old man's expression instantly turned grave.

He stated with certainty, "Then it must be a Qi and Blood Realm Cultivator of the Li Family."

At those words, gloom settled over the hearts of the group.

"If I were at my peak, I would not fear a Qi and Blood Realm Cultivator of the Li Family in the slightest. But unfortunately, that great battle left my vitality severely damaged. Even now, I have barely recovered the strength of Body Cultivation Grand Completion. If I face him, I will surely die."

The old man shook his head.

"General, we cannot sit and wait for death! The secret art we practice to conceal our aura cannot fool a Qi and Blood Realm Cultivator."

Tie Xiong urgently said.

The others hurriedly echoed his words.

The old man pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth, and finally made up his mind. "Since matters have come to this, we can only rise in rebellion ahead of schedule."

"From what I have observed during this time, aside from the elder stationed at the mine, the Li Family also has two Body Realm cultivators guarding the mine entrance."

"Once we rise in rebellion, we must first get past them if we wish to escape."

"Defeating them will not be difficult. Killing them is the difficult part. If they entangle us, none of us will be able to leave. Therefore, to ensure there are no mishaps, I must recover more of my strength—preferably to Great Perfection of Body Realm."

Tie Xiong, however, shook his head with some difficulty.

He said, "In your current state, recovering to Great Perfection of Body Realm will require the qi and blood of at least several hundred people. The corpses thrown into the mass grave are far from enough. Moreover, the abnormality at the mass grave has already drawn the attention of those Li Family Elders. You cannot go there again."

So the mysterious black shadow at the mass grave.

Was actually the gaunt old man before them.

"The mass grave is out of the question, but aren't there ready-made corpses right here?"

The gaunt old man sneered.

The group shuddered and retreated several steps in unison, staring at him in horror.

The old man was initially taken aback.

Then he realized what they meant and cursed angrily, "Idiots! What use are your three melons and two dates to me?"

Having said that.

He turned his gaze toward the mine slaves sleeping in the tunnel in the distance.

The group instantly understood what the old man intended to do.

Tie Xiong hesitated somewhat. "General, they are all citizens of our Eastern Ridge Land."

The old man sneered. "If they do not die, then we will."

After a long silence, they all made their choice.

They slowly walked toward the sleeping mine slaves.

A bloody slaughter silently unfolded within the mine tunnel.

Half an hour later.

The gaunt old man swallowed the final blood pearl.

Before him, horrifying dried corpses had already piled into a small mountain.

"I have finally recovered to Body Cultivation Grand Perfection."

The old man laughed loudly.

"Congratulations, General! Congratulations!"

The group clasped their fists in congratulations.

"You have handled this matter well. Rest assured, I will definitely take you back to the Eastern Ridge Land. Now, it is time to act."

"We swear to serve the General unto death!"

At the mine entrance.

Several mine guards leaned against the wall at an angle, dozing off.

In their haze.

Several figures slowly emerged.

The guards immediately snapped awake and roared, "It is curfew. No one is allowed to leave. Violators will be killed without—"

Before they could finish, their necks were twisted.

"Brothers, the Li Family is tyrannical and lawless. They regard us as ants and slaughter us at will. If we remain here, death will come sooner or later. We might as well rebel with me!"

A booming voice rang through the entire mine vein in the darkness.

For a time, countless voices answered!

"The Li Family is lawless! We rebel!"

"Brothers, kill! Kill every last one of these Li Family lackeys!"

"Kill!"