Black List Fugitive

The next day, Yang Ling had just gotten up when he spotted Zhang Wei loitering nearby.

Catching sight of Yang Ling, Zhang Wei shuffled over with an ingratiating look.

"Brother Yang..."

"Mm?"

Yang Ling glanced at Zhang Wei.

"I was wrong before. Since we're both Players, can you forgive me, Brother Yang?"

Zhang Wei clasped his hands repeatedly.

"Out with it, or get lost. I don't have time to waste on you," Yang Ling said.

Zhang Wei's expression flickered. He gritted his teeth: "Brother Yang, can we Level Up?"

"Level Up?"

Yang Ling looked Zhang Wei up and down.

Zhang Wei took a deep breath: "I know why you're so strong and mine so fast."

"Go on."

"Not long ago, I went to dig Fire Crystal Rock. As I dug, I suddenly felt a warm current flowing through my body."

"Then my strength jumped by a notch!"

Zhang Wei said seriously: "I'm not superstitious, but I know this kind of strength is abnormal. In the real world, a few days of mining wouldn't cause such a change."

"So I think, as Players, we can Level Up."

"Congratulations. You've discovered the secret of 'Divine Domain'," Yang Ling said with a smile.

"Yang Ling, you don't have to be so sarcastic. You knew about this from the start, but you didn't tell me."

"So I don't think I did anything wrong," Zhang Wei said.

Yang Ling waved his hand: "Scram. I can't be bothered to talk to you."

"Guilty conscience, huh? Hmph." Zhang Wei's voice turned cold.

"For the sake of us both being Players, I hope you'll share information with me."

Yang Ling was amused: "What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Wei's expression softened a little: "I want to know how long I have to mine to Level Up. Is there a way to see the experience bar? Besides strength, what else can I upgrade? There must be Martial Arts in Divine Domain, right? Is there a way to learn them? Or life skills? Where can I pick up quests?"

"First, I have no reason to share any information with you," Yang Ling said with a faint smile. "Don't try to guilt-trip me, or I'll kill you. Here, you're a refugee. If you die, you die. No one cares."

Zhang Wei's face changed abruptly.

Yang Ling continued: "Second, I haven't figured out those questions you asked either. When you do, come tell me."

With that, he strode away, leaving Zhang Wei standing there with an ugly expression.

"Yang Ling, you haven't been here much longer than me. Even if you can Level Up, you'll only be a few levels ahead. I don't believe I can't catch up."

"You want to kill me? Fine. We'll see who kills who."

Zhang Wei muttered to himself.

At the mine, the atmosphere was off today.

All the miners stood together, silent as cicadas in winter.

A number of Mine Guards stood nearby, their eyes cold.

Steward Niu was beside Supervisor Wu, whispering something.

When Yang Ling arrived, he was barked at to join the line.

"Could it be because of Fifth Brother? Supervisor Wu thinks so highly of his brother-in-law? That doesn't make sense."

Yang Ling kept his expression neutral, standing together with the crowd of miners.

A few of the older miners nearby were whispering among themselves.

"Uncle Wang, what's going on?"

Yang Ling asked curiously.

Uncle Wang made a shushing gesture, then lowered his voice:

"A bad person has snuck into our team."

"What kind of bad person?"

Yang Ling asked quietly.

Could it be him they were talking about?

He wasn't exactly a bad person.

"A wanted criminal, on the Black List."

Uncle Wang's expression turned grave: "Seems like he escaped from Qingshan City and got mixed into our miner team.

Right now Supervisor Wu is gathering all the miners to find this bastard."

So it wasn't because of Fifth Brother.

But what did the Black List mean?

Yang Ling wasn't ashamed to ask, and gradually learned some important information from Uncle Wang.

"The Black List is what our Zhao State uses to put bounties on Martial Artists.

Any Martial Artist who makes it onto the Black List is someone who can take on ten ordinary men, and they're ruthless killers too.

You have to have committed at least a full-family massacre to get on the Black List."

As a Native of Qingshan City, Uncle Wang knew quite a bit.

"Martial Artists? Full-family massacres?"

Yang Ling tensed up immediately.

Such a dangerous person had snuck into the mine?

About one Shichen later.

All the miners in the village had been called to the mine.

Even Blacksmith Wang and the others weren't spared.

"Is everyone here?"

Supervisor Wu said flatly.

Steward Niu glanced at the list, then whispered a few words.

"Fifth Brother? It's fine if they didn't come."

With that, Supervisor Wu took out a portrait and held it high:

"This guy is a wanted criminal on the Black List, goes by the name Prisoner Butcher. The Qingshan City Prefectural Office says he's run to our mine.

Now we need to cooperate with the investigation. Look around you—if you see a stranger, tell me immediately.

There'll be a heavy reward!"

The miners exchanged glances.

Some of them, hearing about the heavy reward, had a gleam of greed in their eyes.

"Hey, you look unfamiliar!"

A voice suddenly rang out.

But the moment that miner opened his mouth, his throat was slit, blood spraying wildly.

He collapsed to the ground in despair, clutching his neck.

The nearby miners panicked, the scene descending into chaos.

Zhang Wei, Lin Guoliang, and the others had never seen anything like this; their faces turned pale with fear.

Yang Ling tensed up and immediately gripped the Fine Steel Pickaxe at his waist.

12 points of Strength gave him a solid sense of security at this moment.

"Prisoner Butcher, you come to my turf and think you can leave?"