Last Meal

Plop~

Wu Dao was about to turn back and risk trying to fish up another "fish" when footsteps suddenly sounded at the mouth of the cave.

They were heavy.

Like an iron man walking, each step clearly crunching and crushing the gravel on the ground.

Most mine slaves had weak, unsteady legs.

It was impossible for them to possess such foot strength!

Wu Dao's heart stirred. He concealed the greed in his eyes and resumed his numb, vacant look. Relaxing every muscle in his body, he lowered his head and did his best to appear harmless and weak.

Clack, clack~

Amid the sound of iron striking stone, the newcomer's figure gradually came into clear view.

He was fair-faced and beardless, with delicate, feminine features and eyes like slender willow leaves. A robe of blue brocade draped over his tall, lean frame.

Two black iron pellets rolled between his fingers, while a faint, leisurely smile played at his lips. He looked like a refined young master in a troubled age.

Meng Qingshuang!

The man in charge of the Red Fire Mine, and the fourth adopted son of the Four Seas Gang Leader.

He held absolute authority within the mine. With a single word, he could decide anyone's life or death. Even the most vicious overseers became as docile as milk cats before him.

It was not merely because of his status.

More importantly, it was because of his strength!

One month ago.

Wu Dao had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Over some trivial matter, Meng Qingshuang had used an iron pellet from seven or eight meters away to pierce straight through an overseer's skull.

He had killed an Expert Realm fighter in a single strike, someone whose physique rivaled that of a boxing champion from Earth World.

The extent of his strength was clear.

From the overseers' discussions.

Wu Dao had learned that Meng Qingshuang cultivated this world's Martial Dao and had already reached the Foundation Establishment Peak Divine Strength Realm.

His strength matched that of a woolly elephant; his skin was like oxhide and his organs like those of a horse. His senses and endurance exceeded human limits, making him comparable to a Humanoid Beast. Slaughtering over a hundred knife-wielding thugs barehanded would be effortless for him!

With such combat power.

He was not someone Wu Dao, who had only liberated 35% of his potential and had yet to break the first of the Human Body Shackles, could contend against.

Therefore.

Under Meng Qingshuang's smiling yet blade-hidden gaze.

Wu Dao cooperatively began to "tremble in fear," his breathing quickening as he looked like a little rabbit awaiting a beast's judgment.

Clack~

The iron pellets in Meng Qingshuang's right palm stopped colliding.

Meng Qingshuang glanced at Wu Dao, whose filthy hair covered his face, whose clothes reeked, and whose exposed skin was caked in mud and grime. Smiling softly as though reminding someone who had lost their way, he said, "Not leaving? You shouldn't stay in a place like this for long."

His voice was hoarse and feminine.

It brimmed with goodwill, yet upon closer consideration, it sounded like a venomous snake hissing beside one's ear, impossible to tell when it might suddenly bite down. It sent shivers down one's spine.

Having weathered countless storms, Wu Dao's heart remained perfectly still. On the surface, however, he shook violently and stammered, looking utterly terrified. "Th-thank you, sir."

As soon as he spoke.

He secretly raised his vigilance to the utmost, taking two steps at a time as he hunched over and passed Meng Qingshuang.

Throughout it.

Those willow-leaf eyes of Meng Qingshuang's remained fixed partly on Wu Dao, as if the slightest abnormality from him would immediately bring thunderous methods crashing down.

Fortunately.

Wu Dao walked all the way to the cave entrance without Meng Qingshuang moving a single step. His scrutiny seemed to have been nothing more than a passing interest—or perhaps simply his naturally suspicious temperament.

After Wu Dao left the mine tunnel.

Only then did Meng Qingshuang's gentle smile disappear. His scarlet tongue licked his lips, and greed like that of a starving beast surfaced in his eyes. "What a sweet scent. Watching chunks of meat every day without being able to eat them—tsk. But soon."

After speaking.

He resumed rubbing the iron pellets together. Ignoring the cold air in the cave and the ghostly wails carried by the wind, he walked to the edge of the pitch-black Earth Abyss and lowered his gaze.

A horrifying scene unfolded—

As Meng Qingshuang stared into the depths of the Earth Abyss.

His two distinct black-and-white eyeballs suddenly rolled upward and vanished, replaced by a pair of scarlet eyes filled with cold-blooded vertical pupils.

More accurately, they were snake eyes!

When those snake eyes opened, the entire world became blood-red. Even the darkness at the bottom of that muddy abyss, untouched by the scorching sunlight, came clearly into view.

Within the ink-black swamp.

Black shadows twisted and rolled together like maggots and earthworms. From time to time, anguished human faces of varying appearances emerged, revolting and chilling beyond measure.

After observing for a while.

"Not bad. It's nearly ready."

Like a fishery owner on the brink of harvest, Meng Qingshuang nodded in satisfaction.

"Cough, cough..."

But immediately afterward, he suddenly began coughing violently. His face turned as pale as gold paper, and he looked like a terminally ill man with only days left to live.

He spread open his palm.

The blood in it was black as ink, with tiny earthworm-sized snakes writhing within.

Splat!

Meng Qingshuang crushed the small snakes in his hand, his gaze icy. "You and I are in a symbiotic relationship, not one of master and servant. Without me, could you have become what you are today? Behave yourself!"

Once his words fell.

Meng Qingshuang's complexion quickly regained its rosiness. The chill in his eyes immediately transformed into gentleness, and he patiently said, as though soothing a disobedient child:

"Don't worry. Da Li is already close to becoming a pot of porridge. No one will interfere with the Four Seas Gang's plans anymore.

Tomorrow, the Demon Seed quota for the Red Fire Mine will be delivered.

Once it succeeds, what does it matter if we have no dantian? The Four Seas Gang will still undergo rebirth, and every one of us will become like a dragon!

Then you and I will naturally reap boundless benefits. In the future, becoming lords and patriarchs may not be impossible!"

Drip~

As he spoke, saliva already dripped from the corner of Meng Qingshuang's mouth. He resembled a great serpent ready to devour its prey, his eyes filled with longing and madness.

Outside.

After moving completely away from Mine No. 1.

Only then did Wu Dao's face return to indifference. Narrowing his eyes, he considered why Meng Qingshuang had gone to Mine No. 1.

Had that bizarre incident not just occurred, he might not have given it much thought.

But the moment "something uncanny" appeared in Mine No. 1, Meng Qingshuang had arrived. It was difficult not to wonder whether the two were connected, and whether some hidden scheme lurked behind it all.

Unfortunately...

Limited by the fact that he had inherited no memories, he knew far too little about the supernatural side of this world to reason out anything definite.

"What a pity..."

In the end.

Wu Dao could only shake his head and sigh regretfully.

An Anomaly Creature suspected to be "uncanny" could provide him with 0.1 units of Evolution Points.

If he could remain in Mine No. 1 for a long time...

"Heh. A man's heart is never satisfied; he wants to swallow an elephant like a snake."

But on second thought, Wu Dao laughed at himself, feeling that his earlier idea of taking that risk had been somewhat impulsive.

As the saying went.

When you discovered one cockroach, it proved that a whole nest was already hidden in the house.

With his current strength.

A single uncanny creature was enough to force him to give his all and leave him in a miserable state. If they came bursting out in a swarm, wave after wave.

The consequences would be too dreadful to imagine.

"When my strength is inferior to others', I'm constrained at every turn. I must leave the Red Fire Mine as soon as possible."

That uncanny creature he had encountered, along with the activation of the Attribute Panel, had completely ignited Wu Dao's curiosity about the unknown world beyond the high walls.

Because he knew.

He had found the path beyond the Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique.

He could hardly wait to see just how powerful the human body would become after breaking through to 100% Potential Liberation!

However...

Reality often outpaced plans.

Something that happened the next evening.

Was like a bucket of ice water falling from the sky, thoroughly extinguishing Wu Dao's blazing anticipation for the outside world.

Clang, clang, clang!

At dusk, wind and sand darkened the sky.

A continuous ringing of bronze gongs echoed through the Red Fire Mine.

Wu Dao, who had just emerged from the mine tunnel, knew it was time to eat.

Two meals a day.

Each meal consisted of one foul-smelling black potato hard enough to crack teeth, with as much filthy water as they could drink.

That was the food given to the mine slaves of the Red Fire Mine. Even dogs outside would refuse to eat it, yet it was the life-sustaining medicine that kept the mine slaves barely alive.

But today seemed somewhat different.

Before he even reached the dining hall, the rich fragrance of meat filled the air, instantly making his stomach churn and saliva pool in his mouth.

Wu Dao took a deep breath of that long-lost scent of meat. His expression did not change, but his heart turned cold. He guessed that those overseers had come up with some new way to torment the mine slaves for amusement.

It was not because he suffered from persecution mania.

There had been precedents—

The overseers would toss out a piece of meat and make the mine slaves slaughter each other, gambling on the outcome for entertainment!

Hm?

Why was he here?

But when Wu Dao saw Meng Qingshuang standing head and shoulders above the crowd of overseers, his brows furrowed.

Though Meng Qingshuang was the one with the final say at the Red Fire Mine, he normally remained in the residence deep within the compound and never appeared around the mining grounds.

Yet today, he had appeared twice in a row, completely out of character.

Recalling the strange events at Mine No. 1.

Wu Dao could not help grinding his teeth, unease rising in his heart.

Before the open-air dining hall.

More than three hundred mine slaves stood silent as cicadas before the vicious overseers. The place was dead silent, save for the incessant swallowing as they stared at some fifty large bowls filled with fragrant braised pork.

What was this for?

Wu Dao also looked at the fifty huge bowls brimming with braised pork. He was surprised as well, unable to determine what exactly the Four Seas Gang intended to do.

Had they suddenly grown kind?

No!

Even condemned prisoners were given a good meal before being led to the execution ground.

At that thought.

Wu Dao discreetly swept his gaze over the high walls around them, and his expression darkened completely.

At some point.

The number of Four Seas Gang guards stationed atop the high walls around the mine had suddenly multiplied severalfold!

In every direction, there were at least a hundred vigorous guards armed with sabers and spears, sealing off the entire mine!

The mountain wind was about to rise; disaster loomed overhead!

Alarm bells rang madly in Wu Dao's heart. Beneath his lowered gaze was nothing but savage violence, yet he had no way to break the deadlock!

Weak!

Far too weak!

With his current strength, he had no chance at all of breaking through the blockade. He would probably be shot into a honeycomb by crossbows before even reaching the wall!

Not to mention.

Meng Qingshuang, whose strength he could not see through, was holding the field. Even if Wu Dao burned his boats and used the secret art of Stealing Heaven's Secret, he had little confidence!

Huff~

The powerful will he had tempered in his previous life forcefully suppressed the anxiety and agitation in Wu Dao's heart, allowing him to calm down.

Man was the chopping block; he was the fish upon it.

Panicking would accomplish nothing!

Wait and see, face it calmly, and perhaps he might still leap free of the chopping board!

"Begin."

While Wu Dao's thoughts churned, Meng Qingshuang calmly spoke to a one-eyed overseer beside him.

"Yes!"

The one-eyed overseer immediately nodded respectfully. Together with over a dozen other overseers, he entered the crowd under the mine slaves' terrified gazes and examined each slave as though selecting merchandise.

"You, get lost!"

"You, stay!"

Before long, most of the original three hundred mine slaves had retreated to the rear. Only fifty remained standing before the dining hall.

Wu Dao happened to be among them.

He swept his gaze over them.

He found that the fifty remaining mine slaves all possessed relatively abundant Vitality and Spirit, with sturdy physiques—the tallest picks among a bunch of short ones.

Those who had not been chosen were mostly skin and bones, like withered yellow bean sprouts.

This strange situation.

Coupled with the sudden increase in Four Seas Gang guards by several times over.

It inexplicably reminded Wu Dao of the selection of a death squad. Could the Four Seas Gang be preparing to campaign against some enemy, feeding them full before sending them to the front lines to die?

But.

What the one-eyed overseer said next immediately overturned Wu Dao's guess.

"Cough, cough."

The one-eyed overseer cleared his throat and beamed at the uneasy fifty mine slaves. "Fellow workers, wonderful news!

Five days from now will be the Four Seas Gang Leader's eightieth birthday. The Leader is warmhearted and kind as a Bodhisattva, caring for every member of the Four Seas Gang. He cannot bear to see you miner brothers, who have labored so hard and rendered such service, suffer and exhaust yourselves. Therefore, rewards shall be given according to merit..."

As he spoke.

He pointed at the bowls of fragrant meat on the table. "Starting today, for the next ten days, your workload in the mine will be cut in half. And you'll have meat at every meal, morning and evening, so you can share in the festive fortune and build yourselves up properly."

"..."

Silence.

Including Wu Dao.

All fifty mine slaves were silent as the grave.

Did you even hear what you were saying?

Aren't we this fucking miserable because of the sins your Four Seas Gang committed?

And you dare call yourself kind as a Bodhisattva. You really had the nerve to say that.

If they had been able to beat him, every mine slave would have wanted to gouge out the one-eyed overseer's remaining eye. It was useless anyway—why keep it?

"Eat! What are you all staring at me for?"

Seeing the mine slaves lower their heads without making a move, the one-eyed overseer's expression immediately darkened, feeling that he had lost face before Meng Qingshuang.

However.

In the face of his savage roar.

Though the mine slaves trembled all over instinctively, they still kept their heads lowered. No one was willing to take a single step forward.

Someone who treated you like livestock all day long, ready to beat or kill you at the drop of a hat, suddenly offered you good food and drink.

Would you dare eat it?

Only a fool would!

"Eat! Why the hell aren't any of you eating? Afraid it's poisoned, are you?"

After no one stepped forward for a long while.

The one-eyed overseer finally snapped, cursing loudly as he raised his whip to lash the mine slaves in the front row.