[Chapter 204, featuring explicit content, is stuck in the review process again]
Inside the Ox-Horse Factory on the Second Ring Town.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
The sound of metal clanging echoed throughout the mine.
The three Clown, escorted by the ghost guards, officially entered the Ox-Horse Factory.
Upon entering the mining area, one is greeted by hundreds and thousands of workers wielding pickaxes and digging.
They were ragged, emaciated, and had empty eyes, devoid of even the slightest trace of human vitality.
Although the Clown had previously tried to lure Zhao Yan and the others...
He made up a story that he had been here before, but it was actually his first time setting foot in this Ox-Horse Factory.
He surveyed his surroundings, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"No soul fluctuations..."
The Clown reached out and secretly pressed the [Ten Thousand Souls Orb] in his pocket through his clothes, thinking to himself.
"The Ten Thousand Souls Orb is extremely sensitive to souls, but it showed no reaction whatsoever to so many miners."
"This means..."
"These guys mining aren't even alive, they're not even ghosts."
"At best, they are just empty shells, walking corpses."
This bizarre scene piqued the Clown's curiosity.
He lowered his voice and nudged the monk walking beside him with his shoulder.
"Oh, Master, you are so knowledgeable."
"You know these walking dead..."
"What exactly are they digging for?"
The monk clasped his hands together, glanced at the white minerals with compassion, and answered softly.
"Amitabha."
"My lord, the kind of stone they're digging up is called [Source]."
"Source? What's that?" The Clown frowned.
"This humble monk is not quite sure either."
The monk shook his head. "I've only heard it mentioned by the older generation in town."
"It seems to be the energy source used to keep the entire Soul Return Town running."
The Clown's doubts deepened.
What unspeakable secrets are hidden in this wretched place?
Driven by intense curiosity, the Clown took advantage of the ghost messengers' inattention.
He hooked his foot down, intending to secretly steal a piece of white ore that had fallen to the side of the road to study it.
However, just as his toes were about to touch the stone!
"If you don't want to die..."
"It's best not to touch that thing."
A gentle voice suddenly rang in the Clown's ear.
The Clown stopped what he was doing and turned his head away.
Lu Mingfei, who had been silent all along, had somehow moved closer to him.
"That thing... only the dead can take it~"
Lu Mingfei smiled and warned in a joking tone.
The Clown naturally withdrew his foot and gave a grateful smile.
"Oh! I see!"
"Thanks for reminding me, brother. I'm just a restless person; I almost got into trouble!"
But in reality, the Clown's vigilance towards Lu Mingfei had reached its peak.
"It seems..."
"This guy knows far more inside information than I imagined."
"Interesting. We'll try to get information out of him once we're inside."
The three continued to descend into the mine, escorted by the ghost messengers.
The further down you go, the more oppressive the surrounding environment becomes.
Instead of decreasing in number, the number of mindless miners crammed the entire mine tunnel.
Finally, at the deepest part of the mine, they came to a huge fork in the road.
The Abyss section that continued downwards was guarded by a row of ghostly guards, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching.
Extending to the left and right are two iron gates.
The words were written on the doors.
[Male Workers' Area]
[Women Workers' Area]
"Go in!"
The ghost messengers pushed the three of them and escorted them through the gate of the men's work area.
When the Clown stepped over the iron gate and saw the scene before him...
I couldn't help but widen my eyes!
"Fuck..."
Inside the seemingly endless underground factory, countless pieces of equipment were laid out!
Foot-operated sewing machine.
An old-fashioned loom.
Fully automated assembly line.
Even the blacksmith's furnace...
Almost every imaginable shady employment equipment can be found here!
There were thousands of sewing machines alone, stretching as far as the eye could see!
Countless prisoners were chained to their workstations and forced to work day and night.
"Amitabha."
The monk walked up to the Clown and patted him on the shoulder.
"Sir, this is how it is the first time you come to a place like this. You'll get used to it. Just be prepared."
"This humble monk is going to report to the sewing machine area first."
After saying that, the monk walked confidently toward the army of sewing machines.
I found an empty seat, sat down, and immediately started plopping my legs together.
Lu Mingfei walked towards the assembly line without saying a word.
Instead of choosing a sewing machine, he went to sit down at a workstation on an assembly line.
The Clown's eyes darted around, and he immediately followed.
Lu Mingfei noticed the Clown following him, but he didn't stop him; he just smiled slightly.
He let her sit at the workstation next to him.
As soon as the two sat down, a bunch of parts were thrown over by ghost messengers.
The Clown had an exceptional learning ability; he only glanced at Lu Mingfei twice before he began to imitate him quite well.
In just a few minutes, he mastered the assembly techniques with remarkable skill.
After confirming that the surrounding ghost messengers were not paying attention to them.
The Clown struck up a conversation while assembling the parts.
"Brother, what you were saying earlier..."
"What exactly is that white stone?"
Lu Mingfei did not answer immediately.
He cautiously glanced at the patrolling ghost guards out of the corner of his eye, and only after confirming that it was safe did he lower his voice and ask in return.
"You're new here from outside, aren't you?"
The Clown didn't hide it, because he was now using Tang Sirui's face.
He immediately lowered his voice and proudly introduced himself.
"That's right, fellow countryman! I'm from China, a member of the [Iron Wall Squad], Tang Sirui!"
"Supernatural Ability S-class [Infinite Firepower]!"
Upon hearing this intimidating title, Lu Mingfei's hands did not pause for a moment, and he calmly replied.
My name is Lu Mingfei.
"Also from China, but..."
That happened thirty or forty years ago.
"As for Supernatural Ability..."
"I'm ashamed to say, I'm just an ordinary person with no special abilities."
"Puff..."
Upon hearing Lu Mingfei's answer, the Clown almost burst out laughing on the spot.
As a Deception who has deception ingrained in his very being.
The Clown can be 100% certain.
This Lu Mingfei is telling a colossal lie!
An ordinary person who has lived on Weird Island for thirty or forty years?
Moreover, he exuded an anger that even made him feel uneasy.
This is even more outrageous than a sow climbing a tree!
However, the Clown didn't expose him; he just patted his chest.
Hey! When fellow villagers meet, tears well up in their eyes!
"Since we're all Huaxia Person, why be so formal!"
"From now on, I'll protect you in this lousy factory!"
When Lu Mingfei heard the words "I'll protect you," his face still wore that squinty smile.
"Since you're so generous, fellow villager, then I won't hold back anymore."
Lu Mingfei's hands moved swiftly. "Before I tell you what those stones are, let me ask you a question first..."
"What kind of person do you think the Phoenix Emperor, who created this Soul Return Town, is?"
"Phoenix Emperor?"
The Clown rubbed his chin.
He believed that Lu Mingfei was a long-time resident of the town who had lived there for decades.
Deep down, they definitely idolize this ruler.
The Clown immediately adopted an expression of reverence.
"Of course! He's an excellent person!"
"On this hellish, Weird Island, I can personally create this sanctuary called Soul Return Town!"
"She sheltered so many people; she's practically a living bodhisattva!"
Lu Mingfei and smiled in agreement.
"That's right... Phoenix Emperor has indeed helped us a lot."
"They not only granted us immortality, but also personally founded this Ox-Horse Factory."
"Let all sinners have the opportunity to cleanse their sins through labor..."
"That's amazing, haha!"
Lu Mingfei laughed happily.
But the Clown's smile froze.
As a master of manipulating Human Heart, he keenly sensed it.
There wasn't even a trace of genuine laughter in Lu Mingfei's laughter.
His seemingly eulogistic words were actually laced with sarcasm and resentment!
Lu Mingfei seemed to sense the Clown's strange behavior, composed himself, and resumed his humble smile.
"Alright, now let me tell you about those white stones."
"They're actually called [Soul Stones]."
"Just like that monk said, they are the energy source that keeps the entire Soul Return Town running."
Therefore, people also call them [sources].
"Soul Stone?!"
The Clown's pupils suddenly contracted!
He instinctively pressed the [Ten Thousand Souls Orb] in his arms through his clothes.
As a high-ranking member of the Desolate God Society, he knew all too well!
The core material for crafting the [Ten Thousand Souls Orb] is Soul Stone!
But this thing's only unique characteristic is its terrifying ability to absorb and store souls!
It's not an energy mineral that can release energy at all!
"Soul Stones only have the ability to store souls..."
"But these ores can be used as fuel to maintain the barrier?"
The Clown pieced these disjointed clues together.
Gradually, his gaze turned ugly.
"Could it be..."
The Clown seemed to have realized a truth.
And then, recalling Lu Mingfei's sarcastic remark about granting us immortality...
And those walking dead...
Looking at the Clown's expression, Lu Mingfei smiled with satisfaction.
"It seems... you've already guessed something."
Lu Mingfei tossed the assembled parts into the basket and stared at the Clown.
"No doubt about it."
"The truth... is what you imagine."
"In this world, some people... appear to be dressed in a cloak of greatness."
"But in reality, everything he did was merely to satisfy his own selfish desires."
Lu Mingfei stood up and stretched.
So, my fellow villager, let me give you a piece of advice.
"If you can leave, then leave."
"But if you want to stay, don't take yourself too seriously."
"After all..."
Lu Mingfei lowered his head slightly.
"In front of those high and mighty figures, we so-called [people] are nothing."
"It's just a pile of consumables that can be burned at any time."
The Clown sat blankly at his workstation, completely silent.
His mind was processing this terrifying secret, one that could overturn the entire understanding of Soul Return Town.
"Smack!"
No sooner had Lu Mingfei finished speaking than a leather whip lashed across the workbench in front of the Clown!
"What are you daydreaming about! Number 7788!"
A fierce-looking ghost messenger walked over.
"You just arrived and you're already whispering and slacking off?! Do you want to experience the heat of an oven?!"
The Clown then seemed to wake from a dream, bowing and scraping repeatedly.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll get to work right away, immediately!"
Seeing the Clown's cowardly appearance, the ghost messenger snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Lu Mingfei had already taken advantage of this break to deliver the assembled parts.
The Clown assembled the parts in his hands, but alarm bells were already ringing in his mind!
Because..
A sense of crisis unexpectedly emerged from their plans...
"Soul Stones... Fuel..."
"The Walking Dead... Immortality..."
The Clown stared at the black part in his hand, the one he couldn't tell what it was made of.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Us..."
"Could this also be part of her plan?"