Doghead Gold?!

Qin Dashan squeezed his grandson's shoulder, his expression solemn. "No matter what you choose, go ahead and do it. Grandpa will support you!"

"Alright."

Qin Yao answered, then glanced at Qin Lan, who was still sound asleep, and said softly, "My sister is still too young. It wouldn't do for her to know too much, in case she lets something slip.

"Once I've settled things on my end, this girl... I'll be entrusting her to you, Grandpa!"

Old Master Qin nodded with great solemnity. "Don't worry. Leave her to me."

Before long, the rooster crowed and the gong sounded.

Just as usual, Qin Yao followed the crowd back to the mine.

Upon reaching the entrance to the pit, he lined up with the other mine slaves who had gone home the previous night for a body search.

Anyone who had returned to the family camp had to go through this upon coming back to the mine the next day.

It was to prevent mine slaves from losing their heads over personal grudges and bringing daggers, awls, or other weapons into the mine to commit violence.

Mine slaves' lives might be cheap.

But to the overseers and stewards, every mine slave was an ox or a horse.

If one person died, that was one less beast of burden to provide labor. It would inevitably affect the workload, which in turn would affect the overseers' and stewards' purses.

That was not something they wanted to see.

The one searching Qin Yao this time was still Overseer Li Gang.

He had Qin Yao strip off his clothes and trousers, then turn in a circle.

Then he poked the flesh around Qin Yao's waist with his coiled whip and laughed as he cursed, "Kid, you've been eating pretty well lately, huh? You've even fattened up around the waist?"

"It's all thanks to Overseer Li's blessings."

Suppressing his nausea, Qin Yao replied with a simple-minded grin.

text
" Ding! Skill 'Acting' proficiency +1 "

"Hmm?"

Li Gang's brows suddenly rose, and the false smile on his face chilled at once.

The next instant, he suddenly lashed out with his whip, viciously striking Qin Yao across the shoulder!

"Smack!"

As the whip cracked, Li Gang glared with bull-like eyes and snarled, "What's with this 'Overseer Li, Overseer Li'...

"In Number Three Tunnel of this T-Shaped Pit, you're the only one who's never called me 'Master Li.'

"What, you think I'm not worthy of a former top provincial scholar like you calling me 'Master'?!"

"Gah—"

Qin Yao put on a teeth-baring grimace of pain, sucking in a breath as he said, "I was raised by my grandfather from childhood.

"Other than him, I can't bring myself to call anyone else 'Master.'"

"Oh?"

As if he had heard something amusing, Li Gang stroked his chin and asked, "You'd rather take the whip than say it?"

"..."

Qin Yao answered with silence.

But the resolve in his eyes was like iron and steel; it had already given his answer.

"Hmph, you've got some nerve!"

With a cold snort, Li Gang raised his hand and struck—"Smack! Smack! Smack..."

"Will you say it? Will you say it? Will you say it?"

Li Gang had locked horns with the youth now, lashing his whip over and over across Qin Yao's shoulders, legs, and buttocks.

With every lash, he barked the same question: "Will you say it?"

Only after eleven or twelve lashes, when he saw that the youth was still gritting his teeth and holding firm—and recalled the matter of the workload—did he finally stop, albeit unwillingly.

"Don't stand here like a fucking idiot. Get your ass to work already. Seeing your face pisses me off!"

After throwing out those words, Li Gang whistled as he went off in satisfaction to inspect the next mine slave.

The management principle he had always followed was: "Mine slaves are all lowly bones. If you don't beat them, they won't obey."

No matter how well you behaved, he would always pick at your faults from time to time. If there was no opportunity, he would create one just to whip you a few times...

Just like what Qin Yao had suffered moments ago.

At this moment, Qin Yao silently put his clothes and trousers back on, gritted his teeth against the pain, and limped toward the mine tunnel.

text
" Ding! Skill 'Acting' proficiency +1 "

Once Li Gang had gone farther away, Little Liuzi hurried over to Qin Yao's side and asked with concern, "Brother Qin, are you alright?"

"Mm, I can still take it."

Qin Yao nodded, his expression stubborn.

At this moment, several other mine slaves whom Qin Yao had helped also came over one after another.

"Sigh, if you ask me, Brother Qin, why not just give in and call that guy 'sir'? What would it hurt?"

Little Four earnestly persuaded him, "A hero doesn't suffer a loss right before his eyes!"

"Yeah, yeah, Brother Yao, don't be so hard-headed.

"Like the old saying goes: the hardest thing is easily... easily... easily what again?"

Old Wang Wu got stuck halfway through.

"The strongest is easily broken?"

Yao Heizi supplied.

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

"You don't understand at all!"

At that moment, Little Liuzi stepped before them and said with utmost seriousness, "Big Brother Qin is different from us. He... he has convictions of his own."

"It is precisely because of those convictions that he is who he is—the Big Brother Qin whom I, Little Liuzi, admire beyond measure!"

Even Qin Yao was moved by Little Liuzi's words.

"Thank you. I'm fine."

Yet Qin Yao thought to himself, There is indeed an element of conviction in this...

But there's no denying it—I don't feel pain!

Li Gang thinks that, with that long whip in hand, he gave me a vicious beating.

But in truth, those few lashes of his are too light even for scratching an itch on me now!

After all, Qin Yao was now a genuine Fourth Layer of the Body Refining Realm martial artist.

He cast a cold glance at Li Gang, who was currently throwing his weight around before another mine slave, and thought to himself, Today, we'll settle all old and new grudges in one go!

"Clang, clang..."

Inside the mine, the sound of iron picks striking the rock walls rang without end.

By mid-afternoon, Li Gang, making his routine inspection, suddenly furrowed his brow. "Hm? Where's Qin Yao?

"Which of you saw Qin Yao?"

The mine slaves all shook their heads. "Don't know."

"Didn't see him."

"I've just been busy digging."

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Li Gang's heart tightened.

If a mine slave escaped right under his nose, it would not be something that could be settled with a mere fine!

"When I catch that bastard, I'll skin him alive!"

Just as Li Gang flew into a rage, Qin Yao's rather excited voice suddenly came from deep within the mine. "Supervisor Li, I... I found something new. Come take a look!"

Hearing Qin Yao's voice again, Li Gang's heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally dropped back into his stomach.

What followed was boundless fury. "You found your mother's leg!

"Just wait till I whip you till you cry!"

Li Gang raised his whip and charged deeper into the mine tunnel, cursing all the way.

"It's over, it's over. Brother Yao is really in danger now."

"Who knows what he found to get this excited?"

"Yeah, how about... we go take a look too?"

"You go if you want. I don't want a whipping."

As the mine slaves discussed it, Li Gang had already run into Qin Yao deep within the tunnel.

He was just about to raise his whip when he saw Qin Yao holding a glittering golden object in his hand, eagerly moving closer. "Look, what's this?"

Li Gang merely glanced at it instinctively, then could no longer look away!

Because what Qin Yao held between his fingertips was actually a piece of Doghead Gold...