So this guy was acting all along?!

"Give it to me!"

After recognizing that the object pinched between Qin Yao's fingertips was very likely a gold nugget, Li Gang snatched it away in one grab.

He held the gold close to his eyes and examined it carefully for quite a while. Then he blew away the loose sand on its surface and put it in his mouth, biting it twice.

"Mm, it's real gold!"

Having reached that conclusion, Li Gang was overjoyed, unable to put it down!

Ever since his "Mining" skill had reached perfection, Qin Yao had devoted more of his attention to surveying mineral veins and ore quality.

This had led him to many new discoveries—for instance, although the gold nugget before them was rather small, only about the size of a thumb pad, and mixed with quite a few impurities of rock and soil.

Once truly refined, it would probably yield only a peanut-kernel-sized piece of pure gold.

But even so, gold was still gold—its value was considerable!

And for Li Gang, small was better!

The smaller it was, the easier it would be to hide on his person and smuggle out.

For example, he could stuff it into the sole of his shoe, or press it beneath his tongue?

Li Gang had already begun secretly planning how to carry it out.

"Overseer Li... Overseer Li?"

At that moment, Qin Yao, standing to one side, called out twice in a deliberately timid voice, finally bringing Li Gang back to his senses.

"Hm? Oh, you've done well."

Li Gang calmly pocketed the gold nugget for himself.

Then, with a kindly look in his eyes as he regarded the youth before him, he lowered his voice and asked, "This thing... did you just find it?

"Keep your voice down when you answer."

To prevent walls from having ears, Li Gang specifically instructed Qin Yao to speak softly.

"Y-yes."

Qin Yao nodded honestly.

"You didn't tell anyone else, did you?"

Li Gang asked again.

"No, no."

Qin Yao waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm from Mine Tunnel Number Three of the T-Shaped Pit. If I found something good, naturally I should report it to Overseer Li first thing."

"Very good!"

Li Gang was in an excellent mood. He felt that hearing the youth call him "Overseer Li" again was even more gratifying than hearing those mining slaves with no balls and no skill call him "Master Li"!

After all, this was real gold and silver—solid, tangible profit.

"Is there any more?"

Li Gang asked another question.

In truth, he had merely asked in passing.

He had been an overseer for seven or eight years, and had visited no fewer than eight or ten mining districts, large and small. He knew all the tricks of the trade like the back of his hand.

In an iron mine district like this, digging up a gold nugget was nothing but a stroke of outrageous luck!

How could another one appear in the very same mine pit right afterward?

More than whether there was any more gold, what Li Gang truly cared about now was how he ought to deal with Qin Yao.

If I pocket this gold nugget, then Qin Yao is the only witness. There's a risk of this getting exposed.

But if I kill him, it'll also greatly affect the work quota. After all, this brat really is a first-rate worker...

Just as Li Gang was torn by indecision.

The two words Qin Yao suddenly uttered made him temporarily cast aside the question of whether to kill him or not: "There is!"

With a sincere expression, Qin Yao said, "About thirty or forty steps ahead, there's another layer of rock containing gold.

"It's just that the rock wall there is far too hard. The tools I have are somewhat dull too, so I simply can't chisel through it."

The moment Li Gang heard that, his interest was piqued.

In his eyes, Qin Yao might work well, but he was ultimately just an ordinary man with no martial cultivation.

Just because Qin Yao could not break through that mine wall did not mean he could not!

"Wait here for me!"

After tossing out those words, Li Gang hurried away.

As he brushed past the other miners, he even deliberately muttered, "Qin Yao says he found a large stretch of iron ore with exceptionally pure quality?

"I'm going to dig it open myself and have a look.

"If what he says is true, I'll reward him with a pound of meat."

"But if it turns out that patch of ore wall is nothing more than 'donkey droppings with a shiny surface,' I'll reward him with a few lashes!"

Li Gang's remarks were naturally meant to dispel the mine slaves' curiosity.

After all, many of them had heard Qin Yao say, "I've made a new discovery."

Since everyone was curious about what Qin Yao had discovered, Li Gang used what seemed like an offhand mutter to plaster the "answer" right before their eyes.

Besides, these words of Li Gang's also laid the groundwork for his next move.

"The reason I eagerly went to fetch iron picks and personally started digging was because Qin Yao told me he'd found a section of ore wall with exceptionally pure iron.

"But after working my ass off for ages and not digging up so much as a fart, Qin Yao, for 'falsely reporting military intelligence,' naturally deserved a whipping.

"Then, consumed by rage, I hit a little too hard and accidentally beat him to death. That's perfectly reasonable, right?

"When Steward Wang comes to investigate and hold me accountable, I'll only have to pay some silver to settle it!"

In the past, if a mine overseer beat a mine slave to death in an "accident," he would at least have to pay one or two months' wages—enough to make his heart ache for quite a while.

But now...

The little bit of silver he would have to pay was simply not worth mentioning compared to the profits from the dog-head gold Li Gang had stashed away!

Before long, Li Gang returned, holding a torch in his left hand and carrying two nearly new iron picks in his right.

As he passed the mine slaves, the bastard did not forget to roar, "What are you looking at? Get back to work, all of you!"

The mine slaves all shrank their necks, silent as cicadas in winter.

Deep within the mine tunnel.

Li Gang tossed the torch to Qin Yao and said impatiently, "Lead the way. Hurry up!"

"Y-yes."

Qin Yao nodded hurriedly.

After walking for a while, Qin Yao suddenly stopped. "It's around here."

As he spoke, he brought the torch close to the rock wall and began feeling around with his other hand.

"Found it—it's right here!"

"Shh, shh, shh! Keep your fucking voice down!"

Li Gang, guilty as a thief, raised a hand and slapped Qin Yao on the back of the head—not too hard, not too lightly—as a warning.

Whoosh!

"Hm?"

Yet Overseer Li never could have imagined that his slap would miss?!

Qin Yao, who had just been within arm's reach, had suddenly vanished.

Cold sweat instantly broke out all over the overseer's body!

Li Gang asked himself: he had already been cautious enough.

The moment they came in, he had made Qin Yao carry the torch and walk out in the open.

Meanwhile, he himself held the iron picks and moved through the darkness.

Qin Yao was merely an ordinary man with no cultivation.

Even if his opponent had been a martial artist at the first level of the Body-Tempering Realm, any attempt at a trick under such circumstances should have been impossible to hide from Li Gang's senses!

But now...

Before Li Gang could make a move, Qin Yao, having activated the Tiger Leap form of the Tiger-Fighting Fist, had already circled to his side without a sound.

He opened with a punch straight at Li Gang's cervical spine!

Bang!

Crack...

As the sound of breaking bone rang out, Li Gang's cervical spine snapped on the spot!

When he fell, his head—twisted to one side by his shattered neck—happened to catch sight of Qin Yao's cold, stern face.

In his final moments, Li Gang discovered in utter shock that the youth's eyes held none of the unease or terror a cautious, desperately struggling "lowly mine slave" ought to possess.

There was only the cold balefulness and unwavering resolve of one who repaid grievance and kindness in full!

"So... this bastard... had been playing me all along..."

As that thought flashed through his mind, the last trace of life in Li Gang was completely extinguished.