Mine Dispute Conflict

Inside the wooden cabin, Yang Ling began sorting through his belongings.

4 Detoxification Pills.

4 bottles of Golden Wound Medicine.

5 flatbreads.

1 refined steel pickaxe.

About 15 taels of silver remained.

He kept the silver close to his body and hung several cloth pouches from his waist for the Detoxification Pills, Golden Wound Medicine, and flatbreads.

He then tucked the refined steel pickaxe into his belt before leaving the cabin.

"Brother Yang!"

Chen Xu came running over, drenched in sweat.

"I finally found you."

"What happened?"

Yang Ling's expression shifted.

The other man wouldn't have been this anxious just because he was hungry.

"It's Brother Chen... Brother Chen and the others. Something happened!"

Chen Xu smiled bitterly. "I know you can say a few words in the mine, Brother Yang. Can you help them?"

Yang Ling fell silent for a moment before asking,

"Tell me as we walk."

Chen Xu sighed in relief. Since Yang Ling was willing to help, the matter should be easier to resolve.

On the way, Chen Xu gave him a brief explanation, and Yang Ling roughly understood what had happened.

A conflict over mining rights.

He'd seen plenty of such things when he'd first arrived.

He still came across them from time to time afterward.

After all, Fire Crystal Rock meant copper coins. It meant food, drink, and shelter.

Whoever discovered Fire Crystal Rock first had the right to mine it. That was the common understanding.

But this time, Lin Guoliang and his girlfriend had broken that rule.

The two of them, along with several other miners, had discovered a piece of Fire Crystal Rock exposed near the surface.

It looked like there was quite a lot of it.

But if they really got into the details, those miners had spotted it first.

Lin Guoliang and his girlfriend, Wu Meng, had encouraged another four players to fight alongside them for that piece of Fire Crystal Rock.

In the end, a conflict erupted. Most of the miners insisted on upholding the rules.

Naturally, they joined in as well, resulting in Lin Guoliang's group of six getting beaten up.

Some were lightly injured, while others were more seriously hurt. Even the mine guards thought they were in the wrong and ignored the matter.

In the end, Officer Chen rushed over. While protecting Lin Guoliang and the others, he was struck in the head with a pickaxe amid the chaos, leaving him bloody.

Chen Xu knew he couldn't handle something like this alone. The miners were still furious, and without someone respected stepping forward to speak, they would never calm down.

That was why he had come to find Yang Ling.

"Your friend is called Lin Guoliang, right?"

Yang Ling said.

Chen Xu nodded. "That's right."

"There really is something wrong with his head. You'd better stay away from him in the future."

Yang Ling warned.

Chen Xu seemed to think of something, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes before he slowly nodded.

"Brother Yang, I'll listen to you. After this, I won't have anything to do with him again."

Yang Ling felt somewhat gratified.

The kid listened to advice. At least in a place like the Divine Realm, he should be able to live a little longer.

He glanced at Chen Xu's status panel.

Character: Chen Xu

Class: Miner

Level: 4

Strength: 6

Agility: 3

Spirit: 2

Health: 60

"Level 4 already? Judging by how long they've been here, that means he's worked hard at mining. He knows he can level up and increase his Strength, so he hasn't been slacking."

Yang Ling's thoughts stirred.

By then, the two of them had reached the entrance to the mine.

Steward Niu sat leisurely at the entrance. When he saw Yang Ling and Chen Xu, he raised his eyelids.

"Yang Ling, you're going to meddle in that business? Those newcomers didn't follow the rules. They deserve to suffer.

It's good that they suffered. Only then will they remember how to survive in the Fire Crystal Mine."

"Steward Niu, I know Lin Guoliang and the others were in the wrong. I'm just afraid someone might die, so I'll go persuade them."

Yang Ling said with a smile.

Only then did Steward Niu nod slightly.

He was afraid Yang Ling might provoke those miners.

Not far away, miners had formed a tight circle several layers deep.

Many other miners stood nearby watching the excitement, taking the chance to rest.

But even more miners were still working to earn money, unwilling to be distracted.

"You little bastards, you've only been here a few days and you already dare to steal mines!?"

A middle-aged miner pointed at Lin Guoliang's group and cursed angrily.

Lin Guoliang and his girlfriend looked terrified, glancing around in panic.

The other four newcomers had also huddled together. Some trembled, while others cried.

Their bodies were covered in footprints, and they were filthy and disheveled. Their faces bore numerous scrapes and bruises, making it clear they'd been brutally beaten.

Beside them, Officer Chen sat weakly on the ground, one hand clutching his head.

Blood continued to drip through the gaps between his fingers.

Though he was weak and blood had blurred his vision, he still forced himself to stay alert and spoke gently.

"Brothers, these kids don't know any better. Please be patient with them. They won't dare do it again."

"They won't dare again? Heh."

A lean, wiry young man held a bloodstained pickaxe and sneered.

"If there's a first time, there'll be a second. If we don't deal with you properly today, you'll dare do it again next time!"

"Vagrants without even an identity, and you dare steal our mine? I wonder where you got the nerve!"

"Brothers, I say we dig a hole and bury them!"

He began inciting the nearby miners.

Quite a few miners responded.

The mine guards exchanged looks but still chose not to interfere.

At a time like this, even if the miners really buried these people, they wouldn't stop them.

Otherwise, if it sparked a miners' riot, they couldn't bear the responsibility!

Some miners were already eager to move, looking for a place to dig a pit.

A flicker of shock crossed Officer Chen's eyes.

Only now did he truly realize that this game world had absolutely no respect for law!

They could talk about killing people so casually?

"The higher-ups have already confirmed that players enter the game with their physical bodies."

"If we die here, we'll probably really die..."

The thought made Officer Chen shudder.

He hurriedly said, "There's no need for that, no need for that. Brothers, we'll compensate you. There's no need to take lives."

Compensate them?

The miners' expressions shifted, and their faces eased somewhat.

But the lean young man immediately sneered.

"You think paying money settles everything? Wouldn't that throw everything into chaos? Besides, you just got here. You can't even fill your own stomachs. How many copper coins could you possibly pay?"

"When Fifth Brother was around, no one dared fight over mines like this. Now that Fifth Brother died by accident, this place has gone to hell?"

His gaze swept across the crowd.

Many honest-looking miners didn't dare meet his eyes.

Officer Chen could see it now. This man was the key.

He was secretly anxious and a little angry as well.

Out of everyone they could have provoked, Lin Guoliang's group had to provoke someone who was probably a local tyrant!

"I'll start with you. You dared meddle in this, and I suspect you were the one who ordered them to steal the mine!"

The lean young man gripped his bloodstained pickaxe and advanced toward Officer Chen step by step.

"Ma Hou, are you really planning to kill someone?"

Suddenly, a cold shout rang out.

"Huh, isn't that Little Yang?"

"What is he doing here?"

"The one beside him seems to be with those little bastards."

The nearby miners exchanged looks and instinctively made way for Yang Ling.

"Little Yang, these little bastards stole a mine. Don't get involved in this."

Uncle Wang had been watching the commotion from nearby. Seeing this, he immediately called out a warning.

"Uncle Wang, I know they're at fault, but it shouldn't cost anyone their life."

Yang Ling said.

"You came to plead for them? Who do you think you are?"

The lean young man stared fixedly at Yang Ling, a trace of wariness in his eyes.

"This is one tael of silver."

Yang Ling took out a piece of broken silver.

"Consider it their compensation."

One tael of silver!?

That was worth ten catties of Fire Crystal Rock!

The few miners whose mine had been stolen immediately lost their anger. Instead, they felt as though a pie had fallen from the sky.