A dazzling white light flared, and many people cried out in terror. Li Qiang, however, was not afraid; he had experienced teleportation formations many times. Soon, the white light dimmed, and the great cage jolted slightly. He knew they had reached their destination.
Retching and agonized screams rang out together. The air filled with the smell of blood and waves of foul stench.
Li Qiang discovered, to his shock, that quite a few people in the cage had died. Without exception, their eyes bulged and blood streamed from their seven orifices. Their deaths had been horrific. The few who still lived were barely breathing. The middle-aged man gasped for air and coughed. "Demons, demons, terrifying, far too terrifying... Where is this?"
The youth had been lucky enough to survive, but he sat in a vacant daze. Li Qiang helped the middle-aged man up and asked, "Uncle, are you all right?" His heart sank. He now knew that anyone whose body was not strong enough had best avoid teleportation formations. They really could kill.
The middle-aged man looked at Li Qiang and shook his head, his face deathly pale and filled with fear and panic.
They were in an open yard surrounded by high walls. The sky was a murky gray, offering no clue as to where they were.
Clang! The cage opened.
Looking outside through the crowd, Li Qiang saw several people of a race he had never seen before, jabbering away in some language. The terrified crowd pressed deeper into the cage. Someone wailed, "Demons! White demons!"
Those people wore strange silvery-white armor, with silver bands three fingers wide encircling their foreheads, each set with a crystal in the center. They had high noses, deep-set eyes, and golden hair. Fine, fishlike scales actually covered their exposed skin. Each held a white rod tipped with a pointed crystal half a foot long and wore an elongated shield on one arm.
"What race is this? Fucking strange."
A faint humming came from overhead. Li Qiang looked up, so astonished that his mouth hung open.
Six or seven people were flying in the sky. Each held a white, rod-shaped object, and a pair of silver, winglike objects extended from their shoulders as they circled overhead, keeping watch.
"I want to go home, I want... sob... sob... to go home..."
Li Qiang clapped a hand over the youth's mouth and whispered, "Brother, brother, don't be afraid, don't be afraid..." The youth looked helplessly at him through his sobs. Gradually, Li Qiang's steady gaze gave him a little courage. He gnawed nervously at his fingers, but he had stopped crying and seemed to have found someone to lean on.
A man in ragged clothes was escorted in from outside. The soldierlike men pushed him forward, shouting at him in their jabbering language. He jabbered a few words back, then turned and approached the cage. "Listen, everyone. You have now arrived on Tanbang Star. This is the Tante Kingdom's Black Camp. You must obey all arrangements, or you will be killed without mercy. Ah, take my advice. If one of our people dies here, his death counts for nothing. All right, come out of the cage."
Everyone was terrified and huddled inside, unwilling to leave. Hearing the helplessness in the interpreter's voice, Li Qiang stood and walked out. The youth actually clung to his robe and followed close behind. Seeing how much he depended on him, Li Qiang smiled faintly and said loudly, "We're lucky enough to walk out of this damned birdcage alive! Haha!"
The middle-aged man also said, "This brother is right. As long as we're alive, there's hope. Let's go out."
Slowly, everyone left the cage. Under the soldiers' curses and shouts, they formed three lines and headed out.
Li Qiang quietly asked the youth, "Brother, what's your name?"
The youth had never let go of his robe. At the question, he answered softly, "I... my name is Qiao Yuhong. I'm from the Great Han Kingdom. Big brother, you..."
Li Qiang said, "Little brother Hong, just call me Brother Muzi. I'll take you as my little brother." Li Qiang had decided to use a false name for the time being.
Qiao Yuhong's eyes reddened. "All right, Brother Muzi."
The middle-aged man whispered beside them, "Brother Muzi, my name is Han Jin. Let's look after one another."
"Uncle Han, where are you from?" Li Qiang was planning to gather a group of people. Only then would they have a chance to escape.
Han Jin sighed. "I'm from the Gusong Kingdom, an escort guard with the Weiyuan Escort Agency. This time, not only did we lose our consignment, but we were also captured and sent here. There are three other escort guards besides me." Han Jin introduced them. "This is Brother Wei Yuanqing, and these are Brothers Zhao Zhi and Lin Fenghe. Let's stick close and look after one another."
Wei Yuanqing was tall and powerfully built, with large, rough hands and feet that gave him a solid air. Zhao Zhi was small and nimble, with a shrewd look about him. Lin Fenghe had a slender frame and a calm, steady expression. The six exchanged a few quiet words. Having companions gave them all a little comfort.
Outside the walls lay an utterly desolate landscape. The barren mountains around them were pitch-black, and the low-growing plants on them came in strange colors, none of them green. They even seemed to give off a faint, eerie glow.
Zhao Zhi cursed softly, "Damn it, what kind of freakish place is this? Everything here is bizarre."
The interpreter called, "Everyone, stand on that white area ahead. Gather together and stand properly." Not far away was a large white projection, roughly thirty centimeters thick, twenty meters long, and six meters wide. The interpreter stepped onto it first to direct them. Once everyone was in place, he jabbered a few words to the soldiers.
Red light suddenly rose from the white platform's edges, enclosing everyone. The white slab slowly lifted off the ground and floated forward. Qiao Yuhong was a youth at heart, after all. His curiosity stirred, and he temporarily forgot his fear. "How can this thing fly? Brother Muzi, do you know how it works?"
Li Qiang understood, since Earth's technology had similar things, but he had no way to explain it to him. He could only shake his head. "I'm not too sure either."
Their speed gradually increased, and some people cried out in fear.
One man lunged toward the edge, only to be thrown back by the red light. The soldiers standing at the front roared with laughter, apparently enjoying the crowd's fear and ignorance.
A black mountain peak towering into the clouds came into view in the distance.
As they drew closer, they discovered countless openings halfway up the peak. The white slab slowly entered one of them.
It was a vast cavern, fully a hundred meters wide, its depths lost from sight. Everyone was driven off the white slab. Li Qiang called for the six of them to line up together. He seemed to have a premonition that they might be separated if they did not stay together.
Escorted by the soldiers, the group headed deeper into the cave. Han Jin looked back at the sky outside and murmured, "Ah, who knows whether we'll ever see daylight again or return to our homeland."
At his words, tears silently fell from Qiao Yuhong's eyes.
They reached a dark room containing more than twenty soldiers and several men who looked like overseers.
Everyone was divided into five squads of eleven or twelve people each. Fortunately, Li Qiang had prepared. The six stood together and were assigned to the fifth squad. Led by two soldiers and two overseers apiece, the squads headed into separate passageways.
Li Qiang thought with a bitter smile, Damn it, underground again. I seem to have a fated bond with the earth beneath our feet. Thinking of how his classmates on Earth had nicknamed him "Ground Rat," he found it uncannily accurate.
"Stand still, all of you. We're going underground," one overseer said.
"Brother Muzi, he speaks our language too." Before Qiao Yuhong had finished speaking, the whip in the overseer's hand lashed toward him. Li Qiang gently pulled Qiao Yuhong over and turned slightly to block the whip. Crack! It struck Li Qiang squarely across the back.
The clothes on his back instantly split apart. Li Qiang shuddered with pain, and the overseer barked, "Shut up!"
Qiao Yuhong trembled with guilt. Li Qiang gently patted his shoulder in reassurance, a flicker of anger flashing through his eyes.
The surface beneath their feet sank, carrying them rapidly downward.
After a long while, there was a slight jolt, and a passage appeared before them. A damp, musty stench struck their noses.
Amid lashes and curses, the fifth squad headed inside.
After several turns, they stopped at a doorway. Everyone formed a single-file line. A soldier dragged the first person through the doorway, and a moment later, a scream came from the room.
Qiao Yuhong began trembling violently. Without a word, Li Qiang pulled him behind him and gently squeezed his hand. He was momentarily startled. Why is it so soft?
"Don't be afraid, little brother Hong. It's nothing serious," Li Qiang quietly reassured him.
Soon it was Li Qiang's turn. Without waiting for the soldiers to drag him in, he strode into the room.
The room was empty, with a soldier standing in each corner, white rods pointed at him. Only later did he learn that these white rods were a weapon of this planet called the Spine-Piercing Spear, possessing extraordinary power.
An overseer stood in the center of the room holding something round. "Don't move," he said coldly. He raised the object and pressed it against Li Qiang's forehead. Sizzle! The smell of scorched flesh spread, and fierce pain stabbed straight into his head. Li Qiang did not move at all, merely staring coldly at him.
Suddenly, the floor vanished beneath his feet, and he fell.
It was a sloping shaft. Although Li Qiang's Nascent Soul was sealed, he still retained the martial arts he had practiced at the prince's residence. His feet tapped repeatedly against the slope as he wheeled through the passage like a great bird. Before descending far, he suddenly remembered that Qiao Yuhong was next, turned, and darted back upward.
While still on his way, he heard a scream, followed by a slender figure tumbling down. Li Qiang pushed his right foot against the passage wall and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, catching him securely before he hit the ground.
Even with someone in his arms, Li Qiang continued downward with ease.
Li Qiang's eyesight was exceptionally sharp. He spotted an opening leading downward in the distance, with light flickering inside, and reached it in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, he executed Wheel Spin, straightening one leg and kicking out with the other. His entire body spun rapidly like a great wheel as he dropped. When Li Qiang had learned this move, he had thought it resembled the paper strips he had torn and folded into the shape of the Chinese character "卜" as a child, then dropped from an upper floor.
While airborne, Li Qiang had already taken in his surroundings. Unexpectedly, a large pool lay below, surrounded by many people. Someone was shouting, "More coming down! Get ready to fish them out!"
Holding Qiao Yuhong, Li Qiang had no desire to land in the water. He abruptly changed his movement, performed seven consecutive aerial somersaults, and landed firmly beside the pool. The heavy impact kicked up a cloud of dust.
After a moment, someone cheered, "Bravo! What a man!" "Impressive!" "An expert's arrived!" A clamor broke out.
Li Qiang put Qiao Yuhong down and settled him into a sitting position. From the corner of his eye, he had already seen Zhao Zhi falling from the opening. Before he had even straightened, he shot forward and shouted, "Borrow my force!"
Zhao Zhi was a martial artist and immediately understood. Seeing Li Qiang's palm coming toward him, he struck out with his own. Their palms met, and both flipped backward and landed.
Zhao Zhi had not expected Li Qiang to be a martial artist too, and felt immense admiration.
This time, everyone cheered and applauded. Han Jin and the others fell one after another, and with Li Qiang and Zhao Zhi helping them in turn, they all landed securely beside the pool.
The people around them slowly gathered closer. Li Qiang observed them carefully. Every face was deathly pale, and their clothes were in tatters. There were all kinds of people among them, even members of the Green Tribe he had seen in Rejuvenation Valley. Everyone had a round, vivid red pattern on their forehead, eerie in the extreme. Stranger still, there were no soldiers guarding them and no overseers either.
Li Qiang helped Qiao Yuhong up and saw, startlingly, that he too had a red pattern on his forehead. Then he glimpsed the smooth, fair, delicate skin of his neck and the greasy black ash smeared over his face. Suddenly, he understood everything. He sighed inwardly but said nothing, allowing him to cling tightly to his arm.
Han Jin cupped his fists. "Fellow countrymen, we brothers are newcomers and don't know the situation. Would any brother here explain it to us?" He was indeed a seasoned traveler of the martial world, first seeking to familiarize himself with their surroundings and circumstances.
Having witnessed their astonishing skills as they dropped from the opening, these people had unconsciously developed a sense of awe, and their manner became much more respectful. Here, the usual practice was to rob newcomers of all their clothes and possessions as soon as they fell.
The few people who had fallen earlier had already been stripped stark naked when they were fished out of the water.
As everyone chipped in, Li Qiang gradually learned about the situation here.
This was the Tante Kingdom's Black Camp, and they were now at its very lowest level, a place called the Black Prison. There were no guards or overseers. They had to mine enough crystal ore within a set period to exchange for food. Failure to meet the quota brought terrible consequences.
The Black Prison was divided into dozens of districts, each with one or several bosses. They fought over ore deposits, and large-scale clashes were frequent. This was a lawless place; whoever had the greatest strength was the boss.
Newcomers had to attach themselves to a group. Anyone who refused would soon be finished, perhaps without even knowing how they had died. Staying alive here was an accomplishment in itself.
Besides the fighting, there were cave-ins, poisonous fumes, and sudden eruptions of lava. Thus, even the Tante Kingdom refused to send soldiers or overseers down. The simple tactic of exchanging food for crystal ore gave them complete control over this place.
Because so many people died, the Tante Kingdom colluded with cultivators from Qianjie Star, who specifically hunted laborers on those lesser planets and sent them here.
Li Qiang considered that with the strength of their group, joining a boss would be no problem at all. The crucial point was that he intended to escape, and that was utterly impossible with just a few of them. The best course would be to take leadership of a district, arm its people, and then seize the other districts.
At that moment, he resolved to use any means necessary to obtain the best outcome. At the same time, he swore that once he escaped, he would exact harsh revenge on the cultivators of Qianjie Star.
Suddenly, silence fell around them, and Qiao Yuhong quietly tugged at Li Qiang. A group emerged from the passage, their clothes noticeably neater and cleaner. Several carried blades or clubs. One man holding a saber walked over.
"Hey, what have you newcomers brought to pay your respects to the big boss? Hand it over! Hehe, if anyone dares hold anything back, you all know the rules. I don't need to teach you again, do I?" The man waved his long saber as he spoke, bristling with arrogance.
The crowd surrounding Li Qiang's group scattered fearfully.
The six of them watched coldly without a word. Han Jin and the others were martial men, not people afraid of trouble.
That group had probably never encountered people like Li Qiang and his companions. Accustomed to lording it over others, the man had a temper to match. Pointing his saber at Li Qiang, he said, "You! Yes, you, dressed like some young gentleman. Take off your shirt and trousers. Don't leave a stitch on. Did you hear me?"
Li Qiang suddenly remembered his first encounter with Zheng Peng and Mei Jingjing, when they had blocked the road to rob him. A faint smile escaped him. Luckily, little sister got away. I wonder whether she's still crying. Ah, little girls all love to cry. Looking at Qiao Yuhong, he actually felt warmth well up in his heart.
The man was about to go berserk. He came over carrying his saber and cursed, "You dare ignore what your master says? You bastards don't want to live! Want to die, do you? Damn it, I'll grant your wish!"
Li Qiang said to Han Jin, "Protect my little brother Hong." Then he turned and walked forward. "Come on, try chopping me. My neck's itching, I'm in a foul mood, and I've wanted to die for ages. Haha, hahaha!"
"Fine, I'll grant your wish!" Mad with rage, the man swung his saber down. Behind them, Qiao Yuhong cried out in fright.
Li Qiang shifted slightly aside and caught the man's wrist with his left hand. Smiling, he said, "Pathetic skills. You can't even hold your saber steady. Who could you possibly cut?"
Before his words had faded, a crisp crack rang out. Li Qiang had crushed his wrist, and the man howled in agony.
Li Qiang smoothly took his saber, then whipped a foot upward and sent him flying backward. "A useless wretch, yet you dare strut around flaunting your might," he said mildly.
Two more men rushed out, one swinging a club and the other wielding a fork. Li Qiang tossed the saber to Han Jin and sprang forward, flashing between them like lightning striking flint. He had already decided to strike hard.
The two men let out strange, rasping cries, stumbled forward two steps, and plunged headfirst to the ground, motionless.
"Excellent skills, excellent skills. I wonder whether this young brother would be interested in joining us."
A bald man with black eyebrows stepped out, clapping. Two scars crossed one blind eye, making his face hideously ferocious. Everyone beside him bowed their heads together. "Greetings, big boss!"
The man seemed very pleased with his own imposing presence. "Well? Impressive enough for you?" he said smugly.
Li Qiang found it amusing. When it came to cutting an imposing figure, he had been ten times more impressive than this man back in the Gusong Kingdom.
"I'd be delighted to join, but I'm going to be your boss! Wahaha! Hahaha!"