Chapter 6: Miner Slaves
Chapter 6: Miner Slaves
After hearing the pleading of the people behind him, Tian Lin and Boss Zhang looked at each other and finally stopped talking.
The team walked in silence for several miles, and the sky gradually darkened.
On the official road, the only sounds were the shouting of the men in black and the clattering of horses' hooves.
Soon they went around a mountain and when they passed a river, they saw a fire in the distance.
"Old Zhou, open the door quickly!"
The old man in black robe walking in front shouted and then rode his horse across the river.
The black-clad men who were maintaining order raised their whips and whipped the Hwahwarangs like sheep: "Go, go, damn, haven't you eaten yet?"
Hearing about the meal, Tian Lin subconsciously touched his stomach, but also quickened his pace and waded to the other side of the river.
When they got closer to the fire, they found that it was a village set up along the valley.
There was a wooden fence at the entrance of the valley, and several barricades were placed at the gate.
"Manager Xu, how many people did you bring this time?"
The man guarding the fence put on an iron armor he had found from somewhere and strode up to the old man in black robe.
The old man in black robe said on the horse: "There are only about 500 people this time, which should be enough for half a year. How is it, have you arranged the positions in the mine?"
"Everything has been arranged. The porridge for tonight is also ready."
While the soldier was talking to the old man in black robe, several men in black whipped the Huahualangs into the valley.
"What are you all doing here? Eat first, and you still have to work tomorrow morning!"
Some people have regretted their decision and begged, "Sir, please let me go. I don't want to mine anymore."
What responded was the sound of swords being drawn and the lightning-like flash of swords.
The murderer in black drove his horse over the corpse, turned around and looked at the other Hua Hua Lang and said, "You said something, but now you want to go back on your word? Do you think my mine in Shangjiabao is a toilet that you can come and go as you please?"
If they dared to be angry but not to speak out at the beginning, after another person died, the remaining Hwahwarangs didn't even dare to be angry.
Boss Zhang tugged at Tian Lin's sleeve and said in the crowd with a smile, "Well, I told you, this Shangjiabao didn't intend to pass on the magic from the beginning, right?"
Tian Lin followed the person in front of him and asked him, "How can you laugh now? Aren't you afraid of this situation?"
"afraid?"
Zhang Laodao said: "Seeking immortality is not easy or dangerous. Working in Shangjiabao, as long as you work hard, you won't lose your life."
He said: "I have been to too many places and I know what this world is like. The so-called fate of the immortals is actually about money. Those high-ranking officials can use money to pave the way, but people like us can only look for opportunities to earn our lives."
He said: "Shangjiabao is where I risked my life to earn the chance to become an immortal."
He just made some bold and heroic remarks, but immediately shut up and shrank his neck like a quail.
Tian Lin took a quick look and found that Manager Xu, who had been chatting with the soldiers earlier, had come over. He said to the men in black, "It's too late tonight. Let them go into the cabin and sleep for a night, and have dinner tomorrow."
Someone was so hungry that he couldn't help but ask, "Manager Xu? I haven't eaten for two days. Can you give me a bowl of porridge?"
"Go to the cabin and sleep quickly. What porridge do you want to eat?"
The man in black kicked over there, and Manager Xu said, "You've been hungry for two days, so it's okay to be hungry for another day. Okay, everyone, go to bed early."
"I slept with him!"
As soon as I entered the wooden house, someone cursed:
"You bastard, before you came here, you said that Shangjiabao and Yaoyue Sect had a cooperation, and that if you work, you can get food and have the opportunity to cultivate immortality. Now that you have coaxed us here, you are reluctant to give us even a mouthful of porridge." After the man finished cursing, a man lying in the wooden house sat up and said, "What Manager Xu said is true. Shangjiabao has indeed cooperated with Yaoyue Sect, and you may be able to cultivate immortality if you stay here. He refused to give us porridge purely because he wanted to enrich himself."
The newcomers all looked at the man lying there and listened to him say:
"I came here half a year earlier than you, so I know a little about the situation in the mine. This Manager Xu was originally just a mine slave like us, but later he made friends with the merchants and became a manager and practiced magic."
While the man was talking, Boss Zhang pulled Tian Lin to a corner of the big bunk bed.
The room was noisy. Two large bunk beds stretched from the south wall to the north wall, and the smell of sweat and feet was everywhere.
"Well, I told you, as long as you stay here, you will have the opportunity to cultivate immortality, right?"
Tian Lin and Boss Zhang occupied a corner of the big bunk bed. Regardless of whether they were sleepy or not, both of them refused to get out of bed and let others take their seats.
"I'm afraid it's hard to get this chance to cultivate. You say we need to curry favor with the merchants, but when will the merchants' owners come to the mine? Where will we get the chance to curry favor with them?"
At this time, the man's voice came over again: "So, everyone should work hard. As long as you work hard, the manager will report your name to Master Shang, and you will have the opportunity to see Master Shang."
There were many "newcomers" around the man over there, but Tian Lin and Boss Zhang did not go over to him.
Tian Lin tilted his head and asked Boss Zhang, "How much do you think that guy's words are true?"
Zhang Laoda took off his clothes and used them as a pillow. After hearing what Tian Lin said, he laughed:
"I asked around before I came to Shangjiabao, and what that man said is true. But there is one thing, ordinary people working here are lucky if they don't get scolded. Do you have what it takes to win the favor of the managers?"
As he was speaking, there were bang bang bang sounds outside the house.
Then I heard a man in black outside the house say, "What are you all yelling about? Go to bed early and save some energy for smashing rocks tomorrow."
No one dared to say anything and climbed onto the big bunk bed.
But people were crowded together, smelling the sweaty odor around them, and no one could fall asleep for a while.
Tian Lin touched the straw mat and felt it was damp and sticky as if he had sweated.
Zhang Boss laughed at Tian Lin and said, "You have been a Huahualang for several years, can't you bear this?"
Tian Lin slapped a flea on his hand to death and couldn't help saying, "If I live in this place for too long, I'm afraid I'll get sick."
"This is how the world works. If you don't want to sleep with fleas, you can only seek immortality."
Boss Zhang sighed and said, "We don't necessarily pray to become gods, we just pray for a chance to change our destiny."
Tian Lin didn't say anything. He also used his dirty clothes as a cushion and tried to close his eyes.
Most people couldn't sleep that night and were filled with anxiety about their future lives.
Tian Lin didn’t know what Boss Zhang was thinking. He only knew that since Boss Zhang came to Shangjia Fort on his own initiative, he must have a plan to obtain the magic.
Tian Lin didn’t know what Boss Zhang’s plan was, but he was sure of one thing, which was to keep an eye on Boss Zhang at all times.
First, get the method of practicing martial arts from Boss Zhang, because Boss Zhang is good at martial arts.
Then find a way to get the magic from Boss Zhang -
Boss Zhang was right when he said, if ordinary people want to change their fate, they should practice cultivation!
Do you think the pace is a bit slow these days? Tell me what you think. I have to control the plot while also keeping everyone’s taste in mind.
Also, as usual, please read on, thank you.
(End of this chapter)