One of the men's expressions changed. He was about to speak when he saw Xu Yunfan striding forward menacingly. The man hastily untied the flatbread and waterskin from his belt and fled without a second thought.
The other man trembled when Xu Yunfan's gaze fell on him. Enduring the sharp pain in his stomach, he unhesitatingly dropped his food and water, scrambling away.
Seeing this, Hex Changgong, whose face had been slapped until it was swollen like a pig's head, deftly took out his food and water and set them down.
"Ma-Master Xu, I beg you, spare me."
A faint smile appeared on Xu Yunfan's face as he watched Hex Changgong—who had once been so defiant, even daring to argue with Jiang Yu—now kneeling and begging for mercy.
"I remember. You called me short-sighted, a cowardly slacker. You told Jiang Yu to execute me. Because of that, when Jiang Yu got back, he nearly beat me to death, saying I'd made him lose face."
Hex Changgong forced a smile onto his swollen face. He had no memory of the incident; he'd done similar things countless times.
"Master Xu, let bygones be bygones. You're the master now. I'll do whatever you say."
Xu Yunfan nodded slightly. He picked up his Iron Pickaxe, turned, and walked over to Cui Ye, who was struggling weakly on the ground. Meeting Cui Ye's terrified gaze, Xu Yunfan's expression was cold. He raised the Iron Pickaxe, then brought it down.
SCHLICK!
The sound of the pickaxe tip sinking into flesh echoed in the narrow mine tunnel, making one's heart skip a beat.
Cui Ye, who had still been struggling, instantly fell silent.
Xu Yunfan pulled the Iron Pickaxe from Cui Ye's body and walked over to Hex Changgong.
Seeing this, Hex Changgong nearly pissed himself in fear. His lips trembled.
He kept shrinking back.
"Master Xu, Master Xu, spare my life!"
Xu Yunfan's expression was placid. He just stood before him, towering over and looking down at him.
"Tell the others. From now on, they are to bring me a share of food and water every day. If they don't, I'll search every single mine tunnel. I'll kill every man I find."
"Yes, yes, of course!"
Relief washed over Hex Changgong. He knelt and kowtowed frantically.
"Get out."
Hearing this, Hex Changgong scrambled away on all fours, fleeing the mine tunnel in a hurry.
In the corner, Li Haomiao watched all of this unfold, his expression calm.
"If you don't kill them, I fear you'll have trouble later."
"If I kill them all, where will I get enough food and water? If I only relied on that little bit of flatbread, I could train myself to death and never get anywhere."
A subtly complex expression appeared on Li Haomiao's face. He nodded slightly.
"These men are nothing but pushovers, weak-willed and spineless. A threat like this has already scared them witless. They will most likely obey. I misjudged you. I never thought a mere servant could be so farsighted, that you wouldn't lose yourself after gaining a little power."
Xu Yunfan glanced at Li Haomiao.
"Everyone says the King of Yan is unparalleled in his benevolence and charity. But back in the Jade Capital, these scoundrels brought no small amount of suffering to the common people."
Li Haomiao was silent for a moment before speaking. "Some matters, and some people, must be kept in balance to maintain order, to protect the vast majority. If these people had died, that balance would have been broken. I had intended to deal with them later, but I never expected that demoness to make her move so suddenly…"
At this point, Li Haomiao fell silent, his expression bleak. He had sacrificed too much, done too much, for that cause.
Xu Yunfan's face was unreadable. He just silently loaded ore into the mine cart.
'You used the Copper Body Skill's Emitting Force and successfully killed one person with an Iron Pickaxe. Copper Body Skill Level has increased.'
'While circulating the Copper Body Skill, you successfully dodged a fatal blow. Copper Body Skill Level has increased.'
"..."
Glancing at the skill prompts in his vision, Xu Yunfan was a little surprised. It seemed that fighting others was a much more efficient way to improve his Martial Arts.
Time was lost in the mine. All he knew was that the torches on the tunnel walls had been extinguished and replaced three times, and Hex Changgong's group had delivered food and water three times. Xu Yunfan had also traded several carts of high-quality ore for a sufficient supply of his own.
Not only had he not grown thinner from the intense labor, he had actually become more robust.
'Copper Body Skill 132/500 (Initiate)
Effects: Budding vitality, full-body power, focused strength, resistance to minor impacts'
Xu Yunfan sat on the ground, gnawing on a flatbread and looking at the Copper Body Skill's Skill Level in his vision. It was deeply satisfying.
If he just persisted a little longer, this Kung Fu would reach the Minor Achievement Realm. Moreover, his mining skill had also seen a huge increase in its Skill Level.
The Skill Level increase was like something out of a game, and once earned, it was permanent. He was addicted, unable to pull himself away.
He devoured the flatbread in his hand in a few bites, but he still felt unsated.
Beside him, Li Haomiao said, "A pity. If you had enough meat and medicinal supplements, with your aptitude, you could probably practice this Martial Arts to the Minor Achievement Realm within three months."
He had watched Xu Yunfan change day by day. Now, his swings with the Iron Pickaxe were as smooth as flowing water. Each time the pickaxe fell, empowered by the Copper Body Skill, it struck like a Heavy Hammer with ferocious power.
He had already achieved a considerable level of proficiency with the Copper Body Skill.
Xu Yunfan didn't seem to care much. He took a large gulp of water, stood up, and resumed swinging his Iron Pickaxe.
Before long, a sound suddenly rang out, like pearls and jade striking metal.
DING!
The sound was crisp and melodious, carrying far and echoing endlessly.
Hearing this sound, Li Haomiao's expression changed abruptly. He was excited, yet also in disbelief.
"What is this?"
Xu Yunfan stared at the corner of a Jade Wall that had appeared before him.
In the depths of the excavated mine, the exposed corner of the Jade Wall was exceedingly strange. Just looking at it, one was hit by an ancient and weathered aura, as if it had passed through the long river of time.
The sediment of ages and a mysterious charm seemed to contain endless Life Force. Beneath the mottled surface of the Jade Wall, a faint light glimmered, hinting at a divine presence.
Xu Yunfan was startled. He took several steps back and quickly dodged behind Li Haomiao.
Li Haomiao: "..."
Li Haomiao took a deep breath. Though he tried his best to keep his face calm, he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes.
He slowly moved closer, raising his remaining left hand to stroke the corner of the Jade Wall. He could no longer suppress his excitement.
"This must be the Ancient Jade Wall. Legend says that if a person is interred within it, after countless ages, they can shed their mortal coil and ascend as an Immortal."
"...Really?"
'Become an Immortal… Who wouldn't want that?'
If it was truly possible to become an Immortal in this world, he naturally wanted to pursue it.
After a good while, Li Haomiao finally calmed his emotions. He stared at the Ancient Jade Wall with a complex expression, sighed, and shook his head slightly.
"Unfortunately, the timing is wrong. It is recorded in the Great Zhou Imperial Treasury that to entomb oneself in the Ancient Jade Wall, one must enter a state between life and death. The heavens, the earth, and the stars must all align perfectly. Then, one must anoint their entire body with a Secret Medicine that attunes to the ancient jade. Only then will the Jade Wall liquefy, allowing one to enter and slumber, subsequently drawing upon the world's Secret Power to cleanse the body and begin the Immortal Ascension Ceremony."
Li Haomiao stepped aside.
"Keep digging. Let's see."
Xu Yunfan: "We're not going to dig up something horribly ominous, are we?"
"It shouldn't happen. Even if we dig something up, it will be dead. The time is not right."
He stared intently at the Jade Wall, which emanated a faint, eerie green light, as if trying to see through it.