'You have gained some insight from mining. Your Mining Skill Level has increased.'
'You had a flash of Spiritual Light. After slightly adjusting your swing angle, the pickaxe feels more natural in your hands. Your Mining Skill Level has increased.'
"..."
As he continued to mine, notifications about his rising Skill Level kept popping up in his vision, filling him with motivation.
After reaching the entry level in mining, he now needed five hundred points in his Skill Level to advance again. At this rate, he could reach Minor Achievement in just ten to fifteen days.
An Hour later, after digging up the required quota of ore, Xu Yunfan began slowly hauling it from this branch tunnel to the main one. The effort left him completely exhausted.
Then, he had to turn in the ore at the Supervisor's post, located down in the main tunnel.
The powerfully built Supervisor, a wine cup in hand, gave the ore Xu Yunfan had brought an indifferent glance.
"A bit too many impurities."
The Supervisor drawled lazily, then casually grabbed two pieces of hardtack from the table and tossed them on the ground.
Xu Yunfan's expression didn't change. He glanced at the Supervisor's apathetic face, picked up the hardtack that was nearly indistinguishable from a rock, and silently filled his waterskin.
Yesterday, someone had complained about the Supervisor carelessly tossing the hardtack, only to be whipped for it. He died from his severe injuries that very night.
After exchanging his ore for the hardtack and fresh water, Xu Yunfan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping his head down to avoid the Supervisor's gaze, he quickly left.
If he kept starving, he wouldn't even have the strength to swing his Iron Pickaxe. All he could do then was wait for death.
In the mines, you could slack off if you wanted to, but that meant you wouldn't get to eat. You would just starve to death.
While eating, Xu Yunfan scanned the main tunnel. The ore here was sparsely and sporadically distributed. Branch tunnels extended out in all directions—up, down, and all around—from the main passage.
It was hard to believe this was actually a mining site.
After taking a few deep breaths of fresh air flowing down from a vent above the main tunnel, he was about to leave when a figure appeared before him.
"Do you know who I am?"
a man's voice asked.
Xu Yunfan looked up at the large face before him, completely caked in black mine dust. By the nearby firelight, he could just barely make out two eyeballs.
"Who are you?"
The man froze for a moment, then reached up to wipe his face, revealing a fleshy, scowling countenance. He glared at Xu Yunfan with hostility.
'Jiang Yu. The descendant of a disgraced official, and also the former body's master. His previous master.'
At the sight of Jiang Yu, memories involuntarily surfaced from the depths of Xu Yunfan's mind.
Jiang Yu would beat and curse him at every turn, humiliating him. He'd even mock and dishonor the former body's dead parents.
Influenced by the former body's memories, an inexplicable rage surged within Xu Yunfan.
Xu Yunfan took a shallow breath and glanced back at the Supervisor's room not far away. He could still hear the faint sounds of boisterous drinking from within.
"I haven't eaten my fill."
"You can keep mining to exchange for more food and water…"
"What nonsense are you talking!"
Jiang Yu snorted, shoving an unprepared Xu Yunfan to the ground. He snatched the food from his hand and shot him a cold look.
"Give it all to me. You're just a servant.
You must remember, it was my Jiang Family that bought you. Even here, you live as my servant, and if you die, you'll die working to fetch me food."
He leaned forward slightly, looking at the silent Xu Yunfan.
"Tomorrow, you will bring me at least one portion of food and water."
Jiang Yu straightened up, glancing at the Iron Pickaxe hanging from his own waist. "If it weren't for the Mining Supervision Office splitting us up, I would've had you mining for me long ago. It never would have come to this."
He looked up at Xu Yunfan and said coldly,
"Did you hear me?"
Xu Yunfan was silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"I understand."
Hearing Xu Yunfan's words, a trace of satisfaction appeared on Jiang Yu's face. He nodded slightly. "If that Zhang Li had been as compliant as you, I wouldn't have had to beat him to death."
'So Zhang Li was beaten to death by this bastard!'
A knot formed in Xu Yunfan's chest, and the secret resolution he had made grew even firmer.
He watched as Jiang Yu quickly vanished into a branch tunnel, his figure gone in the blink of an eye.
Staggering to his feet, Xu Yunfan stared intently at the spot in the darkness where Jiang Yu had disappeared.
Without the hardtack and water he had earned, he wouldn't even last a month—he would likely starve and pass out tonight.
'We've... we've all fallen this far, so why are there still people who live by stepping on others?'
After a moment of silence, he glanced back at the Supervisor's room, which guarded the mine's exit. The faint aroma of braised meat and wine wafted out, making his stomach rumble like thunder.
Xu Yunfan's lips tightened. He couldn't afford to attract the Supervisor's attention.
He gripped his Iron Pickaxe tightly and followed Jiang Yu into the tunnel where he had disappeared.
Jiang Yu and his companions, some standing and some sitting, stared at Xu Yunfan, who now stood at the tunnel's entrance.
"Well, well, if it isn't Brother Jiang's slave. I remember him well from the times Brother Jiang was... disciplining his property. Made quite an impression on me."
The speaker turned to Jiang Yu, a sly, mocking grin on his face.
"What's this? Had a sudden whim today, did you? Couldn't even be bothered to eat, just had to bring him over?
Seeing how smooth-skinned and tender you are, don't tell me Brother Jiang is swinging both ways now? Why don't you bend over and give it a try? I heard from Huo Ziren that he had a real comfortable time playing with that pretty page boy with the rosy lips and pearly teeth."
A burst of mocking laughter immediately erupted from the five men. In the foul-smelling, sunless gloom of the mine, this was a rare bit of entertainment.
The one who had spoken was Cui Ye. Xu Yunfan still remembered how, back in Jade Capital, Cui Ye had treated his own servants with extreme cruelty. Any pretty maidservant who caught his eye would be carried out of his room as a corpse covered in wounds within three days.
Inside the tunnel, a single torch stuck in the wall cast a flickering light, so faint it seemed poised to be swallowed by the darkness at any moment.
Xu Yunfan stood silently at the edge of the passage. In the torchlight, his face shifted between light and shadow, the darkness on his cheeks like a phantom's mask.
His lips were pressed into a thin line and his brow was furrowed. Ignoring the others' chatter, he stood before Jiang Yu with his eyes slightly lowered.
"Give me back my food."
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. To be addressed so impolitely by his former servant sent waves of anger through him.
He leaned forward slightly, a smile on his face, but his eyes were ice-cold.
"Food? There is none. But if you want some…"
He pointed to a corner.
"We have our filth over there. You can…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Yu's eyes flew wide open. He saw Xu Yunfan, who had been looking down, raise his head and stare at him with a deathly gaze.
Then, he saw Xu Yunfan's body move like a wave. The Iron Pickaxe in his hands rose and fell with shocking speed, the sharp point plunging deep into Jiang Yu's neck. It was a swing that seemed impossible for his emaciated frame.
Just like when he was mining, Xu Yunfan's entire motion was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest pause. A dig, a pull, a tear!
Xu Yunfan used the Iron Pickaxe to gouge out a large chunk of flesh from Jiang Yu's neck. Instantly, hot blood sprayed everywhere.
Clutching his neck, which was gushing blood, Jiang Yu stared at the unblinking Xu Yunfan with a look of dazed confusion. Then, he collapsed to the ground, his breathing ceased.