Chapter 3: Opening the Mountain and Breaking the Evil
At this moment, the previously silent pale-faced captain suddenly let out a cold laugh and said without raising his head: "Miserable wretch, you have been waiting by the side for quite some time!"
Liang Xin took the opportunity to slack off while dragging his feet, straining his ears to listen to the story
It is estimated that the governor in charge of this area feels that such a deadlock will eventually lead to no one being of use. The rations for the prisoners have improved significantly; not only do they now have rice to eat, but sometimes they can also find a trace of meat among the vegetable leaves
The young man smiled and said, "I know. This matter is not your concern"
Liang Xin suddenly felt darkness enveloping him; in that moment of losing his sight, he nearly stumbled. The criminals around him also erupted in a chorus of exclamations, and chaos was about to ensue.
The surrounding crowd, whether in blue garments or in rags, collectively gasped in surprise
Liang Xin couldn't help but lean a little closer to the pretty boy
His guidance lacked any force; only Feng Xixi knew that the person had clearly pointed to her hiding place. The air trembled, and Feng Xixi appeared with a frown, bending her body and whispering to the thousand households: "My lord, spare my life, I, I..."
Liang Xinhuo was greatly astonished, and his whole body involuntarily gathered strength, ready to spring into action
After the rubble was cleared away and the dust wiped off, what stood before us was a massive, lustrous white jade disc! The commander, fearing that others might not believe him, emphasized his words: "It is completely flawless, with no cracks whatsoever, a whole piece of jade disc blocking our way, and the ominous stone veins are buried beneath the jade disc!"
The commander shook his head: "We have thoroughly investigated; the jade disc and the stone vein should not be symbiotic. The stone vein passes beneath the jade disc, with a gap of one palm's width in between, and there is no contact between the two."
The commander smiled wryly and shook his head, thinking to himself, "Why would I still look for you when I've almost reached the end? I would have reported my achievements long ago."
Even without landslides, many prisoners lose their lives daily. They are already in poor health, and after a long trek, they carry heavy stones. Often, someone will be working along, suddenly roll their eyes back, and collapse to the ground.
The sharp command of the young man echoed once more: "Silence, identify the direction, the one in blue, follow orders. If there is any unusual sound nearby, kill immediately!"
For every one thousand criminals, there are one hundred guards in blue uniforms overseeing them. This total of one thousand one hundred individuals constitutes a large camp for "breaking ground and dispelling evil." At this moment, there are more than twenty such camps laboring diligently in the mountains.
A group of nine dragons in green attire patrols the surroundings, strictly preventing criminals from escaping or being negligent in their duties; often, flashes of sword light can be seen in mid-air, as the cultivation experts from the Zhu Li Daoist Temple fly on their swords, disregarding mortals and solely investigating the presence of demons and monsters
Hiss ... ...
In a short while, the subordinates of Qianhu completed the formalities, and before Liang Xin and the others could regain their senses, they were driven to start working
Two days later, Liang Xin finally arrived at the location of the strange rocks with the team. Although he had been mentally prepared, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise, his mouth agape. His companions, without exception, mirrored his reaction, and soon the air was filled with a chorus of similar sounds. From a distance, everyone appeared to have a look of astonishment on their faces.
Early the next morning, the large group set out again. While on the road, some criminals noticed that the supervising soldiers were few in number and thought they could escape. As a result, all those who attempted to flee were ruthlessly slaughtered. After over a hundred had died, the criminals finally understood that these soldiers in blue uniforms had eyes like hawks and ears sharper than those of a weasel, and each of them possessed a nose like that of a dog
On this day, Liang Xin and his group were working in the large camp. In front of them, two large camps were responsible for excavating the rock. Liang Xin and his companions continuously transported cold water and firewood to the front. The young man with a fair complexion, accompanied by his subordinates, also followed the line to supervise. When a convict accidentally fell, the workers in green would reluctantly lend a hand to assist.
"Hmph, your fist strength is too weak!" A familiar voice echoed, as a faint, ethereal light slowly illuminated from beside Liang Xin
The several figures in green attire following the young man exchanged glances quietly, their eyes filled with confusion, unable to comprehend why their master had become so benevolent.
Time has swiftly passed for three to four months, and every day Liang Xin has been working underground.
The commander looked at the surprised expression on Xiaobai's face, seemingly quite satisfied, and continued: "This jade disc is too large and too precious; we do not dare to make a decision on our own. Work has already been halted, and I have been sent to seek your instructions."
Criminals excavate the mountain base by first burning the rock with intense fire, then dousing it with cold water. Under the rapid alternation of hot and cold, the rock will crack. Finally, while reinforcing the rock, they break the stones with picks and chisels. This method significantly reduces the risk of collapse. Only when faced with extremely hard and indestructible rocks will they resort to using explosive charges.
The pretty boy raised an eyebrow and said, "So, have we hit the nail on the head?"
The young man with a pale face chuckled coldly, lazily extending his finger and gently pointing towards the northwest
Liang Xin did not dare to respond, closing his mouth and pondering inwardly: Does this count as spreading falsehoods to mislead the public
Before the words had left his mouth, a sudden exclamation came from the front! Following that, it was as if the entire mine had erupted into chaos!
On a regular basis, there are nearly 10,000 people continuously excavating around the malevolent stone vein, while the remaining ten or so large camps are situated on the surrounding mountains. Some are responsible for digging ditches to divert springs, while others are busy cutting wood for fuel, all engaged in their tasks on the nearby mountains
The figure in blue from Kowloon had accumulated authority over time. At his loud command, the offenders immediately fell silent, followed by the incessant sound of rubbing. The people in the crowd in blue hurriedly took out their fire sticks and flint, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not produce even a single spark.
Liang Xin only felt a gust of wind rush past him, and something pounced at him from the side. In a moment of panic, without thinking, he sank his waist and threw a punch. Bang, a muffled sound followed, and Liang Xin continued to exclaim. It was as if his punch had struck a stone, nearly breaking his own wrist from the impact.
In the cracked crevices, a faint sheen of light emerged.
At this time of day, the wind should have already arrived, likely observing that the officials and soldiers had not dispersed and thus dared not show themselves, quietly hiding nearby. Unexpectedly, the young handsome captain had already discovered him.
The officers of those ordinary soldiers handed over matters such as the roster and signposts to the Qingyi one by one, and after confirming that everything was in order, they disbanded and departed.
After Feng Xixi left, the young man with a fair complexion slightly furrowed his brows
The young master Qianhu once stated the strict orders of the Seven Kills, and he himself led a hundred green-clad horsemen into the ranks. He also commanded a thousand criminals, coincidentally the same group as Liang Xin.
The pretty boy pretends not to see, despite his foul heart.
The young man with a pale face was at the forefront of their team, not far from Liang Xin. Upon hearing his murmured exclamations of surprise, he turned around and, for the first time, broke into a smile: "It has collapsed many times before! After it collapses, we dig again, reinforce, and then blast, and then it collapses again and we dig..."
Accompanied by the tremors of the great earthquake, a series of earth-shattering roars erupted as the culprits of stone mining used thunderous blasts to open the mountains
Liang Xin truly breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed his body, and went with the other convicts to set up the tent.
A gaping, monstrous chasm has been opened in the ground, at the center of which lies a grotesque stone vein, a mix of gray and white. The vein takes on a bamboo shoot shape, growing thicker as it extends westward, stretching all the way to the edge of sight, where it curves beneath Kunai Mountain. Surrounding the excavated stone vein, wooden scaffolding has been erected to prevent accidental fatalities.
Liang Xin struggled to swallow and said, "This won't cause the mountain to collapse, will it?"
The progress of the project is exceedingly slow, yet every small step counts. The stone vein becomes longer and thicker as it is excavated; so far, the portion that has been unearthed measures nearly one thousand zhang in length, and the foundation of the stone vein at the end is a full two hundred steps wide
After the army departed, the hundred households issued orders one after another: "Set up camp, we will depart at dawn"
The young man murmured softly, "If you are not willing to take charge of the library, then I will take charge, won't I?" He then returned to his usual demeanor, coldly asking, "Is that jade disc also a part of the stone vein?"
A strange expression hung on the leader's face: "Sir, something unusual has occurred ahead, and the brothers are somewhat at a loss. We would like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
Twenty thousand criminals break the mountain's curse, yet not everyone comes to excavate the mountain's roots
The mountains and fields are covered with densely packed dark green tents, while countless ragged criminals transport soil and stones, resembling busy ants
The young man with a delicate appearance spoke with a thunderous voice: "No one is allowed to act recklessly or speak out of turn! Qingyi, light the lantern!"
The breeze gently stirred, and yet she had more to say. Ultimately, however, she could only stamp her foot in frustration, casting a cautious glance at Liang Xin from the corner of her eye before turning and leaving in haste
The young man is a thousand-household officer, and at this moment, he holds the highest official position in the well.
The young man did not shy away from the suffering people working nearby and directly asked, "What is it?"
The two large camps in the front were responsible for excavating the stone wall. They first burned the stone wall with firewood, then splashed cold water to cause the rock to crack. Initially, this process was no different from previous methods. However, as they continued to dig, the stone wall suddenly erupted with a series of crackling sounds. The seemingly solid mountain rock was instantly covered with fine cracks, and the entire mountain wall, which had suppressed the fierce stone veins, appeared mottled and shattered like a spider's web.
Once the excavation project reaches the underground at the foot of the mountain, due to the danger posed by the rock veins, it is necessary to lay wooden planks with each step forward in the excavation. This is to isolate the peril of the rock veins, allowing the laborers to pass and work safely.
In the midst of a busy and bustling time, a leader in green from the front camp, frowning, hurriedly came to find the young man with a fair complexion
Saying this, the young man paused for a moment and coldly laughed, "There are many cultivators ahead; if you come any closer, you will only end up soul scattering!"
A stout, heavyset man with a round face approached from behind him. This man was a trusted subordinate of Qu Qingshi, who whispered, "My lord, when the little ghost appeared, that kid was preparing to strike with his condensed energy." As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Liang Xin's back.
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, with a sudden bang, all the lights and torches in the mine extinguished simultaneously without any warning
Over time, Liang Xin gradually became accustomed to the current labor. This peculiar stone vein, aside from being untouchable, did not seem so dangerous... The young lord, known as the Thousand Households, was not as sinister and ruthless as the rumors suggested about the Nine Dragons in green attire. Most of the time, he merely sulked in silence, not randomly beating or scolding the offenders.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Angry shouts, startled exclamations, and cries of despair, along with the sound of blades slicing through the air, all these chilling sounds converged together, resembling an invisible furious dragon roaring through the mine, rampaging wildly! ... In addition, there was a chilling sound of chewing, faint yet distinct, continuously echoing, creak, creak, creak ...
The young man simply couldn't be bothered to ask: "Take me over to have a look..."
The stout man in the green attire immediately bowed and withdrew
Behind Qianhu, the figure in the blue attire of the Nine Dragons indeed saw a little ghost appear. Drawing out the embroidered spring knife, he was about to step forward. However, upon noticing the money spots on Feng Xixi's face, the pale-faced man subtly raised an eyebrow, waved his hand to stop his subordinate, and calmly said to Feng Xixi: "I am entrusted by the court with an important task and do not wish for any complications. You should leave at once"
Amidst the urgent sound of striking flint, there seemed to be another unusual noise, which sounded as if something was gently approaching.
The workers were quite perplexed, carefully removing the rubble under the direction of Qingyi. It turned out that at this point, the stone wall was left with only a thin layer, about the thickness of a palm. Under the combined assault of water and fire, the entire stone wall began to crack.
The camp where Liang Xin was located was left beside the stone vein, responsible for mountain excavation
The cave that has now been excavated, without mentioning its height, has a width of several hundred paces, rivaling that of ordinary rivers. Gold has its price, while jade is priceless; such a vast expanse of flawless jade is unlikely to be exchanged even with the wealth of the entire world.