"Dig deeper you damned bastards, do you want to spend the night in hunger?!" the shouts of the second captain came from the other tunnels, he was infuriated with how lacking his own miners were.
On the side where Meng Hao was however, the Miners were exhausting themselves digging religiously, making sure to follow every step that Meng Hao was doing, they dug, cleaned, and placed all their tools and baskets neatly, they didn't show any signs of exhaustion even though they felt unbearable pain.
Because the pain of exhaustion is far more merciful than the barbed whip the guard had.
Seeing the workers being productive and having gone beyond the quota the guard spoke, "Stop, for now, rest up," he said.
This was the first time he ever asked the miners to rest, usually, they'd work them to the bone and more. But now they're asking them to rest? This must be a ploy, that is what everyone thought.
However, Meng Hao knew best what this meant and immediately placed his tools down and sat down.
Seeing him sitting first and not being yelled at to work some more the workers slowly and fearfully followed suit.
"Why did he ask us to rest, I thought he'd work us more," Dao Shen said to Meng Hao.
"Because being too good at something isn't actually good at times," Meng Hao said.
"I don't understand," Dao Shen sighed.
"What brother Meng Hao means is, if we were working and providing too much of the Bloodstones the higherups will start expecting this amount as the norm, and we'll have to do this every day, the guard here isn't dumb, he knows that if we overwork ourselves like this every day we'll all collapse and he'll never reach his daily quotas from them. He's not greedy to burn us out immediately," Zhang Tian said.
"You," spoke the guard to Meng Hao who snapped standing.
"Yes lord," Meng Hao said.
"Don't call me lord when we're outside the mines, follow me," he said.
Feeling worry for Meng Hao Dao Shen was about to intervene, but a hidden gesture from Meng Hao told him to sit down and not to act.
This was obviously in Meng Hao's predictions.
Meng Hao followed the guard making sure to stay several steps away from him with his head low, not looking right or left.
"You're pretty good at your work, you said you were the slave of a mine owner," he said.
"Yes sir," Meng Hao said.
"I guess he didn't see your talent, and since everyone there follows you so well, how about I promote you to head Miner, you'll oversee them and make sure they keep the quota of the day," the guard said.
"Anything that will make your day easier and without worry is an honor for me to do, sir," Meng Hao said.
The guard smiled, "You understand then, that I hate being there, even with these armors that prevent the Balful Qi, its suffocating just being here, I'll tell you what, keep up the good work, enough for me to never have to go down there, and I'll give you a piece of armor that'll protect your body from the Baleful Qi," he said.
"As you wish, sir, but if I may be permitted to speak…" Meng Hao said.
"Yes, what do you want to ask?"
"I would gladly do the work for you, but I believe the other guard will be jealous, seeing that you get to rest while he stays in the mines, wouldn't his jealousy make him report you?" Meng Hao said.
Thinking about it for a moment, the guard's expression turned sour, "You're right… he could do that… but don't worry, I have a way to make him not do that," the guard said.
The two of them were out of the mines, and looking up at the massive hole they were in, Meng Hao was once again reminded of the time he spent there. This entire mine was nothing more than a pit in the depth of hell itself. Surrounded by flames and engulfed in it. The Baleful Qi was so powerful you could see it shape itself into the faces of demons at times.
And it constantly ate away at the lives of those captured and enslaved.
Soon the two of them arrived at a three-story building.
Meng Hao's heart began racing as he knew this building all too well.
ραΠdαsΝοvεl ƈοm "Do you know what this place is?" the guard asked.
Meng Hao shook his head, "I have no idea, sir."
"This is a place where those who can retire, you see the people guarding the door," asked the guard.
"Yes," Meng Hao replied.
"Those are Small Spears, they're not the same as the Fire Spears, but they get almost the same treatment, they get to stay guards to that mansion, and rest inside it once their shift is done, no one in the history of this planet has ever sat foot near that place, so their work is basically standing doing nothing. And they get paid handsomely for it. But do you know what their jobs were before they were promoted to Small Spears?" the guard asked.
Meng Hao shook his head.
"When I talk to you, you answer, don't shake your head at me!" the guard spoke angrily.
"Apologies, sir, no sir, I don't know,"
"They were Supervisors like me. One month from now, the new batch of Small Spears will be selected. And I've been doing a great job at maintaining my quota, though I had some issues a few months ago, all is good now, but I need to outshine everyone in this last month, so I can be promoted."
"This is where I belong, this is where I want to stay. This is my promotion! But I can't do it if our workers aren't able to satisfy the quotas, I've been trying to get promoted so I stay here. Do you know, the guards that stay here get to feast day in and day out, with glorious foods and some could even take a bite from the pots there, though they're reserved for the lord…"
The guard felt that he was speaking too much, "Pretend you didn't hear that," the guard said.
"Hear what, sir?"
"Good lad, so what I want is for you to keep up the good work, make sure that I keep my quota up for a month, only then can I be promoted, and when that's done, I'll make sure no one will ever bother you, you're my ticket out of those mines, but if you dare ruin, it for me, you know what awaits you?" the guard said.
"I'll personally present my head on a plate for you, sir," Meng Hao replied.
"Good, I'm glad we understand each other, here," the guard said as he pulled a thick chicken thigh for Meng Hao.
"Feast up, you haven't had anything decent to eat for a while, this should be incentive enough for you to work?" the guard said.
Meng Hao gobbled up the chicken thigh almost instantly and nodded like a chicken pecking on grain.
The guard frowned, "You're disgusting," he said.
"I apologize my lord, but I haven't had anything better than this chicken thigh in my life," Meng Hao said.
The guard frowned, how is that possible? Then he realized, "Ah, I forgot that you were a miner slave, you probably had nothing but sludge all your life, I guess even in hell, you found a better life standard than what you used to have, good, now make sure you do better, so you'll eat even better food," the guard said as he patted Meng Hao on the back.
"Go back first, and tell the workers to fake themselves working, I don't want the other guards to notice that you're already done," he said as he stood watching the Incense Burner Palace with wanting eyes, hands behind his back as if he was a person about to achieve a far away dream.
Meng Hao retreated first and went back to the caves, he told the workers to fake mining so that their break wouldn't be taken away, and everyone began doing so.
"What happened outside?" asked Master Rain.
Meng Hao told him in detail, and this made the gears in Master Rain's brain churn for a moment, smiling he said.
"I guess our plan will have to be adjusted," he said.
"How so? I thought we'll just overpower the guards and head to the Incense Burner House," Dao Shen said.
"Yes, but that involves a bit of risk, but now I believe we can completely remove the risk factor, come close, listen to what I have to say…"
Master Rain then began explaining.
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