Chapter 519  Takeover

After a month, the workers at the mines, accompanying Meng Hao had begun to break down.

Even with moderating their work and following Meng Hao's methods of mining, some still succumbed to the Baleful Qi.

The guard for Meng Hao's group cleanly disposed of those who transformed, not allowing anything to ruin his path to promotion. And those who seemed weak for now were given some slight slack on the expense of the others overworking themselves.

The guard didn't want his month to be blemished with a lack of Bloodstones, so he made sure to get fresh blood to supply the dead miners.

Though it took the newcomers a couple of days to understand how the work is done, Meng Hao and his companions were enough to support the lacking manpower.

The guard noticed how all four of them were not easily exhausted and were able to support the rest of the group when there was a lack, instead of forcing them to do more, he gave them food and attention, the attention they didn't want, but the food they needed to sustain themselves better.

The guard didn't care to find out why the four were able to sustain the Baleful Qi, though he inspected their bodies and found bits of it, it wasn't to the point of it being suspicious, they probably had special bodies and he was just lucky enough to have four of them in his sector.

The constant production of Bloodstone from his sector however was bound to get some attention from the other guards, seeing that one of them was going to be promoted, they demanded that he would give them at least one of his workers since they themselves had lack

The guard however refused and made sure to not give up any of his people, lest his production rate drop and he'll fail to be promoted.

One day, one of the guards even dared to kill one of the workers, by killing him and saying that he was disrespected he'll easily avoid the blame of the higher-ups and at the same time make sure that Meng Hao's guard wouldn't be promoted.

Yet, the moment the enemy guard was about to kill off Meng Hao, the guard arrived and stopped it, "What are you doing?" he asked.

Stunned for a moment, he then replied, "Ah Xiao Lai, this bastard stepped on my foot, I'm teaching him a lesson."

"Stop fooling around, I was here and I didn't see that, if you want to satisfy your perverted obsessions do it in your own group, go away, or I'll report you for disruption," Xiao Lai said.

"You're going to do that, for a mere miner?" the guard asked, annoyed and angry.

"Of course, I can't have you ruining my production, I know what you're all planning, and I'm going to stay here, until the final day," he said.

Angry at his inability to act, the guard grunted and spat at Meng Hao, "Do you think that when he's promoted he'll protect you? Once that happens I'll make sure to teach you all a lesson," he said.

"Don't mind what he said, keep up the work," Xiao Lai said, in all honestly, he didn't really care about the fate of the miners after he was done. It wouldn't have mattered to him anyway if they were all killed on the day he is promoted, all he needed was he himself to leave this hellhole.

As for the slaves, they were bound to die anyway. Though it's a pity to lose those four workers, he wasn't going to risk his promotion for mere slaves.

"Even when I'm promoted, I'll still have a say to what happens here, so none of you will be harmed," the guard said comforting the miners, but it was clear to the four that those were words full of lies.

The final batch of Bloodstones was collected and taken outside.

"Rest up, you did a good job," said the guard as he sat down, intense anxiety clear on his face.

"Don't worry lord, we did a good job, you'll definitely get your promotion," Meng Hao said.

This caused everyone to be stunned, to actually speak when not spoken to, it was close to asking to be killed.

But the guard only smiled, "We can only hope," he said and continued pondering.

A couple of hours later, another guard came to the area. This one had the same armor that the Minor Spears had, this caused Xiao Lai's eyes to widen.

"Xiao Lai, by order of the General, your work these past few years has been exemplary, though the board has refused your promotion…"

The words felt like an anvil dropping on Xiao Lai as all of his hopes were crushed.

"The General spoke on your behalf, seeing the majority of the board refusing caused him to be more interested and once he had taken interest and saw your exemplary work, he made an internal investigation, resulting in the discovery of corruption. The Fire General had then decided to promote you against the board's orders, congratulations on becoming a Minor Spear. Please proceed to the Infernal Mansion to receive your crest," the guard then looked at the rest of the workers who looked happy for some reason.

"Interesting, it seems that your work area is stable, for that your workers will receive three days rest and will be appointed a new guard for their next session," the Minor Spear said and turned away leaving.

Xiao Lai's fists clenched in happiness as finally he'll be able to leave this place, though it will be sad to give up the workers, he couldn't wait to go.

"Good Job!" said Xiao Lai, "Good damn job! Now I'll get to leave this hellhole!" he said.

"But sadly," he said, "I can't allow another person to use you," he said.

This meant trouble…

"I honestly thought about leaving you here and going away but thinking about it now, you can be used by the next guard, and forced to work and then they'll also get a promotion like me, I can't allow that," he said as he pulled his sword, "You worked hard, let me send you off peacefully," he said.

Hearing his words, the miners outside of Meng Hao's group were terrified and began running away.

"Filthy bastards!" Xiao Lai then ran after them culling them one after the other, even as they dispersed in different directions of the tunnel.

But the group remained together.

Once Xiao Lai returned, with his sword bloodied, he was surprised to find the four still waiting.

"What? Do you think that I'll let you live? Only you four can survive this place's Qi, you think begging me, or not running away like those idiots is enough for me to let you live?" he spoke.

"No," Meng Hao said.

"We didn't run away because we're afraid of death," said Meng Hao.

The guard approached him, "Ah because you're miners, you're supposed to only obey orders," The guard nodded remembering Meng Hao's past.

"I was never a miner," Meng Hao replied. And before the expressions of Xiao Lai could even turn, his head already flew off of his body.

Falling in disbelief on the ground.

Dao Shen twisted his wrists and snapped the chains off, then approached the head of the dead cultivator.

"Soul Search!" ????????.???

One of the vilest and most abhorred techniques of the world of cultivation, is the power to forcefully look through one's memories tearing their soul in the process.

While the body was decapitated the soul was still there, and with Dao Shen's master over Soul magic, he was able to obtain all the information he needed for the next part of Master Rain's Plan.

"What's going on here?!" one of the guards spoke, and just as he entered the room, seeing the fallen corpse, his first instinct was to call for help, but his voice never left his body.

Another guard was killed.

This was the neighboring guard.

"We're in luck, he actually came over faster than expected, I'll take his appearance, Dao Shen, you know what to do," said Master Rain.

"I can't go through," Dao Shen said.

"Why not?" Meng Hao asked.

"Because I don't know which pot is the mistress, we're looking for is in, only Meng Hao knows, so I'll give you all the information I've gotten from the Soul Search, and I'll also change your Qi and appearance to that of the guard, are you up for it?" he asked.

"Yes,"

"Good then, come closer," Dao Shen said and began modifying Meng Hao's facial features and Qi imprint once again.

***

"Lord, it has been a hundred years now…" I heard.

Opening my eyes, I saw the Automaton in front of me.

"How much energy do we still have?" I asked.

"Enough, but the smaller Planet's core is about to turn to dust. The other one is still supporting the pagoda.

"A hundred years… that means that three years had passed outside…" I spoke as I stood up.

"Indeed, my lord, the acid levels had receded greatly, we can leave the serpent whenever you wish to," spoke the Automaton.

"Right, we can leave… but I think I need to do something first…"