Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 41: Suffering Uncle and Nephew Meet Again (4.2 thousand words)
Outside Guling Town, in the Qianshan Mine.

This place is the largest mine within a radius of hundreds of miles. It can refine lead, mercury, silver, and iron into medicine, and occasionally, spirit stones and precious medicines can also be found.

The furnaces inside burned day and night, the vegetation in the surrounding area was cut down, and poisonous water flowed everywhere. For sixty years, the mine has been dug bigger and deeper, and the large and small veins have not been cut off.

Yu Le, barefoot and shirtless, waded through the acidic water, carrying a pickaxe on his shoulder.

He mingled among the strong but expressionless crowd, crawling like a mouse, crouching low to the ground, and burrowed into the narrow mine shaft that could only accommodate one person at a time. It took him almost half an hour to reach the bottom, where he began to dig frantically.

Every three hours, the iron pipes that supply air and water into the mine would be clanged, and people would come out in batches to be replaced by a new batch of people. This process would continue day and night.

However, for an individual, they have to dig for six hours to barely be able to leave the mine, and dig for nine hours to mine a little more ore so that they can live a better life in the mine and send out more talisman money.

Yu Le had been digging for nine hours straight before finally emerging from the mine, exhausted, carrying a basket on his back.

Although he was extremely exhausted, his whole body was covered in black soot, and his face was even blacker and shinier, Yu Le's face was filled with a smile.

He carried the ore with all his might to the foreman, received a portion of dry rations, and then squatted down by the acidic ditch, munching on it with his teeth.

Miners resting by the ditch saw him and joked with him:
"Hey! Looks pretty good today, must have dug up a lot of money. Why not give them a proper meal? What are they doing eating this dry rations every day?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Le merely grinned and continued eating.

The other miners continued their idle chatter: "She has a nephew studying Taoism in town, whom she has to support. Unlike us bachelors, we have no worries about food or clothing!"

"Pah! A guy who's lost his tongue, do you think he'd even listen to you? I bet he's got gambling debts, got his tongue cut out and sold here, and just lied to avoid being laughed at by us."

"Hey guys, I'm actually saving up money too. Once I've saved enough, I'll go have some fun in the market."

But someone overheard these discussions and suddenly spoke up:

"Go have fun in the market? We've all signed long-term contracts. The foremen and farm owners won't let you go until they've squeezed every last drop of oil out of you."

These words immediately silenced the chatter by the ditch, creating a much more subdued atmosphere.

Someone grumbled, "Exactly! Even if you go back by then, you probably won't be able to lift your bird anymore. What's the point of being happy then!"

But the bald-headed miner who had just said he was going to have some fun was still smiling and saying:

"No problem, no problem, I've already thought it through. My time is almost up, so I'll break my left leg first. If they still don't let me go back, I'll break my right leg too, leaving only my third leg... That way, the foremen and mine owners can't keep letting me eat in the mine anymore, can they?"

Upon hearing the bald miner's words, everyone around immediately turned to look at him. Even Yu Le stopped eating and stared at the man in surprise.

Someone muttered, "He's a ruthless person."

Some people sneered, seemingly laughing at the bald miner for being too naive.

Suddenly, a cloud of toxic fumes from ore refining drifted from a nearby hill, enveloping the miners and causing them to quickly cover their mouths while cursing.

A violent coughing fit also came from their mouths, and without exception, they all coughed up thick phlegm.

Bah Bah!

The phlegm they spat out was a large, glistening black mass with a metallic sheen and a hint of blood.

Yu Le was no exception. He stared at the lead-stained phlegm on his hand, paused for a moment, then calmly wiped the phlegm on the ground and continued to eat his dry rations.

After finishing their meal in no time, the group of miners lined up like dogs and ran to a wooden barrel.

They didn't even have a water ladle, so they just stuck their heads into the bucket and drank the water.

Because so many people were drinking it, even though everyone washed their hands and faces before drinking, the water in the bucket was still not much whiter than ink.

After finishing their water, the group found a sheltered spot, crouched down, and prepared to sleep, waiting to return to the mine to dig again day after day.

Just this day.

Yu Le and the others hadn't slept for long when, just an hour later, the sound of gongs rang out nearby, creating a constant commotion that disturbed their peace.

Even though they were all fast asleep, they couldn't stop the sound of gongs echoing through the mine.

There was a pangolin foreman and a toad monster. The two monsters strolled around, waking up the miners in batches and then asking them questions in an arrogant manner.

Soon it was Yu Le's turn and his group's turn.

Everyone secretly grumbled at the two monsters.

They muttered to themselves, "If we were outside, we would have killed you both long ago," and "Pah! When did monsters dare to act so arrogantly in front of us?"

But when the monster foreman actually walked up to them...

The miners sneered, and some who considered themselves well-connected secretly took out their personal stash of dried rats, dried lizards, and other snacks, and went ahead to bribe the two monster foremen.

"Have we woken everyone up today because we've discovered a new mine?"

"Grandpa monsters, you'd better consider me first when it comes to the new mine!"

The two monsters nodded and hummed in agreement, remaining silent until they finished the snacks the miners had offered them, at which point they finally called out:

"What are you thinking! We're here to find someone, just as the owner told us."

"Among you, are there any who are called fish head or fish tail?"

Upon hearing that they were looking for someone, the miners exchanged bewildered glances, especially the few who had offered snacks; their faces showed a slight pang of regret.

But some people still tried to get close to them:

"Sigh! There are nothing but rocks here, and the ditch is filled with acidic water left over from ore refining. Even fish demons can't survive in here."

The pangolin foreman banged on his gong and said impatiently, "Wake up, all of you, wake up!"

The toad demon, on the other hand, was very loud and boisterous:
"Who said we were looking for monsters! We're looking for people, people with the surname Yu!"
By the way, I heard it has no tongue and no tail. Have any of you seen it?

So slowly.

Most of the miners turned their attention to Yu Le, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty.

One of them tentatively asked, "Are you two old monsters looking for a fellow named Yu Le?"

Clang! Clang! The gong rings out even louder.

"Yes! Yes, it's someone named Yu Le or Yu Bei."

There's no escaping it now.

All the miners turned their attention to Yu Le, and quickly made a gap to let him stand out.

When Yu Le saw the two monster foremen looking for him, he secretly shrank back.

But now that he was being called out by name, he had no way to avoid it. All he could do was smirk, hunch over, and bow and scrape as he greeted the two monster foremen.

The pangolin and the toad monster stared at each other and asked:

"Quack! You must be Yu Le, nicknamed Yu Lao Er?"

"Don't you have a nephew who studies Taoism at a Taoist temple, something like the Dugu Temple?"

Upon hearing these two questions, Yu Le's face showed surprise and doubt, followed by panic and a hint of seemingly impossible expectation.

The other workers were also discussing it animatedly:
"Knowing so much, is this person here to bring good news or bad news?" "This guy really does have a nephew studying Taoism at the Taoist temple."

Some people gloated and couldn't stand seeing things go well, muttering, "They're probably here to collect debts."

But more people.

Seeing the impressive display of power by the two monster foremen, a disbelieving thought arose in their minds: "Could it be... could it be..."

Yu Le steadied himself, and with a continued smirk, he nodded hesitantly.

Upon seeing him nod, the two monster foremen trembled and their expressions suddenly changed.

The two of them, as if chameleons had come to life, immediately bowed down and kowtowed to Yu Le:

"Oh dear! I've met you, Master Yu. Please forgive my ignorance."

"Master Yu, may you be blessed! We've come to take you out of the mine and invite you back to enjoy your retirement!"

For the first time ever, the two of them showed Yu Le great care and concern.

Seeing that Yu Le had been stunned for a long time and hadn't spoken, the two little demons looked surprised and suspicious.

"Hey! Master Yu, why aren't you saying anything? We monsters have bad memories, but we haven't offended you."

Fortunately, at that moment, a miner whispered a reminder: "This old man Yu... sir, he doesn't have a tongue."

Upon hearing this, the two little demons were terrified and immediately cried out:
"Who! Who dares to cut out Master Yu's tongue?"

"What a tragedy! Even if you cut off my manhood, you can't cut off Master Yu's tongue!"

Fortunately, Yu Le finally came to his senses. He straightened up, his eyes shining with an indescribable light, and smiled as he stopped the two demons.

After further explanation from the workers around them, the two little demons remembered what the mine owner had told them: Yu Le had never had a tongue.

Only then did they calm their palpitations.

But the two demons remained cautious. The pangolin even bent down and desperately begged Yu Le to climb on it, wanting to carry Yu Le on its back.

And just like that, the two monstrous foremen who had been so arrogant just moments before, one banging a gong and the other carrying people, humbly and gently disappeared into the mountain valley.

After the two demons and one person completely disappeared, and even the sound of the gong could no longer be heard, the remaining miners were still staring blankly, unable to come to their senses for a long time.

People kept muttering to themselves:

"So he really does have a nephew, and he's really saving money for his nephew."

As for Yu Le's nephew, why did he dare to come to the mine to look for his relatives, and even alarm the monster foreman to fawn over him like this?

They must have not only made a fortune, but also found a powerful backer, or they must have acquired considerable magical power, which is why the mine released them so easily.

The miners, who had been awakened, were unable to sleep any longer; their hearts were pounding with anxiety.

Although everyone had long heard that miners would occasionally find treasures in the mines or be rescued by their immortal relatives, and then live a life of luxury.

But they never expected that such a good thing would happen right beside them, especially to Yu Laonian, the most inconspicuous among them who didn't even have a tongue.

This made them even more envious and jealous than hearing rumors about the lucky ones in the neighboring mine or the neighboring mine!

Many people even started daydreaming about what it would be like if such a good thing happened to them...

Just very quickly.

The clanging of the gong rang out again, but this time it wasn't the foreman searching for people who came, but a fierce-looking foreman with a whip, ready to drive them into the mine.

Some people were still hesitant, even looking at the monster foreman with resentment, muttering things like, "If only I had relatives coming," or "When I'm lucky."

The result was a series of slaps, only three lashes.

The monster foreman shattered their daydreams, making them shout, "Let's go to the mine! Let's go to the mine!" and "I want to mine!"
………………

the other side.

Fang Shu, dressed in the Taoist robe of the Dugu Sect, stood quietly on the hilltop of the mine, gazing motionlessly at the miners who looked like ants, crawling in and out of the mine pits.

It wasn't until the two monster foremen, carrying his second uncle Yu Le, appeared before him that his calm expression showed any obvious change.

Second Uncle Yu Le rode on the back of the pangolin, staring at Fang Shu from afar, constantly rubbing his eyelids, as if afraid it was a hallucination.

When they got closer, they confirmed that they weren't seeing things; the person on the mountain was indeed their own nephew, Fang Shu!
A weight was finally lifted from Yu Le's heart.

But the closer Yu Le got to Fang Shu, the more reserved and awkward he became. He hunched over, constantly rubbing his hands, looking completely helpless and ashamed to be seen.

Seeing this, Fang Shu also suppressed his emotions.

Fang Shu didn't rush to speak to his second uncle. He simply stepped forward in silence and presented the purification talisman and a clean Taoist robe that he had prepared earlier.

The Cleansing Talisman can be used not only to clean clothes but also to wash away dirt from the body, although it is not as clean and comfortable as scrubbing in a bathhouse.

After removing most of the filth from his body and putting on a Taoist robe, he finally looked like a human being again, and his second uncle Yu Le's face regained some vitality.

He finally dared to raise his eyes and scrutinize Fang Shu's spirited and vibrant face.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shu suddenly grinned, deliberately shaking his Taoist robe to reveal the brightly lit words "Dugu Pavilion," and uttered the first words between the two:

"Second Uncle, I'm now considered a part of the establishment, and we can finally eat and drink well."

Second Uncle Yu Le also grinned and beckoned him forward.

Fang Shu obediently stepped forward.

Second Uncle Yu Le reached out and touched his Taoist robe with a mixture of hesitation and burning sensation, especially the words "Dugu Hall" on the chest, as if afraid of getting the robe dirty or damaged.

Fang Shu also started chatting with his second uncle.

Explain where his robe came from and what it represents, to prove that he wasn't lying.

However, his second uncle, Yu Le, didn't actually need him to explain at all.

Yu Le knew at a glance that this kind of material and the Taoist robe with the name sewn on it were only qualified to be worn by inner disciples who had entered the Taoist sect and formally joined the sect.

It represents the face of the dojo.

If unauthorized individuals dare to wear such clothing and are recognized, even if they are beaten or killed on the spot by the dojo, no one will stand up for justice.

In just over six months, Fang Shu transcended tribulation and entered the Dao, becoming a formal disciple of the Du Guan Master. Even during Yu Le's more than ten years of life in the market, he had only heard about it a few times.

This should have been a cause for celebration, a great event that would bring honor to one's ancestors!
But Yu Le stroked the embroidered characters on Fang Shu's clothes and listened to Fang Shu's "showing off".

The man, rather pathetic, burst into tears on the spot.

For a moment, pride and tenderness mingled on his second uncle Yu Le's withered face, leaving Fang Shu at a loss for what to do.

"My child, how much suffering you must have endured..."

Uncle Yu Le's throat made a hoarse sound, but he couldn't speak; he could only keep calling out in his heart.

(End of this chapter)