Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Zhu Wuyao was unable to adapt to the rules of this world, especially when faced with something like this—

There was no enmity between them, but because they wanted to live, they wanted others to die.

When Hu San's hand landed on her shoulder, the surroundings seemed to fall silent.

They seemed to be waiting to see how this newcomer would perform.

If this were a fairy tale, and the protagonist were selfless and compassionate, willing to sacrifice herself for the lives of others, then perhaps a benevolent deity would appear and say to her—

"You have passed the test, brave and benevolent lady. This sword of light shall belong to you."

There are no gods here.

There was not even a sword of light.

If you choose death, you really will die.

Who lives, him or me?

Of course I'll live.

She lowered her head and asked, "Is this rule because we can't find the ore, so the amount we have to hand over is insufficient?"

If that's the reason, perhaps she can solve it.

“No,” Hu San denied this decisive factor and continued:

"If I eat enough food for ten people, I can operate a mine for twenty-eight people."

"Little girl, I've been hungry for a long time."

Even the finest steed cannot display its full potential if it lacks sufficient food; its strength may only be slightly greater than that of an ordinary horse.

Ultimately, they will waste their time in the womb.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the word "balance".

If the feeder provides food based on the amount of ore handed over, they will not fatten everyone up; instead, they will withhold food, perhaps only giving two-thirds or even less.

If there were ten people like Hu San, they could mine 280 tons of food and get at least 130 tons of food in return, enough to feed everyone.

If it were one Hu San and nine old men, they would have little to no food to exchange for the few mines they could mine.

Hu San is not getting enough to eat. The mining is enough for ten people, and the nine old men mining together are only enough for five people. The food they get in return may not even be enough for Hu San alone.

This will create a vicious cycle.

Unless, of course, those nine people are willing to give all their food to Hu San, and Hu San is willing to do everything in his power to mine twenty-eight tons of food in exchange for eighteen more meals, enough to feed a few people.

But this is not possible.

The others were afraid of death and would not trust Hu San, so Hu San dared not exert himself and had to cherish his own life.

However, with too many people involved, the speed of exploration and mining cannot be balanced.

The person who set this rule is wise, ruthless, cold-blooded, and heartless, capable of treating human lives as numbers to be calculated.

This person is definitely not Hu San.

She asked, "Who proposed this method of balancing things?"

Hu San seemed to have many feelings to share, so he was willing to say a few more words to Zhu Wuyao. He raised his chin and said:

"It's this old Li."

"Twenty years ago, he was strong and smart. He used to be an accountant. Because he understood these things, he gained favor with Sister Mu and enjoyed a period of glory."

"But he forgot that he would also grow old, become unable to lift the stone, and become the one who was abandoned."

Zhu Wuyao was silent for a moment, then looked at the old man Li who was crying and begging for a way to survive. After he had cried enough, he started cursing Zhu Wuyao again.

He said that her existence forced him to die.

He started kowtowing to her again, begging her to join another team and let others die.

Hu San raised his hand.

Someone stepped forward, took a rough rope, and tied the person up tightly like an animal.

"Why are you still tying him up?"

"Because if he lives one more day, the food can be preserved for one more day."

Zhu Wuyao's fingers tightened slightly as he saw someone raise a stone axe with an excited expression.

This old man Li was too ruthless when he was young. He may have caused many people to lose their lives because of that rule, but it was precisely because of this that the mine was able to operate in a positive manner and make reasonable use of resources.

"He has done a good job."

"so?"

Hearing the screams around her, she felt a pang of pity and said, "Why don't we just give him a quick death?"

Hu San ignored her and turned to leave.

An older woman stepped forward and explained the territory and the most basic rules to her.

Zhu Wuyao, wanting to find out more, asked, "Who is Sister Mu that Brother Hu just mentioned?"

The speaker's expression darkened, as if he were somewhat saddened, and he said:

"Sister Mu, Second Brother Liao, Third Brother Hu, Fourth Sister Rong, and Zhang Wu..."

"Stop talking and get to work! Brother Hu will be unhappy if he hears this." A disheveled man next to him interrupted.

She immediately shut her mouth and said to Zhu Wuyao:

"Go and get the pickaxe from Old Li. All his things are yours."

After saying that, he left with his companions.

Hu Sanrong and Si, were these two originally from the same gang?

No, it should be said that before that, this group of people should have been brought together into a team by Sister Mu.

But with the monks' rebellion, the people in this mine were scattered.

Zhu Wuyao thought of Rong Jie's attitude towards Hu San and guessed that since the rebellion failed, the remaining people must have fallen into suspicion.

In other words, the reason why Hu San's power is greater than Rong Jie's may simply be because of his higher reputation.

She frowned, feeling that the situation was becoming even more complicated.

We can't just suspect Hu San; we have to suspect Rong Si too.

As Zhu Wuyao pondered this, he walked up to Old Li, who was bound hand and foot, and squatted down to ask:

"You set these rules yourself, so don't blame me. If you insist on blaming me, I'll accept it. I want to live too, but you have to tell me where all your stuff is."

Instead of asking others, she went to find Old Li.

I'd like to talk more.

This person has lived a long time, and perhaps knows everything. Zhu Wuyao continued:

"You won't live much longer. I'll share my last meals with you for a few days. Let's talk this out, okay?"

Old Li's resentful gaze slowly faded, and he nodded weakly.

Zhu Wuyao untied the two loops of rope around Old Li's mouth. Just as he was about to ask something, he saw Old Li's eyes suddenly turn fierce.

He bit off his tongue, and blood gushed out instantly.

When he swallowed the severed tongue and blood, he choked, his face turning red and his breathing becoming obstructed.

Zhu Wuyao's expression changed, and she immediately helped Old Li up, wanting to help him, but she stopped as soon as she touched Old Li's shoulder.

Should we really save him, letting him watch himself being cut to pieces and die in his final days?

Suffocation, a very painful way to die.

Zhu Wuyao lowered his eyes and looked at the sharp stone in his hand.

"Consider it paying you back."

The next instant, she raised her arm, and the stone shard in her hand slashed fiercely across Old Li's neck.

In just a few breaths, they gave Old Li a quick death.

The splattered blood blurred her vision; she blinked, and all she could see was a bloody mist.

Zhu Wuyao raised his hand and wiped it clean with his sleeve.

Gently lay Old Li down and reached out to touch his wide-open eyes.

Someone witnessed this and ran out, probably to tell Hu San the news.

Zhu Wuyao stared blankly at the blood-stained stone shard in his hand.

Ore, Longevity Inn, Yin energy, haunting ghostly aura, the magical stone used to refine the Unsharp Sword...

She seemed to have found the source.

That was the lingering resentment, the unwillingness to live, the fear of living, that came from this mine.