83 The Mines

"You'll have to be careful when controlling him," Guo Jia said to Wei Chen. "He is enslaved, but his soul is still quite powerful. He still has the power to interpret every order given within reason."

Wei Chen nodded understandingly when he heard this.

"Do you mind if I give him some basic instructions to prevent any mishaps?" Guo Jia asked the vice leader, who waved his hand to grant permission. Guo Jia turned to Cha Ming.

"Cha Ming, you are prohibited from harming any Serpentine Sword bandits. You are prohibited from harming the people of this village. You are prohibited from harming yourself. You are forbidden from cultivating. You must sustain your life…" The list continued until Guo Jia was satisfied with the set of instructions.

"Why the prohibition on cultivation?" Wei Chen asked. "He's a cripple, so it's not like he can do anything with the qi."

"Normally, this wouldn't be an issue," Guo Jia replied. "However, you need to realize that cultivating the soul is different from cultivating the body or qi. This sigil is sufficient to control someone at foundation establishment. But the development of a soul varies between cultivators and is based on their innate soul force. For this man to have such a high soul force with his current cultivation base, he must have had many fortuitous encounters, in addition to full innate soul force.

"His soul is currently at half-step foundation establishment. Everyone who reaches foundation establishment finds themselves able to use soul force, but you might be wondering, if that's the case, then what is the benefit of full innate soul force, or any talent in soul force?

"The truth of the matter is that once a soul breaks through to the next realm, it will immediately grow by leaps and bounds. Depending on talent, fortuitous encounters, and practice in manipulating soul force, the soul will quickly grow to an appropriate level. My dear Wei Chen, you didn't practice soul force, so as soon as you broke through, your soul only broke through to the foundation-establishment equivalent. Therefore, you only had the barest incandescent soul.

"However, when I broke through with an innate soul force of eight, I had a mid-grade incandescent soul. This doesn't mean a lot to you, since you don't practice a profession. However, the ability of every professional is dependent on their soul force. Furthermore, one's future development will forever be determined by their soul force, or so my teacher says."

Guo Jia sighed. "Now back to the initial topic. If he breaks through, his soul will likely jump straight to the late incandescent phase and tear through the control of the Lesser Slave Sigil. Then he might be a substantial risk to your operations."

Wei Chen nodded. "That makes sense. Thank you very much for your consideration and instruction, Sigil Master Guo Jia. We'll be sure to do business with you in the future."

"It's always a pleasure," Guo Jia said, smiling. "By the way Cha Ming—catch." Guo Jia tossed Cha Ming a bottle of pills. "You must first take the healing pill, then after you have recovered, take one of these pills once per day for the next three days. Grow stronger so that you can be useful to your master. Don't forget to be a good dog while I'm gone."

"Yes, Master," Cha Ming replied through gritted teeth.

Guo Jia then left with a smirk on his face. Wei Chen did not treat Cha Ming like the other cultivators and had him escorted back to his cell. He no longer bore any physical chains, but his mental chains were far harsher.

Once they reached the cell, the guard held one of the command medallions and issued his first order: He was not allowed to speak to others unless it was specifically required for performing his duties. After obtaining Cha Ming's nod, the guard pulled up a chair and lazily guarded his "prisoner."

Just as Cha Ming was about to take the healing pill, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Cha Ming, my boy. Are you all right?" It was the doctor's voice. Although he yearned to reply, he felt as though his mouth were sewn shut. He was forced to ignore the doctor and pull the stopper on the bottle of medicinal pills.

"Cha Ming, what's wrong?" Li Yin said a little louder, prompting the ire of Cha Ming's guard. He smirked before walking up to the large cage.

"He's not the one you know anymore," the guard said. "He's not your friend, either. Cha Ming, tell the man he's not your friend. Look him in the eyes when you say it."

Cha Ming struggled for the fraction of a moment before slowly standing up as though he were a puppet dancing at someone else's whim. He turned around, exposing his cold face with dead eyes to the doctor. A large black character for "slave" burned on his forehead.

"I'm not your friend," his body said to the doctor. Inside, his heart was breaking. Using the last vestiges of his willpower, he wrested a slight amount of control from the sigil and shed a single tear. When the doctor saw it, he sighed in relief. Cha Ming could still see the sorrow that filled his eyes.

"Get back to recovering and strengthening yourself," the guard said harshly. "And you are no longer allowed to speak to this man unless authorized in the future."

"Yes, Master," Cha Ming's body said obediently. Then he sat down and consumed the first pill that would heal the injuries his body had sustained from the tribulation lightning. As the pill entered his lips, he felt a stream of warmth enter his body that rapidly healed his arms and legs while pushing out the debris that had accumulated. It took him a day to recover.

Immediately after his recovery, he took the first body-refining pill. A violent, metallic force flowed through his body and sliced away at the wood energy that had accumulated. Little by little, he felt the wood energy growing purer and purer, like a forest whose old wood was being removed to make way for new life. A half day later, the force of the pill was completely expended. However, Cha Ming felt the strength of his body increase as the purified wood essence recovered to its original volume.

Ka-cha!

His bones crackled as the strength of his body increased to the eighth level of body refinement. After completing his recovery, he looked at his skin and noticed it was full of impurities. He then looked at the guard, who wrinkled his nose but did not say anything.

Well, if he doesn't instruct me to wash, I won't.

It was the first bit of freedom he had exercised since his enslavement, and he found that even wallowing in his own filth would be a wonderful experience as a free man.

Seeing that the guard would not interfere, he ingested the next pill in the sequence. An icy cold sensation raced through his body as destructive water energy rampaged through his veins. The natural heat that was generated from the fire energy accumulated in his body rapidly decreased, to the point where he felt like a block of ice. Not all heat was lost, however. A much more concentrated fire still remained, and he felt his strength increase greatly as the fire qi in his body recovered. Soon enough, he was able to move once more.

Finally, he popped the last pill, which was full of destructive wood energy. It bored through his body, attacking the frail defenses set up by the original earth qi that strengthened his skin and bones. His skin and bones cracked, but in the process, their structures changed. They were no longer smooth like before. These localized fractures caused the earth qi in his bones to change on a fundamental level. It became more crystalline, and as a result it became far firmer than before.

As he recovered from this last treatment, he felt power welling up in him as his physical strength broke through to the next level, the ninth level of body cultivation. His work complete, he stood up and stretched his joints, which had stiffened over the past three days of cultivation.

"All done?" the new guard on duty asked.

"Yes, my body refinement is complete, and I am currently at the ninth level of body cultivation," Cha Ming replied mechanically. He was then escorted to Wei Chen's tent. Wei Chen was a powerful foundation-establishment cultivator and could see the changes in Cha Ming's body almost instantly.

"Good," Wei Chen said. "Guo Jia didn't lie to us. This man will be a solid addition to our workforce. He'll be able to do the work of five men, but he will be able to continue around the clock. And he won't take up as much space as five men, freeing up four additional slots in the mine. Take him up to the mine and put him to work right way."

The guard saluted, but just as they were leaving, he heard Wei Chen's rebuking voice. "And get him to take a bath, for heaven's sake. Just because you're a pig doesn't mean everyone else can tolerate that stench."

***

The journey to the mines was far less dreadful than Cha Ming imagined. On the way there, they encountered several worn-out and dirty villagers, but no one on the verge of death. It seemed that the bandits cared about their productivity, so everyone was moderately well fed. As they walked, Cha Ming saw parts of the forest he never knew existed. After all, when he was weak and recovering, he didn't dare to venture out into the woods. Later, he had been far too busy to bother.

Occasionally, a small spirit beast crossed their path. They were harmless ones, like spirit rabbits and spirit cats. All of them shared a common feature—they were far too small to be worth the effort of catching. Cha Ming speculated that the bandits had grossly overhunted the spirit deer and other larger animals during their stay.

Soon, they arrived at a wide river. The readjusted their path and traveled toward the large misty waterfall that gave the town its name. Droplets of water formed as the waterfall crashed down into the water below, resembling small crystals that shone in the sun and refracted daylight. The entire area near the base of the waterfall was covered in a thick, rainbow-colored mist.

Just outside the misty area, Cha Ming saw several silhouettes carrying pails of water up a hill, where the work camp was located.

Must be some of the village women, he thought. The bandits get them to carry the water to preserve the men's energy, but more importantly, to show them that their wives are safe.

They plowed on ahead until they arrived at a large shack at the top of the hill. It was surrounded by forty guards, making it obvious that everything valuable in the work camp was located in this building. The guards at the entrance of the shack hesitated when they saw Cha Ming. That is, until they saw the slave mark on his forehead. Then they started jeering.

"I see you have a fresh fish there," one guard said.

"He looks big and strong, just the way I like them," another commented.

The guard escorting Cha Ming snorted derisively. "Cha Ming is the personal property of Vice Leader Wei. You're not allowed to damage him." Then, looking at Cha Ming, he added, "If these men try to defile you or beat you, and it's unwarranted, you have my permission to break a bone in a non-lethal manner."

"Yes, Master," Cha Ming replied dully. However, he grinned inwardly. Perhaps he could use these words to his advantage.

Before long, they entered the secure shack and arrived at a desk. Behind the desk, Cha Ming noticed several pieces of equipment—buckets, large containers, pickaxes, and shovels. He whistled inwardly when he noticed that several of them were spirit weapons, specially crafted for extra durability to withstand the mining process.

Behind these was a door leading to a small room. Judging by the density of spiritual energy in the area, it was undoubtedly full of spirit stones.

That is the least-safe storage method I've ever seen, Cha Ming mused. Why wouldn't they just use bags of holding?

Still, he said nothing. He wanted nothing more than their plans to crumble due to their lack of foresight.

"Quartermaster!" the guard beside him shouted. A short, stocky fellow quickly ran from one of the back rooms and bowed to the guard. They were clearly not of equal standing. "I need four of your best pickaxes and a tool belt for this man. The most durable you can find."

"Of course," the quartermaster said, then he broke into a run to retrieve them.

"We found this runt in a small village," the guard smugly said. "Not a shred of cultivation in him, but we heard he was a good accountant. We convinced him to come along with us. See how he's moved up in the world?"

Cha Ming didn't bother to reply. At least for now, he had the freedom not to talk and entertain this annoying fellow.

The quartermaster came back quickly, holding four pickaxes that were much larger than most Cha Ming had seen on the wall. "I-I-I hope that this is what you're looking for," the short man said, quivering.

"Yes," the guard replied, admiring the large durable spirit pickaxes. "For once, you're actually using your brain and following instructions. Good job." He then instructed Cha Ming to don the belt and tools.

After gearing up, they continued climbing until they reached the base of the cliff, where the waterfall originated. Cha Ming noted a newly built stone pathway that led to the back of the waterfall.

No wonder they couldn't find the source, he mused. The mine was hidden behind the waterfall. How could the bandits possibly imagine that a mortal villager would have the courage to wander behind such a powerful force of nature?

Cha Ming walked carefully, making sure not to slip on the wet stones and gravel that littered the path. He used various handholds that had been pierced into the side of the cliff, easing his way along the slippery path just behind the soldier. Several others were climbing behind him, impatient with his slow pace. However, he couldn't be bothered to accommodate them. After all, his orders were to ensure his own safety.

As they climbed, the line behind them became increasingly long, but Cha Ming didn't heed their insults or demands to speed up, and the bandit that led him didn't ask him to speed up either. At one point, he even stopped abruptly, causing the people behind him to lose their balance. One of them plunged down to the rocky waters below with a loud scream.

The guard looked back and glared at Cha Ming. He wasn't sure if he'd done it on purpose, but just to be safe, he issued a new order. "You may not stop if it endangers the lives of any bandits or villagers," the guard said sternly.

Cha Ming smiled, which looked awfully eerie given the gray shade of his eyes. "To clarify, Master, if I find myself in danger, I must stop to reduce the risk to my personal health. Those traveling behind me are impatient and putting themselves at risk. Should I slow down in consideration for their reckless behavior and endanger myself? If so, what degree of risk is acceptable for myself as opposed to others? Could you please supply me with an exact formula?"

The guard was stumped. It was a very ambiguous case, and Cha Ming was well aware that the guard knew he could not intentionally murder one of their members. However, such an ambiguous situation, combined with the death-seeking behavior from the other bandits, had given rise to a perfect storm.

"You must behave yourself with utmost loyalty to your great master, Wei Chen," the guard said sternly.

"Of course, Master," Cha Ming replied eloquently. "But as far as I know, I am a precious asset that has been purchased for 400 mid-grade spirit stones. Furthermore, I am a perfectly obedient ninth-level slave. I am inclined to believe that I am worth far more to Commander Wei Chen than these trashy fifth-level cultivators behind me. So forgive me if I cannot endanger my own precious life for their worthless ones."

This reply caused the guard's face to blacken like a kettle.

"Of course," Cha Ming continued, "if it was Master who was in danger, I would sacrifice my life in a heartbeat."

The guard's complexion recovered slightly after regaining this small amount of face. He then looked at the ones behind Cha Ming angrily.

"Stop seeking death, and stay far behind!" he bellowed.

The bandits indignantly backed away slowly, allowing Cha Ming and the guard to continue their ascent in peace. After a quarter hour of travel, they finally arrived at the entrance of a cave. It was one and a half times Cha Ming's height, and as they entered, Cha Ming saw a security checkpoint.

He and the guard proceeded directly through the checkpoint, as their loyalty was assured. The miners were not so lucky. He spotted several of them being strip-searched, with the bandits going so far as to search their rectal cavities for smuggled spirit stones. Cha Ming knew that the villagers wouldn't bother with such a futile act, but the bandits were suspicious by nature.

Cha Ming and the guard continued walking for another half hour, passing light after light in a large tunnel, which eventually widened into six different directions. The walls were bare and dirty and littered with exploratory holes that sought to discover errant parts of the mineral vein. Before long, they arrived at a group of villagers under careful scrutiny of six nearby guards.

"Cha Ming!" one of the villagers yelled, looking at him with a bright face. But Cha Ming was under strict orders, and he could not talk to the villagers unless it was necessary for his work. Under the direction of the supervising bandits, he took one pickaxe in each hand and began tearing away at the wall in front of him. He had been instructed to work at optimal speed, balancing recovery and digging speed to maximize his efficiency.

For once in his life, Cha Ming cursed himself for being good at math. Or being a good engineer, for that matter.