The two of them settled in.
They patiently listened to the argument for a while.
The elderly, majestic-looking lizardman wearing a red robe sitting in the host's seat was named Xian Yuan, who currently served as the general mine manager of the ravine.
He had been deliberately steering the direction of the entire conversation.
The seats beside him were occupied by his close confidants, cousins, and the like.
It seemed he was a relative of that dead old woman.
It was understandable that he held such a high position; after all, transcendent combat power was considered top-tier in Gaoxi Ravine.
“...Setting aside the main mining area for a moment, Uncle, shouldn't we redistribute the management personnel for those three major mining sites: Leshan, Dushan, and Qingshan?”
“Exactly! Everyone is waiting. Protest after protest has gone by, and while the lord didn't gain anything from them, we haven't been able to mine any ore either. We're just sitting here watching those crystal ores lose their luster and turn into useless stone. Day after day, it's driving us crazy!”
“Hey, Shizi, how can you speak to Uncle like that? Show some respect! Organizing the joint protests was for everyone's benefit. The way you're putting it, are you suggesting we did something behind your backs?”
The smell of gunpowder in the air grew increasingly thick.
Xian Yuan cleared his throat, interrupting another argument that was about to flare up.
“Quiet!”
Looking at the crowd below, who had obediently shut their mouths but still had restless glints in their eyes, he couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.
If Xian Ling hadn't died so suddenly and those few apprentices of the family hadn't lost their lives as well, how could the Xian family have fallen to the point of being interrogated by these people!
It was all because of that new lord...
Xian Yuan felt a wave of secret hatred, his eyes turning increasingly sinister.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
At least on the surface, he could not break off relations with him.
But it was absolutely necessary to play a dirty trick on that fox to make this lord realize how important he was to the management of the territory.
This was also the most effective way for the Xian family to maintain the current order after losing their combat strength.
He would swallow his pride and endure under him for a few days, ideally using the opportunity to squeeze into a position as a confidant or advisor.
Once he established contact with the dragon clan and provided Bai Xiaodu's location to those lords, revenge would be within reach!
Sweeping his gaze across the hall, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“I invited you all here today, of course, not to argue, but to propose a practical and effective way to safeguard everyone's interests.”
“As for the list of mine management personnel, I have actually been redrafting it for a while now.”
The expressions of the crowd below softened considerably.
After all, this was exactly what they had come for.
“However...” Xian Yuan shifted his tone and continued.
“The mines still cannot resume normal operations for now.”
The newly relaxed atmosphere instantly tensed up once again!
Confused, the crowd began to speak up one after another.
“Uncle! That new lord has plenty of ways to make our lives miserable. Why do we still want to oppose him?”
“The mines can't afford any more delays. Almost everyone present has some personal businesses, so we can grit our teeth and get through this period, but what about the frontline workers?”
“A single day of stoppage means a day without wages to feed their families. It's already been stopped for a month. Are we supposed to let them starve? When I went down to inspect and pacify them a few days ago, the looks in their eyes made it seem like they wanted to tear me apart alive!”
“In the end, before we even succeed in resisting the lord, we might end up ruining ourselves first!”
Xian Yuan patiently listened to the clamor before speaking in a deep voice.
“Rest assured, nothing will go wrong. If we don't fight the lord now, he will think we are weak and oppress us even further!”
“As for the miners, they've already endured for a month. A few more days won't make a difference.”
“It's all for the sake of Gaoxi Ravine. Let the common people suffer a little longer!”
Seeing that there was still some resentment on everyone's faces, Xian Yuan quickly began to rally them.
“On the surface, mining operations must resume, and everyone will perform their respective duties. But remember: this month's ore production must be kept below one-third of the same period in previous years! If anyone refuses to cooperate, do not blame me, Xian Yuan, for being ruthless. I will show absolutely no mercy!”
“If everyone works together, I will have someone keep a record. Whoever performs well will have their name pushed up on the management list. I will never break my word!”
A carrot and a stick—nothing more.
Simple yet effective. Xian Yuan looked at the people in the hall, whose anger had been suppressed as they began to make their own calculations, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought for a moment, preparing to add some more rewards to play on their greed.
However...
One of the lower-ranking lizardmen, Shi Fan, suddenly fell into a daze.
As a Transcendent Apprentice, he had only recently advanced. His family had no business assets, which was why he was so eager to start working and earning money.
He clutched his head as scene after scene of memories rushed into his mind.
The daily oppression from the Xian family, the threat of losing his position if they didn't stop mining, the increasingly difficult days, and the various extra taxes they were forced to pay...
The thoughts flooded in, growing heavier and heavier, leaving him flustered and giving him a splitting headache.
The companion beside him noticed Shi Fan's state, nudged him gently, and asked with concern, “Shi Fan, are you alright?”
Shi Fan merely shook his head, his eyes completely bloodshot.
For some reason, a surge of rage welled up in his chest, entirely uncontrollable.
Staring at Xian Yuan, who was still talking eloquently, Shi Fan clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together.
Bang!
He suddenly slammed the table and stood up. Every gaze in the room instantly locked onto him!
Xian Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.
“Shi Fan! What are you doing!”
Shi Fan sneered, pointed right at Xian Yuan's nose, and cursed loudly.
“Xian Yuan, screw your mother!”
“What am I doing? I'm doing your mother! You motherfucker, your mother is dead, and your Xian family is completely crippled! What right do you have to order everyone around?”
“And keep resisting the lord? Resist my ass! He's a transcendent! Killing us is as easy as slaughtering pigs and dogs!”
Before he could even process what was happening, Xian Yuan was hit by three consecutive verbal blows. His face flushed bright red with rage as he roared, “Shi Fan! Are you trying to rebel?!”
Shi Fan sneered with utter disdain.
“Rebel? Rebel against whom? Aren't you the one who started a rebellion in the first place!”
As soon as he finished speaking, before Xian Yuan's relatives could speak up to defend him, a large crowd of people below began to clap and cheer!
The Xian family had lost their main pillar of support but still monopolized the best positions. A large group of people had long been dissatisfied with them.
They had only been lacking an opportunity. Now, someone had finally stepped forward.
Since the Xian family didn't want to leave with dignity, everyone would help them lose it!
“Fan, we all crawled out of the mines together. Don't lose your nerve!”
“Yeah, show some spirit!”
“Nice! Way to go!”
“Fuck!”
Shi Fan whipped his head around.
“Xian Yuan, fuck your mother!”
“You fucking stand in the back planning the 'big picture' while making us charge forward as cannon fodder!”
“You don't do a single damn thing all day! At your age, all you know how to do is smoke, drink, marry young wives, take bribes, and dock our wages!”
“Who the fuck do you think you are, using our heads to block the lord's guns? If this gets found out, we're dead! Why should we listen to you? Because you're old? Because you don't take baths?!”
Xian Yuan's face contorted. Just as he was about to order his men to seize Shi Fan, he saw quite a few people standing up to back him.
In an instant, the entire hall fell into utter chaos. People shoved and pushed, on the verge of a full-blown brawl!
Seeing this, Xian Yuan could only let out a long, helpless sigh.
It was over. All over!
Rate on N.U.
