Li Chen

Supervisor Wu had forbidden Wu Yi from practicing martial arts, leaving Wu Yi considerably weaker than his siblings.

Aware that allowing Wu Chen to regain his senses would result in a beating he did not wish to receive, Wu Yi relied on his superior intellect to gain the upper hand. When Wu Chen entered the room, Wu Yi immediately recognized that a fight was inevitable. Resolving to further enrage Wu Chen, Wu Yi deliberately ignored him.

Predictably, Wu Chen lost his temper and recklessly lunged forward to punch Wu Yi, acting without a moment's thought.

Wu Yi skillfully retaliated, kicking Wu Chen until the boy was reduced to sobbing uncontrollably. His face was streaked with tears and mucus.

Seeing this pitiful state, Wu Yi ceased the beating. He gazed down at his defeated opponent, his expression devoid of satisfaction. His strikingly handsome face remained composed as he adjusted his robes.

"Clean up this mess before leaving," Wu Yi commanded, walking out of the room. Wu Chen lay on the floor, crying for a long time before finally regaining composure.

As Wu Chen stood to leave, his gaze fell upon the broken door. He stood still for a moment before deciding to repair it, understanding his brother's reasoning. Despite Wu Yi’s harshness, Wu Chen knew his brother never punished him without a purpose.

Wu Chen diligently fixed the door before leaving. By then, it was nighttime.

After tidying himself up in his bedroom, Wu Chen headed downstairs for dinner. He arrived last, finding Wu Yi, Supervisor Wu, his sister Wu Li, and their mother Wu Lin already seated.

Upon entering, Wu Chen noticed Wu Yi engaged in conversation with the supervisor.

“Hahaha!” Supervisor Wu laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming as he reviewed some documents.

“This is excellent. With this deed now secured, we’ve completely cornered the herb market. Profits should start flowing within two months,” Supervisor Wu declared jubilantly.

Wu Chen’s heart sank. Once again, Wu Yi had achieved something noteworthy.

He sat quietly, observing as Supervisor Wu lavished praise on Wu Yi. To an outsider, it might seem as though Wu Yi was the supervisor's favored son.

“I must reward you for this. Tell me, what do you want?” Supervisor Wu asked.

Wu Chen’s unease grew; he sensed a bad omen.

“There’s no need for a reward. This is the least I can do for the family,” Wu Yi replied humbly.

Supervisor Wu chuckled deeply. “Still, ask for something. I want you to have an example to set for your siblings.”

Wu Yi flashed a bright smile at Supervisor Wu, his expression hiding layers of history—a stark contrast to the man who had harshly disciplined him since childhood.

“If you insist, then I ask for forgiveness for my dear brother Wu Chen’s actions earlier today,” Wu Yi requested with a sincere tone.

Supervisor Wu’s expression shifted to confusion, while Wu Chen fumed internally.

“This was his plan all along,” Wu Chen thought bitterly.

Wu Yi continued, “He accidentally broke the door to my office and injured himself. Please, forgive him this once.”

“I see… so that’s what happened. I had wondered why he was so battered. Since that’s the case, I’ll forgive him,” Supervisor Wu said with a fatherly smile.

Wu Yi returned the smile—a chilling sight for those who understood its true meaning. To outsiders, this scene might have resembled a warm exchange between a doting father and his son. Only the two of them knew the truth.

Supervisor Wu was not naïve; he was a shrewd and calculating man. For the past two years, Wu Yi had walked a perilous tightrope, attracting the attention of rival factions and the town mayor by building his name through numerous accomplishments.

To maintain the illusion, Supervisor Wu had to play along, keeping Wu Yi close while benefiting from his uncanny ability to make the family’s businesses flourish. In the process, the supervisor had amassed substantial wealth, ensuring Wu Yi’s temporary safety and utility.

Even after Wu Yi’s assault on Wu Chen, the supervisor chose to endure in silence. The intricate game between the two had continued for years, but both understood that their uneasy alliance was nearing its inevitable conclusion.

Wu Yi lay awake on his large bed, unable to sleep as thoughts of his dwindling time consumed him. Despite his best efforts to keep Supervisor Wu interested in his well-being, Wu Yi knew he had nothing left to offer the brutal yet cunning man. Now that the supervisor had secured the coveted herb monopoly, Wu Yi's usefulness had expired, and it was likely he would once again be treated as a slave in the spirit mine.

Realizing that the time for escape had arrived, Wu Yi felt the weight of urgency. For years, he had been crafting plans to flee, but he still needed more time to perfect them. With no other choice, he would have to rely on what he had already prepared. Over the past two years, his safety had been partly due to the monitoring conducted by other factions in Hundred Man Town—an obstacle that also thwarted his attempts to leave.

As he lay in bed, his fingers moved restlessly. "It is time to escape. Success or failure will depend on my luck," he thought, his eyes shadowed with worry. Depending on luck—a fleeting, intangible force—did not sit well with him.

The next morning, Wu Yi awoke early and left the mansion. As usual, he felt the weight of watchful eyes on him. Supervisor Wu had assigned people to follow Wu Yi wherever he went, reporting every action to their employer. The surveillance had become a routine annoyance, but Wu Yi had learned to endure it.

Taking a horse from the stables, Wu Yi rode swiftly out of the town toward the spirit mine. Upon arriving, he entered the mine with the confidence of one who owned it. Since assuming responsibility for managing the mine, Wu Yi had cemented his reputation as a fearsome and ruthless leader. To gain control and exact revenge for his past suffering as a slave, he had ordered executions and brutal punishments that left the guards terrified of him. Those who crossed his path now bowed in submission, knowing that Wu Yi tolerated no defiance.

Under Wu Yi's management, the mine became a place of harsh discipline and structured reward. Slaves who met their daily quotas were allowed private rooms, fed well, and protected from harm. However, those who failed to meet expectations faced starvation and severe beatings, with repeated failures leading to execution. Wu Yi's reforms were pragmatic rather than compassionate; traumatized or deceased slaves were a waste of resources, so measures were taken to preserve their usefulness. He even offered freedom as a reward for those who met quotas consistently for three years—a motivator that drove slaves to work tirelessly.

Deep within the mine, Wu Yi arrived at an abandoned shaft sealed off with wooden planks. After retrieving a large sack hidden in a crevice, he pulled out a hammer and quickly dismantled the barrier, creating a sizable opening. Carrying the sack on his back, he entered the darkness and nailed the planks back in place behind him.

For hours, Wu Yi navigated the labyrinthine shaft—descending for two hours before ascending for another hour. At last, he reached a dead end. Setting the sack down, he retrieved a pitch-black pickaxe from within. The axe fit his hand perfectly, and Wu Yi couldn’t help but recall the day he had acquired it.

A year ago, Wu Yi had conducted one of his infamous inspections at the mine—events notorious for ending in bloodshed. During the inspection, he noticed a new slave, a fifteen-year-old boy named Li Chen. Despite his youth, Li Chen mined more spirit stones than all the other slaves combined. Wu Yi’s curiosity was piqued, especially since his rule dictated that any slave who mined 100,000 spirit stones in a year could earn their freedom. Li Chen seemed intent on achieving this goal in mere weeks.

Suspicious, Wu Yi secretly followed the boy one day and witnessed an astonishing sight. Li Chen used a small pickaxe that cut through stone effortlessly, as though slicing butter. Wu Yi immediately recognized the tool as a rare and powerful spirit artifact. He knew the axe could be his key to escaping Supervisor Wu's grip, but first, he had to claim it for himself.

Patiently waiting behind a boulder, Wu Yi ambushed Li Chen just as the boy completed his quota and prepared to hand over the spirit stones needed for freedom. An arrow pierced through Li Chen’s head, but to Wu Yi's shock, the boy remained alive. Furious eyes locked onto Wu Yi, who responded with a volley of five more arrows aimed at the boy's chest. Yet still, Li Chen did not die.

Unwavering, Wu Yi resolved to finish the job. He emptied his quiver, turning the boy into a human pincushion. Two arrows pierced Li Chen’s eyes, while others struck critical points to ensure maximum damage. Finally, the boy succumbed to his injuries, and Wu Yi claimed the axe—a tool that would soon decide his fate.