“Well! Tell me about the situation of the ore vein…”
Wu Ming strode into the steward’s room with great confidence, picked up a teacup, and slowly took a sip.
“As you command!”
Dongfang Tong pondered for a moment before saying, “This mine was discovered ten years ago and is an excellent ore vein. There are three hundred enslaved workers, thirty guards, and four soldier-ranked Spirit Taming Masters stationed here. The miners work eight hours a day and can produce twenty units of high-grade green jade…”
It seemed that due to the Lava Tyrant’s slumber, the area around Boulder City was rich in ore resources.
This green jade vein was of excellent quality, and its core had even produced supreme-grade green jade.
“So, how much did the previous guardian elder take from here?”
Wu Ming got straight to the point.
Without such benefits, those elders wouldn’t bother guarding this place unless they had nothing better to do.
And now, this was the benefit he had fought hard for, the reward for his principled stand and timely retreat.
“He could take half!”
Dongfang Tong gritted his teeth before replying.
“Hmm… Let’s not talk about my share for now. There should be a batch of supreme-grade green jade stored in the treasury. Bring it to me first!”
Wu Ming waved his hand imperiously.
“This… I’m afraid it’s against the rules!”
Dongfang Tong’s forehead immediately broke out in sweat.
“I am an elder, and I say what goes. If the end-of-month evaluation doesn’t go well, it’s my problem with the Elders’ Hall, not yours!”
Wu Ming wasn’t really planning to spend the rest of his life in the Dongfang family, so naturally he wouldn’t take this assignment too seriously. As for Dongfang Ying? That person still wanted to appease him, so these matters would certainly be overlooked.
“Understood… understood!”
Dongfang Tong was practically sweating buckets, trembling as he brought over a small box.
When it was opened, inside were pieces of green jade the size of thumbs, their insides shimmering with colorful light. Just approaching slightly, one could feel a chill that refreshed the heart and mind.
“Indeed, supreme-grade green jade!”
Wu Ming smiled, and then he heard Dongfang Tong speak again: “Reporting to the elder, the green jade wolf packs near the ore vein have been rather restless lately… Should we organize a campaign against them?”
Green Jade Wolves!
These were elite-type spirit beasts, powerful creatures. The leader of a wolf pack was certainly at the Warlord level!
The Green Jade ore vein was isolated outside the city, and its ore was the favorite of the Green Jade wolves. The wolf infestation near the ore vein was severe, even attracting specialized Spirit Taming Masters who risked everything to steal materials.
Otherwise, the Dongfang family wouldn’t have specially assigned a General-level Spirit Taming Master to guard this place.
Wu Ming’s expression changed slightly, and after further inquiry, he learned that the situation was indeed quite dire, with two new packs of Green Jade wolves recently migrating to the area.
For the Green Jade wolves, this jade not only enhanced their strength but was also essential for breeding, making the conflict with the Dongfang family irreconcilable.
“No wonder Dongfang Ying agreed so readily before… There was this waiting for me. He wants me to be his blade, huh?”
Wu Ming secretly sneered inwardly, though he also understood that even if he were assigned another post, the nature of it would likely be similar.
After all, he was a newcomer who needed “extra training.”
“Especially… I suspect many in the Elders’ Hall of the family are suspicious of me hiding things, aren’t they?”
Wu Ming was genuinely annoyed by those in power who thought they could manipulate subordinates at will: “The wolf packs are just one aspect… Who knows what else is coming… But since I’m here to infiltrate, I’ll just play along for now…”
He stood up and suddenly issued orders: “Raise the mine’s alert status to the highest level! Hou Yong! Zuo Linling! You’ll stay next to me and remain vigilant at all times!”
“As you command!”
Both of them bowed in agreement.
…
At night.
On a hill not far from the mine pit, two groups of figures suddenly appeared.
“So it’s true… Even the Tanshijia can’t stay still anymore, huh?”
The leader of a group of black-clothed figures said, “You also received that intelligence?”
“Correct!”
A spirit tamer from the Tanshijia removed his mask, revealing a sinister and hardened face: “But now… Remember this, forget your own names! We are all wandering swordsmen, understand?”
“Hehe… Just like we erased Dongfang Yingxiong back then, of course we know…”
The leader of the Wuma family’s spirit tamers coldly laughed: “Our people have already gone to drive and provoke the Green Jade wolf packs, which should be enough to cause them some trouble…”
“Sigh… Never thought the Dongfang family would produce such talents one after another. Is it really the will of heaven that we two families should fall behind?”
The spirit tamer from the Tanshijia sighed, his eyes suddenly blazing with intensity: “Even so, we will defy fate! As long as we obtain that Silver-race spirit beast’s pup, our Tanshijia will certainly be able to cultivate a King-rank spirit tamer…”
“Cough… cough…”
Beside him, a spirit tamer from the Wuma family coughed violently.
“Of course… That original Lava Tyrant will naturally belong to your Wuma family!”
Seeing this, the Tanshijia spirit tamer immediately reiterated the previous terms, which finally made the other party’s expression improve slightly.
…
“The Divine Fortune Star… predicting my chances of success this time…”
Beside the ore vein, inside a small building, Wu Ming summoned the Divine Fortune Star and mentally asked it.
The Divine Fortune Star’s dark golden mist surged, suddenly emitting starlight. The white mask turned toward Wu Ming, letting out a cheerful laugh.
“Good! Having this spirit beast is like carrying a personal astrologer!”
Wu Ming was extremely satisfied with the Divine Fortune Star’s abilities. Although the results it provided were very brief, they were an excellent reference for someone whose future was shrouded in uncertainty.
After putting the spirit beast away, he turned to look at Xie Lang beside him.
“Aowww!”
At this moment, Xie Lang was busily devouring, gobbling down both supreme-grade green jade and Emperor Beast Bone Beads one after another. His spiritual energy was layering up, and the green glow in his eyes was expanding.
“Aowww! Aowww!”
Suddenly, howls arose from all directions around the ore vein, sending chills down the spine.
“Bad news! Bad news!”
Dongfang Tong came tumbling in, out of breath: “The Green Jade wolf packs are surging in… and the miners are rioting!”
“So it’s finally come, huh?”
Wu Ming caressed Xie Lang’s forehead and suddenly leapt onto his back, reaching the highest point of the ore vein.
“Dongfang family spirit tamers, quickly go to suppress the rebellion. Hou Yong, Zuo Linling, just take care of yourselves!”
As he reached the entrance of the ore vein, he suddenly saw in the moonlight that packs of wolves were rapidly approaching.
These wolf beasts were entirely green, shimmering with an unusual glow under the moonlight, like the finest jade. They were the elite Green Jade wolves.
“Xie Lang, attack!”
Wu Ming shouted: “The narrow terrain at the mine entrance is perfect for an ambush! You want to break through, right? Without a bloody battle to refine and purify all that energy you’ve absorbed, when else will you do it?”
“Aowww!”
In an instant, Xie Lang transformed into a black shadow, lunging forward and tearing with his claws and teeth.
Slicing through!
Blood splattered as a Green Jade wolf was split in two. Xie Lang roared and lunged again, biting off another wolf’s head.
“It’s Xie Lang! So it’s really Dongfang Suoming!”
The two groups hiding nearby both lit up with excitement: “Get ready the wire spiders, net bugs, and deploy flying spirit beasts for the ambush!”
“His spirit beast is an Iron-winged Golden Eagle, at the beginning of the Warlord stage. Be careful!”
Clearly, Wu Ming’s intelligence had been severely compromised, and the incoming spirit tamers were all well-prepared.
“Ha ha… Don’t worry. This time I specially brought one of our clan’s flying warriors. That brat won’t escape this time!”
The leader of the Tan family’s spirit tamers sneered coldly: “Mingmie, how are you feeling? Got confidence?”
“Of course… I’ve long wanted to meet Dongfang family’s genius!”
A young man with a hooked nose, looking no older than thirty, stepped forward with a sly smile: “My Iron Feathered Hawk is in no way inferior to an Iron Winged Golden Eagle!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
However, just as the words fell, a voice sounded from behind Mingmie.
Peng!
Then came a burst of blood as the young man collapsed without even summoning his spirit beast.
“It’s you! Dongfang Suoming!”
Seeing Wu Ming materialize from the void, the leaders of the two families’ spirit tamers both had their pupils contract to pinpricks.
“That’s right! It’s me indeed! Since you’ve all come, why leave so soon?”
Wu Ming smiled brightly, like a friendly neighborhood boy, then suddenly clapped his hands, unleashing a howling palm wind: “Empty Palm Strike!”
Peng peng!
With two loud bangs, two more spirit tamers flew like broken sacks, spurting blood all the way.
“Quick! Kill him!”
The spirit tamers from both sides shouted, and amidst the flashing of numerous contracts, attacks such as wind blades, golden spikes, and even claws and fangs rapidly surged toward Wu Ming.
“Hehe…”
Wu Ming coldly smiled, his figure suddenly disappearing.
Boom! Boom!
The earth layers flew, helplessly turned over, clearly showing that the previous attacks had missed their mark.
“What kind of spirit beast ability is this… Is it phasing?”
A spirit tamer from the Wuma family screamed: “We’ve been tricked! This is… a trap!”
Crack!
As soon as he finished speaking, a fist suddenly appeared in front of him from the void.
Peng!
He flew backward, his forehead completely shattered, and his breath immediately ceased.
“This… this… this…”
The spirit tamers from both families quickly moved closer, standing back to back, watching Wu Ming constantly appearing from the darkness, stepping with elegant strides, but each time he appeared, he took the life of a spirit tamer, their eyes practically popping out in rage: “Beast!”
“Ha! Steel Body!”
“Wood Element Enhancement!”
Spirit tamers without protection or who underestimated their own importance were dying one after another, until finally only these two spirit tamers remained.
One transformed into steel, the other into a wooden figure, with vines spreading all over, yet they still couldn’t detect the slightest trace of Wu Ming.
“It’s useless. Our defense is superior, you absolutely cannot kill us!”
The two spirit tamers, already in a frenzied state, roared.
“Fools!”
But the reply was Wu Ming suddenly appearing with a claw.
“Beast Fusion! Ancient Martial Arts Boost, die for me!!!”
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