The incarnation of Xuan Weizi sat under the eaves, holding a bowl made of hard nut shells in his hand. There was a ball of yellow-green paste mixed with seed residue. It smelled a little sour, like a pile of rotten and expired ingredients.
Stew in one piece.
Under the same roof, there were dozens of indigenous slave workers, huddled in a narrow alley. The ground beneath them was wet and muddy from the rain. The cold breath invaded the body of each slave worker. The slave workers who lacked food and clothing were frozen.
My hands and feet were trembling, and I had difficulty swallowing the food that didn't have much residual heat.
Although the Great Plains ruled by Glanfaz have the Dogtooth Mountains that block the northern wind and snow, and the climate is mainly warm, hot and humid, there are still differences between spring, summer, autumn and winter. Especially the cold and rainy winter is enough to make many people live in poverty and lack of clothing.
The covered tribesmen froze to death.
Since the establishment of the Aboriginal Grand Alliance, led by the Ouroboros Tribe, many indigenous tribes have migrated to the Great Plains. In order to resist the attack of the Imperial Legion, Glanfaz needs to concentrate more manpower, whether as a source of troops for the battle or as an investment
Labor slave labor in all types of production.
In particular, many tribes located further south were forcibly relocated to the Great Plains by Glanfaz. The unsuitable climate environment and living habits caused the tribesmen to be infected with diseases, and many people died in droves.
Xuan Weizi and this group of returned slaves did not regain their freedom after returning to Glenfarz. Instead, they were taken to a large mine and worked directly as mining slaves, eating two meals a day.
A sour and fishy paste that is hard to swallow.
Xuan Weizi tasted it twice and had no intention of eating any more. Anyway, the body of the incarnation could already maintain its vitality by concentrating on it.
"Zari, don't you want to eat?" A slave worker nearby saw Xuan Weizi put the nut shell bowl aside and asked immediately.
"Here you go." Xuan Weizi gave himself a common indigenous name.
The slave worker next to him quickly picked up the nut shell bowl and wolfed it down. In a place like a mine, people often go hungry and have a full meal. There is no other reason. This is a way for the mine leader to manage everyone.
At this time, the mine leader arrived in a sedan chair carried by four people. He was holding a ceramic hand-warming incense burner and wearing a soft cashmere coat. Although there were multi-colored patterned belts hanging on the outside, Xuan Wei
The child could tell at a glance that the goods were from the Empire. Although Glanfaz was hostile to the Imperial Legion, it did not prevent the colonists from selling their goods to Glanfaz, but the price was definitely very expensive.
"Listen to me!" The leader of the mine stepped out of the sedan chair and looked at the slave workers, most of whom were still half-clothed, huddled together to keep each other warm in the cold and humid environment.
"We have the largest ocher mine in Glenfarz here. The Bloodkissed and Two-winged masters of the Ouroboros tribe consume no one knows how much they consume every day. Now that there is a war in the north, they all rely on the ocher mine we dug out.
Come support the war!"
When a group of slave workers heard this, their numb faces showed no expression. They were enslaved by plantation owners in the Black Rock Province, and their ears had already become calluses from hearing similar words.
The leader of the mine seemed to have anticipated this situation. He waved to the back, and two guards came over carrying a large pot. The leader of the mine stirred with a large spoon and produced a bone stick covered with meat pieces. Hot mist billowed.
Constantly churning in the cold environment, with the aroma of meat stewing, it penetrated into the noses of the surrounding slave workers, as if using a fish bait hook and line to pull their mouths and noses, almost every slave worker instinctively stretched their necks.
Eyes wide open.
"Are you hungry? This pot of meat hasn't been stewed until it's done. It's going to take a long time." As if his conspiracy had succeeded, the leader of the mine waved his hands to take the big pot away, and then said to the slave workers: "I plan to divide you into two groups.
, no matter day or night, dig out more ore for me! Whichever batch digs out more ore will get a pot of meat that day. As for the other batch, let others eat it.
Okay, have you rested enough? Hurry up and move for me. If there are some sneaky guys, you don’t need me to whip them. You can push the lazy guys out yourself, and I will reward you!"
Watching the mine boss get on the sedan and leave, Xuan Weizi chuckled and shook his head. I have to say that this trick is very effective. For the slave workers in the mine who can't even eat enough, just give them some bait and use some tricks.
Division and instigation prevent slave workers from uniting and will naturally work hard for the benefit of their own small group. As for how much of this pot of meat ends up in the bowls of the slave workers, only God knows.
Xuan Weizi followed the other slave workers and was assigned to one of the groups under the command of the mine guards. He took the tools and went to work in the mine. Of course Xuan Weizi himself would not waste time on such a thing, so he threw down the shovel and left.
When digging a pit, there is no need to worry about the mine guards. Most of them cannot even detect the magic fluctuations, let alone see through Xuan Weizi's invisibility.
Xuan Weizi has already figured out the situation of this ocher mine. Although the mine is very large and has an excavation site full of pits, there are not many guards. Perhaps because it is not close to the border, there is no danger.
Yan. In addition to the needs of the frontline war, all the strong soldiers were transferred away, leaving only some guys who were not useful.
Although ocher is a mineral that looks ordinary and is not as luxurious and eye-catching as gemstones, it has many uses. It can be made into paint and used to depict magic circles and scrolls. It is also a raw material component of some alchemical potions.
A mineral that both mages and alchemists consume in large quantities.
Ocher is abundantly produced in Glanfalz, and after the signing of the armistice contract, it is one of the few raw materials that can be openly exported to the colonies.
Although Glanfaz fought fiercely with the Imperial Legion in the past, there was not a lot of business exchanges between the two sides. In the past, it was mainly smuggling. The smugglers sold glass equipment, metal weapons and armor from the colonists to Glanfaz.
They even sell various magic items made by mages. On the contrary, smugglers also transport a large amount of raw materials such as gems, minerals and animal skins from Glanfaz.
However, when it comes to doing business, the natives lack some brains after all. The income from selling raw materials and finished products is destined to be unbalanced. Especially in terms of the ability to make magic items, Glenfaz's spirit messengers are very behind.
The blood-kissed priests of the Snake Tribe have had a huge demand for magic items in recent years.
However, in the armistice agreement between the two parties, magic items were strictly prohibited from being sold to Granfaz. And with a ban, there are naturally violators. Smuggling has become increasingly rampant recently, and has even led to theft.
"...Yes, that's right. I have two thousand pounds of rough-processed ocher here. I hope to exchange it for a 'Health Amulet', a pair of 'Levitating Boots', three 'Magic Missile' wands and a 'Any Door' scroll
…”
In the two-story building next to the mine, the sound of the mine leader talking to himself in front of a mirror could be heard faintly. Xuan Weizi floated by the window and eavesdropped. For safety, the mine leader moved the guards away.
, so as not to have his secrets eavesdropped. Unfortunately, he did not have a "mage's secret room", so Xuan Weizi could easily spy on the actions of the mine leader.
"Don't trade in the Horseshoe Bay area! There are border cavalry patrolling there, specializing in checking smuggling. Once they are discovered, it will be a dead end. Several heads have been nailed to wooden stakes for public display!" The leader of the mine was quite nervous.
He muttered towards the mirror and communicated with the person on the other side of the mirror about the meeting.
Xuan Weizi did not go in to interrupt the conversation, but he also found that the communication mirror itself did not make any sound. It is estimated that the conversation message was directly transmitted to the ears of the mine leader, indicating that the person opposite was an experienced smuggler, and the anti-detection method was used.
Very thorough.
After the leader of the mine finished talking, he covered the communication mirror with a piece of cloth sweating all over his head. Xuan Weizi turned over directly and entered the room. Without any nonsense, he used a "control technique" to immobilize the leader of the mine. He waved his hand and revealed Biyun Ruyi.
The tentacle stretched out from the void and touched the leader's brow. Silver light trickled, and the "mind probe" directly searched the memory.
Xuan Weizi opened the cloth and revealed the communication mirror. From the outside, it was just an oval mirror placed on a wooden frame, without any magical aura.
"Have even the fluctuations of spiritual light been blocked?" The incarnation does not have the ability to sense souls like the original one, so he can only make guesses based on his own judgment. He is about to rely on the memory of the mine leader to try to activate this communication mirror to test the smuggling behind the scenes.
Dealer, get more information.
However, an inexplicable moist breath accompanied by a strong water element suddenly enveloped the surroundings of the building. Xuan Weizi immediately noticed the abnormality and took back Biyun Ruyi, using an "astral form" to turn his whole body into a translucent astral body, and
It became more and more transparent and colorless, like a viscous liquid that got into the cracks in the wall.
The leader of the mine suddenly woke up and had no idea that Xuan Weizi had been here. But before he noticed anything strange, a voice full of frivolous attitude came from downstairs: "Hey! It's not in broad daylight.
Why are you hiding in the house while inspecting the mine? Hmm~ Is this scent made from desert reed roots? You really know how to enjoy it!"
With a brisk pace, the visitor opened the door in a familiar manner, and what appeared in front of the mine leader was a tall young man with rare blue hair, tied into thick braids and roughly pulled back.
On the back of the head, the end of the braid is adorned with exquisite gemstones and gold ornaments. The man's muscular upper body is still bare in the cold weather, and his lower body is wrapped in a floral skirt. It is a common costume of the indigenous people, but it is full of luxury.
, the details of every move and gesture are not as random and barbaric as those of ordinary natives.
"Prince Liushui!" The mine leader was so frightened that he almost bit his tongue and said quickly: "I just came back from an inspection and am preparing to sort out the account books."
"Heh, compared to your stumbling predecessor, you dealt with it quite quickly, didn't you?" Prince Liushui suddenly frowned, as if he had noticed something, and raised his hand to touch the wall of the room with suspicion, his fingertips passing through the ups and downs.
Looking at the uneven stone tiles, my eyes wandered and I happened to see the communication mirror on the table.
Only then did the mine leader realize that the communication mirror he had covered with cloth had been lifted open for some unknown reason. Prince Liushui stared at the mirror curiously, causing the mine leader to break out in a cold sweat.
"Prince Liushui, these are the account books of the recent mine. Please take a look at them!" The leader of the mine had an idea and quickly picked up a stack of papyrus and handed it to the blue-haired young man.
Prince Liushui took the account book and looked through it a few times, then said nonchalantly: "Smuggling has been serious on the border recently. Do you know what's going on?"
"Smuggling? Oh! No, no, no, this has nothing to do with me!" the mine leader said repeatedly.
"Did I say it has something to do with you?" Prince Liushui raised his head and showed a cunning expression: "Or do you know something?"
"I, I..." the mine leader gritted his teeth: "Prince Liushui, I want to report it!"
"oh?"
"In the Changhu Fishing Ground in the northwest, the leader there smuggles the cooked fish oil to the Imperial Man!" The leader of the mine looked furious: "You should know that the special fish oil is what the Bloodkissed adults want when they offer sacrifices.
He actually sold the sacrificial supplies to the imperial guys for personal gain, which is a crime of blasphemy against the spirit of Taichu!"
Hearing the leader of the mine yelling at the top of his lungs, Prince Liushui showed a vague smile and patted the other party on the shoulder: "If it has something to do with the sacrifice, then I really have to investigate it carefully, but don't relax here.
Ocher ore is one of the few products we can export. In order to develop Glanfaz, you have to put more thought into it... I have seen the ocher registered in the account book, and the quantity is not satisfactory."
"Prince Liushui means..."
"On my way here just now, I found that the slave workers in the mine were not working hard enough. Don't forget that you still have a whip in your hand. A lazy animal needs a lot of whipping." Prince Liushui pressed the shoulder of the mine leader and kneaded it.
Said: "Also, don't let me find out that you are engaging in private corruption and smuggling. Otherwise, haha, you know exactly what happened to your predecessor."
After saying this, Prince Liushui turned into a ball of moist mist and floated out of the window.
The leader of the mine waited for the fog to dissipate, then he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground. He looked up and saw the communication mirror, and quickly went up to cover it with a cloth, thinking about what happened.
"Damn Blue-Haired Monkey, my niece has betrayed Glenfaz. If it weren't for the support of the Son of the Holy Scale, she would have long..."
"What's early?"
The leader of the mine was talking to himself there, and suddenly the voice of Prince Liushui came from behind him again. He was no longer frivolous, his face was gloomy, and an ice pick gradually formed in his hand.
"Uh--" The mine leader had no time to defend himself. Prince Liushui, who had left and returned, stretched out his arms strangely, like liquid, and pinched the mine leader's neck. He heard him roar like waves: "Who?
Tell you that the god-born betrayed Granfaz? Who?!"
"I, I also heard the rumor at the leader's party. Everyone said so. Prince Liushui, I was wrong. I shouldn't have talked nonsense and ruined the reputation of you and your family!" The leader of the mine was so frightened that he urinated incontinently.
The ground was dripping warm on the spot.
"Hmph!" Prince Liushui swung his water-whip-shaped arm, threw the mine leader against the wall, and said cruelly: "If you let me hear such words again, your whole family will be sent to be sacrificed!"
Prince Liushui turned into mist and floated away again. This time, after more than ten minutes had passed, and after confirming that there was no other movement, the leader of the mine got up, covered the big bump on his head, and left the room in panic.
After a while, a group of transparent liquid slowly seeped out from the gap in the wall, reappearing the changed appearance of Xuan Weizi, revealing a scheming expression.