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墨書 Inktalez
As a Craftsman, Li Deqian generally would not come to the mining area to supervise. However, Xu Zhen insisted on coming, and he had no choice. Once they entered the dusty and foggy mining area, Li Deqian became excited. He often went out searching for veins himself and was familiar with the mining area.
Xu Zhen had only been to diamond mines in Africa in the present world. However, diamond extraction and sorting are vastly different from ordinary mineral deposits. Although the Tang Dynasty's mining technology was already quite advanced, it was still several levels below modern standards. Therefore, Xu Zhenxin felt somewhat pressured and hesitated for a long time before heading toward the mine pit.
The leader of the mining area's Commander was a Captain named Chen Wang in his thirties, who had a good relationship with Li Deqian. Hearing that Xu Zhen was merely visiting, he felt somewhat dismissive. However, after Li Deqian whispered something to him, Captain Chen became respectful, and even his gaze toward Xu Zhenxin became much more courteous.
Xu Zhen couldn't be bothered with such matters; she was only there to look for Pyrite and did not particularly like the smooth-talking Captain. Her words were rather unremarkable, and Chen Wang did not mind. The men of this camp were scattered throughout various corners of the mining area, supervising the Miner Slaves to prevent riots.
Chen Wang had always wanted to climb up the ladder by associating with Li Deqian, so he enthusiastically led the way personally and thoughtfully ordered someone to bring clean wet cloths. Everyone covered their mouths and noses before entering the mine.
The tunnels were filled with constant movement, with Miner Slaves coming and going to transport water buckets used to suppress dust. Otherwise, the torches inside the tunnels could ignite the dust, leading to unimaginable consequences. This was a practical experience earned by the laboring masses at the cost of their lives, which evoked both admiration and a sense of helpless bitterness.
Inside the entire mine, the Miner Slaves looked like walking corpses—barely clothed and emaciated—treated like livestock. The Commander behind them occasionally lashed out with a whip on their backs and faces, making it hard to watch.
Caesar, who had been silent all along, coldly muttered under his breath: "Hypocritical Tang People!"
Li Deqian's expression turned awkward, and he dared not say much. Xu Zhen noticed a peculiar individual in the northwest corner. This person was neatly dressed with a healthy complexion and abundant energy. Although wearing military attire, he was methodically directing a small group of miners, forming an efficient little team.
This small team's spirit was commendable; they did not resemble other Miner Slaves who were devoid of vitality. Even the Commander treated this person politely.
Chen Wang was an experienced Veteran who could read situations well. Knowing that this small Captain had a good relationship with Li Deqian, he pretended to casually introduce him when he saw Xu Zhen's interested gaze: "This person's name is Zhang Jiunian; he can be considered an old-timer in the mining area. He has a good temperament, is knowledgeable, values loyalty, and is physically capable. Therefore, he acts as a foreman; it's a way to make full use of resources."
Xu Zhen frowned at this description. Chen Wang was not an illiterate fool; using "make full use of resources" to describe Zhang Jiunian instead of "make full use of people's talents" showed that he did not regard these Miner Slaves as human beings. Xu Zhen's impression of him worsened further.
Li Deqian was somewhat surprised upon hearing this name and turned to ask: "Is Zhang Jiunian the chief retainer of Zhang Yungu?"
Chen Wang caught Li Deqian's attention and nodded with some pride, saying, "Indeed, he is the chief of the Zhang Family!"
Xu Zhen felt that the name Zhang Yungu sounded somewhat familiar, but since he was not from a historical background, he could not be well-acquainted with too many details. Fortunately, Li Deqian was sharp and whispered in his ear, "This Zhang Yungu is quite a character. He started from the Youzhou Governor's Office as a clerk and went straight to the Central Secretariat. When the Sage ascended to the throne, he wrote the Great Treasure Inscription as a satire. The Sage appreciated it, rewarded him with silk, and gave him the title of Deputy of Dali."
"Given such prestige, how did the chief vassal end up as a Miner Slave?" Xu Zhen asked with great interest.
"At that time, there was Li Xiaode from Hanoi People, who used slander to sway public opinion. Zhang Shicheng was imprisoned and claimed that his madness was not suitable for punishment. However, Imperial Historian Yu Shiquan Wanjin investigated the situation and, in a fit of Saint's Fury, ordered the execution of the temple deputy at Eastern Market. Naturally, his family was implicated and exiled here to serve as slaves..."
Li Deqian, being the eldest son of Li Jing, was naturally familiar with tales from the court. His words drew much praise from Chen Wang; however, Xu Zhen's attention was entirely focused on Zhang Jiunian. This person was not simple at all...
The Commander saw Captain personally entering the mine and hurried over to greet him. Xu Zhen took out a pyrite stone the size of a pigeon egg from her pocket. The Commander frowned in thought and called over Zhang Jiunian.
Zhang Jiunian was in his prime, tall and robust, exuding an aura of a martial arts master. Even after years of living as a Miner Slave, he had not been dulled by his circumstances. Upon seeing the pyrite, he secretly glanced at Xu Zhen before lowering his head to report that there indeed was a small vein of such ore deep within the mining area.
Xu Zhen was overjoyed upon hearing this and was about to instruct Zhang Jiunian to lead people to mine when suddenly a Soldier stumbled into the cave from outside, shouting loudly, "Urgent report! Urgent report! Captain Chen! The Tuguhun Achai have launched a surprise attack on our barracks; they have already charged in!"
The Soldier was covered in blood, with a feathered arrow lodged in his shoulder. Chen Wang's expression turned grim; revealing military information in public could incite a riot among these Miner Slaves, putting the entire camp at risk!
Li Deqian also broke into a cold sweat. At this moment, they were deep within the mine; if their camp above ground was occupied by enemies, they would be trapped like fish in a barrel with no chance of escape!
Xu Zhen cursed inwardly and quietly surveyed their surroundings. The Miner Slaves continued their work in a daze, but Zhang Jiunian's small team had slowed down their tasks. When Xu Zhen looked up, she happened to make eye contact with Zhang Jiunian, who surprisingly wore a faint smile!
"This is bad... Stay close to me..."
Xu Zhen vaguely sensed something and quietly tugged at Li Deqian, whispering in his ear. The latter's face turned pale as he silently moved behind Xu Zhen.
The soldier who had delivered the message thought he had done well, only to be slapped to the ground by Captain, who roared like a lion, "These barbaric Ah Chai only know how to herd sheep. What are you afraid of? Get out of here! Don't let anyone die trapped in here!"
With a command from Chen Wang, the Commanders cracked their whips, starting to drive the Miner Slaves up to the surface. This not only prevented a riot but also pushed these lowly Miner Slaves to the front lines as cannon fodder, a strategy that served two purposes.
The Miner Slaves, already terrified from being beaten by the Commanders, quickly gathered and obediently moved like sheep toward the mine's exit. Meanwhile, Zhang Jiunian blended into the crowd with his small team, intentionally lagging behind a bit.
Xu Zhen squeezed Caesar's palm; he was an assassin dancing on the edge of a blade, fully aware of the bloodshed within the mine.
Halfway through, more than ten bloodied soldiers rushed in, claiming that the attackers were from the Murong Clan of the Tuguhun. Their numbers were unknown, and they seemed intent on flattening the entire mining camp!
Chen Wang was greatly alarmed, and the Commanders drew their swords. The Miner Slaves finally realized their fate; staying in the mine might allow them to survive a little longer, but once driven to the surface, they would face the ruthless Ah Chai of the Tuguhun!
Xu Zhen had been deliberately lagging behind, secretly watching Zhang Jiunian and his group. As expected, while Chen Wang and the Commanders were driving away the Miner Slaves, Zhang Jiunian took advantage of the chaos to slip into a side tunnel with his team!
"Follow me if you want to live!"
Without hesitation, Xu Zhen said to Li Deqian. He had long regarded her as his anchor. Given the chaotic situation, even if they made it to the surface, they would only have to fight against the Murong Clan's Ah Chai. Hearing her call, he quickly followed.
From Zhang Jiunian's gaze, Xu Zhen saw unwillingness, endurance, and wisdom. Her intuition told her that someone like Zhang Jiunian would never let himself and his brothers die in this mine or fall victim to a Commander's whip!
In fact, this was true. For this escape plan, Zhang Jiunian had endured for so long and had secretly dug a hidden path. Even if there hadn't been an attack from the Tu Gu Hun Murong Clan, he would eventually lead his brothers out of here!
The last few Commanders were constantly urging the Miner Slaves to move forward. The mine was dimly lit and chaotic, making it the perfect opportunity for Zhang Jiunian's pre-planned escape!
One by one, the brothers slipped into the secret passage. He stayed behind to count heads—twelve in total, neither more nor less. They were all skilled martial artists who had followed Zhang Yungu back in the day. After enduring years of servitude, hardship, and disease, those who survived were all elites.
Just as Zhang Jiunian was about to move the Sealing Stone to block the entrance of the passage as planned, a face appeared through the gap behind the Sealing Stone!
"Let me in, or no one gets out!"
The Xu Zhen had a stern expression, her hand lightly resting on the knife belt at her waist. Instinctively, Zhang Jiunian reached for an Obsidian Blade made of obsidian with his right hand. However, hearing the shouts of the Commanders echoing in the mine, he gritted his teeth and ultimately allowed the Xu Zhen and her two companions to enter.
"Boom!"
With all his strength, Zhang Jiunian finally covered the entrance with the Sealing Stone. Meanwhile, the brothers inside the passage lit their pre-prepared torches just in time. The passage was very narrow, barely half a person’s height, but it wouldn’t be difficult to eliminate the Xu Zhen and her companions to silence them.
These retainers of the Zhang Family came from the martial arts world; each one was a brave man accustomed to danger. To have survived three to five years in the mining area without losing strength showed how robust their physiques were.
They had conspired for this escape for a long time; digging the tunnel alone took three years. To avoid detection by the Commanders, they could only send one person at a time to dig. The excavated soil was then distributed among others to be scattered in different corners of the mine, making their actions undetectable.
However, just as they were about to take advantage of the chaos to escape, they were confronted by the three from Xu Zhen. These three could make Captain Chen Wang treat them with respect and lead them willingly, indicating their significant status within the military. With such individuals around, how could Zhang Jiunian and his brothers feel safe escaping?
Yet now, this young master could see through their painstakingly crafted plan developed over many years and managed to follow them here, proving that he was not someone to be underestimated.
The brothers drew their weapons; although most were rough tools sharpened from stones, each of them was skilled and numerous. Li Deqian turned pale and gasped in shock: "You dare to escape punishment!"
Upon hearing this, he suddenly realized that under the current circumstances, the three of them were like sheep entering a tiger's den. He quickly covered his mouth, his eyes filled with horror.
However, the Xu Zhen remained remarkably calm, staring intently at Zhang Jiunian, knowing that Zhang Jiunian was the one in charge.
"The outside is chaotic and dangerous. Even if you manage to escape through this secret passage, how will you evade capture once you reach the surface?" Xu Zhen asked in a deep voice, making it seem as though he was not a Captain but rather a prisoner trying to escape like them.
Zhang Jiunian had a man behind him tightly gripping an Obsidian Blade, his eyes revealing a fierce light as he chuckled, "I didn't know how to get away before, but now I do. With you as our hostage, why would we worry about not being able to leave?"
Their plan had only progressed to the point of digging the secret passage; they had not yet prepared for the next steps. However, with the Murong Clan launching a surprise attack, it was clearly the best opportunity. They didn't know how long they would have to wait for another chance, and just when they were worried about not having anyone outside to assist them, Xu Zhen had come right to them.
But Zhang Jiunian could tell from Xu Zhen's gaze that he was not the kind of fool who would willingly walk into death. Sure enough, Xu Zhen snorted coldly and said, "You think too highly of me, Xu. Not to mention I'm just a small Captain; even if you captured Chen Wang, the soldiers in the army might not let you go."
Hearing this from Xu Zhen made the man understand the situation better, and his expression dimmed. Zhang Jiunian pressed down on the man's Obsidian Blade and asked Xu Zhen seriously, "Does Commander Xu have any brilliant escape plans?"
Xu Zhen chuckled and grabbed Li Deqian's shoulder, pushing him forward while smiling at Zhang Jiunian. "This is Li Deqian; he holds the rank of Craftsman. As a hostage, he carries significant weight. If that's not enough, his father is Duke of Wei Li Jing. I wonder if you dare to act against us!"
The secret passage fell silent instantly. Li Deqian looked back at Xu Zhen in disbelief; he could hardly imagine that Xu Zhen would sell him out. Meanwhile, sweat dripped from Zhang Jiunian's forehead as he looked at Xu Zhen's sly smile and felt an unsettling chill despite the heat of the passage.
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