Chapter 97

Walking down the steel staircase to the bottom of the Jinghuo Mine, it took almost half a day just to traverse this path. The mine guards deliberately slowed their pace, allowing the slaves to fully experience the depth of the mine, feeling the despair and fear.

Finally, the slave group passed through layers of dust and mist, arriving at the very bottom of the mine. The world before them was shrouded in a thick fog, with rolling clouds and flames, making it impossible to distinguish day from night. The outlines of the undulating mountains could be faintly seen.

The entire mine stretched as far as the eye could see, filled with slaves wielding iron hammers. Some gathered on the flat ground, some clung to the mountainside, and others moved in groups, transporting ore. They were densely packed, numbering in the tens of thousands!

The air was filled with the deafening sounds of hammering, angry roars, and piercing screams.

The grand and magnificent scene was a blood-soaked, tragic beauty.

This Jinghuo Mine was rich in iron ore, which contained natural fire elements, making it the best quality for forging weapons. Due to the intense concentration of fire energy here, occasionally, crystals with concentrated fire energy could be dug up from the ground!

These crystals were invaluable, the most precious treasures in the mine!

If a slave managed to dig up a fire crystal, they could earn a five-day rest. If the fire crystal was large enough, they might even have the chance to indulge in the 'barracks' once!

This temptation was unimaginably powerful for slaves who labored daily without hope.

"You five, from now on, this room will be your resting place. You have half a day to rest, then you start working. From now on, you will work together as a team, completing the assigned tasks on time and in full. Only then will you get food and rest. If you fail, you continue working!" A burly man rudely pushed them into the slave quarters, snorted in disgust, and left.

Tang Yan, Du Yang, Xu Yan, and two other men were assigned to a dilapidated tile house in the slave residential area. Inside, five simple wooden beds were lined up, covered with thin mattresses that emitted a strong musty odor.

Xu Yan walked directly to the bed in the corner and put on the black prison uniform.

"Why aren't you changing?" Tang Yan was a bit puzzled. Their clothes were dirty and smelly, and Lin Yan's clothes were even stained with blood, which should be replaced immediately.

Xu Yan remained silent, sitting in the corner with his eyes closed, resting.

Tang Yan shrugged, said nothing more, and changed into the prison uniform.

The other two men noticed the black girl hanging from Tang Yan's body and exchanged glances, but said nothing. The black girl was unusually well-behaved, clinging to him like a koala, not making a sound or moving, just curiously observing the surroundings.

The five of them divided the beds, all exhausted, both mentally and physically. No one spoke, just sitting quietly, lost in their own thoughts.

In the surface town, a magnificent palace stood proudly in the center of the city, with golden tiles, silver eaves, and crystal decorations. Red flowers adorned the inside and outside, making it a vast and luxurious palace, a treasure worth a fortune, and a famous 'boudoir' in the empire.

In the depths of the palace, in a luxurious bedroom, red silk curtains floated, and a large rhinoceros white jade bed was covered with thick golden cicada quilts. A seductive woman lay on her side, her fair arms and legs visible through the silk, her long red hair cascading like a waterfall, her skin as smooth as jade.

She was a woman of extreme beauty, whose smile could captivate a city, and whose presence could enchant a nation.

Half asleep, she pursed her lips, exuding a breathtaking charm.

A dozen beautiful female slaves attended her, gently fanning and adjusting the perfumes. They were all young and beautiful, but in her presence, they seemed ordinary.

Nia, the younger sister of the head of the Rao family, one of the six super families of the Delos Empire, was responsible for the operation of the Jinghuo Mine. She wielded immense power in the empire and her family, and was a fearsome Martial King. More importantly, her beauty was known throughout the Delos Empire, with countless heroes and warriors infatuated with her, and many powerful figures willing to protect her. It was said that even the emperor of the empire had once been captivated by her.

"Knock, knock!"

A gentle knocking sound came from outside, cautious not to disturb the mistress inside.

A female slave quickly walked over and gently opened the luxurious door.

The red-robed, golden-armored warrior who had taken Tang Yan's ancient war knife stood outside: "Please inform the mistress that the head of the family has arrived and is waiting in the hall for an important discussion."

The female slave looked outside and whispered, "The mistress is resting."

"I know the mistress is tired from the long journey, but the head of the family's visit must be for something important."

"Who has come?" Nia opened her lips, her voice soft and seductive, with an unusual charm.

"The head of the family, accompanied by two elders, says there is an important matter to discuss," the red-robed, golden-armored warrior replied respectfully.

"I will wait for him here." Nia, as soft as silk, leaned back on the bed with the help of her attendants.

"This... Yes!" The red-robed, golden-armored warrior quickly retreated.

After a moment, a heroic middle-aged man strode in, his face as handsome as a jade crown, his eyes as bright as stars, his red cloak fluttering in the wind, exuding a charm that could captivate thousands of young women.

Behind the middle-aged man, a large group of warriors entered the palace, and the golden-armored guards around them knelt, bowing respectfully and shouting, "Lord!"

The middle-aged man came to the bedroom door, frowned slightly, hesitated, but finally stepped inside. Most of the people behind him stopped, only two elders and the red-robed, golden-armored warrior followed, lowering their eyes.

"Isaac, why have you come?" Nia gently swayed her wine glass, sipping the crimson liquor to refresh herself.

"You should call me brother!" Isaac sat down boldly, gesturing for the other three to sit as well, and the female slaves automatically came to serve.

"Let's get to the point. I'm tired. I've been running around the empire for these slaves."

"I know you've been working hard. How many slaves did you bring this time?"

"Five thousand five hundred in total. Their quality is decent. Recently, the mine has had frequent accidents, and many slaves have died. These five thousand can fill the gap."

"I've heard about the mine's issues. Have you found the cause? I heard that the other nine mines have also had frequent accidents recently."

"We are investigating. You seem worried. Did you come all this way just for this? The Taiwu Mine has been in operation for two thousand years, and with its complex structure, it's natural for problems to arise. There's no need to disturb you, right?"

"These matters can be handled by you. I came today for another, more important matter."

"Are you trying to set me up with someone? Hehe, I don't need a man." Nia laughed softly, her voice having a special charm that made everyone, including Isaac, feel a surge of heat and excitement.

Isaac coughed heavily and glared, "Control yourself!!"

"Go on, what is it? I'm listening." Nia was really tired and had no interest in joking around.

"The Taiwu Mine will be very unstable soon. Not only are there frequent accidents underground, but the ownership of the ten mines... might also change unexpectedly."

Nia tasted the meaning in Isaac's words: "Someone wants to take our Rao family's Jinghuo Mine? Are you joking? In the Delos Empire, apart from the royal family and the other five families, who would dare challenge us?"

"The Sima family!"

"Sima? The Sima from the Northern Plains? Just a second-rate family."

"The Sima family is no longer the same. They have developed rapidly in recent years, purchasing a high-level martial technique that helped their leader, Sima, break through to the Respected level. They recently formed an alliance with the Lieryun Manor, and their overall strength is now on par with our six families.

Moreover, since the war broke out in the three southern empires last year, the Sima family has frequently presented gifts and people to the royal family, even sending a King-level warrior to the front lines, earning the royal family's favor. Two months ago, the royal family betrothed the 17th princess to the Sima family's eldest son. The Sima family's influence is growing strong, rivaling our six families.

Our Rao family, after a thousand years of accumulation, has amassed vast wealth and power, making us the leading family among the six. However, we have already incurred the royal family's jealousy, and they just haven't found the right opportunity to act. But this time... the trouble is big! The royal family might be planning to use the Sima family to replace us."

Nia's drowsiness gradually faded: "Is it that serious? Without a reasonable cause, the royal family's move against the Rao family would mean civil war. Would they dare?"

"I didn't want to believe it either. With our Rao family's power, even if the royal family and the Sima family join forces, they would pay a heavy price. The empire is in a state of war and can't afford such turmoil. But the situation might be more complex than we think. The other five families... seem to be involved!"

"What? What are they planning! If one rabbit is dead, the others will be next. If the royal family takes us down, the other five families won't have a good end. The six families are semi-independent, and the royal family has always wanted to eliminate all of us. If the royal family takes us down, the other five families won't fare well." Nia's face turned cold, her beauty now tinged with a chill. No wonder Isaac brought two elders to the Taiwu Mine, and such a change had occurred in the few months she was away.

"They must have reached an agreement with the royal family."

"Let me ask again, are you sure? Where did you get this information?"

"Half from intelligence, half from deduction. This matter is serious, and we must prepare in advance. If the royal family decides to act, we will be completely at a disadvantage. I brought two elders today, and there are three Martial Kings outside. They will stay here to help you guard the Jinghuo Mine. Be firm when you need to be, but be cautious and don't provoke trouble prematurely."

"What about you?"

"I will return to the family and try to prevent the situation from worsening. Even if it's a done deal, we need to buy some time. Rest assured, with the old man at home, they won't dare to act rashly."

"Be careful, and avoid violence unless absolutely necessary. The