After hearing those words, the miners’ breathing became noticeably heavier, and the way they looked at Chang Jiu and Xiao Wu was no longer filled with pity. Instead, there was a clear hint of envy.
Chang Jiu lowered her head, so no one could see the brief flash of light in her eyes.
Compared to the Soul Refiner Awakening Ceremony, what interested her more was the chance to enter Dongli City.
Because to enter that place, she needed an identification token!
For someone born outside the city, stepping foot inside Dongli City was practically a pipe dream. With those towering walls cutting off the outside world, she couldn’t even figure out who had killed the original owner, let alone avenge her.
And now, an opportunity had actually appeared right in front of her?
She obediently followed behind Sang Biao.
The moment Sang Biao gave the order, the entire Mine No. 7 erupted into excitement.
“Lord Sang Biao has given his orders! Whoever finds the soul stones will be rewarded with a spot in the Soul Refiner Awakening Ceremony!”
The refugees huddled together like livestock tied up with rough straw ropes. Most of them couldn’t understand the excitement on the miners’ faces, much less why a spot in the Soul Refiner Awakening Ceremony was so precious.
Some had heard about it before, but could only give a bitter smile and shake their heads.
“How could it be that easy? Our town used to be one of the wealthiest around. Every year, the entire town would pool its resources to send the smartest child to the city for the awakening ceremony. And yet, after forty-eight years, we still didn’t produce a single Soul Refiner. We only ended up dragging the whole town into ruin…”
“To become a Soul Refiner? People like us outside Dongli City just don’t have that kind of fate!”
“Exactly. And I heard that once you’re over 18, awakening becomes even more difficult. With old bones like ours, there’s even less hope.”
Amid the discussion, everyone was led to the open area outside the mine entrance.
Some miners sprinkled a silvery-white powder into the fire pits. Once the powder was burned by the flames, it gave off an extremely pungent smell. Supposedly, it was an evil-warding powder purchased from Dongli City that could drive away soul beasts.
But mixed in with that sharp, unpleasant odor was another scent—the rich aroma of meat.
The miners had set a large iron pot over one of the fire pits. Huge chunks of meat were simmering inside, bubbling away without much in the way of seasoning. Compared to the braised pork and stewed dishes Chang Jiu remembered, it was practically incomparable.
And yet, when that pure, mouthwatering aroma drifted over on the night breeze, Chang Jiu’s stomach, which had already been filled earlier, still began to churn uncontrollably.
Then saliva started flooding her mouth.
The desire for food surged wildly from this thin, frail body.
Chang Jiu knew that the reason this body was so weak was severe malnutrition. There were countless nutrients she needed to replenish, but the simplest and most straightforward solution was—
Eat meat.
Eat until she was full!
When Sang Biao saw the refugees, all pale and gaunt, staring intently at the pot of meat, his face filled with disdain.
“What a bunch of useless people. They don’t care about the awakening opportunity at all. All they know how to do is stare at the few pieces of meat right in front of them!”
Impatiently, he nudged the side of the iron pot with his foot, only to yelp and curse under his breath when the scorching metal burned him.
Then he raised his voice again.
“Once the sun comes up, every one of you will go into a different mine tunnel! When you come back, you’ll get to eat as much meat as you want. All you can eat!”
“And that’s not all! There are still some soul stones piled up inside the mine that haven’t been brought out. I’m not asking much of you. You don’t even need to carry them out.”
“All you have to do is remember exactly which mine and which tunnel they’re in, then come back and tell me. Do that, and for the next three days, you won’t have to work at all. You’ll get to eat meat and drink wine every day!”
His grin remained for a moment before suddenly turning cold and severe.
“If you don’t want to do it or don’t dare to do it, then you can’t stay here and freeload! And none of you want someone like that taking a share of your food, right?”
At those words, the refugees stared longingly at the pot and gradually nodded.
They all knew there was a soul beast in the mine that could take their lives. But compared to starving to death, a soul beast they hadn’t actually seen yet suddenly didn’t seem quite so frightening.
By the time the pot of meat soup was boiling vigorously, light was beginning to seep through the gloomy sky.
In a place like this, even the slightest breeze could stir up the thick layer of mine dust, sending it billowing over the barren mountains and withered trees. The dust would then drift toward the sky, shrouding even the sunlight.
Day after day, year after year, every trace of color around the mine was gradually buried beneath the dust. Everywhere one looked was bleak and gloomy. Even after sunrise, there was only a thin layer of light.
Against this dead and desolate backdrop, the rich aroma of meat became even more tempting.
Sang Biao stood right in the center, his arms folded across his chest, his massive body towering like a small mountain.
Behind him were several enormous mine entrances that looked like dark gaping holes. Countless branches spread through the tunnels, and no one knew exactly how many smaller passages lay within.
At first, the refugees wanted to stick together as they went in.
But Sang Biao casually called out from behind them,
“If two people go in together, neither of you gets to eat!”
That was enough to make everyone scatter.
They hesitated for a long while before finally choosing the wider tunnels and hurrying inside.
They had no idea what awaited them in the mines, but surely a wider tunnel would feel a little safer.
Chang Jiu deliberately stayed at the very back of the group, keeping a low profile instead of immediately following them inside.
Unfortunately, Sang Biao had his eyes fixed on her.
“You don’t want to starve to death either, do you, you little coward?”
Chang Jiu looked at the mine tunnels, then silently rubbed her stomach.
“Nature calls. And when I’m nervous, it gets even more urgent. How about letting me go first?”
Then, mimicking his tone, she added sincerely,
“You wouldn’t want me squatting next to your soul stones when nature calls, would you, Boss?”
Sang Biao’s lips twitched.
But he didn’t stop her.
He wasn’t worried about Chang Jiu escaping in the slightest.
Mine No. 7 was his territory. Even if he weren’t a Soul Refiner, he could crush a little brat like her to death with nothing more than his muscular physique.
Not to mention that he was a Soul Refiner. An ordinary person could never escape his control.
Chang Jiu had no intention of running either.
She was more afraid of dying than anyone.
The threat posed by the soul beast was unknown and hadn’t arrived yet.
Sang Biao’s threat, however, was already hanging around her neck.
Chang Jiu entered an abandoned mine tunnel in the far corner and pretended to relieve herself. Once she confirmed that there was no one nearby, she quietly summoned the calico cat from the System.
A faint flash of light appeared.
The little cat landed gracefully, sniffed the air, and the moment it realized where it was, the fur on its multicolored tail instantly puffed up.
It quickly scrambled onto Chang Jiu’s shoulder and frantically shook its paws as if it had stepped into something absolutely disgusting.
Chang Jiu: “…No, don’t worry about how dirty it is. Just do your job first.”
After a whole night of sleep, the little cat had recovered the energy it had exhausted the previous day.
It might have been disgusted by its surroundings, but when it came to business, it was surprisingly reliable.
Its “Golden Eyes” skill activated, and it quickly selected the direction Chang Jiu should take.
The calico cat vigorously rubbed its paws against Chang Jiu’s clothes for a while.
When it finally lifted one paw to inspect it, its pink paw pad had already turned gray.
Chang Jiu rubbed her nose and coughed awkwardly.
“Well… it does seem to be a tiny bit dirty. Why don’t you lick it clean yourself?”
“…”
The calico cat gave Chang Jiu a very humanlike rude gesture with its paw.
Without the slightest trace of shame, Chang Jiu sent the little cat back into the summoning space.