The searchlights above, combined with the incandescent lights at the top of the mine walls, dispelled the darkness within the mine.
Du Xiu relied on the route he remembered, delving deeper and deeper.
As they went further, the lack of ventilation caused the air to mix with various odors, fermenting continuously.
Stench, dust, dampness, stickiness.
Suffocating.
The two of them reached a secluded spot.
Lian Ruofei was half a head taller than Du Xiu, with a large frame. Coupled with his bulky and dirty winter clothes, he looked like a black bear.
Both were orphans, growing up in an orphanage. When the orphanage closed, they wandered the streets for years before being sold by traffickers to the Ma Consortium, eventually being sent here as mine slaves, sticking together for warmth.
Lian Ruofei's gaze was shadowed as he scanned the surroundings. After confirming no one was around, he used a spade to dig open a crevice, revealing dozens of pieces of completely black ore with silver specks. His face showed a look of relief.
These were the Miwu Ores that the mine slaves needed to find.
"Xiu, no one's been here!"
"Yeah, with the remaining ores, we can't meet the quota many more times. Let's hope our plan goes smoothly!"
Du Xiu glanced around, confirming there were no signs of others having been there, and nodded.
"The plan... let's take it one step at a time! By the way, have you finished the potion?"
Lian Ruofei rubbed his hands, looking expectant.
Two years ago, an apothecary came to the mine, said to be from a losing faction within the consortium, sent to the mine as punishment.
Du Xiu and Lian Ruofei deliberately ingratiated themselves, helping him find ores and attend to his needs, and in return, he taught them some pharmacology knowledge.
Lian Ruofei had no interest in the complex pharmacology knowledge, finding it as incomprehensible as reading a heavenly book.
In contrast, Du Xiu showed considerable talent.
Pharmacology knowledge seemed to have legs, running into his mind with just a glance.
This amazed the Ma Consortium's apothecary, who guided Du Xiu with some basic pharmacology knowledge.
Unfortunately, Du Xiu had only learned the basics when the apothecary was assassinated on a starless night.
Du Xiu suspected it was due to internal strife within the Ma Consortium, with Master Ma being on the losing side.
Someone had sent Master Ma to a remote mine, likely to save his life.
But someone else didn't want him alive, pursuing him all the way here.
Of course, Du Xiu had no interest in the specifics, nor did he plan to avenge Master Ma.
After all, he was just a mine slave.
A lucky mine slave who happened to learn pharmacology.
"Yes, I made two portions."
Du Xiu took out two packets of powder from his backpack, handing one to Lian Ruofei.
Strictly speaking, the powder in Du Xiu's hand wasn't a potion; true potion-making required an extremely precise laboratory.
What he had was merely the lowest-grade, inferior semi-finished product.
Perhaps, in the eyes of some picky apothecaries, it wasn't even a semi-finished product.
Du Xiu poured the powder into his mouth, held it, then took out a water bottle, sipping a small amount without swallowing, instead rinsing his mouth to fully dissolve the powder before swallowing it all at once.
This was a semi-finished Origin Power Potion, which could help people better sense and absorb Origin Power.
The Empire and the Church had been at war between the Eastern and Western Continents for countless years.
For citizens at the bottom of the Empire, the only way to stand out and escape the consortium's oppression was to sense and absorb Origin Power to become an Origin Cultivator or to become an apothecary.
Powerful Origin Cultivators possessed superhuman abilities, capable of battling the Church's various Feral Beasts and Insectoids.
Apothecaries, on the other hand, could concoct all sorts of mysterious potions by understanding the myriad herbs on the Wilderness.
This era was an era of war, with Origin Cultivators and Apothecaries being among the brightest stars in the sky of the times.
After taking the potion, Lian Ruofei took out a yellowed book with the words "Qianjun Method" written on it.
This was the most widely circulated basic Origin Power cultivation method within the Empire.
The imperial family and various consortiums used the Qianjun Method to select young people with cultivation potential.
Those who could sense and cultivate Origin Power through the Qianjun Method would be specially trained and recruited.
Those who couldn't cultivate Origin Power could only become part of the Empire's lower class, growing up to work in companies based on their abilities.
Contributing their insignificant strength to the Empire's prosperity and the luxury of the upper class.
After a long time, Du Xiu opened his eyes, a trace of desolation flashing within them.
He didn't have to go down the mine, but to find a quiet place to cultivate, he had no choice but to enter with the others.
Unfortunately, while he excelled in pharmacology, he was timid in Origin Power cultivation.
As he got up, Lian Ruofei also opened his eyes, expressionless.
"Did you cultivate Origin Power?"
Du Xiu couldn't help but ask curiously.
"No."
Lian Ruofei shook his head.
Du Xiu patted his shoulder, "That makes me feel better."
Lian Ruofei glared at him.
As the time approached, the two packed up their things, ready to leave.
Lian Ruofei filled his basket with Miwu Ores, while Du Xiu only took a few, just for show.
Walking along the mine path, Lian Ruofei kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, casually asking, "Has your headache acted up recently?"
Du Xiu rubbed his face, feeling extremely irritable, "Not yet, but it's probably coming soon."
He had suffered from intermittent headaches since childhood, and as he grew older, the frequency and intensity increased.
Recently, he had even fainted during episodes.
"If I die from a headache one day, I wouldn't be surprised."
Du Xiu laughed self-deprecatingly.
Pharmacology encompassed a wide range of knowledge, and every apothecary was a qualified doctor.
He had found several herbs for treating head ailments, but they were of no use.
This inexplicable headache still came as scheduled, tormenting him to the point of wishing for death.
Suddenly.
The quiet mine path echoed with the sound of boots scraping against small stones.
The two stopped, staring ahead, full of vigilance.
The mine's passages were interconnected, and ahead was an intersection with another path.
The air suddenly fell silent.
Du Xiu and Lian Ruofei exchanged a glance, neither moving, watching the intersection warily.
A few minutes later, a figure appeared in the mine path at the intersection.
A dark-skinned young miner saw Du Xiu and excitedly waved at him, "Young Sir!"
In the mine, both miners and guards inevitably had some new injuries or old ailments. After the Ma Consortium's apothecary came, he helped many people and was respectfully called "Sir."
After he left, Du Xiu, who inherited his skills and handled these common people's ailments with ease, was also respectfully called "Young Sir."
However, how much sincerity was behind the title "Young Sir" was unknown.
"Oh! Brother Sun! Are you heading back too?" Du Xiu asked with a smile on his face.
"Yes! I got lucky today, found enough ores early. Let's go, let's get out of this hellhole together!"
The young man named Sun turned sideways, lifting the basket on his back, filled with ores.