The guards gathered in small groups based on rank, personal relationships, hometown, and personality, chatting about the trivialities of life.
No one worried about the mine slaves escaping.
These ordinary people without Origin Power were no match for them, no matter what.
As long as one person wasn't too drunk, a single pull of the trigger could take down a large number of them.
Of course, no one believed any mine slave would dare to come out.
Right now, those "mice" were probably exploring deeper into the mine, striving for the Miwu Ore they needed to submit tomorrow.
The revelry continued.
The perspective zoomed out to encompass the entire Empire.
In the Ninth Empire, across dozens of major regions and countless Fortress Cities, various celebrations were being held.
Countless citizens of the Empire donned new clothes and flooded the streets.
Children ran freely with balloons in hand.
Students gathered in groups, planning outings.
Couples embraced by the riverside at sunset, dreaming of an unseen future.
At the balls and parties of the elite, they competed in splendor, living in drunken revelry from dawn till dusk.
Numerous young and beautiful women, hoping to marry into wealth, danced with abandon at the parties, exuding youthful vitality, trying to attract and please the big shots.
They didn't mind offering a wonderful night to the other party.
At the ball, a handsome young man in a suit fixed his gaze on a bejeweled lady in the corner, racking his brains on how to display his gentlemanly demeanor.
He decided to start by complimenting her attire!
The man approached her with a glass of wine, noticing that she seemed interested in him too.
Each Fortress City was immersed in a sea of celebration.
The city and the Wilderness were distinctly separate.
The latter had only the wanton howling of the cold wind.
Afternoon.
Captain Ma looked up as a hexagonal snowflake the size of a fingernail fell from the sky, landing on the bridge of his nose. The snowflake melted rapidly in the hot breath he exhaled, tinged with the scent of alcohol.
A cool sensation slid from the bridge of his nose to his philtrum, then turned into warmth.
Captain Ma touched his nose and raised his hand to look.
It was blood.
The warmth from his nasal cavity flowed uncontrollably, followed by an indescribable weakness that swept over his entire body.
The strength within him seemed to be drained, the weakness a thousand times heavier than after lovemaking.
His legs trembled.
"Thud."
He used all his strength to open his eyes, struggling to rise, and looked around. A few minutes ago, the people who were drinking and reveling were now all collapsed and convulsing.
The once noisy mine suddenly became quiet, leaving only the crackling sound of burning wood.
A minute later, as his consciousness began to fade,
He saw a pair of dirty snow boots.
Captain Ma struggled to lift his head.
A young man stood at the mine entrance, looking at him with a half-smile.
"It's poison..."
Captain Ma suddenly realized.
He slightly raised his head, looking up at the young man.
That smile, which he had always thought was one of obedience and respect, now looked incredibly terrifying.
Originally, he thought Du Xiu was just a lucky guy who had inherited Master Ma's legacy.
Now it seemed, Du Xiu's apothecary talent was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
Apothecaries were one-in-a-million geniuses, and it took ten or even more years just to learn the basics of tens of thousands of herbs.
To concoct a potion without guidance was a pipe dream.
Yet Du Xiu, who had followed Master Ma for only a year, could only vaguely talk about the basics of herbs, let alone potion formulas, because so-called Master Ma was merely the lowest level of apothecary.
In contrast, Du Xiu not only learned herbal knowledge but also, without a teacher, concocted a potion in such a rudimentary environment.
Although toxic potions were despised by apothecaries,
Concocting a colorless, odorless, and highly toxic potion in such a short time proved Du Xiu's terrifying apothecary talent.
In an instant, Captain Ma recalled many things.
"Spare... spare me..."
Captain Ma's mouth moved, his voice weak and incredibly humble.
...
"Thud."
Du Xiu pulled the iron rod from Captain Ma's neck, and blood stained the thin layer of snow on the ground.
Lian Ruofei, Big Python, and others also finished their tasks.
The original defenses of the Miwu Mine were like an iron wall, but as the ore was exhausted, the Ma Consortium withdrew their personnel, leaving only Captain Ma and twenty or thirty guards, making it not difficult to resolve.
"Hu."
Du Xiu exhaled a breath of white air.
He had waited a long time for this day.
He spent a year concocting poison, making plans, and selecting personnel to cooperate.
Everything was for the arrival of this day.
What Du Xiu didn't know was that without this plan, what awaited him would be a mass slaughter once the Miwu Ore was completely mined.
One could only say fate played its hand.
Du Xiu extended his hand, letting the snowflake melt in his palm.
"Gather the supplies, we're leaving here."
The burly Big Python picked up a gun from a guard's body and ran over, saying, "Brother Du, shouldn't we rest for the night? Traveling in this heavy snow isn't a good idea."
Du Xiu shook his head, "We don't know how long this blizzard will last. Let's leave before the snow blocks the roads."
"Alright."
Big Python, a true slave by birth, possessed the unique spirit of a slave.
Loyalty and obedience to the strong.
"Take more Firestone."
"Alright."
About an hour later, a group of nine people had scoured the mine for essential supplies, driving three vehicles into the wind and snow, leaving the Miwu Mine behind.
The remaining mine slaves in the mine would find a surprise turned from shock the next day.
But would they be able to come out?
Not long after the vehicles left, several muffled explosions echoed from the mine, followed by a cloud of dust enveloping the sky above the mine.
The collapse of the mine due to the explosion buried all secrets.
The sun set, and night fell.
The snow grew heavier.
Snowflakes the size of a baby's fist raced wildly through the air like out-of-control race cars.
The Wilderness, overgrown with weeds and thorns, was covered by a layer of snow three to four feet deep.
From a distance, the dim sky, brightened by the snow, the crystalline ground, and the blade-like cold wind together constructed a winter world unique to the Wilderness.
"Let's rest here!"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Du Xiu glanced at the dense forest ahead.
The thick trees slowed the storm's assault.
They had been away from the Miwu Mine for seven or eight hours. Although they could take turns driving, sitting for long periods was also a significant burden on the body.
With the snow getting heavier, the wipers couldn't clear the snow from the windshield fast enough.
Stopping to rest now was the best choice.