Chapter 331: One Hundred and Forty Thousand Ancient-Style Mining Puppets

Pain.

A searing pain.

Li Li Qingyun, covered in dust, lay on the ground, slowly regaining consciousness.

He did not dare open his eyes; his memory was still stuck on the moment he had been seized by Bai Gui Laozu and, in desperation, tried to self-detonate his dantian, only to black out in an instant. His heart was truly uneasy and afraid.

He carefully extended his divine sense, looking around.

He saw, not far away, a youth in blue robes, smiling faintly.

"Little Martial Uncle!"

Li Li Qingyun's body jolted; he opened his eyes and stood up.

"It has been quite a while."

Jiang Ding sighed, but said nothing further. His gaze turned to the seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators who had had their soul restraints removed but were still lying unconscious on the ground.

The "Vajra" Monk Fa Zheng and "Half-Ghost" Wuma Kong from the Dragon Phoenix Ranking back then were both there. They had not escaped long before the tireless Bai Gui Laozu caught them. The others were disciples of sects he did not recognize, and one seemed to be a rogue cultivator.

Their common trait was dual spiritual roots.

"Little Martial Uncle!"

They woke one after another, terrified. When they saw the blue-robed youth not far away, they were delighted, paid respectful salutes, and stood properly and obediently.

"Who might you be, sir?"

The last one, a coquettish woman rogue cultivator at late Foundation Establishment, was extremely wary. She stared fixedly at the blue-robed youth before her, who was only at mid Foundation Establishment, and said coldly.

"You…"

Jiang Ding was about to answer.

"Farewell!"

The coquettish woman swept her divine sense over the surroundings. Seeing no one else, she did not even test the waters once; she erupted with her full magic power, transformed into a streak of pink escape light, and fled madly into the distance.

"Pitiful."

Li Li Qingyun and the others watched her with pity.

Clang!

A sword hum rang out. A silvery-white, metallic sword qi appeared behind the coquettish woman, slicing in an instant through a red silk sash that protected her, and breaking open the shield on her body's surface.

A tremendous force struck her; she spat a large mouthful of fresh blood midair and crashed heavily to the ground, dust billowing everywhere.

A moment later.

She struggled to her feet, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, returned to the blue-robed youth, and performed a respectful curtsy: "This one is Liu Hongtiao, paying respects to Senior."

"Bai Gui Laozu is dead."

"You were saved by me."

Jiang Ding spoke unhurriedly, saying something that shocked the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators immensely: "Fellow Daoist Liu, you owe me a life. Would you agree?"

"What Senior says is right; this one owes you a life."

"This one is now yours."

Liu Hongtiao curtsied, gazing at the youth before her with alluring eyes, and found it not at all hard to accept—perhaps even something to look forward to.

Dream on.

Jiang Ding grumbled inwardly, but said coldly on his face: "You will need to work for me at Tushan Dao Chang for twenty years. After twenty years you may have your freedom. Are you willing?"

"This one is willing."

Liu Hongtiao did not even ask what Tushan Dao Chang was, and said respectfully.

"As for all of you…"

Jiang Ding's gaze turned to Li Li Qingyun and the others.

They were actually his main focus—especially Li Li Qingyun. During his time as acting sect master of Xiang Qiyu Sect, he had managed all manner of affairs in perfect order; disciples throughout the mountain gate were sincerely convinced, and every task assigned by the various Jin Dan cultivators was carried out well.

"We are willing to serve Little Martial Uncle!"

Li Li Qingyun and the others said solemnly.

Crisp and clean, with none of Liu Hongtiao's dragging feet and wild, messy thoughts.

"Haha."

"Serving is too strong a word."

Jiang Ding smiled faintly: "I simply saw that you all are capable, and wished to keep you at Tushan Dao Chang to lend a hand. After ten years you may leave on your own. Rest assured, the respective remuneration for each of you, and the second-grade top-quality spirit veins for cultivation, are already prepared."

As for the third-grade upper-quality spirit veins, he planned to use them all for planting third-grade spirit medicines—the kind that could assist in tempering flying swords.

"Yes!"

Li Li Qingyun first answered, then showed a puzzled expression: "Little Martial Uncle, where is this place, and what exactly is Tushan Dao Chang?"

Monk Fa Zheng the Monk, Wuma Kong, and the others also looked over.

"Tushan—those two characters. What associations do you all have?"

Jiang Ding asked.

"Tushan Demon Country!"

Li Li Qingyun's body jolted, and the words escaped his mouth.

"Correct, exactly so."

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

"When I was at Foundation Establishment, I had a few opportunities and came to know a senior swordsman of great skill. After slaying the Princess Princess Chiyan Fox King, this place became his dao field, and I manage it on his behalf."

"The war with Xuetudian has likewise already ended."

"The war is over?"

Li Li Qingyun was overjoyed, yet a little nervous, and could not help asking: "Little Martial Uncle, what of my Master?"

"Both senior brothers are well."

"Enough, the specifics you can look into yourselves later."

Jiang Ding waved his hand: "As for this place, the Fox Mountain Demon Country, you all know too — wild and unenlightened, the common folk raised by the demon race like livestock.

"It is my intent to change the present situation, and to set about mining the spirit mines in various regions, tending the spirit herb gardens and spirit trees in various regions. The reason I am keeping you all here is to handle these matters."

"Recently I will find the time to cut down every demon general I can find within a thousand li radius. You, on your part, must swiftly restore the human populace and statecraft here, pick out those with good aptitude and recruit them as inner and outer disciples, so as to make managing the various spirit-mining territories convenient in the future."

"I have already sent a letter to those two senior brothers' side; they will dispatch some personnel to come help."

"Any further questions?"

He had given them the goal; how to do it was their business.

"Your disciples understand!"

Li Li Qingyun, Fa Zheng and the others answered loudly.

"Good, go then. The second-grade spirit veins near this demon palace may be chosen at will, but unless there is important business, you must not disturb my cultivation."

Jiang Ding admonished: "Also, especially this Daoist friend Liu here may not know my working habits — please lend him a hand or two, lest we end up one fewer working person again."

Second-grade spirit veins, chosen at will?

"Your disciple understands!"

Monk Fa Zheng and the others were delighted in their hearts, and said with solemn faces: "We will absolutely not disturb the mortal world, and will root out those corrupt officials and dirty clerks, letting the common folk enjoy a prosperous age."

"Good."

……

Over at Armor-25, things were in full swing — rapidly erecting the framework of a sect, restoring production at the various spirit mines and spirit herb gardens, restoring the survival and rule of humans across the ten-thousand-li demon country.

Several months later.

At the mining district dormitory.

Beneath the blue-gold great tree.

Jiang Ding emerged from a single Zhou Tian of cultivation, opened his eyes, and recalled the large-scale Poison Flow Silver Mine and eight third-grade spirit mines, along with the various exploration data on several hundred second-grade spirit mines, that Armor-25 had transmitted over last time.

"Ancient-method mining puppets…"

His divine sense entered the network, browsing the major relevant companies online.

"None."

"Ancient method means low efficiency, high cost and low returns. On the market, apart from a few for collecting, there are no such mining puppets."

Jiang Ding sighed: "To commission them — if these puppets are to be popularized across mines large and small within the ten-thousand-li demon country, roughly one hundred forty thousand ancient-method puppets are needed. The puppet company's quote is eighty-two million low-grade spirit stones, averaging 584.7 spirit stones each, to open a dedicated ancient-method puppet production line for me."

"No rare materials are needed — only spirit stones."

"Too many."

Jiang Ding was somewhat hesitant, thought for a long while.

"Forget it, let's go with it."

"These puppets, once the realm is higher, can still be used — they aren't one-time-use items."

Having finished handling these matters, the blue-gold great tree contracted and flew into his brow.

Jiang Ding transformed into a gray-blue streak of escape-light and flew into the sky — toward the place where the Aerial Combat System combat class was held; tempering sword intent was also there, and Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun could keep an eye on things.

Having just flown a few kilometers, he was intercepted.

"Greetings, Senior Mie Ri."

A chrysanthemum-like smile instinctively bloomed on Jiang Ding's face, brimming with warmth — no social anxiety at all.

It was clearly a Great Sun Sword Intent — no,

it was a pale-faced, earring-wearing youth in ripped jeans with bleached-blond hair, blocking the way ahead, somewhat displeased: "Are you going to agree or not? It's been years now. You're not me, a Nascent Soul cultivator — considering for a while means considering for over a year with not a single reply."

"You're in such a rush?"

Jiang Ding said, surprised.

When he said he'd consider it, he definitely would consider it. Referencing a Nascent Soul cultivator's lifespan, a few years amounted to nothing.

Originally he had planned to reply after another ten-odd years — that would also be reasonable.

(End of this chapter)