Chapter 413: Seeking Instruction on the Method

The wild grass grew lush and thick.

The wind in the valley scattered the overgrown dandelions, and countless tiny umbrellas spun in the breeze, with the majority falling onto the water's surface.

The clerks dug out the ore, comparing the color of each piece, weighing them, counting them, and recording them.

With every piece that passed through their hands, their sense of disbelief grew stronger.

"One cubic zhang!"

"It's short by a small fraction."

"There are at least two more cubic zhang that haven't been weighed yet..."

"How could there be so much all of a sudden? Didn't we just come to settle the accounts last month? There wasn't even a fraction of this then."

"I heard this mine vein was contracted by Master Liang."

"Master Liang? Which Master Liang?"

"Who else? The snake-slaying Master Liang! Didn't you go to the Water God Temple this morning?"

"Wasn't it said that the Li family kept it for themselves?"

The mining supervisor leading the count scanned the area, his brows furrowed: "The exhausted vein recorded in the ledger? Why is there so much medium-grade ore dug up in half a month? Is the Li family concealing the report?"

A member of the Li family accompanying him lowered his body slightly: "We wouldn't dare deceive His Majesty. The 'silver fragments' in the 317 mine vein have been dug for over two years; you have seen it yourself, sir. Besides, if we were truly concealing it, why would we bring you here to count it today?"

"That is true."

"Do we need to inform Eunuch Li?"

The mining supervisor shook his head: "Two or three cubic zhang of medium-grade ore—if there's no follow-up, there's no need to trouble the old gentleman."

"Follow-up..."

Hearing this, the Li family member turned his head.

On the bank, dandelion seeds had accumulated with the receding tide, looking like a light snowfall.

Liang Qu stood beneath the blessing ship, waiting for the clerks to finish the tally so he could take his portion of the blood stones.

"How exactly did Master Liang manage this? Could you reveal even half a word, so that I, Li, might know?"

Li Xiaoheng gazed into the distance at the hill-like pile of blood stone ore, bowing low to humbly seek instruction.

It was clearly a waste, an exhausted mine, which those martial artists trying their luck had been digging for over two years; there were things left behind, but not many.

Why, after Liang Qu arrived for half a month, could he dig out so much medium-grade blood stone ore?

At first, when Liang Qu asked for an abandoned mine vein, Li Xiaoheng only thought the outsider was curious about blood stones. He never imagined that the many prospectors and pit-diggers in his family could not compare to a young man not yet twenty!

Three cubic zhang of medium-grade ore was certainly not much during the heyday of blood stone mining, but the information revealed within was particularly important. Could it be that a new vein had been surveyed?

Liang Qu smiled: "Is the Family Head Li wondering if I might have dug into a new mine vein?"

"I have a slight guess."

"Then you are mistaken. I did not dig into a new mine vein; I just used a slightly unusual method."

"An unusual method?" Li Xiaoheng was puzzled.

Liang Qu did not answer. He extended his right hand and opened his five fingers, and a blood-colored gemstone glowing with red light came into view.

Li Xiaoheng's pupils shrank violently: "A supreme-grade blood stone? Master Liang, this is...?"

"There is more."

"More?"

Liang Qu glanced at the mining supervisor twice, then rummaged through his pocket.

He opened his hand again.

The red light was even brighter.

Two more blood gemstones!

A total of three!

That's right.

The supreme-grade blood gemstones discovered by Fist were not just one!

When he had previously run out of the cave, the one held by the giant pincers was already the third one he had dug up!

Li Xiaoheng's breathing stalled, his heart pounding wildly.

An unexhausted blood stone vein might not yield a single supreme-grade blood stone in a year.

The entire Li family had not seen a new supreme-grade blood gemstone for over three years.

How could this be...

Seeing Li Xiaoheng's rapid breathing and slightly flushed face, Liang Qu felt very proud, yet he could not help but feel a pang of regret.

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He asked: "Is the imperial court's management and registration of blood stone mines very lax? You only came to record it after I was about to leave?"

Having heard before that the imperial court wanted the majority, Liang Qu had thought the inspection would be very strict; he hadn't expected them to come only after the fact.

Li Xiaoheng did not know the purpose of Liang Qu's question. His heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at the mining supervisor in the distance, whispering.

"It used to be strict. Every mine entrance had clerks on guard, dedicated personnel recording, and body searches. No one was allowed to steal ore privately. Hiding a piece of medium-grade ore the size of a finger would result in twenty strokes of the cane. In recent years, it has become increasingly lax.

On one hand, the output of the mine veins is becoming less and less, not worth maintaining such a large system. Mine entrances need clerks, clerks need to be managed, the clerks and the management system need supervision outside of them, and there is inspection outside of supervision.

It is ring upon ring, and everyone from top to bottom needs to eat. In the past, blood stone output was high, so it could be supported and wasn't a burden. Once the output decreased, eighty percent or more was cut.

On the other hand, the mining of blood stone veins is under the jurisdiction of the Southern Zhili Mining Commissioner's Office. The local leader of Xiangyi County is an eighty-year-old eunuch who is still rooted there, directly appointed from Southern Zhili, a great master who has opened up the Three Bridges.

In the past, he could often be seen personally presiding over mining ceremonies and conducting spot checks. Now, only those few veins can still be mined on a large scale, so Eunuch Li no longer shows his face. With the top setting the example, there is much laxity below.

Master Liang, could it be..."

Li Xiaoheng thought Liang Qu wanted to swallow it all alone. The opportunity right now was excellent; heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know.

Wait.

If he wanted to swallow it alone, why let him know?

Liang Qu shoved the three supreme-grade blood stones into Li Xiaoheng's hands.

"Family Head Li, go and record them in the ledger. As for the rest, we will split them fifty-fifty."

"Ah?" Li Xiaoheng was stunned. "Master Liang, are you serious?"

"Serious."

Liang Qu's expression was normal, but he sighed inwardly.

Making this decision was quite difficult.

Hundreds of cubic zhang of medium-grade blood stone ore could not be hidden and would inevitably have to be split—that was a given. But the supreme-grade blood gemstones were only the size of a finger.

His heart had truly undergone an intense battle between heaven and man, and he was still hesitating when the mining supervisor and the others arrived, only just making up his mind.

Forget it.

Pay taxes properly and be a person with peace of mind.

Fist deserved the greatest credit for the blood stone harvest.

With it around, he could come often in the future; whether he earned more or less, he wouldn't add to his own troubles.

Stepping into the Wolf Smoke Realm of the martial path, his state of mind was clear, which was of greater benefit than two blood gemstones.

For the sake of his future!

Liang Qu muttered to himself, forcing himself not to look, not to think.

Li Xiaoheng repeatedly confirmed that Liang Qu really wanted to register them and wasn't joking. His mind received a huge shock, and he ran off to register them in a daze.

The clerks were in an uproar.

The mining supervisor repeatedly confirmed it, unable to believe that three supreme-grade blood gemstones could actually be dug out of an abandoned mine vein.

Amidst his excitement, he carefully recorded them in the ledger.

When Li Xiaoheng returned, there was only one blood gemstone left out of the three...

"According to the agreement, Family Head Li and I split it fifty-fifty. This blood gemstone, you and I each..."

Before Liang Qu could finish speaking, Li Xiaoheng cupped his hands above his head and bowed low.

"I, Li Xiaoheng, beg Master Liang to bestow the method! From now on, whenever my Li family has blood stone output, regardless of size or quality, I am willing to split it fifty-fifty with Master Liang!"

Liang Qu helped Li Xiaoheng up: "There is no need for this. The method is very simple. Has Family Head Li heard of the Treasure-Seeking Mouse?"

"I have heard of it."

"I have one under my command that is quite similar and can find mineral deposits."

What a divine beast!

A stormy sea surged in Li Xiaoheng's heart.

After a long while.

Li Xiaoheng sighed heavily.

"In that case, it is I, Li, who is in the wrong for coveting what belongs to another."

Regardless of whether it was true or false, having said this, he would not be able to get the method.

"However," Liang Qu changed the subject, "there is one thing I can tell Family Head Li."

"Master Liang, please speak freely."

"What Family Head Li said earlier, that supreme-grade blood gemstones are like ginseng and have spirit, and will run away if they hear noise, is not without foundation."

83 Chinese Website Latest Address ===== CHAPTER 414 =====