Chapter 724: Tie Xin Shi

After arriving at the Sect Mining Area, Yan Buji watched the bustling crowd hard at work; first, he found Li Wan Hua.

Li Wan Hua was still supervising the construction of the smelting facility beside the mining area; seeing Yan Buji approach, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he then smiled and said:

"Hall Master Yan, you've finally returned."

"Hmm, how's it going on your side, Hall Master Li?"

"Not bad." Li Wan Hua pointed to the smelting facility under construction on the open ground ahead; it's not small in scale, and many recruited cultivators are helping build it, so it should be finished in a few days.

"The facilities for smelting goldsteel ore are basically built, and the external basic facilities will be completed soon. That way, once the mining area starts operation, the goldsteel ore sent from the area can be smelted quickly."

Yan Buji nodded and smiled: "Then I'll urge them to start mining as soon as possible."

Starting mining is something Yan Buji is handling for the first time, but with Zhou Wan'an and the many others, surely someone knows how to mine, so Yan Buji doesn't need to worry about that.

Yan Buji found Zhou Wan'an directing the miners' excavation and asked: "Hall Master Zhou, how's it going on your side?"

"Not bad!" Zhou Wan'an laughed: "The ore deposit is much larger than we expected, though the mining difficulty is not small."

"Oh?" Yan Buji's eyes shifted: "I've never dealt with mining before; how exactly should we extract the underground ore?"

"Mining ore... I don't know much about it either, but I've invited an expert to give pointers." Zhou Wan'an looked around, then led Yan Buji to a young man nearby.

"Fellow Daoist Tie Xin Shi?"

"Hall Master Zhou, this person is..." Tie Xin Shi looked at Yan Buji, puzzled.

"This is the one I mentioned before, the Hall Master Yan Buji who oversees our sect's mining and trade affairs."

Tie Xin Shi nodded, his expression calm: "Tie Xin Shi has met Hall Master Yan."

"Polite as ever; I don't know your lofty opinions on mining the mineral veins here."

"Lofty opinions?" Tie Xin Shi wondered: "I can't claim any lofty opinions, but the goldsteel ore here isn't much different from other mineral veins I've seen."

"Mining mineral veins is an extremely challenging and dangerous job! The main points requiring special attention are as follows:"

"First, a thorough and comprehensive geological survey of the mineral vein to be mined must be conducted. Only after fully understanding the vein's distribution, direction, depth, and the ore type and quality, etc., can a reasonable mining plan be formulated."

"Then, safety issues absolutely cannot be ignored! We must ensure the mining site has complete and reliable safety protection facilities, such as sturdy support structures and ventilation equipment, to safeguard the miners' lives."

"Next, selecting appropriate mining techniques and tools is also crucial. Depending on the mineral vein's characteristics, one might use blasting, excavation, or other more advanced and efficient mining methods. Moreover, the transport and storage of the extracted ore must be carefully arranged."

"We must ensure transport routes are unobstructed and storage sites are dry and well-ventilated to prevent the ore from getting damp and deteriorating."

"Finally, personnel management is also key! We need to organize a team of experienced, skilled, and disciplined miners, and regularly give them professional training and safety education, so as to improve the overall efficiency and quality of the mining operation! In short, mining mineral veins is no simple easy task; every aspect requires careful attention."

Yan Buji nodded; he knew all the aspects Tie Xin Shi mentioned, but regarding the details, it amounted to Yan Buji outsourcing the work to Zhou Wan'an and the others.

"Hall Master Zhou, following Fellow Daoist Tie's advice, we need to pay more attention to these matters."

"Don't worry, Hall Master Yan, I will definitely manage those miners under me well!" Zhou Wan'an laughed.

Yan Buji didn't ask about the miners' backgrounds; similarly, in the sect's plan, the miners' expenses are a one-time payment, so Yan Buji has already given them the money, and thereafter he only wants to see the results.

Tie Xin Shi said from the side: "Goldsteel ore differs from other ore; its raw ore is relatively hard, so traditional methods won't work—we need to purchase a large amount of explosives."

"No problem."

Yan Buji was already in charge of this matter; explosives aren't hard to find—just make a trip to the Heavenly Spirit Realm to buy some back.

"If possible, could I introduce Hall Master Yan to someone who specializes in this kind of mining‑area business?"

"Hmm?" Yan Buji looked at Tie Xin Shi and smiled: "I don't know who Fellow Daoist Tie is referring to."

"His name is Yang Sui; he has his own shop in Middle Heaven City in the Heavenly Spirit Realm. If you trust me, Hall Master Yan, he can formulate explosives suitable for goldsteel ore, which would also save me trouble." Tie Xin Shi said directly.

Yan Buji smiled and nodded: "Alright, I'll go find him and ask."

Afterwards, Yan Buji gave Zhou Wan'an a glance, then left.

Zhou Wan'an's expression changed; seeing Yan Buji walk away, he said: "Fellow Daoist Tie, you shouldn't have said that just now!"

"Huh? Why?" Tie Xin Shi looked at Zhou Wan'an doubtfully.

"I'm also trying to save myself trouble and speed up the mining; what did I do wrong?"

"Sigh, you were originally someone I hired; you should have told me this, not said it to Hall Master Yan's face. Otherwise it looks like I'm deliberately directing you—are you after more kickbacks?"

"Is... is that so?" Tie Xin Shi froze for a moment.

After Zhou Wan'an explained for a while, Tie Xin Shi finally realized his earlier words sounded like he and Zhou Wan'an were teaming up to ask Yan Buji for money.

After all, ordering the materials needed for mining involves long‑term investment; as the person in charge of this matter, Yan Buji naturally scrutinizes carefully.

You may offer suggestions, but they should not come from an outsider you brought in.

If it were Zhou Wan'an saying this, Yan Buji wouldn't think much of it—after all, it's not his money being spent; as long as he sees good results, that's fine.

Even if it fails, Yan Buji can still hold them accountable, since they are members of the sect.

But if it's an outsider, then it's hard to say.

Zhou Wan'an soon found Yan Buji, with an apologetic face: "Hall Master Yan, don't take it to heart; although I know Tie Xin Shi, I didn't ask him to say that."

Zhou Wan'an naturally knows how shrewd Yan Buji is; he just needs to look at the accounts to see where problems lie, so even if he wanted to take kickbacks, he would only act after privately settling it with Yan Buji.

But Tie Xin Shi's recommending a person and shop violates their agreement.

Yan Buji looked at Zhou Wan'an and smiled: "This won't happen again, but I can also go to the Heavenly Spirit Realm to find that Yang Sui and see if he truly has skill."

Zhou Wan'an breathed a sigh of relief and laughed: "If it weren't involving our sect's own interests, honestly speaking, Tie Xin Shi's recommended candidate would actually be fine. After all, Tie Xin Shi is a Confucian cultivator."

"He's a Confucian cultivator?" Yan Buji looked puzzled.

"First time I've heard that those scholars also mine?"