579 So frustrating!

Shang Tie's eyes reddened slightly, and his graying hair fluttered in the cold wind like frost.

He bowed and said, "What you say is true, sir. At the beginning of the mining season, the wages were very high."

Countless families, like mine and my relatives, are mining in the dark mine shafts.

However, after several landslides and explosions, many villagers died.

My family members were also inside; their bodies couldn't be found, and there was no compensation.

More and more villagers and miners are unwilling to go mining.

His eyes were filled with resentment as he spoke.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Later, the old thief Ying directly forced each household to send one person to mine for a year."

Those who don't go will be listed as fugitives and arrested.

All prisoners were sent to the mines to work as miners for three years before being released.

But how could these people survive three years? Some didn't even last a month after entering.

Yun Baiyi, Zhang Dazhuang, and the others nodded slightly, showing little reaction.

Wes nodded slightly, his eyes showing anger but not much emotion.

Many villagers in Weijia Village died from monsters and unexpected evil spirits in the mountains and forests.

There are also the exorbitant taxes levied by the government, which can never be avoided once you enter the city.

The secret passage thought, 'Without military protection, everywhere is just easy prey.'

He couldn't help but think of Lord He, and a sense of gratitude welled up inside him for his good fortune. 'It must be the ancestor's blessing; I should go and pay my respects more often when I get back.'

Yun Baiyi remained calm, a slight sigh escaping his lips. 'Mining, mining—no matter how much silver they've already earned, it can't stop these people's greed.'

The mine shafts are dark and damp, with polluted air filled with suffocating dust and toxic gases. Collapses and gas explosions make life seem so fragile.

Ren Pingsheng waited quietly for a moment, then said softly, "Any updates on the Ying family, now known as the Huo family?"

Shang Tie looked ashamed and bowed, saying, "My lord, I am ashamed."

The mining area was firmly controlled by the Huo family and heavily guarded. We tried many times but were unable to infiltrate it.

With the Huo family's patriarch currently in seclusion, the members below him have become even more frantic in their scramble for resources and to curry favor with the Huoling Sect.

Every so often, the Fire Spirit Cult sends people to collect refined iron. It's rumored that there are also other deposits of red gold, but little information has been revealed, making confirmation difficult.

He couldn't finish speaking in one breath, so he paused for a moment and continued...

Now, the Huo family is the dominant force in the area, and other families basically have to rely on them for survival.

Their power in Yansha Prefecture is extremely large, and their methods are ruthless.

During this period, for some reason, there was a surge in the number of miners, mostly prisoners or those lured in by high wages from other places.

The miners who went in are rarely seen anymore.

The area is under tight surveillance, and any resistance fighters have likely already been subjected to brutal suppression and punishment.

Even death.

After a pause, he said helplessly, "Sir, in Yansha Prefecture, from the prefect to everyone in the local area, as long as there's money to be made,..."

It is mostly guarded by people with the fire element, or by relatives of the fire family.

Unless they don't want it.

They abused their power and wealth to oppress the people and act tyrannically.

They also enacted a series of harsh regulations to cruelly exploit and oppress miners and the people under their rule.

Those who attempted to resist were all implicated and executed.

Shang Tie blushed slightly, but more than that, he felt resentful. Unconsciously, he realized that he had said too much.

He quickly added, "We haven't seen anyone from the Fire Spirit Cult these past few days."

Yun Baiyi asked softly, a hint of doubt in his voice, "Was this the same when the Holy Emperor was alive?"

A sense of surprise and doubt washed over me.

When Shang Tie saw Yun Baiyi asking a question, Yun Baiyi's aura was continuous and his imposing presence was terrifying.

He quickly replied, "Yes, the Fire Spirit Sect is very powerful here. In the city and villages, they have implemented a system of mutual responsibility, where one person's entire family is implicated, and one family's entire family is implicated."

They found someone who was executed and tortured, then sent to the mine where he would never come out until his death.

Therefore, everyone is wary of each other.

Wess felt a surge of agreement. Indeed, without force, the villagers and miners were powerless to resist the sharp swords.

Like them, even in the most difficult times, we must ensure that our swords and spears are kept sharp and well-maintained.

The maintenance of swords and knives is never stopped every year; without sharp swords and knives, there is no peace of mind.

Therefore, a great deal of manpower and resources are spent on maintenance and upkeep, so although Weijia Village has a good catch, the expenses are also considerable.

Improving their meals was also unsustainable; such a life was worlds apart.

Ren Pingsheng nodded slowly.

Shang Tie suddenly knelt on the ground, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes flashing with flames of hatred and anticipation.

His voice was excited and trembling, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his heart with all his might.

He choked back tears, saying, "My lord, the Huo family is full of bad people. I beg you, my lord, to avenge my family."

A hatred that pierces to the core, and an indescribable pain.

Kneel on the ground, head bowed.

His shoulders trembled slightly, a mixture of anger and pain, an endless sorrow of losing loved ones and being unable to take revenge.

Helpless, utterly helpless! Swords in hand, yet unable to avenge the heart-wrenching wound. Alas!

Shang Tie's voice choked even more as he struggled to suppress his overwhelming grief and helplessness, and continued,

"My lord, back then the Huo family wasn't as heavily guarded as they are now, so I took the opportunity to escape. It was also thanks to the blessings of our ancestors that I was able to survive."

While cautiously trying to survive, I was fortunate enough to obtain a cultivation method, and from then on I practiced diligently, day and night.

He later joined the Demon Slayer Division, initially for the resources and techniques, hoping to use this power to take revenge more quickly.

However, as my cultivation deepened, I increasingly felt my own powerlessness. My natural talent was limited, and my resources were also limited; I knew deep down that I would find it difficult to avenge this wrong in my lifetime.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination. "But I have never given up and have always been looking for an opportunity to take revenge."

Silently watching the Huo family perish.

Now, the wait is finally over.

I beg you, sir, to avenge my family and clan.

He prostrated himself on the ground three times, his forehead pressed firmly against the ground with each kowtow, as if resonating with the earth and fighting against fate.

Given my limited abilities, this is all I can do to express my gratitude.

The choked words, like sharp blades, pierced the silent, cold air.

Silence, silence, everyone fell silent.

Zhang Dazhuang, Mu Shanlong, and Gu Shanqing looked slightly distressed, and sighed softly to themselves, "We are all unfortunate people, we were all unfortunate people in the past."

It's just that everyone's misfortune is different.

Perhaps they came from a poor background, perhaps they suffered injustice, perhaps they were ill; everyone's suffering is unique, and each person's suffering is difficult to express and difficult to be treated fairly.