"Master, is Tianjiao Peak considered part of Ji Kingdom's territory?" Han Shuang pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but ask.
"Heh~, in chaotic times, strength speaks for itself. Tianjiao Peak is desolate, a godforsaken place, and the Ji Kingdom has never paid it any attention, otherwise it wouldn't be our turn. Unclaimed land, of course, belongs to whoever seizes it."
Mo Lan smiled. According to rumors, the king of Ji was incompetent and willful, and as a result, he turned himself into a puppet emperor, with all the power falling into the hands of a few dukes.
They're too busy fighting amongst themselves to have time to expand their territory. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have much say in it.
Han Shuang nodded. "Alright, I'll make the arrangements right away. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
The next day, after breakfast, Mo Lan, along with Han Shuang and ten guards, set off on horseback. They rode at full speed and arrived at the foot of the mountain as the sun was setting.
Looking up at the mountain forest, Mo Lan and her group drank some water, rested briefly, and then headed into the mountains.
After walking for half an hour along the mountain path, they finally met up with Tie Niu and the others.
"Boss, you're here! Perfect timing! The brothers hunted a wild boar today, we'll roast it tonight," Cui Sheng and Tie Niu greeted them excitedly.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Is there any unusual activity around here?"
Mo Lan glanced at the surrounding terrain. Tianjiao Peak didn't look particularly steep. The weeds were withered and the trees weren't very tall. Perhaps due to the iron ore, the vegetation in this area was noticeably less lush than elsewhere.
"Things are relatively calm for now,"
Tie Niu glanced at Mo Lan and asked in a simple, honest voice, "Judging from the terrain and the surrounding vegetation, this mineral deposit should be quite large. I doubt we can handle it all by digging alone?"
Since becoming acquainted with Hua Molan, he was unwittingly led up the mountain. Although his elderly father was well taken care of, it was impossible for him to come down the mountain.
It makes me so angry just thinking about it. This woman in front of me is incredibly cunning.
"What, you want someone else to share the profits?"
Mo Lan looked at Tie Niu's honest appearance and sneered.
"We're trying to keep it a secret, but if those feudal lords find out, they'll be rushing to take it for themselves, and we won't even have a chance to drink a drop of soup."
After listening to Mo Lan's tone, Tie Niu remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"What I mean is, we need to find a partner, someone with good character and integrity. With such a huge mine, we could never mine it all by ourselves..."
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Mo Lan interrupted him.
"Stop, stop, stop. I'm not going to cooperate with anyone. As for whether we can finish mining it all, you don't need to worry about that. The mineral deposits were left by our ancestors. We'll mine as much as we can and leave the rest to our descendants."
As Mo Lan spoke, she couldn't help but chuckle at Tie Niu's bewildered expression.
"We can dig however we want ourselves, but if others get involved, we'll definitely lose our focus, leading to a lot of conflicts and troubles that will drive us crazy. So, forget about all that."
"Okay, this is just a suggestion; the decision is yours."
Tie Niu nodded. It wasn't that he was indifferent to worldly affairs; he just wanted to take the opportunity to see the iron-smelting skills of other craftsmen.
"Alright, we've been traveling all day. Let's pack up and rest here." Mo Lan waved her hand, signaling everyone to get back to work, and then found a rock to sit down and catch her breath.
The campfire was lit, and Frost directed everyone to prepare the wild game and keep watch over the surroundings.
Soon, the air was filled with the smell of barbecue. Mo Lan crossed her legs, looking at the sparse stars and the crescent moon overhead. The early summer forest was cool and quiet.
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