C2 Bateoryn Dynasty

"What are you trying to say?" Kong Qing set down the mantou he was holding and asked with a relaxed droop of his eyelids.

The old man's lips curled into a sly, knowing smile. "Do you really take their words at face value? Do you actually believe that the whole world is just like this mine? I'm telling you, those supervisors want us to mine like puppets, that's the reason behind their lies."

"Get to the point already," Kong Qing said, his voice tinged with impatience.

The old man, noticing Kong Qing's piqued interest, cleared his throat and subtly gestured with his hand.

Kong Qing caught on to the old man's hint immediately. He tore off half of the mantou and handed it over, speaking in a measured tone, "Here's half for now. You'll get the other half after you've finished speaking."

"Half?" The old man looked at the piece of mantou Kong Qing offered, visibly taken aback.

"Forget it then," Kong Qing said, seeing the old man's hunger yet his disdain for the half piece of mantou. He huffed and was about to retract his offer.

"Wait, wait, wait, I'll take it, I'll take it," the old man hastily snatched the half mantou from Kong Qing's hand.

"I wouldn't have guessed someone as young as you could be so shrewd in business," the old man remarked with a chuckle, taking a bite of the mantou and giving Kong Qing a meaningful look.

Kong Qing understood the old man's point. In this mine, the majority of people were like the walking dead, soulless husks going through the motions of mining day in and day out, devoid of thought or reflection.

They had become the living dead, true slaves.

Yet there were a few, like Kong Qing and the old man, who still had thoughts and ideas, who could think for themselves and hadn't been completely subdued by their surroundings.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must not be a native of the Ancient Quarters," the old man said, taking another bite of his mantou.

The Ancient Quarters was the name of the mine where Kong Qing was located, as well as the surrounding region.

"That's correct. I was brought here against my will," Kong Qing confirmed, seeing no need for secrecy.

"But that doesn't add up," the old man said, pausing in thought before continuing, "If you were brought in from the outside, you should know what the world out there is like, right?"

Kong Qing shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then, as if struck by inspiration, he spoke slowly, "I used to live in a village where I was the only resident. Three years ago, I was inexplicably captured by them."

Upon hearing Kong Qing's response, the old man nodded in understanding. Many villages led secluded lives, disconnected from the outside world. To the old man, Kong Qing was simply another unfortunate soul caught up in such circumstances.

"Well then, since I've partaken of your mantou, let me share some knowledge about the outside world," the old man said, taking a bite of the remaining bun and casually wiping his hands on his tattered clothing.

"You're aware of the country we're in, aren't you?" the old man inquired.

Kong Qing shook his head eagerly, his eyes wide with anticipation as he fixed his gaze on the old man. He had been here so long, yet his knowledge was limited to the mining area.

"Cough, cough. Kids will be kids," the old man muttered, lifting his eyelids slightly.

Seeing this, Kong Qing quickly offered the remaining half of his steamed bun to the old man.

Kong Qing's world, known as the First Realm, wasn't particularly vast, spanning just tens of millions of square kilometers. Of this expanse, three-fifths was land, with the remaining two-fifths comprising mostly oceans and some untapped special regions.

This land was split among nine domains. Although there were nine, the First Realm was truly dominated by only two: the Bateoryn Dynasty and the Ecraechemid Empire.

The other seven domains were quite small and heavily influenced by the two major powers, resulting in less-than-ideal geography.

Kong Qing's domain was the Bateoryn Dynasty, one of the two great empires. Within the Bateoryn Dynasty, there were three counties: Imyve, Ofelluna, and Yefthyr.

The Ancient Quarters, however, did not fall under any of these counties. It was situated at the far end of the Bateoryn Dynasty.

Despite being a slave-driven mining area, the Ancient Quarters spanned a larger area than any of the three counties.

"The Bateoryn Dynasty?" Kong Qing murmured to himself. "Right, I heard that the source stones we mine every day are for warriors in the legends to use for their training. And I've heard that each mining area is guarded by warriors. Could it be possible to actually cultivate in this world?"

Seeing the spark in Kong Qing's eyes, the old man straightened his back a bit more and stroked his unkempt white beard with pride. He held out his hand and asked, "How about another half?"

Without hesitation, Kong Qing tore off half of his remaining steamed bun.

Another burly man nearby quickly called out to Kong Qing, "Hey, young man, don't listen to the old man's tall tales. He's just trying to scam a meal."

At this, Kong Qing withdrew his hand, looking at the old man with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "Scamming a meal?"

The old man bristled at the burly man's comment, turning his head to point at him angrily. "What do you know? You've spent your whole life in the Ancient Quarters, like a frog in a well!"

The burly man didn't argue back. He simply shrugged and kept nibbling on his steamed bun. After a moment's thought, he gave Kong Qing a sidelong glance and advised, "Little brother, the idea of warriors is too elusive. We can't even get out of the Ancient Quarters. Forget those fantasies. Just focus on your work and earn yourself a couple extra steamed buns."

Kong Qing nodded at the burly man with a smile of thanks, then passed the half bun to the old man.

"Do you believe me?" the old man asked, taken aback.

Kong Qing nodded and whispered, "I've been here for three years, and I can sense that the source stones we're mining are no ordinary rocks."

"Good!" The old man took the steamed bun from Kong Qing and bit into it eagerly. While chewing, he said, "Even though I never had the chance to become a warrior, I've seen one in battle with my own eyes!"

"I was young then, living in a village a few dozen kilometers from the Ancient Quarters. One night, a tremendous boom shook the village, and a strange sensation weighed on everyone's hearts. The others thought it was the gods descending to punish us mortals, and no one dared to open their doors."

Back in my youth, full of vigor, I managed to quietly open the window just a crack to catch a glimpse of the commotion outside!"

"What did you see? A warrior?" Kong Qing asked, his excitement palpable.

The elder gave Kong Qing a knowing nod.

"Yes, the legendary warriors! Two of them, no less!"

"All I saw was their hands moving ceaselessly, then suddenly, there was this extraordinary light, utterly bizarre!"

"Eventually, the pain in my chest became unbearable, and I had to shut the window. Whatever happened after that, I can't say."

"Just listen to his tall tales!"

Kong Qing was still lost in the elder's tale when the big man shattered the imagery in his mind.

The elder remained silent, merely shaking his head at the sight of Kong Qing's astonishment before rising to his feet.

"Kid, what does it matter if you're a warrior? Once you're here, there's no leaving. Better to cling to life and make the most of it. Get to work!"

With that, the elder sought out a plank in the cave and lay down to rest.

"You don't actually believe him, do you?" the big man asked Kong Qing with a chuckle.

It took Kong Qing a moment before he turned and nodded. "Indeed. Not long ago, I saw a warrior illuminate a source stone myself."

The big man heaved a deep sigh. "He's not wrong, you know. Warriors are real, and outside, there are even more warriors than ordinary folks. But..."

He trailed off, sighing once more.

Kong Qing's brow furrowed as he asked in a grave tone, "Uncle, is there truly no way for us to escape?"

"Escape?" The big man's face tensed as he quickly scanned their surroundings. Seeing no one was paying attention, he leaned in closer to Kong Qing.

"Kid, don't end up like that old man. He can't keep his mouth shut and has been punished countless times for it," the big man whispered cautiously.

Despite Kong Qing's lack of reaction, the big man pressed on, "You'd best abandon such thoughts. I'm a native of the Ancient Quarters. I've been mining here since I was eight. I've lost count of all the uprisings I've witnessed over the years."

"Doesn't the domain know what's happening here?" Kong Qing inquired.

"Hahaha, the domain..." The burly man chuckled ruefully, then his smile faded into a grave expression as he fixed his gaze on Kong Qing. Speaking deliberately, with a chill in his voice, he said, "Decades ago, this place wasn't known as the Ancient Quarters. It was the fourth county of the Bateoryn Dynasty, Eslmel!"

"Eslmel County is the only county in the entire Bateoryn Dynasty, and indeed the whole First Realm, without any martial strength. Everyone led a very ordinary life, working from sunrise to sunset. Moreover, the domain had decreed that no warriors were to enter Eslmel County."

When the burly man paused, Kong Qing bit his lip and asked softly, "Then why now..."

"Now, they're toiling away in the mines like slaves, aren't they?" the burly man said with a scornful laugh.

"Can't such a vast domain take care of a few thugs?" Kong Qing pressed anxiously.

The burly man extended his index finger, pointing to the pickaxe brand on his face, his breath quickening as he responded vehemently, "This is the domain's doing! This is what the domain bestows upon us!"

"The term 'slave' seems to have been coined specifically for us, the people of the Ancient Quarters!"