The loss of a mine was no small matter. In the King’s Mountains, a mine turning unprofitable led to miners starving to death or dying from fights with other mining gangs over territory. The decrease in revenue affected not only the miners but their village as well. If the mine was particularly big, its decline might cause the entire village to collapse and be abandoned. This then resulted in an influx of desperate people into the neighboring regions, causing more problems and bloodshed.

Gray suspected that something like this happened to the bandit town. At some point in the past, the vast Lake Mine surely produced a steady stream of jade and spiritual stones. It was enough money to support such a town with a large population. Those in charge probably never imagined that this source of wealth would ever be depleted and made no preparations for the possibility.

When their lifeblood finally ran dry, the Duanmu Clan was put in a tenuous situation. They faced a future of poverty for their entire clan and had to make difficult choices. They chose the wrong one, robbing their richer neighbor and others in a futile attempt to maintain their way of life.

Tang’s words seemed nonsensical at first but after seeing the state of the Lake Mine, it made a little bit of sense. Gray's instincts as a miner told him that he was close to the truth. Jealousy and greed warped a person's mind. It was easy to imagine what it could do to a whole clan over many years.

Gray was woken up the next morning by loud noises from the outside. He remained hidden in the old mining tunnel and listened intently. With spiritual energy injected into his ears improving his hearing, he discerned many distinct voices.

“Get up! Get up, you lazy assholes!”

“Line up straight or you won’t get fed!”

“Hurry!”

These harsh yells were interrupted by cracks of whips which were followed by pained screams and more yells.

Gray could not hold back his curiosity and peeked out carefully. Below, in the dried lakebed, there were over a thousand people in rags milling around. Several dozen bandits walked around this large group, corralling them, shouting and whipping anyone they felt like. Those receiving this arbitrary punishment were the prisoners and they did not dare to retaliate or even look up.

The bandit guards were eventually satisfied and called down two horse-drawn carts. One was filled with hard, moldy bread while the other was filled with pickaxes and shovels.

The prisoners swarmed the foot cart and dispersed the rations among themselves. There wasn’t enough for everyone. Those that were slow or pushed to the rear did not get anything. Those that managed to get something ate quickly and only a few shared with others.

“It’s time to work!”

“Hurry up!”

Whips cracked once again and each prisoner picked up a tool and headed into the tunnels at the bottom of the lake. After that, the guards left and returned to their posts outside of the mine.

Gray understood what was going on. These miners were enslaved by the bandits to mine what little jade and spiritual stone were left here. It was an unprofitable situation for ordinary mining companies but it wasn’t for one using enslaved laborers.

The attack on the River Mine captured plenty of slaves to support this operation. He saw a few familiar faces including Krish and his three sons. While they were all still alive, they looked skinny and tired. They were in no immediate danger but they were still prisoners and made to work as slaves.

Gray wanted to help them but he didn’t know how to. Leaving the Lake Mine and going back to Jade Hill Town was the sensible thing to do but he didn’t want to leave just yet. A part of him worried about his people and the other prisoners. Another part of him wasn't willing to let the bandits go until he had a chance for payback.

And most importantly, he was unwilling to lose out on the leftover jade and spiritual stones. They were just sitting there on the earth all around, twinkling away, and waiting for him. The Lake Mine was depleted but it was not completely barren. His special eyes told him that there was still a small fortune to be made here even if it would take more effort than usual. Just like the River Mine, these abandoned mining tunnels were perfect for him. He was still at the sixth level of Spiritual Strengthening, far from the peak of the realm. He was unwilling to let go of an opportunity to increase his cultivation for free. He would also be stealing from the bandits at the same time, a little form of payback.

Gray decided to stay. Like many times before, his greedy heart defeated his other thoughts. With the foreman's pickaxe, he went to work, unearthing jade and spiritual stones at an inhuman pace.

---

The bandit overseers came back at sunset. They arrived with two horse carts, one filled with food and one empty. Each prisoner handed back their tools and everything was carefully counted to make sure nothing and nobody was missing. Aside from the usual bread, there was also some dried meat. These were given out to those who turned in jade or spiritual stones as an extra reward.

Judging from how much food was given out today to feed them, slave labor was a terribly profitable endeavor. The amount of jade and spiritual stones the prisoners produced could pay for a hundred carts of food and yet they only received one in return. They worked their bodies to the ground for a couple of loaves of bread. That amount wasn’t enough to keep a child fed, let alone a grown adult.

If that wasn’t enough, after the guards left, a few scuffles and fights broke out. Everyone was hungry and some were willing to cause trouble over a little bit of extra food. There were clear splinters within the prisoners as they organized themselves into several groups. They couldn’t fight back against the bandits so they could only fight amongst themselves. It was the sad truth that people would do anything to survive.

Gray shook his head and retreated into his tunnel. If he did not have enough strength, he would have been in the same position as those below. The world outside the King’s Mountains was exciting but it was filled with greater dangers. He needed to continue to work hard.

Individual strength was the most important above all. If the foreman had been able to defeat Duanmu Tang, the miners would not have been captured. If he, Gray, was strong enough to take down Tang as well as that despicable bandit elder, he could have saved his people.

Getting stronger was the most important thing right now. When he was stronger, he would be able to help, somehow.