Chapter 97: The Peerless Seductress

  Along the iron staircase to the bottom of the Jinghuo Mine, this road alone took nearly half a day's time. The mine guards deliberately slowed down their pace, just to let the miners experience the depth of the mine and feel the despair and fear.

  At last, the mining slaves' team made their way through the layers of dust and haze to the very bottom of the mine. The world before them was a blurry expanse, shrouded in thick clouds of smoke. Smoke billowed, flames danced, day and night were indistinguishable, and the outlines of the undulating mountains could be vaguely seen.

  The entire mine was a vast expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see, with slaves wielding iron hammers everywhere. Some were gathered on flat ground, while others hung from the sides of mountains, and some worked in groups of three to five to transport ore, densely packed, numbering in the tens of thousands!

  The air was filled with the deafening sound of clanging and hammering, angry roars, mixed with mournful wails.

  A magnificent and grand scene, yet a tragic and beautiful painting with bloodstained colors.

  This refined fire mine is rich in iron ore, which contains natural fire elements and is of excellent quality for forging weapons. Because the flame energy here is very dense, occasionally crystals with intense fire energy can be dug up underground!!

  Value is the most precious treasure here!

  If a slave can dig out fire crystal, he will get five days off. If the fire crystal dug out is big enough, there may even be an opportunity to indulge in the 'barracks' once!

  This temptation has an unimaginable power of temptation for slaves who work hard every day without hope.

  "You five, from now on in this room, you have half a day to rest, and then start working. From now on, it's the five of you cooperating, completing your daily workload on time and in full, only after completion can you eat and rest, if not, continue working!" A sturdy man roughly pushed them into the slave quarters, let out a disgusted hum, and turned to leave.

  Tang Yan, Du Yang, Xu Yan, and two unfamiliar men were arranged in a dilapidated tile-roofed house in the slave quarters. Inside, five simple plank beds were lined up, covered with thin mattresses, emitting a strong musty smell.

  Xu Yan walked towards the bed in the corner and put on a black robe that resembled prison clothes.

  "Aren't you going to change?" Tang Yan found it somewhat strange, their clothes were dirty and smelly, Lin Yan's clothes were even stained with blood, they should have changed directly.

  Xu Yan was indifferent and silent, sitting in the corner with his eyes closed, cultivating his spirit.

  Tang Yan shrugged and stopped talking, took off his dirty clothes and changed into prison uniform.

  The other two men noticed the black pheasant hanging from Tang Yan's body, and they all showed a few points of different colors, but none of them said anything out of place. The black pheasant was surprisingly well-behaved, hanging on his body like a sloth, not making any noise or movement, just curiously looking at the surrounding environment.

  The five of them went to bed on their own, all tired, mentally and physically exhausted. No one spoke a word, they just sat there quietly, thinking about their own things.

  On the ground, a magnificent palace stands proudly in the city, with golden tiles and silver eaves, crystal stones dotting it, and bright red flowers decorating both inside and out. This is a grand palace forged from fine gold, luxurious to the extreme, a treasure worth a whole city, and also the famous "Fragrant Chamber" of the empire.

  Deep within the palace, in a luxurious bedroom, red silk curtains floated, and on a large rhinoceros horn white jade bed, a thick golden cicada quilt was spread. A seductive woman lay on her side, her powder arm and jade leg visible through the thin blanket, her fiery long hair cascading down like a waterfall, her delicate skin as tender as jade, seemingly fragile enough to be blown away by a breath of air.

  This is a woman who has reached the ultimate in beauty. One smile can conquer the city, one glance can conquer the country, and her charm enthralls people all over the world.

  Half asleep and half awake, her red lips lightly pursed, exuding a breathtaking charm.

  More than ten beautiful female slaves attended to her, gently waving feather fans and playing with fragrances. Each of them was young and lovely, but in front of this woman, they seemed so ordinary.

  Niya, the younger sister of the head of the Rao family, one of the six super families in the Delos Empire, is in charge of the Jinghuo Mine. She is a powerful warrior who commands respect and awe throughout the empire and her family's influence knows no bounds. Moreover... Her stunning beauty has spread to every corner of the Delos Empire, with countless heroes and strongmen infatuated with her, and many powerful warriors voluntarily guarding her. It is even said that the Emperor himself was once enchanted by her.

  "Bang! Bang!"

  A gentle knock at the door echoed outside, cautious and careful, afraid of disturbing the owner inside.

  A female slave at the bedside quickly walked over and gently opened the luxurious large door.

  The red-robed golden-armored warrior who had snatched away Tang Yan's ancient war sword stood outside the door: "Please inform the master, the clan leader has arrived and is waiting in the main hall to discuss important matters."

  The female slave looked outside and whispered: "Master has rested."

  "I know the master is tired from his long journey, but since the clan leader has come in person, there must be something important to discuss."

  "Who's coming?" Niya lightly opened her crimson lips, her voice soft and gentle, with a strange charm.

  "Reporting to the master, it is the clan elder, who has brought two respected elders and says there is an important matter for discussion." The red-robed golden-armored warrior responded respectfully.

  "I'll wait for him here." Niya leaned back against the headboard of her bed, limp and boneless under the ministrations of her maid.

  "This... is!" The red-robed and golden-armored warrior quickly retreated down the steps.

  After a moment, a majestic middle-aged man strode in, with a face as smooth as jade and eyes like bright stars. His crimson cloak fluttered in the wind, exuding an extraordinary aura that would captivate countless young girls with its elegance and handsome appearance.

  A middle-aged man followed by a large group of armed men, surged into the palace, the golden armored guards around them all knelt down and saluted respectfully, shouting loudly: "Master!"

  A middle-aged man came to the front of the bedroom door, slightly furrowed his brow, seemed a bit hesitant, but finally stepped inside. Most people behind him stopped on their own initiative, only two old men and a red-robed golden-armored warrior lowered their eyelids and followed in.

  "Isaac, how did you get here?" Niya gently swirled her glass, savoring the crimson liquor to refresh herself.

  "You should call him elder brother!" Isaac said with a big smile, gesturing for the other three to sit down, and the female slaves automatically came over to serve them.

  "Speak your mind, I'm tired. I've run halfway across the empire for this batch of slaves."

  "I know you've worked hard, how many slaves have you brought this time?"

  "Five thousand five hundred in total, the quality is still acceptable. Recently, there have been frequent accidents at the mine, and slaves have been dying in batches. These more than 5,000 people can just fill in."

  "I've heard about the mine incident. Has the specific cause been investigated clearly? I also heard that nine other mines have frequently had accidents recently."

  "Under investigation. You seem quite anxious? Rushing all the way here just for this matter? The Taiwu Mine has been excavated for two thousand years, its age is long, and its structure is complex, so it's only natural that problems arise, no need to disturb you?"

  "Leave these things to you to handle, I came over today for another matter, a more important one."

  "Want to be my matchmaker? Hehe, I don't need a man." Niya said with a soft and charming smile, her voice seemed to have a special magic that made everyone including Isaac feel a surge of blood and heat all over their bodies.

  Isaac coughed heavily and glared at him, saying: "You tone it down!!"

  "Go on, go on, what is it? I'm listening." Niya was really getting tired and didn't have the energy to banter with them.

  "The Taiwu mining area will be very unstable soon. Not only are there frequent accidents underground, but the ownership of the top ten mines may also undergo unexpected changes."

  Nia savored the taste for a moment before catching the underlying meaning in Isaac's words: "Someone wants to take away our Rao family's precious fire crystal mine? Are you kidding me? In this Delos Empire, who dares to challenge us except for the imperial family and the other five major families?"

  "Ximena's family!"

  "Ximena? Northern Plains' Ximena? Just a second-rate family."

  "The Ximeng Nong family is no longer the Ximeng Nong of old, having developed rapidly in recent years. They acquired a top-grade martial skill and helped their patriarch, Ximeng Nong, make a breakthrough to the revered level. Recently, they also formed an alliance with the Lieyun Mountain Manor, and their overall strength is now on par with that of our six major families."

  There's another thing, since the war broke out in the three southern empires last year, the Ximeng Nong family has frequently offered gifts and people to the royal family, even sending a king-level strongman to fight on the front line, gaining favor from the royal family. Two months ago, the royal family betrothed the 17th princess to the eldest son of the Ximeng Nong family. The influence of the Ximeng Nong family is growing stronger day by day and is no less than that of our six major families.

  "Our Rao family has accumulated wealth and power over the centuries, making us one of the top six families. We seem to be invincible, but in reality, we have already been envied by the imperial family. They just haven't had a chance to make a move yet. But this time... it's big trouble! The imperial family might want to use us as a sacrifice and replace our Rao family with the Simo Nong family."

  Niya's drowsiness gradually dissipated: "Is it that serious? Without a reasonable reason, the imperial family taking action against the Rao family would mean starting an internal war, do they dare?"

  "I didn't want to believe it, but with the power of our Rao family, even if the imperial family and the Simo Nong family joined forces, they would probably have to pay a heavy price. The empire is in a state of war, and can't afford this kind of turmoil. But now the situation seems more complicated than we thought, the other five families... seem to be involved too!"

  "What? What do they want to do! Rabbit dies, dog is cooked, lips die and teeth are cold, don't they understand? The six major families have always been in a semi-independent state, the imperial family has always wanted to eliminate them all. If the imperial family intends to take us down, will the other five families have a good outcome?" Niya finally changed color, her beauty was tinged with coldness, no wonder her brother Isaac brought two elderly people to Taiwu Mining Area, in the few months she wasn't there, such a change had occurred.

  "It must be that the royal family has reached an agreement with them."

  "I'm asking you again, are you really sure? Where did this intelligence come from?"

  "Half intelligence, half inference. This matter is extraordinary, we must prepare for the worst, otherwise once the royal family makes a move, we will be completely on the defensive. I brought two respected elders today, and outside there are three great martial kings who will all stay here to help you guard the Fire Spirit Mine. When it's time to be tough, we must be tough, but when it's time to be flexible, you absolutely cannot provoke trouble prematurely."

  "How about you?"

  "I'll go back to the family and try my best to prevent things from going in a bad direction. Even if it's already set in motion, I'll still try to delay it for some time. Don't worry, with Old Master at home holding down the fort, they won't dare to act rashly."

  "So you be careful, don't force it if not necessary. This Fire Spirit Mine has been operating for 2,000 years, it's a mine, but also a purgatory, if they dare to come, I have the ability to make them pay the price." Niya's voice was soft and gentle, but there was a hint of ruthlessness in her tone!

  Isaac asked again: "How is your dare-to-die corps coming along?"

  "They've all been shaped into top-notch warriors, a total of 979 people. They've all spent years honing their skills in this mine, some for as little as three years, others for as long as ten. They've suffered greatly. If I were to promise them freedom, they would definitely fight to the death to seize it."

  "How many Wu Zong are there among these new slaves?"

  "Sixty of them, I've arranged for special care. If suitable ones are found, they will be directly selected into the dare-to-die corps and formed into a thousand-man unit! Helen, are there any special ones among this batch?"

  "The three-stage martial artist, Xu Yan, is an extremely dangerous individual. When he goes crazy, even the Martial King dares not to confront him; The three-stage martial artist, Di Ke Lei, is a cursed seal martial artist. Although he is a martial artist, he can walk in mid-air; The three-stage martial artist, Ai Cha, has a ruthless nature and excels at using poison, making him an assassination expert; The two-stage martial artist, Ai De Jia, has crystallized his spiritual veins but was abandoned by the imperial family due to his refusal of their recruitment. However, he miraculously self-healed and is often seen in the City of Sin. These four are particularly special, with incredible combat strength. I have already assigned them to different regions to avoid any clashes."

  "Alright, do as you wish, I won't interfere. Niya, the mine is in your hands now, be careful for a while." Isaac stood up, his stern expression filled with solemnity: "I hope it's just my paranoia, but if the royal family really makes a move, our Rao family will play along nicely!"