[Fantasy] The Great Sage's Joyful Heaven (Complete) - 1

Book Introduction:
Yan Nange's life is full of legends: I didn't desire wealth, yet riches came unexpectedly; I didn't desire arrogance, yet I always remained exceptionally stylish!

------Chapter Content Begins-------

Chapter 1 Yan Nange
: 10-21 10:16:21 Word Count: 3183

Yan Nange opened his eyes and saw a filthy, large foot kicking towards him.
He instinctively rolled away, dodging the kick. The filthy foot, carrying a strong, sour stench, swept past him just three inches away, bringing with it a gust of cold wind. The kick was powerful!
"You little bastard, you dare dodge my kick! Today I'll kick you to death!"
Yan Nange felt a burning pain all over his body. He looked up at the owner of the foot, a ragged, bearded thug. At the same time, he also saw many onlookers.
These onlookers were all like this thug, barefoot, ragged, and filthy!
Meanwhile, Yan Nange saw himself in the mountains, looking over the heads of the crowd at a vast expanse of rocky peaks.
"Where am I? Are all these people fugitives?"
Yan Nange only remembered being called Yan Nange, and also Xiao Qi... or rather, he should have been called Yan Nange before, and now he should be called Xiao Qi.
His mind was a jumbled mess, with occasional clear thoughts that quickly vanished.
Yan Nange vaguely felt that he should be an adult. However, looking down at his body, he found himself in the body of a boy. He cried out, "How could this be? How could this be? How did I become a child?!"
The thug cursed, "You little bastard, stop pretending to be crazy. I'll kick you to death today!"
With that, the thug's large foot came flying towards Yan Nange's face, with tremendous force.
Yan Nange, already frustrated, instinctively defended himself. He didn't know what he used to do; this kick from the thug seemed full of flaws to him, and there were countless ways to make him suffer a great loss!
He jerked his battered body to his feet, grabbed a nearby rock, and slammed it into the thug's ankle.
A scream rang out, and the thug collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg and howling. Blood gushed from the ankle; the injury appeared severe.
Yan Nange tossed aside the blood-stained, sharp rock. He thought, "Serves you right! Even a random rock I picked up had a blade! Now your leg's useless. Let's see how you kick people again!"
Before coming here, Yan Nange had killed and maimed many, and his own side had suffered just as many. His body was covered in wounds, all from his desperate rise to power.
Fighting was as natural to Yan Nange as breathing; it was one of his and his brothers' survival skills. This small incident was insignificant to him. However, the onlookers' expressions changed. A third scattered hastily, a third remained watching, and the remaining third gathered around, cursing.
"You lot, quickly carry our eldest brother away and get him treated!" a thin middle-aged man shouted. The others snapped out of their daze and hurriedly lifted the thug, running away.
The remaining men, led by the middle-aged man, surrounded Yan Nange and, without a word, began to beat him.
Yan Nange had already sensed their menacing approach and had quietly picked up the bloodstained stone from the ground. As soon as they attacked, he endured the excruciating pain and struck back, aiming for their joints and vital points.
If before it was just a fight, now it was a fight to the death. Yan Nange, a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy covered in wounds, was already struggling against seven adults, and now he had no room to hold back, every move ruthless.
After enduring countless blows, all seven men were knocked down or knocked unconscious by Yan Nange, and he finally succumbed and fainted.
Yan Nange awoke from his dream, a dream containing both his past and present lives. The memories of his past and present lives were intertwined, forming his current memories.
"Child, you're awake?"
A wrinkled, weathered old face appeared in Yan Nange's field of vision. The old man smiled at him, revealing snow-white teeth that contrasted sharply with his ashen complexion.
Yan Nange looked at the roof made of reeds and wooden rafters above him and asked, "Old man, where is this?"
The old man sighed and said, "Where else could this be? It's still the Black Stone Mine. Child, you've been unconscious for seven days and seven nights. I really thought you were gone! ... Little Qi, don't even think about running away anymore, it's too dangerous!"
Hearing the old man's words, some memories surfaced in Yan Nange's mind.
So, this place was called the Black Stone Mine, a large mine under the jurisdiction of Lantian City in the Sheng Tang Kingdom of the Qiankun Continent, famous for its black gemstones.
The original owner of this body came to the Black Stone Mine at the age of six, and it was this old man who worked in the kitchen who took care of him. The old man had no name, and he always called him "Old Man."
For some reason, the original owner of this body had a completely chaotic memory before the age of six, and couldn't remember anything. Upon arriving here, his number was 1314—his father didn't call him by his number, but rather Little Seven. His companions and friends called him that too.
The leader of the group he had just injured, nicknamed Black Yama, was a tyrant.
Because Little Seven had offended Black Yama, the two had clashed before, but Black Yama had never gained the upper hand. Thus, their enmity deepened.
Little Seven had been trying to escape the mine, thinking of redeeming his father after he got out. He could have succeeded this time, but because of Black Yama's obstruction, he not only failed to escape but was also brutally beaten.
When Little Seven collapsed from exhaustion, Yan Nange's consciousness inexplicably entered his body. After opening his eyes, he witnessed the scene where he fought Black Yama and his gang alone.
Yan Nange asked, "Father, how are Black Yama and the others?"
His father's eyes were filled with worry as he frowned and said, "Black Yama's right ankle is broken; he's a cripple now. Three of his seven henchmen are crippled, and four are seriously injured... Child, you've gotten yourself into big trouble this time! Sigh, although we don't usually concern ourselves with these things here, who knew that Black Yama and the overseer, Li Pibian, were connected? You might be forced to carry ore!"
Yan Nange knew from Xiao Qi's memories that carrying ore was the hardest and most arduous job in the Black Stone Mine. It was usually done by slaves over eighteen years old. To send a twelve-year-old boy to do it was clearly malicious!
"Xiao Qi, you must be careful!" His father worried, and tears streamed down his face.

Chapter Two: Murder
(10-21 10:16:22, 3433 words)

Yan Nange knew the old man was genuinely concerned for him. He got up, wiped his father's tears, and said, "Father, don't worry, Xiao Qi will be fine anywhere!"
His father wiped his tears, pulled a sharpened iron bar about seven inches long from under the bed. The end of the bar was wrapped in cloth; it was a fine weapon.
His father handed the iron bar to Yan Nange: "Child, take this with you. It will come in handy in a life-or-death situation!"
Yan Nange took the iron bar, looked at it, and said, "Father, you have excellent craftsmanship. With this iron bar, Xiao Qi can rest easy!"
Yan Nange wasn't boasting or trying to comfort his father. In fact, with his skills, even in his current youthful physique, he should be able to handle more than ten people in a healthy state. And if he couldn't win, he could run away; he was extremely adept at escaping.
The old man prepared a bowl of vegetable porridge for Yan Nange. He drank it and was about to doze off again when a soldier in light armor burst in.
The soldier said, "One, three, one, four, pack your things and come with me!"
The old man had already gone out to work, leaving Yan Nange alone in the room. He wasn't fully recovered yet, and with some difficulty, he got off the wooden plank bed, rolled up the tattered quilt that concealed the iron bar, and staggered after the soldier, leaving the stinking slave quarters.
It must have been the height of summer; the sun was blazing, and the weather was extremely hot.
As soon as Yan Nange stepped out of the stone-built slave quarters, he was immediately covered in sweat. His head was spinning from the scorching sun, and he had to shield his eyes with his hand to open them and see the world.
In the distance were black mountains and green forests; further away and closer were plains and stone buildings. Countless people moved about on the mountains, mostly dressed in rags and with filthy faces—these were all slaves.
Occasionally, one or two people dressed in light armor or blue robes with clean faces could be seen; these were the mine's guards and overseers. They were the upper class of this black stone mine.
After walking for a while, a guard led Yan Nange into a row of stone houses.
The stench here was even stronger, making Yan Nange feel nauseous. The long, cylindrical room contained only a few wooden plank beds; the rest were makeshift beds made of moldy straw, with some tattered cotton wadding thrown on them, or simply nothing at all!
"This is your bed! Put your things down and come with me to work!"
The guard pinched his nose and pointed to a patch of moldy straw, covered in mushrooms and moss, and said to Yan Nange.
Yan Nange didn't speak, but frowned, placed the tattered bedding on the relatively dry bed next to him, secretly took out the iron bar, stuffed it into his pocket, and followed the guard out of the stone house.
The two walked for a while longer and came to a courtyard. The guard beckoned over a large, burly man with a menacing face, saying, "Big guy, this kid is yours from now on! ...Be careful, this kid is no pushover. He just crippled Black Yama a few days ago, and also crippled three of his henchmen. The other four are still in bed!"
The burly man's eyes gleamed with a predatory, savage light. He glanced at Yan Nange, licked his lips, and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, sir. I like this chick!"
The guard chuckled lewdly and turned to leave. The burly man leered as his gaze roamed greedily over Yan Nange's body, his eyes filled with lust.
Yan Nange saw through his intentions—the burly man was attracted to her fair and delicate appearance and wanted to use her to vent his lust!
"Damn it, I'm already here without even knowing why, and now I'm being used as a sex object! There's no justice!" Yan Nange cursed all the ancestors of the wicked heavens in his heart.
"Little girl, come work with me!" the big black man said, reaching out his thick arm to grab Yan Nange.
Yan Nange wasn't one to be bullied, especially since this guy wasn't just trying to bully him, but to molest him!
He dodged, coldly saying, "Big guy, behave yourself, or I'll skin you alive and feed you to the wild dogs!"
The big black man chuckled, saying, "Still a wild horse, I like spirited ones! I'll give you a good time tonight!...Come with me!"
The big black man led the way, Yan Nange followed, and they walked up the mountain.
Looking at the slaves carrying large baskets of stones, their faces dripping with sweat, Yan Nange could imagine what his fate would be.
Neither Yan Nange nor Xiao Qi had ever done any heavy physical labor. These baskets of ore probably weighed at least two hundred pounds each, and he wondered if his small frame could handle them!
"Ugh, this damned heavens sent me to this godforsaken place! Isn't this just torturing me? Damn heavens, I..." Yan Nange cursed the heavens' ancestors endlessly in his mind, finally easing his anger a little.
Reaching the mountaintop, Yan Nange said, "I need to relieve myself!" Without waiting for the big black guy's reply, he darted into the nearby woods. He quickly found some flexible vines and tied the iron bar to his calves. He pulled down his slightly torn trouser legs to hide the iron bar. Emerging
from the woods, he was cursed at by the big black guy, but Yan Nange endured it silently, secretly vowing to make that bastard pay sooner or later.
There were some low hills at the top of the mountain, and some small mines were located on these hills. Outside each mine shaft, there were large willow baskets filled with ore, and people were responsible for carrying them on the backs of the slaves.
The burly man led Yan Nange to the furthest mine shaft. The two basket carriers greeted him respectfully, "Big Brother!"
The burly man chuckled and said, "Help this little girl carry the basket!" He then winked at his two henchmen.
Yan Nange saw this and sensed that these three men were definitely not well-intentioned. He turned to carry the willow basket with extreme caution.
The basket was extremely heavy; the moment he put it on his back, it almost crushed him to the ground. At this moment, seeing that no one was paying attention, the burly man's two henchmen suddenly twisted Yan Nange's arms, covered his mouth, and led him into the mine shaft.
Yan Nange's injuries hadn't healed, and being young and weak, coupled with the heavy load, meant he was easily carried into the mine shaft.
As Yan Nange entered the dark mine, seeing the three men's lewd grins, he immediately understood their sinister intentions. Then, his outer trousers were pulled down.
Yan Nange's eyes turned red with rage. If he were raped by these bastards, how could he ever face living again! Enraged, he stomped his foot and simultaneously opened his mouth wide, biting down hard!
The two slaves beside him cried out in unison, releasing Yan Nange. Yan Nange shrugged, dropping the willow basket to the ground, and bent down to pull the steel bar from his calf, swiftly plunging it into the throats of the two slaves. The two died without understanding how they had died!
The burly man's lewd grin froze at the sudden turn of events, his heart filled with fear. Just as he was about to act, he felt a sharp pain and a chill in his chest, his eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.

Chapter 3, "Brother, Don't Blame Him"
: 10-21 10:16:22 Word Count: 3034

At this moment, two young slaves, about the same age as Yan Nange, carried a basket of ore out of the mine. They witnessed this scene and were stunned, covering their mouths in horror as they stared at Yan Nange.
"Come here, help me hide them!" Yan Nange smiled at them.
The two young slaves trembled and walked over, kneeling on the ground begging for their lives.
Yan Nange growled, "Don't make a sound, I don't intend to kill you. Quickly help me hide these three bastards!"
The two boys were overjoyed to see that Yan Nange truly wouldn't kill them and hurriedly got up to help him carry the bodies.
Fortunately, there were many sealed-off abandoned mine shafts next to the mine. The three moved the sealing stones, hid the bodies inside, and then sealed the entrances.
The three were covered in sweat and caught their breath. Yan Nange tied iron bars around his neck and had the two boys carry the basket on his back. He said to the two boys, "I don't care whose side you're on, if you want to live, forget about today!"
The two boys nodded tremblingly, and only breathed a sigh of relief after he had walked away. They then casually carried the willow basket full of ore outside the mine.
Apart from Yan Nange and his two companions, no one noticed that three people were missing from the world.
Yan Nange struggled to move downhill with the basket of ore, which he felt was as heavy as a mountain. With each step, he felt he would faint, but he gritted his teeth and endured the torment.
His shoulders were chafed, and blood and sweat mingled, soaking his clothes and causing excruciating pain in his wounds.
The passing slaves stared in astonishment at Yan Nange; they had never seen such a tiny boy carry ore! It was difficult for them to carry even the ore, let alone a frail boy.
Many worried he would collapse and tumble down the mountain, bloodied and mangled!
But they were all disappointed. Yan Nange successfully carried the first basket of ore into the courtyard of the grinding workshop.
It was lunchtime.
Yan Nange joined the long queue and received a bowl of thin porridge and a steamed bun. The porridge was so thin you could see the bottom, with a few grains of sorghum. The steamed bun was about the size of his clenched fist, black in color, also made from sorghum flour—Yan Nange had eaten sorghum before, but only out of curiosity. He often ate black-flour steamed buns, but those weren't just made from sorghum flour; they also contained wheat flour.
This time, the food wasn't as delicious. The porridge was gone in two mouthfuls, and the steamed bun was so hard it could knock someone unconscious, but the portion was so small it was barely enough to fill a tooth gap. Even this food wasn't enough to fill him up!
Starving, Yan Nange stared at the large bowls in some people's hands, and the dozen or so steamed buns in those bowls. He suddenly felt cheated—he'd assumed everyone received the same food because everyone around him was receiving the same! Now it seemed that wasn't the case at all!
Yan Nange put down his empty bowl, slung his willow basket over his shoulder, and watched the others wolf down their food. He swallowed hard. He left the courtyard and headed up the mountain.
He walked on, utterly bewildered by the vast difference in treatment among the slaves. In his memory, the slaves in the kitchen, while not having the best food, at least had soup, vegetables, and were always full.
"Why are these mining slaves treated so poorly, and why is there such a huge disparity between them?" Yan Nange didn't rashly ask others. The people here didn't seem to like talking to him; they each had their own little circles, undisturbed by one another. He felt so lonely, as lonely as a lone boat on a vast, dark sea.
Yan Nange was the only one on the mountain path; everyone else was eating or resting. The scorching sun beat down on the stones beneath his feet, making them burning hot. The heat, however, brought a touch of warmth to Yan Nange's heart, lessening his desolation.
Reaching the summit, he saw no one, only willow baskets filled with ore in front of various cave entrances. Yan Nange went directly to the cave where he had killed someone, put down his basket, and sat in the shade to cool off.
From the depths of the mine came the sound of a faint song, which piqued Yan Nange's curiosity, so he entered.
He walked for about ten zhang in the dim light, turned a corner, walked another ten zhang, turned another corner, and suddenly his eyes were drawn to a vast space illuminated by torches. Yan Nange hadn't expected this cave to contain such a hidden world!
Under the torchlight, the black ore in the cave reflected an eerie glow. The cave was empty, except for a hammer and a chisel.
The singing came from somewhere underground, not far away, just ahead where the hammer and chisel lay!
Yan Nange was captivated by the singing, stunned.
Just then, the singing suddenly stopped, and a burly man emerged from a corner of the cave, shouting, "Hey, kid, what are you doing?"
The two slaves who had helped Yan Nange carry the body also crawled out from the corner. It turned out there was a cave entrance in the darkness, and they and the burly man had all crawled out through it, not knowing where it led.
The two slaves tugged at the burly man's sleeve and whispered, "This is the big brother who killed several people!"
Upon hearing this, the burly man broke out in a cold sweat. His face changed, and he whispered, "Big brother, don't take it to heart, I'm just a rough man!"
"Yes, big brother, please don't take it to heart, that's just how he is!" the two slaves pleaded.
At this moment, several more people emerged from the corner, some old and some young, all carrying chisels and hammers. They all lowered their heads and begged Yan Nange to spare the big man's life.
Yan Nange was both amused and exasperated. He hadn't intended to kill this big man in the first place!
Now he was being treated like a ruthless demon king... It was quite amusing, but also left him somewhat bewildered.
That was the situation, that was how he thought, but he couldn't say it like that. He coldly stared at them for a while, until they were all sweating profusely, before finally saying, "Fine, for your sake, I'll spare your life, you fool! If there's a next time, you can find a place to die by your own hand, don't waste my energy!"

Chapter 4: The Legend of the Female Ghost
(10-21 10:16:23, 2816 words)

"Brother, this is our tribute to you!"
The people in the cave took out their steamed buns and other food and placed them in front of Yan Nange. Among them were even roasted small fish and birds!
"Let's all eat together. This is enough for me." Yan Nange took two roasted small fish and two small birds, along with two steamed buns and a bowl of soup, leaving the rest for everyone to eat.
The group was surprised by his kindness; he only ate a little. If this had been the old man, he probably would have wasted it even if he hadn't eaten it. And he might have even beaten them up for complaining about the food!
While eating, Yan Nange asked, "Where did you get these birds and fish?... And did you hear a woman singing in this cave?"
The first part of Yan Nange's question made everyone eager to tell him where they caught the birds and fish, but the second part made them turn deathly pale. The two children even trembled!
The burly man stammered, "B-Brother! Don't say anymore, or the female ghost will come out and eat people!"
Yan Nange was stunned by this and almost choked. "What female ghost?" the old man asked, puzzled.
"Haven't you heard?... This mine was originally the burial ground of a large family in ancient times. Later, our mine owner turned it into a mine, digging up all the graves and throwing the remains into the abyss behind the mountain... Ever since people started living here, things have been unsettled. People often hear a woman singing, and some have died mysteriously. Some say that the singing woman is the most famous woman in that family; she's a restless spirit, here to seize people's souls!"
The oldest man shuddered as he finished speaking. Just then, a cold wind blew in from somewhere, making the torches flicker and sending chills down everyone's spines.
The children huddled behind the old man, and the burly man leaned against the cave wall in fear. Everyone except Yan Nange was terrified!
Yan Nange was never afraid of ghosts or gods.
He chuckled, "You guys are all grown up, still afraid of this? What's there to be afraid of? If it really is a female ghost, and a beautiful one at that, then I'd really like to see her. If she's truly a beauty of unparalleled grace, wouldn't it be great to exchange my life for a night of pleasure? To die under a peony is to die a romantic death!"
Hearing this, everyone was filled with admiration. They lacked that kind of courage! After all, this man was still just a child.
But everyone had a question in their hearts, yet no one dared to ask. Finally, the burly man couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what's a peony? I've never heard of it."
Yan Nange thought for a moment; her memories of this life were a jumbled mess, and she had never heard of a plant called a peony. He then casually lied, saying, "The peony is a noble and beautiful flower, rarely seen by ordinary people. I've only seen it once!"
"Brother, you're truly amazing. You even know about peonies, while I know nothing," the burly man flattered clumsily, full of admiration. This flattery pleased Yan Nange somewhat.
Once the conversation started, everyone forgot their fear. Yan Nange chatted with them and learned their names.
These "names" weren't actually full names, just nicknames besides their assigned numbers. The two little boys were called Xiao Hei and Xiao Mao; the three old men were called Lao Chui, Lao Shou, and Lao Chan; the burly man was called Da Han; and the two middle-aged men were called San Yan and Men Tou.
These names were based on their characteristics: Xiao Hei had dark skin, Xiao Mao had thick body hair, Lao Chui wielded his sledgehammer with great force and accuracy, and Lao Shou was all skin and bones. Lao Chan was the one who grilled fish and birds, and he was very skilled. Da Han was tall and honest, San Yan had exceptionally sharp eyes, as if he had an extra eye. Men Tou was very quiet and preferred to work silently.
Only Yan Nange couldn't figure out where his name, "Xiao Qi," came from or what special meaning it held!
After lunch, Yan Nange continued working, carrying stones. Although he was the eldest among the group, it didn't change his tragic physical condition.
He worked until late at night. After dinner, Yan Nange was about to return to his quarters when four guards suddenly led him elsewhere.
Yan Nange realized something was wrong; he guessed Li Pibian had discovered the big man's disappearance and suspected him. How was he going to deal with this?
Escape was unlikely; apart from the abyss at the back of the mountain, which was unguarded, the other three sides were heavily fortified, offering no escape. If he tried to escape to the back mountain, his only option was to jump off the cliff!
He had checked the back mountain at noon; the abyss was so deep that even throwing a large rock into it wouldn't produce an echo, and it was hundreds of feet wide. Jumping in would likely mean certain death!
"It seems that today, besides improvising, I have no other choice but to fight to the death!" Yan Nange knew this was the worst possible outcome, but he had to face this harsh reality.
But if the other side intended to kill him, he would have to think of other options. A sudden idea struck Yan Nange, and he reached his hand inside his tattered clothes.
The four men didn't pay much attention to his actions; scratching an itch wasn't unusual.
Yan Nange's guess was correct; soon after, he was led into a cell. A fair-skinned middle-aged man in silk clothes scanned him with sharp eyes.
Yan Nange didn't recognize this man, but he guessed it was Li Pibian. The reason was simple: the man was toying with a shiny black leather whip in his hand.
Appearances can be deceiving. Yan Nange had always imagined Li Pibian to be a burly, muscular man with a menacing face, like Black Yama and that big guy. But in fact, Li Pibian looked quite refined—if he didn't have a whip in his hand.

Chapter 5 of the main text: A Pie Falling from the Sky
: 10-21 10:16:24 Words in this chapter: 2904

"You've seen Director Li, why aren't you kneeling!"
The guard behind him kicked Yan Nange, but Yan Nange dodged it, nearly falling over from the force of the kick.
Yan Nange bowed and said, "Director Li!"
A glint flashed in Li Pibian's eyes, and he laughed heartily, "Not bad, you have guts too, and you even know etiquette. Little guy, no wonder you crippled several of my men and even killed one. You're really something!"
Yan Nange shook his head, "You flatter me. I'm just a child. In front of you, I'm nothing!"
Li Pibian's smile widened, this time with an air of appreciation, "Hmm, not bad, neither humble nor arrogant, knowing when to advance and retreat. I heard your name is Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi, you'll follow me from now on?"
"Oh?" Yan Nange was taken aback, looked up at Li Pibian, and realized he was serious, not joking.
The four guards were stunned: Wasn't the supervisor going to torture this kid? How did he change his mind so quickly!
"You heard me right, I want you to work for me from now on. I happen to need a supervisor, so you'll be the one!" Li Pibian said with a smile, looking very sincere.
But Yan Nange saw a fleeting smugness in his eyes. No doubt, this wouldn't be so easy. A pie falling from the sky is either a trap or a pitfall!
But he had no choice; being a supervisor was better than risking his life. He'd take it one step at a time, and get through this first.
Yan Nange respectfully bowed deeply to Li Pibian, saying with tears of gratitude, "Thank you, Supervisor Li. I, Xiao Qi, will do my utmost to do this, even if it means going through fire and water!"
He acted very convincingly, as if he were genuinely grateful to Li Pibian. For some reason, he seemed to have this talent innately.
Li Pibian laughed heartily, patting Yan Nange on the shoulder and saying, "Good, I'm relieved to see you have this thought! ... You guys take Xiao Qi to the overseer's courtyard and find him a room. Also, show him the slaves he's supposed to supervise!"
The four guards agreed, and Yan Nange pretended to be extremely grateful, then took his leave from Li Pibian. He then followed the guards, feigning excitement. Even after
he had walked quite a distance from the cell, he could still hear Li Pibian's snickering.
Li Pibian could never have imagined that within this child, Yan Nange, resided a wise and even treacherous soul, despite his inability to see the past, and possessing extraordinary eyesight and hearing—Yan Nange, though not yet aware of the specifics of his wicked intentions, was already on guard.
In a flash, Yan Nange transformed from a slave into an overseer. Although he was among the lowest ranks of overseers, and still lacked freedom, it was enough to earn him the respect and courtesy of the four guards.
Who knows when he might suddenly transform himself, perhaps not only gaining freedom but also becoming a higher-ranking overseer! This was something the four guards wouldn't have believed if they'd heard it, but faced with the facts, they had no choice but to admit it.
Speaking of overseers, Yan Nange had some knowledge of this from Xiao Qi's memories.
In this Black Stone Mine, there were nine types of overseers, ranked by authority: Mine Supervisor, Mine Area Supervisor, Sub-area Supervisor, District Supervisor, Sub-district Supervisor, Supervisor, Grand Overseer, Overseer, and Junior Overseer.
Li Pibian was a Supervisor, overseeing about a hundred overseers of all ranks. Yan Nange heard from the guards that he would be the lowest-ranking Junior Overseer, supervising dozens of slaves in a dozen or so mine shafts.
When Yan Nange asked about the specifics of his assigned area, the guards didn't know much either. However, they knew the previous overseer had been beaten to death. As for who killed him, that was still unclear.
What was certain was that it had nothing to do with the large, dark-skinned man he had killed. Because that fellow wasn't the overseer, just a slave tyrant.
The guard first took Yan Nange to see his group of slaves; they were nothing special, no different from ordinary slaves. They were somewhat surprised to see how young this new overseer was. But they were still fearful and respectful towards him, afraid of provoking him to wield his whip and weapons—deaths here were commonplace, and overseers beating slaves to death was even more frequent.
Yan Nange didn't say much, only telling them to be obedient and work well for him from now on. Actually, he felt sorry for these people, but he couldn't save them, so he could only learn to be hard-hearted, otherwise he wouldn't survive either.
This mine was a dog-eat-dog world; whether you lived well or not depended entirely on whether you were smart enough, strong enough, and ruthless enough! Benevolence and morality were probably only useful for killing people here.
Yan Nange had long understood this, and now he understood it even more clearly.
The four guards were impressed and surprised by Yan Nange's performance, even more so than when they saw his unusual behavior with Li Pibian.
They suspected this child was born to manage people. Judging from his demeanor and expression, there was no awkwardness whatsoever; he was even more familiar and capable than the old overseers… Impressive! They dared not underestimate this young Qi! In the
overseers' courtyard, overseers of all ranks and status had their own circles, gathered around several tables, feasting and drinking.
Yan Nange glanced casually at them; they were all drunk and oblivious to his arrival.
The four guards swallowed hard; they didn't receive such treatment. After finding Yan Nange a room, they hurriedly left… Staying any longer would have whetted their appetites.
The room had a bed and blankets, and was very clean. It seemed to be regularly maintained. Yan Nange was tired, so he went to the nearby bathing room, washed himself with the flowing stream water, cleaned his tattered clothes, and returned to his room.
After closing the door, he took off his clothes and hung them to dry on the cool breeze-swept back window. Lying in bed, he was so tired that he quickly fell asleep.

Chapter Six of the novel: Li Pibian's Trick
: 10-21 10:16:25 Word Count: 3048

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, a bell rang. Yan Nange was awakened by the bell and heard a chorus of curses and complaints, along with hurried footsteps, in the courtyard. It was time to get up and wash.
Just as he was about to leave, one of the four guards from yesterday hurriedly handed him a set of clothes and ran off.
The clothes were brand new, made of black fabric; all the foremen below the supervisor level wore this uniform. He quickly changed into it; the clothes were a little big, so he rolled up the cuffs and sleeves to make it look more presentable.
Yan Nange quickly washed his face and followed the crowd out of the foreman's courtyard. Only then did people notice him, the new little guy. Everyone was curious, having never seen such a young foreman.
Yan Nange smiled and nodded to everyone, as if to say hello. Then he went to lead his group of slaves. Four slave bullies, his henchmen, two led the way at the front and two brought up the rear. They walked towards their work area.
Along the way, Yan Nange chatted with two of his henchmen. Because he was very amiable and appeared very composed, and because the two henchmen had heard some things about him, they didn't dare to underestimate him and spoke to him obediently.
Through their conversation, Yan Nange finally understood Li Pibian's conspiracy—the mine he was in charge of was in a special location, at the border of the Sixth and Seventh Mining Areas. The foreman of the Seventh Mining Area, "One-Eyed Wolf," was a ruthless character with a powerful background.
As a foreman under the director, besides a salary, there were also bounties. Bounties were the foreman's main source of income. And the amount of the bounty depended on how much ore his slaves collected each month.
Yan Nange's dozen or so mines all had high ore yields, so the previous overseer received a substantial monthly bonus. After One-Eyed Wolf arrived, he coveted the profits and wanted to mine there.
Because the boundaries between mining areas weren't clearly defined and were determined by the mining supervisor, the competition for mines wasn't exactly a secret among the overseers.
Yan Nange's previous overseer naturally wouldn't let One-Eyed Wolf get his share, so he killed him in the middle of the night. Afterwards, he used his own men to extract large quantities of ore from the slaves.
Li Pibian knew that One-Eyed Wolf had connections, and most of his overseers knew as well, and they didn't have any extra people. So, for a period, four slave bullies led the slaves, making them mine ore for One-Eyed Wolf all day, leaving only a small group for them to do odd jobs.
This period was incredibly tough on the slaves and their bullies. They were exhausted every day and barely fed. They were caught in the middle, getting no credit from either side! They all hated the one-eyed wolf to the core.
"Sir, you must do us justice! We'll die if this continues. And if you let that one-eyed wolf do as he pleases, we won't be able to explain ourselves!"
one of the slave leaders said with a bitter face, while another looked at Yan Nange with expectant eyes. They knew that the man before them was skilled and ruthless, far from the weak figure he appeared to be.
Yan Nange didn't speak, only smiled. He'd deal with the one-eyed wolf later. He touched the iron bar at his waist, gripped the steel knife in his hand, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
But then, he thought again, loosened his grip, the cold glint in his eyes faded, replaced by a cunning light.
Yan Nange took out several small black pills from his pocket, letting the group go first. He gathered some plants from the wild beside the mountain path, squeezed out their juice, mixed it with the small black pills, and kneaded them into three larger pills.
Having finished all that, Yan Nange smiled slyly and muttered to himself, "One-Eyed Wolf, looks like I'll have to treat you to some dirty work today. Hehe!"
Having made up his mind, Yan Nange quickly caught up with his group and chatted with the two slave bullies bringing up the rear.
Actually, not all slave bullies and thugs were scoundrels like Black Yama and Big Black. These four slave bullies under Yan Nange, aside from doing less work, didn't really bully anyone; they just helped the overseer manage the slaves who weren't working. The overseers and slaves would give them some benefits in return. That was all; it didn't involve taking lives.
According to these two slave bullies, most slave bullies in the mine were like that. People like Black Yama and Big Black were rare, but they definitely existed, and each supervisor had several as confidants.
Hearing this, Yan Nange realized that he had killed two of Li Pibian's confidants; no wonder Li Pibian had tried to harm him. It seemed this feud was already formed, and it was bound to happen sooner or later!
Just as Yan Nange was pondering how to deal with Li Pibian, the group arrived at the work area again. Another group arrived nearby, led by a burly man wearing a leather eye patch.
His face was full of scars, and his triangular eye flashed with a sinister, fanatical light when he looked at Yan Nange, like a hungry wolf!
Without introduction, Yan Nange guessed that this guy was "One-Eyed Wolf." For some reason, Yan Nange felt his appearance was familiar, but he didn't seem like a good person at all.
Just looking at One-Eyed Wolf's eyes, Yan Nange knew he was a cruel scoundrel. It seemed the trick he had just thought of could come in handy this time—he couldn't beat One-Eyed Wolf, but he could control him!
The slaves began to work, and One-Eyed Wolf, grinning, led a few thugs over. Yan Nange feigned fear as he looked at him. When the man approached, Yan Nange bowed and scraped, saying, "Lord Wolf, let's talk in private!"
One-Eyed Wolf and his men laughed heartily. Yan Nange's four henchmen sighed, feeling hopeless again—this foreman was a spineless coward. "Ah, when will this misery end?"
"Good, little brat, you're quite sensible. Lord Wolf will listen to what you have to say!"
One-Eyed Wolf followed Yan Nange to a secluded spot. Yan Nange pointed to a large rock and said, "Lord Wolf, please sit!"
He laughed and sat down. As he grinned, Yan Nange suddenly flicked a pill hidden between his fingers into his throat, then wiped his neck with his finger, swallowing the pill!
"Don't move! I gave you poison! If you don't want a painful death, you'd better sit still!" Yan Nange's expression suddenly turned serious and cold as he stared fiercely at One-Eyed Wolf.
One-Eyed Wolf had intended to attack, but a sharp pain in his stomach made him suspect he had been poisoned. While he wasn't afraid of death itself, he dreaded the prospect of being caught between life and death. So, he resigned himself to his fate.

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