4: Chapter 4 Contract

In the flickering light, the man let out a long sigh that echoed softly.

"Fine, I will help you this one time. But there is a condition."

He paused, his voice low and firm, "From now on, you must give me fifty Spirit Stones from what you mine each month."

Yun Song's heart sank abruptly.

The Sect's monthly quota of two hundred Spirit Stones already had him gasping for air, and these extra fifty were undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

"Since I have spoken, I naturally have a way."

The man saw Yun Song's hesitation and a mysterious smile curled the corners of his lips.

"Success or failure depends entirely on a single thought of yours."

Yun Song fell into deep thought; he was merely a boy from a remote, impoverished village, and the person before him clearly wanted to use him.

But if he did not agree, he feared he wouldn't even be able to mine half a Spirit Stone.

If he agreed, perhaps there might still be a glimmer of hope to complete the mission.

He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Fine, I agree!"

A flicker of imperceptible joy flashed in the man's eyes, but he immediately regained his composure, deliberately assuming a profound air.

"Little brother, your choice today is truly a wise one."

"In the future, you will surely understand the benefits, and I will certainly not let you suffer any losses."

Having said this, the man took a yellowed contract from his sleeve, holding it in his palm with a solemn expression.

"This is a contract, not an ordinary object. You only need to drip a few drops of heart blood into this contract."

"The agreement between us will take effect immediately, protected by the Laws of Heaven and Earth."

"If you dare to break today's promise, I only need to place this contract into a fire and burn it."

"At that time, you will surely suffer the torture of your Divine Soul being gnawed to the bone, with pain piercing your heart."

"This contract will only be lifted on the day you leave The Mine."

Yun Song, by the soft glow of the night-luminescent pearl, saw the patterns on the contract clearly.

The surface of the yellow paper was drawn with colorful runes that wound and coiled like living creatures.

Lines of varying thickness interlinked, faintly revealing a mysterious halo.

Yun Song looked at the contract, momentarily at a loss.

Only fourteen years old and inexperienced in the world, he was full of confusion about this mysterious contract, not even knowing what this so-called heart blood was.

"Big brother, what exactly... is this heart blood?"

He looked up, his eyes full of confusion.

The man was slightly stunned, then revealed a gentle smile.

"Little brother, this so-called heart blood just requires you to drip blood from your index finger onto the yellow paper."

"Oh."

Yun Song no longer hesitated; he bit his index finger until it bled and squeezed out a few drops of fresh blood.

The moment the crimson blood droplets fell onto the yellow paper, a strange scene occurred.

The runes seemed to come alive, twisting and scrambling to absorb the blood, slowly lighting up with a dazzling radiance.

Once the blood was completely absorbed, the glow of the runes gradually dimmed, but the yellow paper seemed to have gained a touch of mysterious aura.

The man nodded with satisfaction and carefully put away the contract.

"Alright, I will now teach you the method of excavating the stone walls. If you want to mine Spirit Stones, the primary task is to learn to identify the patterns on the stone walls."

"Look, this place is too close to the cave entrance and has been eroded by the wind from outside for a long time."

"The wall has already dried out, and with the weak light of the night-luminescent pearl, it is truly difficult to see the patterns on the stone wall."

"Furthermore, this area has been excavated for a long time; after enduring wind erosion, the stone wall has become increasingly hard."

His gaze turned towards the depths of the Mine Cave.

"We must go deeper into the Mine Cave; pack up your things and follow me."

Having said this, he stepped forward first with a composed expression.

Yun Song hurriedly put away the night-luminescent pearl, grabbed his mining hoe, and followed closely.

Along the way, the man talked incessantly, teaching the tricks of mining.

"The stone walls that truly contain Spirit Stones have patterns that resemble lively veins."

"Sometimes they resemble winding, coiling spirit snakes, or like strange, blooming flowers."

"Another method is to feel with your hand; if there are Spirit Stones hidden in the stone wall, you will naturally perceive the anomaly when you place your hand upon it."

"When excavating, the key is the word 'skill'."

"The position of the mining hoe is crucial; generally, follow the direction of the pattern, which can save effort and allow you to leverage the momentum to go deeper."

"Do not be rash with your strikes; excessive brute force will only hurt yourself. Your strength must flow continuously and be applied with moderation."

"At the same time, pay attention to the feedback from the contact between the mining hoe and the stone wall."

"When you encounter hard spots, you should first tap the surrounding area to find a weak point before attempting a Breakthrough."

Under the man's detailed explanation, the problems that had plagued Yun Song for days were solved easily.

Doubts arose in his heart, and he couldn't help but ask: "Big brother, why are other Miners so vigilant and fearful when others approach them?"

The man's expression turned stern, and he said: "The human heart is unpredictable and difficult to fathom. Mining Spirit Stones is not easy; each one is like a lifeline."

"Once a stranger approaches, they will naturally be on guard instinctively, fearing that what they have worked so hard to obtain will be coveted by others."

Having said this, the seriousness on his face softened slightly, revealing a confident smile, "But you can rest assured; with me here, you don't need to worry about these concerns."

Having received this promise from the man, the anxiety in Yun Song's heart lessened somewhat.

He thought to himself, "If it is truly as the man said, these fifty Spirit Stones a month are well spent."

The two walked through the winding mine tunnels.

As they went deeper, the dampness inside the cave became increasingly heavy, and the Miners became more and more dense.