Poor and penniless

In a simple pavilion sat an old man dressed in magnificent Xuanwu robes.

This person was the steward responsible for registering the information of the mine slaves and adjusting the slave resources.

“Junior Brother Lin is here!”

When he saw Zhong Qing and his group, the old man smiled at Lin Tian, the Outer Sect Disciple who was escorting Zhong Qing and Xiang Fei.

Lin Tian escorted Zhong Qing and Xiang Fei into the pavilion.

Then he strode forward, picked up the teapot in front of the old man, and poured it directly into his mouth.

After drinking his fill, he let out a long sigh and said,

“I’ve brought two mine slaves for Senior Brother Mo.”

Mo Wei nodded, then performed a simple registration for Zhong Qing and Xiang Fei.

He also ordered someone to put a wristband on them.

That wristband was extremely special; it could restrict cultivation.

Once worn, it could not be broken by brute force and contained a subtle and profound small Formation within it, which only those proficient in mastering this Formation could unlock with a hand seal.

There was also a number on it.

Zhong Qing’s number was 9527!

Xiang Fei’s number was 9528!

As mine slaves, they had no identity or name.

Here, the number was the only mark distinguishing them.

Zhong Qing did not resist any of this.

His top priority now was to find clues about his future Disciple.

At this time, it was not suitable to fall out with them.

He believed he had many methods; if he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.

So he was not in a hurry to escape.

Xiang Fei, on the other hand, was quite miserable.

He looked like a frost-bitten eggplant, completely devoid of spirit.

As the two were being fitted with the restraining wristbands, on the other side, Mo Wei did not immediately assign them to a section but instead began chatting with Lin Tian.

“Do you know what major event has happened in the Sect recently? Why has even the commander been recalled?”

The commander was the true person in charge of the entire Xuanhuan Mine.

They were powerful and held sway over a region.

They were the backbone of the Mystic Realm Mine, existing like a stabilizing force.

They would not leave easily.

After all, the Mystic Realm Mine was very important, and without a significant figure overseeing it, it was hard to guarantee that no accidents would occur.

But now, even the commander had been recalled.

This made Mo Wei suspect that something extraordinary had happened in the Sect.

Lin Tian shook his head and said, “The atmosphere in the Sect has indeed been very tense recently.”

“Not only have the commanders of the various mines been summoned, but even the high-level Elders who were traveling outside have all been recalled.”

“However, the specifics of what happened, the higher-ups haven’t said.”

“The thoughts of the higher-ups are not something we can fathom.”

“Regardless, as the local overlord, our Phoenix Feather Sect has dominated the Chaotic Land for countless years, so even if something truly major has occurred, with the Sect’s foundation, it will surely be resolved one by one.”

“This is not something we can get involved in.”

“Nor is it something we can inquire about.”

The conversation between the two aroused some curiosity in Zhong Qing.

Something seemed to have happened to this Phoenix Feather Sect.

They actually summoned all the experts in the Sect.

What could it be?

What could be worth such treatment from this local overlord-level Sect?

Of course, curiosity aside, Zhong Qing did not forget the purpose of his trip.

That was to find clues about his future Disciple.

Unfortunately, he used his Divine Sense to scan around.

He did not feel any sudden inspiration or special stirrings.

Evidently, his future Disciple was not nearby.

Zhong Qing was not discouraged.

The System said there was information about his future Disciple in the mine, so there must be.

It would take some time to search slowly; although the mine was large, its location was confined and fixed, so he should have some Gains soon.

At this point, Mo Wei and Lin Tian’s conversation was coming to an end.

Lin Tian: “Senior Brother Mo, I still have patrol and defense duties on my side. Now that the mine slaves have been delivered, I should go back.”

Mo Wei: “I originally wanted to keep you for a few days to fulfill my duties as a host.”

“Since Junior Brother Lin has matters to attend to, then you may go!”

“Another day, we shall seek Junior Brother to drink and discuss the Dao.”

As Lin Tian departed.

Mo Wei then turned his gaze to Zhong Qing and Xiang Fei.

He sat at the long table and opened the registration book.

After a moment of thought, he said, “The Ten Mine is short on people right now. You two will report to the ninety-seventh cave in the Ten Mine!”

As he spoke, he said to the two assistants inside the pavilion, “You two, after you’ve thoroughly searched them, take them to the ninety-seventh cave in the Ten Mine.”

The entire Mystic Realm Mine was vast, divided into dozens of mines, and each mine had hundreds of caves.

The two assistants waiting in the pavilion, upon hearing this, eagerly began the body search.

As mine slaves, they were naturally forbidden from carrying Storage Pouches or Storage Rings.

Every mine slave sent to them had to be thoroughly searched to ensure they entered the cave completely clean.

This was to prevent them from secretly keeping the Spirit Stones they mined.

As for the treasures found during the search, they were naturally taken by them with a smile.

The two fumbled around on Zhong Qing’s person and pulled out two Storage Pouches.

The process of opening treasure chests naturally brought joy and anticipation.

Because you never knew what treasures you might find.

Just as they happily opened the Storage Pouches.

Within the large Storage Pouches, there were only two Spiritual Plants.

Not a single Spirit Stone was to be seen.

Even the Spiritual Plants were of extremely low grade.

In fact, any two random weeds pulled from outside their Sect would be of better quality than these.

The two were shocked.

Their mouths twitched.

“Damn it, I’ve lived for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a poor pauper!”

One of them looked at Zhong Qing with a changed expression.

He had initially thought Zhong Qing, dressed quite decently, was a fat sheep.

But in the end, this was all?

They had been working here for so long, and they had truly never seen a cultivator as poor as this.

Zhong Qing remained expressionless.

All his items had naturally been placed in his Small World.

The two Storage Pouches he carried were also for show.

These people naturally wouldn’t find anything valuable on him.

The two looked at Zhong Qing with annoyance, then turned their gaze to Xiang Fei.

They could only hope to find something good on this guy.

However, after searching for a long time.

The two’s expressions changed again.

Zhong Qing at least had two Storage Pouches on him.

What about Xiang Fei?

Nothing at all, his pockets were cleaner than his face.

The former at least had two Spiritual Plants on him, but the latter?

Nothing at all.

Truly, there was no poorest, only poorer.

“No, how did you two survive being so poor before?”

The two were greatly shocked.

In this day and age, were there still people who couldn’t afford Storage Pouches?

They felt their worldview had been severely impacted.

In fact, Xiang Fei originally had treasures on him.

He carried a treasure that could evade Divine Sense and help one conceal their figure.

Unfortunately, when he was captured at Dragon Gate, that treasure was directly confiscated.

And to purchase that treasure, Xiang Fei had put all his wealth on the line.

Now, he was utterly penniless, with no oil to be squeezed out.