The man started. “Our family’s mine business has been going on for a very long time, and in that time we have employed many people to mine for us,” he said. “We found various different Ore veins that we started mining.”

“One of them was the Blood-tainted Lead,” the man said.

“At first, we thought nothing of this ore, as it was not that different from any other. However, slowly it came to light that anyone who spends too long of a time with the ore would die due to the toxicity.”

“When the toxicity was first found out, the family stopped mining this ore entirely and moved on to the rest of the ores. However, as time continued, one of our ancestors decided to check the metal that got mined from it and refined it. When the metal formed, he was surprised at the strength the metal had and just how much superior it was to the other metals in those veins.”

“The first time the metal was auctioned off, a single sword formed from it with no additional properties sold for over 300 thousand True spirit stones. When they realized that they were sitting on a fortune, they went back to it once more.”

Alex listened to the man. He wanted to tell the man to speed up his story so he could get to the point early, but he also wanted to hear the entire story, so he let him be for now.

“This time, however, there was a problem. As the knowledge about the toxicity of the ore itself was public for those who wanted to find out, no one wanted to work in the mines.”

“Our family had to employ criminals so they could test the working environment for us. We figured out that as long as people worked while wearing protective talismans and artifacts, they would be fine.”

“Of course, those artifacts and talismans had to be constantly changed as they would be ruined in less than a month, and that amounted to a lot of spending that wouldn’t be required for any other type of Ore.”

“Still, our family continued because there was no other choice. Even if the spending was a lot, the profit was still better than the other metals. Of course, if they could reduce the spending, they would, but for now, they had to continue as they were.”

“That was until a few hundred years ago when we realized something else about the toxins. The toxins you see didn’t care about your cultivation base. As long as it got to you, it would destroy you all the same.”

“However, it did care about your physical strength, and it wouldn’t affect you based on how strong your physical body was,” the man said.

Alex’s eyes went wide. “So, body cultivators are perfect for this job. Is that it?” he asked.

The man said nothing and thought for a bit. “Someone with a strong body could go anywhere from 5 to 10 years of mining without being affected by toxins. People with stronger cultivation bases went on for much longer.”

Alex thought for a bit and spoke, “How does your patriarch hire these body cultivators? Does he capture anyone who tried to get here by boat?”

The man looked at Alex and thought in his head the words he could and could not speak. “Anyone who comes from the Wasteland to the Mainland is found out by the people living around the shore almost immediately. The chances of them being not caught are near to nothing.”

“Then how is your patriarch getting his hands on the body cultivators?” Alex asked. “If you can’t use the ones that come here then… is he taking them straight from the wasteland?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.

“He’s abducting them isn’t he?” Alex asked. “Given that my father seems to be in some sort of captivity, is your patriarch making him work on your mine as a slave? ANSWER ME!”

The man jumped a little and shivered. “I… I cannot speak on this matter, please forgive me,” he said.

“Where is this mine? The Sunless lands?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” the man said quickly.

“Alright, let’s leave,” Alex said.

“You are going to another city and will wait until one of the 10 elders come for you. I will go explain everything to the elders and you will tell them the remaining. Someone should follow you back to the mansion to learn more.”

Alex hadn’t learned everything he wanted from the man, but he saw that the man couldn’t tell him about the one thing he really wanted to know about.

His father.

Whatever he learned, he had understood from the context. As for the rest, he would have to go find on his own.

He left with the man and arrived in another city that had a direct teleportation formation to the Sunborn Sanctuary. He told the man to stay there and went back to the palace.

Yao Ning and Huo Xinya were still the only two people out while the rest were in deep cultivation.

“You’re back. Finally,” the old woman said.

“Why were you gone to the Sureheart city?” the old man asked.

“The Kang Family is after me,” Alex said. “They have my father working for them in their mine, and don’t want me to find him.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” the old man asked.

“It was the Kang Family?” the old woman asked with a surprised expression.

“Can we leave? I need to go and find the Patriarch of the Kang family,” he said.

“We can leave, yes,” the old woman said. “It will take a while for the others to wake up, so we were planning to leave a little later. But if you need the help now, let’s go.”

Alex felt relieved that he didn’t have to explain anymore.

“Senior Huo, there is a Kang family member that snitched on their family’s wrongdoing. He is waiting for you outside the teleportation building in Graystone city. Can you go and learn from him what you can, while taking care of whatever is needed in the Kang family mansion?”

The old man thought for a moment and nodded. “Sure,” he said.

“Huh? Are we not going to the Kang family?” the old woman asked.

“No, the patriarch of the Kang family is in the Sundering city. He’s been there for months now, waiting for the good news of my death, which he seems to have gotten some time ago,” Alex said.

“He thinks you’re dead?” The old woman asked.

“Not anymore though,” Alex said. “Even if he were to not believe the masses, his family must have already sent him the message that I killed his nephew.”

“You did what?” the old woman asked.

Alex shrugged. “He attacked first.”

The teleportation formation worked one after another, as they were each teleported to two different cities.

Alex and the old women passed through the teleportation formation once more and arrived in the Sundering City.

Without stopping, they flew out of the building, with the old woman spreading her spiritual sense in every single direction.

A few seconds later, she spoke. “He’s not here.”

“Who? The patriarch?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” the old woman said. “Let’s find out some more.”

The two of them arrived at the Kang Family metalworks and very soon someone walked out as he had already sensed the spiritual sense.

When he did walk out, he couldn’t recognize who the old lady was as the 10 council members hadn’t appeared in public for a very long time. He could tell she was very strong, but that was the end of it.

Alex on the other hand was immediately recognized. And as such, the man knew that the youth that was standing in front of him was someone who had just murdered one of his family members.

“Who are you?” Yao Ning asked the man who had appeared. Her cultivation base pressured him to the point that the young man struggled to stand.

“I am Kang Huoshin,” the man said.

“Where is Kang Ganxu?” the woman asked.

The man’s eyes widened slightly. “He’s not here,” he said.

“Then where is he?” the old woman asked.

The man hesitated for a bit, trying to find a way to not answer.

“Young man, do you know who I am?” the old woman asked.

The man shook his head.

“I am Yao Ning, an ancestor of the Yao family,” she said. “I am one of the 10 council members, and with one word I can make your entire family line end right now. So, do not test my patience and answer right now.”

The man’s eyes went wide as he finally realized who he was speaking to. “I- I will answer,” he said. “The patriarch and the rest flew over to the mines.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “They went to the Sunless lands? Why?” he asked.

“I… I…”

“Speak!” the old woman shouted at him.

“H-he said… he said he was going to get rid of some evidence,” the man said.

Alex suddenly grabbed onto the man’s throat, surprising the old woman. “Are you saying he’s going to kill my father and the rest?” he asked.

The man gulped and slowly nodded.

“How long ago did he leave?” Alex asked.

“A-about 10 minutes ago,” the man said.

“10 minutes,” Alex thought. He tossed the man aside and looked back at the old woman. “We should be able to make it in time if we hurry. Let’s go.”

“No,” the old woman said, with a bit of hesitation in her voice. “I can’t go.”

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