Chapter 46 “The wasp’s tail has a poisonous needle, but the most poisonous needle remains with Ye Ling Yue”
(best I can come up with to match the idiom, sorry guys)
If it’s not Ling Yue who’s sneaking into the mine then who else can it be?
The Song family’s current mine was the Ye family’s former mine. From the forge, she found the topographic map to the place and secretly memorized the entire thing.
Coupled with the cover of the night, things went very smooth when she sneaked into the depths of the mining area.
This mining area, compared to the Seven Slope Mine, was smaller by twenty to thirty percent. Also, the quality of the ores was of much lower quality in this place, but with Master Lian aiding the Song family, it won’t be difficult for that family to produce Yuan Iron of fifty percent quality.
“You lot dare harm my family with the Ice Freezing Grasses then I’ll let you have a taste of your own medicine.” Ling Yue’s lip curled into a devious smile.
From her bosom, she brought out several bottles of potion.
After transplanting the thousand strands of Ice Freezing Grasses into her dimensional space, she had spent the last ten days cultivating them into a ripe out age of ten years long.
Then after harvesting the herb, she used her cauldron to once again refine them into a poisonous elixir form.
Earlier in the heat of rush, Master Lian had only planted strands of Ice Freezing Grasses no older than one year of age inside the Seven Slope Mine. Though the effects were enough to make the outer surface of the ores rust and grow moldy, but it’s not enough to completely destroy the minerals down to its core.
But if the Yuan Iron ores get stained with these ice poison dews, then the effects won’t just end with some rust stains on the surface!
Pouring some of the liquid inside the bottles onto a piece of ore she found nearby, the effects were magnificent. In a blink of an eye, the entire rock was thoroughly corroded, leaving behind a batch of stained red soil on the floor.
As long as the entire mining area here gets sprinkled with this poisonous dew, it’s a certainty the entire cave would become a wasteland, barren and dead.
Turning cold in her eyes, Ling Yue got straight to it and swept through the mining cave at super-fast speed.
By early morning when the first break of dawn hung over the mountain, the miners of the Song family likewise began their journey to the cave to start their day’s work.
Sleepy eyed, a master of the Song family’s mine was the first to arrive at the scene. Upon entering the cave, only a loud horrific scream could be heard echoing across the mountain range, alerting everyone down the hill.
“Oh no, house master, house master! Something bad has happened!” The master miner both ran and crawled back to the Song family’s manor to report.
Once Song Mo Shi and his son heard of the news, this pair of father and son immediately brought Master Lian with them to the mining area.
Under the morning sun, the entire mining slope has become crimson red in color.
All the ores, including the areas that’s yet to be excavated, were rusted overnight without exception.
That rust was by no means ordinary, it’s more like a rust disaster!
“Ruined, it’s all ruined. Master Lian, what is the hell is this?” Feeling something in his throat, Song Mo Shi couldn’t catch his breath right now.
“This… I can’t make it out either. There’s no Ice Freezing Grass here, so what’s going on with these ores?” Even Master Lian was staring wide eyes at this scene. Ever since he became a quasi-alchemist, he’s never encountered such a serious case of ore rust.
“Then Master Lian, is there any way to save this mining cave?” Song Mo Shi profusely trembled as he pleaded the question.
“The ore and the land itself are scrapped now, even the best Yuan fire out there can’t save this.” Master Lian was also secretly shocked inside, The one responsible is too ruthless, destroying the entire mountain range in this area.
There’s no way for Master Lian to know what’s the cause because forget about the Ice Freezing poison, he’s never even seen a ten-year-old Ice Freezing Grass.
The reasoning for this was because Ling Yue only learned how to create this poison by reading one of Lady Jade Poison Hand’s records left behind in the dimensional space. Unless the foe was someone of amazing background or skill, no ordinary alchemist would be able to come into contact with such concoctions.
Mr. Red Mist left behind the black cauldron and a variety of medical records, meanwhile Lady Jade Poison Hand only left behind the Ghost Sect’s needle technique and a variety of poison books explaining the uses and effects of various poisons.
Among the many books in the straw house, the one that was more in-depth than the rest was called (Five Poison Record). Also, this was the book where Ling Yue found the information pertaining to the Ice Freezing Poison.
And of course, whether it be Master Lian or Song Mo Shi, none of them can imagine something like this was done by the hands of a thirteen-year-old child.
“Must be that old bastard Ye Gu. This won’t do, I’m going to find the mayor for reasoning.” Song Mo Shi felt like he’s being carved with a knife right now, that’s how painful it was inside his heart. Now that his mine’s been ruined, he can’t just let this matter slide no matter the implications.
Unable to swallow this fact, Song Mo Shi brought his son along and angrily went to find Old Mayor Liu in town right away.
Against this situation, Mayor Liu can only helplessly call Ye Gu and the Ye family over.
“What a joke, so something happened with the Song clan’s mine then it’s our Ye family’s fault? Then what about our mine, there’s plenty of rusts covering our mines too, who are we going to blame then huh?!” Ye Gu flew into a rage the moment he heard the accusation, and the wooden arm chair handle was crushed under his fist’s might.
“Humph, if it weren’t for you then why would the mine suddenly become like that. For the next century, not plant can grow there anymore, let alone mine for ores.” Song Mo Shi was full of hate right now so regardless of the truth, he’s going to contended that it was Ye Gu who’s responsible.
And Ye Gu also contended that it was the Song family that ruined their mine.
Beet red from top to bottom, the only thing missing from this argument now was a fist fight between the house masters.
“Lord Ye, Lord Song, are you two done quarreling yet?” Old Mayor Liu hollers at the two in a dignifying manner.
Only under the pressuring voice of this old mayor did the two stop quibbling.
“Since the Seven Slope Mine has been returned to the Ye family then it’s the Ye clan’s property. As for the Song family, the Seven Star Mountain is so big, there’s plenty of mines small or large yet to be tapped. As compensation, those undeveloped mines will fall under the Song family’s care; however, forty percent of the profit must be handed over to Autumn Maple Town.” Old Mayor Liu was also very vexed by the rowdiness of the two and handed down his decision.
Ye Gu didn’t look so good after hearing this outcome, meanwhile Song Mo Shi’s expression was just mildly better.
“Also, I just got a message. In a while the county will be holding a smelting conference, and the winner is likely to become the Yuan Iron supplier for Da Xia’s military.” Old Mayor Liu threw this meaningful piece of information out there.
The military’s Yuan Iron supplier? This is a big piece of meat!
If they can cling onto the military then it will be a chicken and the dog rising into the heavens together! At that time, forget about a small little town like this, both families would be able to secure a spot in the main county at that time!
Ye Gu and Song Mo Shi both caught onto the hint. Thanking the mayor, the two respectfully saw themselves out of the place.
Seeing both house masters gone, Mayor Liu was still making a meaningful face.
“What is his grace thinking in letting the Ye family enter the smelting conference, is it because of that lass in the Ye family? Unlike here, the county is the Alchemist Association’s territory. Even if they can enter, it doesn’t mean they can take down the first place.”
Since Old Mayor Liu can’t see through his grace’s intent, he decides to just ignore it and leave it behind. As a servant, he’s in no position to start guessing at the master’s plan.