Having gained emotional validation, Zhan Tingzhou had repeatedly hinted to Lu Ding about his own rebirth situation. For example, the place where they first drank together, the secret realm where they met, the enemies they killed together. But Lu Ding's reactions left Zhan Tingzhou somewhat perplexed. He just couldn't match the references! This made Zhan Tingzhou's head spin. You've clearly been reborn and trust me so much, obviously trying to hint at your rebirth to me. So why can't you match what I'm saying? At this point, Zhan Tingzhou didn't doubt Lu Ding's rebirth in the slightest. From an emotional value perspective, if Lu Ding hadn't been reborn, he wouldn't trust him this much. That left only one possibility! He had his own difficulties!! It must be so. Zhan Tingzhou quietly restrained his gaze, thinking: I understand, I understand completely!

Lu Ding's voice sounded at that moment. "What are you thinking about? Which way should we go next?"

Zhan Tingzhou looked downward, his vision expanding. Looking across ten thousand meters, a hundred thousand meters, all he could see were mounds of earth packed closely together, large and small, but with basically uniform shapes, all barren. Between the mountain ranges, roads crisscrossed throughout, with convoys of large trucks loaded with ore traveling through the mountains, kicking up billowing clouds of dust. This place was the mining area of Xiankong Town. The ecosystem was basically zero. Besides ore, there was nothing else.

Zhan Tingzhou searched through the memories in his mind, then raised his hand to point toward a cluster of mountains with slightly darker coloring. "Over there." The two immediately flew in that direction.

...

Outside the Iron Stone Cave miner's office, Fang He squatted by the roadside with a worried expression, smoking a cigarette. He looked back at the mining area that once echoed with the constant roar of machinery and bustling workers, but had now become so desolate. A flash of unwillingness appeared in his eyes. "What should I do exactly......"

Fang He, male, nineteen years old, originally the second son of the Iron Stone Cave mine owner, currently the mine owner of Iron Stone Cave.

In his despondent mood, a middle-aged man holding a compass with a mustache strode over with a swaggering, proud gait and said, "Boss Fang, this is rather unprofessional of you. You don't answer calls, don't reply to messages—this is already my third visit. Whether this can work or not, just give me a definite answer."

Fang He tossed away his cigarette butt and stood up to look at the man, his fists gradually tightening. If he weren't currently backed into a corner with no alternatives, he'd really want to punch this old bastard who was taking advantage of his misfortune to death.

Originally, the owner of Iron Stone Cave should have been Fang He's father. But over a year ago, after Chen Yan fully rose to power, he brought people to the Iron Stone Cave mining area. He said he wanted to demand an explanation for his father who died in the mining accident back then. Fang He's father was completely baffled—hadn't all this happened so many years ago? Why are you coming for an explanation now? Moreover, if it weren't for your father back then, who blew open the Earth Dragon Immortal's nest and even captured its child to make soup, would there have been a mining accident? If they had just honestly taken a detour, none of this would have happened. Because of this damn incident, how much loss did it cause to the Iron Stone Cave mining area? Considering my long-standing friendship with your father, plus that debts are cleared with death, and your family wasn't doing well, I didn't pursue further responsibility. Why are you coming now to demand an explanation from me?

Then Chen Yan said: "My father worked as your manager at Iron Stone Cave, he died in a mining accident—shouldn't you give an explanation? And my father worked for you for so many years, and when he died you didn't even offer condolences—has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

Fang He's father also became angry, saying: "Back when your grandfather retired from Linshan Mining due to injury, your father hadn't mastered his skills well enough—Linshan Mining wouldn't take him. Plus your grandfather's old injuries recurred and he fell into a coma, leaving the family burden entirely on his shoulders!! It was me, me, surnamed Fang, who gave him the opportunity to earn money, and even advanced him wages. Now you're saying this to me? I've already done more than enough, what more do you want?"

Because Chen Yan cursed at that time, saying Fang He's father's conscience had been eaten by dogs, and Fang He's father was also somewhat emotionally charged, he cursed back: "Your father had no conscience, causing me such great losses just because his wife was pregnant. And you have no conscience either—because of what your father did back then, I paid so much compensation. Seeing you struggling to survive alone, I didn't even ask you for anything. Now you come demanding explanations from me and cursing me!? Both you and your father have had your consciences eaten by dogs!"

As the cursing continued, the conflict between the two erupted, and they eventually came to blows. Originally, Chen Yan had come looking for trouble anyway. Later, Fang He's father gradually couldn't hold his own and got beaten. When Fang He's older brother saw his father being beaten right in front of him—what son could tolerate that? And it wasn't like they were in the wrong—they were in the right!!! However, Fang He's older brother wasn't highly cultivated and had poor talent—he went up and was accidentally killed by someone Chen Yan brought along.

Seeing his son die before his eyes, no father could bear it, and he immediately tried to fight Chen Yan to the death. Chen Yan thought: Oh ho, I'm just playing around with you, and you're throwing sand in my face? In the heat of the moment, he killed Fang He's father. Seeing things had developed to this extent, Chen Yan ultimately said nothing, only leaving these words for the still-underage Fang He: "Since your father said my father was at fault, that the mining accident was entirely my father's fault, and seeing me struggling to survive alone, he didn't ask me for compensation. Well then, I'll give you the same opportunity. Let bygones be bygones. If you're dissatisfied or have objections, if you want to demand explanations for your father like I did for mine, then come find me—I'll be waiting for you anytime!!" With that, he left with his people.

At that time, Fang He desperately wanted to fight Chen Yan to the death. However, he couldn't win. He could only bide his time for now, wait for opportunities, play the grandson, and hide his hatred. Later, Chen Yan gradually grew more powerful, becoming unrivaled in Xiankong Town for a time, with his family's traditional skills reaching perfection, becoming the overall boss of all mining area managers throughout Xiankong Town and even the surrounding mining areas.

As he became famous, the surrounding mining area managers also learned about the enmity between Iron Stone Cave mining area and Chen Yan. Gradually, Iron Stone Cave mining area couldn't hire any managers. Fortunately, nothing had happened for quite a while, but how could anyone sail through smoothly? Some time ago, while mining deep in Iron Stone Cave, they hit a mineral node. Many people died. Just the compensation alone cost Fang He a significant amount.

Originally, after the old mine owner died, Iron Stone Cave had already lost a large number of miners, and many business partners had fled. Now with the mineral node incident, Iron Stone Cave was truly facing added difficulties. To the extent that to raise the compensation funds, Fang He had even sold off all the property and assets his father left behind—now only the mine remained, and he and his seriously ill mother had moved to the mining area.

If the mineral node issue wasn't properly handled now, Iron Stone Cave would basically be finished in the future—they couldn't hire workers, no one would be willing to come. But now, all the managers in Xiankong Town, because of Chen Yan, remained indifferent to Iron Stone Cave's situation. Even when Fang He offered shares as payment, no one was willing to come. Finally, this mustached manager came knocking. At first mention, he demanded thirty percent shares. Just to handle one mineral node, he dared ask for thirty percent. Fang He laughed in anger: "No need!"

But since no other managers had come to handle this matter, Fang He had considered bearing with it and bargaining, so he added: "I've already hired other managers." After all, competition creates a sense of crisis. Who would have thought that the mustached man simply didn't believe him. Twirling his mustache, he said: "Other people? Mine Owner Fang, you must be joking. No one in all of Xiankong Town would dare take your business, unless they want to offend Master Chen Yan and ruin their own livelihood."