According to Steward Hu's introduction, this mine had over a dozen ordinary guards, all mundane martial artists.
Their role was merely to maintain order among the miners.
Fights broke out constantly at the mine, so some form of discipline was necessary.
There were three transcendenter cultivators, originally four, but one had left recently.
Jiang Wang had already figured out before coming that Steward Hu was worried about this. The mine's conditions were harsh, and most transcendenter cultivators were unwilling to come.
It wasn't easy to catch someone like him who volunteered, so they couldn't possibly refuse him.
Of course, driving down the price was also an essential process.
"One month, one Essence Stone." Steward Hu said, holding up a finger. "How about it?"
In the very room where he worked, there was a circular hole that had obviously just been patched up, repaired very crudely.
"Isn't that a bit too little?" Jiang Wang deliberately showed difficulty on his face.
"Not little." Steward Hu put down his pipe and started calculating for Jiang Wang: "The cultivator masters who were here before could only get one and a half Essence Stones a month. These Essence Stones aren't given by me. They come from the Chongxuan family. Do you know the Chongxuan family? From the State of Qi! Pavilion Master Hu is from the Chongxuan family, he's my clansman!"
Jiang Wang deliberately moved closer to the hole: "This hole is quite big. How did it happen?"
"Not patched well, I'll have someone fix it later." Steward Hu avoided the topic, gritting his teeth: "How about this, you also get one and a half per month, what do you say?"
Jiang Wang smiled to himself. This hole was obviously blasted by some Dao technique, probably related to the cultivator who left the mine. After all, transcendenter cultivators who were willing to come to such mines did so for stability. Aside from escorting miners back to town once a month, there was nothing else to do.
Under normal circumstances, two cultivators in the Wandering Meridian realm were enough to ensure safety on the official roads. After all, the State of Yang's authorities wouldn't allow powerful beasts to approach settlements.
If they had to fight constantly, then one and a half Essence Stones wouldn't be enough to keep anyone.
Over half a year ago, someone had broken into the Hu Clan Mine once and fought with the cultivators guarding it.
The specific details couldn't be dug out. But strangely, nothing was stolen from the Hu Clan Mine that time.
Steward Hu didn't want to talk about this hole, which was obviously problematic.
Jiang Wang actually knew full well that the Chongxuan family sent ten Essence Stones to this mine every month. At Steward Hu's prices, that was enough to hire six cultivators. But the Hu Clan Mine only had four Wandering Meridian realm cultivators. The extra Essence Stones were naturally embezzled.
Heaven is high and the emperor is far away—this was a common thing. Not worth exposing right now.
Jiang Wang pretended to hesitate before saying: "Alright."
"Good!" Steward Hu was very happy, shouting to a sturdy young man outside the door: "Shuanzi, go invite Elder Ge over."
He then smiled apologetically to Jiang Wang: "Elder Ge is also a cultivator master. You two can test each other, just go through the motions. All new arrivals at the mine have to go through this process, please understand."
Jiang Wang smiled: "I understand."
"Elder Ge" was a thin, half-old man wearing a black short jacket and cloth shoes. At first glance, he had a certain air of being an expert.
Probably accustomed to being flattered at the mine, his eyes always looked toward the sky.
"This kid?" Elder Ge glanced at Jiang Wang, asking Steward Hu.
In his view, this must be another little cultivator from some declining sect, with inferior techniques and weak strength, unable to make it outside, so he could only come to places like mines to accumulate some Essence Stones to aid his cultivation.
Although he himself could only scrape by in places like this... but Elder Ge was older, right?
Alright, being older wasn't an advantage in the transcendenter realm. But he had more experience!
Both were weak, but Elder Ge was weak with experience, weak with richness. So he was stronger than those who were weak without richness, weak with arrogance.
Both were transcendenter cultivators, yet he insisted on having Steward Hu pass on words, showing great arrogance.
"That's me." Before Steward Hu could speak, Jiang Wang said directly: "Test our skills, old man?"
Elder Ge blew his beard, didn't say much more, and struck down with a claw toward the head.
It was just a spar, yet he attacked viciously, aiming for vital points every time.
Jiang Wang forcefully controlled his body's instinctive reaction, otherwise he would have ended this person with a single sword strike.
The two exchanged blows in a "fierce battle."
At least in Steward Hu's eyes, this spar was incredibly exciting. Both sides fought back and forth, crackling sounds echoing. It was truly profound and endlessly memorable.
In Elder Ge's own view, it was somewhat surprising that this youngster was formidable. Though this kid's techniques were crude, his foundation was surprisingly solid, able to hold out for so long.
If they continued, he himself would get too tired. If his Essence Stones were consumed too much, he'd need to replenish with Essence Stones. Not worth it.
With this thought, Elder Ge lightly brushed his hand, ending the test.
He nodded to Steward Hu: "Hmm, this kid indeed has Wandering Meridian realm cultivation. If we continued, I would have to use my sect's ultimate technique. He's still young, it wouldn't be good to damage his foundation."
Elder Ge's words seemed magnanimous, but with raised eyebrows and glaring eyes, the implied meaning was "hurry up and thank me for not killing you."
As a young newcomer to the transcendenter realm, Jiang Wang was also tactful, asking cooperatively: "May I ask which sect Elder Ge comes from?"
"Sigh." Elder Ge sighed deeply: "I didn't want to mention my sect again, it's a painful place. When I joined the Green Wood Immortal Gate, I was about your age. How spirited I was! Unfortunately..."
"Cough." Jiang Wang interrupted him somewhat apologetically: "The Green Wood Immortal Gate is?"
"You don't know the Green Wood Immortal Gate?" Elder Ge looked at Jiang Wang with great disdain: "Sigh, too young, just uninformed. You must know the East King Valley, right?"
"I have heard of it. Could it be..."
"Yes!" Elder Ge said with grand气势: "The Green Wood Immortal Gate is a subsidiary sect of the East King Valley!"
Jiang Wang almost choked on his breath.
The East King Valley, as a famous medical Dao sect, was near the State of Qi. When Chongxuan Sheng explained the surrounding forces, he had mentioned it with great emphasis.
During the Tianfu Secret Realm, there seemed to be cultivators from the East King Valley participating.
This Green Wood Immortal Gate had such a impressive name, and this Elder Ge was so inflated. He had thought it was some extraordinary place! He was wondering why Chongxuan Sheng hadn't mentioned it, only to find it was just a subsidiary sect of the East King Valley.
How to describe this level?
By analogy, it was equivalent to a Wangjiang City Dao Academy.
With Jiang Wang's current strength, apart from the City Dao Academy's principal and Lin Zhengren, he could basically sweep through everyone. Even Lin Zhengren, who had already achieved True Meridian Soaring Dragon, might not necessarily be his match.
"Thunder... to the ears." Jiang Wang said with difficulty.
"We'll all be living together here for a long time." Steward Hu said at the right moment: "Lone Master, should I arrange accommodation for you? Although it's a bit small, it's a separate courtyard, will that do?"
"Accommodation is fine as long as it's decent, I'm not too particular. Also, at your age, don't call me 'Master,' I can't accept it. Just call me A'an." Jiang Wang added with a smile: "After all, you are Pavilion Master Hu's clansman, right? A person of status."
"Hey! A'an! Wait here a moment." Steward Hu called out happily, feeling his status had been acknowledged, and ran off merrily to personally change the bed for Jiang Wang.
Naturally, it was impossible to build new accommodation for Jiang Wang. The small courtyard left by the previous cultivator was just right—tidy it up a bit and he could move in.
After Steward Hu went far away.
Elder Ge then said abruptly: "Why are you being so polite to a mortal like him? We cultivators cannot associate with such worldly people!"
Jiang Wang particularly disliked people like this—weak in strength yet considering themselves transcendenter, looking down on all living beings as ants.
He had originally thought this old man just lacked boundaries and liked to brag, finding it more amusing than anything. But now he felt some genuine disgust.
But he didn't show it on his face, just casually found a chair and sat down.