Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of intrigue passing through them.
Even if it was labeled as an abandoned iron mine, as long as one put in the effort, it could still yield some iron ore.
In a world of chaos—or rather, in the game Dynasty Wars—what was the most important?
Resources. Equipment.
And iron ore was the foundation for crafting equipment!
Just think—among the major factions, was there even one that didn't control multiple large iron mines?
"Fatty, your luck's not just good—it's heaven-defying! You really stumbled on this kind of god-tier start?"
"You do know what a productive iron mine means, right?"
Mei Qian nodded.
A working iron mine meant massive wealth.
And he was certain that the so-called abandoned mine could still produce ore!
After all, the refugees in his territory had previously worked there as miners.
It's just that the iron ore remaining in the mine had high impurity levels and low purity.
Any half-decent faction would probably turn up their nose at it.
But to newbie players and small-time bandit groups? This was a solid treasure trove!
"You're my boss, and I trust you won't screw me over. I'm willing to share the mine with you," Mei Qian looked up at Liu Yuan with sincere eyes.
Liu Yuan nodded slightly, smiling, "I appreciate the sentiment. As for whether this mine stays yours, we share it, or I just take it all… let's talk after I've cleaned it out."
An iron mine was indeed valuable.
But to Liu Yuan, something like this—low-purity ore from a small, abandoned site—wasn't worth much.
To others, this might be a windfall.
But to him?
Just how many decent weapons could you craft from this junk?
Was he someone who lacked gear?
If he ever really needed equipment, he'd just take a stroll around the outskirts of some big faction's camp, cut down a few patrols, and scoop up their top-tier gear.
When Liu Yuan and Mei Qian arrived outside the mine, they could see a few bandits guarding the entrance in the distance, holding chipped broadswords or nicked longswords.
"What the hell? These bandits aren't just low-level—their weapons are pathetic."
Liu Yuan's mouth twitched. There went his plan of killing them for loot.
Hearing these "ferocious words," Mei Qian could only shrug helplessly.
As expected, high-tier players like Liu Yuan couldn't possibly understand the struggles of beginners… or how poor low-level bandits really were.
So, what if it's a chipped broadsword or a nicked longsword?
They still added a few decimal points of attack power.
You could even sell a bundle on the forums for tens to hundreds of yuan a pop!
Tsk!
If Grandpa hadn't frozen my bank cards, I'd buy seven or eight nicked longswords in a heartbeat.
No! Why settle for that?
I'd buy seven or eight butcher knives instead!
Equip all the refugees with one, have them hunt wild beasts to level up—and then we storm the bandit lair, blades swinging!
Mei Qian cursed inwardly with gusto.
"Boss, what's our plan? Want me to lure them out so we can flank them together?" Mei Qian suggested.
Liu Yuan shook his head.
"Too dangerous? Then maybe we sneak in and take them from the inside?"
Liu Yuan shook his head again.
"Alright, what about a pincer attack—inside and out?"
Still, Liu Yuan shook his head.
He stretched, yawned, and said lazily, "It's just a small bandit den. Why bother? We'll just charge in and kill them all."
As he spoke, he kicked a pebble.
It flew through the air and smacked one of the guards in the face.
The bandit turned, furious—only to spot Liu Yuan and Mei Qian in the distance.
"You fat bastard, it's you again! This time I'll chop you up for sure!"
Roaring, the bandit brandished his chipped broadsword and charged at them.
Mei Qian swallowed nervously, a hint of fear on his face.
But glancing at Liu Yuan standing confidently beside him, the fear disappeared. He snorted, gripped his butcher knife, and stepped forward.
Just as he resolved to prove himself with a glorious battle in front of Liu Yuan—
Flash!
A crescent-shaped arc of icy light sliced through the air. The flash was so bright it forced Mei Qian to squint.
When he opened his eyes again, the bandit who had just been yelling lay in a pool of blood, head separated from his body.
Holy crap!
Boss is too fierce!
One clean slice?!
Mei Qian stared at Liu Yuan's back, filled with awe.
Liu Yuan held his blade in one hand, facing the rest of the stunned bandits head-on, his expression calm.
His eyes moved slightly, and from the corner of his eye, he glanced at the headless body.
Internally, he was muttering:
Holy crap! When did I get this strong?
No—these guys are just too weak.
They can't even handle a single slash from me!
I was planning to test out my new [Tiger-Leopard Strike] skill after the class change.
But looking at this crowd… totally not worth it.
Forget it. I'll just kill them all.
With that thought, Liu Yuan charged forward, blade swinging.
Like a wolf among sheep, every strike took down another foe.
In just a few moments, the dozen or so bandits guarding the entrance were wiped out.
Liu Yuan's blade pointed downward, blood dripping from the edge. His face showed no emotion as he walked into the mine.
Mei Qian stood behind him, watching the figure that seemed half-god, half-demon, and swallowed hard.
This is what a true expert looks like.
Slaughtering bandits like chopping vegetables.
Moved, Mei Qian opened his in-game camera feature, planning to record the moment and post it on the player forums.
But just as he was about to upload the footage, he canceled it.
No!
Boss's divine presence isn't something commoners should lay eyes on!
What if they all come flocking to him? How am I supposed to stay his number one follower?!
No. Absolutely not!
This divine cheat code belongs to Grandpa Mei alone!
He thought with fierce determination.
Before long, a figure slowly emerged from the mine—it was none other than Liu Yuan.
"It's done. The cave's cleared. Get your people to take over."
"The ore here is trash—I don't want it. It's all yours."
Mei Qian's face lit up with joy. "Yes, Boss! I'll get them here right away!"
Liu Yuan squinted at him and snorted, "Don't get too happy yet. I did what I promised."
"But what about the fact that you lied to me, huh, you little pork ball?"
"Lied? Lied about what?" Mei Qian's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a calm face.
Crap… did Boss find out I tricked him?
That this wasn't just a random bandit den, but an outpost of a much larger group?
"Lied about what? You tell me!"
"I tore that whole cave apart and didn't see that so-called level 4 bandit leader you mentioned!"
Liu Yuan hefted his blade, his tone annoyed.
Cleared the whole damn mine, and no one even survived a single slash?
Being this strong is so lonely.