199 I built my fort while others gather my wealth!

The noises of the pickaxe hitting the soil rang nonstop. Sweat trickled down the forehead, forming a single dro on the chin. The slaves, once, and then one more time, smashed their pickaxes on the hard soil, after ten minutes, half a square meter was softened and could be shoveled away.

This process was repeated unceasingly, through all the twenty-four hours with no pause. As there was only night, the sun was of no problem but the eeriness of being inside a dim-lit tunnel with beasts hidden, forced a person to look front, back, left and right, every time the wind whistled a little differently.

At any moment a beast might jump out and attack.

The pickaxe came down tearing the air apart as it neared the tough wall. But suddenly a dull sound came from the other side of said wall. A small hole appeared, with another pickaxe tip. The slaves saw each other through the hole and smiled. They were twenty meters deep on the swamp, three slaves died attacked by a swamp crab spiders alrready, and they had not eve started the official construction, only the very minimum for a base.

The nerves were on hight tension seeing one of their on in the tunnel was a blessing.

Suddenly another hole was made on their left side. and this time the wall exploded rather the falling. Zhi Rui's wide green eyes shined with the luster of a polished emerald. She smiled at them showing her pearl white teeth.

Suddenly all the tension went away, they felt realized and fulfilled. Their good emotions were overwhelming and were shared with each slave. Making Zhi Rui smile even brighter.

"Now, dig out the edges of this intersection, make a ten-meter radius circle then dig downwards sculping simple stairs. Only stop after three meters. then you.." Zhi Rui drew an outline of her design for a temporary sleeping dorm.

It's been two days since they started. While everyone else was already grabbing treasures Zhi Rui was building her fortress. She only gathered what was in front of her, digging valuable material from the walls she stumbled upon with her pickaxe. And the parts of the beasts that sneaked behind her.

After the Xa Dayu appeared, Zhi Rui gave everyone a map of where the cluster of beasts was. unfortunately, three of her men died before she could reach them with the news.

This wasn't a simple world, simple, ordinary beasts could kill any level three with a single well-put attack. And the underworld beasts have an innate trait of hiding so it's even more difficult.

After two more days, a Whole hall and comfortable dorms were perfectly completed.

Everybody was tired and dirty. The people watched from the outside. after three days Zh Rui was obliged to activate one hope rock and carry it around at all times.

So people still scoffed at her choice of focusing on building a base, while the others were already competing for benefits. and gathering resources to exchange for credits with the sect. Shows of fighting huge monsters around their areas ad fighting in groups against Rogue cultivators looking for quick wealth happened one after the other.

While the others showcased themselves to the world. Zhi Rui was dirty with poisonous swamp water and mud all over herself. Smiling, she carried three crab spiders and two giant bats.

She entered through the first entrance she dug and walked all the way to the intersection where all the tunnels met. she descended the simple stairs and reached a great dome-shaped hall, Zhi Rui had prepared a wide round table for everyone to dine in.

There were five more days until she could take the hope rock off. Only then the game would start for her.

Zhi Rui, herself prepared the table with a burning pot in every seat. She took out three barrels of strong liquor. She filled the pots with it. and steam rose, On each side of the hall, a bat was being roasted, while the crab spiders were broken and minced into small pieces, Zhi Rui threw it on the steaming pot and spice and herbs.

The smell was letting one's mouth water. Outside in the dark, the disciples were watching for their second week already, and seeing Zhi Rui hosting such a banquet made their stomach churn with desire.

But the conceited people mocked and laughed loudly.

Back in the hall, Zhi Rui toasted with every slave, after they were slightly tipsy, She got up and left. She entered the dorm corridor, after signaling Izaya, Hilda, Shizu, Zhun Xuying, Xun Lee and the couple. Zhi Rui walked to the last bedroom, the only bedroom at the end of the corridor.

Before opening the door. Zhi Rui picked up the hope rock on her neck.

"I'll turn this off for two hours, Strategy meeting." As she said the hope rock grew dim then it stopped shining.

The people-watching was astounded The order for not doing that was clear, the other geniuses held meetings of how they'll develop their Division publicly, yet Zhi Rui simply went and turned it off, for the second time! She didn't care and simply did it. The level one and two's disciples that were watching widened her eyes and talked with amazed.

Zhi Rui opened the door slowly, Inside, there was nothing but six candles lit on the walls, and a single, wide, pond of water in the middle, it could easily fit twenty people inside.

She placed a floating tray with fruits from her storage pouch on the water and let it float around. Unabashedly she disrobed and entered on the cold water, that started to steam with each step Zhi Rui took.

They all took off their clothes and sat on the edges of the pond with their bodies covered by the water.

It felt heavenly inside the hot pond, they worked their bodies through two weeks straight nonstop. although their bodies can take it with ease it was still tiresome. They relaxed there for five minutes straight without a word.

Finally, Zhi Rui straightened her upper body, and looked at everyone, signaling for them to speak.

"Why here? There are more safe places." Shizu asked.

"We're not after safety, we're after resources and power." Zhi Rui stated after taking another shot of liquor and putting it back on the tray.

"But we're not getting that either," Izaya added with a frown. "In front of the hope rocks they couldn't do anything against us, this was our chance to gather resources without being a target. after this stops, they won't let us hunt freely."

"Yeeeep," Xun Lee entered the talking. "And I heard from my friends, that some very rare and valuable things were found. Counting with other more common things, it could be said that they ransacked all the area that the Dao protectors, 'cleaned.' We're way behind them. Contribution-wise, they are way ahead of you."

Xun Lee spoke.

"We're not like them, we risked and fought all the way since birth. we can easily scavenge valuable outside of the Dao protectors' 'range'."

Zhun Xuying said

"We can do that." Although she was nervous Zhi Rui included herself."And we can also, sell false information, I had received three different direct bribes for spying on Zhi Rui. And eighteen people sounded me out."

Zhi Rui's eyes were shining, she couldn' help but ask. " And what did you say to those people who offered you a bribe?"

"I accepted each one of them." Ren Zu said. Her cheeks blushed red with shamer, Zhi Rui had told her before, that she could accept the benefits right away if there was one to be gained.

Zhi Rui, Zhun Xuying and Shizu laughed.

"You're doing good, take everything, leave nothing back." Zhi Rui said.

But the Izaya's serious eyes gazed at her and she sighed again.

"For one of the first that followed me, Izaya, you play too much by rules. And rarely thinks outside the box." Zhi Rui said. Her green eyes were gazing deeply at him.

His eyebrows twisted with confusion. "What?"

"They Threw a couple of boys and girls for a competition;, the winner gets to be the leader." Zhi Rui said in a mock tone."They establish rules and instructions, coupled with their teachings it draws an unconscious line on your mind. You're only thinking of taking goods to win. But we're not here for the game Izaya. I am not here for this competition." Zhi Rui's voice turned lucid and firm.

Her wide eyes made Izaya stare at her with tension, his confusion was still unsolved. Hilda sighed by the side,

With a cold and firm voice, Zhi Rui continued. "I'm here to conquer the light sect, Izaya, and it's impossible to do it by playing by their rules. I won't 'win' or become 'deserving' of the title. I'll grab it, and won't let go. And if somebody has it before me, then I'll just cut the kings' head off and wear his crown." She suddenly laughed. "To clear all doubts, I'll tell you right now."

They all looked at her, Zhi Rui analyzed every single one's emotion and spoke.

"I decided on my strategy in the exact moment I saw the lands being distributed between The Dao protectors earlier. I thought; 'While I focus on defense, five morons will gather my valuable for me.'"

They took a second to comprehend Zhi Rui's words. But when they did understand. They questioned themselves, the idea was so nonsensical that they tried to think if Zhi Rui had really just said they'd steal from all the other competitors. Who had way more strength than everyone present.