Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

At dawn, as soon as the gates of Xiyun County opened a crack, Li Ping rode out on his gray donkey.

Qian Duo was driving two oxcarts behind, piled high with sacks of coarse grain and cans of coarse salt. The wheels pressed two deep furrows into the frozen mud.

"Sir, it's freezing cold, are you really going into the mountains?"

Qian Duo sniffled, his hands tucked into his sleeves, shivering from the cold.

"Nonsense! Black Wind Stronghold has just been pacified. Who knows what those escaped villagers and hunters in the mountains are saying about me?"

"Go and bring some warmth, and while you're at it, check on the harvest in the mountains."

Li Ping wrapped his sheepskin coat tighter around himself and rolled his eyes.

"Besides, those two old guys in the county government are watching me all day long. I'm getting bored staying in the city, so I might as well go up into the mountains for some fresh air."

The mountain path was rugged, and the gray donkey moved slowly, causing Li Ping to sigh repeatedly as he was jostled along on its back.

After walking for about two hours, the forest ahead gradually thickened, and a few dilapidated wooden houses appeared and disappeared in the snow.

That was a village of escaped households.

Before even entering the village, several men armed with wooden pitchforks and hunting knives appeared at the village entrance, all looking wary.

When the old man in the lead saw that it was Li Ping, he slammed his wooden fork on the ground, his voice trembling slightly.

"Lord Li, have you brought troops to arrest someone?"

Li Ping dismounted from the donkey, patted the grain sacks on the oxcart, and a smile spread across his face.

"Uncle Laoshuan, what are you saying?"

"I'm here to deliver grain."

"Black Wind Stronghold is flattened, and the mountains behind it are now peaceful."

"These coarse grains and salt are the resettlement allowance given to everyone by the county government."

Old Shuan was stunned, and the villagers behind him looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Is it...really a grain delivery service? And no taxes are collected?"

A young hunter muttered to himself

"Taxes? I find that too much trouble."

"As long as everyone listens to me from now on, as long as I have food to eat, you will too."

Li Ping handed over a bag of salt with a smile.

Old Man Shuan took the salt bag, dipped a little in with his fingertip, and put it in his mouth.

As the salty smell spread, his wrinkled old face immediately relaxed.

"Quickly, quickly welcome the master inside!"

In the thatched huts of the village, the fire in the brazier burned rather weakly.

Li Ping sat on a bench with a missing leg, holding a bowl of hot water, watching the villagers gathered around him.

"Uncle Laoshuan, I've wiped out the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold. From now on, I'll be in charge of all business in the mountains."

"If anyone is short of food or salt, just tell Shi Gan of Wild Fox Ridge. Don't go to the city and get scorned."

Old Shuan sighed, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"The lord always keeps his word. He said he wouldn't arrest us, and now he's even sending us food."

"From now on, if you have any tasks, just give the order. The lives of us hundred or so men are in your hands."

"Keep your life for yourself, and use it to do my work."

Li Ping put down the bowl of water and pointed in the direction of the back mountain.

"I heard that the Bai family has some businesses in the back mountains?"

Old Man Quan's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice.

"You mean that mine, sir?"

"The Bai family secretly opened a mine in a deep valley and captured many refugees to mine it."

"I heard they're digging up shiny stones, so the Bai family is keeping a close watch on them."

"Take me to see it."

Li Ping stood up and dusted off his backside.

Old Man Shuan hesitated for a moment, but seeing the unwavering look in Li Ping's eyes, he gritted his teeth and led the way.

After passing through a dense forest, the mountain slopes down abruptly, revealing a hidden valley.

At the bottom of the valley, several ragged men were carrying baskets of ore out of the cave entrance.

"They were all emaciated and pale, with only a few tattered pieces of cloth covering their bodies."

Li Ping walked down the hillside. A miner chief saw the officials and was so frightened that he dropped his bamboo basket and tried to run away.

"Don't be afraid, where is the Bai family's steward?"

Li Ping stopped him and took out a dry biscuit from his pocket, handing it to him.

The man, named Tie Tou, saw the pancake and his eyes lit up. He grabbed it and stuffed it haphazardly into his mouth, choking until his eyes rolled back in his head.

"The manager...the steward went down the mountain to have some fun last night. They don't want to freeze in the mountains in this heavy snow."

Tie Tou chewed on a biscuit while tears streamed down his face.

"Sir, the Bai family doesn't treat us like human beings at all. They only give us a bowl of thin porridge every day, and when we're exhausted, they just throw us into a ravine."

"Please, sir, save us!"

Li Ping walked to the bamboo basket and picked up a piece of ore.

The ore is pale blue, slightly cool to the touch, and faintly emanates a spiritual energy.

It really is spirit sand.

The Bai family, these local bullies, are quite audacious; illegally mining spirit sand is a serious crime.

"Want a full meal?"

Li Ping looked at Tie Tou, then at the dozen or so miners who had gathered around.

The miners stared intently at Li Ping, nodding frantically.

"From now on, I'll be in charge of this mine. If anyone from the Bai family comes asking about it..."

"Just tell them that the bandits from Black Wind Stronghold robbed the mine and killed the manager."

"As for you, you'll have three meals of dry rice every day, enough to fill your stomachs."

Li Ping patted the stone chips off his hands.

Tie Tou fell to his knees with a thud, followed by a chorus of miners kneeling and kowtowing in the snow.

"Thank you, sir! From now on, we will only listen to you!"

Li Ping looked at these mine slaves and secretly made plans in his mind.

With this spirit sand mine, their future cultivation resources will be secured, and they can also conveniently cut off one of the Bai family's sources of income.

Just as he was about to have Qian Duo distribute the grain to the miners, a muffled, loud noise suddenly came from deep in the mountains.

"Boom!"

The noise was tremendous, as if an earth dragon had turned over, causing the snow on both sides of the valley to fall down with a loud crash.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp roar came from the depths of the forest.

The penetrating power was extremely strong, causing Li Ping's eardrums to ache.

The gray donkey brayed in fright and desperately tried to shrink behind Li Ping.

The hunters' leader, Dazhuang, ran out of the woods, his face pale, clutching his hunting rifle tightly.

"My lord, things have been unsettled in the mountains lately. Wild beasts from deep within are venturing out; something terrible is about to happen."

Li Ping stared into the dark depths of the forest, frowning, and spat out the snowflakes from his mouth.

"Why are these wild animals out here in this freezing weather, instead of hibernating?"

Da Zhuang shook his head, his expression solemn.

"I don't know, but a few days ago a brother saw several big guys that you don't usually see fighting in the deep mountains."

"Even some trees were broken off by that roar; it sounded like a black bear that was about to go mad."

Li Ping touched the cold iron plaque in his pocket, then looked at the mine slaves kneeling on the ground.

The secrets hidden in these mountains seemed to be more numerous than he had imagined.

"Since there's plenty of money, distribute the grain and tell everyone to guard the mine entrance."

"Dazhuang, take a few men to the edge of the woods and keep watch. Report to me immediately if there's any movement."

Li Ping mounted the gray donkey, looked at the deep mountains shrouded in mist, and muttered to himself.

"The peaceful days in Xiyun County probably won't last much longer."