The sun rose over the Crimson Valley, illuminating the blood-stained snow.
Jiang Chen sat on the tiger-skin chair that had once belonged to Liu Mang. Below him, in the muddy courtyard, the seventeen surviving bandits were stripped of their armor and weapons. They shivered in the biting wind, their eyes fixed on the black metal "wand" resting on Jiang Chen's lap.
Old Wu stood beside the Prince, holding a bundle of crude iron collars—shackles found in the bandit's own dungeon. The irony was lost on no one.
"Listen closely," Jiang Chen said. His voice was not loud, yet it cut through the wind. "You are no longer bandits. You are employees of the Imperial Heavy Industries."
The bandits exchanged confused glances. Industries?
"Work, and you eat. Rebel, and you are recycled." Jiang Chen gestured to the pile of grey sludge where their leader used to be. "Questions?"
Silence.
"Good. Old Wu, shackle them. Then have them load the grain and dried meat onto the wagons. We leave in an hour."
As Old Wu began the task, barking orders with a newfound confidence, Jiang Chen turned his attention to the wooden chest at his feet—the Bandit King's treasury.
He kicked the lid open.
Gold and silver coins glittered inside, enough to feed Beiluo City for a year. But Jiang Chen ignored the metal. His eyes locked onto a small silk pouch and a scroll made of beast hide.
He grabbed the pouch first.
[Item Scanned: Low-Grade Spirit Stones x52][System Battery: Charging...][Current EU: 5,380 / 10,000]
Jiang Chen felt a rush of dopamine. 5,000 Energy Units. In his previous life, this was enough to power a small suburb for an hour. Here, it was the currency of godhood.
He unfurled the beast-hide scroll. It was a map of the surrounding mountain range, drawn in blood and ink. A specific location, deep within a canyon known as "Shattered Jaw," was circled in red.
"System, analysis."
[Scanning Topography...][Overlaying Geological Data...][Anomaly Detected.]
A 3D holographic wireframe of the mountain range projected into Jiang Chen's retina. The map was crude, but the System cross-referenced it with local gravity and magnetic readings.
[Target Location Identified: Subterranean Crystalline Deposit.][Composition: High-Density Spirit Ore (Raw Spirit Vein).][Estimated Yield: 50,000,000+ EU.]
Jiang Chen's breath hitched.
A Spirit Vein.
Cultivators fought wars over these. Sects were built on top of them. A Spirit Vein was a natural reactor that generated endless Qi. If he could tap into that... he wouldn't need to scrounge for stones. He could run the G.E.F. at full power. He could build a factory. He could build an army.
But there was a note scrawled next to the red circle in jagged writing: "DO NOT ENTER. The Earth-Shaker sleeps here."
[Threat Assessment Initiated.][Analyzing Folklore Database & Local Biological Traces...][Likely Hostile: Iron-Hide Bear (Spirit Beast - Rank 2).]
Jiang Chen frowned. "Rank 2?"
[Rank 2 Spirit Beast: Equivalent to Human Cultivator at 'Foundation Establishment' Realm. Capabilities: Can manipulate earth element. Skin density comparable to low-grade enchanted armor. Projectile Resistance: High.]
A Foundation Establishment monster. The M1911 would be like throwing pebbles at a tank. Its hide could likely bounce .45 ACP rounds unless he hit a soft spot like the eye perfectly, and unlike the bandit leader, a bear wouldn't stand still and monologue.
Jiang Chen tapped the armrest of the chair. He had the energy now. He had the workforce. But he lacked the firepower to secure the ultimate prize.
"System," he thought. "Open Tech Tree. Tier 1."
[Tier 1: Industrial Warfare. Locked.][Requirement: Establish a Base of Operations. Upgrade Matter Deconstructor to Level 2.]
"Show me the Tier 0 Heavy Weapons."
The holographic list scrolled.
M249 Light Machine Gun: Too much ammo consumption.
RPG-7 Rocket Launcher: Effective, but requires chemical warheads he couldn't print easily yet.
Anti-Material Rifle (Barrett .50 Cal): High cost, but extreme penetration.
His eyes stopped on a different blueprint. Something simpler. Something brutal.
[Blueprint: 40mm Pump-Action Grenade Launcher (MGL)][Ammo Type: High-Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP)][Effect: Shaped charge capable of penetrating 2 inches of steel armor. Lethal Radius: 5 meters.]
"If I can't pierce its hide," Jiang Chen murmured, "I'll just turn its insides to jelly with shockwaves."
He looked up. Old Wu was approaching.
"Your Highness, the wagons are loaded. The... 'employees' are ready to march."
Jiang Chen stood up, the map clutched in his hand.
"Change of plans, Old Wu. We aren't going back to Beiluo just yet."
"We aren't?"
"No," Jiang Chen pointed north, toward the Shattered Jaw Canyon. "We are going mining. And we are going to kill a bear."
Old Wu turned pale. "A... Spirit Beast? Your Highness, with respect, these bandits are useless against a beast! And your weapon..."
"My weapon is evolving," Jiang Chen said. "Get the men moving. Tell them if they work hard today, they get meat tonight. If they run, they get the lead."
Jiang Chen climbed into the carriage. He held a Spirit Stone in his hand, watching it dissolve into light.
'System. Fabricate: MGL Grenade Launcher. And 6 rounds of HEDP.'
[Fabrication Initiated. Estimated Time: 2 Hours.]
The carriage lurched forward, rolling toward the canyon. The Prince closed his eyes, listening to the hum of the nanites building a monster in his inventory.
The Industrial Revolution had officially begun.