Chapter 54 - Overcoming Your Own Struggles (2/2)

The first incident occurred. With the lack of essence, people started requiring food more. Especially the adults. A man stole a young boy's food for himself. This man was part of the crew that came with him, and so was the boy. At that time, Yan Zaizen was about to teach that man a lesson but was stopped by Tao. He was puzzled.

”In this world, if you can't survive yourself, you'll die sooner or later. Trust me.” His eyes were solemn, and he looked towards the boy then looked away. He continued extracting the ore with his scrawny body. Yan Zaizen didn't like this. However, he didn't take action against the man. Instead, he arrived next to the crying boy and gave him his food.

In the background, Tao merely shook his head.

Deep Mines, Day Forty:

The incident of taking the boy's food kept occurring, and each time Yan Zaizen would give the boy his food. He was so close to killing the man himself, but he restrained himself under Tao's cautioning. It wasn't long before the boy went to Yan Zaizen to help him reach his quota. Surprised, Yan Zaizen thought about it. However, right when he was about to agree, Tao came up and clasped his shoulder.

His brows furrowed at this. ”What do you mean by this?” His eyes contained a little fury when he saw Tao's action. However, Tao didn't stop gripping his shoulder and only gripped it tighter. His words resounded in Yan Zaizen's ears.

”If you help now, it won't stop.” Those were the only words he said, and then he looked towards the others who were also looking at Yan Zaizen. The women, the kids, and even a few of the exhausted men with little hope in their eyes.

He couldn't help but gulp at this realization.

Indeed. If you help one child, why won't you help the second, and if a helpless woman were to appear in front of you, could you say no? Would you be able to help them all, and if you don't, would they take revenge out of you or the ones you're helping? Would they feel resentment? Not to mention, he realized he'll likely have to do more work and thereby expending more energy as time passed. Right now, he was fine thanks to the Unyielding Flame of Life's lifeforce energy from before, but that wouldn't last for five hundred years. Hell, it wouldn't even last six months.

He remembered how long this boy had in here: Three years or 1,095 days.

He closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opened them with a resolve in his gaze. ”You must be able to do this yourself.” He remembered when he first started cultivation, and how his father looked at him with those tough eyes. When he first hurt himself and wanted to stop due to the pain, his father reminded him that path of cultivation is hard, and if you can't overcome the small struggles, when the life-and-death struggles happen your life will no longer be yours to decide.

How will you react then?

Those three years, when nearing its end, the amount of ore he'd have to put in his spatial box would be astronomical. Would he be able to help him for three years as well as himself? In this world, whether it's as a slave, a cultivator or a mortal, one must walk forward in this dark world of cultivation and overcome their own struggles.

The young boy's expression revealed his despondency. When he looked at Yan Zaizen, he revealed his disappointment. As if saying that he thought he could rely on him for everything.

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