In the valley where Mount Liucui's iron mine was located, the ground was so hard that not even weeds could grow.
Not long after entering, there were a few rows of wooden buildings. There were no fences or anything like that around them.
Most of the people here were aboriginals. After mining here for a few years, they would be released early. Usually, no one escaped, and the guards were not strict.
Ren Baqian had already stayed here for two days. Every day, he would use a piece of cloth to cover his face and walk around.
There was too much dust in the valley. All of it had drifted over from the mines. When one woke up, they would find that their surroundings were covered in dust.
The quality of this iron ore mine was average, but it was easy to mine. It was currently the most productive iron ore mine in Dayao. Although it was not much compared to the iron ore on Earth.
For the past two days, Ren Baqian had been pondering how to make transportation easier.
As long as the supply and the transportation of ores could keep up, the output of the iron mine could increase by several times or even more.
The valley was surrounded by cliffs on three sides, and one of them was the narrow path. Regardless of whether it was the ore being transported out or the supplies being transported in, they all passed through this path.
On the other side was a deep mountain stream. There was a stream at the bottom, but after a short distance, it flowed into the ground.
As for the other two sides, they both led to the Sixty Thousand Mountains, and it was not easy to get in and out. It was not realistic to open a path from this side.
At first, Ren Baqian considered using a cable to transport the weapons. However, if Dayao had the steel to make cables, it would have been used to forge weapons.
Furthermore, the materials required for the cable could only be produced in Dayao in a few years. Moreover, the support required for the cable was something that was difficult to build in this world.
As for the rope, there was no need to think about it. It would wear out too quickly, and it was not practical to use it to transport ores.
In addition, Ren Baqian had also considered using hot air balloons. However, considering the difficulty of manufacturing hot air balloons and the amount of fuel required, he was afraid that the transportation speed of two or three hot air balloons wouldn't be much faster than the current method of carrying people.
Not to mention the airflow in the valley, hot air balloons were never meant to be used as a means of transportation.
No matter how he thought about it, the only possibility was to open a tunnel.
Ren Baqian pointed at the mountain in front of them and asked Tao Jiyuan, "Have you ever thought of opening a hole on this mountain that leads directly to the other side?"
"Shh, Sir Ren, just think about it and don't say it out loud," Tao Jiyuan said nervously.
"What's wrong?" Ren Baqian was astonished.
"It's said that there's an unknown existence in this mountain. In the past, the Hao Nation also wanted to dig through this mountain, but it would collapse after digging for a few hundred feet. They dug a total of three times. The third time, they angered the existence inside the mountain. Not only did the miners die, but the two thousand soldiers outside also died. Not a single person survived. From then on, the Hao Nation never thought of digging up the mountain again. "
Ren Baqian looked at Tao Jiyuan suspiciously. Was it really that scary?
"How many years has it been? Really? "Ren Baqian found it hard to believe.
"It's been a hundred years, but no one dares to touch this mountain." Tao Jiyuan smiled bitterly.
Ren Baqian thought about the kirin that he had seen before. This world was too different from Earth, and there were too many unknowns. Tao Jiyuan's words might not be true.
"Can the mountain road be widened?" Ren Baqian asked again after putting the previous question aside. Since they couldn't dig a tunnel, it would be good if they could expand the mountain path to three meters so that fork-horned cows could pass through.
Although this was a huge project, the iron mine was the foundation of a nation. It was acceptable to pay a higher price.
Moreover, he could get his hands on explosives to blow up the mountain wall.
Tao Jiyuan's expression became strange. "This mountain road can only be so wide. The more we dig, the more the road will collapse. It has always been this wide."
Ren Baqian looked up at the mountain in front of him. In this case, he had no other choice.
Digging and touching can't be done. Are you trying to scam me?
What exactly is in this mountain?
If I have the chance, I really want to dig it up and take a look.
However, this idea was just a thought. Ren Baqian wasn't someone who liked to take risks and court death.
"In this case, there's no point for us to stay here. Let's leave tomorrow." Ren Baqian sighed.
"This time, I'm just accompanying Sir Ren to take a look." Tao Jiyuan laughed. If Ren Baqian didn't want to take a look, he wouldn't have come here.
"Is it okay to dig here?" Ren Baqian asked again.
"If we dig here, we won't care about the thing inside," Tao Jiyuan said directly. "But I still don't like this place."
Ren Baqian nodded. His hair stood on end when he heard what Tao Jiyuan said.
In any case, there was already a plan for Mount Damo. Transportation there was convenient. As long as he could use the solar furnace to melt the iron mountain, he would be able to obtain enough iron in a short period of time. His purpose for coming here this time would be achieved.
He would explore Mount Liucui in the future when he had the opportunity.
The two of them stood there and looked for a while. Ren Baqian decided to go back and rest for a night before setting off.
On the way back, he saw the guards pulling two crooked cows in the direction of the Sixty Thousand Mountains and walking up the mountain.
Ren Baqian had seen them kill cows a few times over the past two days, but they had never brought the cows so far away. As a result, he was puzzled and asked, "What are they doing?"
Tao Jiyuan thought for a while and called a guard over to ask.
"The bichi is going down the mountain. These are prepared for it. After eating these two cows, it won't come down to eat anything else," the guard said to the two of them.
"What's a bichi?" Ren Baqian asked curiously. In his impression, the aboriginals would just pick up a knife and slash anything they saw. When had they ever paid tribute?
Tao Jiyuan revealed a look of realization and said, "So it's a bichi. “
It's a ferocious beast in the Sixty Thousand Mountains. It looks like a mountain rat, has wings, and can run and fly. Furthermore, it's as fast as lightning. Even experienced hunters in the mountains would find it difficult to kill it. Instead, it would find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack. "
"Sir is right. The bichi will come down the mountain twice every spring and autumn. If it can't find anything to eat, it will attack the other cows here and bite all of them to death. If it is beaten, it will find an opportunity to retaliate. As a result, two cows are placed on the mountain every time. After it eats them, it won't come down, "the guard said.
At first, Ren Baqian thought it was a bat, but he realized it wasn't. It seemed like it was a creature unique to this world.
Its vengeful nature was similar to that of a weasel.
"Can I see it if I find a place to hide?" Ren Baqian asked curiously. He was somewhat interested in this kind of strange animal in this world.
"Sir, it's better not to see it. It's said that those who see the bichi will encounter disaster. It's extremely accurate."
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