Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3661: Five Years As A Slave

”My ascension was not normal,” Lin Mu explained. ”I entered a teleportation channel while still in the Dao Treading realm. It was unstable. I believe it interfered with the standard ascension pathway.”

Jing Wei nodded slowly.

”That explains it,” he said. ”You bypassed the usual system.”

Lin Mu inclined his head slightly.

”What happened after those two months?” he asked.

Jing Wei continued.

”The slaves were eventually sorted,” he said. ”They categorized us based on our abilities.”

”Abilities?” Lin Mu asked.

”Yes,” Jing Wei replied. ”Those who had no particular skills were assigned to labor. Heavy work. Mining, hauling, construction. Others with combat ability were turned into guards or enforcers.”

He paused.

”And those with specialized skills were separated further.”

Lin Mu understood.

”Alchemy. Formation. Crafting,” he said.

Jing Wei nodded.

”Exactly,” he said. ”I was identified as someone skilled in weapon forging and tool refinement.”

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”And then?” he asked.

”I was sold again,” Jing Wei said calmly. ”This time to a merchant.”

Lin Mu’s grip tightened subtly.

The idea of Jing Wei being traded like an item stirred something unpleasant within him.

”The merchant specialized in selling weapons,” Jing Wei explained. ”He wanted to expand into manufacturing as well. Instead of hiring established immortal craftsmen, he chose a cheaper path.”

”Slaves,” Lin Mu said quietly.

Jing Wei nodded.

”He purchased several of us,” he said. ”All with similar skills. We were put to work immediately.”

”How long?” Lin Mu asked.

”Five years,” Jing Wei replied.

Lin Mu frowned slightly.

”And during that time?” he pressed.

Jing Wei’s expression shifted.

”During that time... I improved,” he said.

Lin Mu looked at him.

”Improved?” he repeated.

Jing Wei gave a small smile.

”Yes,” he said. ”It was not a pleasant environment, but it forced me to grow.”

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers.

”With Immortal Qi available, everything changed,” he continued. ”Concepts that once felt distant became clear. Techniques that I struggled with before began to make sense.”

His eyes carried a faint gleam now.

”I understood things I could not before,” he said. ”I solved problems that had once seemed impossible.”

Lin Mu watched him closely.

”Your talent...” he said.

Jing Wei chuckled softly.

”It showed,” he admitted. ”Faster than even I expected.”

The noise of the banquet swelled again around them.

Cattaleya’s laughter rang out as yet another dwarf collapsed in defeat, while others cheered and called for more rounds.

But at their table, the atmosphere remained focused.

Lin Mu looked at Jing Wei, his expression steady.

”You endured all of that,” he said.

Jing Wei met his gaze.

”And survived,” he replied.

There was no pride in his voice.

Only truth.

And something deeper.

The quiet strength of someone who had faced hardship and come out the other side stronger.

Jing Wei took another slow drink, the warmth of the dwarven liquor settling deep within him as his thoughts drifted back to those years. The noise of the banquet continued around them, yet for the two of them, the conversation carried a weight that made everything else feel distant.

”It was not entirely unbearable,” Jing Wei said after a moment. ”Those years as a slave... they were harsh, but they were also strangely productive.”

Lin Mu listened closely, his expression steady.

”I was not the only one with skill,” Jing Wei continued. ”Among the slaves were several experienced immortal weapon forgers and tool refiners. People who had lived far longer than I had, who had practiced their craft for centuries.”

”That must have helped,” Lin Mu said.

”It did,” Jing Wei replied. ”We had nothing but time. When we were not working, we talked. We exchanged techniques, theories, and ideas. It was the only thing that gave meaning to those days.”

He tapped his fingers lightly against the mug.

”My understanding grew rapidly,” he said. ”Faster than it ever had before.”

Lin Mu nodded.

”That does not surprise me,” he said. ”Even my master admitted you had great talent. With the limits of a mortal world gone, you were bound to grow.”

Jing Wei gave a faint smile.

”Perhaps,” he admitted. ”But even I did not expect how quickly things would change.”

He leaned back slightly.

”My skill began to stand out,” he said. ”At first, it was subtle. Then it became obvious.”

”In what way?” Lin Mu asked.

”The quality of my work improved,” Jing Wei replied. ”The efficiency of my refining increased. The weapons I produced began to outperform those of others in the same workshop.”

Lin Mu could already imagine the outcome.

”That attracted attention,” he said.

Jing Wei nodded.

”Not just from within,” he added. ”Other merchants began to take notice. There were offers. Many of them.”

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”To buy you,” he said.

”Yes,” Jing Wei replied. ”But the merchant who owned me refused.”

”Why?” Lin Mu asked, though he already had an idea.

”He understood my value,” Jing Wei said. ”Selling me would bring a large profit once. Keeping me would generate far more over time.”

Lin Mu’s expression darkened slightly, though he remained silent.

”My treatment improved,” Jing Wei continued. ”Gradually. I was given better living conditions. Better materials to work with. More freedom within the workshop.”

He paused.

”Eventually, I was no longer treated like a slave in the usual sense,” he said. ”I worked. I produced. I was compensated in small ways. But the chain was still there.”

Lin Mu nodded.

”I understand,” he said.

Jing Wei took another drink.

”Five years passed like that,” he said. ”And then... something unexpected happened.”

Lin Mu leaned forward slightly.

”A young man came to the merchant,” Jing Wei said. ”I do not know what price he paid. But it must have been significant.”

”And he bought you,” Lin Mu said.

Jing Wei nodded.

”Yes,” he said. ”I was transferred again.”

Lin Mu’s gaze remained fixed on him.

”And then?” he asked.

Jing Wei’s expression softened slightly.

”I was freed,” he said.

Lin Mu blinked once.

”Freed?” he repeated.