Bright sunlight streamed through the sky, casting its light upon a deep and secluded mountain forest. As dawn was just breaking, a group of people was already hard at work clearing wasteland and farming in a flat clearing within the forest. Rising earlier than the roosters, every single one of them was in tattered rags that barely covered their bodies, with heavy iron chains shackled to their ankles. Their eyes were devoid of light, and they mechanically performed heavy labor like walking corpses. The overseers brandished long whips, watching them vigilantly and urging them on. The moment anyone slowed down even slightly, the overseer would show no mercy, lashing out with all his might. The crisp sound of the whip was exceptionally harsh in the silent mountain forest, as if silently recounting the tragic fate of these people.
Chen Yingjian and Lu Tianzhang had set out from Zhou City last night, arriving deep within Zangdi by midnight. The two of them had decided to make do and sleep in a large tree for the night. Little did they expect to wake up to such a shocking scene at daybreak.
Some people had ox-nose rings pierced through their nostrils and were struggling to pull wooden plows with their bare hands, cultivating the land like human oxen. Overseers watched them vigilantly from the side, and the moment the plowing speed slowed even a little, the overseers would mercilessly whip them with great force.
Chapter 106