In the Sunset Mining District of Western Yan, this sprawling mountain range had become the most mysterious forbidden zone within a hundred miles.
The master here was named Situ Jing, the sole heiress of five major mining sectors.
Six months ago, she was the laughingstock of Western Yan's noble social circles—a "love-brain" woman so pathetically obsessed with Gu Xiao, the Assistant Minister of War, that she was willing to squander her family fortune just to be near him.
But now, the soul inhabiting this body was code-named "Blue Five."
[Six Months Ago: The Awakening and the Settlement]
When Blue Five first crossed over, she was in the middle of a messy breakup with her trashy fiancé.
Gu Xiao had never loved her; he only wanted her family's mines. Yet, the original Situ Jing had been head-over-heels. She pampered him, cooked for him, and devoted her life to him. On that fateful day, she went to deliver pastries to him as usual, only to overhear him whispering sweet nothings to another woman.
"Gu Xiao, let's meet somewhere else next time. I'm afraid Miss Situ will find out," the woman, Min'er, whispered coyly.
"Don't worry. That woman is wrapped around my finger. She wouldn't dare breathe if I didn't tell her to," Gu Xiao replied. He was the Assistant Minister of War, blessed with a handsome face that made him the dream husband of many Western Yan women. He leaned in to kiss Min'er. "Min'er, that woman won't even let me touch her, saying we must wait until marriage. These past few days have been agonizing."
"Oh, Gu Lang, you're so wicked," Min'er giggled.
"Wicked? Isn't that why you like me?" Gu Xiao smirked. He swept her into his arms and headed toward the bedchamber.
The original Situ Jing had been so enraged she grabbed a wooden plank and burst through the door to teach the "dog-couple" a lesson. Instead, Gu Xiao pushed her away. She struck her head against the corner of a tea table, losing consciousness—and that was when Blue Five arrived.
When Blue Five opened her eyes, the sharp pain from the impact still throbbed in her skull. Memories flooded her mind—"Situ Jing," "Sunset Mines," "Obsession with Gu Xiao"... These concepts seemed absurd to her. After a mere 0.1 seconds of vertigo, she calmly accepted the reality of her new body.
"Since I'm back among the living, I suppose I'll be the one to settle these rotten debts," she murmured, a dangerous arc touching her lips.
Through her blurred vision, she saw Gu Xiao hugging Min'er, looking down at her with pure disgust. "Situ Jing, you are too willful! You actually tried to strike someone with a plank?" The mask of deep affection on Gu Xiao's face had shattered. "Min'er and I were simply discussing the distribution of ore... your shrew-like behavior is truly repulsive."
Blood trickled into the corner of her eye. Blue Five wiped her face, staring at the crimson on her palm. There was no trace of the original owner's grievance in her eyes—only a coldness reserved for inspecting "scrap metal."
Blue Five spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. "Discussing distribution? By kissing right in front of me?"
She stood up, casually grabbing a piece of high-hardness crystal ore used for decoration. She felt its weight and density—this was the language she knew best. To her, this transmigration was just a change of laboratories, and the man before her wasn't even qualified to be a lab specimen.
"Get out. Take your Min'er and get off Situ land." Blue Five's finger pressed precisely on the ore's center of gravity, her voice as cold as a steel blade. "Or next time, the thing I smash will be your skull."
From that day on, the spoiled eldest Miss of Western Yan vanished. In her place was a "Technical Maniac" who lived among gears, cogs, and gunpowder in the depths of the mines.
[The Abandoned Shaft: An Unexpected Surprise]
During the first month of her "Mining District Overhaul," Blue Five discovered something unexpected while clearing a dark, forgotten shaft.
It was a youth, shackled in a damp corner. He was covered in wounds, yet his eyes held the ferocious glint of a trapped beast. He was an "Escapee Slave from Great Qi," whom Gu Xiao had secretly imprisoned to be tortured to death.
"From Great Qi?" Blue Five asked, looking at the tattered remains of the Great Qi armor on him.
The youth gritted his teeth, forcing out a single word: "Yes."
Blue Five studied him. He had the classic face of a military lineage; even in his wretched state, his spine remained as straight as a javelin.
"I am Situ Jing. From today on, you work for me. I'll teach you how to make 'treasures' that can shatter mountains and split the earth. In return, you help me carve a path of blood through my enemies. Deal?"
With a sharp clink, her hacksaw precisely severed the chains. The youth, Chu Yuning, had never seen a gaze like hers—this "spoiled" Miss didn't look at him with pity or disgust. Instead, she looked at him as if she were evaluating a rare, "precision instrument."
[The Industrial Revolution: A Miracle Descends]
Over the next three months, the Sunset Mines underwent a revolution that would subvert the era.
I. Mechanical Hoists and Rail Transport:
Blue Five abolished primitive manual hauling. Using water power and precision gear sets, she built massive mechanical lifting platforms. Ore that once took hundreds of men a full day to transport could now be brought to the surface in minutes. Inside the pitch-black tunnels, hardwood rails were laid, and mine carts flowed like a river, complemented by a ventilation system based on the siphon principle. The underground had become an efficient steel factory.
II. Coking and High-Temperature Modules:
Blue Five taught Chu Yuning how to wash and desulfurize coal, distilling raw coal into "Coke"—something never seen in the ancient world. When the modified reverberatory furnace spat out flames, even the military-bred Chu Yuning was stunned. Flowing out was not brittle pig iron, but pure molten steel, capable of slicing through iron like butter.
III. Gunpowder Blasting:
This was Blue Five's most insane masterpiece. Using saltpeter and sulfur, she formulated high-purity explosives. The stubborn rocks that had cost countless lives were turned to dust in earth-shattering explosions.
Currently, Blue Five was gently stroking a small Compound Steel Crossbow in her hand. This device could easily pierce heavy armor, yet it was only half the size of a standard crossbow.
"Miss Situ, Gu Xiao has arrived with his men. He says you are harboring a high-value fugitive and demands to search the mines."
Chu Yuning appeared behind her, wielding a refined steel sword forged by Blue Five herself. His gaze was as sharp as a blade.
Blue Five stowed her crossbow, the corner of her mouth twitching into a cold, clinical smirk unique to scientists.
"A search? Perfect timing. We just finished a new batch of explosives and were looking for a target for 'scrap testing.' His data should be quite precise."