Chapter 19: No Rest for the Weary
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Qin Ming stood to one side, neither upset nor embarrassed at not being chosen right away. He simply stood there, calm and easygoing, as if all of this fuss was none of his concern. In contrast, Xu Yue Ping looked rather anxious on Qin Ming’s behalf, though he couldn’t say much. Even Yang Yong Qing felt a bit sorry for him. Once, Yang Yong Qing had even teased Qin Ming about showing off if a noble lady happened to appear during a mountain sweep, urging him to do his best to leave a good impression.
Wei Zhi Rou, who had a gift for charming everyone around her, greeted Qin Ming warmly. With an encouraging smile, she praised him without hesitation, assuring him that she would have loved to pick him—if only Cao Long and Mu Qing would agree. She even invited him to visit her someday in Red Glow City, saying he’d be welcome anytime after the mountain sweep.
Qin Ming, never one to put on airs, smiled and shrugged. “Oh, for sure,” he said, sounding like an easygoing teenager. “If I ever pack up and leave the village, Red Glow City’s definitely gonna be my first stop.”
Just then, Mu Qing suddenly spoke: “I choose Qin Ming.”
Qin Ming stiffened a little. He’d been perfectly fine not being chosen before, so now, being singled out felt strangely awkward. As far as Qin Ming could tell, Mu Qing’s origins were a mystery. Man or woman, or maybe something else? Qin Ming couldn’t help wondering if Mu Qing was part of some advanced, half-human lineage that ended up serving Red Glow City. Otherwise, how would a human end up with a fluffy, golden tail?
Still, there wasn’t much he could do. With everyone looking, he nodded and forced a polite grin. “Uh, sure. Sounds great,” he said, trying to sound confident, though inside he felt uncertain.
Mu Qing’s eyes glimmered with satisfaction. Noticing that Qin Ming only had a wood-cutting machete, Mu Qing asked, “You’ll need a proper weapon. What do you prefer?”
Qin Ming gave a casual shrug. “Dunno, haven’t really thought about it,” he said, as if picking weapons was no big deal.
Mu Qing considered this. “The beasts in these mountains have thick scales,” Mu Qing explained thoughtfully. “Ordinary swords won’t cut it. How about a long-handled hammer? If you’re strong enough to swing it, you could crush a creature’s skull. But be warned, it’s heavy. You might not like it.”
With a snap of Mu Qing’s fingers, someone rushed forward, bringing a long-handled hammer made of black iron. Qin Ming tested its weight by swinging it a few times. Despite its heft, he handled it with surprising ease, the hammer whooshing through the air and leaving faint afterimages, as if he were twirling a spear or dancing with a sword. The casual display drew murmurs of admiration.
“Nice!” Mu Qing said, nodding approvingly. Even Wei Zhi Rou looked impressed. She hadn’t expected Qin Ming to handle such a weighty weapon so easily. She had once doubted the tales of his strength—supposedly around six hundred pounds of force behind his strikes—but now she was rethinking that.
Still, Wei Zhi Rou found some comfort in her own choice. Her pick, Zhou Wu Bing, had been harmed internally as a child, but now, after his Awakening, he was healing fast. Before long, he’d surpass six hundred pounds easily, maybe even earning personal guidance from Xu Kong himself. Cao Long, meanwhile, didn’t show much interest in the chatter. He walked the Giant Spirit Path, a tradition known for producing people of immense natural strength.
Mu Qing went on, “Here, take this short sword too. If a creature comes too close, you’ll need something sharp to keep it off you.”
Qin Ming grinned and took it. “Thanks! Better than just hacking away with a machete, that’s for sure.”
With that settled, Cao Long, Wei Zhi Rou, and Mu Qing finished selecting their people. Soon after, Old Man Liu, who was over seventy, stepped forward, volunteering himself since he knew the mountains like the back of his hand. At first, no one had chosen him, but his offer changed their minds. Suddenly, everyone wanted him.
“I’ll go with Qin,” Old Man Liu said firmly. “We’re from the same village, and it’s best to stick together.”
In the end, the Cao, Wei, and Mu families finished picking their teams. Someone announced, “Everyone, the top leaders will soon negotiate with the mysterious beings of the Great Mountain. For now, all we can do is wait.”
Cao Long, Wei Zhi Rou, and Mu Qing agreed to return to Silver Vine Town to get ready. Before long, dozens more people emerged from the forest and followed after the three main groups—mostly young men wearing armor. They were clearly here to train and prove themselves.
On the journey back, Xu Yue Ping sighed heavily. “They only see us as guides,” he said quietly. “They’re polite enough, but they don’t really respect our abilities.”
Yang Yong Qing nodded. “Those kids in armor came to toughen up, but the real muscle behind the mountain sweep are those seasoned fighters who came with them.”
Old Man Liu didn’t seem bothered. He scratched at his thin beard and said, “They’ve got advanced breathing techniques. We can’t hope to match that.”
Xu Yue Ping shook his head. “I’ve been to Red Glow City before. Only a handful of nobles learn the complete advanced texts. Even they wouldn’t give those away so easily.”
He frowned, considering this. “The ‘rich rewards’ they promised us probably aren’t their secret techniques. They’d never give away something so precious. It’s likely just scraps of advanced manuals gathered from outside sources. But for us, even these fragments are valuable.”
Yang Yong Qing looked wistful. “Any advanced breathing technique is worth going mad over. Even an incomplete one would be enough to set people scrambling.”
Qin Ming’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “If these techniques are that precious, and they’re willing to offer them, then whatever’s hidden in the Four Light Zone must be huge. I wonder what it could be?”
“More than ten families involved,” Old Man Liu corrected him quietly, hinting that this was no small affair.
Before long, they reached the village again.
…
That night, Qin Ming carried a hefty chunk of donkey meat over to Old Man Liu’s place. He pretended it was just a friendly visit, but in truth, he wanted to ask about the mysterious Blood Bamboo Forest. Old Man Liu lived at the very edge of the village near the Fire Spring. Under the starlight, his house of grey brick and blue tile seemed to glow faintly red.
As Qin Ming stepped into the yard, a big yellow dog, nearly as tall as a grown man’s chest, bounded out, baring its sharp white teeth. Qin Ming immediately thought of the golden mastiff he’d seen with the Mountain Patrol and took a closer look at this one. It seemed plump and well-fed—probably delicious if cooked right, Qin Ming mused darkly.
The dog, as if sensing his rather unkind thoughts, stopped growling, tucked its tail between its legs, and darted straight back into its kennel.
Just then, Old Man Liu appeared, sharp and spry despite his age. “Qin, what’re you doing bringing meat over here?” he asked, eyeing the large piece of donkey haunch.
Qin Ming gave a casual grin, the way a teenage boy might. “Hey, Mr. Liu, how about a trade? Two deer for your yellow dog. It’d make a great meal, right?”
“Woof, woof…” The big dog whimpered from its kennel as if it understood every word.
Old Man Liu shook his head firmly. “No can do. This old fellow’s nearly mutated. He’s loyal and smart as can be. He protects my family and even hunts for us.”
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow. “Really? That smart, eh?”
The old man nodded, looking at the kennel fondly. “Just two months ago, he was so old he could hardly move. Then he vanished for a few days and came back stronger than ever. I reckon he’ll mutate before Yong Qing’s black mountain goat does.”
Qin Ming looked impressed. “So the old dog went off, had some grand mountain adventure, and came back pumped. Sounds like when I fell into that mountain crack ages ago. Nearly died, got really sick, then suddenly got better. Weird how these things happen.”
Old Man Liu wagged a finger at him, his face turning serious. “That crack you fell into—places like that are worth remembering. The big families from Red Glow City are hunting for special nodes in the mountains for a reason.”
Qin Ming shrugged dismissively. “No thanks. I’m not going back just to get a second Awakening or whatever. Too risky.”
Old Man Liu narrowed his eyes. “You’ve heard a lot of old stories from me. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Wanting to know more about legends, are we?” He poked Qin Ming in the chest. “Don’t think I’m too easy. If it were simple to find magical shortcuts, I wouldn’t still be living out here in this tiny village.”
Qin Ming snorted lightly. “Aw, come on, Mr. Liu. You’re the one always telling me a young bloke should have some spirit. What’s the point of staying put? I wanna get my second Awakening soon, climb up in the world, and see everything from a higher vantage point.”
Old Man Liu pretended to look doubtful. “Did I really say that?”
“Pretty much,” Qin Ming said with a smirk. “You said a young guy’s gotta have ambition. I mean, what’s the fun in growing old without ever taking a risk?”
The old man chuckled and shook his head. “When you’re young, you dream big. When you’re old, well, you’ll see… dreams fade. But all right, boy, I’ll tell you something.”
Outside, the cold wind flung icy flakes against the window. Inside, the cozy glow of the house lit up the dinner table, covered mostly in donkey meat. Qin Ming and Old Man Liu stayed up late, talking in low voices about all sorts of strange matters and mountain lore. Eventually, the old man revealed the location of the Blood Bamboo Forest.
Qin Ming’s suspicions grew stronger. Feng Yi An and Shao Cheng Feng were probably aiming for that Blood Bamboo Forest, which lay not too far from the Mountain Patrol’s territory.
Old Man Liu confirmed it: the Blood Bamboo Forest was about six miles from the Mountain Patrol’s outpost. Inside that forest, a breed of bright red snakes lived—snakes whose bodies seemed carved from red agate. Their blood and gall bladder were rich with vitality and spiritual energy, but they were extremely poisonous. Even someone awakened to great power wouldn’t survive a bite. You had to chop the head off and remove the venom glands straight away or else perish.
“Think of them like living iron rods,” Old Man Liu explained, voice low and solemn. “They leap about, and even the small ones are deadlier than most mountain beasts. Some call them Blood Snakes, others Arrow Snakes. Same nastiness either way.”
If you ever spotted a Blood Snake longer than ten feet, you had only one good option: run.
The nest had been around since Old Man Liu was a child, and after all these decades, there were probably terrifyingly strong mutated ones among them.
“Let’s hope there aren’t any elder snakes,” Qin Ming said, sounding half-joking and half-worried.
Old Man Liu nodded gravely. “Steel your heart, boy. A normal sword won’t help much against them. At equal strength, the Blood Snake is one of the fiercest animals around.” He was so worked up he nearly knocked the table sideways, prompting his wife to glare at him and their young grandson to look like he might burst into tears. “Settle down, old man,” she scolded.
Old Man Liu cleared his throat, trying to sound dignified again. “If the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest has gone out, then it’s freezing cold up there. The snakes could be numb or frozen stiff! We could just stroll in and pick them off, piece of cake!”
His eyes lit up as if he were imagining a fortune, but then he sank back into his chair. “Of course, if I’ve figured it out, Feng Yi An and Shao Cheng Feng must’ve guessed it too. Might be they’re already on their way.”
His excitement drained, and he muttered a few curses at his own bad luck and at the Mountain Patrol. “Those lucky blokes!” he groaned, slapping his own thigh. “Always someone else who gets the big break!”
…
That night, Qin Ming hardly slept at all. He’d gone out in a snowstorm, faced off with Feng Yi An and his cronies, met the strange nobles from Red Glow City, and then listened to Old Man Liu’s stories for hours. By the time he got back to his own house, he was dead tired and flopped straight into bed.
The next morning, Qin Ming rose early, gobbled down a quick meal, and, showing no sign of slowing, marched right back into the mountains.