Chapter 55: Another Life
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Everything in nature is born from yin and holds onto yang, and harmony is created through balance… Cui Chong He,” Qin Ming muttered, thinking hard. He then dipped his finger in some tea and wrote his name, “Qin Ming,” on the table.
In those blurry and fragmented memories, Cui Chong He was his name.
“Why am I here, with only the name Qin Ming in my memory?” He looked down at the name he had written. Which part of his life was real, and which was false?
His clothes were tattered, stained with blood, and he looked utterly worn out. Through it all, he had held onto the name Qin Ming. But now, why was he suddenly recalling a different, vague life?
Qin Ming took a deep breath. The colorful mist from the three-color flower filled the air with a thick, sweet fragrance, making the blurry memories flash in his mind even more vividly. The scent made the scenes seem strangely familiar.
Soon, a memory floated to the surface of his mind: a group of well-dressed people in luxurious clothes adorned with jade, all looking with care at a young boy whose face still had a hint of childhood innocence. In front of the boy was a jade table with a three-color flower and a vial of a vibrant elixir.
Qin Ming wondered who these people were and who the boy was. Everyone looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t remember clearly.
When he first woke up in this remote place, the only thing he could remember was that his name was Qin Ming. Later, as he experienced awakening after awakening, he started recalling a silk scroll and his grandfather.
“I was there too, but further away, just watching that boy take the three-color flower and the elixir,” he murmured.
The people surrounding the boy, men and women of all ages, were all deeply concerned for him. Many of them seemed extraordinary. Some women wore headpieces that were incredibly unique, like feathers dipped in flowing purple mist, and others had beautiful peach blossoms, as if drenched in morning dew, surrounded by a faint red glow.
“The boy looked about thirteen or fourteen. He wasn’t old enough to be at his prime, and he hadn’t taken the Giant Path. Why would he dare attempt an awakening so early? And to have reached such a level already?”
Qin Ming was puzzled. Was this the kind of heritage that only the truly powerful families possessed? The ability to do what ordinary people could not?
He looked down at the three-color flower in the jade box before him. It stood about a foot tall and had been nurtured by celestial light, making it an extraordinary specimen. The one in the memory wasn’t any worse either; they seemed to be of equal quality.
Qin Ming carefully plucked a petal from the three-color flower and put it in his mouth.
As expected, the mysterious plant, gathered from a special place, contained the essence of celestial light. The moment he tasted it, his whole body felt like it was on fire as if he were being burned by intense flames.
Though the pain was real, it was something he could bear. Soon, his stomach felt like it was burning too, and the powerful celestial light seemed ready to tear his body apart.
But he remained calm, steadily plucking more petals and eating them one by one.
Qin Ming’s entire body began to glow. It was the celestial light clashing inside him—one type came from beyond the mortal world, falling upon sacred mountains, while the other was an internal light born from his own body.
“It really does hurt,” he said to himself, but he didn’t stop. After finishing the entire flower, he even chewed up its leaves and stem, swallowing everything.
Instantly, the two celestial lights inside him seemed ready to explode, but his flesh was tough enough to contain the turmoil. Besides the waves of searing pain, it didn’t cause any real harm to his vital energy.
In his abdomen, the two types of celestial light twisted and spun, chasing each other, forming a circle, and eventually merging as one.
With a loud boom, the celestial light inside him completely fused, then surged through his body, cleansing every part of him.
Qin Ming’s inner celestial light grew stronger, rapidly expanding.
It stimulated his blood, his spirit, and even his mind. In his heart, it felt like lightning was striking, illuminating his entire being, and his organs and limbs responded in kind, each radiating a new light.
Qin Ming stepped into the courtyard, displaying several types of celestial light energy, which nearly burst out of his body. It was far stronger than before.
“Merge!” he commanded, standing tall and drawing the celestial light back into himself.
At the same time, more scenes appeared before his eyes. He saw that boy again, along with those richly dressed men and women.
“Amazing! After three awakenings, you’ve managed to merge four different types of celestial light energy. Truly remarkable!” An elderly man with snow-white hair and a youthful face praised the boy.
A woman who looked to be in her early thirties wore a palace robe with her dark hair styled in an elegant bun, a feathered pin glowing with golden light adorning it. She nodded and said, “Although each type of celestial light energy seems ordinary, this is just the beginning. Merging these four forms is the first step towards turning the mundane into the extraordinary.”
The boy was named Cui Chong Xuan. Like Qin Ming’s, the name was taken from an ancient text.
He was sweating, trembling slightly, but he had made it through and successfully merged the four types of celestial light energy.
The elderly man spoke again, “Although you haven’t stepped onto the otherworldly path, your achievements after three awakenings are enough to cause a great stir if word gets out. Very impressive!”
Another middle-aged and dignified man added, “Who says this path can’t lead to the highest point? I’ve found a priceless secret manual for you—the ‘Six Sovereigns Heart Technique.’ Do not disappoint us.”
Qin Ming watched quietly from afar. He must have been just an onlooker, standing at the edge of the crowd.
He snapped out of his thoughts. Why did it feel like he had lived an extra, false life?
Who was he really? Qin Ming or Cui Chong He?
For some reason, he felt that Cui Chong He’s life seemed unreal. Otherwise, why would he have completely forgotten it, like it was less vivid than even his earliest, most childlike memories?
Now, Qin Ming had completely merged all his celestial light energy. He felt better than ever. The celestial light within him had grown immensely, and with this power nourishing his body and spirit, he thought maybe next time, he wouldn’t need to seek out spiritual substances to achieve awakening and ascend to a higher level.
“Three awakenings and merging four types of celestial light energy is supposed to be impressive?” Qin Ming muttered to himself, unimpressed.
He had merged five types of celestial light energy, and among them, the cutting energy and blade energy were far from being ordinary.
Qin Ming stopped dwelling on it. He believed that soon enough, the past would reveal itself. All those blurry scenes were becoming clearer, and perhaps with the next awakening, everything would be shown to him.
He practiced his technique on a stone mill, this time without using his fingers, just letting the celestial light energy run through the back of his hand. He easily tore off a palm-sized chunk of the rough stone.
“Sorry, old mill,” he said with a sigh. Over the past two days, despite holding back his strength, he had still left the millstone pitted and scarred.
“I guess… I really am pretty strong now,” Qin Ming murmured, though he quickly tempered his own pride. Just before nightfall, he had been in a dangerous situation. The otherworldly beings could fly, turn into mist, and become invisible. Without his jade metal knife, he might not have made it.
“I’m already merging different types of celestial light energy, just like the texts say. But… will this really be enough to deal with the otherworldly beings?”
Qin Ming wasn’t sure, but he didn’t have a choice now. All he could do was keep getting stronger.
As the evening ended, Old Liu finally returned. After spending fifteen day gold coins, he wasn’t about to leave early. He had even managed to get a meal out of Old Wu, staying until the night grew deep.
“Is there anything in the mountains that can help someone go through a fourth awakening?” Qin Ming asked casually.
Old Liu quickly shook his head. “Creatures that have gone through four mutations aren’t something you should mess with. They all have connections—they’ve been registered by the higher beings in the mountains. Killing one would draw their attention.”
Qin Ming nodded. It seemed it was time for him to leave this place.
In the mountains, near the great ravine, two notorious bandits were frowning. The young man still hadn’t returned. Had something happened to him? They were getting worried. After all, if the actions of that mist-forming otherworldly being were discovered, they’d be in trouble too.
They had already sent out a message using a hunting bird, seeking guidance from an elder.
Finally, as the night deepened, the bird returned with a reply.
One of the bandits unfolded the letter. “The elder says we should wait one more day. If he doesn’t show up by tomorrow, we should just forget about it as if nothing ever happened.”
The other bandit asked, “We suspect he was trying to imitate the mountain beasts’ grave-crying ritual. Did the elder say anything about that?”
His companion nodded. “The elder said he might be an otherworldly beast.”
“I thought he was an otherworldly being. How is he now a beast?”
The two bandits leaned closer, studying the letter. They were surprised at first, then nodded in understanding.
Some had ventured into the deep mountains and great marshes, entering forbidden grounds, and returned as otherworldly beings. But there were also beasts that had come into the great cities, seeking the splendor and excitement of the human world. It wasn’t impossible for one to become the lord of a city, or even transcend the mundane and become an otherworldly beast. According to the elder, in this world, nothing was impossible.
The elder reassured them that the mist-forming young man—whether he was an otherworldly beast or not—wouldn’t succeed in his ritual. The grave had long since sunk beneath the black-and-white mountains. Let him kneel if he wanted. They didn’t need to worry.
The next day, the two bandits from Golden Rooster Ridge led their men away.
Before they left, the two riders personally went through the nearby villages, telling the people that each household had to pay a night silver coin. They would come to collect in the middle of the month.
“I knew it. These bandits are making us pay for their mess,” an old man muttered under his breath.
The villagers had already expected this. When Golden Rooster Ridge had forcefully recruited new members, the people knew they’d end up paying for it. The bandits had suffered great losses, and they needed a way to replenish their strength—it would be the nearby villages that supported them.
But it had been a harsh winter for the villagers outside the mountains. Many were struggling, and this demand sparked anger among them. Some were even ready to fight back.
Qin Ming heard the commotion outside. He knew it was time to settle things around here. He’d had enough. He was ready to take action against Golden Rooster Ridge!