Chapter 57: Lone Rider at Golden Rooster Ridge
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming could feel something. He glanced back at the dark mountain that the Purple Lightning Beast had rushed out from. But he didn’t have time to investigate; getting to his destination was way more important now.
Deep in the mountains, a man in his late thirties stood on a cliff, his green robes flapping in the wind as he gazed into the distance. Across from him, a mighty peak was shrouded in white mist, the smoky haze covering most of the mountain—within it, a higher being could be glimpsed.
“New Lord of Red Glow City, why aren’t you going to your post? Why are you here instead?” the man on the cliff asked.
“Passing through, and I thought I’d pay a visit to the Mountain Lord.”
…
After riding for several miles, Qin Ming could tell the Purple Lightning Beast was getting restless again. Its purple-furred body shimmered with a soft glow, and it started moving much rougher than before, making the ride incredibly bumpy. Sometimes it even slowed down suddenly, enough to throw anyone else off balance and maybe even crash to the ground.
Seeing it misbehave again, Qin Ming pressed down harder on the Phoenix Pattern Long Blade that rested on the creature’s neck. A tuft of its glowing purple mane fell, and blood started trickling from a cut.
“If you’re not taking me where I need to go, then I guess I’ll have to send you on your way!” Qin Ming said. He didn’t want to fully tame it, not yet. And he didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty either—this beast had tried to stomp on his head earlier, and that would have ended very differently if he weren’t who he was.
“Better get with the program, or else you’re done!” Qin Ming threatened again, pressing the blade down. This time, the beast really got scared. The blood from its neck stained its mane, and it finally stopped resisting. It went quiet, and the rest of the journey went smoothly. Now, they were only a few miles away from Golden Rooster Ridge.
Qin Ming let his mind wander a bit. Even without using his Celestial Light Force, he could sit perfectly still on this beast’s back and guide it effortlessly. He’d never ridden anything around the Black and White Mountain before, let alone bareback, without reins. But somehow, flashes of another time kept coming back to him—a huge city gate, him riding a much more majestic creature than this one, rushing ahead. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Without even realizing it, he used the flat of his blade like a riding crop, giving the beast a light smack on its rear.
The beast flinched, thinking it was about to be slashed again, and leaped forward, running even faster now. It moved like the wind, with the purple mist trailing behind, slicing through the thick darkness of the night. Qin Ming rode through the long, dark night, closing in on Golden Rooster Ridge.
Even though it was late at night, the area ahead was brightly lit. Golden Rooster Ridge was never dark, thanks to its almost second-level Fire Spring, which was nearly as bright as the one in Silver Vine Town. The road was wide, leading straight up to the ridge, with thick forest on either side. There weren’t any wild creatures lurking around here, not with those notorious bandits nearby. They were best left alone.
But the ridge seemed quieter than before. Many of their men had died while trying to seize the mystical materials from the Great Rift Valley. The Black and White Mountain beasts had feasted well that day. Now, only about thirty bandits were left at Golden Rooster Ridge. The ones who stayed behind were no ordinary guards—they were even worse than the rest. As Old Liu liked to say, “You could hack away at any of these remaining scoundrels without a care, and you’d never risk hitting an innocent soul. They could die a few times over, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”
Qin Ming put away his long blade and took the hard bow from his back. Riding the Purple Lightning Beast, he rushed into the brightly lit area of the ridge, where the Fire Spring burned. The first to notice him wasn’t a bandit but a Golden Rooster, one of their mutated guard creatures. It had mutated twice and hid in the forest, making a loud “Cluck-cluck-da!” when it saw someone approaching the ridge.
Qin Ming’s first iron arrow flew right at it, and with a “Pfft,” the rooster’s head was pierced, its cry stopping abruptly.
“What’s going on?” A few drunken voices called out from the mountain stronghold. Some of the older bandits woke up, shouting, “We’re under attack!” They stumbled to their feet, looking out towards the road leading to the ridge, where a lone rider with a shimmering purple glow approached, looking like a beam of light tearing through the dark night, charging towards the gate.
In the old days, the watchtower and walls would have been manned by archers. But now, Golden Rooster Ridge was half-deserted, and these guys didn’t bother with much work. It was freezing out, snow still falling from the sky, and they spent most of their time holed up inside, drinking and gambling.
Qin Ming spurred the beast on, charging straight at the strong gate. The heavy gate splintered under the powerful hooves of the Purple Lightning Beast, crashing open as they charged right into the mountain stronghold.
“Get up, we’re under attack!” Chaos erupted. Even the drunkest among them realized what was happening. The stronghold was brightly lit, the almost second-level Fire Spring glowing bright red—it was a treasure, far better than the scattered village camps outside the mountains.
Qin Ming, dressed in shining armor, his face hidden by the helmet except for his eyes and mouth, was a fearsome sight. To the bandits, the rider and his beast seemed impossibly fast, the purple light surrounding them creating a frightening image. The sheer force of their charge was unbelievable.
Qin Ming pulled his bowstring and fired arrow after arrow, each iron-tipped shaft flashing through the fire-lit air like icy lightning.
“Pfft, pfft, pfft…”
Within moments, he’d shot five men. Some didn’t even have time to react before an arrow pierced their brow, while two others were killed by a single arrow that went straight through both their chests.
“Shoot back!” someone yelled, rousing the others. They blew a whistle, commanding the Golden Roosters to attack the intruder. But Qin Ming had mastered the Wu Family’s secret techniques, and his archery and spear skills were no joke. His arrows seemed almost alive, guided by his sharp gaze. Before the man giving orders could even finish, Qin Ming’s heavy arrow had blown his head apart.
In the flickering light of the Fire Spring, the scene was gruesomely clear. Blood and bits of bone sprayed everywhere, landing on the nearby bandits and freezing them in terror.
Still, these bandits were hardened men who had seen plenty of bloodshed. Their fear quickly turned into rage, and they started shouting and shooting back. Five Golden Roosters rushed towards Qin Ming, spreading their wings, extending sharp beaks, and aiming their talons at the rider and his beast.
Forced up the mountain, the Purple Lightning Beast was already in a foul mood, filled with frustration. Now, being attacked by the Golden Roosters, it was furious. It roared—its head like a horse’s, but with the body of a tiger—and stood up on its hind legs, bringing down its heavy hooves.
“Pfft, pfft!” Two of the roosters were killed instantly, one with its head smashed in, the other trampled through the body. The beast then swung its head violently, using its sharp teeth to snap the neck of a third rooster.
The whole time, whether it was standing up or leaping forward, Qin Ming stayed glued to the creature’s back as if he were riding on solid ground. He kept firing arrows, keeping the bandits at bay.
Two of the more dangerous bandits had shown up, but they held back. They knew that anyone bold enough to attack alone like this wasn’t someone to mess with lightly—he looked formidable.
But even they underestimated Qin Ming. Judging by the strength of his arrows, they thought they could gauge his skill. However, the hard bow he used wasn’t even near its full power.
One of the bandits shot an arrow at Qin Ming, and he deflected it easily, using one of his own arrows to knock it aside. Sparks flew, and the two bandits’ faces grew tense.
Qin Ming didn’t hesitate; he pulled his bowstring back and fired at them.
“Pfft!”
The bandits dodged, but a young man standing next to them wasn’t so lucky—he got an arrow right through his head and fell backward without a sound.
One of the bandits let out an angry roar—it was clear the young man had been important to him, and the loss filled him with rage.
Qin Ming kept firing, one shot after another. In just a short time, Golden Rooster Ridge had lost half its men. Of the thirty or so that were left, over a dozen had already been taken down.
Qin Ming rode the Purple Lightning Beast straight towards the wooden huts nearby, putting away his bow and drawing out his sharp Long Spear. The sight of the lone rider charging filled the bandits with dread. The beast was merciless, trampling mutated Golden Roosters beneath its hooves, while the armored rider on its back seemed unstoppable, killing with every arrow, his gaze enough to make them tremble.
Qin Ming reached the huts, thrusting his spear with great force, lifting one of the wooden buildings before it shattered into pieces. Two terrified men rushed out, swinging their blades at him. But they had only experienced a single Awakening, and against Qin Ming, they stood no chance.
Blood sprayed, and Qin Ming struck like lightning, piercing both men, then turned to charge towards the two bandit leaders.
The Purple Lightning Beast reared up, its heavy hooves smashing another hut to pieces. Qin Ming sensed movement behind him and spun around, thrusting his spear.
An older bandit—one he’d seen before at the Great Rift Valley, someone who had survived three Awakenings—had come riding on a much larger Golden Rooster. The rooster, clearly mutated three times, half-flew down from a higher position, aiming to attack.
“So, Golden Rooster Ridge knows how to breed these mutants on a large scale,” Qin Ming thought, without fear. His spear moved like a blur, creating dozens of afterimages. The old man swung his blade, but each strike left his arm trembling. He realized just how outmatched he was, and the fear of death crept in.
And death came faster than he could have imagined. Qin Ming’s spear not only blocked his blade but also left the Golden Rooster riddled with wounds, killing it instantly.
“Ah!” The old man screamed, trying to flee mid-air, but Qin Ming was far too strong. The old man couldn’t even tell which spear was real and which was an illusion before one of them pierced his chest.
Qin Ming flicked his spear, tossing the body away like a ragdoll, sending it crashing into another hut. The people inside stumbled back in shock. This old man had been one of the top fighters left in the stronghold, second only to the two main leaders, and yet he was killed so easily.
The Purple Lightning Beast slowed at Qin Ming’s signal, its heavy breathing echoing through the chaos. Ignoring everyone else, Qin Ming rode straight towards the two remaining leaders. They drew their weapons—one a broad sword, the other a long pike—and stepped forward together.
Suddenly, from the shadows, an old man appeared, silently sneaking up behind Qin Ming, ready to strike and assist the leaders.
Qin Ming held his spear in one hand, pointing it at the two leaders without moving an inch. His left hand reached back, drawing the Phoenix Pattern Long Blade. In a flash, the blade cut through the darkness, striking the old man’s sword and sending it flying twenty feet away.
The force of Qin Ming’s slash didn’t slow at all. The blade cut through the night air even faster, slicing diagonally through the old man, killing him instantly—another three-time Awakened bandit taken down with one strike.