Chapter 58: Nothing Special
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The old man who had undergone three Awakenings fell, his body twitching slightly as he hit the cold ground. Night had descended, and snowflakes drifted down, their chill piercing despite the glow of the Fire Spring. The people of Golden Rooster Ridge felt nothing but dread. The lone figure on his mount was enough to make them feel like a thousand-strong army was charging at them. The pressure was suffocating.
This was no ordinary opponent; it was a veteran fighter who had survived three Awakenings—one of their strongest—but even he was cut down in a single slash by the young man atop the Purple Lightning Beast. The broken body fell, staining the snow with deep red blood, which somehow made the freezing cold bite even harder.
Two bandit leaders exchanged glances, their eyes steely. Despite the weight in their hearts, they did not flinch. They’d seen too much bloodshed over the years, been through too many battles. A single opponent wasn’t enough to scare them off. Besides, they both knew they couldn’t outrun him; the Purple Lightning Beast was faster than any human who had awakened five times.
If they split up, they’d be picked off one by one. Judging by how this stranger fearlessly rode into Golden Rooster Ridge, it was clear he had come to take them all out.
Qin Ming rode his beast forward, the heavy thud of hooves echoing like slow, ominous drumbeats. Many of the lesser bandits started to panic. They’d all seen blood before; they were used to violence. But tonight, the sound of the hooves made their hearts quiver.
Qin Ming held a long spear in his right hand, pointing it straight ahead. His left hand swung a long blade, flicking off red droplets of blood. He raised the blade, ready for more.
“What are you all standing around for? Get him!” shouted one of the bandit leaders. His cold words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over the crowd, freezing them in place.
It was a command. No one was allowed to run. They knew all too well what would happen if they disobeyed. Even if the bandit leaders fell, the Golden Thieves wouldn’t let the cowards off easily.
One of the leaders hefted his broadsword, wider than the palm of his hand, and charged at Qin Ming, swinging it like a bolt of lightning. The other leader lunged forward, his lance glinting under the Fire Spring’s light, cutting through the cold night air like a blazing comet.
They had watched Qin Ming fight and guessed he must be at the fourth Awakening. They thought they had a chance—maybe one of them would fall, but surely not both.
Qin Ming wasn’t fazed. He shook his long spear, scattering the swirling snow, and parried the sharp lance aside before thrusting toward the bandit leader’s chest. Simultaneously, his left hand swung the long blade, clashing with the broadsword. Sparks flew. He spurred his beast forward, crashing into both opponents.
With his left blade and right spear, Qin Ming used the incredible speed of the Purple Lightning Beast to generate a terrifying momentum. The impact forced both leaders back, stumbling. The onlookers were shocked. These were their commanders, yet they were being pushed back by one person.
The two leaders felt a chill run down their spines. Qin Ming’s power was far greater than theirs. He kept pressing forward, charging toward a wooden house behind them. Suddenly, there was the sound of hinges creaking, followed by a loud boom.
Someone had fired a bed crossbow, and a massive arrow shot out, tearing through the air. Qin Ming dodged the first one, feeling the wind whip past his ear. He could sense its power. The second arrow, however, he deflected with his blade, changing its path. It smashed through a house and impaled a man standing in the snow, blood spraying everywhere.
Without stopping, Qin Ming slashed his way through the obstacles in front of him, breaking into the wooden house. Two elders burst out, each holding a spear, lunging at him. Meanwhile, the two bandit leaders also closed in, trying to surround him.
Qin Ming had expected this. He knew there were more three-time Awakeners in Golden Rooster Ridge. Last time, he had seen four elders make it out of the Great Rift Valley alive. He had sensed them lying in wait and decided to eliminate them first so they wouldn’t interfere when he fought the two leaders.
Most importantly, he couldn’t let these three-time Awakeners escape. They were faster than the other bandits. If the two leaders tried to flee, he would chase them down first.
The two elders were instantly overwhelmed. Qin Ming’s strength was immense, their arms shaking under the impact. It felt like his spear and blade were alive, moving with a grace and precision they couldn’t match. There was something almost artistic about his movements, even as he fought to kill.
Qin Ming’s blade flashed repeatedly, layer upon layer of strikes, recreating the “Sea-Sky Line” intent. The overlapping blade light broke the elder’s spear, and with a swift slice, blood seeped from his neck. He collapsed, his head rolling away.
The other elder was drowned in the shadows of Qin Ming’s spear. His own spear was knocked away, and in an instant, Qin Ming’s spear pierced his chest, lifting him off the ground. The spear shook, and the elder’s body exploded into pieces.
The sight sent a chill through the two bandit leaders. The other bandits shivered, fear spreading from their heads to their toes. This lone rider was too fierce. They wanted nothing more than to run.
Who cared if the Golden Thieves would settle accounts later? Survival was all that mattered now. They could see that even their leaders couldn’t stop this guy.
Someone made a run for it.
“Stop right there!” one of the leaders roared.
Qin Ming clashed with the two leaders several more times before breaking through. He chased them down the mountain path, swinging his blade to cut down six men, all of whom fell into pools of blood.
A few more bandits, faces pale, were blocked by Qin Ming’s advance.
Qin Ming sat on his mount, coldly staring them down. He spurred the Purple Lightning Beast, forcing them back toward the stronghold.
“Who are you? What did Golden Rooster Ridge ever do to you?” one of the leaders shouted, unable to contain himself anymore. He still had no idea who this stranger was.
“If someone takes down this stronghold, the Golden Thieves won’t just let it slide,” the other leader added, though his voice lacked conviction.
Qin Ming sneered. “You lot got pardoned and still kept up your evil ways, making life miserable for everyone. You thought the City Lord would ignore that? Even outsiders are furious at your crimes. Not wiping out Golden Rooster Ridge would be a crime against the heavens!”
The two leaders exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts sinking. The City Lord? Outsiders? This was worse than they had thought. A new official often made an example out of someone, and it seemed they were the targets. Not long ago, they’d worked with an outsider beast, but it had mysteriously vanished.
Qin Ming urged his mount forward, and the remaining bandits scattered.
“Don’t panic! To the back mountain!” one leader shouted.
Some of the bandits hesitated before running toward the back mountain.
Qin Ming drew his bow, shooting several of them down. The two leaders attacked again, forcing him to draw his blade.
This time, Qin Ming focused on his blade technique. The misty blade light flowed like water, the Phoenix Pattern Long Blade seeming almost alive, accompanied by a roar like thunder and flashes of light.
The two leaders trembled. Though they were on the same level as Qin Ming in terms of life force, his mastery of the blade had reached a realm they could only dream of. If his power could manifest visibly, it would be even more terrifying.
They couldn’t help but wonder if his skill with the blade might rival some of the Golden Thieves.
Suddenly, one of them was struck on the shoulder, blood spurting out.
Qin Ming was surprised. The instincts of a four-time Awakener were impressive. His strike had been aimed to cleave through the man’s shoulder, but the leader had anticipated it, and the blade only grazed him.
The leader, in a desperate move, threw aside his broadsword and lunged, catching Qin Ming’s blade between his hands. Even though his hands glowed with Celestial Light to protect himself, blood still seeped out.
With a crack, he snapped Qin Ming’s blade in two.
“So this is what a four-time Awakener can do,” Qin Ming muttered, his raspy voice carrying a hint of curiosity. They really were a lot stronger than the elders, their Celestial Light far more intense. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, they were even more dangerous.
The other leader attacked fiercely, trying to stop Qin Ming from grabbing his spear. They both knew that this stranger’s skill with both blade and spear was beyond their comprehension, almost magical. If he kept growing like this, he’d reach a level they couldn’t touch, where skill became indistinguishable from magic.
Qin Ming wasn’t afraid. He wanted to test his Celestial Light too. He threw the broken blade, impaling a bandit in the distance, and then turned to face his enemies barehanded.
The two leaders attacked, their strikes swift and fierce, coming at him from both sides.
Qin Ming met the first leader’s blow with his left hand, their palms clashing, and Celestial Light burst between them. The leader cried out, flying backward, his face pale. His right hand was a mess of blood, three fingers broken.
Qin Ming leapt from the Purple Lightning Beast, soaring into the air to meet the second leader, who came at him like an eagle. They clashed several times in quick succession.
The second leader fared even worse. Both his hands were mangled, twisted like a bird’s claws, the bones broken. He fell, screaming.
“He’s combined different types of Celestial Light!” one of them gasped, their faces pale with fear. A four-time Awakener who could blend Celestial Light was no small fry. This was someone powerful, someone backed by more than just luck.
They didn’t know that Qin Ming had only undergone three Awakenings.
“Am I just too strong, or were you all overhyped? Four-time Awakeners, and this is all you’ve got?” Qin Ming mocked, looking down at his hands.
He climbed back onto the Purple Lightning Beast, which had already started to move, trying to flee. Qin Ming patted its head, grinning. “Smart move. You see this spear? It’s for you. Try running, and I’ll pin you to the mountain path.”
The two leaders backed away. They had nothing left, no courage or strength to face Qin Ming. They turned and fled, weaving between the buildings, trying to lose him as they headed for the back mountain.
Qin Ming urged the Purple Lightning Beast after them, spearing one of them along the way. The body exploded into pieces as he twisted the spear.
As he neared the back mountain, he glanced around, muttering, “So that’s why they call it Golden Rooster Ridge.”
…
Down below, under the heavy blanket of night, a few figures stood quietly in the dense forest lining the road at the foot of Golden Rooster Ridge. One of them, a young woman, seemed deep in thought.
“Miss, shall we keep waiting?” her maid whispered beside her.
The young woman’s silhouette was graceful, her face hidden in shadow. “Yes, let’s wait a bit longer. That rider on the Purple Lightning Beast looks familiar…”
“Familiar? Like who?”
“Cui Chong He,” she replied, her voice barely audible over the whispering wind.