Chapter 11: The Fall
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Feng Yi An stood tall, his beard stiff and prickly like steel wire, and his eyes sharp as a hawk’s. He spoke with a commanding tone, and at first glance, he seemed the sort of straightforward, honest man who’d tell the truth no matter what. But Qin Ming knew better. Beneath that mask of concern and authority, there was nothing but a quiet, slimy disgust that made Qin Ming’s stomach turn.
“I’m really sorry about everything that happened,” Feng Yi An said, putting on his best apologetic face. “We’ll do our best to hunt down that Blood Bear as soon as possible and make things right.”
Old Man Liu stood there, shoulders bent with age but eyes still fierce, and let out a long sigh. He asked them to keep a better watch over the Mountain Forest so no more strange creatures would slip through. The rage in his eyes was plain as day. Who were these patrol members fooling with their fake apologies? They had taken a life, and now they acted as though a simple promise could erase the pain. It was like tossing a handful of dirt over a deep, open wound. Clearly, they felt no real regret, only the weight of someone watching over their shoulders.
Feng Yi An cleared his throat and spoke again: “The real problem is our men are injured. We didn’t have enough patrol members out there, and that’s what caused this whole mess.” He looked straight at Xu Yue Ping, forcing a sorrowful smile. “Please, hurry up and plant that Black Moon herb. We need it to heal our wounded, so we can protect the forest better next time.”
Xu Yue Ping’s anger flared at those words, but he pressed his lips together and gave a stiff nod. There was no point lashing out—not now, anyway.
Feng Yi An went on, “We’ll be leaving now. We won’t return from the Great Mountain until we’ve dealt with that Blood Bear. Brother Xu, could you look after the families who’ve lost loved ones or have injured relatives? Make sure they’re all right.”
Qin Ming nearly choked on Feng Yi An’s false compassion. Xu Yue Ping gently nudged him and stood up, following the patrol members outside. He was clearly worried the hot-blooded boy might try something foolish. Qin Ming understood. If he struck out now, if he took down even one of these men, the entire village might face a brutal revenge. After all, the patrol had more men and more squads to send back. With that grim thought, Qin Ming, together with Xu Yue Ping and Yang Yong Qing, followed the patrol members outside to see them off.
They watched until the patrol group vanished into the dim wilderness. Then Yang Yong Qing let out a frustrated grunt, “Ugh, I’ve had it with these people!”
Qin Ming frowned, chewing his lower lip. “Can we report them to the authorities or something?”
Yang Yong Qing shook his head wearily. “Report them for what, man? We’re supposed to hand over four to eight Black Moon herbs by the rules, and this time they’ve only asked for four. You say it’s mutated, but how can we prove that? It looks just like normal Black Moon herb. Our suspicions are just that—suspicions—no matter how awful last year’s harvest was or how Feng Yi An acts. Maybe they’ve already snatched the mutated seeds and grown them somewhere else. We’ve got no proof.”
Old Man Liu chimed in, his voice low and grim, “And besides, if they’re so bold, it must mean they’ve got some backers higher up. A bit of favor with a respected patrol leader can feed a family for a decade. They wouldn’t be acting like this if they didn’t have someone powerful behind them.”
In short, Feng Yi An and the others were just putting pressure on Xu Yue Ping, cloaking their bullying in flowery apologies. No open threats. Just quiet demands that still cut deeper than a knife.
Qin Ming sighed heavily. “They’re pushing us way too far,” he muttered, frustration building in his chest.
“Is that Black Moon herb really so important?” he asked, curious now.
Xu Yue Ping nodded, his face tight. “If it mutates, it becomes incredibly valuable. Taking it over a long time could even lead to a Second Awakening.”
Old Man Liu chimed in, “The Mountain Patrols are always heading into the deep woods. They’ve probably seen creatures beyond what we can imagine. Who wouldn’t want more strength, a second Awakening? I’m old, but even I’d give anything for that! It adds years to your life, youth to your bones. Who could resist?”
He went on about why the patrol members acted so desperately. “Still, people need limits. They can’t call themselves protectors if they behave like this. They’re worse than the beasts they hunt!”
“A Second Awakening…” Qin Ming repeated under his breath, turning the thought over in his mind.
Xu Yue Ping patted his shoulder encouragingly. “You’ll manage it, Qin. The old records say the quickest person ever reached a Second Awakening in under two months after their First. You’ve got talent.”
…
Later that day, villagers who’d ventured into the mountains returned covered in blood. Many were wounded, and no one knew if they’d survive the night. The sound of weeping drifted through the quiet lanes, filling the air with dread. Xu Yue Ping rushed from house to house, doing what he could. His face was pale with worry and anger.
Middle-aged Wang Qing Lin lay still and unconscious on his narrow bed. He was Awakened, yet his injuries were horrifying. Old Man Liu carefully reset his broken bones, wiping blood off his trembling hands. “A bone pierced his organs. If not for the vitality that comes with Awakening, he’d be gone already.”
Qin Ming stood nearby, his stomach churning with anger. This was all because of those so-called protectors. They had forced the villagers to wear that Blood Bear pelt, pushing them into danger’s path. Now honest men lay dying, and the village was drowning in sorrow. The pride and joy from successful hunts had vanished, replaced by fear and grief.
Some villagers had run into a Mutated Snow Ape as well. The injuries it left behind were terrible, deep wounds that would scar flesh and mind alike.
“Two years ago, the Mountain Patrol kept one of those creatures,” Yang Yong Qing muttered darkly.
Xu Yue Ping’s face grew even grimmer, and Old Man Liu sighed again. These patrol members were no better than marauders, dropping mutated beasts into the villagers’ midst to suit their plans.
Qin Ming went home, heavy-hearted. He felt so useless, stuck watching people suffer. The only silver lining was that Lu Ze had woken up. Thanks to his own strength, he wouldn’t suffer any lasting damage. Qin Ming decided not to tell Lu Ze the details, not while he was still recovering.
“Hey, Brother Lu,” Qin Ming said quietly, trying to sound casual. “How many people are in a Mountain Patrol squad, anyway?”
“Usually eight to twelve,” Lu Ze replied, his voice still weak. “Ours has nine. Only the leader’s had a Second Awakening. He’s strong.”
“Fu En Tao’s his name. You won’t see him around much,” Lu Ze added, voice trailing off. “Most people never get past the First Awakening. The Second is like a dream—almost impossible.”
“So the leader’s way stronger than the rest, huh?” Qin Ming said, frowning slightly.
Lu Ze nodded slowly. “When you hit your First Awakening, your strength shoots up. The Second Awakening doubles that again. People here who’ve had a First Awakening can lift about five hundred pounds. Fu En Tao could do much more.”
Qin Ming let that sink in. “Then he’s really tough,” he said, picturing it grimly.
Lu Ze looked thoughtful. “You’ve got a strong foundation, Qin. From what I know, if you hit a Second Awakening, you’ll surpass him.”
Qin Ming narrowed his eyes. Good. He didn’t say it out loud, but just knowing he might surpass these bullies someday gave him focus. After making sure Lu Ze was settled, Qin Ming left him to rest.
Back home, Qin Ming threw himself into training. Living near the Great Mountain had taught him all kinds of ways to survive. Even before Awakening, he could smash stone bricks with his bare hands. Now he was even stronger. He kicked at a thick tree stump and shattered it with a fierce crack.
His muscles rippled with a golden shimmer—his “Wild Methods” technique. As he focused, he slammed another stump, reducing it to splinters. It felt good to let out his frustration this way.
That evening, after dinner, Qin Ming headed to Xu Yue Ping’s house.
“Uncle Xu, you in there sulking?” Qin Ming called softly, trying to lighten the mood.
Xu Yue Ping turned to face him, clearly still furious. “They’re pushing us too far,” he snapped, pacing the room. His wife hovered nearby, worried sick. She begged Qin Ming to talk some sense into him.
“Don’t worry, Auntie,” Qin Ming said with a gentle smile. He took a seat and rubbed his neck, thinking carefully. After training, he felt calmer. He needed a plan they could actually carry out.
“You want me to just give in to them?” Xu Yue Ping barked, glaring at Qin Ming. “Do you even know what that means? Next year’s Fire Field harvest will be awful. We’ll starve!”
“Uncle, chill out for a second,” Qin Ming said, raising his hands as if to ward off his uncle’s anger. “Just listen, okay?”
“Fine, go on,” Xu Yue Ping replied, frowning.
“Look, there’s still time before spring,” Qin Ming began. “What’s the harm in pretending to go along with them for now? We can agree, but not fully give them what they want. Maybe something changes in the meantime. Maybe they get wiped out by a monster patrol. Maybe the forest turns on them. Maybe all their compasses break. I don’t know, weird things happen in this world.”
Xu Yue Ping stared at Qin Ming in disbelief. Qin had just calmly listed off curses as though reading from a grocery list. Still, Qin Ming had a point. If something took care of these bullies, the higher-ups would look elsewhere, or at least tread more carefully. Best not to leave clues pointing back to the village.
“How likely is any of that?” Xu Yue Ping said at last. “You’re overthinking.”
Qin Ming shrugged. “Maybe I am. But we can at least stall. We can agree for now and keep our options open. We could hide the seeds in the Fire Spring or coat them in a protective gel. Anything to buy time.”
The younger man looked determined. “Right now, Uncle, we’re short on food and resources. We need the villagers to be able to hunt safely without drawing more patrol suspicion.”
Xu Yue Ping blew out a breath, shoulders slumping. He hated it, but he saw the sense in Qin Ming’s words. They needed to survive the short term before they could tackle the long term.
“But what after that?” he asked, voice tight. “When Feng Yi An comes back, he won’t just give up.”
Qin Ming met his uncle’s gaze. “I’ll get stronger,” he said simply. “I might hit my Second Awakening soon, then we’ll have a real talk with them. They won’t push us around forever.”
“They’ve got backers,” Xu Yue Ping reminded him, pressing a hand to his temple as if trying to soothe a headache. “Oh, by the way, Qin, can you lift about six hundred pounds now?”
“Yeah,” Qin Ming answered, blinking in surprise. “About that much.”
Xu Yue Ping nearly jumped out of his chair. “That’s incredible, even in Red Glow City! Listen, tomorrow, you’re coming with me to Silver Vine Town.”
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow. “Uncle, what for? We should focus on our troubles here.”
“We still have a chance to deal with the patrol,” Xu Yue Ping said quietly. “But first, there’s someone I want you to meet in Silver Vine Town. An old noble just moved there. He has a daughter—beautiful, well-connected—and he doesn’t care about family background, only about talent.”
Qin Ming’s eyes went wide. “You’re kidding, right? Why would we— Uncle, that’s just going to make us look desperate.”
Xu Yue Ping shook his head. “Listen, Qin. You have the strength and potential they value. If we form ties with them, the Mountain Patrol might think twice before messing with us. It’s worth a try.”
Qin Ming wanted to refuse, but Xu Yue Ping insisted. They drank late into the night, his uncle growing more certain by the minute that this was the right path.
Before dawn the next day, Xu Yue Ping woke Qin Ming. Outside, the sky was still ink-black.
“Uncle, seriously, this early?” Qin Ming mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
“Trust me,” Xu Yue Ping said. “We need to move quickly. When we get to Silver Vine Town, I’ll test the waters first. No harm in trying.”
They set off into the cold darkness, trudging through deep snow. Towering trees flanked the narrow path. Every now and then, a distant howl or screech set Qin Ming’s heart pounding. The world felt huge and dangerous, but at least they were moving, not waiting around for the patrol to tighten its grip.
Halfway to town, they came to a sudden stop. In the far-off Mountain Forest, a fierce crimson light sliced through the misty gloom. It burned bright and strange, and as Qin Ming and Xu Yue Ping watched, countless Red Butterflies took wing, scattering through the sky like living embers. They drifted between the trees, glowing like sparks drifting from a distant fire, adding one more mystery to the endless secrets of the Great Mountain.