Chapter 23: The Generous Gift
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
On the slope opposite the valley’s entrance, six figures emerged, silhouetted against the darkened sky. Four of them wore sleek black armor, far more refined than the standard issue of the mountain patrols. The other two, clad in worn iron armor, looked like locals; their gear was scratched and battered, clearly showing years of use. One of them gave a sharp whistle, and from the dense forest, three powerful creatures burst forth. Their tawny feathers fluffed up as they sprinted on sturdy legs, moving with incredible speed that didn’t seem possible for their size.
Qin Ming crouched behind a boulder, his eyes narrowing. He recognized those creatures instantly—mutated beasts bred by Golden Rooster Ridge. Just yesterday, he’d seen these men riding those same ground-running birds, swaggering through the mountain like they owned the place.
“Hey there, not bad!” shouted a young man in fancy armor, his voice full of mocking cheerfulness. “Holding off the valley entrance all by yourself and even taking down a blood snake—you’ve got some guts!”
Qin Ming didn’t answer. His gaze stayed locked on the man who still held a drawn bow. Moments ago, that same bow had fired an iron arrow meant for his heart.
“Sorry about earlier,” the young man continued, his tone too casual to be real. “Got a bit carried away. Wanted to see what you’re made of. Didn’t mean to offend.”
Qin Ming’s lips curled into a half-smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, yeah? And you really think I’m buying that?”
The young man raised an eyebrow, as if weighing his next move. “Judging by your voice, you’re not that old. Already had a second awakening at your age? Impressive.”
His eyes studied Qin Ming’s face, half-hidden beneath a black cloth. A youth with such skills in a remote place like this was definitely something unusual.
The young man’s expression softened, and he put away his black bow. “Alright, alright. My mistake. My brother got hurt in the mountains and needs a spiritual creature to heal. I was worried and acted rashly.”
Qin Ming’s face remained unmoved. “Worried enough to try and kill me, huh? That’s not the best way to ask for help.”
Ignoring the excuse, he quickly packed the blood snake into an animal skin bag. “If it’s all just a misunderstanding, then I’ll be on my way.”
“Hold up,” the young man called after him. “Maybe we could be friends. Perhaps you don’t know—we’re from Scarlet Dawn City…”
Qin Ming stayed silent, his eyes darting between the group. The young man had mentioned an elder brother, who indeed seemed unwell—his complexion was ashen, like someone who’d spent days on the edge of death.
Suddenly, it clicked. That sickly look was familiar. When Qin Ming had fallen into a crevice before, he’d looked much the same—seriously ill.
The young man grinned like a fox who’d just spotted a fat chicken. “Look, the misunderstanding’s cleared up, and we really need that spiritual creature. But we won’t take your blood snake for nothing. How about you join us? We’ll make it worth your while.”
Qin Ming felt his temper rising. So, they wanted his blood snake, and then they’d hire him to work for them? How generous.
Seeing no response, the young man’s hand drifted to the hilt of his blade, while the others subtly spread out, readying themselves. Qin Ming noticed their moves and said calmly, “This isn’t Scarlet Dawn City. No one’s watching. You don’t have to pretend. I’ll ask once more: Since the misunderstanding’s resolved, can I leave now?”
The young man’s face hardened, his smile turning cold and sharp. “Don’t be ungrateful.”
Qin Ming shrugged off two layers of armor to lighten his load for speed. He strapped the animal skin bag securely to his back. His eyes flicked to his long blade—it had a nick from slashing the blood snake, and several iron spearheads were damaged. The snake’s scarlet scales were tougher than he’d thought.
The group eyed him coolly. Some drew longswords from their backs; others nocked arrows to bows. The pretense was over—they were ready to fight.
Only the ashen-faced elder brother remained still, his eyes distant as he gazed into the forest. “You didn’t rush off,” he said quietly. “You’re waiting for another blood snake to return, hoping it’ll attack indiscriminately and help you deal with us? Well, I won’t let it escape back into the valley.”
Just then, a crimson glow appeared among the trees—the fiery blood snake had returned. It hadn’t continued its chase earlier; in this freezing weather, prolonged exertion would slow it down.
Seeing his plan exposed, Qin Ming didn’t hide it anymore. He swiftly hurled his iron spears. The others, on guard, ducked behind trees or readied their weapons to block.
But they quickly realized the spears weren’t aimed at them. With dull thuds, three iron spears struck the ground-running birds, blood spraying.
At that moment, the blood snake lunged at them. Seeing a group blocking its path, it reared up fearlessly and attacked.
The ashen-faced man spoke calmly, “You deal with the boy. I’ll handle the blood snake. The more spiritual creatures, the better.”
“Brother, are you sure you’re up for it?” the young man asked, concern in his voice.
Drawing a long sword, the elder brother replied, “I entered that special node voluntarily. I’m not injured by accident. I can handle this.”
Seeing the blood snake’s frenzied attack, Qin Ming didn’t hesitate. He turned and fled along his pre-planned route.
The others pursued, and the young man began shooting arrows at him again.
Darting through the forest, Qin Ming used the trees as cover. Once everyone was sprinting at full speed, it was harder for the archer to keep shooting without slowing down.
Meanwhile, the ashen-faced man displayed remarkable skill. His sword flashed brilliantly, leaving deep wounds on the blood snake.
Those chasing Qin Ming glanced back, relieved to see their leader handling the creature.
Weaving through the forest, Qin Ming followed the path he’d scouted earlier. He realized these opponents were tough.
Among his pursuers, two had undergone second awakenings. One was especially fast, closing the gap.
Though Qin Ming was strong, he hadn’t truly undergone a second awakening and lacked their speed.
The young archer lagged slightly behind, having stopped to shoot.
Reaching a dense thicket with branches blocking the way, Qin Ming scanned quickly and chose the only clear path.
Naturally, the pursuers wouldn’t waste time chopping branches and followed his path.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, the leading warrior screamed and fell, his face contorted in pain.
An iron spear hidden beneath the snow had pierced his right foot, blood gushing. The sharp tip had gone clean through—gruesome to behold.
Qin Ming had prepared for the worst, setting up traps in this area. He’d buried three iron spears in the snow, and it paid off.
The only clear path was the one he’d intentionally made, breaking branches to lure them. Planting the spears and hoping they’d step on them required some luck.
The man had unwittingly avoided two spears but stepped on the third. At full sprint, his injury was catastrophic—his right foot ruined.
The others halted, their eyes wide. They felt phantom pain in their own feet—a chilling fear.
The young archer’s face twisted with anger. “Don’t run blindly! Follow his footprints!”
He was ruthless, ignoring his comrade’s plight. Gripping his longsword, he chased after Qin Ming, gradually closing in with his superior speed.
He was confident. The boy’s speed was clearly inferior; even if he’d had a second awakening, he couldn’t be as strong without proper training.
“Just a backwater kid,” he thought. “No secret techniques or energy arts. Even with a second awakening, his limits are low.”
Qin Ming knew he’d be caught sooner or later. Better to take the initiative. He slowed down, preparing to eliminate a key threat.
“Keep running, you brat!” the young man taunted as he approached. “Hand over the blood snakes, and maybe we’ll spare you!”
The others were still trailing behind.
Qin Ming didn’t reply. He hefted his black metal hammer and charged. He needed to finish this quickly. The man fighting the blood snake worried him the most.
Snow flew as Qin Ming unleashed his full strength. The first strike of his hammer left the young man stunned, his sword hand numb.
“How is he so strong?” the young man thought, shocked. This country boy, slower than him, wielded immense power.
Qin Ming pressed the advantage, his hammer a blur of black lightning in the night. Each swing was a deadly, efficient move.
The young man was skilled, more so than previous foes. Regaining his composure, he counterattacked.
But he soon realized this boy wasn’t untrained. His combat skills were exceptional. The heavy hammer seemed weightless in his hands, each movement precise and lethal.
“He’s using sword techniques with a hammer,” the young man realized, astonished.
“I need to undergo a second awakening soon,” Qin Ming thought. Then, his hammer suddenly slipped from his grasp.
With a resounding crash, the hammer struck the young man’s chin. Stars exploded in his vision; pain shot through him as bones cracked.
He fought to stay conscious, swinging his longsword desperately to prevent Qin Ming from retrieving his hammer.
But his senses were dulled. Qin Ming drew his long blade, parried the wild swing, and slashed, severing the man’s sword arm. A swift kick sent him sprawling.
Picking up his hammer, Qin Ming approached silently and ended it with a single blow.
He collected the man’s weapons and turned to face the remaining pursuer.
…
Liu Huai Shan, who was leading the remaining mountain patrol members, decided to head back. He figured the blood snake would be worn out and slower in the freezing cold.
When they returned to the valley entrance, they caught sight of the man finishing off the blood snake.
An uneasy silence settled over them. None of them had expected to see anyone else here, especially someone this strong.
The man tossed the dead blood snake aside and moved toward them, sword in hand. He wasn’t one for loose ends; there were too many rivals roaming these mountains, and he didn’t want any stories getting out. The killing intent radiating off him felt almost tangible.
“Hey, mate, we don’t mean any harm!” Liu Huai Shan shouted quickly. “We’ll leave right now—the blood snake is all yours!”
He could sense the danger. If they tried to fight, it’d be over for them. This man could cut them down without breaking a sweat.
Seasoned as they were, the patrolmen wasted no time. They backed away, bows at the ready but clearly in a defensive stance.
Its then the man felt a sudden tightness in his chest—an uncomfortable reminder that exploring that special node had drained him more than he liked to admit. He took a deep breath, nodded at them, and let them go.
After a short rest, the discomfort eased. Without wasting any more time, he set off again, following the trail Qin Ming had left behind.
Snowflakes were starting to fall, but they hadn’t yet covered the footprints. He hurried on, and before long, he heard the sound of screams.
There wasn’t much of a mystery here. Qin Ming had already taken care of the two men from Golden Rooster Ridge and the weaker one from Scarlet Dawn City.
After gathering their weapons, he went back to find the second warrior, the one with the injured foot.
As the man with the ashen face approached, he saw Qin Ming interrogating his companion.
Anger flared up inside him. Only one of his men was left. What had happened to the rest? Where was his cousin? Had they all been wiped out?
“Alright, spill it,” Qin Ming was saying, gripping the injured man by the collar. “Got any fancy energy arts?”
The man tried to answer, but his mouth was too messed up—his jaw shattered by the hammer. Truth be told, Qin Ming wasn’t looking for an answer anyway.
Noticing their leader creeping up silently, the injured man’s eyes went wide. He tried to signal to him, but with a quick thud, Qin Ming knocked him out cold.
The ashen-faced man stared at his fallen comrade, bloodied and half-buried in the snow. Blinded by fury, he charged forward.
But before he got far, he stumbled with a loud grunt.
He’d stepped on his cousin’s longsword, hidden beneath the snow.
Qin Ming had set up the area with care. It looked like a fierce battle had taken place, branches scattered all around, leaving only a few clear paths.
And of course, those clear paths were booby-trapped with iron spears and swords. The plan worked like a charm.
With one swift strike, Qin Ming finished off the injured man and calmly turned to face the newcomer.
The ashen-faced man was Wang Nian Zhu, a well-known figure in Scarlet Dawn City. His first awakening had made him strong enough to lift over five hundred pounds—quite the feat.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
After his second awakening, his arms had enough power to lift nearly twelve hundred pounds. His skill made his current situation all the more maddening. He’d written off this masked boy as just some backwoods bumpkin, and now he was paying for it.
Qin Ming took a step back, picking up the fallen archer’s bow and aiming.
“Argh!”
Wang Nian Zhu’s injured foot slowed him down. He could bear the pain and move, but he wasn’t as quick on his feet as usual. It didn’t take long for an arrow to find its mark.
Soon after, Qin Ming closed in and, with one solid swing of his hammer, ended Wang Nian Zhu’s life.
“Didn’t think I’d get my hands on another blood snake today. Appreciate the generous gift!” Qin Ming said, packing the second snake into his bag. Today’s haul was turning out to be quite the bounty.