Chapter 43: Mutual Prey
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Under the cover of night, towering mountains loomed in the distance while the dense forest below bustled with people, their voices a blend of frustration and unease.
The newcomers from various villages were clearly angry. Tonight’s journey into the mountains was bound to be dangerous. Once they entered the special nodes, life and death would be uncertain.
“Who’s making all that noise? I dare anyone to speak again!” A knight in shining golden armor rode forward, his expression cold as he scanned the crowd with icy eyes. His mount, a fierce golden rooster, let out a sharp, piercing cry, adding to the tension in the air.
The Golden Rooster Knight’s voice boomed, “You all better behave! We’re just asking you to scout some mines, and you’re already whining? Shut your mouth and follow orders! Do what you’re told, and you might make it out of here alive.”
The villagers, though furious, held their tongues. They had families, children, and elderly back home. Some wanted nothing more than to fight back against the knight’s harsh words, which barely sounded human. Everyone knew by now that stepping into a special node meant serious danger. The rays of the Celestial Light would erode their bodies.
“Move it! I’ll say this once—anyone who causes trouble will have to deal with me personally!” the knight warned, his tone dripping with menace.
A group of Golden Rooster Ridge warriors armed to the teeth accompanied them like guards. They marched ahead with the villagers, watching them like they were prisoners, herding them toward the wide ravine ahead.
When they reached the huge ravine, they found more villagers waiting—people brought over by the Three-Eyed Sect. Clearly, the two local factions had teamed up.
The ravine was vast, filled with jagged cracks in the earth and towering piles of rocks. Sparse vegetation struggled to survive in this barren place, where the landscape shifted between stone forests and deep gorges. Wild animals rarely ventured here, for one wrong step could send them plunging into the depths below.
The Golden Rooster Ridge and Three-Eyed Sect had brought a small army. Despite their numbers, they made no move to explore the mines themselves.
“Huh?” Another knight, also mounted on a golden rooster, spotted Qin Ming in the distance. A cruel gleam flickered in his eyes.
He recognized the boy—he’d once tried to forcefully buy a fiery red herb from Old Man Liu, but Qin Ming had snitched on him to Cao Long and Mu Qing. As a result, he’d been slapped around, losing several teeth in the process.
“Make sure to pay extra attention to that kid. Let him be the one to ‘eagerly’ search the mines,” the knight muttered.
He didn’t dare attack Qin Ming outright—not with Cao Long and Mu Qing still around—but this was an opportunity. Under orders from the big bandits of Golden Rooster Ridge and the local leaders of the Three-Eyed Sect, they were forcing these outsiders into the nodes. With a little “guidance,” Qin Ming wouldn’t survive long.
Among the villagers, a white-haired elder looked worried. “I hope we find this so-called mysterious treasure soon. Otherwise, even as newly awakened, our bodies will start failing. We might never make it out of here,” he said, his voice trembling.
“Did I say you could talk?” the Golden Rooster Knight snapped, cracking his whip across the elder’s chest. The old man stumbled, his clothes torn, and blood trickled down his face from where the lash had struck him.
“Anyone who finds the treasure gets to leave immediately, with a hefty reward,” the knight added, his tone slightly more measured. “And it won’t be just night silver—you’ll get day gold.”
It seemed the Golden Rooster Ridge and Three-Eyed Sect weren’t entirely merciless. At least they dangled the hope of a reward in front of the villagers, offering some small promise of survival.
An older man from Golden Rooster Ridge approached, issuing orders. “Head underground. We and the Three-Eyed Sect have claimed this part of the ravine. Every inch of the land down there is precious. Search carefully!”
Golden Rooster Ridge and the Three-Eyed Sect had claimed only the entrance area—not exactly prime territory, but it was all they could manage. They lacked the strength to compete with the people from Scarlet Dawn City.
Qin Ming and the other newcomers descended into the underground caves. Each carried a Sunstone, without which the caves would be pitch dark.
The underground cavern system was vast, with web-like tunnels stretching in all directions. Some areas glowed faintly, and approaching them caused intense discomfort. Other areas were shrouded in darkness, where the body felt no ill effects.
An elderly man spoke up, “Everyone, we don’t need to kill ourselves searching. Even if we enter the glowing areas, we’re unlikely to find the treasure. It’s better to stick to the dark paths and wait this out…”
Many nodded in agreement. Most of them shared the same thought.
A middle-aged man added, “Let’s split into two groups. One will pretend to search for the treasure while the other looks for a way out through the deeper tunnels. I reckon the different factions are going to start fighting over the special nodes soon. Once they do, it’ll turn into a bloodbath.”
“Right, we should prepare ourselves,” the crowd murmured in agreement.
Qin Ming had considered suggesting the same plan, but now he realized that people who lived their lives on the edge of danger had strong survival instincts. He decided to act alone, wandering through the underground tunnels in search of the mysterious treasure.
An hour passed. So far, there had been no clashes between the outsiders, but a powerful force was stirring. On the surface, bloodshed had already begun.
From above the ravine came the howls of apes and the roars of tigers. Mutant beasts appeared one after another, and birds of prey swooped down from the sky.
“The creatures are attacking!” a Golden Rooster Knight shouted from his position at the entrance.
Mutant creatures had been spotted before, but never in such numbers and never so organized. This was different. The leading beast was a massive white bear, towering five or six meters tall. Fresh from hibernation, it seemed, the beast was enraged. It grabbed two of the newcomers and ripped them apart as though they were mere dolls.
Nearby, a golden bull snorted flames from its nostrils as it charged through the ranks of the Three-Eyed Sect, skewering several people on its horns and flinging them into the air.
And there were more—each beast different in kind but united in their goal. They all charged toward the humans.
Above, the mutant birds of prey joined the attack, with a giant silver eagle swooping down and tearing off the skull of a second-time awakened villager in a single strike.
“They were waiting for us!” shouted an elder from Golden Rooster Ridge as he leaped into the air, snatching a twice-mutated owl from the sky and snapping its neck. “The creatures have been lying in wait to hunt us!”
“What do we do?” someone cried out in panic.
The entrance to the ravine was blocked by the horde of beasts, which charged relentlessly toward the valley. The skies were filled with predatory birds, watching their every move.
…
“Something’s wrong up top. It’s getting chaotic. We need to hide quickly, block those hidden passages with rocks, and cover up our escape routes,” Qin Ming said, his voice firm but urgent.
In the underground world, the hunters from various villages were quick to react. Sensitive to the slightest change, they moved swiftly to secure their paths.
Qin Ming was the first to sense the danger, but unlike the others, he wasn’t afraid. He knew he could retreat toward the glowing paths where the sunlight spilled in. Neither the people from Golden Rooster Ridge nor the strange creatures could stay long in those places.
Above ground, chaos reigned as the warriors from Golden Rooster Ridge and the Three-Eyed Sect gathered, trying to form a defense. Fear was spreading fast as mutant beasts surrounded them from every direction.
“They won’t send high-level creatures after us,” one of the knights muttered. “They promised Scarlet Dawn City’s leaders that they wouldn’t hunt us openly. But sending a few mid- to low-tier mutants? No problem.”
This realization only made things worse. Everyone understood what it meant. The creatures had been planning this for a long time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
In the mountains, the blood-red snakes, silvery veins, and fiery-red herbs were treasures of incredible value to outsiders, containing strong spiritual essences. But to the beasts of the mountains, some of the humans, especially those with deep spiritual roots, were just as tempting. In their eyes, humans were walking, breathing “herbs” full of spiritual essence.
“So these creatures aren’t just after the treasure. They want to hunt us too, treating us like we’re the spiritual prey?” someone muttered, his voice trembling.
“Exactly,” another agreed.
The realization hit hard. The newcomers from Golden Rooster Ridge and the Three-Eyed Sect paled. Their camp was at the entrance to the mountains—exactly where the creatures would strike first.
“The high-level creatures won’t wipe out everyone who enters the mountains. That would provoke the leaders of Scarlet Dawn City, and they’d face ruthless retaliation. But killing a fifth or even a quarter of us? They could get away with that.”
Fear spread like wildfire. If things continued like this, many people wouldn’t leave the mountains alive.
“Retreat to the caves!” an elder from the Three-Eyed Sect shouted. “We can’t stay on the surface. There’s no way we can handle these creatures on our own!”
“Go! Get underground!” The group sprang into action.
They used the narrow passages to defend themselves. It was easier to hold the creatures off in tight spaces where they couldn’t easily break through. But the tunnels were like a spider’s web, and some of the creatures were already adapting, finding ways to lead other mutated beasts deeper into the labyrinth, trying to outflank the humans.
Above and below, chaos erupted.
The newcomers from Golden Rooster Ridge and the Three-Eyed Sect scattered, each group rushing toward different tunnels, hoping to find an exit that would lead them outside the huge ravine. After all, the ravine was the only known way out.
…
“Well, isn’t this convenient?” Qin Ming said with a smirk as he spotted a familiar face. It was the same Golden Rooster Knight who had tried to forcibly buy spiritual herbs from Old Man Liu. Earlier, at the entrance to the ravine, this knight had given Qin Ming a nasty look.
“You?” the Golden Rooster Knight barked, startled to see him. He had abandoned his mount and was now wandering the underground tunnels alone, looking for a way to escape.
“Come here!” he commanded, waving Qin Ming over. “Have you found any treasure yet? And did you hear what’s happening above? Tell me what the situation is around here. Be specific.”
Qin Ming didn’t bother responding right away. He walked toward the knight, unhurried, not showing the slightest sign of fear.
“What, you trying to get yourself killed? Move faster! I’m talking to you!” The Golden Rooster Knight’s eyes gleamed with malice. He’d wanted to get rid of Qin Ming before, to send him into dangerous areas and let the sunlight erode his body. Now, he figured he could just kill the boy directly and blame it on the creatures. Who would know? They’d pin the death on the beasts, and no one would be the wiser.
The knight’s patience snapped. He lashed out with his whip, aiming for Qin Ming. He knew this boy had ratted him out to Cao Long and Mu Qing—it had to be him or Old Man Liu, and he wasn’t going to let it slide.
But Qin Ming wasn’t about to let himself be struck. He raised his long-handled black iron hammer, blocking the whip with ease.
“You dare fight back?” The knight’s voice was low and dangerous as he prepared to strike again.
But Qin Ming wasn’t the type to sit and wait. With a swift move, his hammer shot forward like lightning.
Bam!
The Golden Rooster Knight’s vision blurred. His mouth and nose collided with the black iron hammer, and he felt a sharp, excruciating pain. Stars danced before his eyes as his front teeth shattered and his nose crumpled under the force of the blow. The world around him spun, and he nearly fell to the ground.
“Oops, sorry,” Qin Ming said calmly. “My hand slipped. Didn’t mean to let go of the hammer.”
“You… little…!” The knight’s words slurred, his missing teeth making it hard to speak. Enraged, tears and snot streaming down his face, he drew his sword, determined to finish the boy once and for all.
He was a second-time awakened, confident in his strength. Killing a boy who had only gone through one awakening should’ve been easy.
But before he could even raise his blade, another wave of pain shot through his body. The hammer smashed into his right hand, breaking his bones and sending his sword clattering to the ground. His hand hung limp, twisted, and useless, resembling the claw of the golden rooster he once rode.
“This is the hand you used to smack Old Man Liu, right? Well, how about you try my Black Iron Fist?” Qin Ming didn’t give the knight a chance to recover. He swung the hammer again and again, each blow landing squarely on the man’s face.
The knight collapsed, his face mangled beyond recognition, his skull caved in. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Even in his final moments, the knight couldn’t believe what had happened. How could this be? He was a second-time awakened, yet Qin Ming outmatched him in both strength and speed. As the last of his consciousness faded, he realized with horror that Qin Ming had undergone a second awakening as well—and was far stronger.
Dragging the knight’s lifeless body, Qin Ming made his way into a wide-open area where the sunlight streamed in, offering a rare sense of safety.
“Huh?” he muttered, suddenly spinning around.
From another tunnel emerged an old man, his face cold and menacing, silently creeping toward him.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the old man demanded, his voice harsh.
“I’m with the Three-Eyed Sect,” Qin Ming replied, thinking fast. “I found this guy passed out from sunlight exposure and was just trying to help him.”
With a deafening crack, the old man stomped on the ground, sending shards of stone flying as he charged at Qin Ming. His body was bathed in a faint white glow—the mark of a third time awakened.
This man wasn’t easily fooled. He’d sensed something was wrong and wasted no time in attacking, even if his opponent was just a boy.
Qin Ming knew he was up against a powerful foe, someone stronger than anyone he’d ever fought before. This was his first time facing a third time awakened.
“All or nothing,” Qin Ming thought, determination hardening in his chest. “If I can take down this guy, I might be able to wipe out the entire Golden Rooster Ridge crew.”
He gripped his hammer tightly, ready for the fight of his life.