Chapter 46: A Bountiful Harvest
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Huang Jing Jun felt utterly lost and hopeless. Even his older brother had been beaten—his arm sliced clean off. Now Huang Jing Jun wondered who could possibly save him. Once upon a time, he had thought so little of that young hunter, Qin Ming, the boy who swung a blade with bloody determination. But after all this, the boy standing before him seemed like a completely different person. He was older now, or at least he appeared to be, and far more dangerous than Huang Jing Jun had ever imagined.
Huang Jing Jun remembered how he had planned to push Qin Ming around, forcing him to gather herbs from the Celestial Light. He’d figured Qin Ming was just a foolish kid. He’d even scoffed at how Qin Ming had dared to question them just before his own supposed end. Now, Huang Jing Jun realized that the faint smirk on the boy’s lips and his brother’s calm grin had likely meant the boy had seen through their plan all along.
Not far away, a strange flower began to bloom. Its three colors glowed softly, and as it ripened, an enchanting scent drifted through the air. The fragrance cleared Qin Ming’s mind and sharpened his focus as if wiping away a layer of dust from his senses. He could feel the perfect moment to pick the flower was at hand. He whirled around and dug through some loose rocks until he pulled out a Jade Box he’d hidden there. He was worried that if he waited too long, the flower might suddenly wither right after blooming.
Behind him, Huang Jing De stood trembling, his body soaked in blood. He pressed a hand to the stump of his severed arm, taking stumbling steps backward. He had nothing left now. He glanced at his younger brother, then turned and fled. He didn’t even try a sneak attack. He just ran, figuring that even living as a cripple was better than dying here.
But Qin Ming had no intention of letting a man who had awakened his power three times escape so easily. Without turning his head, Qin Ming hurled a long-handled black metal hammer. His strength was shocking, and when the hammer flew, it was like a massive boulder shot from a catapult. You could almost imagine it leaving a crater where it landed.
Huang Jing De barely had a chance to scream. The sickening crunch of his spine echoed through the cave, and he collapsed onto the ground, his legs useless. The pain was blinding, and his world spun out of control. He would never stand again.
Qin Ming calmly retrieved his Jade Box and stepped toward the glowing flower. Right now, the Three-Colored Flower was in full bloom, magnificent and delicate, its petals as large as a clenched fist. In the soft light that filtered down through cracks in the rock overhead, it looked almost magical—silver at its center, with thin red streaks that reminded Qin Ming of the sky at dawn. The edges of the petals shimmered a gentle blue, see-through and glowing faintly. Each leaf-shaped petal looked like a tiny, sharp blade layered one over another, both beautiful and slightly menacing.
“Fully ripe!” Qin Ming said softly, his voice filled with excitement. He knelt down, carefully moving aside small stones. With steady hands, he dug up the whole plant, roots and all, cradling it like a priceless treasure. Its three colors danced before his eyes, each shade bursting with vibrant life. With a quiet click, he sealed it inside the Jade Box. After all this work, he finally had the precious spirit flower in his hands.
A grin spread across Qin Ming’s face. For a teenage boy who’d been roaming these dangerous mountains for days, this was a huge score. “Man, what a lucky day!” he said, sounding like a boy who had just found a chest of gold under his bed. He’d not only dealt with the Golden Rooster Ridge people, which satisfied his lingering anger, but also gotten his hands on rare Blue Jade Alloy and now this incredible flower.
Nearby, Huang Jing Jun coughed blood and glared, furious yet helpless. He and his brother had once bragged just like this—how lucky they were—but now they were the ones left trembling at death’s door.
Qin Ming looked at them and smirked. “Thanks for the gifts, guys,” he said, his voice casual, like a teenage boy talking to classmates who had just lent him their lunch money. “I’ve been stuck in these mountains for days, and honestly? Nothing beats this haul.”
The words made Huang Jing De’s face twist with rage. He had once imagined using the flower to cultivate the legendary Celestial Light Force. Now, that dream had vanished into thin air.
But Qin Ming wasn’t about to leave them alive, not even when they were half-dead already. He believed in tying up every loose end. He finished them off quickly. While searching Huang Jing De’s body, he found a candle and realized the Huang brothers had planned to seal the Jade Box’s cracks so no creature could sniff out the flower. “Smart thinking,” he muttered, a hint of grudging admiration in his voice.
Afterward, Qin Ming dragged the Huang brothers’ bodies to lie beside the elder from Golden Rooster Ridge and a couple of their knights. He set aside a fancy long blade and a silver spear—those were too recognizable and might raise questions if he carried them back into civilization.
The underground world had turned into complete chaos. Mutated beasts of all shapes and sizes prowled about, roaring and howling. Qin Ming crept toward an area filled with terrifying sounds, easily catching the attention of a few hungry monsters. Soon, the elder and the Huang brothers became nothing more than “meat and bone medicine” for these mutated fiends. It was an unsettling scene, but Qin Ming had no choice. This was the law of the wild, where the strong survived and the weak became prey.
Above, in the open air, giant raptor-like creatures soared, screeching to each other. A massive Silver Eagle, at least ten meters across in wingspan, watched over the Great Rift Valley like a king eyeing his kingdom. Meanwhile, deep underground, people like Cao Long, Mu Qing, and Wei Zhi Rou stood trembling, their faces pale as they huddled with their clan elders.
“Some of these monsters have mutated four or five times already!” one of them gasped. “We have to stay down here. At least this part of the valley is safer than the entrance. Help will come from Red Glow City once word spreads, right?” another said, voice shaking.
Qin Ming, hidden in the twisting tunnels, saw how brutal things had become. He watched from the darkness as creatures tore people apart. He had to be careful. He’d already fought off a few mutated beasts, but this place was too bloody, too dangerous. He decided he couldn’t go deeper. Instead, he would head toward the area where some mountain folk had vanished earlier. Those old hunters knew how to survive in these mountains. They might have found a secret way out.
Just then, a huge White Giant Bear lumbered into view, its eyes blazing with fury and its claws clutching two lifeless, impaled bodies. The bear spotted Qin Ming and charged immediately, furious growls echoing down the corridor.
“Nope, not taking on that brute!” Qin Ming breathed, his heart pounding. He sprinted off, fast as he could. Back when he was fourteen or fifteen, he had wandered these wilds, always on the verge of starvation or attack. But that was nothing compared to this. Ordinary wild animals had been dangerous enough, yet here he was facing monsters that had mutated several times over. He was on his own, and every second mattered.
Luckily, the tunnels were winding and narrow. The bear’s massive body soon got stuck, thrashing against the rock walls. Stones tumbled down, and the two corpses on its claws became an even messier pulp. Qin Ming kept running, refusing to look back. He knew he couldn’t beat that bear in a fair fight.
He guessed that by now, the Golden Rooster Ridge clan and the Three-Eye Sect had both taken huge losses. Those still alive had fled toward the Huang family’s territory. It seemed everyone was running, no one safe in these twisting caves. Blood pooled in the passages, and screams echoed wildly. Whenever a human met a beast, at least one side ended up dead.
Qin Ming slipped into another narrow tunnel. As he emerged into a larger cavern, he saw a terrifying sight: a Three-Eye Sect elder, who had awakened three times, impaled on the horns of a Golden Giant Bull. That elder had been circling these caves, lost and desperate, and now it had all ended with a swift, brutal death. The bull shook its head, throwing the bodies off its horns, smashing them against rocky walls. More mangled remains lay crushed under its massive hooves. Its once shiny coat was now soaked in crimson gore.
The moment the Golden Giant Bull spotted Qin Ming, it snorted, releasing blasts of hot air from its nostrils. It lowered its head and charged. Qin Ming didn’t waste a second. He darted into another tiny passage. No point in shouting insults or trying to be clever—he just needed to survive.
He found himself pressed against the damp stone, heart hammering in his chest. Every crash and roar from behind reminded him that his life hung by a thread. The bull slammed into the rock, shattering it and sending chunks of stone everywhere. Its horns were sharper than swords, and its breath heated the air until the walls seemed to glow.
No wonder the elder hadn’t stood a chance, Qin Ming thought. He backed away, deeper into the cramped passage, waiting. Eventually, after what felt like forever, the Golden Giant Bull snorted angrily and left, disappointed it hadn’t snagged its new prey.
Qin Ming crept out after waiting a bit, relieved to find fewer fierce creatures now. He finally slipped into a tiny fissure in the rock wall—just large enough for him to squeeze through—following the path he suspected the mountain folk had taken. He used his Sunstone to guide him. The darkness pressed on him, and he stumbled and crawled through the rough ground. After about half an hour of hard progress, he finally emerged from that underground world into a dense forest outside.
As he stood there, breathing in the fresh, clean mountain air, Qin Ming couldn’t help admiring those old hunters. They knew these mountains like their own homes. Had he tried to find a way out by himself, it would have taken much longer—perhaps he wouldn’t have survived at all. The mountain folk had managed to escape early because they hadn’t waited around. They had acted quickly, something the others hadn’t done.
Safe for the moment, Qin Ming sucked in a deep breath. Somehow, he’d made it out alive, and he felt both relieved and uneasy. The forest seemed calmer than before; maybe all the vicious creatures had moved deeper into the Rift Valley.
He paused, thinking deeply. “If I remember right,” he murmured, talking to himself in a low, teenage mumble, “that bear and that bull have their lairs less than ten miles from here. They’re pretty much the strongest monsters around here.”
A daring idea sparked in his mind. He pictured those beasts far away in the caves, still hunting, still fighting. Their lairs would be empty now, right? The thought of raiding them made Qin Ming grin. He had almost been torn apart by those monsters, but he’d gotten away. Now, while they were off rampaging in the valley, he would try to sneak in and claim whatever treasures they’d left behind.
Without another word, Qin Ming set off at a sprint, determined to take advantage of the chaos to line his pockets even further.