Chapter 47: The End of the Hunt
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The night was thick with darkness, blanketing the forest in an eerie silence. Apart from a few herbivores roaming the area, it was rare to encounter any dangerous beasts. Qin Ming sprinted through the woods, his heart racing. He suddenly stopped in a dense forest, panting slightly. Dropping his armor and setting down his massive black metal hammer, he knelt in the snow, digging up a shiny set of fine steel armor.
The armor had once belonged to Wang Nian Zhu, a man long dead but still wanted. Qin Ming quickly changed into it, knowing that where he was headed, he might encounter some smart creatures who could recognize his usual appearance. If they remembered his face, it could spell trouble.
Everyone knew Wang Nian Zhu had killed the blood snake and taken out members of the mountain patrol, including Fu En Tao and Feng Yian. Now, slipping into the lair of strange creatures during this time of chaos was a common tactic.
After strapping on Wang Nian Zhu’s sleek sword to his waist and covering his face with a cloth, Qin Ming was ready. He knew he wasn’t strong enough yet to take unnecessary risks, so caution was his best ally.
He ran nonstop for eight miles until he reached a stone forest surrounded by trees. The place was full of jagged rocks, some piled so high they resembled small mountains.
“Ugh, it stinks here!” Qin Ming wrinkled his nose in disgust. A giant white bear lived in this area, but it wasn’t exactly known for cleanliness. As he approached, the smell of bear dung hit him like a brick wall.
Deeper into the stone forest, there was a Flame Spring, with crimson mist swirling around it, its surface shimmering like a calm lake. It was similar to the one back in Silver Vine Town, a second-grade spring. Despite its multiple mutations and immense strength, the white bear wasn’t powerful enough to claim one of the better springs deep in the mountains. But for the mountain hunters, this place was a treasure trove.
However, the giant bear had made a mess of the place. The ground was littered with animal pelts, bones, and worst of all, piles of bear dung, especially around the spring. It was clear that the bear’s hibernation had been incomplete, as it still ventured into the woods to hunt regularly.
“It’s an old male bear, alright,” Qin Ming muttered, looking around. “This huge territory, and it’s just him, wasting such a good spot.”
He searched the area, but the overwhelming stench made it hard to focus. He had come all this way, risking a lot, and all he got was a noseful of foul air.
He was frustrated beyond belief. A part of him wanted to set fire to the place and burn it clean. If the bear had cubs, he could at least take some satisfaction in frying a few of them. But there wasn’t much to see here, except for the overwhelming filth. The stink was so strong it was making him gag.
For the first time, Qin Ming felt utterly defeated. He was tempted to seek revenge but ended up holding his nose and abandoning the idea. He didn’t want to spend another second in that wretched place.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, something shiny flickered in the Flame Spring. His spirits lifted instantly.
“Wait… That dumb old bear knows how to raise fish?”
Qin Ming dashed over to the edge of the spring, spotting shadows of fish swimming in the six-foot-wide pool.
However, when he leaned closer, all he saw were tiny fish.
“This bear is the worst! It probably eats them before they even get a chance to grow.”
Still, he wasn’t going to leave empty-handed. Qin Ming scooped up any fish that were about the size of his palm, leaving the smaller ones. In total, he gathered about twenty, with the largest being around seven inches long.
With some parts of their bodies nearly transparent, these blue, shimmering spirit fish could grow up to a meter in length. Once mature, they were brimming with spiritual energy and vitality. But thanks to the bear’s impatience, none of them ever got the chance.
“Even though they’re small, they’ve still got some spiritual essence. Better than nothing.”
Always prepared, Qin Ming carried a leather sack with him whenever he ventured into the mountains. The harsh environment had trained him to always be practical, and today, that habit paid off.
With a full sack, he sprinted another seven miles towards Wild Ox Ridge. Timing was everything, and he needed to move fast.
The mountain range stretched endlessly under the dark sky, covered in dense forests. When Qin Ming entered the territory of the giant golden ox, he was stunned by what he saw.
In the depths of the forest, another second-grade Flame Spring bubbled, but instead of pooling, its glowing red liquid irrigated a chaotic field. Unlike normal springs, this one wasn’t hot, barely warmer than a human’s skin, but it was enough to fend off the freezing wind and snow. The flame fields were lush and vibrant, bursting with colors.
“That old ox sure is hardworking!” Qin Ming marveled. While the rest of the mountain was buried under snow, this place was alive with greenery, a striking contrast to the white wilderness around it.
On one of the vines, fire pears hung in bunches, their sweet scent filling the air. About thirty of them were ripe, golden, and gleaming.
“These will help restore energy and blood,” Qin Ming muttered, quickly picking them.
Then, he found a patch of short plants, no more than a foot tall, each one bearing clusters of purple berries. They tasted both sour and sweet, perfect for quickly recovering strength.
“So many berries! Eating a few when you’re tired can instantly restore energy. That old ox sure knows what it’s doing,” Qin Ming thought, his appreciation for the giant ox growing.
The chaotic fire field was wild and unkempt, but the second-grade Flame Spring provided enough spiritual energy for the plants to thrive. Sadly, the ox’s large family meant that most of the valuable spiritual items had already been eaten by its calves and descendants.
Qin Ming sighed in disappointment. He had hoped for more from this trip, perhaps something to help him evolve for a third time.
“The bear and the ox both let me down. Maybe Old Man Liu’s idea will be more fruitful. I should team up with him for my next trip into the mountains.”
Despite his frustration, the sight of so many ripe fruits cheered him up. He filled his bags with anything edible—red fruits, golden gourds—until both sacks were full.
“Any calves left around here?” Qin Ming glanced deeper into the ox’s territory.
“Huh?” His eyes widened suddenly. He didn’t spot a calf, but there was a donkey instead.
The little donkey looked a lot like the mount the old weasel used to ride, but it couldn’t be the same one. This was just a young donkey, sneaking around and munching on the gourds.
In the fire field, the donkey dropped a gourd from its mouth, startled by the sight of Qin Ming in full armor. Its eyes widened in shock.
“Donkey, please don’t make a sound!” Qin Ming spun around and bolted.
The donkey wasn’t dangerous, but it had connections. If it started braying, who knew what kind of monsters it might summon?
Qin Ming guessed that this little guy must be a descendant of that Old Weasel’s mount. Otherwise, how would a donkey dare to sneak into such a dangerous place?
He sped off into the night, disappearing in an instant.
Back in the fire field, the donkey was left confused, blinking as it watched the two-legged creature vanish. It had been about to bolt itself, but the human beat it to it.
Feeling guilty for stealing, the donkey didn’t make a peep. It wandered around, munching on more fruit before letting out a satisfied burp and scampering away.
Much later, deep in Wild Ox Ridge, a massive white ox finally showed itself. This creature had undergone three mutations, making it a powerful beast. With so much land to its name, it had left behind a lookout to guard the territory.
The white ox had noticed the donkey earlier but hadn’t chased it off. It knew the donkey’s connections and didn’t want to stir up trouble.
“No need to let that little guy know anything. As long as we take care of it, we’ll be on good terms with its elders,” the white ox muttered in the beast’s language. Even in the wilds, it seemed, relationships mattered.
Suddenly, the white ox froze in place. “Wait… did a herd of donkeys just ransack my fire field?!”
Meanwhile, Qin Ming had already dashed six miles away. Only when he was certain nothing was following him did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. He made his way back to collect his armor and hammer, retrieving a piece of jade he’d hidden earlier.
The outside world was relatively quiet and empty with all the dangerous experts currently preoccupied with the valley ravine.
“Qin Ming! You’re finally back! We were worried sick!” Xu Yue Ping and Yang Yong Qing, who had been waiting anxiously at the village entrance, rushed up to greet him.
“I’m fine,” Qin Ming said casually, brushing off their concerns. “Ran into some danger, but it wasn’t a big deal. Picked up some stuff along the way too.”
When Xu Yue Ping heard about the reverse hunt organized by the mountain creatures, he was left speechless and shocked.
Yang Yong Qing, equally stunned, couldn’t help but shudder. Even the noble elites of Scarlet Dawn City wouldn’t escape unscathed from such a coordinated attack.
Hearing that the mountain folk had all escaped safely, they were left with mixed feelings. The ones most likely to face danger had made it out without a scratch.
“Uncle Qin Ming, you’re back! I was so worried about you!” A small boy, Wen Rui, stood by the house, his face lighting up with joy when he saw Qin Ming return. He’d come outside dozens of times already, each time disappointed when the house remained locked.
He had overheard from Lu Ze and Liang Wan Qing that the Golden Rooster Ridge group had taken his little uncle to do something very dangerous.
Even though Lu Ze had been seriously injured, he was already recovering thanks to his strong constitution. With Liang Wan Qing’s support, he too came out to greet Qin Ming.
A few minutes later, Qin Ming arrived at the small courtyard, carrying a large bag of bright red and golden fruits.
“Wow! These aren’t mountain persimmons, these are red berries, my favorite! Uncle Qin Ming, you’re amazing!” Wen Rui’s face was flushed with excitement as he stuffed his mouth full of berries.
His two-year-old little sister, Wen Hui, hugged Qin Ming’s neck tightly, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek to show her joy.
Even the red-furred mutant squirrel in the iron cage was jumping around excitedly, its eyes locked on the fruit, squeaking nonstop.
“Bow to me, and I’ll give you some of these red berries,” Qin Ming teased with a grin.
To his surprise, the squirrel actually stood on its hind legs and made a bow, squeaking every time it did so as if it was keeping count.
“You little squirrel, have you become enlightened?” Qin Ming couldn’t help but chuckle.
…
As the night deepened, the disappearance of the mountain expedition became a source of great concern for all the major families. Forces had been left behind in Silver Vine Town and elsewhere, and they were quickly realizing something had gone terribly wrong.
When Qin Ming returned, he sent Xu Yue Ping to deliver the news to Silver Vine Town. The other village hunters, having recovered from the shock, also went to spread the word.
Soon, messenger birds were sent soaring into the night sky, carrying messages to the forces back in Scarlet Dawn City, requesting immediate reinforcements to deal with the growing threat.
By nightfall, experts from Scarlet Dawn City were already on the move. Time was of the essence, as every delay could cost more lives.
Fortunately, the mountain creatures had no intention of wiping everyone out, likely fearing a bloody retaliation from Scarlet Dawn City. Before the experts could arrive, the creatures retreated, and the immediate danger passed.
Still, every family suffered losses. Some had only lost a few members, while others, like the Huang family, had been hit hard, losing nearly half their people. The worst, however, were Golden Rooster Ridge and the Three-Eyed Sect, whose forces had been nearly annihilated at the canyon entrance.
In the end, only a few old men from both groups managed to escape, bloodied and bruised, leaning on each other for support.
When the leaders of Golden Rooster Ridge heard the full story, they were furious, almost storming over to finish the job themselves, cursing their men for being useless.
The core members of the Three-Eyed Sect were left in shock, on the verge of spitting blood.
…
The next day, Qin Ming and Old Man Liu saw off the departing teams as Cao Long, Mu Qing, Wei Zhi Rou, and the others prepared to leave. With the competition for the mysterious resources over, the mountain sweep was officially coming to an end.
“Qin Ming, you should leave this remote place soon,” Cao Long advised. “The world beyond is full of wonders. There are cities teeming with life where you can learn so much more.”
“Yes, those cities are magnificent, full of incredible beings. You might even encounter gods walking among men,” Mu Qing added, nodding in agreement.
“Five hundred years ago, Black and White Mountains was legendary, but not anymore,” Wei Zhi Rou chimed in.
Before they left, everyone had the same advice for Qin Ming: it was time for him to step out into the wider world.
Afterward, even Nie Rui and Shen Jia Yun came over to say their goodbyes.
Finally, the group departed, disappearing into the distance.
…
That night, Qin Ming brought a bag of fruit to Old Liu.
“Fire pears, Ziyang berries, silver gourds… Where on earth did you find these? Only creatures that have mutated at least four times would bother tending a fire field like this,” Old Man Liu exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief.
“Let me guess,” he continued. “It wasn’t the bear—too lazy and violent. And the mountain lord wouldn’t bother with plants. But the golden ox… you must’ve been in its territory!”
Qin Ming had to admit Old Man Liu’s knowledge of the mountain’s inhabitants was impressive. He knew the place like the back of his hand, which was exactly why Qin Ming had come to him for help.
Qin Ming grinned. “Yeah, I got messed up by the bear and the ox. Nearly didn’t make it out alive. So, when are we going to find those spiritual treasures you talked about?”
Old Man Liu shot him a glance. “You survived getting harassed by mutant creatures and you’re still here? You must’ve raided their nests and gotten away with it.”
Then he looked Qin Ming over, sensing the young man’s strength had grown considerably. Otherwise, why would he be so eager to hunt for spiritual items again? Clearly, Qin Ming was close to evolving a second time.
“You’ve already undergone your second awakening?” Old Man Liu asked quietly.
“Yeah, I’ve been feeling feverish lately. I think I’m almost there. What about you?” Qin Ming asked in return.
“Give me two more days. I’m nearly there too.” Old Man Liu shut the door and added, “And keep quiet about it for now. No need to make a fuss.”
“Got it,” Qin Ming agreed, flashing a grin.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
…
Two days later, Qin Ming and Old Man Liu huddled together, deep in discussion, making plans for their next adventure into the mountains.