Chapter 48: Unconventional Plans
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Inside a small, cozy room, Old Man Liu and Qin Ming were huddled together, the lamplight casting gentle shadows on the wooden walls. At first, it was mostly Old Man Liu talking while Qin Ming listened quietly, trying to piece things together in his head. By the end, the two were whispering back and forth, sharing ideas as though they were partners in some risky adventure.
Qin Ming’s heart was pounding. He ached to achieve what people called a Third Awakening—something that would give him real strength in this perilous world. He never again wanted to feel that frantic terror of being hunted by huge monsters, never again wanted to be shoved into the dark mines like a disposable pawn. If he grew strong enough, no one from Golden Rooster Ridge or the Three-Eye Sect would dare treat him that way.
Old Man Liu took a slow sip of water and cleared his throat. “Once we reach those mountains, we need to examine the lay of the land carefully. We must plan a good escape route before we make our move.”
Qin Ming leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. He was only a teenager, but he wasn’t stupid. “Old Man, why do you sound so unsure?” he asked, voice low. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna chicken out at the last second.”
Old Man Liu sighed, looking more tired than scared. “We have to be careful. The place we’re going has these really rare spiritual materials. Getting them won’t be a stroll in the park. If we fail, it could cost us our lives.”
Qin Ming nodded, trying to appear tougher than he felt. “All right, I get it. Still, we should be prepared. Does Silver Vine Town sell any earth-made bombs or something like that? We could use a few.”
Old Man Liu’s eyes brightened. “Now that’s an interesting thought,” he said, rubbing his chin. “Explosives might open up a few, er, unconventional options.”
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow. “Like what, Old Man? Spit it out.”
The old man leaned closer and lowered his voice, as if someone might be listening through the walls. “There’s a lake near Western Ravine, deep in the mountains,” he began. “An old turtle lives there. It’s mutated three times already. Its whole body is precious, brimming with spiritual essence. Right now, it should be hibernating. If we sneak up and toss some explosives into its den while it’s still half-asleep, we might get something amazing!”
Old Man Liu sounded almost giddy, as if he’d found a shortcut around all their other troubles. For a moment, it seemed as though he was ready to drop every other plan just for a chance at that spirit turtle.
Qin Ming rolled his eyes, refusing to be swept away by the old man’s excitement. “Look, Old Man, turtle shells are insanely tough. A few explosions might not even scratch it,” he said flatly. “And how are we supposed to dig it out in that huge lake? We gonna spend the rest of our lives poking around the bottom?”
Old Man Liu’s excited grin faded into a thoughtful frown. Slowly, he nodded. “You’re right. I got ahead of myself. A creature that’s evolved three times is far more powerful than normal beasts. And this turtle can be quick when it’s angry. Real quick.”
He tapped the table gently, as if calming himself down. Even twenty years ago, that turtle had been dangerous, and now it was likely even stronger. There was no sense fighting something that might turn them into mincemeat.
Suddenly, Qin Ming’s face grew pale. “Wait,” he said, glaring suspiciously at Old Man Liu. “Is all your info from twenty years ago? Please tell me you’re not dragging me into some ancient legend without any recent facts.”
Old Man Liu snorted, shaking his head. “Relax,” he said. “I’m not that clueless. I have more up-to-date ideas, thank you very much.”
With that, he brought up another plan, something about using explosives on long-armed monkeys. The idea was to blast near their nests, send them scattering, and then snatch the spiritual materials they guarded.
Qin Ming gave him a look that said he wasn’t impressed. “Seriously? Now you wanna start a war with some monkeys?” He folded his arms. “Your plans are all over the place, Old Man.”
Old Man Liu slammed the table lightly, as though it were all so obvious. “I’d love nothing more than to wipe out that whole gang of monkeys! They’re infuriating.”
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. “Did they steal your lunch or something? Aren’t they like twenty miles away from us?”
Old Man Liu let out an annoyed grunt. “They’ve been messing with Emei Town for ages, snatching prey from hunters and dragging folks off. They’re a real menace.”
Qin Ming realized Old Man Liu’s grudge ran deep. The old man wasn’t just brainstorming random targets—he was itching for payback.
“Look, I get it,” said Qin Ming, choosing his words carefully, “but what if the explosion just ticks them off? Those monkeys might chase us through the entire mountain range. Monkeys hold grudges too, you know.”
Old Man Liu shrugged, unbothered. “It’s doable. Thirty years ago, someone pulled off a similar stunt. They tricked the Mountain Lord itself—some giant beast—and actually snatched spiritual treasures right under its nose.”
Qin Ming’s eyes widened. “No way! For real?” He was impressed despite himself. After all, the Mountain Lord was known to be stronger than nearly anything else around these parts, including that Old Bear or the huge Bull from Ox Ridge.
Old Man Liu nodded grimly. “Oh, it’s real. But the Mountain Lord never forgot. Three months later, it slipped into Silver Vine Town under the cover of darkness and tore those two thieves to pieces.”
Qin Ming shuddered, his admiration vanishing in an instant. “Yeah, no thanks,” he said, swallowing hard. “Let’s not poke at these monsters. Your backup plans are nuts. We should stick to the first plan and head into the mountains.”
They stepped outside just in time to see two men from Golden Rooster Ridge arriving on their giant free-range chickens. Those enormous birds were their signature mounts, and everyone knew it.
Old Man Liu narrowed his eyes, whispering, “Golden Rooster Ridge still has survivors? I thought that disaster in the Grand Canyon wiped them out.”
The men’s arrival put everyone in the village on edge. Golden Rooster Ridge had been a bandit group before they were supposedly ‘recruited’ by the authorities, and they hadn’t exactly reformed their ways.
“We’re here to count how many Awakened you’ve got!” one of the riders called out, voice loud and demanding. “Step forward and register.”
A heavy silence fell. Everyone knew most of the Golden Rooster Ridge people and the Three-Eye Sect had perished in that canyon incident, while the mountain villagers had managed to flee. Now, these bandits might be looking for someone to blame.
Xu Yue Ping, standing nearby, whispered, “They went to some bigger villages yesterday. Seems like they’re making the rounds.”
Qin Ming clenched his fists. “And what’s that got to do with us?” he muttered, disgusted. “They had so much power, yet they fell before the canyon beasts. Who do they think they are, strutting around now?”
Old Man Liu just shook his head. “Strength rules everything. If you’re strong, even the greatest beasts might celebrate your special occasions. If you’re weak, well, even a pack of monkeys won’t show you any respect. We’ve got no choice but to play along.”
He lowered his voice further. “According to an old patrolman I met back in the day, the deep-mountain monsters have ties with the high-ranked lords of Red Glow City. Hard to believe, I know, but this world is stranger than you think.”
The Golden Rooster Ridge men left after scribbling down some numbers, not sticking around to chat. Their departure didn’t exactly lift the uneasy mood.
“I think they’re trying to rebuild,” Xu Yue Ping said, breaking the tension. “They’ve lost too many men and need fresh recruits.”
The others nodded quietly. It all made sense. They would also demand supplies, pushing the nearby villages into tight corners, just as they always had. Nothing really changed—bandits would be bandits.
As Qin Ming and Old Man Liu headed toward the mountains, they grumbled softly about Golden Rooster Ridge, calling them a bunch of stubborn old crooks who hadn’t learned a thing. It was risky to badmouth them openly, but with no one around, they felt safe enough.
“I wish we could just bring them down,” Qin Ming muttered darkly.
Old Man Liu shot him a warning look. “Don’t say that out loud. If they hear you, we’ll be in more trouble than you can imagine.”
Qin Ming sighed, then changed the subject. “Hey, Old Man, you said the powerful creatures in these mountains have deals with Red Glow City bigwigs. Is that really true?”
Old Man Liu shrugged. “It’s just a rumor I heard. Who knows what’s real?”
“Then why did the Grand Canyon disaster happen?” Qin Ming asked, looking toward the silent gorge. Only three days ago, it had been a slaughterhouse of men and beasts. Now it was eerily still.
Old Man Liu studied the horizon. “I suspect both sides’ leaders agreed to that bloodbath,” he said quietly. “The mountains are bursting with Variants. There’s only so much room. Maybe they wanted to trim the numbers. And the big families in Red Glow City—each has its own interests. The city lord can’t just oppose them directly. A large-scale disaster might have looked like a natural solution.”
Qin Ming gave him a sideways glance. “You’ve got quite the imagination, Old Man,” he said, though he secretly wondered if there might be some truth in those words.
The old man grinned faintly. “I’ve seen plenty. I even visited Red Glow City once. I’d have stayed there if a certain infamous beast hadn’t swatted my ambitions aside with a single paw.”
As they walked deeper into the wilderness, they left such grim thoughts behind. Soon, they reached a thick forest at the foot of a mountain. The air felt colder, and every rustle in the undergrowth made Qin Ming’s heart flutter nervously.
“There’s a hidden fire spring in this mountain,” Old Man Liu explained, guiding Qin Ming through tangled roots and damp leaves. He knew these secret places like a map printed in his mind. Most people wouldn’t guess such a thing existed here.
He went on to say that the fire spring had grown weaker over time due to strange magnetic forces in the mountains. This was part of his plan—everything counted, even geological oddities.
A colony of silver-headed ants lived inside, relying on the fire spring’s warmth. Without that steady heat, they would slow down in the cold. To Old Man Liu, these ants offered the best chance yet. They were a strange choice, perhaps, given that he’d considered spirit turtles and monkeys before. But the ants, in winter, might just be the perfect target.
Qin Ming couldn’t help but admire the plan. The silver-headed ants were fierce and plentiful, but now they’d be sluggish. The colony had only one queen, and that strict hierarchy meant fewer unexpected evolutions to worry about. Old Man Liu knew all about their habits.
“We’ll need metal plates for protection,” Old Man Liu said seriously. “Your regular armor won’t be enough. One bite from those ants will leave you numb and helpless. If they swarm you, well… you won’t last long.”
These silver-headed ants were nothing like the mild black ants Xu Yue Ping used for making her special teas. These were bigger, more dangerous, and had heads shining with silvery light. Each ant was about the size of a baby’s fist, some even as big as an egg.
Yet, these ants produced a kind of honey wine, collecting nectar and fruits from the mountains. Over time, with the fire spring’s power, they’d refine it into a marvelous golden liquid—a valuable spiritual material that sold at sky-high prices in the big cities. Even their basic honey wine was pricey, and after repeated refining, it became downright legendary.
Qin Ming and Old Man Liu explored the cracks in the rocky walls, creeping closer to the nest. Qin Ming felt goosebumps rise as he peeked inside. Under the dim glow of the fire spring, countless silver-headed ants sat motionless, their tiny bodies reflecting a faint, eerie light. Anyone who disliked crowds or insects would have run away screaming.
They stepped out quietly and started scouting the area around the anthill, planning exactly where they’d retreat if something went wrong. The next two days passed with them moving back and forth, bringing supplies, preparing themselves for the big moment.
When at last they stood by the mountain’s edge, everything felt tense. Frosty air slipped into their lungs as they readied their tools and their nerves.
“It’s do-or-die time,” Old Man Liu said, his breath puffing in the cold air. Qin Ming nodded, his heart thudding like a drumbeat. He was scared, yes, but also determined. He’d come this far to claim strength for himself, to awaken powers that had long slept inside him.
As he tightened the straps on his gear, Qin Ming wondered what would happen if he really did awaken again. Would the shattered pieces of his memory finally fit together? If so, what truths would he uncover this time?