Chapter 49: A Stirring Heart
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming and Old Man Liu were busy with various tasks—chopping wood, paving paths, and setting traps for beasts. Everything was ready.
“Silver-headed ants have a mixed diet, and their sense of smell is incredibly sharp. They’re especially sensitive to smells they like, and now it’s all showing!” Qin Ming said with a grin.
He and Old Man Liu had spent a lot of money buying some honey, and they had also prepared plenty of animal blood. They spread the blood and occasionally smeared honey along the path, leading the ants closer, bit by bit.
As soon as they entered the crack in the mountain, the combined scent immediately woke the previously dormant silver-headed ants.
“Some of them are starting to move! Quick, light the fire!”
“Watch it, don’t burn yourself!”
They threw a few barrels of oil into the cracks, tossed their torches, and turned to run.
Boom!
Flames roared up, and the ants in the belly of the mountain were startled awake. Though many were burned alive, there were far too many of them squirming together in a massive swarm. Their nest was too complex for the fire to reach every corner.
In an instant, the silver-headed ants were enraged, surging out of the crack like a tidal wave.
“Come on, bring the queen out while you’re at it!” Old Man Liu shouted, brandishing a heavy machete.
“Run! They’re coming!” Qin Ming grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along, sprinting up the mountain.
They weren’t worried about the ants not chasing them. After all, they had sprinkled honey and animal blood everywhere. And these creatures were no ordinary ants—they were extremely territorial and vicious. If you invaded their nest, they would hunt you down on the spot.
“Wait, why are some of them flying?” Qin Ming hadn’t even run a hundred meters when he felt something thudding against his back.
“What’s going on?” Old Man Liu was also confused. At least a hundred ants, each the size of a fist, were flying toward them, far larger than their regular kin.
“You’re asking me?” Qin Ming was starting to panic. This old man was supposed to know everything about the mountains. How could he not know there were flying silver-headed ants?
As Old Man Liu hacked at the flying ants with his machete, he shouted back, “Must be because there’s too much spiritual energy in the nest! Some of them must’ve evolved. This wasn’t happening five years ago!”
“Wait—you’re telling me your info is five years out of date?” Qin Ming smashed another ant with his hammer, feeling the hardness of its body. Ordinary people wouldn’t stand a chance of crushing one with a single hit.
The flying ants were a dark red color, with shiny silver markings on their heads. Their transparent wings buzzed in the cold air, making an eerie sound. Their mandibles, like a pair of huge red pincers, clattered as they snapped at armor. You could imagine the kind of damage they could do to a person.
Even these hundred or so ants were enough to strip a normal person to the bone in seconds.
“No worries! There aren’t that many flying ants, just this bunch. We can handle them.” Old Man Liu swung his machete, protecting his face from the swarm.
But just as he finished speaking, hundreds more ants burst from the mountain crevice. The buzzing of their wings now sounded like metal scraping together, sending shivers down their spines.
Qin Ming’s face paled. Things would get seriously dangerous if they kept coming like this—by the thousands.
They reached the top of a small hill, still managing to outrun the swarm for now. But the hundreds of flying ants were relentless, darting toward them even in the bitter cold, unaffected by the weather.
Qin Ming swung his hammer again and again, smashing the incoming insects. It felt like he was forging metal with each strike, but he didn’t let up. Beside him, Old Man Liu kept his machete moving, hacking away at the bugs. The ground beneath their feet was soon littered with ant corpses.
Looking down from the small hill, the sight of the swarming red ants was dizzying. Large numbers of silver-headed ants were crawling across the snow, closing in on them fast.
“We didn’t even need to spill all that blood and honey. These things are vengeful enough to follow us just by our scent!” Qin Ming muttered.
“And how are they not slowing down in this freezing weather?”
“They are a bit slower, but not slow enough. We’ve just got to hold on a little longer,” Old Man Liu said.
The two of them stayed on the hilltop, fighting off the flying ants while watching the massive army of ants climb steadily closer.
“They’re slowing down. Another little while, and they might actually freeze,” Old Man Liu added.
“Let’s burn another batch, keep them warm,” Qin Ming joked grimly. “Might lure out more from the nest.”
They kept swinging their weapons, lighting torches, and burning what they could. If they wanted to get into the nest, they’d have to deal with the army of ants below them first.
“Watch where you’re throwing those torches!” Old Man Liu warned. “Don’t blow up the whole place too early!”
They had packed the area with explosives made from the residue of some alchemist’s powder, something passed down from the outside world and eventually repurposed by the locals.
“Relax, I got this!” Qin Ming yelled back.
Soon, parts of the small hill they had covered with wood began to catch fire. Thanks to the oil they had poured, the flames spread quickly.
Many ants were burned to death, but the fire only seemed to anger the rest of them. Like a relentless wave, they kept charging up the hill.
“The second wave of ants is out!” Old Man Liu shouted.
The worst-case scenario hadn’t happened—there weren’t as many flying ants as they had feared. But just then, Old Man Liu let out a cry as one of the ants slammed into him, knocking him into a snowbank. A swarm of flying ants immediately covered him.
Qin Ming’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the creature—a flying ant bigger than a person’s head, its body a deep blood-red with streaks of silver. It wasn’t just a regular mutation; this one had evolved twice.
He rushed over, hammer swinging, but the ant was fast, dodging at the last second and diving toward the snowbank where Old Man Liu was buried.
As quick as lightning, Qin Ming followed and smashed at the ant. It dodged again but grew angrier, buzzing toward Qin Ming, attacking from every angle.
Old Man Liu cursed as he pulled himself out of the snow, chopping away at the smaller flying ants that had swarmed him. “I’m getting knocked around by ants? This is humiliating! Have I really gotten too old to swing a blade?” he grumbled. “Hey, Qin, can you handle that thing?”
“I’m fine!” Qin Ming shouted back, still hammering away. “Watch out for more of those evolved ants!”
Old Man Liu looked grim. “You’re right. The queen’s a triple mutation, but she’s not a fighter. She’s gotta be breeding these things to defend the nest.”
Qin Ming kept swinging his black metal hammer, hitting the evolved ant over and over, each blow ringing out like a hammer on steel. The thing was tough, but eventually, its body started to crack. With one final smash, it exploded into pieces.
“We’ve got trouble! Three more super-ants just showed up!” Old Man Liu called out, his face darkening.
At the base of the mountain, three massive flying ants buzzed menacingly, followed by six smaller ones. These were clearly stronger than the rest of the swarm.
“Three double-evolved ants, and six single-evolved ones. This nest is no joke,” Qin Ming said, bracing himself for the onslaught.
Meanwhile, the ordinary ants were slowly crawling up the mountain. They were moving slower now, but they still had their sights set on Qin Ming and Old Man Liu.
“We’re almost there!” Qin Ming shouted. He faced the three strongest flying ants, ready for battle.
Old Man Liu quickly lit the explosives. With a thunderous boom, the hillside detonated, triggering an avalanche. The ground rumbled as snow came crashing down, burying the mass of ants below.
They had timed it well—the ants were nearly frozen. Now buried under snow, most of them wouldn’t survive.
“No way I’m getting knocked down by some dumb ant again!” Old Man Liu shouted, slashing at a double-evolved flying ant with his machete. “This thing’s as tough as steel!”
Qin Ming grinned as he kept swinging his hammer. “Just hang in there!” he called out.
Qin Ming was going all out, the golden ripples on his body flashing brightly. The sound of his hammer echoed through the air as he smashed two of the double-mutated flying ants. He swung his long metal hammer like a windmill, sending ant corpses crashing down all around him.
“Stop it, let me handle this myself!” Old Man Liu insisted, determined as always. Finally, he managed to slay the last of the double-mutated ants.
Once they had finished off the silver-headed ants that hadn’t yet frozen on the mountaintop, both of them let out a sigh of relief.
“We’ve done the world a favor. If the queen ant mutates a fourth time, the silver-headed ant swarm will explode in number. Everything in their path would be wiped out,” Old Man Liu said, collapsing onto the snow.
“It’s not over yet,” Qin Ming warned, noticing another swarm emerging from the crack in the mountain.
Old Man Liu’s face turned green. Thankfully, this time there were no more double-mutated flying ants. Still, the sheer number of ordinary silver-headed ants crawling up the slope was staggering.
“Not as many as before, though. Once we deal with these, we should be done.”
They couldn’t trigger another avalanche, and it seemed that the ants below had received some kind of signal. Before freezing, they began retreating to their nest.
“We should head down the mountain. We can lure them out of the nest and kill them up close,” Qin Ming suggested.
The day’s efforts had taken a toll, even on someone as tough as Qin Ming. They’d been killing ants non-stop. As for Old Man Liu, he was already exhausted, barely able to lift his blade.
Fortunately, this area was so remote that no other creatures dared to live near the silver-headed ants’ nest. There weren’t any mutated beasts lurking nearby.
“We’ll continue tomorrow,” Old Man Liu muttered, his voice weary.
Over the past two days, some villagers had ventured into the underground cave within the Rift Valley, bringing back high-quality weapons. This caused quite a stir and drew more people to the area, hoping to strike it rich.
Many of the weapons and armor they found had belonged to the noble families of Scarlet Dawn City, left behind when their owners perished. Naturally, they were of excellent quality.
…
Neither Qin Ming nor Old Man Liu had expected that they would still be at it three days after their first day of exterminating the silver-headed ants. And yet, the nest wasn’t fully cleared.
“I think today’s the day. We should be able to storm the nest without any problems,” Qin Ming said confidently.
“Don’t jinx it, kid! Stop saying things like that,” Old Man Liu scolded.
On the fourth day, as they walked and chatted along the path by the Rift Valley, Qin Ming suddenly stopped, rubbing his eyes. He wanted to be sure he wasn’t seeing things. In the valley, a strange black mist was slithering like a snake, moving quickly.
“Old man, take a look at that… over in the valley,” Qin Ming pointed, his voice tense.
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing there,” Old Man Liu replied, puzzled.
Qin Ming didn’t say another word, pretending he had imagined it. But inside, he was far from calm. He silently speculated that the mysterious liquid he had absorbed might have given him the ability to sense the unusual black mist.
“By the way, did you manage to get in touch with those families? The ones that used to have some influence but have since fallen on hard times?” Qin Ming asked.
“One of them is willing to talk. I don’t think there’ll be any problems,” Old Man Liu responded.
“That’s great news!” Qin Ming’s face lit up with excitement.
Suddenly, a voice called out from nearby, “Hey, you two! What were you looking at just now?” Two figures emerged from the exit of the Rift Valley, their presence immediately radiating danger.
Qin Ming’s heart sank. These weren’t just any people. Old Man Liu glanced at their sleeves and whispered, “See that gold embroidery on their cuffs? That means they’ve been recognized by the Golden Thieves. Those two are leaders of Golden Rooster Ridge—the most powerful bandits around here.”
Old Man Liu stopped talking, giving Qin Ming a tug as they walked toward the men.
Qin Ming, of course, knew these notorious bandits. Recently, their names had been all over the place, feared by everyone. They were both fourth-time awakened, placing them among the most formidable people in the local area.
What are they doing here at the Rift Valley? And is that black mist somehow connected to them? Qin Ming wondered, his mind racing.
“Hurry up and get over here!” one of the bandits barked.
“We’re just passing through, hunting in the mountains,” Old Man Liu said, keeping his tone low and humble.
The two bandits looked to be in their forties, their gazes sharp and cold. One of them suddenly grabbed Old Man Liu by the collar, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
“You may be awakened, but you’re too old to be of any use!” the bandit scoffed, tossing Old Man Liu aside like he was nothing. The old man stumbled and nearly fell.
The bandit then turned to Qin Ming. “You, on the other hand, are young. Freshly awakened, huh? Not bad,” he said, yanking Qin Ming by his collar.
“We’re recruiting at Golden Rooster Ridge in the next couple of days. Make sure you show up. I’ve got your face memorized,” the bandit said, his tone casual, but the threat was clear.
“Yes, sir! Don’t worry, I’ll bring him to sign up,” Old Man Liu said hastily, fearing that Qin Ming’s youthful pride might get them into serious trouble.
The bandit sneered. “What use are you, old man? Why should we feed you for free?” he asked, casting a disdainful glance at Old Man Liu.
“I meant I’ll bring him to sign up, that’s all,” Old Man Liu clarified quickly.
“Hmph!” The bandit grunted, finally letting go of Qin Ming’s collar.
“Did you hear me, boy? Or are you deaf? I asked you a question!” the second bandit snapped at Qin Ming, his tone cold and demanding.
“I—I was just a little slow to respond. Yes, I’ll be there,” Qin Ming replied, nodding quickly.
After the bandits left, Old Man Liu fumed as they approached the ant nest. “I swear, those guys… Ugh, makes my blood boil!” he cursed under his breath, still seething from the encounter.
He quickly turned to Qin Ming, pleading, “Whatever you do, don’t be rash. Just play along and sign up. You’re still young and already so strong. If you keep getting stronger, you’ll be unstoppable one day. Then…”
“Then I’ll storm Golden Rooster Ridge by myself, take out every last one of those bandits!” Qin Ming said fiercely.
Old Man Liu paled and waved his hands frantically. “Shh! Don’t say things like that! Maybe when you’re four or five times awakened you can think about it. But for now, keep quiet!”
Their entry into the ant nest went smoother than expected. As they had hoped, most of the silver-headed ants had been wiped out in the previous three days.
The queen finally appeared—a silver-colored creature mutated three times. While powerful, it wasn’t built for battle. Its main weapon was the glowing liquid it spat, which had incredible penetrating power and could corrode armor.
The first time it attacked, Qin Ming and Old Man Liu were caught off guard. The liquid sprayed everywhere, and their first layer of armor was nearly melted through. Fortunately, they had steel plates beneath to protect them.
After that initial scare, the fight was over quickly. The strongest battle ants had already been dealt with, and without her swarm to protect her, the queen didn’t last long against them.
“We’re rich!” Old Man Liu exclaimed when they reached the deepest part of the nest. His eyes sparkled as he spotted the honey wine preserved in the ant wax. Although most of it had been consumed during the winter, the small amount left was still incredibly valuable.
“Should we bury it for now? If we sell it, people will find out we’ve become third-time awakened. And with those bandits from Golden Rooster Ridge acting the way they are, we’d be in serious trouble if they found out,” Qin Ming suggested.
Old Man Liu nodded in agreement. They understood the risks.
As they dug deeper, they found a faintly glowing golden substance. The moment they saw it, both of them broke into grins, eyes gleaming with excitement. There was enough of the material for both of them to use.
…
Back at home, Qin Ming stared at the jar of pale golden liquid, his emotions swirling. So much had happened recently that his mind couldn’t settle. But he knew one thing for sure: as long as he grew strong enough, none of these problems would matter.