Chapter 49: Hearts Aflame
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming and Old Liu had been bustling around for hours, chopping wood, paving paths, and setting traps. Their plan was finally ready.
“Silver-headed ants eat all sorts of things,” Qin Ming explained, crouching by a trail of sticky honey and blood. “Their sense of smell is sharp, and they’re drawn to scents they like. Looks like our bait is working perfectly!”
They’d spent a small fortune on honey and prepared buckets of animal blood. The mixture had been carefully spread, starting from the outer edges and leading toward the center. As they crept into the jagged crevice of the mountain, the once-still silver-headed ants began to stir.
“They’re waking up! Light it now!” Qin Ming urged, his voice tense.
“Careful! Don’t burn yourself,” Old Liu warned as they hurled barrels of oil toward the swarm and tossed in torches before bolting back up the path.
WHOOSH! The flames roared to life, and the mountain’s belly was alight. The silver-headed ants, startled and enraged, poured out like a tide of writhing bodies. Many were consumed by fire, but the nest was so vast, its labyrinthine depths untouched by the flames. Soon, they surged forward in unison.
“Come on, bring out your queen if you dare!” Old Liu shouted, brandishing his hefty machete.
“Run! They’re coming!” Qin Ming grabbed his arm, dragging him up the slope.
The trail of blood and honey ensured the ants wouldn’t lose interest. These weren’t ordinary insects but fierce predators, territorial and vengeful. Anyone who dared disturb their nest would face their wrath.
As they sprinted, Qin Ming glanced back and gasped. “Why are some of them flying? That’s not normal!”
Old Liu’s eyes widened. “Flying ants? That’s new. At least a hundred of them, and they’re huge!”
“You’re kidding, right?” Qin Ming shot him a look of disbelief. “Aren’t you supposed to be the expert on this mountain? How do you not know about flying silver-headed ants?”
Swinging his machete to slash through a descending ant, Old Liu grimaced. “It’s… it’s probably because of all the spiritual energy in the nest. Some of them must’ve evolved! Five years ago, this wasn’t a thing!”
“Five years? You’re seriously five years out of date?” Qin Ming exclaimed, smashing a fist-sized ant with his black metal hammer. Its body was unnervingly hard, and he doubted a regular person could break through its shell.
The flying ants were dark red with vivid silver streaks on their heads and translucent wings that buzzed loudly. Their razor-sharp mandibles gleamed crimson, and they could chomp through armor with an ominous clinking sound. Even this small swarm could devour a person in seconds.
“Don’t panic,” Old Liu grunted, slashing through the air. “There aren’t too many of them. Just keep killing, and we’ll be fine.”
But as he spoke, another wave of hundreds poured out of the crevice. Their buzzing wings created a metallic hum that sent shivers down Qin Ming’s spine.
They reached the summit of a low hill, panting, but the flying ants didn’t relent. In the freezing cold, their speed was still terrifyingly fast.
Qin Ming gritted his teeth and swung his hammer with all his might. Each strike landed with a satisfying crunch, scattering insect corpses at his feet. Beside him, Old Liu’s machete flashed, slicing through the air with brutal efficiency.
Below them, the ground swarmed with countless red bodies. The ants climbed steadily, relentless despite the frigid temperatures. Qin Ming stared down and muttered, “In this cold, shouldn’t they be slowing down?”
“A bit,” Old Liu replied, catching his breath. “Give it time. They’ll freeze eventually. But we need to hold on a while longer.”
The two stood their ground, fending off wave after wave. The flying ants showed no fear, their silver-streaked bodies glinting as they dove toward the pair. Finally, Qin Ming noticed a slight change.
“They’re slowing down. Just a bit more, and they might freeze completely,” he said.
Old Liu nodded. “Let’s heat things up for them one last time.” He tossed another torch, igniting the oil-soaked wood they’d prepared earlier. Flames roared, and the hillside blazed with light. The scent of burning ants filled the air, mingling with smoke.
But their fiery display only enraged the swarm further. From the nest below, a fresh wave poured out, their crimson bodies writhing as they charged.
Suddenly, Old Liu cried out. One particularly large ant had slammed into him, sending him tumbling into the snow. Before Qin Ming could react, the older man was swarmed by dozens of flying ants.
“No!” Qin Ming roared, his hammer swinging in a wide arc. His heart nearly stopped as he spotted the ant leading the charge—it was massive, its body blood-red and streaked with silver. Unlike the others, this one moved with unnerving speed and precision.
“A second-stage mutant,” Old Liu gasped, shoving ants off him as he staggered to his feet. “Watch out, Qin! That thing’s no joke.”
The mutant ant darted toward Qin Ming, its wings humming like a blade slicing the air. It struck fast and hard, forcing him to pivot and parry with his hammer.
“This thing’s tough,” Qin Ming muttered, slamming the hammer down again. Each blow chipped away at its hardened shell, but it refused to go down easily.
Finally, with a mighty swing, he landed a direct hit. The mutant ant exploded into pieces, its blood splattering the snow. Before he could celebrate, three more large ants emerged from the shadows, their wings buzzing ominously.
“Three more?” Old Liu groaned, clutching his machete. “These nests are always full of surprises.”
The swarm kept coming, but the duo fought on. Their weapons blurred, striking with relentless force. After what felt like an eternity, the swarm began to thin. The bitter cold finally started to sap the ants’ strength.
“Time to finish this,” Qin Ming said, nodding to Old Liu.
The older man ignited the buried explosives, and a deafening BOOM shook the mountainside. Snow cascaded down in a powerful avalanche, burying the remaining ants below.
They stood in silence, breathing heavily as the last echoes faded. Around them lay piles of crushed and burned ants. Old Liu dropped to the ground, exhausted but triumphant.
“We’ve done the world a favor,” he said with a weary grin. “If that queen had evolved one more time, there’d be nothing left standing in her path.”
Qin Ming didn’t reply. His gaze shifted to the crevice below, where a faint movement caught his eye. “It’s not over,” he said grimly. “More are coming.”
Old Liu’s face fell. But this time, it wasn’t a fresh wave of flying ants—just a sluggish, dwindling army of ordinary silver-headed ants. They were slowing, their movements jerky and hesitant. The extreme cold was finally taking its toll.
By the end of the day, they stood victorious. The queen herself had been defeated, a pale, silvery creature whose only weapon was a corrosive liquid that had nearly melted their armor.
“We’re rich!” Old Liu cheered, uncovering the honey-like treasure stored deep within the nest. Beside it, golden specks of spiritual energy glimmered faintly in the dark.
Qin Ming smiled faintly but said nothing. As he stared at the golden liquid in his hand, his thoughts swirled with determination. He clenched his fist.
One day, I’ll be strong enough. Strong enough to face anything… even the likes of the Golden Bandits.