Chapter 59: Time Changes Everything
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Could it really be… that Cui Shi?” the maid gasped quietly.
She knew that her lady had once lived in a famous city for four years, where she had met some truly impressive people. Nearby, two men clad in golden armor also perked up at the mention of Cui Shi. Their eyes lit up as they stared towards Golden Rooster Ridge, now shadowed by the night.
“We can’t be sure it’s him,” Miss Cui said calmly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It has been over two years since we last saw him. He rode the Purple Lightning Beast past us just now, and the eyes and mouth beneath his helmet did seem familiar. His movements while riding the beast, like the way he grabbed its mane with one hand and used the blade like a whip… it was all just like him.”
“Miss, you’re amazing! In the dark like this, I could barely see a blur, but you saw it all so clearly! This must be one of those special powers of an Outlander, right?” the maid chirped, her voice lively. She continued to mutter under her breath, wondering aloud if Cui Chong He was perhaps Miss Cui’s old friend, or maybe something more. Would they meet again tonight?
The young lady, draped in feather-like robes, her dark hair flowing like a waterfall, her bright eyes reflecting glimmers of determination, spoke softly, “If it is him, why is he here? Time has changed so much, and it wouldn’t be wise to see him again. We’ll just wait here in the woods. I just want to confirm if it’s him.”
“Not wise to meet him? Does he have… issues?” the maid whispered, her mouth falling open in surprise.
One of the golden-armored men spoke up, “Miss, we should move farther away. City Lord Meng is deep within the mountains to get you branches from the ancient Black-and-White Tree. If negotiations go south…”
…
At the back of Golden Rooster Ridge, Qin Ming rode the Purple Lightning Beast, staring at the large phoenix tree and an even larger bird’s nest resting there. Inside was a strange bird—not quite gigantic, about three meters long, lying quietly in its nest.
The nest, made of phoenix tree branches, lay on the ground, and the bird in it had very few bright golden feathers. Most of it was bald, and its body was skinny. It looked quite old.
“Think you can tell if this bird has gone through five mutations?” Qin Ming asked, tapping the Purple Lightning Beast’s head with his spear.
When it came to sensing other creatures, a mutated being always knew best. He wanted to hear it from his beast. Though reluctant, the Purple Lightning Beast finally nodded.
“So, this is the foundation of Golden Rooster Ridge? No wonder it’s named that. A Golden Rooster mutated five times… but it sure looks like it’s seen better days,” Qin Ming said, raising an eyebrow. The old bird didn’t look too good—its feathers were almost all gone.
Nearby, four mountain bandits who had fled earlier were nervously standing by the Wutong Nest, clearly scared out of their wits. The last remaining Bandit Leader faced the old Golden Rooster, his body stiff with tension.
“Senior, you once warned us not to disturb you,” the Bandit Leader said, voice trembling. “But we had no choice. The ridge is about to be wiped out—it’s life or death for us, and we had to come ask for your help.”
The fear was clear in his eyes. The old Golden Rooster was in its twilight years, unpredictable and violent. It no longer listened to them, and offerings no longer calmed it. Now, it had one goal: to emulate the legendary phoenix and be reborn, to attempt a final transformation. It wanted to undergo a sixth mutation, but without the real method of rebirth, with only traces of phoenix blood, it was doomed to fail.
The old rooster glared fiercely at the Bandit Leader, then shifted its gaze to Qin Ming and his mount, golden feathers standing on end. Whoever disrupted its “rebirth” would face its fury. It had little chance left, only a faint hope, and now it was being interrupted, rage bubbling up inside it.
“Are you brooding on an egg or something?” Qin Ming asked in a raspy voice, his words dripping with mockery. He turned to the Purple Lightning Beast and whispered, “If I can’t beat it, you can outrun it, right?”
The Golden Rooster, furious, stood up in its nest, feathers puffing out, letting out an ear-piercing crow.
“You’re done for now! That’s a male phoenix, and you’ve insulted it like that!” one of the remaining bandits blurted out, clearly trying to curry favor with the old rooster.
But flattering it was useless. The Golden Rooster, temperamental and easily angered, lashed out at everyone around. It leapt forward, standing on one claw, while the other leg shot out to kick—a strong kick that sent all four bandits flying.
It wasn’t just a simple kick; the sharp talons pierced through their bodies. Blood sprayed, intestines spilled, and screams echoed through the cold air. One of them died on the spot.
The Bandit Leader, still alive, tried to retreat, but he was too slow. The old Golden Rooster’s wing flashed like a blade, catching him across the chest and leaving a huge bloody gash.
The rooster’s moves were wild and ruthless, its massive body moving as fast as lightning. It didn’t care who it attacked, just that it kept whoever threatened its rebirth away.
Qin Ming watched in amazement. It almost looked like this old bird knew martial arts! Its attacks were swift and precise, like it had studied human combat techniques.
The Bandit Leader lay there, badly wounded, unable to fight back. Only the legendary Golden Thieves could probably make this rooster obey.
Next, the Golden Rooster charged at Qin Ming, moving with such speed that it seemed like it teleported, covering the distance in an instant. The beast’s claws tore at the ground, sending snow and rocks flying.
Even the Purple Lightning Beast was scared, nearly turning to flee.
Qin Ming tightened his grip on his spear, thrusting it forward in a flurry of strikes, dozens of shadows dancing like a twisting dragon. The spear moved to tear into the raging bird.
But the old rooster, with its huge golden beak, caught the spearhead in its mouth, snapping it off with a loud *crack*. At the same time, its bare wing swept down, like a chopping blade, aimed straight at Qin Ming and his mount.
The Purple Lightning Beast panicked, ramming Qin Ming upwards to use him as a shield. It clearly feared the Golden Rooster more than anything.
“Stupid beast!” Qin Ming yelled, furious. He slapped the beast on its back, forcing it to back down. Then, using his other hand, he faced off against the wing.
Qin Ming’s palm and the Golden Rooster’s wing collided with a loud boom, the impact like two beasts clashing. The Purple Lightning Beast couldn’t handle the force and stumbled backward, crashing into a massive tree.
Qin Ming jumped off its back, glaring at the beast. “See this broken spear? If you even think about running, I’ll make sure it ends up in your hide!”
He looked at the Golden Rooster, noting a bleeding wound on its wing. He smiled. “Looks like I can take you on.”
Generally speaking, except for rare variants, a creature that had gone through five mutations was about on par with a human who had undergone five awakenings. The Golden Rooster’s strength was around three thousand pounds, similar to Qin Ming’s own.
The bandits, including the badly injured Bandit Leader, were stunned. This young man was actually holding his own against the old Golden Rooster!
Furious, the Golden Rooster rushed at Qin Ming again, both wings raised like blades, ready to strike. Qin Ming was certain now: this bird had been trained.
The Bandit Leader, still on the ground, knew the truth—the Golden Rooster had once been trained by one of the Golden Thieves, learning some of their fierce combat techniques.
The rooster attacked with both wings, glowing with energy, slashing through the air, each strike sounding like thunder. Qin Ming held his ground, countering with his Celestial Light Force, clashing with the wing blades.
The rooster was powerful, but Qin Ming’s mastery of multiple techniques outmatched the bird. With a swift movement, he used the Nail Force, piercing the rooster’s wing. Blood sprayed. Then, using Intercepting Force, he severed part of its attacking claw.
The Golden Rooster screeched, its head bobbing in anger as it attacked, its golden beak aiming for Qin Ming’s forehead—a strike that could shatter a skull.
Qin Ming wasn’t about to let a bird peck at his head. His right hand moved like lightning, blocking the beak, his fingers glowing with energy. The rooster’s beak was punctured with five finger marks, and with a twist, Qin Ming ripped off half of it.
The bandits watching from the ground lost hope. If even a five-time mutated Golden Rooster couldn’t beat this mysterious stranger, they had no chance.
The Bandit Leader sighed, realizing that the rooster, despite all its strength, lacked the advanced abilities of a more powerful breed. It had no special techniques to match Qin Ming.
In its final moments, the Golden Rooster didn’t fight to the death. Instead, it jumped back into its nest, letting out a bright glow as it tried, one last time, to mutate—hoping to evolve and raise its life level.
But it wasn’t enough. Its last golden feathers turned to ash, its body cracked, blood poured, and it died in the nest.
Qin Ming watched, surprised at its determination. “Not quite a man, not quite a beast. Even a rooster can be this tough, huh?”
But as he passed the nest, his sympathy vanished. In the metal dish that held the bird’s food, there was a human arm, not yet fully eaten.
Qin Ming looked at the Purple Lightning Beast. “Go ahead, eat it. Consider it a reward. The rooster might not have been a spiritual creature, but it’s still good for you.”
The beast lifted its head, full of disdain, refusing the offer.
“Suit yourself!” Qin Ming shrugged, then turned back to the remaining bandits, ending their lives one by one as they screamed in despair.
“Who are you? Are you sent by the New City Lord, or one of the Outlanders’ protectors?” the Bandit Leader shouted with his last breath.
Qin Ming didn’t answer. He saw the bandit as nothing more than grass underfoot. With a flick of his spear, he beheaded him, then quickly searched the area.
He was annoyed. In the bandits’ warehouse, he found piles of armor, weapons, and bows. These were clearly meant for new recruits. Golden Rooster Ridge must have spent a fortune on these, and yet Qin Ming had no way to carry them as loot.
“My daylight gold, all gone!” he sighed.
In the end, he found forty-seven pieces of daylight gold and some night silver, a small fortune compared to what he’d taken from others. But for the main base of Golden Rooster Ridge, it was pitiful.
Fortunately, he also found three books, one of which held a great deal of wisdom from its previous owner. Qin Ming felt the strong emotions within its pages and smiled. Such a secret manual was worth far more than gold!
While Qin Ming scoured the mountain, two bandits who had gone to a nearby town to drink slipped through the woods, finding a small wooden house. There should have been someone here keeping watch on the mountain path, but the place had been abandoned for days due to lack of manpower.
“It’s too late to send word to the Golden Thieves. They’re too far away to help us now. We’d better ask the Three-Eye Sect for help!”
Before long, twenty miles away in Green Pine Town, the leaders of the Three-Eye Sect wore serious expressions. Someone had attacked Golden Rooster Ridge, and the ridge had sent them a plea for help.
“This is bad. Get ready!” they shouted, rushing to prepare.
Qin Ming took his time, thoroughly searching every corner of the ridge before finally riding the Purple Lightning Beast down the mountain.
“Take me to Green Pine Town,” he said. Since he’d already started, he figured he might as well wipe out the Three-Eye Sect too. After all, Golden Rooster Ridge hadn’t been much of a challenge.
“Tonight, I promise to let you return to your mountain. But for now, hurry! Take the small road—speed is key!” Qin Ming had studied the area beforehand and knew the terrain well.
However, by the time he reached Green Pine Town, the Three-Eye Sect’s base was eerily silent. Everyone had fled.
In the distant woods, a few sect members whispered to each other. “I thought we were going to help Golden Rooster Ridge, but instead, the leaders decided to run!”
Disappointed, Qin Ming rode out of Green Pine Town, leaving by the main road. As he reached the edge of the town, he spotted four figures approaching in the distance—two men in golden armor, and two women, one of them dressed in feather-like robes. Clearly, they were Outlanders.
“Miss!” the maid called softly.
“It really seems to be him,” the woman in the feathered robe whispered.