Chapter 60: A Familiar Stranger?
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Two tall men stood on the road, their golden armor glistening faintly in the night. The way they carried themselves reminded Qin Ming of stories he’d heard of legendary warriors who roamed distant lands. To him, it was obvious that these two were no ordinary travelers. There was an undeniable strength about them—an energy so powerful it seemed to leak out of their armor, making their presence impossible to ignore.
Qin Ming had never seen these four people before. But the most eye-catching one was undoubtedly the woman leading the group.
His first thought was simple: she was beautiful. But the more he looked, the more he realized there was something almost magnetic about her. Her hair fell like a dark waterfall down her back, and her figure was slender, graceful—like a willow tree swaying in the breeze. Her robes fluttered lightly, and even in the deep night, in this remote spot outside of town, she seemed to glow as if she could push away the darkness just by being there.
Qin Ming didn’t linger, though. He nudged his Purple Lightning Beast forward, ready to ride right past them.
The Little Servant Girl opened her mouth, as if to say something, but stopped herself. Her lady had told her it wasn’t appropriate to acknowledge him. So, she bit her lip and kept quiet.
But Qin Ming had sharp senses, and he caught the expression on her face. Not even the night could hide the flicker of emotion he saw there. He also noticed that the leading woman was watching him.
Curious, Qin Ming gave her a quick glance. They were close enough now that he could make out every detail—even the fine patterns in her silver-feathered robes.
The woman stood there with a serene expression, her face as flawless as the moon cutting through thick clouds. She almost seemed to glow, standing still and calm in the dark, her elegance completely unmatched.
Qin Ming had reasons to be wary. Not long ago, he had been attacked by an Outlander who could vanish into mist. And two years earlier, he was nearly killed by a Feather-Clad Youth. Ever since, he had developed a bit of a grudge against Outlanders.
This woman in her silver robes was indeed beautiful, but Qin Ming just gave her a calm look, nudged his beast, and rode away without a word.
Li Qing Yue watched his back as he left.
She had thought it best they never meet again. And yet, here they were. She had considered calling out to him, but before she could decide, he’d already moved on, showing no sign of interest, just passing by without a second thought.
Li Qing Yue frowned slightly. She wasn’t wearing a veil; there was no way he couldn’t recognize her. But his eyes had been calm, deep, with not a single ripple of emotion. She felt a little surprised. Could it be that, in just two years, they had both changed so much that they now seemed like strangers to each other?
The Little Servant Girl looked up at her and asked, “Miss, did you two know each other or something? It all felt a bit strange. You thought it wasn’t right to meet, but he seemed even more distant, maybe even cold. If we hadn’t looked at him first, it felt like he wouldn’t have even noticed us. So cold, so heartless!”
Li Qing Yue shook her head. “You’re overthinking it. He and I used to be friends—that’s all. Nothing more.”
The Little Servant Girl blinked, then nodded. “Oh, he’s just from the same circle, right, Miss? Nothing more than that.”
Li Qing Yue sighed. “A lot happened two years ago. Everyone went their own way. Some became Outlanders, some found new paths, others became famous, and some faded into obscurity. Though their families remain influential, much has changed. I have no idea why he’s here now.”
“What about him? Which kind is he?” the servant asked quietly.
“He’s… someone who seems almost unreal. Let’s go,” Li Qing Yue said, turning toward Green Pine Town.
…
“Weird, she felt kind of familiar,” Qin Ming muttered to himself as he rode away. He sized up the Feather-Clad Woman in his mind. She seemed so delicate. If she didn’t use any strange Outlander tricks, he figured he could probably knock her over with a single punch.
He shook his head, using the broken long spear to tap the Purple Lightning Beast, urging it onward.
“Alright, you can go now,” Qin Ming said after riding for a while. They were now nearly eighty miles away from Twin Trees Village, and he decided to set the beast free.
The Purple Lightning Beast looked surprised. It had expected the worst and had been grudgingly biding its time, planning revenge later. It never thought Qin Ming would actually let it go.
“What are you waiting for? Get lost!” Qin Ming shouted, kicking the beast on its backside.
The Purple Lightning Beast let out an indignant snort, leaping forward several dozen meters. It turned back, pointing a hoof at him and growling something incomprehensible.
“What are you yapping about? You want more?” Qin Ming hefted the broken spear threateningly.
The Purple Lightning Beast gave a startled huff and bounded away into the forest, vanishing from sight.
Qin Ming began his journey back, taking a different route through the forest. Along the way, he stopped to bury his armor, weapons, and bow. He felt that, after his recent breakthroughs, he no longer needed armor. The Celestial Light Force that now covered his body was a far better defense.
Even the old Golden Chicken, after five mutations, hadn’t been able to cut through his Celestial Body Protection Light, even though it had managed to pierce his armor with its Phoenix Spreads One Wing move.
Qin Ming traveled lightly, with only his White Jade Alloy Blade on his back. His speed increased immediately.
Snowflakes were falling as he made his way quietly back into the village. It wasn’t too late yet—he’d only been out since early evening.
Qin Ming was in a good mood. After all, he had single-handedly taken down Golden Rooster Ridge!
“A long night of fighting and traveling… I’m actually a bit hungry,” he muttered. He first munched on some wild fruits from Wild Bull Ridge, and soon enough, the Copper Pot Beef he’d prepared was steaming hot.
…
Deep in the mountains, the Purple Lightning Beast was furious. It stomped around, smashing into trees, knocking over trunks as thick as barrels.
A White Owl flew over, perching on a branch nearby. “Calm down,” it cooed. “No need to lose your temper.”
Then, in a lower voice, it asked, “Did you see the Mountain Lord? Did you get the Yin-Yang Great Medicine?”
The Purple Lightning Beast shook its head. “There’s something off about that Old Mountain Boar. I didn’t even get close—I ran as soon as I could.”
The White Owl blinked. “It’s best to call him the Mountain Lord here. What’s the issue, anyway?”
“The Old Mountain Boar has been replaced!” the Purple Lightning Beast said.
The owl looked shocked. “Replaced? By who?”
“I think it might be that White-Haired Old Beast from back then—the one who cried over the graves. It didn’t die, didn’t run away, but instead became the Mountain Lord,” the beast replied.
“What now? Everyone knows about the Yin-Yang Great Medicine made from the roots and trunk of the ancient trees on Black and White Mountain, nourished by Celestial Light. Every group is pressuring the Mountain Lord to hand it over. The Outlanders especially want it—they covet those herbs. With so many eyes on it, can you still get it?”
The Purple Lightning Beast let out a sigh. “I’ll need to ask an elder for help. I can’t handle this alone.”
Then, trembling with rage, it added, “And find that young guy for me—he’s had four or five Awakenings, and he’s not local. His accent is clearly from one of the big cities where the noble families live. Find out who’s been around Black and White Mountain recently. When I get my claws on him, I’ll make him regret messing with me!”
The more the Purple Lightning Beast thought about it, the angrier it got. It stomped off to soak in a hot spring, hoping it would wash away its frustration.
…
Qin Ming usually spoke in the local accent, but since those scattered memories had started returning to him, with vague images and scenes, he’d picked up the accent of his distant past. Tonight, he’d been pretending to be an outsider.
As he checked his spoils, he found some papers tucked into one of the books—letters exchanged between the two bandit leaders and an elder from the Golden Thieves.
“The Golden Thieves and the Outlanders are in cahoots? Could that man who turned into mist have been an Outlander Beast?”
Qin Ming didn’t dwell on it. After all, all leads ended at Golden Rooster Ridge.
The next morning, Qin Ming woke up feeling refreshed. Having fulfilled his mission of taking down the bandits, he felt it was time to move on.
“Little Qin!” Old Man Liu banged on his door early in the morning. Seeing Qin Ming was still home, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Done,” Qin Ming said simply.
Old Man Liu knew Qin Ming had gone out to handle something big. Hearing those words, he took a deep breath, trying not to shout in excitement.
“You really are something else!” he marveled. Qin Ming, after just his third Awakening, had managed to take down the bandits at Golden Rooster Ridge all by himself!
Satisfied with the news, Old Man Liu went home, cracked open a jar of the good wine he had taken from the Mountain Patrol Team, and began to drink happily.
He knew it wouldn’t be long before things started getting chaotic around here.
“Yong Qing, come over and have a drink with me,” Old Man Liu called to his neighbor, Yang Yong Qing.
“Uncle Liu, I’m about to become a mountain bandit. How could I be in the mood to drink?” Yang Yong Qing grumbled.
Old Man Liu laughed. “You haven’t gone yet, have you? Drink today, worry tomorrow. Maybe they’ll change their minds and won’t force you to go to Golden Rooster Ridge.”
Yang Yong Qing sighed. “Unless they’re all dead, they’re not going to change their minds. They’re too stubborn for that.”
Qin Ming, meanwhile, was waiting for things to unfold. If he disappeared now, it might raise suspicions. So instead, he focused on the three books he’d taken. Two of them were written by the bandit leaders for training new recruits at Golden Rooster Ridge—Qin Ming found them worthless.
The third book, though, was different. It was old, with yellowing pages, and contained powerful Awakening techniques. It also described a unique type of Celestial Light Force—a soft force, one that countered strength with gentleness. There was even an advanced technique that went along with it called Yellow Mud Palm.
Qin Ming hadn’t studied it in detail yet, just skimmed through. He had to admit, the name didn’t sound particularly impressive.
But someone who had mastered the technique had left notes in the book, boasting about killing an Outlander with it.
Qin Ming whispered to himself, “It seems Outlanders have an overwhelming presence compared to those on other paths. Killing one was such a big deal for this guy that he recorded it in his treasured manual.”
He hadn’t even left this remote area yet, and already he’d run into multiple Outlanders. It was inevitable that his thoughts turned to the Feather-Clad Woman from last night. There was definitely something familiar about her.
Qin Ming frowned, trying to piece it together. Her elegant presence was rare. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure he knew her from somewhere.
Eventually, fragmented memories floated to the surface of his mind. Yes, he did know her!
“No wonder she stood there, looking at me like that. She must have recognized me. I’d forgotten because of the injuries I suffered back then, but recently, those old memories have started coming back. She stood there, not saying anything—was she trying to avoid something?”