Chapter 62: The Turmoil
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The entire mansion was as bright as day. Though it was the middle of winter, the warmth felt more like spring or summer. The flowerbeds were full of vibrant colors, and the plants in the courtyard were lush and green.
In the spacious hall, a dignified middle-aged man stood silently, his presence as imposing as a mountain. Beside him, Cui Hong stood quietly, feeling the weight of the moment.
“Leave him enough gold coins to live comfortably for the rest of his life,” the man said calmly.
Cui Hong, a tall man with long arms, nodded immediately but hesitated before cautiously asking, “If he’s already started a new life, shouldn’t we just…”
“The method on the silk scroll won’t work,” the middle-aged man interrupted.
“But if he’s given up on the silk scroll and started a new life out there in that remote, barren place…” Cui Hong pressed on carefully.
The man turned and walked over to a thick pillar carved with cloud patterns. He looked out at the garden with its pavilions and winding paths. “Let him live an ordinary life, settled and comfortable. That will be enough.”
Cui Hong nodded, though he knew the task might not be so simple. It was easy for now, but the future could bring complications.
As he turned to leave, Cui Hong added, “If he’s already passed away and couldn’t endure it, I’ll make sure he gets a proper burial.”
The dignified man acknowledged this with a hum, signaling for Cui Hong to leave.
…
The fall of Golden Rooster Ridge spread through the region like a storm, and the nearby villages were celebrating.
The local trade guilds and mountain patrol teams were stunned. Even the strange beings living deep in the mountains were alarmed.
“It was brutal. I went there, and the wild beasts were tearing at the bodies. Not even a whole bone left,” someone reported.
“Those Golden Rooster Ridge people always called themselves righteous. Last time they collected protection fees, they claimed they were protecting us from the strange creatures in the ravine. I didn’t believe them then, but now I do. They really got wiped out—fed to those mutated beasts!” someone sneered. It was clear Golden Rooster Ridge had never been popular. People couldn’t help but cheer at their downfall.
“Whoever did this, I want to shake their hand!” someone shouted, clearly overjoyed.
People knew the two leaders of Golden Rooster Ridge were fourth-stage awakened cultivators. Those who knew more even talked about the old rooster, who mutated five times and was one of the strongest beings in the area. Yet they were all wiped out in one night.
Some guilds sent people to investigate, along with a few experienced mountain patrollers.
“The bones left after the beasts were done had knife marks, bullet holes, and arrow wounds. It looks like three powerful fighters teamed up to take down Golden Rooster Ridge,” someone analyzed seriously.
A mountain patroller added, “The one with the blade must’ve been a master—the cuts were clean, not a crack in the bone, smooth as glass. The one with the spear was amazing too—every thrust left the same kind of mark. The archer, though, was probably the weakest, even though their aim was terrifyingly good—took down most of the bandits. But their strength was probably under two thousand pounds.”
Qin Ming heard this and shook his head, speechless.
Larger organizations soon took notice.
Golden Rooster Ridge had ties to the Golden Bandits, whose influence reached far beyond Scarlet Dawn City. Now, someone had wiped out one of their bases without a second thought.
Word soon spread that not everyone from Golden Rooster Ridge had died. Two survivors had been away the night of the attack and managed to escape. They left a message before fleeing to join the Golden Bandits.
“Our leader died so miserably. When we came back, we heard them shouting about the city lord and some outsider’s guardian.”
That was enough to set rumors flying. Many people started to form their own theories.
More news came from the strange beings. On the night of the attack, Meng Xing Hai, the new city lord of Scarlet Dawn City, had passed through the area to visit the old mountain lord.
Later, people in Pine Town claimed to have seen an outsider staying at an inn with two golden-armored guardians on the same night.
“This new city lord is tough. Better watch out for him,” some said.
“The outsider got involved too? Yeah, people say Meng Xing Hai was seen with a lady in feathered robes. Looks like it was them,” others whispered.
Many organizations pondered the incident. They didn’t care much about Golden Rooster Ridge, but they were very interested in figuring out what kind of person Meng Xing Hai was.
Li Qing Yue was also curious. She wanted to understand why Cui Chong had done this and what the consequences might be. But she never imagined she’d end up being blamed.
She knew the truth—she had seen who the culprits were—but somehow, she was getting accused.
Even worse, Meng Xing Hai got dragged into it too. People thought he was a tough, new official trying to make his mark and might even take on the Golden Bandits next.
“Uncle Meng, I’m so sorry. You helped me get the yin-yang medicine from Black and White Mountain, and now people misunderstand you…” Li Qing Yue apologized.
Meng Xing Hai just shrugged. Looking around thirty-seven, the middle-aged man appeared scholarly on the surface, yet his attitude was very fierce and unyielding. “Destroying Golden Rooster Ridge was nothing. They had it coming. And as for what people think of me, I don’t mind. The Lord of Skyward City and I have exchanged letters before. He wanted to use Golden Rooster Ridge to lure out the Golden Bandits for an ambush. I was planning to do the same.”
He added, “I got a branch of the Black White Tree from the mountain lord. Ling Xu has some roots—I’ll get a share for you.”
“Thank you, Uncle Meng.”
Meng Xing Hai smiled. “No need to thank me. Your family or your master could easily get this too.”
Li Qing Yue shook her head. “The yin-yang medicine is really important for outsiders. And it’s not easy—a lot of powerful groups are watching it. If we’re even a little late, we might lose our chance.”
“Your path is impressive. In a few years, you might catch up to me,” Meng Xing Hai said with a nod.
…
The fall of Golden Rooster Ridge had effects far and wide.
The Three-Eye Sect, of all people, sent their members to the nearby villages, asking if any strange beings were causing trouble and offering help. Their attitude was surprisingly friendly. They even gave food to the most struggling villages.
People’s first reaction was disbelief. The Three-Eye Sect helping people instead of exploiting them? It seemed impossible.
But soon, everyone realized that the Three-Eye Sect was scared. They were trying to earn goodwill to avoid the same fate as Golden Rooster Ridge.
“I tell you, the hero who took down Golden Rooster Ridge was someone else. He rode a Lightning Beast, wielded a Sky-Splitting Spear, and fought the bandits all on his own. He even came to Pine Town, and scared the Three-Eye Sect away in the middle of the night,” someone finally said, telling a convincing story—but no one could get any more details. The trail had gone cold.
Some tried asking the strange beings about the Lightning Beast. But whenever it was mentioned, the mountain creatures became hostile and refused to talk.
It was clear the Lightning Beast had some significant background.
“Ugh, is this going to be my embarrassing story now?! Why does it never end?” In the mountains, the Lightning Beast was furious. It called a white owl to it and asked if there was any news about the outsider, ordering it to send more if needed.
The owl replied, “Black and White Mountain isn’t our territory, so it’ll take more time to investigate.”
Qin Ming, meanwhile, had been practicing the Yellow Mud Palm, and it was coming along incredibly well. When the soft energy flowed and his Celestial Light Aura burst forth, the power was terrifying.
He tested it on a wild ox. One light tap, and everything beneath its tough hide—flesh, bones, and organs—was completely destroyed.
“Not exactly great for sparring,” Qin Ming muttered to himself. “Someone could easily get killed.”
He was most excited to master the Yellow Mud Palm with the essence of earth. That would be his ultimate move.
Before leaving, he wanted to find one or two more ancient manuals. He asked Old Liu to help, and there was a declining family that had one—but they were asking for fifty gold coins after hearing that the Wu family had gotten fifteen.
“Find out what type of Celestial Light Aura they have,” Qin Ming said.
“No need,” Old Liu replied. “Everyone knows it’s the Nail Aura. It’s quite powerful, but the price is ridiculous.”
Qin Ming shook his head. “Even if it was one gold coin, I wouldn’t want it.”
He sighed. In this remote area, the secret manuals were few and far between. He had already practiced the so-called Nail Aura—the very technique that bushy-bearded man had written down in the blade manual, wishing he could master the Tathagata Aura.
Two days later, Qin Ming was ready to leave. He didn’t want to make a big deal of it and quietly went next door before setting off.
Lu Ze had recovered well after eating the blood snake meat, even experiencing his first awakening.
Qin Ming told him there was still a twice-mutated blood snake in his cellar. He should eat it before spring. If he had the potential, he might experience a second awakening.
Back when Qin Ming brought back two large serpents and six smaller ones, he hadn’t even finished one of the large ones, sharing some of the meat soup with Old Liu to help his recovery.
Lu Ze and his wife were shocked, realizing who must’ve wiped out the Mountain Patrol team.
“You’re really leaving, Little Qin?” they asked reluctantly.
Qin Ming nodded. “I want to see what else is out there.”
“Uncle, will you come back?” The older boy, Wen Rui asked, hugging him tightly, his eyes misty.
Two-year-old Wen Hui wasn’t very clear in her speech yet, but she knew Qin Ming was leaving. She also looked up and called, “Uncle!”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming patted both children on the head. “I’ll be back.”
He handed Lu Ze a few handwritten manuals before he left, telling him to train well and maybe pass them on to Wen Rui someday.
“Start with ‘Light Shroud.’ If you have a second awakening soon, it’ll help you hide your strength.”
Qin Ming didn’t let them see him off. He carried his jade-iron blade on his back and quickly disappeared into the distance beyond the village.
Old Liu was waiting for him in the snowy field, ready to see him off.
At the same time, a giant raptor flew through the misty night, carrying Cui Hong and a young man in luxurious clothing. They soared over Black and White Mountain, circled above for a while, then descended slowly into the snowy field outside Silver Vine Town.