Chapter 62: The Turmoil
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The entire mansion shone as brightly as midday. Though it was the season of falling snow, the place was as warm as spring. The garden outside was bursting with vibrant flowers, and the greenery between the courtyards looked lush and fresh.
In the spacious hall, a dignified middle-aged man stood in silence, not speaking right away. The brief silence felt heavy to Cui Hong, who stood there respectfully, waiting, as if he was facing a towering mountain.
“Give him more of the Daylight Gold,” the middle-aged man finally said, his voice calm but firm. “Let him live comfortably, without worrying about food or money. He should have a rich and peaceful life there.”
Cui Hong, the man with long arms, nodded immediately but hesitated before carefully asking, “If he’s already awakened, should we…?”
The middle-aged man replied, “The training from the Silk Script won’t work.”
Cui Hong cautiously continued, “But if he has abandoned the Silk Script, if he’s started new training to survive in that poor and remote region…”
The middle-aged man got up, walked over to a thick pillar carved with cloud patterns, and looked out at the garden, filled with pavilions and scenic views at every step. He said, “Let him live a normal life, put down roots there—rich, calm, peaceful. That’s all he needs.”
Cui Hong nodded again, though he knew this would be tricky. For now, it was simple enough, but who knew if it might cause problems in the future?
Before leaving, he added, “If he’s already gone, if he didn’t make it, I’ll make sure he’s buried properly.”
The dignified middle-aged man gave a small sound of acknowledgment, signaling Cui Hong to leave.
…
The fall of Golden Rooster Ridge spread like a storm across the region. Villages outside the mountain cheered loudly, celebrating.
But the powers rooted in the area were left stunned and shocked. This included some trade groups, mountain patrol squads, and even the strange beings in the mountains who were all alarmed.
“It was brutal. I saw the site myself,” one person said. “Wild beasts were fighting over the bodies—not even a complete bone was left.”
Another added with mockery, “Golden Rooster Ridge had talked big last time they collected protection tax, saying they’d fight the strange beings in the Great Canyon to keep us safe—almost got wiped out. I didn’t believe them back then, but I guess they were serious. They’re all dead now, feeding the mutated beasts.”
People laughed at their downfall. The news of their end had people cheering almost everywhere.
“Whoever did this, I want to thank you personally!” someone shouted.
Many people knew that the two leaders of Golden Rooster Ridge were at the fourth level of awakening. Some who were more informed also knew there was an old rooster mutated five times, making it one of the most powerful forces around.
And yet, overnight, they had all been wiped out.
Some trade groups sent people to investigate, and experienced mountain patrols went with them.
“The bones left by the beasts had knife marks, spear wounds, and arrow holes,” one person reported. “It looks like three strong fighters worked together to bring down Golden Rooster Ridge.”
A mountain patrol added, “The knife user must be a master—there wasn’t a single crack on the bones, just clean cuts. The person with the spear was also impressive—every strike had the same force, like the bone was carefully drilled. The archer might be the weakest of the three, but their accuracy was terrifying—they shot down most of the bandits, though their strength was under two thousand pounds.”
Qin Ming listened to this analysis, completely speechless.
Some larger organizations started paying attention too. Golden Rooster Ridge was backed by the Golden Thieves, who operated over a huge area, not just near Red Glow City.
Whoever had done this had shown no fear, taking out one of their strongholds.
Soon, more secrets surfaced. It turned out that not everyone from Golden Rooster Ridge had died. Two survivors had escaped that night while out of camp.
Those two had since gone to join the Golden Thieves, but before they left, they spread a message.
“Our leader died horribly. When we returned to the camp, we heard them shouting from far away. They mentioned the city lord and someone from outside protecting the mountain.”
With that, the mystery seemed to unravel, and people began to guess who was behind it.
Word from the strange beings soon followed. That night, the new city lord of Red Glow City, Meng Xing Hai, had been seen passing through and entering the mountains to meet with the old mountain master.
Later, people from Green Pine Town said they saw an outsider with two gold-armored guardians checking into an inn that night.
“This new city lord is tough. We’ll have to be careful dealing with him in the future,” one person remarked.
“The outsider got involved too? Hmm, there’s talk that Meng Xing Hai was seen with a woman in feathered clothing. Looks like it really was them.”
Various groups were puzzled over this. They didn’t care much about Golden Rooster Ridge, but they wanted to understand who Meng Xing Hai was.
Li Qing Yue was also curious. She wanted to know why Cui Chong He had done this and what it might lead to. She hadn’t expected the “drama” to fall on her.
She’d seen it herself and knew who did it, yet somehow the blame was pinned on her.
To make things worse, Meng Xing Hai got dragged into it as well, with everyone thinking the new city lord was strict and tough. It was assumed he’d target the Golden Thieves next.
“Uncle Meng, I’m really sorry,” Li Qing Yue said apologetically. “You went to Black and White Mountain to get the yin-yang medicine for me, and now people have misunderstood you…”
Meng Xing Hai, dressed in green and looking like he was in his late thirties, shook his head. Despite looking scholarly, his words were firm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve corresponded with City Lord Ling Xu before. He wanted to lure out the Golden Thieves by targeting Golden Rooster Ridge. I was planning to do it anyway, so I’m not afraid of any misunderstandings.”
He added, “I got the branch from the Black and White Tree, but Ling Xu also has some of the roots. I’ll help you get some later.”
“Thank you, Uncle Meng.”
“Why so polite? Honestly, your family or your master could have handled this with a word.”
Li Qing Yue shook her head. “The yin-yang medicine is important for outsiders like us. Now, not only one but many strong sects are interested, either writing letters or sending people. If we’re late, we might lose the chance.”
Meng Xing Hai nodded. “Your path is impressive. In a few years, you might catch up to me.”
…
The fall of Golden Rooster Ridge had widespread effects, from big organizations to local forces.
The Three-Eye Cult, for instance, was acting completely differently. They sent people to villages, asking if any strange beings were causing trouble and offering to help, acting friendlier than ever.
They even sent food to the poorest villages, offering aid.
People’s first thought was that the Three-Eye Cult had gone mad. Not only were they not exploiting anyone, but they were helping.
Quickly, people realized the truth. The local leaders of the Three-Eye Cult were scared. They didn’t want to end up like Golden Rooster Ridge and were trying to earn a good reputation to protect themselves.
“I’m telling you, the hero who took down Golden Rooster Ridge was someone else,” one villager said confidently. “He rode a Purple Lightning Beast and carried a Heaven-Splitting Spear. He was amazing, single-handedly taking out all those bandits and killing the old rooster. He even came to Green Pine Town once and scared the whole Three-Eye Cult into running away overnight.”
Eventually, someone shared what seemed like reliable information, but it was hard to dig deeper—all the leads had already gone cold.
Some tried to ask the strange beings about the Purple Lightning Beast, but some mountain creatures got angry and refused to get involved.
People realized then that the Purple Lightning Beast must be something special.
“I’m so mad! Is this mess never going to end? Do I have to keep this as part of my bad history forever?” In the mountains, the Purple Lightning Beast was fuming. It called the white owl again, asking if there was any news about the outsider. “If not, send more people!”
The owl replied, “The Black and White Mountain isn’t our territory, so it’ll take time to investigate.”
…
Qin Ming had been practicing the Yellow Mud Palm. He had moved past the beginner level, reaching a point where, when the Soft Force flowed and the Celestial Light Force burst out, it was terrifying.
He tested it on a wild bull, giving it a gentle slap with his right hand. The bull’s tough skin was destroyed, along with its flesh, organs, and bones, all turned to mush.
“Not great for sparring—any hit would be deadly,” Qin Ming muttered to himself.
He was most excited about mastering the Yellow Mud Palm after fusing it with Earth Essence—that would be the real skill he wanted.
Before leaving, Qin Ming wanted to find one or two more ancient books. He asked Old Man Liu to look around for him. There was still one declining family, but their price was outrageous. After they heard that the Wu family had received fifteen pieces of Daylight Gold, they asked for fifty pieces.
“Can you find out what kind of Celestial Light Force they have?” Qin Ming asked.
Old Man Liu replied, “No need to ask. Everyone knows it’s the Nail Force. It’s pretty powerful, but the price is way too high.”
“Even if they dropped the price to one piece of Daylight Gold, I wouldn’t bother!” Qin Ming said.
He sighed. This remote area really had limited secret scrolls. The so-called Nail Force was something he’d learned before. It was the same force found by the bearded man who wrote in the sword manual, “I wish I could master the Buddha’s force.”
Two days later, Qin Ming was ready to leave. He didn’t want to draw too much attention, so he planned to slip away quietly. Before leaving, he went next door.
Lu Ze had recovered quickly after eating Fire Snake meat, not only healing his wounds but also reaching his first awakening.
Qin Ming told him that there was another twice-mutated Fire Snake frozen in his cellar, and he should eat it before spring. If he wasn’t too lacking in potential, it might allow him to reach his second awakening.
Qin Ming had originally brought back two large snakes and six smaller ones. He hadn’t even finished one of the big ones and had shared some of the meat stew with Old Man Liu to help heal his injuries.
Lu Ze and his wife were shocked. They immediately understood who had taken down the mountain patrol.
“Qin, are you really leaving?” they asked, unwilling to part.
Qin Ming nodded. “I want to see what’s out there.”
“Uncle, will you come back?” Wen Rui asked, tears in her eyes, hugging him tightly.
Two-year-old Wen Hui couldn’t speak clearly yet but knew he was leaving too. She looked up at him and called out, her little voice stumbling over the words.
“I’ll come back,” Qin Ming said, patting both children on the head.
Before leaving, he handed some handwritten training scrolls to Lu Ze. “Train well. You can teach Wen Rui later too. For now, focus on mastering the Light Shroud technique. If you reach the second awakening soon, it’ll help you hide it.”
Qin Ming didn’t let them see him off. Carrying his White Jade Alloy Blade, he vanished beyond the village at great speed.
Old Man Liu waited for him in the snowy distance, there just to see him off.
At the same time, a giant bird flew through the night mist, carrying Cui Hong and a young man dressed in luxurious clothing. They soared over the vast land, arriving at the Black and White Mountain region, circling it once before slowly descending into the snowy plains outside Silver Vine Town.