Chapter 68: Returning to the Daylit World
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The desert was once again “offended,” and the entire landscape seemed to change its color. Sand and stones whirled violently in the air as the night fog surged like crashing waves, slamming against the rugged paths and the imposing mountains nearby.
Qin Ming stood in utter disbelief. What was the Mountain Lord thinking? With skills as formidable as his, why couldn’t he take a normal route? And that overwhelming stench… It was way too much to bear!
At that moment, Meng Xing Hai transmitted a secret message directly to him: “A few days from now, come find me in Red Glow City to learn more. The Millennial Clans still value their reputation. If the Cui family changes its mind and doesn’t pin you down in this remote area, then the situation may not be as dire as it seems.”
Caught in the midst of the sandstorm, Qin Ming glanced back and expressed his thanks to the new City Lord. Meng Xing Hai, Li Qing Yue, and Cui Hong quickly bolted out of the harsh desert; the environment was simply too unforgiving.
Far away, on a rugged path, Xu Sheng’s face darkened. Why was trouble brewing again today? It was even worse than yesterday! He felt the urge to quit entirely. As a traveling merchant, even he found this journey terrifying. There seemed to be no future in this line of work. He wasn’t just worried about his team; even he wanted to scream in frustration.
“Don’t panic, everyone. This has nothing to do with us. We’ve always respected the desert—” Xu Sheng didn’t even get to finish his sentence before he felt a woman latch onto his back. She whimpered softly, her sharp fingernails scraping at his neck.
The pitch-black path revealed nothing, but the woman’s cries were chilling. “I… I see so many shadows. I’m so scared.”
Xu Sheng began to lose his composure. “You’re not human either, so what are you afraid of?” he thought nervously. Now, however, he was genuinely frightened. That soft, furry “hand” with its iron-hook-like claws wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he tried.
He made up his mind: if he made it to Red Glow City alive, he’d immediately switch professions and never return to being a traveling merchant.
“You’re blatantly provoking the desert like this—won’t it hold a grudge?” Qin Ming asked, spitting sand out of his mouth. Battling the gale and flying sand, he quickly pulled a gray robe over his head and face.
“No worries. I’m a member of the Secret Sect, and I carry ritual instruments used in certain ceremonies held in the desert. It ensures safe passage,” replied the Old Mountain Boar, wagging its tiny tail as it nimbly trotted over the yellow sands.
Qin Ming blinked in surprise. “This is a member of the Secret Sect?”
“Do we really need to go this far?” he couldn’t help but ask.
The Old Mountain Boar snorted. “It’s to guard against that White Wolf tracking us. In the desert, anyone who’s performed a blood sacrifice ritual fears it. If it dares to follow, it’ll regret it.”
Qin Ming began to piece things together. The White Wolf was the new Mountain Lord. It had performed some mysterious ritual in the mountains, worshiping the tomb of a Beast God, which had significantly enhanced its powers.
“The Beast God… it’s dead?” he asked, his expression shifting.
The miniature Mountain Boar scoffed. “A powerful being, sure. But who knows if it’s truly dead? It might just be a tomb for its fur. The White Wolf must have stumbled upon it. Otherwise, with its prior abilities, it would’ve been left eating my dust. Now, though, the tables have turned. Lately, my luck’s been downright rotten.”
“Something’s out there!” Qin Ming exclaimed, gripping his White Jade Alloy Blade and holding it in front of him.
All around, yellow sands churned, thick fog boiled, and shadows flickered. In the distance, more than a dozen groups carrying dark green torches cast an eerie glow as they approached.
The Old Mountain Boar remained calm. “Don’t mind them. Ignore the strange, and the strange will resolve itself. I’ve got ritual instruments to ward them off.”
The torches danced in the distance, casting long shadows as massive beasts, some towering dozens of meters high, walked past. They reeked of decay, like rotting flesh, mixed with the acrid stench of burning corpses.
Though on guard, Qin Ming gradually adapted to their presence. The ominous figures, while unsettlingly close, didn’t attack. He decided it was best not to look directly at them.
“You’re part of the Secret Sect, but didn’t you say members of your sect revere the desert, believing it’s a divine domain?” Qin Ming asked.
The Old Mountain Boar chuckled. “Not all sects are the same. Some revere and worship divine beings, meditating on them to borrow their power. Others are more ambitious, seeking to conquer these ‘phenomena’ or ‘domains,’ turning them into tools to ascend to godhood themselves.”
Qin Ming was stunned, gaining new insight into both the desert and the Secret Sect. Clearly, the Old Mountain Boar belonged to one of the more ambitious factions; its attitude made that obvious.
“I’m not walking any further,” the boar announced, shaking its head. “I’ve eaten enough sand. Set up your tent—I’m taking a nap. By the way, did you really meet that one-armed Blade Path Master?”
Qin Ming nodded. “I did. Through the fog, he taught me blade techniques. It felt like a spiritual resonance, almost like a dream.”
The boar’s face grew serious. “Sounds like he’s walking the path of the People Beyond the Boundaries.”
“You’ve met my master?” Qin Ming asked, curious.
“My father did,” the boar replied. “He once witnessed your master cleave the former Mountain Lord in half with a single strike. The blade’s light tore through the night, cutting off a torrential downpour. It was terrifying!”
Later, Qin Ming asked, “You said you’re repaying a debt and resolving past karma. When exactly did I save you? I don’t remember anything like that.”
The Old Mountain Boar gritted its teeth. “That White Wolf is cunning and vicious. After severely wounding me, it didn’t kill me outright. Instead, it scattered my spiritual essence, reducing me to a mere beast with no intelligence. It wanted me to die a pitiful death, torn apart as prey for other predators in the mountains. Back then, I was lost. Most of the time, I was no different from a regular mountain boar, with only fleeting moments of clarity. It was a living nightmare. I even remember you once aiming your bow at me!”
Qin Ming’s eyes widened. “You’re the giant mountain boar—over fifteen hundred pounds—that chased me down?”
“Luckily, I had a contingency plan,” the boar explained. “As the saying goes, a crafty pig has three dens. I had hidden a rare spiritual substance in a second lair beneath the Blood Snake’s nest. After you cleared out those snakes, I regained some clarity, rushed into the lair, and managed to restore most of my vitality. I escaped the mountains because of that. Though you didn’t save me intentionally, it was still a turning point. Since we’ve met again, I’ll settle this debt of gratitude now.”
Qin Ming never expected that the Blood Snake’s lair would lack the rumored three-time mutated Blood Snake that Old Liu suspected might exist. Instead, below the lair, there was a pig’s den.
Soon, from a tent buried under yellow sand, an earth-shaking snore rumbled out. The creature looked like the Precious Treasure Pig, but the racket it made was overwhelming. Nearby shadows seemed unable to bear the noise and retreated into the distance.
Of course, it was also possible that the terrifyingly potent vitality radiating from the Old Mountain Boar as it slept—overflowing with vigorous energy—drove off those aberrant shadows. Its nap lasted until the next day.
By then, the desert had grown eerily calm. The strange phenomena and dense fog had vanished, leaving behind only absolute darkness.
“Let’s go!” the Old Mountain Boar called, taking the lead.
Qin Ming hesitated. He wasn’t eager to leave just yet, worried that Cui Hong might be lying in wait outside to ambush him.
“Let’s stick to the desert’s edge,” the Old Mountain Boar suggested, evidently wary that White Wolf might still be lurking nearby, ready to strike.
Occasionally, as they traveled along rugged mountain paths, the Old Mountain Boar mimicked peculiar bird calls. Moments later, Qin Ming spotted a few Talking Sparrows flying in from the nearby mountains, seemingly reporting information to the boar.
Qin Ming was envious and negotiated with the Old Mountain Boar. “Could you do me a favor? Send one of these sparrows to Red Glow City, to visit the City Lord’s mansion.”
Meanwhile, Cui Hong searched every path, but Qin Ming was nowhere to be found. Exhausted and exasperated, Cui Hong immediately set out to find Cui Chong Yi, his frustration mounting.
“Ghost fire!” Qin Ming murmured as he reached the edge of the desert, spotting a hazy area amidst the vast sands.
“Huh, what a great spot. That’s a Fire Spring,” the Old Mountain Boar exclaimed with delight. “Usually, it’s hidden from view. We’re lucky it’s exposed now. If we were even slightly farther away, the desert’s darkness would swallow everything, and we wouldn’t see a thing.”
The boar’s joy was palpable. This oasis within the desert was an ideal hiding place, and for now, it wasn’t planning to leave the desert.
“Meng Xing Hai comes from a Millennial Clan. He’s bound to be more formidable than Ling Xu. Now that he’s destroyed Golden Rooster Ridge, this stronghold probably isn’t safe either. We’d better leave sooner rather than later,” the Old Mountain Boar added.
As Qin Ming neared the Fire Spring, he overheard a group of voices. This was one of the Golden Bandits’ occasional resting spots, typically manned by only a few low-ranking bandits.
“Let’s head to Maple Leaf City. That guy Meng is too dangerous. Even the higher-ups among the Golden Bandits don’t want to cross him,” one of the bandits said.
“Pack up. This place has been creepy lately—howling winds and shadows everywhere. Even though we’re used to it, it’s still unsettling.”
“Count everyone! One, two, three… ten?!” The bandit leader suddenly froze. This was just a resting point, not a major stronghold like Golden Rooster Ridge, so there were only nine of them. Why was there now a tenth person?
“One, two… ten!” He counted again, and his hair stood on end.
The other bandits panicked as well. They looked at each other nervously, feeling that something was off. Earlier, they had already sealed the Fire Spring with stone slabs, leaving the area nearly pitch black.
“Run!” someone yelled, and chaos erupted.
Five days later, a Talking Sparrow returned from Red Glow City, carrying a letter. The city’s new lord, Meng Xing Hai, conveyed a subtle warning to Qin Ming: the Cui family’s attitude had softened.
“For the next few years, I shouldn’t go to Clear River City, where the Cui family resides. Nor should I visit Thousand Star City or use the name Cui Chong He. For now, I must avoid identifying as a member of the Cui family. Perhaps after a few years, I might be able to return,” Qin Ming read. The words weren’t directly from the Cui family but rather Meng Xing Hai’s diplomatic interpretation.
“What is Thousand Star City?” Qin Ming wondered, a faint image of a laughing girl tied to the city surfacing in his mind. He rubbed his aching temples and decided not to dwell on it. His priority was to achieve his fourth Awakening and restore his fragmented memories.
Initially, Qin Ming had considered abandoning Red Glow City and traveling farther. But Meng Xing Hai’s goodwill made him reconsider, believing the city might offer a safer refuge.
Qin Ming understood that Meng Xing Hai’s help likely wasn’t out of admiration. After all, they’d only just met. Meng had no obligation to involve himself in the Cui family’s internal matters.
“Thank you, Li Qing Yue,” Qin Ming murmured by the Fire Spring, gazing into the pitch-black night.
Meanwhile, in the City Lord’s mansion in Red Glow City, Li Qing Yue was conversing with Meng Xing Hai about Qin Ming.
“With his current situation, it’s best that we, his acquaintances, keep some distance. Otherwise, his position could worsen. Besides, after leaving the Cui family, those so-called ‘friends’ of his will likely sever ties completely,” Li Qing Yue remarked, her voice calm yet tinged with sadness.
Qin Ming stayed in the desert oasis for eleven days before preparing to depart for Red Glow City.
During this time, Cui Hong and Cui Chong Yi had scoured the desert’s outskirts, hoping for one last meeting with Qin Ming. In the end, they never crossed paths.
“Take care. I hope you reclaim the title of Mountain Lord on Black and White Mountain one day,” Qin Ming said, bidding farewell to the Old Mountain Boar.
“Forget it. That place demands incredible strength to hold sway. It’s not for ordinary creatures. Black and White Mountain once suppressed all forces around it, and even though it’s crumbled, it’s still no place for the weak. None of its Mountain Lords have met good ends,” the boar replied, shaking its head as though enlightened. “This desert suits me. I’ll stay hidden here in the shadows. Revenge can wait a hundred years.”
Two days later, Qin Ming approached Red Glow City. The city glowed brilliantly, its Fire Springs ensuring it remained illuminated even during the shallow night.
As Qin Ming drew closer, his emotions surged. Though it was his first time there, the city didn’t feel unfamiliar. Images from his past in Clear River City surfaced in his mind—half-formed memories of old friends, great families, and even encounters with beings beyond the ordinary.
“Back when I was Cui Chong He, I knew so many people in Clear River City. I had ties to Millennial Clans, formed bonds with those beyond the boundaries, and had a circle of friends wherever I went,” Qin Ming thought wistfully.
But now, returning to the world of “daylight” as Qin Ming, how many of those friends would still acknowledge him? Would anyone even recognize him?
“Even if we meet again, we’ll probably pass as strangers,” he sighed, stepping into the city that felt both new and hauntingly familiar.