Chapter 69: A Long-Awaited Hope
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“I’m not Cui Chong He anymore; all that is in the past!” Qin Ming declared, pulling his thoughts away from the shattered fragments of his past. His eyes were sharp, shining with a glow like fiery sunset, filled with determination and energy. He was Qin Ming now, and there was no going back. He knew what had to be cut off should be cut off, and he had no illusions that everyone from his past would recognize him again.
In the old days, Cui Chong He had shone under the terrifying prestige of a millennial clan. But now, Qin Ming wanted to rely on himself, taking each step forward with determination. Only through his own efforts would he truly achieve the brilliance he deserved.
“It makes sense that they chose this place to build a city,” Qin Ming said to himself, noticing that the snow in the forest barely reached his knees. It seemed “mild” compared to the snowstorms at Black and White Mountain over the past two years, which could easily bury a person waist-deep.
Behind Red Glow City stood towering mountains, rugged and rolling. Many dangerous aberrations lived in those mountains, which also meant the place was rich in spiritual materials. On the front side of the city lay vast plains filled with fiery fields. A large river flowed past the city and far into the distance, where ships traveled in and out after the spring thaw, making it a busy and thriving trade route.
The city walls were built from blue stone, tall and imposing, and the grand gatehouse stood in front, guarded by soldiers in armor, each holding long spears. The shimmering cold light of their weapons reflected their vigilance. People and carts bustled in and out through the gate, with hardly a moment’s rest.
Qin Ming entered without much inspection. The city was open and welcoming, filled with traders coming from all directions. The streets were paved with blue stone, meticulously cleaned, with no snow in sight. As soon as he stepped into Red Glow City, he was met with the noise of people and activity—a stark contrast to the quieter Silver Vine Town. This area was full of life, with crowds shoulder to shoulder, bustling along the streets.
He wandered down the lively main street, pausing now and then in front of shops, eyeing the array of goods displayed. The bustling market buzzed with excitement, and he couldn’t help but be drawn in by the lively atmosphere.
“Hey, kid! Want to grow up to be a great master, known across the entire world of the Eternal Night? Or maybe you want to join one of those great sects? Become part of the Secret Sect? Get chosen by the People Beyond the Boundaries? Get into a high academy in one of the great cities? A golden path lies ahead, but you need to start preparing now. Come on, step inside, let your mom buy you a training manual!” The storekeeper’s voice rang out, advertising to a group of children passing by.
Even Qin Ming felt tempted for a moment. He glanced at the old bookstore, filled with books, and decided to take a look. His eyes were soon caught by a title—Great Sun Visualization Method. It sounded promising.
“Sorry, sir, this is a rare secret manual. It’s even more valuable than advanced techniques, but it’s also incredibly hard to learn. The prerequisite for this is mastering the Blazing Embers Meditation Technique. Please, let me show you the first volume of Blazing Embers…”
Hearing this, Qin Ming quickly waved his hands in refusal and left the store shortly after. These were all printed books, reeking of ink, and were the most basic of beginner manuals. There were no ancient books filled with the wisdom of past masters. He thought he probably hadn’t found the right place—perhaps an old bookstore that sold rare editions would be better.
But this wasn’t what he needed the most. What he really wanted was spiritual material, something that could allow him to undergo a fourth awakening, regain his memories, and understand his past fully.
To his surprise, he found a merchant selling spiritual materials. It was a grand building in the heart of the busy area, five stories tall. However, he was barely inside before he stepped back out, disheartened. The cost of spiritual material for even a first awakening would use up most of his savings of Daylight Gold. And as for the material needed for a fourth awakening? That wasn’t even an option. From the merchant’s tone, it seemed like high-grade spiritual materials were usually out of stock, and even having enough gold didn’t guarantee you could buy them.
Qin Ming roamed Red Glow City, gradually getting to know everything about it. The city had a level-four Fire Spring, a glowing red liquid that flowed throughout all seasons, warming the streets during winter. There were also several smaller, level-one and level-two Fire Springs scattered around, adding a glow to the entire city.
Qin Ming liked to walk where there were crowds, joining in on the commotion, knowing it was the best way to truly understand a city.
“Sir, walk slowly, come back earlier next time!”
“Sir, please, come upstairs!”
Qin Ming suddenly stopped. Where exactly had he wandered into? The street seemed to be dominated by men, with soft music floating down from the pavilions above.
“Hey, Qin Bro! I never thought I’d run into you here!” someone suddenly shouted.
Heads turned in his direction, and Qin Ming wanted to cover his face and disappear. He knew where he was now—this was definitely Old Man Wu’s favorite place to waste money! And, of course, he heard Wu Zheng’s voice calling out to him. Wu Zheng was Old Man Wu’s grandson, and he was shouting in public.
“Qin Bro, meeting an old friend in a faraway place—what a great stroke of luck! I’m so glad you’re safe and made it to Red Glow City!” Seventeen-year-old Wu Zheng was all smiles, rushing over to him warmly.
“What could happen to me? That person back then was just an old acquaintance,” Qin Ming replied, trying to look calm, though his expression was a bit complicated. He thought the family talent truly must be inherited. Wu Zheng, like his grandfather, seemed to have a natural knack for getting himself into trouble. He wondered if Wu Zheng would inherit the famed “Master of Arrow and Spear” skills too. Either way, here he was, in Red Glow City, immediately finding his way to this street.
“Aren’t you here to broaden your horizons? Spend your money wisely—investing in your strength is what really matters,” Qin Ming said, trying to advise him.
Wu Zheng shook his head, “Qin Bro, you’ve got it wrong! I’m just here to listen to the music, nothing more. No funny business.”
Seeing the skeptical look in Qin Ming’s eyes, Wu Zheng grew anxious and said, “I’m serious! The real reason is that many of the powerful hunters who go out to kill aberrations come here afterward to drink and listen to music. They talk about the different mutated creatures in the mountains, and they share ways to hunt them and get spiritual materials. I’m here to hear valuable information!”
“Really?” Qin Ming’s interest was piqued.
“If you don’t believe me, ask Brother Xu later. You remember Xu Sheng, right? The traveling merchant who brought us to Red Glow City. He’s changing careers now and has decided to become a free spirit hunter. This time, he got scared half to death by a female aberration on the road,” Wu Zheng explained.
A moment ago, Qin Ming had still been politely advising Wu Zheng not to hang around in such places. But within minutes, he was following Wu Zheng into Drunken Glow Pavilion. Indeed, this place was just for drinking and listening to music, with light incense filling the air, and a beautiful woman playing a guqin behind a beaded curtain.
The spacious hall was filled with tables, and many awakened individuals sat there, drinking and talking. At some point, it had become a spot for people to exchange information, much to the chagrin of the pavilion owner, though business was business, and as long as the profits kept coming, complaints were kept to a minimum.
Qin Ming and Wu Zheng found a table and sat down, immediately surrounded by chatter.
“Did you hear? Over at Red Glow Mountain, a six-times mutated mountain monster showed up. No one knows what it originally was, but its strength is far beyond others of its level. It might even be a spiritual creature. Anyone want to team up to hunt it?”
“Are you out of your mind? Spiritual creatures are usually a level above their actual mutation count. This one’s practically as strong as a seven-times mutated beast!”
Qin Ming listened carefully, feeling that this was well worth the visit. The people here were sharing information, and it was a great way for him to quickly understand what was happening in the mountains.
“Hey, Little Qin! I’m so glad to see you’re okay. I guess that means no one from my group died last time, and we all made it safely to Red Glow City, ha!” Xu Sheng had arrived and greeted Qin Ming warmly.
“Brother Xu, your neck…” Qin Ming noticed the scars on Xu Sheng’s neck, where he had been clawed. It had been a few weeks, and the wounds were healing.
Xu Sheng downed a cup of wine and said, “Don’t even mention it. The descendant of a high-level aberration out on some kind of training. She had permission from the top levels of Red Glow City to be here, but she was so timid. Any little noise, and she’d cling to me, squeezing my neck. And she’s undergone multiple awakenings—I couldn’t fight her off. Passed out once from being choked. I’m done being a traveling merchant; it’s time for a career change!”
Qin Ming clinked his cup with Xu Sheng’s, “Good call. Otherwise, walking the night roads too often might end badly one day.”
Xu Sheng nodded, “Exactly. Let me tell you, some old merchants may not even be the same person they were long ago—replaced by who knows what kind of creatures. There are plenty of stories about our line of work. I’ve wanted out for a while.”
Wu Zheng also raised his cup, “To Brother Xu’s successful career change! I’ll be sticking with you here in Red Glow City—you’re a big shot now, so take care of me!”
At that moment, the table next to them erupted in lively discussion about Thunderfire Refinement Temple, drawing the interest of many around them.
Qin Ming’s eyes lit up. It seemed they were talking about a rare spiritual material.
“In about half a month, the snow will start to melt, and then the spring thunder will roar, and everything will come back to life. I wonder what the Thunderfire Refinement Temple on Red Glow Mountain will be like this year. How many will dare risk their lives to absorb the lightning energy?”
“People die there every year. The lucky ones are so rare!”
Qin Ming was intrigued and immediately asked Xu Sheng, who was a local, “Brother Xu, what’s the deal with Thunderfire Refinement Temple?”
Xu Sheng, a steady man in his early thirties, immediately tried to dissuade him. “Little Qin, are you interested in that place? Sure, it has opportunities, but it’s far too dangerous. People die there every year. I think you should reconsider.”
He explained that very few people ever successfully received the blessings from there. It was mostly a matter of luck—if one person succeeded every few years, it was considered good.
Qin Ming nodded, “I’m just curious since I heard about it for the first time today. I want to understand it better. If it’s really that dangerous, I won’t go looking for trouble.”
“Brother Xu, tell us more!” Wu Zheng urged.
“Alright, let me tell you. Thunderfire Refinement Temple is located on Red Glow Mountain, just outside the city. It’s said to be at least a thousand years old, a unique structure with tiles mostly made of copper, mixed with rare metals.”
During thunderstorms, the copper temple put on a spectacular show, with thunderfire rolling across it, arcs of electricity weaving and dancing brilliantly.
“When lightning strikes, it brings some of the celestial light with it, and spring thunder is special—it contains the energy of new beginnings. The combination of lightning and celestial light creates a rare spiritual material. Every year, when the spring thunder roars, many awakened people go to the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, trying to absorb the mixture of lightning and celestial light, hoping for a powerful transformation and a new awakening.”
Qin Ming listened, captivated, his interest growing stronger.
Xu Sheng warned, “The lightning is weakened by the copper temple, not as intense as it would be otherwise. But the celestial light is what’s most dangerous. How many people can survive being enveloped in otherworldly light? This is even more potent than the light found on Sacred Mountain. I wouldn’t recommend trying it.”
But Qin Ming knew he had to go. His biggest fear was the thunder itself—the power of nature that could turn him to ash in an instant. But with the Thunderfire Refinement Temple filtering the lightning, what did he have to fear? He could endure the celestial light’s baptism, even if it was far stronger than what he’d experienced at the special points on Black and White Mountain. He estimated he could handle it.
Others went there relying on luck to survive, but Qin Ming believed that by going to Red Glow Mountain, he could use his strength to secure a powerful transformation—a new awakening.
“If I count the days, there aren’t many left until the first thunder of early spring. A little rest, and the time will come,” Qin Ming thought, filled with anticipation.