Chapter 77: Blowing Away the Fog
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming stood by the window, staring out at the dark night, his thoughts churning silently. Most of his memories had returned, though some details were still a bit blurry.
“If I’m right, then if there was no me, Qin Ming, there would still be a Zhang Ming, a Zhao Ming, and so on. The Cui Family just needed an ‘identity’ to stand there,” he muttered. Standing there, he felt a tightness in his chest.
“The rise of the Li Family, suddenly clashing with the Millennial Clans, it has nothing to do with me. There’s no way the Cui Family could have predicted this ten years ago.” Qin Ming’s thoughts continued. His role in the Cui Family seemed to be coming to an end, just as it was meant to. This final stage of his life had coincided with the Li Family’s attack, making it easy to let him get swept up in the events.
Clearly, in a clash between giants like the Cui and Li families, he was just caught in the middle, a tool used to serve one last purpose before being discarded. He was like the old men of the Cui Family—destined to be used up and thrown away.
But those elders, they had chosen their path willingly, knowing it was a journey they might not return from. They were already old, ready to die, and they were happy to give their last breath for the Cui Family.
Qin Ming had a mix of emotions churning inside him—he couldn’t tell if he was angry or sad, or maybe both.
“Every year, when spring came, they’d get a special letter…” It was then that Qin Ming had first started to feel something was off. Every year, the arrival of that letter made Cui Father and Cui Mother so happy. Even the usually strict and traditional Cui Father couldn’t hide his smile.
“One year, I overheard something—just a glimpse of it. It was so long ago, though, and I didn’t pay it much attention at the time.” Qin Ming frowned, trying to piece it together.
But right now, he was going through his fourth “Awakening.” It wasn’t over yet, but he hoped he could remember even the tiniest details.
“The fourth Awakening—it’s all about the senses, subconscious, and instinct,” Qin Ming thought. He felt like he could tear away the curtain of the past entirely this time.
He noticed just how much Spiritual Substance he’d consumed this time—far more than usual.
“If it weren’t for that time in the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, taking hit after hit from Celestial Light and absorbing loads of rare Spiritual Substance, I might not have made it through this Awakening at all.” Qin Ming realized that his head injury had been worse than he’d imagined. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come so close to death, losing his memories completely. Fortunately, this Awakening would fix everything once and for all.
“Healing old wounds and Awakening anew… I’ve consumed twice the Spiritual Substance this time.” He had a feeling that this Awakening was going to be fiercer than the previous ones.
“Maybe when I wake up tomorrow, everything that’s been foggy in my mind will finally be clear.” Suddenly, Qin Ming realized he’d been locked in his room the whole day without eating. His stomach growled as if reminding him of his humanity. He got up and headed out to grab some simple food.
That night, as Qin Ming finally fell asleep, golden needles threaded through his entire body, stitching and mending him. Silver Mud covered him from head to toe, like a final healing wrap, repairing what was broken.
The fractured parts of his skull were no longer under special care; it seemed the hidden dangers had been rooted out.
Qin Ming had entered the final stage of his fourth Awakening.
In the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, he jolted awake, mumbling without realizing it, “I’m Qin Ming. I have a grandpa. I’m not part of the Cui Family.”
He took a deep breath, calming himself. This felt familiar—too familiar. He sat up in silence, and then it hit him. This was just like that night, years ago, in Silver Vine Town. He’d woken up in the same panic, only that time, he’d run out into the ice and snow, shouting into the cold air.
“I was badly hurt by Li Qing Xu—hit on the head. I was unconscious for a long time, then Cui Hong and that woman with the red mole on her right eyebrow took me to Silver Vine Town. I made it through that winter, but I almost went mad.”
Qin Ming thought back, remembering that two years ago, he had dreamt constantly during those days of feverish sleep. He saw his younger self, with his grandfather, and it was then that he realized his real name was Qin Ming. Did the Awakening Method from the Silk Script start working even back then?
He lay back down and quickly fell asleep again, reliving those dreams from two years ago.
“These aren’t dreams—they’re memories of my childhood.” Even while asleep, Qin Ming’s subconscious was active.
In these dreams, he saw the old man—his grandpa—clearly, and he remembered, his name really was Qin Ming.
“Kid, that method from the Silk Script… it doesn’t work. I’ve been trying all my life and never succeeded,” his grandfather had said, sighing as he turned page after page, explaining it to him.
His real family—his grandpa—knew the problems with this method. Even as he taught Qin Ming, he warned him that practicing it would waste his potential.
“I’ve worked at it all my life, and I think you might have to die once to succeed—but you can’t really die, not completely. There’s a balance there, and it’s impossible to find,” the old man whispered.
“What is Awakening? Maybe it means being born again from death,” his grandpa added.
Back then, Qin Ming had been too young to understand how difficult and dangerous that really was.
His grandpa shook his head. “Maybe it’s just the ramblings of an old fool. Even the wise men who had the Silk Script before me, they were far better than I am, and none of them made it. Even the original masters, their students—all dead. The script was buried, and it can’t be followed anymore.”
“Grandpa, when I succeed, you won’t have to suffer anymore. I’m going to take good care of you,” young Qin Ming said with innocent determination.
“Alright, but you’ve got to grow up quickly. Life past seventy is rare, and I’m already over fifty. Given our circumstances, I can maybe make it another ten years.” The old man patted Qin Ming’s head, his eyes both loving and worried. “I worry about you the most. What’ll you do when I’m gone? You’re still too young, you can’t take care of yourself.”
He sighed deeply. “I’ve wasted my whole life on the Silk Script, put everything I had into it, and ended up a failure. Right now, I can still be here for you. Even if your clothes are worn, at least you have food. But when I can’t go on, I’ll find someone good to take care of you.”
“Grandpa… ten more years? I don’t want that. I want you to live forever. I’ll grow up really soon.” Qin Ming held onto the old man’s rough hand, his eyes red. He asked, “Where are my parents? Can’t they take care of you?”
Hearing this, his grandpa looked sad. “They… they were also stuck on the Silk Script. They went far away, hoping to master it. But by now, they might be gone. Probably even before me. I don’t want to lie to you. My time’s running out. You need to grow up fast, be strong, so you can survive when I’m no longer here.”
“Grandpa, when I grow up, I’ll take care of you. What do you like? What’s your wish? Tell me.” Young Qin Ming was almost crying.
The old man smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I used to want to master the Silk Script’s method. Now, I just want you to grow up safely. That’s all that matters.”
…
The next morning, Qin Ming woke up, whispering, “Grandpa, where are you now?”
It had been so many years since then. He sat there, unmoving, for a long time before he finally spoke again. “Is my last family member really gone?”
“Grandpa, you were right. A person has to die once to master the Silk Script’s method. I can fulfill all your wishes. I wish I could see you again,” Qin Ming said quietly, his voice barely audible.
He got up, washing his body with cold water. The fourth Awakening was complete. His mind was clear, and he could remember every detail of his past. He felt stronger, even physically.
“I might have nearly five thousand pounds of strength now. That head injury really held me back. That’s why I needed so much Spiritual Substance this time—not just to heal, but also to fix what previous Awakenings couldn’t because of the injury,” Qin Ming thought.
He figured that if he hadn’t had the head injury, his first Awakening would have given him the strength to lift over twelve hundred pounds. Now that the hidden dangers were gone, he felt light, from head to toe, completely at ease. He was stronger than ever.
But thinking of his grandpa and the Cui Family, he couldn’t bring himself to smile.
“When I joined the Cui Family, their direct members taught me to write down the name Cui Chong He, made sure I remembered it clearly, and kept me away from outsiders for a long time.” Qin Ming thought back to those days. He had once overheard someone in the household whispering, “He does look a bit like him.”
The truth was, the Cui Family had never publicly stated that their child was missing. Young Qin Ming had always wondered about that. Now it made sense. He was a perfect replacement—someone had left, and he took their place seamlessly.
No wonder the older brother, Cui Chong Xiao, had looked at him strangely the first time they met, as if something was off. Everything had already been set in motion back then.
He also remembered another moment when Cui Father and Cui Mother had received a special letter. Now, after four Awakenings, the fog was lifting, and he could see clearly. He remembered how unusually happy they were, how they whispered while holding the letter: “Chong He is gifted, blessed by the heavens.”
Thinking about it now, it sent a shiver down his spine. There really was another Cui Chong He!
Talented people like Li Qing Xu, Li Qing Yue, and the Wang Family’s direct descendant—they were taken by the People Beyond the Boundaries in their teenage years. But the real Cui Chong He had been sent away when he was just three or four years old!
“Just how talented is he? Maybe Cui Second Uncle wasn’t exaggerating when he spoke in drunken pride. Those words shouldn’t have been about me, but the real Cui Chong He—someone destined to almost reach immortality.”
Qin Ming believed that the old master from the Night Fog World, whom Cui Father had spoken about, must exist, and Cui Chong He had already become his disciple.
“Cui Father and Cui Mother were extremely cautious. Even my older brother, Cui Chong Xiao, only returned once every few years. They wouldn’t let anyone talk about which sect he was part of, in case it caused trouble.”
With talents like Cui Chong He, it made sense that they would protect him even more, keeping everything secret.
Actually, it was understandable. All the major families were sending their descendants to the Land Beyond the Boundaries. Like the Cui Family, every year, their young members would join the People Beyond the Boundaries.
Some of the Cui elders were also People Beyond the Boundaries, living there year-round. Other powerful figures from different families were likely there too. It wasn’t a pure place—each sect had families intertwined, power mixed together in complex ways.
Cui Father and Cui Mother feared that if anyone knew about Cui Chong He’s identity, he might be “targeted” and harmed there. So, they had raised another Cui Chong He here.
“Carefully chosen… I might even look a bit like him.” Qin Ming thought. With Cui Father and Cui Mother’s cautious nature, it would have been strange if they hadn’t taken precautions to protect the real Cui Chong He.
“Two years ago, maybe Cui Chong He was exposed, or maybe he was just confident enough to finally step into the spotlight. That was when I had to step down.” Qin Ming’s gaze grew deep as he thought back on everything.
“The Cui Family clashed with the Li Family. I was just there to serve one last purpose,” he thought of Cui Hao’s grandfather.
“If it weren’t for Uncle Cui Hao’s grandfather being in that village, I probably wouldn’t have lasted until Li Qing Xu showed up. The other elders would’ve taken me away first.”
Qin Ming remembered clearly how Uncle Cui Hao’s grandfather had twice scolded those elders, telling them to stay away, not to come near.
Without Uncle Cui Hao, Cui Hong, and the woman with the red mole, no one would’ve come to save him.
“There are still some things I’m unsure of, but overall, this must be the truth. It was all because I finished my ‘task.’ It was time for me to step down, and for Cui Chong He—destined for greatness—to step into the light.”