Chapter 82: Flowing Streams Under the Moonlight
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The night was quiet, the mountain was slowly waking up as the underground Fire Spring began to come back to life. Snow and ice melted, water trickled down, forming a small stream that wove its way through the trees. Qin Ming stood in a wide clearing in the forest—it was perfect for a fight. Right now, he was surrounded. Dai Shi Feng had brought ten of his closest men, and they all had their eyes fixed on Qin Ming.
“They’re all here!” Dai Shi Feng whispered, a nervous edge in his voice. “The Hall Master is arriving on his bird, but where are the people from the City Lord’s Mansion?”
Qin Ming didn’t respond. If he wanted to gain full support from others at this stage, he couldn’t keep secrets any longer. He had to show his true worth.
In the sky above, a Black Predatory Bird circled. Ge Qian Xun, the Hall Master, was watching carefully, looking over the forest below. He wasn’t in a hurry; he was being cautious.
It was early spring, and the chill had started to fade. A young boy, maybe sixteen or seventeen, stood on the back of a Silver Aberrant Bird. He was dressed in white, his robe fluttering in the breeze, giving him an elegant, almost noble appearance. He looked down at Qin Ming and spoke in a calm, almost detached tone.
“How does it feel to be in your current position?” the boy asked.
Qin Ming looked up at him, his voice steady. “Feels pretty good. I’ve got my feet on solid ground.”
The boy in white nodded. “Once, you were high up in the clouds. Now you’ve fallen to the dust. You seem to have taken it well.”
Qin Ming’s expression remained blank. “You don’t need to put on this act with me. We both know what’s what.”
The boy smiled, faintly. “You’re not the person you used to be. I’m speaking plainly, nothing more. Is there something wrong with that?”
Qin Ming looked at the boy, his voice colder now. “For old time’s sake, and for someone else’s sake, I’ll give you a piece of advice—let it go. Everything’s over now. Stirring things up won’t be good for anyone.”
“Old times?” The boy’s tone was dismissive, his eyes cold as he looked at Qin Ming. “There’s no need to talk about old times. You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
Qin Ming’s face hardened. “Fine by me.”
The boy laughed softly. “Yeah, I’ve got to admit, you’re pretty hard to look at these days. Some of our old friends say you’re finally where you belong.”
Qin Ming narrowed his eyes. “If there’s no friendship between us, then why are you here? What are you trying to prove? Trying to show off your noble upbringing, your family’s grace? I’ve seen it before—so get lost.”
The boy in white didn’t seem bothered. “Once, when you traveled, you were surrounded by admirers. Even your mount was a creature that had mutated four times. And now, here you are, wielding a big hammer. How the mighty have fallen, huh?”
Qin Ming just smiled, his expression calm. “Looks like I made you pretty uncomfortable back then, huh? Does Wang Cai Wei know you’re here? If she finds out, I bet she’ll come over and break your legs herself.”
“Shut up!” the boy’s voice turned icy. He stood on the Silver Aberrant Bird, his face twisted in anger. “It’s not enough that you’ve fallen—you need to disappear for good. It’d be better for all of us if you never showed up again.”
Qin Ming shook his head. “Listening to you makes me sick,” he muttered, dropping the hammer at his feet.
The boy sneered. “Do you even understand the difference between us now? You and I are in different worlds, completely. You’re mud, and I’m in the clouds. Understand?”
Qin Ming took out a long package from behind his back, unwrapping it quickly. “Yeah, I understand the difference,” he said, lifting a heavy bow. “But I’m not sure you really do. Let me help you with that.”
He pulled the bowstring back until it was taut like a full moon, aimed to the northwest, and let the iron arrow fly. It whistled through the air, splitting the night sky.
Seeing Qin Ming draw his bow, the boy urged the Silver Aberrant Bird to fly higher. He wasn’t too worried—after all, Qin Ming had been left in a remote area for two years, and only recently made a comeback. He’d fallen behind; how good could his archery really be?
A dull thud sounded, and the Silver Aberrant Bird squawked in pain. The boy’s expression darkened. It was just a wound on one of the bird’s wings, but the balance was already off, and they started to wobble.
Another arrow shot out from Qin Ming’s bow, the iron point tearing through feathers and flesh. Blood splattered, and the bird, no longer able to stay aloft, began spiraling down.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, Ge Qian Xun had made a completely different choice. He forced his Black Predatory Bird to dive straight for the ground.
“Not bad. You’ve got experience,” Qin Ming muttered as he aimed another arrow, releasing it like a rainbow piercing the sky. The arrow struck the Black Predatory Bird’s head, killing it instantly.
In the sky, the boy’s face went pale. He now realized that Qin Ming had the ability to kill his mount with a single arrow. Qin Ming was just playing with him, controlling the pace of everything.
Below, the mud of the stream, mixed with melted snow, lay waiting. That was where the Silver Aberrant Bird was heading.
Ge Qian Xun, meanwhile, had been prepared. He kept the Black Predatory Bird’s wings extended, guiding the descent as much as possible, trying to glide towards the forest below. They were close to the ground—but even so, when Qin Ming’s second arrow came, Ge Qian Xun lost control of the wings. He and his dead mount crashed into the dense trees.
What happened next surprised Qin Ming. Ge Qian Xun wore a cloak like bat wings, which allowed him to abandon the bird and glide, crashing through branches but making it safely to the forest floor.
The boy in white was still trying to get the Silver Aberrant Bird to head for a nearby peak. But Qin Ming was in control now. He shot another arrow, piercing the bird’s right wing and correcting its course.
“You…” the boy’s voice quivered. He clung to the bird’s neck, no longer calm and superior. His hands, which had been folded behind him in arrogance, were now wrapped tightly around the bird, and his face was twisted in fear.
Qin Ming fired two more arrows, each one aimed to make the bird descend gently. When they were close enough to the ground, Qin Ming drew his final arrow and shot. The arrow pierced the bird’s head, and it plummeted down into the muddy bank of the stream.
The boy in white screamed, falling with his dead mount into the murky water. He tried his best, using Celestial Light Protection, but still ended up sore and covered in mud. His white robes were stained, his face splattered, his noble appearance gone.
“Understand now?” Qin Ming called from afar, his voice mocking.
“Cui Chong He—no, Qin Ming!” The boy’s eyes flashed with fury, his face twisted in rage. He had been so proud once, standing in the forest, reciting poetry, reveling in the beauty of the Pine Forest by the Fire Spring. Now, he was nothing but a fallen noble, soaked in mud, with nothing left of his grace.
“Clouds and mud, right?” Qin Ming sneered. “I’ll show you the difference.”
He loosed another arrow, shattering the boy’s hairpin. His long hair fell down in a mess, his noble elegance shattered completely.
Ge Qian Xun, after safely landing, took a long breath, still shaken from his near-death experience. Dai Shi Feng and his men hurried over to the scene.
“Why didn’t you go…” Ge Qian Xun started, but Dai Shi Feng cut him off, a serious look on his face.
“Hall Master, you’re surrounded,” Dai Shi Feng said firmly.
Ge Qian Xun blinked, confused. “What did you just say?” He couldn’t believe his ears. His own men were surrounding him?
“Dai Shi Feng, have you lost your mind?” Ge Qian Xun shouted.
“No, it’s you who’s lost it, former Hall Master,” Dai Shi Feng replied, his voice steady.
Ge Qian Xun felt his rage boil over. His second-in-command had not only surrounded him but had also called him “former Hall Master.” This was outright rebellion!
“You betrayed the Hall of Righteousness,” Dai Shi Feng declared, his voice loud and unwavering. “Do you even know what righteousness means?”
Ge Qian Xun’s fists clenched. He had meant to discipline Dai Shi Feng, but now here he was, being accused of betrayal. He felt his blood boil.
“You dare rebel against me?” Ge Qian Xun growled, rolling his shoulders, preparing to fight. He’d take down Dai Shi Feng and then deal with the rest of them.
Dai Shi Feng, undeterred, raised his voice even higher. “Ge Qian Xun! You embezzled the Hall’s assets. You planned to flee with Daylight Gold. You’re the traitor! And not only that—you’re a notorious Golden Bandit. You infiltrated the Hall for your own gain, stole power for years, and ruined our foundation. You are beyond redemption!”
Ge Qian Xun’s face twisted with anger. “You may be right that you’re too talented to be my second, Dai Shi Feng. But it’s too late for you now. I’ll deal with you first!” He lunged forward, determination in his eyes.
Qin Ming stepped forward, interrupting. “Ge Qian Xun, I’ve got a score to settle with you first,” he said.
Ge Qian Xun stared at him. “We have no personal grudge. I was hired, and I followed orders. That’s all,” he said flatly.
Qin Ming stepped closer, his expression dark. “You took the Sun Family’s secret manual, killed Old Man Sun, and now you’re troubling the old lady and her grandson. I learned the Sun Family’s Hammer Technique—that makes me one of its successors. Today, I’m here to settle this blood debt for them.” He lifted his Big Hammer, advancing.
Seeing Qin Ming approach, Ge Qian Xun didn’t wait to see how strong he really was. He turned and bolted into the forest, hoping to escape. But in an instant, Qin Ming blocked his path, moving like a ghost, swinging the hammer straight at him.