Chapter 83: A Helping Hand in the Snow
Qin Ming dashed through the forest like lightning, swift and powerful. His feet pounded against the forest floor, leaving a trail of splintered wood in his wake. He swung the heavy Black Metal Hammer, and the air filled with an ear-splitting boom. It was as if the entire forest had exploded, with branches shattering all around him.
Ge Qian Xun’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils shrinking. There was no way to dodge now. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his iron whips, meeting the young man’s attack with all his might. Sparks flew, and trees toppled around them as they clashed. Their initial collision sent broken branches everywhere, the beginning of a true test of raw power.
Ge Qian Xun staggered backward, his hands trembling from the impact. The force of Qin Ming’s hammer had left his blood rushing wildly, almost suffocating him. Even though he had stolen the hammer technique from the Sun Family and trained with it, he still wasn’t used to handling such a heavy weapon. He glanced at Qin Ming, astonished. How could someone so young be so strong? It was almost unbelievable.
Ge Qian Xun, a seasoned veteran who had undergone Awakening seven times, was also the Golden Bandit in disguise. Yet his opponent looked completely at ease, swinging that massive hammer as if it weighed nothing. And now, Qin Ming was already launching another attack.
Qin Ming was calm, his strength nearly five thousand pounds. The Black Metal Hammer, which appeared heavy to others, felt almost light in his hands. He brought it down, and it sounded like a thunderclap in the forest. White shockwaves burst from the swing, tearing through the woods.
Ge Qian Xun crossed his whips to block, but he was thrown back again, smashing through several trees that fell with a series of sharp snaps. His face flushed with the rush of blood. Though the hammer hadn’t directly hit him, the shockwave alone made him feel awful. His arms went numb, and he shook them to try and get the blood flowing again.
Dai Shi Feng and his men watched in stunned silence. Two hits from this kid, and Ge Qian Xun—their former hall master—was thrown around like that. How strong was this boy?
“I knew this job was going to be tricky,” Ge Qian Xun muttered darkly. “But it’s not your mysterious identity that’s the problem—it’s your strength. And the worst part is, our employer only gave me a tiny bit of Daylight Gold as an advance payment!”
“Seven Awakenings, and that’s all you got?” Qin Ming taunted, stepping forward. “Ge Qian Xun, it’s time for you to pay for what you did to the Sun Family.”
Behind him, Dai Shi Feng, who had undergone Awakening six times, sighed. His men looked on with mixed emotions, unsure of what to make of this fight.
Ge Qian Xun’s eyes narrowed, his fury rising. “I’ve kept to myself for years, and now everyone thinks Old Ge is easy to push around. Time to set things straight.” His body seemed to swell, muscles bulging, his face smoothing out as he appeared to grow younger. The wrinkles on his face faded, and he looked at least ten years younger, his vitality restored.
“When I had my first Awakening, I could lift over six hundred pounds,” he said, his voice full of bitterness. “If it weren’t for someone ruining my body protection skill and damaging my foundation, I’d already be at a higher level—my Celestial Light Force fully unleashed.”
After losing his foundation, Ge Qian Xun had taken over twenty doses of Spiritual Substance and even some forbidden drugs just to get where he was now, but reaching a higher level was still out of reach. He sneered. “You so-called genius, don’t think you can act all high and mighty in front of me. You just might end up dead.”
With that, he lunged at Qin Ming, his twin whips moving like flashes of light through the dark forest, creating thunderous cracks. But the harder he struck, the more painful the backlash when his whips clashed with Qin Ming’s hammer. His fingers felt like they were about to snap. One of his iron whips flew from his grasp, the other twisted and bent.
“Is that all you’ve got? Seven Awakenings, and you barely manage four thousand pounds? I thought you’d at least have forty-five hundred,” Qin Ming said, a smirk on his lips. He swung the hammer again. “Let me show you the real essence of the Sun Family’s hammer technique.”
Qin Ming’s arm moved like a whip, his full strength behind the swing. The force of the whip combined with the hammer made it feel like he was shaking a mountain. He moved swiftly, his hammer creating a truly thunderous roar, and the branches around them exploded from the impact.
With a loud crash, Ge Qian Xun was sent flying again, his bent iron whip knocked away, his right hand glowing faintly with Celestial Light Force. If it weren’t for that protection, his arm would have been ruined. He couldn’t help but wonder—how many times had this boy Awakened? His strength alone was overwhelming.
“At my level, weapons are just a hindrance,” Ge Qian Xun shouted. “Let me show you the true power of the Golden Bandit’s Celestial Light Force!” He dashed into the forest, seemingly trying to escape.
Qin Ming snorted. “The same old trick? Not gonna work.” He moved quickly to block Ge Qian Xun’s path. Though Qin Ming had only Awakened four times, his physical strength and speed were far beyond Ge Qian Xun’s.
But Ge Qian Xun wasn’t running away. He was searching for favorable terrain. His face hardened as he summoned the Celestial Light Force he’d cultivated for decades. The power surged as he swung forward, and the branches in his path turned to dust.
Qin Ming blocked the attack with his hammer, glancing down at it, noticing two faint palm prints on its surface. “Not bad. Let’s see how you like the Sun Family’s Celestial Light Force!” This time, he didn’t swing the hammer. Instead, he moved in a blur, his hand striking as quick as lightning.
He used the Sun Family’s whip force, hammer force, and the mysterious “Explosion Force” he’d learned in the Thunderfire Refinement Temple—an earlier form of Thunder Force. Combining all three, he launched his attack.
Ge Qian Xun laughed bitterly. After his fifth Awakening, his body had become incredibly resilient. After his sixth, he gained the ability to enhance his Celestial Light Force temporarily. But his seventh Awakening, driven by forbidden drugs, had left him weaker.
His hands glowed brightly, releasing blinding Celestial Light Force as he faced Qin Ming head-on. Their clash echoed through the forest, bright light flashing as the impact tore through the surroundings. Broken branches were caught in the storm, shattering mid-air.
Ge Qian Xun couldn’t believe it. His hands were torn and bleeding—he couldn’t withstand Qin Ming’s Celestial Light Force. He said nothing, but his resolve grew fiercer. He knew that if he didn’t give it his all, he might not survive.
Bones cracking, his body shrank, except for his right hand, which seemed to grow larger. After stopping the bleeding, it started glowing brightly. He focused all his energy into that hand, combining various types of Celestial Light Force, ready to unleash his strongest attack.
Qin Ming had fused all his Celestial Light Forces but hadn’t yet tested them on a living person. Now seemed as good a time as any. He casually held his hammer in his right hand and raised his left, a brilliant light shining from it as he lightly struck forward.
There was a soft sound, and Ge Qian Xun’s hand shattered, followed by his entire right arm and then his shoulder. If he hadn’t had the presence of mind to cut his shoulder in time, half of his body might have been torn apart.
Ge Qian Xun was horrified. What kind of Celestial Light Force combination was this? Was it some secret technique from a mysterious sect? It was terrifying. Qin Ming stepped forward calmly, bringing down his hammer and smashing Ge Qian Xun’s left arm. “Now you’re symmetrical,” he said.
“You…” Ge Qian Xun staggered, his face as pale as paper, his body covered in blood. He was too badly injured. Qin Ming left an afterimage as he moved, his Yellow Mud Palm lightly striking Ge Qian Xun’s chest. The impact made Ge Qian Xun cough blood, sending him crashing into a tree.
Qin Ming hadn’t killed him. He needed to leave Ge Qian Xun for Meng Xing Hai. After all, he was the Golden Bandit.
Qin Ming crouched down, rummaging through Ge Qian Xun’s clothes until he found a bundle. He weighed it in his hand. There seemed to be quite a bit of Daylight Gold inside. More importantly, there was a Secret Manual.
“Seems like it holds some emotional energy,” Qin Ming said, pleased. This was more valuable to him than the gold. He turned and left the forest, heading toward the riverbank.
Dai Shi Feng and his men stood frozen, finally exhaling after a long silence. That boy was terrifying—he had taken down Old Ge so easily.
“Qin Ming!” a voice called out. It was Ning Si Qi, the Muddy Youth, climbing out of the muck, his frustration evident.
Qin Ming looked at him calmly. “You said we had no friendship left. I spared you only because of your cousin, Wang Cai Wei. If you keep pushing, there won’t be a next time.”
Ning Si Qi’s face, covered in mud, seemed to tremble, his fists clenching at Qin Ming’s words.
Qin Ming sighed. He hadn’t expected to see Ning Si Qi here—someone who used to be one of his closest friends. It was impossible not to feel something. They had been inseparable once, but now Ning Si Qi had said such harsh things, severing their bond. If it had been anyone else, Qin Ming might’ve accepted it. But for Ning Si Qi to be here, mocking him, was hard to swallow.
“Is it because you liked your cousin?” Qin Ming asked. “Were you jealous of me back when we were brothers?”
Ning Si Qi flinched, his face twisted with anger. “Today I fell into the mud, and now you’re humiliating me even more. Everyone’s going to see me as a joke. Let’s settle this once and for all!”
Qin Ming shook his head with a grin. “You’re covered in filth. Go wash up in the river first.” Only old friends knew how to push each other’s buttons like this. Qin Ming’s words made Ning Si Qi snap. He prided himself on always looking refined, and now, with his clothes covered in mud, his hair a tangled mess, he let out a yell and actually jumped straight into the river.
Drenched but slightly cleaner, Ning Si Qi climbed back out, teeth clenched in frustration. “Qin Ming, you’re really asking for it this time!”
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled. “Why would someone like you, the boss, come all the way out here personally? It’s not like you.”
Ning Si Qi sighed, muttering under his breath, “I was stupid. I regret it now. I’m stuck here, looking like an idiot, and everyone’s going to laugh at me.”
“Alright then, let’s fight,” Ning Si Qi said, a determined gleam in his eye. “Show me how far you’ve gotten on your Awakening path. By the way, where’s Meng Xing Hai?”
Qin Ming just shrugged, staying silent.
“Did Meng Xing Hai’s men take care of Ge Qian Xun?” Ning Si Qi asked, having heard the commotion earlier.
“What, scared?” Qin Ming smirked. “Guess you know about my connection to Meng then.”
“I saw Zhao Jing Shuo get taken by your people, of course I know,” Ning Si Qi said, his frustration boiling over as he launched himself at Qin Ming. As he lunged, he added, “I bought a book—I’m not bluffing—”
Before he could finish, Qin Ming moved faster, slapping him and sending him flying back into the mud. Ning Si Qi lay there, stunned. “You’re really this strong?” he gasped. He remembered hearing that Qin Ming had vanished for two years, and only recently had he started to make progress in his Awakening again.
Qin Ming gave a casual shrug. “I took down Ge Qian Xun in three hits, using only two palms.”
Ning Si Qi gritted his teeth, determination sparking in his eyes. “Looks like I’ll have to use my true strength.” He cracked his knuckles, then climbed back into the river to wash off again before approaching once more. “I brought a Secret Manual for you. It’s way better than that Awakening Method you’ve been practicing out there in the Remote Area.”
Qin Ming frowned slightly but didn’t back down. He attacked again. “The things I said before—they weren’t my words. They came from some of your old friends. If I hadn’t shown up today, someone who really hates you might have come instead.”
Qin Ming struck Ning Si Qi into the mud twice more, each hit landing with precision. Furious, Ning Si Qi glared up at him. “I thought you were targeting me because you liked your cousin.”
“Get lost!” Ning Si Qi shouted, his frustration reaching its peak.
“You think I wanted to humiliate myself like this? I came here in person just to get things moving, and this is how you repay me!” Ning Si Qi’s voice was shaking with anger.
Qin Ming gave a small shrug, his expression indifferent. “What’s the point of doing it this way?”
“It’s enough that things are out in the open,” Ning Si Qi replied. “I sent an anonymous letter to Cui Chong He out in the Land Beyond the Boundaries. If he finds out Noble Family people were trying to kill you, he’ll be furious. He won’t care what the elders say—he’ll come out and make a scene, maybe even kill a few of those noble brats. If you see him, tell him I was on your side. Otherwise, he might come after me too.”
Qin Ming looked at Ning Si Qi and sighed. “Si Qi…”
Ning Si Qi met his gaze, his voice turning serious. “You shouldn’t just practice any old technique you find out in the Remote Area. The Celestial Light Force combinations are tricky. If you try to mix weaker skills, it could end really badly.” He told Qin Ming about a powerful Secret Manual he had managed to get, one that could take Qin Ming’s abilities to new heights.
“High-level breath control?” Qin Ming asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Even better,” Ning Si Qi said, a proud smile on his face. “It’s a rare Secret Manual. It already combines different Celestial Light Forces for you, so you don’t have to train them separately.” He quickly explained where he had hidden the book.
“I couldn’t get any Spiritual Substance for you,” Ning Si Qi admitted. “You’ll have to find that yourself. But honestly, it’ll be good for your training anyway. And, well, I’m kind of broke after buying that rare manual for you. I don’t have much Daylight Gold left.”
Qin Ming felt a wave of warmth in his chest. He smiled, his eyes softening. “Si Qi, I don’t even know how to thank you.” After everything that had happened, he didn’t have many friends left. To have someone like Ning Si Qi stick by him, it was overwhelming. He blinked back tears.
“Don’t let people fool you,” Ning Si Qi said, his voice gentle. “Guys like me—your real friends—there’re only a few of us left. Most of the others, they’re just cunning and cruel.”
Ning Si Qi studied Qin Ming, a look of amazement crossing his face. “You reached this level of power after just four Awakenings? That’s incredible.” He gave a sad smile. “You may not have Cui Chong He’s almost-immortal talent, but you’re something else. Honestly, I thought you’d be struggling out here, barely getting by with no proper Awakening Method.”