Chapter 88: The Future Path of the Awakened
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“You can’t go!” Meng Xing Hai’s voice was firm. He immediately opposed the idea. To him, Qin Ming was at a stage where a budding talent needed time to grow. Any mishap now would lead to unending regret.
“Uncle Meng, I must return to Black and White Mountain,” Qin Ming replied solemnly. “I have a strong feeling that, after the destruction of Golden Rooster Ridge, the Golden Thief might hold the locals accountable. If something happens in that area, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Qin Ming’s words carried weight. His lone, daring raid on Golden Rooster Ridge to wipe out the bandits had been well-intentioned. But if it inadvertently brought disaster upon the local villagers, he would be consumed by guilt.
Meng Xing Hai, running his hand across the bronze cauldron in the room, responded, “I’ll consider stationing people there. But let me remind you, at your age, if you were a direct descendant of a major family, you’d still be under strict protection during your training journeys.”
Their opinions clashed.
Qin Ming, having endured countless bloody battles, had recently even captured a member of the Golden Thief. He didn’t want to stand idly by.
“There are higher-ranking figures in the Golden Thief,” Meng Xing Hai warned. “Although we’ve tracked some of their movements, it’s better to be cautious. I rarely come across promising talents like you, and I don’t want you to meet an untimely end.”
Adding fresh calming incense to the purple bronze incense burner, Meng Xing Hai sighed. “To be honest, while I still wield a blade and advance my Celestial Light Force, I’ve long since stepped off this path. But in you, I see certain qualities that remind me of my younger self. I want to see if someone like you, with potential surpassing that of a youth aberration, can go further on the Awakening Path.”
Qin Ming was startled. Old Meng was far stronger than he had imagined, having walked more than one path.
“Uncle Meng, does this path truly become so difficult as one progresses?” Qin Ming asked.
Meng Xing Hai nodded. “Yes, it does. I once had high hopes for this path. But now, wielding a blade and enhancing Celestial Light Force is nothing more than a habit born of obsession. It also helps mask my true power. I’m not the only one like this. Cui Old Seventh, for example, went to the Beyond, not to enhance his Celestial Light Force or purify his spiritual field, but to fully reveal his cards and strengthen his cultivation on another path.”
Qin Ming frowned. Even figures like Meng Xing Hai and Cui Hao had given up on this path, pursuing something else. The future of the Awakening Path seemed uncertain and distant.
Meng Xing Hai sighed deeply. “In our generation, the most brilliant figures on this path either faded into obscurity or never truly committed to it, using it only as a cover for their main pursuit. When you examine it closely, there isn’t a single individual left to carry its banner.”
Qin Ming asked, “If one persists on this path, how would they compare with peers from the Secret Sect or the Beyond?”
“The disciples of the Beyond,” Meng Xing Hai explained calmly, “are surrounded by Golden Armor Protectors in their early stages. Once those protectors can no longer keep up, they’re replaced by Jade Armor Protectors, all selected from people on this path. Do you see what this positioning implies?”
Qin Ming nodded and fell into deep thought.
Since stepping onto the Awakening Path, his progress had been swift. His ability to quickly grasp the essence of secret texts made him feel extraordinary. But now, as he looked ahead, he realized there were few companions on this journey. His true challenge lay in the immense pressure from other dazzling systems, towering like mountains. There was no room for complacency.
“I’ve endured so much just to avoid becoming someone else’s follower in the Secret Sect or the Beyond!” Qin Ming resolved silently.
Then, he asked aloud, “Uncle Meng, has the exceptionally rare spiritual substance you promised arrived? If I consume it, I’ll have no problem going to Black and White Mountain.”
Meng Xing Hai sipped his tea. “Patience. It will arrive along with the secret technique I mentioned.”
Qin Ming grinned. “How about you send me the spiritual substance that allows for a six-time Awakening? I’ll handle the fifth Awakening myself.”
“Calm yourself,” Meng Xing Hai advised. “I’ll give you some calming incense. No matter which path you choose, you must remain composed. Even if a spiritual mountain crumbles before your eyes, you must not flinch.”
The next day, however, it was Meng Xing Hai who lost his composure. News of a Golden Thief bloodbath in nearby Maple Leaf City left him agitated.
The Golden Thief was not a small organization. They operated across multiple cities, their reach extending far beyond a single region. This time, Maple Leaf City had moved prematurely, ambushing some infamous Golden Thief members. But the retaliation was swift and brutal.
“They don’t have the guts or strength to massacre a city,” a messenger reported. “But they set fire to two towns, unleashed beasts, and killed many people.”
At the City Lord’s Mansion, Qin Ming listened in silence, absorbing the grim news. Meng Xing Hai’s reinforcements and the experts he had summoned hadn’t all arrived yet.
Even former City Lord Ling Xu was on his way, as was the famed Tabby Cat with the Red Glow Sword. But their arrival would take time.
“Some members of the Golden Thief have fled,” Meng Xing Hai said. “They might pass through our area, potentially causing devastation. Maple Leaf City proved unreliable—one of their mid-level members was a Golden Thief infiltrator!”
Qin Ming passionately renewed his request to go to Black and White Mountain.
This time, Meng Xing Hai agreed. Reports indicated that the Golden Thief’s top figures wouldn’t be taking that route, as they had already been spotted elsewhere.
Time was of the essence. Meng Xing Hai swiftly instructed the city’s major families to deploy experts to guard key areas.
“Be careful,” he warned Qin Ming, providing him with a crimson Red Eagle, capable of carrying a person in flight.
The Red Eagle, blood-red and with a six-meter wingspan, had undergone two mutations. While it wasn’t a true flying mount, it was suitable for long-distance travel. Experts, however, rarely relied on such creatures. They preferred mounts that matched their strength, as weaker ones posed a liability in mid-air battles.
Preparing thoroughly, Qin Ming donned black robes with bat-like wings, emulating Ge Qian Xun of Hall of Righteousness. He instructed the Red Eagle to fly low to avoid detection.
Though the direct distance between Red Glow City and Black and White Mountain was less than 300 miles, the journey on foot required days of detours to avoid the territories of powerful creatures.
The night fog rolled across the vast expanse of the land, casting heavy shadows over the mountain ridges. Here and there, fiery springs dotted the earth like scattered fireflies. Standing tall on the back of his mount, the Red Eagle, Qin Ming gazed downward, his sharp eyes scanning the world below.
Some areas could only be traversed by soaring high above the mist-shrouded peaks. Otherwise, the high-level aberrations lurking in the deep mountains might interpret his presence as a provocation. Even with a fearsome flying raptor capable of carrying humans, one had to avoid perilous zones—places like the abyssal desert, dark as ink, or the central region of Black and White Mountain.
Time passed quickly. Qin Ming’s journey was swift—another reminder why so many experts longed for a flying companion whose strength matched their own. The Night Fog World was immeasurably vast, and without a winged aberration to cross its skies, travel was fraught with inconvenience and danger.
As the Red Eagle descended onto a high slope just outside Twin Tree Village, Qin Ming chose not to enter. Instead, he stood quietly in the shadowed night, gazing from afar. His life could no longer afford the peace it once held. Any deep connection to this place might draw enemies’ attention to it in the future.
“Brother Lu, Wen Rui, Old Liu…” he murmured wistfully, his voice carried away by the night breeze. He sighed, the weight of memories pulling at him.
In the end, he stirred only the Talking Sparrow, a creature long mutated and notorious for its cunning. The sparrow flitted over, its beady eyes sparkling with mischief.
“My mountain god! Why, Mountain Lord Qin, have you suddenly returned?” chirped the sparrow, whose unusually large size had once infuriated Cao Long to the point of threatening to roast it alive.
“Enough with your nonsense. Can you not utter ‘Mountain Lord’ so freely? What if the real deal hears you and decides to whisk me away?” Qin Ming replied with a faint smirk.
“This is my utmost respect for you! In my heart, you’re already on par with the true Mountain Lord!” the sparrow declared, piling on flattery with unabashed enthusiasm.
True to its word, the sparrow had stayed close despite its mate being freed from its cage long ago. It had even built a nest at Lu Ze’s home.
Qin Ming’s tone turned serious. “Don’t tell anyone I’ve returned. Summon your little brothers and help me with something.”
“Of course!” the sparrow exclaimed, switching to a deferential tone. This newfound respect stemmed partly from the time Master Wu, the purple-eyed crow, had instructed it to watch over Qin Ming and warn him of trouble. Having once failed in that duty, the sparrow was now eager to make amends.
Qin Ming leaned closer and whispered, “Send your little brothers to every nearby town. Keep a close watch. If you catch wind of the Golden Thief, notify me immediately. And if bloodshed breaks out, not a moment’s delay—understood?”
“Got it!” With a swift flutter, the sparrow vanished into the night.
It was only half a day later when Qin Ming received word of the Golden Thief. The news spread quickly, carried by the Red Glow City’s raptors. Even Black and White Mountain was abuzz.
Two prominent figures of the Golden Thief’s ranks were attempting to break free from pursuit. Their loyal followers were creating chaos—committing arson, murder, and worse—in a bid to divert attention and occupy the experts chasing them.
“Several villages near Maple Leaf City are in serious trouble. Many lives have already been lost. Even parts of Red Glow City’s territory have seen bloodshed,” the sparrow reported hastily.
Panic was spreading like wildfire across Green Pine Town, Silver Vine Town, and Emei Town, as residents feared the Golden Thief’s raiders might target their remote region next.
“Once you have fresh intel, meet me at Golden Rooster Ridge,” Qin Ming ordered. Leaping onto the Red Eagle’s back, he soared into the night sky, heading toward a familiar place fifty miles away.
A sense of foreboding gripped him. If one of the Golden Thief’s leaders held sentimental ties to Golden Rooster Ridge, they might return there. Last time, Qin Ming had confirmed that the Five-Time Mutated Old Golden Rooster was a trained fighter, personally taught by one of the Golden Thief’s masters. Long ago, several members of the Golden Thief had made Golden Rooster Ridge their home.
The Black and White Mountain region sat high above sea level. While spring had touched lower altitudes, patches of snow still lingered on its lofty peaks, stubbornly resisting the season’s thaw. Qin Ming revisited old grounds, standing atop Golden Rooster Ridge as he gazed across the mountains.
“Go hide in the back mountain,” he instructed the Red Eagle. Though it had only undergone two mutations, the bird was intelligent enough to understand. Without hesitation, it retreated from the ruined wooden huts scattered across the highlands.
Unlike the blazing brightness of Red Glow City, Black and White Mountain lacked the fiery springs to illuminate the night, leaving the landscape in gloom. Yet Qin Ming felt no discomfort; this was where he had lived for two years, and the place still held a familiar warmth.
The sparrow returned as the night deepened, bringing unsettling news. “The Golden Thief is losing its mind. They’ve already started stirring trouble across Black and White Mountain to shield their leaders.”
“Thankfully, the town eighty miles away is guarded by experts sent from Red Glow City. They managed to kill one of the Golden Thief,” it added.
Qin Ming nodded. It was a glimmer of good news amid the chaos. Avoiding the fiery spring in the heart of Golden Rooster Ridge, he found a decrepit wooden hut and settled in for the night.
As dawn approached, the mountain remained shrouded in darkness. Only the fiery glow at the ridge’s center offered any light. A tall, wiry old man, his steps crunching softly on the snow, ascended the highlands. Despite his age, he was well-kept, with white hair and only a few wrinkles on his scholarly face.
“Five years I spent recovering here,” he murmured, his voice tinged with sorrow. “I never thought I’d return to find it in ruins. Who could’ve done this?”
A Golden Thief, as Qin Ming had anticipated, had come to pay his respects. Yet the old man’s purpose wasn’t limited to nostalgia.
“The Golden Thief once struck fear across this vast land for decades. Now, faced with disaster, do others think we’re weak and vulnerable? I’ll slaughter a town to remind them of our strength and help our leader escape,” he declared calmly. After a final look at the ridge, he prepared to leave.
“A band of vicious criminals, painted as something noble and grand—how tragic,” Qin Ming’s voice rang out from the distance, sharp as steel.