Chapter 14: First Kill

"It's sharp enough!" Qin Ming stood up from the whetstone. The wood-chopping knife in his hand had shed its rust; it was now as smooth as a mirror, gleaming like a pool of clear autumn water.

"People like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng deserve to die, but it would be a pity if any good people among them were caught in the crossfire." He wanted to be certain.

In the evening, Old Man Liu was drinking with Xu Yueping. They had only one cup each, taking tiny sips to savor the taste. That was all they had left; the jar of spicy old liquor in Xu Yueping's house had hit rock bottom.

"Exchanging a river deer for a human life... they truly have no humanity left!" Old Man Liu cursed as he drank. He felt a weight on his chest, but he couldn't say these things to the Qian family.

Xu Yueping’s greatest fear was that if men like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng truly achieved their Second Rebirth, things would only get worse.

"Is there not a single good person in the Mountain Patrol Team?" Qin Ming arrived.

Old Man Liu sighed. "If most of the pears in a basket go bad, it's hard to save the rest if you don't step in. A full Mountain Patrol Team has twelve members, but there are only nine now. Those who didn't fit in were either pushed out or met with 'accidents' in the mountains."

"Is there no one who can check them or deal with them?" Qin Ming asked casually.

Xu Yueping shook the wine jar vigorously to squeeze out a tiny bit of liquid for him, then pulled him down to sit and drink with them.

Old Man Liu thought for a moment and said, "Some of the other patrol squads are on bad terms with them, either because they can't stand their behavior or because they compete for spiritual treasures in the mountains. There have been instances of bloodshed between them."

Xu Yueping added, "Then there's the neighboring Blue Mulberry Village. They weren't forced to plant Black Moon. It seems Er Bingzi's relative has quite some influence."

At this, he looked at Qin Ming. "Xiao Qin, you have a solid Golden Foundation. You should start planning. Once early spring arrives, go out and see the world. Don't let yourself be trapped here."

He knew the temperaments of Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng all too well, and he feared they would harm Qin Ming like a pack of wolves.

Qin Ming pondered, then said, "A plan? I’ve always wanted to know where I came from when I fled here as a refugee all those years ago."

"Ah, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. I’ve always thought of you as one of us." Xu Yueping didn't know how to comfort him, so he changed the subject.

He spoke of the splendor of Crimson Cloud City—how prosperous it was, a place of great people and spiritual wonders where one might find advanced Meditation Techniques or Yiqi Arts.

Old Man Liu chimed in, "I also support you going out, Xiao Qin. A young man should have sharp edges and big dreams. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, your legs will be weak, you won't be able to go anywhere, and you'll be left with nothing but the regret and lethargy of old age."

Xu Yueping laughed. "Uncle Liu, I heard you had quite high ambitions back in the day."

Old Man Liu didn't feel embarrassed about his past. "Who hasn't been young?"

"What were your ambitions?" Qin Ming asked with interest.

Old Man Liu reminisced, "I was young and arrogant back then. It's normal to have big ideas. For example, I wanted to rise up and subdue a Famed Beast from the mountains, and I wanted to marry the most beautiful girl in the region."

"And the result?"

"During an operation assisting the Mountain Patrol Team, we accidentally encountered that Famed Beast. It just charged past us, and its mere presence nearly wiped us all out. I lost my vital energy then, and the threshold for a Second Rebirth became completely unreachable. I gave up on those dreams. As for the girl... she was married off to one of my rivals."

Qin Ming raised his cup to him. It was a truly tragic story.

Old Man Liu chuckled. "Later, I was so frustrated that I married that rival's older sister. I made him call me 'Brother-in-law' for the rest of his life."

"Spoken like a master!"

The three of them had only half a cup of wine each, yet they spent the entire evening drinking.

When Qin Ming returned home, he wiped down his iron-core bow, which was engraved with monstrous patterns. Unfortunately, it was no longer a heavy bow for him; if he pulled too hard, he would snap it.

"It will have to do."

Afterward, he filled his beast-hide quiver with iron arrows and packed a change of clothes into a bundle.

"Tomorrow is the middle of the month." He gazed at the profound night sky.

He went to sleep early that night to get his mind and body into peak condition.

He woke up in the middle of the night. He had slept enough. Though Shallow Night was still far off, he quietly pushed open the courtyard gate.

It was Deep Night, and everything was silent. The darkness was heavy and eerie; an ordinary person would see absolutely nothing.

After his Rebirth, Qin Ming's physical attributes had improved across the board, including his vision. Even in this extreme environment, he could see hazy silhouettes, which didn't hinder his movement.

He didn't go near the Fire Spring, choosing instead to take the most secluded path.

Snow had been falling for days, and it showed signs of getting heavier.

His shoulder-length black hair whipped in the night wind. His tall frame was lean but powerful, and his steps were incredibly steady as he walked toward the great mountains.

The faces of the injured villagers flashed before his eyes one by one. The scene of Feng Yi'an handing over a river deer during Old Man Qian's funeral lingered in his mind. He had reached his limit. Today, he was going to deal with the Mountain Patrol Team!

Qin Ming entered the mountains with calm composure. His mind was made up, and he felt no tension or anxiety. It was as if he were walking the path home.

The howls of various creatures echoed through the dense forest, and dark shadows streaked across the sky. In the abyss-like darkness of the forest, many malicious eyes appeared—some blood-red, some green like ghost fires, some silvery and cold—all staring fixedly at him. He could even hear the breathing of strange beasts and the sound of raptors cutting through the air nearby. The mountains were exceptionally dangerous during Deep Night.

Qin Ming suddenly accelerated. His physical prowess now surpassed a standard Golden Foundation. In an instant, he charged toward a large mutated beast. His wood-chopping knife flashed like a bolt of white silk across the air. With a pssh, a massive head was severed, blood sprayed, and the six-hundred-pound headless carcass crashed to the ground.

Instantly, the surrounding area went silent. Those green and blood-red eyes in the darkness vanished.

Qin Ming continued on his way, his goal clear, advancing toward the outpost with unwavering determination.

A moment later, the headless mountain beast was torn apart and devoured by a group of scavengers. Sounds of predators fighting for food erupted from behind him.

Qin Ming approached his destination, standing on an adjacent peak to observe the outpost by the Fire Spring.

There was still some time before Shallow Night, but people were already moving about. A man with curly black hair, nearly two meters tall, was feeding bloody chunks of meat to the fierce Golden Mastiff.

"Fu Entao!" Qin Ming realized who it was. He had heard descriptions of the man's physical features—born with naturally curly hair. This strongest team leader was actually already at the outpost.

Then he saw four more people, including Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng, stepping out of the log cabin.

"They arrived early." Qin Ming frowned. He guessed they must have arrived yesterday.

He descended the mountain at a steady pace and stood guard on the only path leading to the outpost. Four members had yet to arrive; he decided to eliminate them first.

Snowflakes turned his black hair white as he stood motionless. Shallow Night had arrived; the mountain mist was gradually dissipating, and the sky was no longer so dark.

For a Newborn, their field of vision became much wider. Qin Ming saw a man appear, wearing a beast-hide cloak, walking from the direction of the village.

The face was familiar. This man had been by Feng Yi'an's side when he was humiliating Xu Yueping in Silver Vine Town.

Qin Ming, who had been standing behind a large tree like an ice sculpture, moved. He lunged like a crack of thunder, closing the distance instantly and slamming into the man with a dull thud.

Many of the man's bones broke on the spot, and his eyes bulged. He wanted to scream in agony but couldn't, as his neck had been the first target—gripped by a slender but powerful hand.

With a crack, the patroller's neck was snapped. Because Qin Ming had used too much force, he nearly tore the head off after crushing the vertebrae.

The man's head slumped uselessly to the side, hanging by a layer of skin. His face was frozen in a mask of terror and despair.

Qin Ming dragged the man deep into the forest. He could smell alcohol and the pungent scent of rouge on him. No wonder his reactions were slow; he was hungover after a night of debauchery. He didn't die an undeserved death.

After searching the body, Qin Ming tossed the man aside and took a deep breath. His emotions were fluctuating visibly; after all, this was his first time killing a human.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, it was still somewhat unsettling.

However, he recovered quickly. He often went into the mountains to hunt and fight dangerous creatures; he had long since seen blood. His psychological resilience was extremely high.

"To plant Black Moon in the Fire Spring, you killed villagers one after another. You are more dangerous than the beasts of the mountain. Killing you all today is simply ridding the world of a plague—it is the fulfillment of my heart's desire!"

Qin Ming calmed down. In his mind, he viewed this squad of patrollers as nothing more than vicious beasts and monsters. He regained his steadiness and resolve.

After waiting for a long while, a second person walked through the wind and snow. In the Shallow Night, his tall figure cast an oppressive silhouette, wearing armor similar to Shao Chengfeng's.

Qin Ming, covered in snow, slowly drew his wood-chopping knife, intending to test its edge.

As the person drew near, a flash of brilliant blade-light erupted from the darkness. Qin Ming kicked off the snowy ground, moving as fast as a lightning bolt, covering the ten-meter gap in an instant.

This patroller's reactions were much better than the previous man's. Sensing the lethal threat from his flank, his hair stood on end. He quickly shifted laterally and dove toward the ground, trying to evade the crisis.

As a Newborn with enhanced physical attributes, his sharpness and reflexes were competent. Had he been facing any other opponent on the same level, he might have dodged the strike.

However, Qin Ming was naturally faster, moving with the momentum of a thunderbolt. He had also anticipated the move. The sharp wood-chopping knife swept through the air with a pssh, and the man's head flew off, severed in a single stroke!

Blood sprayed far across the snow, dyeing it red. The headless body maintained its forward momentum before collapsing into a snowdrift.

Qin Ming sheathed his knife, remaining calm this time. There were no more waves in his heart.

The large snowflakes didn't just drift down; they slammed down, growing heavier by the minute. The force of the wind blowing them against his face was quite strong. Qin Ming looked up at the sky. "Good snow!"

Only with heavy wind and heavy snow could his tracks be better erased.

He stood in the wind and snow like a motionless statue holding a blade. He waited for the third and fourth men. Without any accidents, both patrollers were cut down with thunderous force in the dim forest.

He no longer felt any discomfort. He could smile gently at little Wenrui, and he could also bring a blade to the mountains to slaughter a pack of patrollers whose harm surpassed that of tigers.

Qin Ming’s steps were powerful and steady as he walked alone toward the Mountain Patrol Team’s outpost.