Chapter 19: Non-stop

Qin Ming stood where he was. He didn't feel embarrassed about not being chosen; his mindset was very calm.

Xu Yueping, on the other hand, was anxious for him, but there was nothing he could change. Yang Yongqing also felt it was a pity for him; he had previously joked with Qin Ming that noble ladies would come down for the Mountain Sweeping Operation and told him to perform well.

Wei Zhirou was a smooth talker. She greeted Qin Ming warmly and was generous with her praise, saying she had really wanted to invite him to join her, but Cao Long and Mu Qing wouldn't have agreed. She told him he could look for her in Crimson Cloud City once the Mountain Sweeping Operation was over.

Qin Ming naturally didn't put on airs and responded with a smile, saying that if he ever left this area, Crimson Cloud City would be his first choice.

"I choose Qin Ming," Mu Qing spoke up.

Qin Ming’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Earlier, he hadn't felt much about not being chosen, remaining perfectly composed, but now he felt a bit uneasy.

It was one thing not to know if the person before him was male or female, but now it was hard to say if they were even human. Entering the mountains with them really made his heart pound.

He suspected that Mu Qing might be some kind of high-level creature that had joined Crimson Cloud City. Otherwise, no matter how much a human body evolved, it shouldn't grow a fluffy golden tail, right?

But what could he do? Under the current circumstances, he didn't hesitate and readily nodded in agreement.

Mu Qing was very satisfied with him. Noticing he only carried a wood-cutting saber, they asked, "You lack a proper weapon. Which kind are you used to?"

Qin Ming replied, "I haven't settled on one yet."

Mu Qing thought for a moment and said, "Some monsters in the mountains have hard scales and thick hides; ordinary sabers and swords might not be able to cut through them. I'll give you a long-handled hammer. If used well, it's incredibly lethal—you can crush a head with a single swing. However, it's a heavy weapon, so I'm not sure if you can use it comfortably."

Mu Qing beckoned to the people behind them, and someone immediately brought over a long-handled hammer forged from Darkgold.

After Qin Ming took it, he swung it around casually a few times, leaving behind afterimages and creating humming sounds as it broke the air. He moved it as lightly as if he were performing spear flourishes or gracefully dancing with a sword.

"Good!" Mu Qing nodded, seeing that his strength was immense.

Wei Zhirou was slightly startled. She had a high level of discernment; just based on how he swung that heavy long-handled hammer with such ease, she estimated his strength had already reached the 600-jin threshold.

Earlier, she had sent someone to investigate the only two youths who had established a Golden Foundation. She had thought Xu Yueping was exaggerating about Qin Ming, but now she saw he hadn't been.

However, she didn't feel it was a pity. Zhou Wubing, whom she had chosen, had suffered an injury to his vital energy in his early years, but with his Rebirth, his origin was gradually recovering. His potential was massive; once he stabilized, he could likely lift at least 600 jin or more. He was truly gifted, as even Xu Kong valued him and taught him personally.

Cao Long remained indifferent. He followed the Giant Spirit Path and was born with divine strength!

Mu Qing added, "I'll also give you a short sword. In case an exotic creature gets close for a melee struggle, you'll need a sharp, short-range weapon."

"Thank you!" Qin Ming took it. He finally had weapons better than those provided by the Mountain Patrol Team.

After that, the selection process for Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing went quickly.

Old Man Liu was already over seventy. At first, no one chose him, but he volunteered himself, saying he knew the great mountains as well as his own backyard. He immediately became a hot commodity, with all three parties wanting him.

"I want to be in the same team as Little Qin. We're from the same village and familiar with each other, so we can look out for one another," Old Man Liu said.

Soon, the selection for the Cao, Wei, and Mu families concluded.

"Everyone, the higher-ups will soon hold one last negotiation with the mysterious exotic creatures in the mountains. For now, we can only wait."

Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing were taking their people back to Silver Vine Town, where they were currently staying. They told the chosen Reborn to go back and make all necessary preparations.

Then, people saw dozens more figures emerge from the dense forest to leave with the three teams. They were all robust young men wearing armor.

On the way back, Xu Yueping sighed. "It seems the people from Crimson Cloud City really just view us as guides. They act polite and courteous, but they don't actually think much of our strength."

Yang Yongqing spoke up, "The youths in those three teams are indeed here to temper themselves, but those dozens of experienced men are the main force for the three families' mountain sweeping and exploration of the mysterious territories."

Old Man Liu was more open-minded. They possessed high-level Yiqi Arts; how could they possibly compare?

Xu Yueping shook his head and said, "I've been to Crimson Cloud City. Only a very few core members of the nobility possess complete high-level scriptures."

According to his judgment, it was impossible for the so-called generous rewards this time to be the secret heritage of a clan. That would shake their foundations.

"I reckon they are likely fragments of high-level manuals they collected from the outside, not their own family's heritage. Of course, for someone in the Rebirth realm, that's certainly enough to practice until completion."

Yang Yongqing looked on with yearning. "High-level Yiqi Arts are so rare. Even if it's incomplete and only records the path of the Rebirth realm, it's enough to drive people crazy."

Qin Ming whispered, "If high-level scriptures are so precious and the three families of Crimson Cloud City are willing to bring them out, it shows how much they value the Haze-Illuminated Lands appearing in the mountains. What exactly is the hidden story?"

"You're wrong; a total of over a dozen families have come," Old Man Liu corrected him.

Before long, they returned to the village.

...

As the Shallow Night drew to a close, Qin Ming brought a large piece of donkey meat to Old Man Liu's house. He claimed he was there to hitch a meal, but he actually wanted to ask about the Blood Bamboo Forest.

Old Man Liu lived at the entrance of the village, close to the Fire Spring. In the night, his grey-tiled brick house was dyed with a faint red glow.

As soon as Qin Ming entered the courtyard, he saw a yellow dog dash out from its kennel. It was as tall as an adult's shoulder, its yellow fur shimmering with a glossy sheen as it bared its snow-white fangs.

Qin Ming immediately thought of the Golden Mastiff from the Mountain Patrol Team and couldn't help but look at the yellow dog a few more times. With its stout and sturdy build, the meat probably tasted good too.

The yellow dog seemed to sense something. One moment it was baring its teeth, and the next, it suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and dove back into its kennel, refusing to come out.

"Little Qin, why did you bring meat to my house?" Although Old Man Liu was old, he was still very sharp and appeared in the courtyard immediately.

Qin Ming said with a smile, "Old Man Liu, how about I trade you two Saber-horned Deer for this yellow dog of yours?"

"Awoo, awoo..." The large dog in the kennel began to howl, tail tucked, turning its head toward its master as if it were trying to tell him something.

"This old dog is very spiritual; it's afraid of you. That means your recent hunting trips in the mountains have built up a murderous aura," Old Man Liu said.

At the same time, he shook his head with a laugh. "I won't trade with you. This dog is about to mutate, and it's actually providing for my family now, frequently bringing back game."

"It's that spiritual?" Qin Ming was surprised.

Old Man Liu stroked his goatee. "Of course. Two months ago, it was so old it could barely move. It disappeared for a few days on its own, and after it came back, it started getting better. It will definitely mutate before Yang Yongqing's black mountain goat."

"An old dog returns to the mountains—it either dies there or grows strong again. So there really is a practical example of that saying," Qin Ming said in wonder, staring at the big yellow dog.

Old Man Liu chuckled. "Speaking of which, the last time you went into the mountains and fell into that fissure, you almost died. After a major illness, you underwent Rebirth very quickly. That's actually quite similar to an old dog returning to the mountains and coming back alive."

Qin Ming really wanted to give him a beating. This old man really didn't know how to talk; his mouth was quite wicked. No wonder he didn't manage to marry the prettiest girl back in the day.

Old Man Liu lowered his voice. "That fissure you found is worth paying attention to."

The great families of Crimson Cloud City were all searching for those special nodes; there had to be a deep meaning behind it.

Qin Ming shook his head. "I don't plan on approaching that area until I undergo Second Rebirth."

He took the opportunity to ask Old Man Liu, "Old Man Liu, you know the legends of various spiritual items in the mountains very well. Tell me about them."

"You rascal, I knew you wanted something from me." Old Man Liu pointed at him with a smile, but soon became solemn. "If spiritual items were that easy to get, why would I have wasted my life until now? You've built a Golden Foundation, so you'll definitely achieve Second Rebirth. There's no need to take risks."

Qin Ming said, "Didn't you say that youths should have sharp spirits? To not be young and frivolous is to have lived in this world in vain. I want to achieve Second Rebirth as soon as possible and see the scenery from a higher place."

"Are those my words?" Old Man Liu looked at him skeptically. He hadn't been drunk when they were drinking yesterday; each of them had only had half a cup of pungent old liquor.

"Pretty much," Qin Ming laughed.

"One should indeed have great ambitions when young, because dreams diminish as you age. The starting point has to be high," Old Man Liu said.

The cold wind swirled with heavy snow, battering the windows. Inside the house, the Liu family's dining table was steaming, primarily with donkey meat. Qin Ming chatted with Old Man Liu until late, learning the names of some spiritual items, all of which were in extremely dangerous areas. He also found out where the Blood Bamboo Forest was.

Qin Ming himself had already suspected that the Blood Bamboo Forest targeted by Feng Yi'an, Shao Chengfeng, and the others was most likely within the area the Mountain Patrol Team was responsible for.

Sure enough, Old Man Liu mentioned that the Blood Bamboo Forest was only six li away from the Mountain Patrol Team's outpost.

A type of snake lived there, its entire body as translucent and red as if carved from red agate. Its flesh and gallbladder contained dense vitality and spiritual matter.

However, this snake was extremely dangerous, even lethal. it was highly venomous; even a Reborn wouldn't be able to survive a single bite.

"If you're lucky enough to catch one, you have to chop off the head and remove the venom glands. Otherwise, it's not a tonic, but a death soup."

Old Man Liu informed him that besides being highly venomous, the snake's body was as hard as iron, its strength was extraordinarily large, and it could leap and fly. Even a small snake only a few feet long was more dangerous than many mountain beasts; it could shoot out like an iron arrow and instantly pierce an opponent's body.

Therefore, some called it the Blood Snake, while others called it the Arrow Snake.

If a Blood Snake over ten feet long was spotted in the mountains, the best choice was to flee immediately.

Old Man Liu recalled that the snake nest had already existed when he was young. Decades later, Blood Snakes that had undergone a second mutation had surely appeared.

Qin Ming said, "As long as an even more powerful old snake doesn't show up."

"Even if sabers or swords hit a Blood Snake, they won't necessarily be able to cut it; sparks will fly instead. Among creatures of the same level, it is extremely fierce and has almost no weaknesses." At this point, Old Man Liu suddenly stood up, nearly flipping the table. He startled his wife and almost made his youngest grandson cry.

"You old fool, what's wrong with you?" The old woman glared at him.

Old Man Liu's face was flushed as if he had regained his youth. He waved his arms excitedly and said, "How could I have forgotten? There's a problem in the mountains right now. If the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest has gone out, those Blood Snakes will all be frozen stiff. Wouldn't they be there for the taking?"

He wished he could grow wings and fly into the mountains to take a look.

Qin Ming immediately said, "How about we go into the mountains overnight to pick up some spiritual Blood Snakes?"

"Great!" Old Man Liu nodded vigorously, but then he seemed to think of something and sat back down dejectedly. He sighed, "If I've realized it, how could those bastards Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng, who guard the mountain and are desperate for Second Rebirth, not think of the spiritual items on their own doorstep?"

The old man looked as if he had lost all hope, his excitement for nothing. He sat there slapping his thighs until they were almost bruised, cursing the people of the Mountain Patrol Team indignantly.

"Those bastards really have good luck. Are they going to produce one or two more people like Fu Entao? To think they'd encounter such a good opportunity. I really want to give them a manure ladle full of 'golden juice' and cover their faces in its 'lingering fragrance'."

...

Qin Ming had been on the move non-stop that day. In the middle of the night, he had braved the wind and snow to enter the mountains, killing Fu Entao, Feng Yi'an, and the others with his wood-cutting saber. Then he had gone to meet the nobles of Crimson Cloud City, and followed that by listening to Old Man Liu boast all night about various mysterious sightings and bizarre experiences in the mountains.

By the time Qin Ming returned home, he was feeling a bit weary and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, he woke up very early. After quickly finishing breakfast, he headed straight into the mountains.