Chapter 2: Fire Spring

The Fire Spring was surrounded by jagged stones, its mists and vapors rising in a shimmering haze. In this world of perpetual darkness, it appeared especially brilliant and radiant.

Qin Ming crouched down and fished a glowing stone out of the pool. It was more lustrous than red coral, casting light in all directions.

The Sun Stones used by every household came from the Fire Spring. Once a stone went dark, it could be returned to the pool, and after a period of time, its light would be fully restored.

The pool was filled with a fiery red light. Though it glowed as brightly as molten lava, it was nowhere near as hot as a human's body temperature.

The light rippled across the surface like waves, and fire danced within the depths. It was neither true fire nor spring water, but a very peculiar substance.

Now that the day was gone and night reigned eternal, time was divided only into Shallow Night and Deep Night.

In such an era, the Fire Spring was exceptionally important.

Whether it was the mutated Silver Wheat or common crops like Ground-potatoes, all vegetation required irrigation from the Fire Spring to grow.

Furthermore, humans would suffer ailments if they went too long without seeing the Fire Spring. It could be said that it was the very foundation of human survival.

In this world without daylight, the four seasons could still be distinguished.

Spring and summer were the active periods of the Fire Spring. It would bubble and surge forth, providing enough for the needs of farming.

Winter was its period of depletion. In Twin Tree Village, for instance, although the pool remained bright, it could only be used to recharge Sun Stones for illumination.

Generally speaking, in this age without daylight, people lived by "chasing fire."

A Fire Spring was so conspicuous in the dark that it naturally attracted the gazes of various creatures lurking in the shadows. Fortunately, everything had its own territory, and a certain balance was maintained most of the time.

Twin Tree Village was short on food mainly because they had been raided by strange birds during the harvest season. When their beaks touched the stalks of wheat, they acted like sickles, stripping several clusters bare in a single bite.

Additionally, there had been an ant plague and some human-related issues, leading to a winter where people were on the verge of starvation.

It was currently Shallow Night, meaning the darkness was relatively thin. Occasionally, Earth Light would rise in the distance, allowing the blurry outlines of the dense forest to be faintly seen.

As for Deep Night, nothing was visible at all. All things fell silent, and the darkness became bone-chillingly eerie.

Qin Ming wondered when he would be able to head out and solve the problem of the severe food shortage.

He gazed out at the wilderness. It was very dark, and he couldn't see the distant landscape. The snow had already piled up past a man’s chest; the living environment was incredibly harsh.

At the edge of the village, the Fire Spring illuminated a bright sanctuary.

A cold wind swept past, and ripples shimmered across the sixteen-foot-wide pool of fire. Within the pool, the Twin Black-and-White Trees rustled, shaking off their heavy accumulation of snow, which fell into the fiery haze in a dazzling display.

The leaves of the two trees had a slight jade-like quality and did not fear the bitter cold. However, aside from their ability to repel insects in the summer, they were of little use.

Qin Ming felt the chill of a snowflake falling from the tree onto his neck and snapped back to reality. No matter what, he had to nurse his body back to health first; the outside world was far too dangerous.

He walked back along the original path. The lights of various households flickered, while the wilderness behind him remained utterly dark and desolate, like a giant beast waiting to swallow everything.

Qin Ming stood in his courtyard, performing a series of specific exercises. His movements were practiced and fluid; having done this for years, it had nearly become instinct.

After a long while, sweat broke out on his forehead and warmth spread through his body. Only then did he stop.

He went into his room and took out a miniature crystal bottle. It was only as long as a thumb, delicately carved and transparent, containing a blue liquid speckled with ice crystals.

Holding it up to the fiery glow of the Sun Stone, he observed it carefully.

Two words were etched onto the tiny bottle: Mineral Essence.

The liquid inside was an intoxicating blue. When he shook it gently, a blue mist flowed within the bottle, creating a dreamlike effect.

Qin Ming suppressed his impulse and did not open the vial. Since he was just recovering from a serious illness, using the blue liquid would do more harm than good.

This was something he had accidentally obtained in a dangerous zone within the mountains. Before that, he had only heard of "Mineral Essence" and had never actually come into contact with such a precious substance.

Using it when the human body was in its optimal state could improve one's constitution and replenish the spirit.

He had fallen seriously ill after escaping from the mountains and hadn't had the chance to try it.

"I might be able to use it in a few more days," Qin Ming said, putting away the sophisticated crystal vial.

A cold wind blew, and a few scattered snowflakes drifted down.

Qin Ming lived alone. His quiet courtyard was lonely and even a bit desolate.

He was used to it.

As time passed, the night grew darker; Shallow Night was coming to an end.

Lu Ze arrived, accompanied by a boy of about five. Although the child was wrapped up tightly, his small face was still flushed red from the cold.

"Wenrui has grown taller again," Qin Ming said, gesturing at the boy's height.

"Uncle, is your body feeling better?" Lu Wenrui asked, looking up with concern. His eyes were large and clear, reflecting the innocent age he was in.

Qin Ming replied with a smile, "I'm fine now. In a few days, I'll go out and catch that Speech Sparrow you've been longing for."

"A Speech Sparrow that can talk to people? Really? That’s great!" Little Wenrui was overjoyed, his eyes sparkling with light.

"Things aren't right outside lately," Lu Ze spoke up, handing a food box to Qin Ming and telling him not to rush out.

Although the Rock Rice was relatively coarse and hard, Qin Ming’s mouth watered nonetheless. With only two meals a day, he was truly starving. He noticed a few red dates hidden in the rice—extraordinarily soft, smooth, and sweet.

Qin Ming saw little Wenrui staring intently at the box, swallowing his saliva.

Feeling a pang of guilt, he crouched down and asked, "Wenrui, tell me, did you not get enough to eat?"

Lu Ze shook his head. "That’s not it. He’s just like that because he saw the red dates."

Qin Ming immediately picked out the dates to give to the handsome, simple boy.

Lu Ze stopped him. "Your sister-in-law specifically put those in to help replenish your blood and energy. Don't give them to him."

Just then, Liang Wanqing arrived as well. She looked at Wenrui and said, "Your Uncle Qin's body is weak, and we have no meat or tonic medicine right now. Don't be greedy."

She wasn't a bad person. Earlier, she had thought Qin Ming wouldn't survive, just like the other three villagers, and felt that helping him was futile, which had led to the arguments with her husband. Now that she saw him improving and no longer in a stupor, she was willing to help, even though she knew their own food supplies were dwindling.

Little Wenrui nodded obediently, blinking his large eyes. "Uncle, you should eat quickly so you can get better. I'm not hungry anymore."

There was no way Qin Ming could eat them now. He insisted on feeding the dates to little Wenrui while feeling a heavy weight in his heart. He had to go to the forest soon.

He was very grateful to the couple, but he didn't waste words on polite thanks. Instead, he asked them about the current situation outside.

Liang Wanqing sat and chatted for a while before heading back, as she had a two-year-old at home who needed care.

"Lately, there have been massive creatures appearing in the forest. Some people have been killed or injured..." Lu Ze told him, warning him that he couldn't act alone because it was far too dangerous.

Qin Ming nodded, listening intently.

Whether it was because the blizzards were so fierce that the mountain beasts were struggling to find food, or for some other reason, there was a lot of commotion in the wilderness.

In particular, near the area where Qin Ming had contracted his Mysterious Illness, eyes brighter than Sun Stones had been seen piercing the darkness of the mountains, causing the forest to fall instantly silent.

Hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but think back to his dangerous experience a month ago.

That day, in the pitch-black forest, he and his three companions had suddenly stepped into thin air, falling into a fissure in the ground.

The underground area was highly unusual. After total darkness came a blinding light that made their eyes ache and water.

What unsettled him most was that his heart had begun to beat at an overloaded pace, like a drum being pounded violently. The powerful thumping sound could even be heard outside his chest.

Recalling it now, he still felt a lingering fear.

At that moment, he had been unable to move. The blood throughout his body accelerated its flow, and in his daze, he seemed to hear the sound of a crashing waterfall.

Qin Ming had thought he would die, believing his heart would explode.

Soon, the depths of the fissure became less blinding. He saw silver lights, one after another, like silk or spiderwebs interwoven together, causing his consciousness to blur and his sense of space to vanish.

At the time, Qin Ming's head was swimming, while his companions had simply lost consciousness.

Only when the silver light abruptly vanished and total darkness returned did Qin Ming’s heartbeat gradually return to normal. Regaining his mobility, he carried his three companions out of the fissure. It took a long time for them to wake up.

During that process, Qin Ming had discovered several corpses not far from the fissure. Their clothing was of high quality, and they hadn't been dead for long.

Following the simple principle of not letting things go to waste, he performed a quick search. The small crystal vial of blue liquid was found then.

Qin Ming hadn't mentioned the vial to Lu Ze because the dead men clearly had significant backgrounds, and he feared causing trouble.

The mountains were full of fierce beasts; he expected nothing would be left of the scene, and all traces would be wiped away.

On the way back to the village, Qin Ming and the others gradually began to feel unwell. Their steps faltered, and their minds grew hazy.

His three companions died the very day they returned, their bodies turning black. Only Qin Ming had endured for a month before finally recovering.

After finishing the Rock Rice, Qin Ming and Lu Ze talked for a long time.

Wenrui was very well-behaved, listening quietly by their side.

Eventually, the atmosphere lightened. Qin Ming looked at the somewhat shy boy and said, "Wenrui, once I'm better, I'll make sure you have all the dates and hazelnuts you can eat."

"Will there be meat? I... haven't had it in a long time," Wenrui said softly, unable to stop himself from swallowing again. As he recalled the flavors of the past, his flushed little face was full of hope.

"There will be!" Qin Ming patted his head affectionately.

As the night deepened, Lu Ze stood up and left with Wenrui.

Inside the room, the light from the Sun Stone in the copper basin grew dim.

Qin Ming sat quietly with his eyes closed. He visualized his own figure in his mind, practicing the specific movements and training his willpower until he finally cleared his mind.

The moment he opened his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a faint silver light flashing and vanishing.

"An illusion?" Qin Ming was stunned.

Though it was only a brief glimpse, he was certain he hadn't seen it wrong. There had indeed been a very faint silver ripple that dissipated across the surface of his skin, vanishing in an instant.

He had persisted in this special training method for many years, but there had never been any "reaction." Today, something unusual had finally happened!

Qin Ming discovered that a layer of fine sweat had appeared on his body, as if he had just undergone a bout of intense exercise, yet his spirit felt exceptionally vibrant.

He went out into the courtyard, his eyes shining with a bright light as his body moved through those specific sets of motions.

He was completely immersed. Soon, his body began to heat up, and a sudden surge of vitality expanded within him, like a light rain falling on a parched desert.

After a long time, Qin Ming was drenched in sweat, with white steam rising from his head. He felt incredibly comfortable all over, as if the last traces of his illness were being expelled along with the sweat.

When he finally felt fatigued and stopped the special training, he clearly saw extremely faint silver light emerge from his skin before quickly dispersing.

"It really is different now." This time, he saw it clearly.

Qin Ming felt a sense of exhilaration. A very real warmth was flowing through his body, slowly nourishing him. His vitality and spirit were becoming more and more abundant.

After a short rest, he wanted to practice those movements again, but his stomach began to growl. Hunger set in, even though he had already eaten dinner.

Qin Ming immediately stopped, not daring to consume more energy. He didn't have the face to go to Lu Ze for more food.

He was soaking wet, his clothes completely drenched in sweat, so he went to boil water to wash up.

Looking at the clean-cut face reflected in the water basin—no longer pale, but with a healthy color—Qin Ming muttered to himself, "I'm mostly recovered. I'll set out tomorrow morning."

He didn't want to trouble others or become a burden. Now that he could move, he wanted to solve the food problem and escape his current predicament as soon as possible.

Qin Ming returned the extinguished Sun Stone to the Fire Spring. When he came back, he only took a small piece to light his way.

The lights in the various houses dimmed one by one, and the entire village merged into the darkness.

A gale blew through the cold winter night, kicking up the snow from the wilderness into a white blur. Much of it fell into the village, burying many courtyards.

"So hungry!" It wasn't even time to sleep yet, but Qin Ming was so hungry he couldn't stand it. It felt as if a fire were burning in his stomach. Forget delicacies—if a Ground-potato appeared before him now, he would devour it.

Unfortunately, in a year like this, even the mouse holes in the village were empty.

Qin Ming tried to hypnotize himself into falling asleep early, but he was so hungry his heart felt frantic, making it impossible to drift off.

He forced himself to shift his attention, thinking of pleasant things, like the few blurred faces in his memories.

Then he thought back to his special training. It really had changed; a "reaction" had started to appear, causing faint silver ripples to manifest on his skin. He looked forward to seeing what other changes would follow.

Then his thoughts wandered, imagining fresh, sweet berries hidden under the ice in the forest, and golden, oily legs of lamb roasting over a campfire.

"That's crossing the line! How can I think about those things!" He quickly pinched himself.

He decided he would set out as soon as Shallow Night arrived. It was all to fulfill little Wenrui's wish as soon as possible. Then, he couldn't help but swallow his own saliva.

Accompanied by the longing and anticipation for food, Qin Ming finally drifted off to sleep.