Chapter 23: A Generous Gift
Six people emerged from the slope on the other side of the valley entrance. Four of them wore black armor with excellent equipment that far surpassed the standard Patroller Armor used by the Mountain Patrol Team.
The iron armor worn by the other two was quite ordinary and heavily worn, suggesting they were likely locals. One of them let out a sharp whistle, and three powerful raptors immediately came running from the dense forest. Their brownish-yellow feathers were ruffled, and their thick legs carried them forward at an incredible speed.
Qin Ming recognized them as mutated creatures bred at Golden Chicken Ridge. Just yesterday, he had seen the three people in front of him crossing the mountain forest on Ground-runners.
"Brother, you’ve got some skill. To hold the valley entrance alone and slay a Blood Snake—that’s truly brave and decisive," said a young man wearing the high-quality armor.
Qin Ming ignored him. The man was still holding a stiff bow and had been on the verge of shooting him with an iron arrow only moments ago.
"My apologies for just now. I acted on impulse, wanting to test your skills. I truly meant no offense."
Qin Ming looked at the young man with the bow and asked, "Do you even believe your own words?"
"Oh? Judging by your voice, you aren't very old. To have already achieved Second Rebirth at such a young age, your future is limitless." The young man was surprised, his eyes fixed on Qin Ming’s face, which was hidden behind a black cloth.
He knew very well that in such a remote area, a youth with such achievements had to be exceptionally talented.
The young man put away his large black bow. Sensing that the youth before him was a talent worth recruiting, he said, "Brother, I really was reckless earlier. It's mainly because my eldest brother was injured in the mountains and urgently needs spiritual resources to nourish his body. I was overwhelmed by concern and acted in haste."
Qin Ming remained unmoved. To shoot someone at the slightest provocation just because one is "in haste"? Such an explanation was hollow. It spoke of nothing but a cold-blooded nature that cared nothing for the lives of others.
He quickly stuffed the Blood Snake from the ground into a beast-hide bag and said, "Since it was a misunderstanding, may I leave now?"
"Brother, what's the rush? Perhaps we can be friends. You might not know this, but we hail from Crimson Cloud City..." The young man’s intent to recruit him was obvious.
Qin Ming didn't speak. He silently observed the group. The man called "Eldest Brother" by the archer did seem to have a physical problem; his face had a sickly, dark-blue tint.
Qin Ming’s heart stirred. That dark complexion looked familiar. After he had fallen into the earth fissure, he had been through a major illness that left him looking much like that.
The young man smiled. "Look, brother, the misunderstanding is resolved. We really do need spiritual resources right now, but we won't take your Blood Snake for nothing. I’d like to invite you to join us. We will certainly compensate you later."
Qin Ming really wanted to slap him. Not only did they want him to hand over the spiritual resource, but they also wanted him to work for them?
Seeing no enthusiastic response, the young man’s right hand drifted toward the hilt of his blade, while the others began to fan out.
Noticing this, Qin Ming spoke up. "This isn't Crimson Cloud City, and no one else is watching. You don't need to be so hypocritical. I’ll ask one more time: since the misunderstanding is resolved, can I go?"
The young man’s face turned cold, and his words became brief. "Refusing a kindness, are we?"
Qin Ming shed his two layers of Patroller Armor to lighten his load, fearing they would hinder his speed. He secured the beast-hide bag onto his back and tied it tightly.
He checked the long blade in his hand. It had actually developed a notch while slaying the Blood Snake, and the tips of several iron spears were also damaged. It was clear how hard the Blood Snake’s crimson scales were.
The others looked on coldly. Some drew greatswords from their backs, while others readied their bows. Since the pretense of civility was gone, they were ready to strike.
Only the youth with the dark-blue face remained still. He gazed toward the dense forest in the distance and said, "You aren't in a hurry to flee because you're waiting for the other Blood Snake to return, hoping it will attack indiscriminately and help you deal with us? Fine. I admit I need these Blood Snakes very much. I won't let it escape back into the valley."
Just then, a flash of crimson light appeared in the forest. The fiery-red serpent had returned. It hadn't pursued its prey forever; in the freezing cold, staying out too long would make its movements sluggish.
Seeing his plan exposed, Qin Ming stopped hiding it. He threw the iron spears in his hand with extreme speed. The people nearby were on guard, either diving behind trees or preparing to parry with their weapons.
But they realized the spears weren't aimed at them. With several wet thuds, three iron spears plunged into the bodies of the three Ground-runners, sending sprays of blood everywhere.
At that moment, the Blood Snake arrived. Seeing a group of people blocking its path, it reared up and attacked without fear.
The man with the dark-blue face spoke. "You lot deal with the boy. I’ll slay this Blood Snake myself. One can never have too many spiritual resources."
"Eldest Brother, can your body handle it?" The young archer from earlier feared he might have trouble.
The man drew a longsword and replied, "I entered a special node to explore of my own volition; I wasn't injured by accident. I can handle this much."
Seeing the Blood Snake arrive and begin its maddened attack, Qin Ming didn't hesitate. He turned and fled toward his planned route.
The others gave chase, and the young man who had fired the cold arrow earlier began drawing his bow again.
Qin Ming dodged through the dense forest, using the massive trees as cover. Once both sides were running at full tilt, it became difficult for the young man to keep drawing iron arrows from his quiver without slowing down.
The man with the dark-blue face was indeed powerful. Holding his longsword, he stood his ground against the Blood Snake, unleashing brilliant flashes of sword light that instantly left several wounds on the serpent’s body.
The others chasing Qin Ming glanced back and felt relieved at the sight.
Qin Ming twisted and turned through the woods, sprinting through the night along the path he had scouted beforehand. He could tell that this group would be difficult to deal with.
Among his pursuers, two had achieved Second Rebirth. One of them was extremely fast and was closing the gap.
Qin Ming was strong enough in terms of power, but since he hadn't truly completed his Second Rebirth, his speed was still lacking.
The talkative young archer was also a Second Rebirth practitioner, but because he had stopped to fire arrows, he was trailing slightly behind.
When they reached a section where the trees were dense and the branches blocked the path, Qin Ming scanned the area carefully and dashed through the only clear opening.
Naturally, the pursuers behind him didn't want to waste time hacking at branches either; they followed right behind him.
"Agh!"
Suddenly, the Second Rebirth practitioner in the lead let out a scream of agony. He collapsed into the snow, his face contorted in pain.
An iron spear hidden beneath the snow had pierced through his right foot. The sharp, blood-stained tip had completely impaled his foot, creating a gruesome sight.
Qin Ming had only done this as a precaution, preparing for the worst. He had pre-set three iron spears in this branch-choked area, and he hadn't expected them to actually work.
The only "easy" path was one he had cleared himself by breaking the nearby branches. However, planting the spears in the snow and hoping the enemy would step on them still required a fair bit of luck.
The man had unintentionally dodged two of the spears, only to step on the third. Running at full speed, the result was disastrous; his entire right foot was ruined.
The others who saw this felt their pupils contract. For a moment, they felt a phantom pain in their own feet and a wave of lingering fear.
The talkative young man’s expression turned ugly. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't run blindly! Follow his footprints!"
He was a ruthless one. Leaving his injured companion behind, he gripped a greatsword and continued the pursuit, gradually closing the distance with his superior speed.
He had already seen that Qin Ming’s speed was clearly inferior to his. From this, he judged that although the boy was a Reborn, his strength was likely weaker than theirs.
"He’s just a Reborn from a remote backwater. Without secret Meditation Techniques or Yiqi Arts, his ceiling won't be very high even after Second Rebirth." This was his internal thought, and it was the source of his confidence to continue the hunt.
Qin Ming knew he would be caught eventually. Rather than waiting, he decided to take the initiative. He began to intentionally slow his pace, wanting to eliminate the person who posed the greatest threat first.
"Running away again? You didn't know what was good for you. It was just a few Blood Snakes—isn't that better than losing your life?" The young man approached with a cold face.
The other person from Crimson Cloud City and the two from Golden Chicken Ridge had only undergone one Rebirth. They were slower and had fallen behind, yet to arrive.
Qin Ming didn't answer. Gripping his Long-handled Darkgold Hammer, he charged. He had to finish this quickly. His biggest concern was the man fighting the Blood Snake; even with a compromised body, that man remained the most dangerous.
Snow exploded in the woods as Qin Ming struck with all his might. The first blow of the Darkgold Hammer left the young man stunned; he felt his right hand numbing around his sword.
How could this boy, whose speed was slow and whose physical constitution should have been inferior after Second Rebirth, possess such monstrous strength?
Qin Ming was highly focused, putting everything into his movements. Despite its weight, the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer moved like streaks of black lightning weaving through the night.
The young man was strong and clearly no pushover—far more capable than Fu Entao. Despite losing the initial exchange, he quickly launched a counterattack.
However, he was shocked to discover that this backwater youth was not the unskilled amateur he had imagined. The boy clearly mastered a formidable combat style. The heavy hammer was swung with such finesse that it seemed to dance, each strike cutting through the night in an incredible fashion—every move a highly efficient killing blow.
Then, it dawned on him: the boy was applying blade techniques to a hammer.
This guy is strong. I need to complete my Second Rebirth as soon as possible! Qin Ming thought. Then, the Darkgold Hammer suddenly flew out of his hand.
With a loud thud, the young man felt the world spin. Tears and snot flowed uncontrollably. In the instant after their weapons clashed, the opponent had "slipped." At such close range, the heavy hammer had smashed into his chin, shattering the bone instantly.
Enduring the agonizing pain, he forced himself to stay conscious and swung his greatsword forward. He couldn't retreat now; he had to prevent the opponent from picking up the hammer.
Clearly, the blow had left him dizzy and his mind clouded.
By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late. Qin Ming had drawn his long blade, parried the greatsword, and then severed the man’s right arm with a single slash before kicking him away.
Qin Ming picked up the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer. Without a word, he rushed forward and crushed the man's head with a single blow. Then, taking the man’s weapon, he quickly moved to intercept the remaining three.
The man with the dark-blue face had slain the Blood Snake without much trouble. His confidence was backed by truly formidable strength.
Liu Huaishan, leading the surviving Mountain Patrollers, had doubled back. After a frantic run, they returned to the valley entrance. He judged that the Blood Snake would have exhausted itself, and even if it didn't freeze in the snow, its movements would be sluggish.
He had returned to hunt it down, only to witness the man slaying the Blood Snake outside the valley.
The scene fell silent. Liu Huaishan and his men hadn't expected anyone else to be here, let alone someone who had already succeeded and possessed such terrifying strength.
The man threw the Blood Snake onto the ground and watched the group, walking forward with his sword. He had entered this area quietly and didn't want word to leak out, as he had rivals in the region.
His current condition wasn't ideal, making secrecy all the more important. Thus, his killing intent flared.
"Friend, we mean no harm! We’re leaving right now. The Blood Snake is yours!" Liu Huaishan shouted quickly, leading his men in a rapid retreat.
He felt the man was too dangerous. If they truly fought, they would surely be the ones to die; that man alone could tear through them all.
The Patrollers were all experienced middle-aged men. They had already notched their arrows and aimed them forward as a defensive measure while accelerating their retreat.
The man suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. Exploring the special node had indeed damaged his body, and he was currently feeling very uncomfortable. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded, letting them leave.
He rested for a short while until the discomfort subsided, then immediately set off in the direction Qin Ming had fled.
Though snow was falling, it hadn't yet covered the tracks. He sped along and soon heard screams.
Without any suspense, Qin Ming had killed the two Reborn from Golden Chicken Ridge and the weakest one from Crimson Cloud City.
Carrying their weapons, he circled back and once again found the Second Rebirth practitioner whose foot had been pierced by the spear.
When the man with the dark-blue face appeared, he saw Qin Ming with his back turned, interrogating his companion.
Instantly, his blood surged with fury. He saw only one person being interrogated. Where were the others? Where was his cousin? Had they all been killed?
"Speak! Do you have a high-level Yiqi Art or not?" Qin Ming crouched there, holding the severely injured man with one hand.
The man wanted to say something but couldn't open his mouth, as it had already been struck by a hammer. In truth, the opponent simply didn't want him to speak!
The man, unable to talk, saw the strongest member of his party appear and silently approach. His pupils contracted as he tried to warn him.
With a thud, he took another hammer blow to the head, his vision going black as he nearly lost consciousness.
The man with the dark-blue face saw that his companion's upper body was covered in blood while his lower half was buried in the snow, a truly pathetic sight. He didn't hesitate any longer and lunged forward at high speed.
Then, with a muffled groan, he tumbled into the snow.
This time, the man hadn't stepped on an iron spear, but on his own cousin's greatsword.
Only moments ago, Qin Ming had carefully prepared the area. It looked like the aftermath of a great battle, with broken branches scattered everywhere and only a few clear patches of ground.
Naturally, the intentionally cleared patches were all rigged with iron spears, greatswords, and long blades. From the looks of it, the plan had worked perfectly.
With a thud, Qin Ming finished off the first man and then calmly faced the man whose foot was impaled by the greatsword.
The man with the dark-blue face was named Wang Nianzhu. He was somewhat famous in Crimson Cloud City. During his first Rebirth, he could lift a five-hundred-and-seventy-pound tripod, which was quite impressive.
After his Second Rebirth, his arms possessed nearly one thousand two hundred pounds of strength. Given his extraordinary nature, how could he not feel immense hatred at being trapped here?
Most gallingly, the masked youth before him was someone he had dismissed as a backwater brat, yet the boy had dealt him such a heavy blow.
Qin Ming stepped back and aimed the bow he had taken from Wang Nianzhu’s cousin at him.
"Agh..."
With his foot impaled, Wang Nianzhu’s mobility was severely hampered. Even though his strength was immense and he could leap despite the pain, he couldn't maintain his usual state. It wasn't long before he was struck by an arrow.
A short while later, Qin Ming stepped forward and used the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer to crush the head of the heavily wounded, gasping Wang Nianzhu.
"To actually get another Blood Snake... thank you for the gift!" Qin Ming stuffed the second large serpent into his beast-hide bag. Today’s harvest was truly massive.