Chapter 30: Valiant and Heroic

Under the pale night, the distant mountain shadows loomed large.

Qin Ming had already set out. On both sides of the road, the woods were dense as he moved quickly through the snow.

Silver Vine Town came into view. Under the thin mist, a soft light flowed from it, and the outlines of various buildings in the town were visible from afar.

The town was very lively. Shops lined the streets, their shelves filled with a dazzling array of goods. People came and went, and the sounds of buying and selling rose and fell.

Especially recently, many people had come from Crimson Cloud City—from nobles to explorers to Reborn of unknown identity. They had settled in various towns, making the town's popularity surge even higher.

With a bit of inquiry, Qin Ming found the Old Noble's mansion. It stood in the east district of Silver Vine Town, with an imposing vermilion gate studded with numerous copper nails and a pair of auspicious beasts on either side for protection.

"Qin Ming!" Many young men from various villages had come today, and someone called out his name.

Qin Ming immediately responded with a smile and walked toward the Old Noble's house with several other newly arrived Reborn. Someone was already waiting at the main gate to lead them inside.

The mansion was large, with multiple courtyards arranged in a staggered, orderly fashion. Rockeries and pavilions dotted the grounds, though only a few evergreen plants remained in the flowerbeds during the winter.

In this food-scarce winter, the Old Noble's life remained unaffected. It was clear he possessed significant wealth and knew how to enjoy it.

The mansion's halls were spacious and bright. While the decor wasn't excessively ostentatious, it was far superior to that of a typical wealthy household. The massive pillars were carved with exquisite patterns, the furniture was made of high-quality mahogany, and artistic paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls.

The old butler was meticulous. He received wave after wave of young people, the smile never leaving his face as if it were frozen there. He remained polite and dignified throughout.

"Qin Ming."

"Er—Zhou Wubing." Qin Ming saw it was Er Bingzi and corrected himself as soon as he opened his mouth. The other man had changed significantly after his Rebirth; he was half a head taller than average and now looked like a spirited youth. Moreover, with so many people around, calling him by his nickname was no longer appropriate.

"I'll be going to Crimson Cloud City in a while. What are your plans? Are you going to head out?" Zhou Wubing's once-yellowish hair had become black and glossy, and his eyes now held a brilliant light.

"I also yearn for the bright cities of the distance. We'll see when the time comes," Qin Ming said.

There were many young people in the parlor. Initially, they were quite reserved because, compared to the grey-walled houses they lived in, this place was grand and ornate. The porcelain, paintings, and other antiques on display were clearly valuable, and they were unaccustomed to such an environment.

However, as time passed, they gradually relaxed, eating the fruits and snacks the butler had sent in.

Qin Ming was more at ease. Being able to eat fresh red berries in this snowy winter was something he wouldn't refuse; he had come here specifically to enjoy the free food and drink.

"I'm not competing with you today. My relative said he'd take me..." Er Bingzi lowered his voice, but suddenly stopped talking.

He saw a silver-haired old man and a woman in a black fur cloak crossing the courtyard, heading toward a smaller parlor.

"That must be the noble daughter of the Xie family. Though I haven't seen her face, her figure seems exceptionally striking. Hmm, why is she keeping a crow?" Zhou Wubing spoke, his words more frequent than before.

"She doesn't seem like she'd have trouble finding a husband," Qin Ming whispered to himself. Yesterday, when the high-level officials from Crimson Cloud City were negotiating with the Heteromorphs in the mountains, he had seen this woman from afar. She had been near that area.

Evidently, despite his whisper, the woman in black heard him and turned to glare at him.

The hood of her fur cloak was pulled low, and strands of black hair obscured one side of her pale face. Qin Ming only saw part of her oval face; her red lips seemed very vivid.

"Hehehe..." The crow on her shoulder actually laughed, sounding no different from a human.

Qin Ming found it strange, but since entering the mansion, he had been using Harmonizing with Light to mask his unusually rich physical vitality.

"It's probably a myna," Zhou Wubing said, and then he was also glared at—but by the crow.

Zhou Wubing was puzzled. "Why is she dressed like that in her own home? Oh, I see. She's going to meet us in a bit. Noble ladies are particular; she definitely wouldn't want to show her true face upon the first meeting."

Following that, both he and Qin Ming were glared at by the woman again.

Qin Ming said in the tiniest voice, "If you're so good at talking, say a bit more."

He wanted to test whether the woman could hear him even with a voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

Then, never mind the woman, even the crow reacted, this time laughing with a "ga-ga-ga" sound.

Qin Ming immediately shut his mouth and said nothing more. This woman seemed extremely unusual. Even the loose black fur cloak couldn't hide her fine figure. How could such a person have trouble getting married?

The other young men were also discussing. They had confirmed that the silver-haired old man was the Old Noble, and his daughter seemed quite exceptional.

"Feels like she's beyond our reach. No chance for us," someone in the hall sighed. Although they had some thoughts when they arrived, they were sober now.

Those who could come here were all Reborn, and their perception far exceeded that of ordinary people. They could sense the extraordinary power within the noble daughter. Even her pet crow understood human speech; she was anything but ordinary.

Shortly after, the Old Noble himself arrived. His name was Xie Jingrui. His silver hair was crystalline, his face was ruddy, and he wore a suit of fine brocade.

Seeing the young men stand up nervously, he smiled warmly and said, "You are all good children. One look and I can see you are kind-hearted, much more simple and honest than those arrogant youths I've seen who spend their time hunting with hawks and dogs."

Xie Jingrui was very candid. He spoke openly from the start, saying that while it was true he wanted to marry off his daughter, he also wanted to ask for everyone's help.

He knew that this group of young Reborn would all be entering the mountains soon, having been selected early on by the various great families of Crimson Cloud City to serve as guides.

"If you discover rare products born within the Nodes in the mountains, I ask that you do me a favor. Relax, don't be nervous. I'm not asking you to fight for them, just to send word to me."

The Old Noble Xie Jingrui admitted that he had connections with the nobles in Crimson Cloud City. He simply wanted to do business with them and be the first to purchase a certain special product he needed, fearing it might be traded away beforehand.

Because many organizations and factions had come this time, all spreading word in advance that they would pay high prices for rare products nurtured in the mountain Nodes.

He then clapped his hands and had some sharp sabers and swords brought in. They were undoubtedly valuable. He let the young men choose one each, as a token of gratitude for their coming.

"My daughter has caused me nothing but worry. I truly want to marry her off as soon as possible. It's a real headache. When choosing a son-in-law, I really don't look at background."

Xie Jingrui sighed, stating directly that as long as someone hit it off with his daughter, he would be eager to hold the wedding tomorrow. He hoped the Xie family could expand its lineage and flourish.

By the end, he actually sounded somewhat melancholy, and it didn't seem feigned.

Does the Xie family's noble daughter really have trouble finding a husband? Many began to doubt it.

"Young man, I've heard of you two. Both have Golden Foundations, quite impressive. Have you ever considered a different path?" Xie Jingrui was amiable as he approached Qin Ming and Zhou Wubing, taking the initiative to speak with them.

A short while later, Er Bingzi was led to the backyard by the old butler to meet the noble daughter, but he returned quickly.

"Is it that woman in black? How was it?" Qin Ming asked him in a low voice.

"Dressed in black, valiant and heroic, and extremely beautiful. But, alas, we're not a good match. You should consider it." After saying that, Er Bingzi actually hurried away.

Qin Ming hadn't come for a blind date at all, but having received a special gift of a heavy bow from the Old Noble, he was also specifically designated to go to the backyard to meet the noble daughter. Out of politeness, he couldn't very well leave early.

He guessed that since the mysterious woman in black had glared at him twice, she didn't have much of a favorable impression. He figured it would be like Er Bingzi—a meeting for appearances and then it would be over.

A moment later, Qin Ming was led to the back of the house.

In the mansion's backyard, a woman in black was practicing her swordplay. The cold light was piercing; she was indeed valiant and heroic.

Suddenly, Qin Ming was stunned.

It wasn't that the woman was ugly; on the contrary, she was very beautiful. Unlike the fragility of typical women, she possessed a rare heroic spirit and an alternative kind of beauty.

However, her face was enormous, not much smaller than a washbasin. Her tall figure was nearly five meters high, and the greatsword in her hand was over three meters long.

It seemed Er Bingzi hadn't lied; he had told the truth, he just didn't mention her height and weight.

The woman's name was Xie Lingxi, and the greatsword in her hand was longer than Cao Long was tall.

Qin Ming realized what the Old Noble meant by having a way to help him change his path. Was he trying to get him to take the Giant Spirit Path?

"Do you also think I'm a monster?" Xie Lingxi asked.

Qin Ming immediately shook his head and said, "No, you are walking the path to godhood, an immortal Great Dao. Moreover, in the future, once the Giant Spirit Physique is perfected, you can still return to your original appearance."

"What god? If there truly were gods, why don't they lift the sun and make it rise again?" The woman sneered, then went back to practicing her sword.

Qin Ming turned, preparing to leave.

"I saw you two years ago. We were coming from Flowing Light City, passed through Luoyue City, and then Crimson Cloud City. We found you on the road. Back then, you were about to die." The nearly five-meter-tall, slender and upright Xie Lingxi suddenly spoke.

In an instant, Qin Ming's body froze, and then he slowly turned around.