Chapter 4 Snatching the Spoils

Qin Ming withdrew his gaze, hoisted the animal skin bag onto his back, and retraced his steps.

He was satisfied with today's harvest. With more than half a bag of food, he wouldn't have to worry about hunger for a while.

The path was difficult, hidden under snow with depressions and jagged rocks, but Qin Ming was in a good mood. With enough food, he no longer had any reservations; if he practiced those specific movements for a long period, he might see new progress.

At the same time, he looked forward to early spring, the season of burgeoning life.

Though the world was currently buried in ice and snow, with desolate trees and a heavy silence over all things, that would change. Once the Withered Period passed, the Fire Springs in the dangerous mountain regions would surge, Earth Light would begin to rise frequently, and the vegetation would sprout. The awakening of all things would be a completely different sight.

As he neared the edge of the dense forest, Qin Ming suddenly stopped. He dropped his animal skin bag and gripped his hunting spear with both hands, whipping around.

A pair of terrifying, blood-red eyes appeared in the darkness, rapidly approaching.

His hair stood on end. Although they were still some distance apart, he could feel that the creature following him was large and ferocious. A foul, metallic stench wafted toward him on the cold wind.

He thrust his hunting spear into the snow and quickly drew his bow. With his startling arm strength, he pulled the heavy bow—one far beyond the capability of an average person—into a full moon shape. An iron arrow whistled through the air, the bowstring’s vibration ringing out sharply.

In the distance, the creature rushing toward him with a violent aura paused abruptly, seemingly hit.

Qin Ming focused intensely, drawing his bow in rapid succession. His superb archery was on full display as lethal iron arrows disappeared into the night one after another.

A muffled low growl echoed through the trees. Those crimson eyes vanished, followed by the sound of snapping branches as the creature ducked behind the timber.

Qin Ming didn't dare relax. Although the unknown creature was wounded, the injuries weren't fatal, and it would be even more dangerous now that it was lurking in the woods.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his bag and hunting spear and dashed out of the forest into the open snowfield. He didn't want to stay in the shadows where he could be ambushed; he suspected it was a troublesome mutated creature.

Loud sounds came from the forest, the noise of snow being violently displaced. Clearly, the beast was pursuing him with savage tenacity.

Qin Ming fired his bow without hesitation. Some iron arrows thudded into thick tree trunks, shaking the trees so hard that the snow fell like a white waterfall.

The creature was forced back again, its sounds fading into the forest.

If it were a normal beast, it would have either been scared off or driven into a frenzy by its wounds. This mutated creature, however, lingered in the shadows, waiting and searching for an opportunity.

Qin Ming aimed his bow at the forest, locked in a standoff with the dangerous entity.

Snow churned on the ground as a large dark shadow flickered in and out of view. Those crimson eyes were cold and piercing, carrying a heavy sense of pressure in the darkness.

Ultimately, however, it was kept at bay by Qin Ming's incredibly powerful arrows. With a low, unwilling hiss, it vanished into the depths of the forest.

Qin Ming’s expression was solemn. Despite the gloom, he could tell it was a silhouette that could run upright. He wasn't sure what kind of mutated creature it was.

He backed away slowly. Though there was no further movement in the surroundings, he remained vigilant. He stayed on guard until he was less than a mile from the Fire Spring at the village entrance.

The lessons of the past were written in blood; villagers had been killed and silently dragged off into the darkness even when they were close to the village, simply because they had let their guard down.

...

Outside Twin Tree Village, three young men were shivering from the cold. They stomped their feet and rubbed their hands, exhaling large clouds of white mist as frost clung to their eyebrows.

They were waiting along the snowy path Qin Ming had carved out when he entered the dark territory, speaking in low voices.

"Waiting here in this cold is pure misery. If this doesn't work, let's just leave. I'd bet eight to ten that he’ll die out there anyway. There's no way he's bringing back any prey."

"What's the rush? What if he gets lucky like Old Man Li and finds some frozen mountain beast in the outer woods?"

The three of them were usually idle loafers, lazy and gluttonous. They didn't dare enter the dangerous mountain areas, but they acted tough in the village and loved to scrounge for food and drinks.

Knowing Qin Ming had left the village to hunt, they had come up with a crooked plan to wait here and snatch his spoils.

"That Qin Ming kid is agile and very strong. Let's not mess this up and have him turn the tables on us."

"What are you afraid of? He just recovered from a serious illness, his body must be weak. In a moment, we’ll throw a skin bag over his head. Just watch your strength when you hit him—don't actually kill the guy."

While they wanted to do something wicked, they didn't have the guts to murder. They only wanted to ambush him from behind and steal whatever prey he brought back.

Qin Ming had been on guard the whole way, his nerves taut. With his sharp eyes, he spotted the three dark figures from a distance.

He immediately crouched down. The snow on the ground already reached his shoulders, and now he disappeared completely.

Moving silently along the path he had made earlier, he finally identified the shadows ahead as the three village idlers.

Qin Ming stopped at a suitable spot where he could hear their conversation.

A moment later, his expression darkened. These three actually wanted to sap him and steal his catch?

Even though he hadn't actually hunted a bear and had only raided a squirrel's nest—which might not sound "glorious"—he had truly faced two life-or-death crises. He had been attacked by a Man-faced Vulture and an unknown mutated creature; the slightest mistake would have meant death. He could not tolerate them trying to snatch food he had risked his life for.

Hu Yong, Ma Yang, and Wang Youping were shivering so hard they were shaking. Together, they dug out a snow hole to block the wind, creating a makeshift ambush spot to huddle in.

They assumed Qin Ming would risk going deep into the mountains and had miscalculated his return time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been speaking so freely.

"Be careful. Don't make a sound from now on," Ma Yang said.

Hu Yong nodded. "When we hit him from behind, make it fast, accurate, and hard. Move quickly!"

Wang Youping complained, "I just hope he makes it back alive with some prey. I hope he shows up soon so we can give him a few whacks with these iron bars. I'm practically frozen solid."

Suddenly, the snow hole they were hiding in collapsed, burying the three of them instantly. Caught off guard, their mouths and noses were filled with snow.

Hu Yong reacted the fastest and was the first to scramble out. However, before he could steady himself, he saw a foot flying toward him. With a loud thud, it kicked him squarely in the face.

The intense pain contorted his features. Then, a hunting spear slammed into his shoulder with such force he felt his bones might break. He stumbled and collapsed onto the ground in agony.

Ma Yang fared no better. Just as his head popped out of the snow, Qin Ming kicked him in the nose. The sharp, stinging pain was unbearable. He let out a wretched scream as tears and snot flowed, rolling around on the snow in distress.

Wang Youping realized something was wrong and tried to burrow deeper into the waist-high snow, not daring to come out. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back. A steel spear tip pierced his clothes, drawing blood.

"No... don't kill me!" His voice wavered, his lips trembling. To his shame and embarrassment, he realized he had wet himself, terrified of being run through.

Qin Ming didn't intend to take his life. Relying on his sense of touch, he had only pricked the skin enough to draw a bit of blood.

He prodded Wang Youping out of the snow and then kicked him three meters away, sending him tumbling back into a snowdrift.

"Qin... Ming."

"Brother Ming, we live in the same village, we're bound to see each other around. Have mercy! We were wrong this time."

Once the three of them saw who it was and realized he was pointing a cold, gleaming steel spear at them, they immediately lost their nerve.

In truth, they all had knives and clubs, but seeing such a fierce and murderous Qin Ming made them recoil in fear. Combined with their injuries, they didn't dare resist.

They were bullies who preyed on the weak; faced with someone truly tough, they lacked the courage to start anything.

While their actions were detestable, Qin Ming wasn't about to kill them over it. However, a violent "education" was unavoidable. He used the spear to keep them pinned, forcing them to crouch on the ground.

Then, he gave them a thorough thrashing, using the opportunity to fully stretch his limbs.

By the end, the three of them were bruised and battered, their mouths bloody. They wailed for a long time before Qin Ming finally let them go with a stern warning.

Qin Ming felt that these people were only tough on the outside. They didn't have the guts or the strength to be truly vicious; a severe beating was enough to teach them a lesson.

Meanwhile, outside the forest where Qin Ming had faced the mutated creature, a donkey traveled leisurely across the vast, open land. It seemed familiar with the path, heading toward the mountains.

Sitting on the donkey's back was a weasel. It was pure white as snow, without a single stray hair. In an era where the sun had set never to rise again, white creatures were rare.

It didn't seem as restless as a normal small animal. On the contrary, it was extremely calm, even "sophisticated." It sat cross-legged on the donkey's back, riding backward and facing the path they had already traveled.

It didn't look like a wild animal; its aura was more like that of a composed human. Its eyes were deep as it traveled unhurriedly on the donkey.

The mutated creature that had been forced back by Qin Ming lunged forward when it saw the donkey approaching. However, the moment it spotted the snow-white weasel on the donkey's back, it stopped dead in its tracks. It immediately turned and fled into the forest, diving under the thick snow, its body trembling slightly.

The donkey wasn't startled. It merely gave the creature a brief, indifferent glance. Like an old horse that knew the way, it carried the silent weasel toward the mountains.

...

The Fire Spring was in sight, the Twin Black-and-White Trees swaying.

Qin Ming picked up his pace and reached the village entrance a moment later, finally relaxing completely.

"Qin Ming is back!" Someone who was chopping wood looked up and saw him.

Soon, several courtyard gates along the street opened.

The news of Qin Ming venturing out alone had already spread. Many were speculating whether he would return alive or if he would have any success.

"He went out fully armed just as the Shallow Night began..."

Twin Tree Village wasn't large. Villagers who heard the commotion along the road all came out.

Every household had Sun Stones that cast a fiery glow, giving the street a faint light.

When people saw a Red Squirrel hanging from the hunting spear on Qin Ming's shoulder, the crowd fell silent.

This was completely different from what they had imagined.

Lu Ze walked over quickly. Seeing Qin Ming unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief, his heart finally settling.

Being a straightforward man, he broke the silence. "Everyone said you went into the mountains to hunt a bear. Turns out you... caught a squirrel?"

"I raided its home too," Qin Ming laughed.

The villagers noticed the animal skin bag he was carrying and realized what was inside. Instantly, they were all quite envious.

Then, the crowd noticed that the squirrel’s fiery fur was faintly glowing. It was clearly a mutated creature, and its value was certainly not low.

"This trip was not only safe but also quite a harvest," Old Man Li, who lived at the village entrance, remarked with emotion.

Some villagers took the opportunity to ask if it was safe outside.

Qin Ming told them the truth about his experiences. He didn't dare mislead his neighbors; that could get people killed.

When they heard that there were dangerous mutated creatures in the outer forest, everyone’s expression changed. They still couldn't go out alone for the time being.

Afterward, Qin Ming didn't hide anything and mentioned the actions of Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping. This immediately drew the ire of the village elders and youths.

"How shameless! They don't dare go into the mountains themselves, but they want to ambush their own fellow villager? That's not just snatching spoils; they wanted to endanger a life!"

Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping supported each other as they limped toward the village entrance. No sooner had they shown their faces than Lu Ze led a group to give them another thorough beating.

"Brother Lu, Uncle Yang, Grandpa Liu, stop hitting us! Help!" Snot and blood froze on their faces as they screamed heart-wrenchingly. They had provoked public anger, and many people already disliked them.

Qin Ming gave a large handful of nuts to each of the children on the street, prompting a chorus of cheers.

Then he saw Grandma Zhou. She looked pale, leaning against her courtyard gate. He walked over quickly and, without giving her a chance to argue, left her some of the dried goods.

...

"Uncle, you’re amazing! These wild walnuts are delicious, and the pine nuts are so fragrant!"

In Qin Ming's home, Wenrui was full of praise, absolutely delighted. He tried every kind of nut, his little mouth never stopping.

"Jujube paste, yummy, sweet." Little Wenhui, just over two years old, spoke unclearly as he ate steamed, pitted, and mashed red jujube paste. He even gave Qin Ming a wet kiss on the cheek.

Nearby, the Red Squirrel hanging from the hunting spear woke from its unconscious state. Opening its eyes and seeing several people going through its "family assets," it fell into utter despair.

"As expected of a mutated creature—so hardworking and capable. It stored over thirty pounds of food," Liang Wanqing marveled.

The Red Squirrel's eyes bulged, nearly spitting fire.

At that moment, Lu Ze spoke up seriously, "Qin Ming, I see your body has mostly recovered. It's time to start thinking seriously about 'Rebirth.'"