Qin Ming stood where he was. Not being chosen did not embarrass him in the slightest; his mind remained calm and composed.
Xu Yueping, however, felt anxious on his behalf, though there was nothing he could do to change it. Yang Yongqing also felt it was a pity, recalling how he had once joked with Qin Ming that noble daughters would come down during the mountain-clearing operation, so he ought to show off his best.
Wei Zhirou knew how to speak gracefully. She greeted Qin Ming warmly and did not stint on praise, saying she had truly wanted to invite him to join her, but Cao Long and Mu Qing would not agree. She added that once the mountain clearing ended, he was welcome to seek her out in Chixia City.
Naturally, Qin Ming put on no airs. He smiled and replied that if he ever left this region, Chixia City would be his first choice.
"I choose Qin Ming," Mu Qing said.
Qin Ming's body stiffened imperceptibly. Earlier, he had felt completely at ease when he was not picked, but now he felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Setting aside whether the figure before him was a man or a woman, it was hard to say whether they were even human anymore. Heading into the mountains with such a person genuinely set his heart drumming with unease.
He suspected that Mu Qing might be some high-tier creature that had joined Chixia City. Otherwise, no matter how much a human body transformed, it surely would not sprout a furry golden tail, would it?
Yet what choice did he have? Under these circumstances, without any hesitation, he nodded and agreed readily.
Mu Qing seemed quite pleased with him. Noticing he only carried a woodchopping cleaver, Mu Qing asked, "You lack a handy weapon. Which type are you accustomed to using?"
Qin Ming answered, "I haven't settled on one yet."
Mu Qing pondered for a moment, then said, "Certain monsters in the mountain possess tough scales and thick hides; ordinary sabers and swords might not cut through them. I'll give you a long-handled hammer. If wielded properly, it possesses tremendous destructive power and can crush a head in a single strike. However, it is a heavy weapon, so I do not know if it will suit your hand."
Mu Qing beckoned to the attendants behind. Immediately, someone brought forward a long-handled hammer forged of dark gold.
Qin Ming took it and gave it a few casual swings. Afterimages blurred through the air, sending out humming whistles. He moved as if twirling a spear with delicate ease, yet with the fluid grace of brandishing a sword.
"Good!" Mu Qing nodded, discerning his immense strength.
Wei Zhirou was slightly surprised. She possessed a discerning eye; just judging by how effortlessly he swung that heavy long-handled hammer, his strength had likely already approached the six-hundred-jin threshold.
Earlier, she had sent scouts to assess the only two youths with a golden foundation, assuming Xu Yueping had exaggerated Qin Ming's abilities. Now it was clear he had not.
Even so, she felt no regret. The youth she had chosen, Zhou Wubing, had damaged his vitality in his early years, but with his Newborn transition, his origin was gradually recovering, giving him vast potential. Once stabilized, he would be able to shoulder at least six hundred jin or more. He was truly an exceptional talent—after all, even Xu Kong valued him and taught him personally.
Cao Long remained indifferent. He walked the Giant Spirit path, possessing innate divine strength!
Mu Qing said, "I'll also give you a short sword. If an abnormal beast closes in for melee combat, you will need a sharp short weapon."
"Many thanks!" Qin Ming accepted it. Now he finally had weapons superior to those of the mountain patrol team.
Next, the selection proceeded swiftly for Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing.
Old Man Liu was over seventy years old. At first, no one chose him, but he stepped forward to recommend himself, claiming he knew the deep mountains as intimately as his own back garden. Immediately, he became a prize, sought after by all three factions.
"I want to be in the same team as Xiao Qin. Being from the same village, we know each other well and can look out for one another," Old Man Liu said.
Before long, the Cao, Wei, and Mu families concluded their selections.
"Everyone, our higher-ups will soon hold a final negotiation with the mysterious abnormal beings in the mountains. For now, all we can do is wait quietly."
Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing planned to lead their people back to Silver Vine Town, where they were currently staying, instructing the chosen Newborns to return and make full preparations.
Afterward, the onlookers watched dozens more people emerge from the dense woods to depart alongside the three contingents—all robust men clad in armor.
On the way back, Xu Yueping sighed. "It seems the people from Chixia City truly only view us as guides. They act polite and courteous, but in truth, they look down on our strength entirely."
Yang Yongqing said, "The youths in those three teams really did come here to temper themselves, but those dozens of seasoned, able-bodied fighters are the true main force for the three families' mountain clearing and exploration of the mysterious zones."
Old Man Liu took it philosophically. The other side commanded high-tier Yiqi Arts; how could local villagers possibly compare?
Xu Yueping shook his head. "I've been to Chixia City. Only an extremely small number of core noble members possess complete high-tier scriptures."
By his estimate, the so-called generous rewards could not possibly involve parting with a clan's closely guarded secrets, as that would shake their very foundations.
"I reckon they're fragmented remnants of high-tier tomes collected from the outside world, not their own clan's heritage. Of course, for those in the Newborn realm, that will certainly be enough to cultivate to perfection."
Yang Yongqing said wistfully, "High-tier Yiqi Arts are extraordinarily rare and precious. Even if incomplete, recording only the path of the Newborn realm, it's still enough to drive people mad."
Qin Ming said softly, "If high-tier scriptures are so precious, yet three great families of Chixia City are willing to bring them out, it shows just how much they value that place veiled in glowing mist and radiant clouds. What hidden truth lies behind it all?"
"You're mistaken—more than a dozen families have arrived in total," Old Man Liu corrected.
Before long, they returned to the village.
***
As shallow night drew toward its close, Qin Ming carried a large cut of donkey meat to Old Man Liu's front door. He claimed he was coming to scrounge a meal, but his true purpose was to ask about the Blood Bamboo Forest.
Old Man Liu lived at the entrance of the village, relatively close to the Fire Spring. In the night, the blue bricks and gray tiles of his house were bathed in a faint red glow.
As soon as Qin Ming stepped into the courtyard, a yellow dog dashed out of its kennel. It stood nearly as tall as an adult's shoulder, its yellow coat gleaming with a lustrous sheen, baring snow-white fangs.
Qin Ming was instantly reminded of the golden mastiff from the mountain patrol team and could not help casting a few extra glances at the dog. With such a plump, robust build, the meat looked rather promising too.
As if sensing something, the yellow dog, which had just been baring its teeth, suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and plunged back into its kennel, refusing to come out.
"Xiao Qin, why bring meat when visiting my home?" Though advanced in age, Old Man Liu remained exceedingly sharp, appearing in the courtyard immediately.
Qin Ming said with a smile, "Uncle Liu, how about I trade two saber-horned deer for this yellow dog of yours?"
"Awoo, awoo..." The large dog in the kennel began to whimper, keeping its tail tucked as it cocked its head toward its master, as if pleading for protection.
"This old dog has strong spiritual awareness. It fears you, which means you've built up a killing aura from hunting in the mountains lately," Old Man Liu remarked.
At the same time, he chuckled and shook his head. "I won't trade with you. This dog is on the verge of mutating, and it even feeds our family in return, carrying wild game home every now and then."
"Its spiritual awareness is that high?" Qin Ming was astonished.
Stroking his goatee, Old Man Liu said, "Of course. Two months ago, it was so old it could barely lift its legs. It disappeared on its own for a few days, and after returning, it started improving. It'll definitely mutate before Yang Yongqing's black goat does."
"'When an old dog retreats to the mountains, it either dies there or returns revitalized.' It turns out there really is an example of that saying," Qin Ming marveled, looking at the big yellow dog over and over.
Old Man Liu grinned. "Speaking of which, last time you fell into that fissure in the mountains and nearly died, you fell gravely ill and then underwent Newborn soon after. That's rather like an old dog heading into the mountains and coming back alive."
Qin Ming sorely wanted to give him a thrashing. This wretched old man truly had a sharp tongue and a foul mouth; no wonder he had failed to marry the prettiest girl back in his youth.
Old Man Liu lowered his voice. "That fissure you found is worth paying attention to."
The prominent families of Chixia City were all searching for those peculiar nodes; there had to be profound meaning behind it.
Qin Ming shook his head. "Until I undergo a second Newborn, I don't plan to approach that area."
Seizing the chance, he consulted Old Man Liu: "Uncle Liu, you know all the legends about spiritual substances in the mountains inside and out. Why don't you tell me about them?"
"You rascal, I knew you came looking for something." Old Man Liu pointed at him with a laugh, but soon grew grave. "If spiritual substances were that easy to obtain, why would I have wasted away until now? You've built a golden foundation and are bound to achieve a second Newborn. There's simply no need to take risks."
Qin Ming said, "Didn't you say that youth must have sharp drive? To live without youthful audacity is to waste one's time in this world. I want to achieve my second Newborn as soon as possible and see the scenery from higher ground."
"Did I really say some of those things?" Old Man Liu looked at him dubiously. When they drank yesterday, he had not been drunk; each had only had half a cup of harsh, aged liquor.
"Close enough," Qin Ming replied with a grin.
"It is true that one must have great ambitions in youth. Dreams shrink with every passing year, so one must start from a higher point," Old Man Liu said.
Cold wind swept heavy snow against the windowpanes. Inside the house, steam rose from the Liu family's dining table, centered mainly around donkey meat. Qin Ming chatted late into the night with Old Man Liu, learning the names of several spiritual substances, all located in exceedingly dangerous areas, and also uncovering the location of the Blood Bamboo Forest.
Qin Ming had previously guessed that the Blood Bamboo Forest targeted by Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng was most likely within the patrol team's assigned territory.
Sure enough, Old Man Liu mentioned that the Blood Bamboo Forest lay merely six li from the mountain patrol team's outpost.
A species of serpent nested there, translucent scarlet as if carved from red agate. Its flesh, blood, and gall contained rich vitality and spiritual essence.
However, this snake was exceptionally dangerous, even lethal. It possessed virulent venom; a single bite was something even a Newborn could not endure.
"If you're fortunate enough to catch one, you must chop off its head and remove the venom glands. Otherwise, it isn't a tonic, but a deadly draught of poison."
Old Man Liu explained that besides its deadly venom, the snake's body was as hard as iron, its strength was extraordinary, and it could glide through the air. Even a small snake only a few feet long was far more dangerous than many mountain beasts, capable of shooting out like an iron arrow to pierce clean into an opponent's body in an instant.
For this reason, some called it the blood snake, while others called it the arrow snake.
If one ever spotted a blood snake over ten feet long out in the mountains, the best choice was to flee immediately.
Old Man Liu recalled that the serpent nest had already existed when he was young. Decades had passed; secondary mutated blood snakes had surely emerged by now.
Qin Ming said, "Let's just hope no even more formidable old serpents have appeared."
"Even if sabers and swords hack into a blood snake, they might not sever it; sparks will just fly off. Among creatures of the same tier, it is exceptionally ferocious, with virtually no weaknesses." Reaching this point, Old Man Liu sprang to his feet so abruptly he nearly overturned the table, startling his wife and almost scaring his youngest grandson to tears.
"You old fool, what's gotten into you?" The old woman glared at him.
Old Man Liu's face flushed red, as though his youth had been restored. Waving his arms in excitement, he shouted, "How could I have forgotten this! Something has gone wrong in the mountains right now. If the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest has extinguished, wouldn't all the blood snakes there be frozen stiff, free for anyone to scoop up?"
He wished he could sprout wings and fly straight into the mountains to take a look.
Qin Ming immediately said, "How about the two of us head into the mountains tonight to pick up those spiritual blood snakes?"
"Splendid!" Old Man Liu nodded vigorously. But then, as if suddenly remembering something, he slumped back down in dejection, sighing. "If even I realized it, those bastards Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng are guarding the mountain and desperately yearning for a second Newborn. How could they not have thought of the spiritual substances right in their own backyard?"
The old man looked completely disheartened, his excitement having come to nothing. Sitting there, he slapped his thighs until they were nearly bruised, cursing the mountain patrol team in sheer indignation.
"Those dogs truly have all the luck. Don't tell me another one or two like Fu Entao are about to emerge from this golden opportunity? I'd really love to splash a ladle of manure over them and leave them reeking to high heaven."
***
Throughout that day, Qin Ming had moved without stopping. In the dead of night, he had braved the wind and snow into the mountains, slaying Fu Entao, Feng Yi'an, and the others with a single woodchopping cleaver. Next, he had gone to meet the nobles from Chixia City, and then spent half the night listening to Old Man Liu boast about his mysterious sightings and bizarre encounters in the deep mountains.
By the time Qin Ming returned home, he felt somewhat weary and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, he woke very early, quickly finished his breakfast, and headed straight into the mountains.
Chapter 19