Newborn

Qin Ming nodded solemnly. It was indeed time to figure out how to achieve Newborn. This was a momentous matter that concerned his entire life and would shape his future destiny. Ages fifteen and sixteen were the golden window. Becoming a Newborn at this age yielded the greatest benefits, and missing it would be a terrible shame. Yet doing so was extraordinarily difficult. Even the standout figures of Twin Trees Village had only achieved Newborn after turning twenty, while others had not succeeded until past thirty. Even so, in a village of over forty households and more than two hundred people, all the Newborns combined numbered fewer than ten. Lu Ze spoke up. "Erbingzi from the neighboring village made it, right within his golden window." Qin Ming remembered Erbingzi: frail of frame, sallow and emaciated, with a sickly cast to his face and sparse, straw-colored hair. He was thoroughly surprised that a youth who seemed so far from robust had actually achieved Newborn during his golden window. "When did this happen?" "Nearly a month ago," Lu Ze told him. "After achieving Newborn, Erbingzi went straight ahead and lifted the four-hundred-jin black donkey in his courtyard, completely shedding his former frailty." "That really is a wonder." Qin Ming genuinely had not expected this. So many youths built like bulls had met failure after failure, yet Erbingzi had accomplished it in one fell swoop. Lu Ze felt a pang as well. He was strong and healthy, counted among the formidable figures of the village's able-bodied men, yet he was already twenty-three and had still not achieved Newborn. "Rumor has it that it's connected to a relative of his." Lu Ze knew some of the inside story. Erbingzi had a distant relative who traveled abroad year-round. Returning this time and seeing Erbingzi, the man determined he was good seed. The man had said that Erbingzi's body had suffered a minor ailment in the past that failed to lock in his vital spirit, which was why he looked sickly, but his potential was actually immense. Crucially, the man had brought back an advanced manual of the Yiqi Art and had Erbingzi switch to practicing it. The effects were remarkably pronounced, and in the end, he became a Newborn. Qin Ming grew lost in thought. A person's fortunes were truly unpredictable. "Afterward, that relative said Erbingzi's innate foundation was far sturdier than he'd initially guessed, and that he might go very far." Lu Ze had never imagined that someone who looked sickly year in and year out could actually turn out to be so formidable. "Even though we don't have an advanced manual of the Yiqi Art, we still have viable paths. Xiao Qin, I think it's time you changed that special training method of yours," Lu Ze urged. To his mind, Qin Ming possessed exceptional physical conditioning, stronger even than his own and already far beyond ordinary people. Yet with such great potential, Qin Ming had still not become a Newborn. The issue most likely lay in the way he tempered himself—it failed to nurture the power of rebirth and could not carry him forward. He was already just past sixteen. If he continued like this, he would truly miss his golden window. Liang Wanqing joined in the persuasion. "Xiao Qin, why not switch to your Brother Lu's Night Meditation Art instead?" With eternal night blanketing heaven and earth and the wilderness fraught with deadly peril, widely shared texts on strength circulated in various regions under these harsh conditions, meant to let everyone improve their constitution to defend themselves. Naturally, these books were hardly high-end, and miles removed from rare, secret volumes. Qin Ming was not stubborn. Recognizing their good intentions, he nodded. "I'll give it a serious try moving forward." Lu Ze let out a soft sigh. He believed Qin Ming had been held back by the unorthodox methods he practiced every day, which fell far short of even his own low-grade Initial Exposition of the Night Meditation Art. Yet switching now meant time was exceptionally tight. He figured only an advanced manual of the Yiqi Art could help Qin Ming turn things around in a short time. Lu Ze exhaled a breath of stale air. "Sigh, if only we had even a mid-grade secret manual. With gifts like yours, it would be such a pity to miss your most precious golden window." Yet in this region, the only publicly circulating books capable of helping someone achieve Newborn were a mere few, like Floating Life Art: Introductory Guide and Initial Exposition of the Night Meditation Art, all of comparable quality. Qin Ming felt no anxiety. Primarily, it was because the movements he had drilled for years were finally showing results: the light flowing over his skin and the faint silver ripples, though subtle, had truly manifested. It was no longer like before. A healthy flush tinged his clean-cut face, and his eyes shone bright. "Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, give me a bit more time. I should be able to make it." To achieve Newborn meant that atop one's original physical constitution, vigorous vitality surged forth as if returning to the womb, freshly nurturing a burgeoning power of rebirth. In the turbid air of the mortal world, a body's physical condition was normally set in stone; if one's foundation underwent a second stage of development, it was akin to an acquired rebirth from the womb. Who wouldn't be tempted? Take Erbingzi, for instance: originally frail, once he became a Newborn, a heave of both arms let him hoist a living creature weighing hundreds of jin high overhead. Such a transformation was truly astonishing, nothing short of rewriting fate. Consider Lu Ze: after training in the Night Meditation Art, he could already snap blue bricks with his bare hands and shatter wooden training posts with a strike. If he were to achieve Newborn and experience a massive surge in strength, how terrifying would his fists and kicks become? "Now that all lingering illness has cleared, I feel different. My physical condition has never been better," Qin Ming said, brimming with confidence. Before Lu Ze or Liang Wanqing could say anything, five-year-old Wenrui was already nodding earnestly, his flushed little face full of anticipation. "Uncle is the greatest! Once Uncle succeeds and catches a mountain beast to stew up meat, I... I'm craving it." Little Wenhui, just past two, toddled over to chime in, his words slurred. "Uncle... great. Eat meat-meat." Qin Ming chuckled at once. "No need to wait for later. I can satisfy you today." With that, he took down the red squirrel hanging from his hunting fork. The mutated squirrel's dark, gem-like eyes widened almost out of their sockets, and then terror washed over its features. "Hey, it's alive again. Even better—the meat will be far tenderer than if it were frozen." Qin Ming lifted it up, looking it over. "This squirrel is so pretty, kind of cute." Wenrui blinked his big eyes, feeling a heartfelt fondness for this furry little creature. "It'll be even cuter once it's stewed up. Guaranteed to taste delicious," Qin Ming teased with a smile. Wenrui was instantly torn. He truly craved meat, having not tasted any in a long while, but seeing this little creature with fiery red, glowing fur, he could hardly look away. He longed to get close to it and wanted to keep it as a pet. Little Wenhui followed right behind his older brother, mimicking him. His bright eyes mirrored the red squirrel's reflection as he mumbled, "Squil-wel... cute." Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing looked at the two children and laughed. Qin Ming voiced agreement. "It really is cute and capable. Look at how much food it stored for the winter: pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, jujubes, everything under the sun, no fewer than a dozen kinds. It even stored mushrooms. This works out great—squirrel stewed with mushrooms, tasty and nourishing." "R-really? But I don't want it to die." Wenrui clutched the corner of his tunic, his little face troubled, though he didn't forget to swallow a mouthful of saliva. "Of course. Look, among these mushrooms there are actually tiger paw mushrooms and sun-finch mushrooms. Those are renowned mountain delicacies. You're in for a treat. As expected, handpicked by a mutated beast, guaranteed top quality," Qin Ming praised. The red squirrel had a fiery temper; its fur bristled all over. Qin Ming drew his short knife and took the squirrel by the scruff, preparing to skin it in the courtyard. Such bloody sights were best kept from the two children. "Squeak, squeak!" The mutated little beast panicked instantly, crying out in terror and thrashing violently, the wire binding it cutting so tight it almost sank into its flesh. "Uncle, why not... let's keep it," Wenrui blocked him. Trying his best to forget the taste of stewed meat, he seemed to make up his mind as he pleaded. "What a fine ingredient, though. Mutated creatures have the most delicious meat," Qin Ming teased. "I won't eat it this time. Once Uncle becomes a Newborn, you can definitely hunt big, ferocious mutated creatures. I'll wait until Uncle succeeds." Sympathy won over the little boy, steeling him against the temptation of food. Tense and frantic, the mutated squirrel looked at the knife in Qin Ming's hand one moment and squeaked at Wenrui the next, as if crying for help. Liang Wanqing said in surprise, "This little mountain beast is remarkably clever. It's as if it understands what you're saying. Look at its little face, all scrunched up in worry." Qin Ming sheathed his knife. Such a small creature had little meat anyway and had only been meant to satisfy the kids' cravings. Since they preferred a live pet, they could just keep it. Lu Ze frowned slightly. "This winter isn't like past ones. Where will we find spare food for it?" The mutated squirrel stared longingly at the bulging hide bag—all of its life savings were in there! Qin Ming also noticed that this little beast was indeed extraordinarily clever. He picked out some acorns from the pile of dried nuts. "These nuts have to be processed before eating, otherwise they're mildly toxic and somewhat bitter. It's perfect to save them to feed the squirrel." The red squirrel made no sound, only staring wide-eyed at him, breathing a little heavily. "You get to live and you're still not satisfied? And another thing: if you dare bite anyone, I'll definitely stew you," Qin Ming warned, locking it into an iron birdcage. Lu Ze felt it would be better to sell the mutated squirrel. Its vibrant, fiery red pelt was valuable after all, while keeping it meant wasting food and energy. Yet when he saw the two children bouncing and laughing in pure delight, he voiced no further objection. Before leaving, Lu Ze took the iron cage and the pile of acorns, refusing any of the other dried goods. Qin Ming didn't argue, simply pressing the cloth bag of walnuts and pine nuts into Liang Wanqing's hands as snacks for the two children. ... Having temporarily escaped the food shortage, Qin Ming began to seriously contemplate the matter of becoming a Newborn. Lu Ze's comment about unorthodox methods holding him back had stirred some ripples in his heart. He vaguely remembered fuzzy fragments from his early childhood: someone had once told him that although those movements had origins, they probably couldn't be mastered. A moment later, he walked into the courtyard to proceed at his own pace first. The "unorthodox methods" he had practiced for over a decade were clearly different now; there was no reason to stop. Qin Ming loosened his joints and stretched his muscles and sinews—twisting, revolving, turning, flipping—fluid and unhindered. He suddenly bounded off the ground, swift as an arrow released from a bow, yet descended light as a swallow, landing without a sound. He transitioned between stillness and motion: sitting crouched like a tiger, walking as if wading through mud, completely natural and smooth. Then he spun, whipping his leg out like lightning—a dragon-python lashing its tail through midair, producing a dull boom. After a brief warm-up, Qin Ming began executing a variety of highly demanding movements. "Blowing and breathing, expelling the old and drawing in the new, hanging like a bear and turning like an owl..." He extended his body, forceful and vigorous, kicking up a fierce wind that whipped up the snow from the ground, swirling and dancing around him. Soon, the familiar sensation arrived. Indescribably faint silver threads intertwined across Qin Ming's pores, rippling into waves that formed a delicate sheen of flowing light over his skin. Gradually, white mist steamed around his entire body. A warm current flowed through his flesh and blood, like a sweet downpour after a severe drought, the parched earth greedily absorbing every raindrop. Qin Ming's movements took an enormous toll, yet he felt no fatigue; on the contrary, his spirits surged. His body seemed to cheer, as if it had starved for ages and wished to gorge itself, continuously drinking in the silver ripples. His flesh itched as power grew throughout his whole body. Was he about to achieve Newborn? Qin Ming's body ran hot, gripped by an urge to run and vent his boundless vigor. And so he did. He sprinted across the wilderness like a shooting star streaking beneath the night sky, tearing into the distance until he neared the edge of the mountain forest. In the distant snow stood a tall, slender woman. Her black fur cloak glinted with a faint dark luster, covering her fair neck and revealing only a delicate chin, carrying an air of mysterious, haughty aloofness. A crow perched on a bramble patch beside her spoke in human tongue: "Oh? His body is achieving Newborn on its own, and even in the initial stage there's an extraordinary phenomenon—as if moonlight were washing over his skin, stirring up rippling layers of shattered gold." "I'd say he's good seed. Truly rare to find someone like this in such an out-of-the-way place." Its feathers shone like black gold and its eyes were purple. Gazing ahead, it said, "Isn't your teacher looking for a final disciple? This youth might do." Standing on a large bluestone as the cold wind blew, pressing the loose cloak against her body and revealing her exquisite curves, the woman spoke in a somewhat aloof voice. "There is someone more suitable than him." As if sensing something, Qin Ming turned his head toward the distance, bow and arrow already in hand. "Sharp intuition," the crow remarked. By now it was inside the dense woods, and it said to the woman beside it, "Your teacher's path is exceedingly special. You really shouldn't miss out on a seed with such promise of flourishing." "Not being chosen is a regret he will never even know. What could I miss? The best candidate has already been found." The mountain wind howled, whipping her glossy black hair across one side of her luminous cheek. Her black clothes fluttered in the gale, looking ethereal yet chilly and proud. Walking forward, she said, "For now, investigating the mountains is what matters."