Disturbances

The entire mansion was bright as day. Though it was the season of drifting snow, warmth lingered here like spring and summer; vibrant flowers blazed in the garden beds, and the greenery across the courtyards was lush and dripping with vitality. In the spacious hall, the dignified middle-aged man did not speak immediately. The brief silence made Cui Hong, who stood waiting with hands at his sides, feel as though he were facing a towering mountain. "Leave him plenty of day gold so he has no worry of food or clothing, and let him live out his life in affluence there." The long-armed man, Cui Hong, immediately nodded in agreement, but then cautiously asked for further instructions, "If he has already undergone newborn rebirth, is there any need to..." The middle-aged man spoke, "The art on the silk book cannot be mastered." "If he has already abandoned the silk book and, in order to survive in that remote and barren land, switched to another method and embarked on the path of newborn rebirth..." Cui Hong inquired cautiously. The middle-aged man rose and stood before a massive pillar carved with cloud patterns, gazing out at the garden where pavilions and towers were dotted among scenic vistas at every turn. "Let him live the life of an ordinary man. Let him take root there completely—affluent, peaceful. That is enough." Though Cui Hong nodded, he found the matter rather thorny. It was easy enough to handle right now, but who could say whether trouble might find him in the future? Before taking his leave, he said, "If he is already gone and failed to pull through, I will see him properly buried." The dignified middle-aged man gave a low grunt of assent, gesturing that he could depart. ... The destruction of Golden Rooster Ridge swept across the region like a hurricane. In the villages outside the mountains, cheers naturally erupted. The factions rooted in this territory, however, were stunned and shocked—such as certain merchant guilds and mountain patrol teams. Even the mutants deep in the mountains were disturbed. "The scene was gruesome. I went to see it myself; wild beasts were fighting over the scraps, and not even an intact bone was left." "Golden Rooster Ridge truly showed great righteousness! The last time they collected protection tax, they claimed that to keep us safe, they fought mutants at the Grand Rift Valley and were almost wiped out. Back then, I didn't believe it. But now I'm convinced—they kept their word, truly getting completely wiped out and filling the bellies of mutant creatures!" Someone mocked. It was clear just how unpopular Golden Rooster Ridge had been; upon learning of their demise, if people were not rejoicing everywhere, it was practically close to it. "Which great hero did this? Please accept my bow!" someone shouted excitedly. Many people knew that the two bandit chiefs of Golden Rooster Ridge were fourth Newborns, and the few who knew the inside story were well aware that an old golden rooster mutated five times lived there as well, making them one of the strongest factions in the region. Yet in a single night, they had been wiped out clean. Several merchant guild factions dispatched people to investigate, accompanied by experienced mountain patrollers. "On the leftover bones discarded by the gorged mutants, there were saber marks, spear wounds, and arrow piercings. That means three powerful figures likely joined hands to flatten Golden Rooster Ridge," someone analyzed earnestly. A mountain patroller spoke up, "The one wielding a saber must be a master; the bones cut open show not a single fracture, the cross-sections smooth as mirrors. The spear wielder was also extraordinary; every spear thrust carried an identical amount of force, and the spear holes in the bones look as if they were meticulously polished. The archer's strength was likely the weakest among the three. While their accuracy was terrifyingly formidable—single-handedly shooting down more than half the mountain bandits—the strength in their arms is under two thousand jin." When Qin Ming heard such commentary, he was rendered utterly speechless. Once some larger organizations learned of this, they also began paying attention. This was because Golden Rooster Ridge was backed by the Golden Bandits, whose tracks spanned vast expanses of territory, by no means limited to the areas under Chixia City's sphere of influence. Now, someone had shown no regard for their face whatsoever and uprooted one of their strongholds. Subsequently, some hidden details were unearthed. The people of Golden Rooster Ridge had not been wiped out entirely; two survivors had gone out that night and escaped the catastrophe. Those two had already left to seek refuge with the Golden Bandits, but before departing, they had spread word around. "Our chiefs died such a miserable death! When we were returning to the stronghold, we heard their shouts from afar—they mentioned the City Lord, as well as the mountain protectors of people beyond the mundane world." At this point, the mystery seemed to surface into the open, and many people formed their own conjectures. Then news came from the mutants: that night, Meng Xinghai, the new City Lord of Chixia City, had passed through this area and entered the mountains to meet with the old mountain lord. Soon after, people in Qingsong Town also claimed to have seen people beyond the mundane world checking into an inn that night with two golden-armored mountain protectors. "This new City Lord is very assertive. We'll have to tread carefully when dealing with him from now on." "People beyond the mundane world also stepped in? Well, there are reports that Meng Xinghai was once walking alongside a feather-robed woman. It must be them, no doubt." Several organizations were mulling over this. They didn't care whether Golden Rooster Ridge lived or died; rather, they were studying what kind of person the new City Lord, Meng Xinghai, was. Li Qingyue was paying attention as well, curious about Cui Chonghe's motives for doing this and the consequences it sparked. Never did she expect that the gossip would fall right onto her own head. She had been an eyewitness and knew exactly who was responsible, yet an undeserved blame was placed right on her head. Most critically, even Meng Xinghai was dragged into taking the blame along with her, widely believed by all sides to be an exceptionally domineering City Lord who was difficult to get along with—a new official lighting three fires upon taking office, likely preparing to strike against the Golden Bandits. "Uncle Meng, I am truly sorry. You helped me seek the yin-yang great medicine on Black-White Mountain, only for people to misunderstand you..." Li Qingyue expressed her apologies. Wiping out Golden Rooster Ridge was a trivial matter; they deserved to die anyway. But causing all factions to misjudge Meng Xinghai's temperament and upcoming moves was no small impact. Meng Xinghai wore green robes and looked thirty-seven or thirty-eight. Though he appeared scholarly, his tone was firm. Shaking his head, he said, "It's fine. City Lord Ling Xu and I have exchanged letters and discussed matters before. Originally, he intended to draw the Golden Bandits out at Golden Rooster Ridge and hunt them down. I wish to do the same, so I have no fear of being misjudged." Then he added, "What I obtained from the mountain lord was a branch of the black-white tree. Ling Xu still has a section of root stalk; I will ask for a portion on your behalf later." "Thank you, Uncle Meng." "Why stand on ceremony with me? In truth, a single word from your clan or your master could have resolved an affair like this." Li Qingyue shook her head. "The yin-yang great medicine is of paramount importance to people beyond the mundane world. Right now, more than one powerful sect covets it, either writing letters to request it or dispatching people on their way here. A single step late, and one might fall behind the others and make the trip in vain." Meng Xinghai said, "Your path is enviable and truly splendid; other paths can hardly compare. In just a few years, you might even catch up to me." ... The destruction of Golden Rooster Ridge had wide-ranging repercussions, evoking different reactions from major organizations down to local factions. For example, the Three-Eyed Cult acted completely out of character, actually sending people to each village to ask if any mutants were wreaking havoc nearby so they could help eradicate them, their attitude exceedingly pleasant. They even delivered grain to provide relief to several of the most destitute villages. Everyone's first thought was that the Three-Eyed Cult had gone mad. It was shocking enough that they weren't extorting people, but why were they providing aid in reverse? Soon enough, people realized: the local upper echelons of the Three-Eyed Cult had chickened out. Terrified of following in Golden Rooster Ridge's footsteps and being exterminated, they were now trying to earn some goodwill for self-preservation. "Let me tell you, the hero who flattened Golden Rooster Ridge that day was someone else! He rode atop a purple lightning beast, wielded a sky-splitting spear, and looked truly heroic. Single-handedly, he annihilated that band of mountain bandits and slew the old golden rooster. He even came to our Qingsong Town, frightening every member of the Three-Eyed Cult into fleeing overnight!" Finally, someone leaked a very credible piece of news, but it was hard to dig any deeper, as all clues had long since run cold. Some tried reaching out to the mutants, but when those mountain monsters heard inquiries about the purple lightning beast, they immediately turned hostile and refused to get involved in the matter. People realized that the purple lightning beast possessed quite an extraordinary background. "Infuriating! Is this damned mess never going to end? Is it going to become a dark blemish on my record?" Deep in the mountains, the purple lightning beast bristled in fury, summoning the white owl once more to ask if there were any clues about that outsider. If not, they needed to dispatch more hands immediately. The owl replied, "After all, Black-White Mountain is not our home turf. Investigating will take time." ... Qin Ming had been continually practicing the Yellow Clay Palm. He was no longer just at initial proficiency, but had reached a solid level of refinement. When soft force circulated and heavenly light force erupted, the effect was exceptionally terrifying. He found a wild ox to test it. With a light slap of his right hand, beneath the tough ox hide, the flesh, internal organs, and bones were swiftly pulverized, all smashed into a ruined mess. "Unsuitable for sparring. Any strike risks death or grievous injury," Qin Ming murmured to himself. What he looked forward to most was the Yellow Clay Palm after fusing earth essence; that was the supreme art he truly wished to master. Before departing, Qin Ming still wanted to seek out another ancient book or two and asked Old Man Liu to help look around. Indeed, there was another declining lineage, but their asking price was outrageous. Knowing that the Wu family had received fifteen pieces of day gold, they demanded fifty pieces right off the bat. "Old Sir, please inquire as to which heavenly light force their family possesses." Old Man Liu said, "No need to ask. Everyone knows it's the nail force. It is indeed extremely formidable, but their asking price is far too exorbitant." "Even if they drop the price to a single piece of day gold, I wouldn't bother reading it!" Qin Ming said. He felt a tinge of emotion. In this remote land, secret manuals were indeed scarce, with only a handful circulating around. He had already mastered that so-called nail force long ago—it was the very force manual that the bearded man, who wrote "How I lament being unable to master the Tathagata force," had endured countless hardships to find. Two days later, Qin Ming prepared to journey far. Not wanting to alert too many people, he went to the courtyard next door before leaving. After eating the fire snake meat, Lu Ze had not only recovered from his injuries with remarkable speed, but had also undergone his initial newborn rebirth. Qin Ming told him that in his own cellar, he had kept a twice-mutated fire snake frozen for him; Lu Ze should remember to finish eating it before spring arrived and flowers bloomed. If his potential was not too poor, he might even undergo a second newborn rebirth. Back then, Qin Ming had brought back two large snakes and six small ones in total. He had not even finished a single large snake himself, and had shared a portion of the meat broth with Old Man Liu to help treat his wounds. Lu Ze and his wife were astonished, realizing at once who had wiped out the mountain patrol team back then. "Xiao Qin, are you really leaving?!" They were filled with reluctance to part. Qin Ming nodded. "I want to go see the distant lands." "Uncle, will you come back?" Wenrui wiped his tears, hugging him and refusing to let go. Wenhui, just over two years old, could not yet speak clearly, but he too knew Qin Ming was leaving, looking up and babbling incoherently, calling out for uncle. "I will come back." Qin Ming patted both children's heads. Before parting, he handed Lu Ze several handwritten copies of cultivation techniques, telling him to practice diligently and later teach them to Wenrui as well. "Master Harmonize with Light and Dust first. In case you undergo a second newborn rebirth in a short period, it will help you conceal it." Qin Ming did not let them see him off. Carrying his mutton-fat jade iron saber on his back, he vanished outside the village with astonishing speed. Old Man Liu waited in the snowdrifts further off, having made a point of seeing him off here. At the same time, a massive bird of prey carrying Cui Hong and an elegantly dressed young man pierced the night mist, crossing the boundless earth. Upon reaching the region of Black-White Mountain, it circled broadly before slowly descending toward the snowdrifts outside Silver Vine Town.