Once Shone on Rosy Clouds

In this era, endless night blanketed heaven and earth. Luminescent creatures were rare. Whenever one appeared, it almost certainly meant dread and lethal peril, a clear signal to flee the area at once. Who knew how many perilous beings lay dormant in the boundless wilderness? To openly expose oneself in an environment fraught with hidden danger, radiating light without restraint, was undeniably an act of supreme confidence—and in all likelihood, terrifying strength. Qin Ming slipped silently to the foot of a tree, concealing himself within the dense forest shadows, his heart pounding in turmoil. That was no ordinary luminescent creature. It illuminated the entire night sky. In an age without sun, moon, or stars, such a wonder had actually appeared across the pitch-black world. "The Moon Insect!" he realized, having heard of it before. The village elders often told stories of the distant ancient past, when there was a sun and a moon. Whenever they saw the bewildered looks on the children's faces, they would cite the Moon Insect as an example. "If you ever happen to catch sight of the Moon Insect in the distance, you'll know what the moon looked like." If the Moon Insect ever showed itself, no one needed to explain what it was; it would be unmistakable, for it would be the only thing shining in the night sky. At first, as the ball of light had slowly risen, its glow was relatively soft. Qin Ming wasn't sure if it was just his preconceptions at play, but he thought he had caught the faint silhouette of an insect. Now, however, it shone far too brilliantly. Where was there any insect form to be seen? Radiance intertwined like a splendid disk, crowned with divine glory as it illuminated the nocturnal heavens. Summer cicadas knew nothing of spring and autumn; under normal circumstances, insects rarely survived the winter into the following year. Yet according to the elders, the Moon Insect had migrated to this region over fifty years ago, dwelling deep within the grand mountain range and seldom appearing in the outer territories. By local tradition, it had long been recorded as one of the mountains' enduring "Famous Insects," standing strong for half a century. People had good reason to believe that its true foundation and power were no weaker than those of ancient anomalous beasts or mountain lords that had survived for even greater spans of time. Qin Ming was captivated. In that distant ancient age, was this truly what the moon looked like? High in the night sky, a heavenly lantern seemed to hang, shining with dazzling splendor, casting pure, brilliant light down onto the pitch-black woods and blanketing the dark, desolate ridges. In an instant, the land was dyed a pale silver. This was completely unlike anything he had seen before; the dense inky blackness of the mountains had been thoroughly swept away. The entire world felt transformed. Gazing upon such breathtaking beauty, Qin Ming could not help feeling a profound longing for that ancient age with the sun and moon. What kind of world must that have been? He understood that the Moon Insect only illuminated the two low hills nearby, far from rivaling the true moon of legend. After all, the ancient moon was said to cast its glow across tens of thousands of li, an expansive marvel of the open sky, a true and vast radiance. At this moment, all sound was stilled. The wild boar king, the mysterious entity hunting it, and every beast and bird in the forest remained quietly dormant. Suddenly, a streak of light cut across the vast sky as the Moon Insect flew into the distance. The surrounding area quickly lost its brilliance, plunging the forest back into boundless dark. Qin Ming felt a sudden hollowness, followed by a fierce yearning. When would he be able to come and go as freely as the Moon Insect, unimpeded by the eternal night? There was no time to daydream. Taking advantage of the predators being cowed and unwilling to roam, he sprang into action, hauling the saber-horned deer and the donkey-headed wolf over the low hills and making a swift escape. Deep in the mountains, a shrill howl rang out before abruptly cutting short. At the spot where the Moon Insect had swooped down, a powerful creature seemed to have been slain. The forest stayed quiet. Neither anomalous beasts of extraordinary might nor repeatedly mutated "famous birds" dared make a sound. Twin Trees Village came into view, and Qin Ming returned safely with his game. As he neared the village entrance, he glanced back over his shoulder. The wilderness stretched out vast and endlessly black. The splendid sights from moments ago still lingered in his mind, leaving him somewhat dazed. The ancient moon had once shone on rosy clouds returning home, but where was it today? *Grumble!* A growl from his stomach yanked him back to reality. He gave an inward chuckle at himself. Why waste thought on such ethereal notions when he needed to put food in his belly? In such bitter cold, only a few children were chasing each other near the village entrance, unwilling to stay cooped up inside. "Brother Qin, you went into the mountains... and hunted a saber-horned deer all by yourself?" A scrawny boy's eyes went wide with shock. The children's faces were flushed red with cold. They crowded forward, jumping in fright when they caught sight of the black donkey-headed wolf that weighed several hundred jin. Staring at the two carcasses, they couldn't help swallowing hard. "Come over to my house in a bit to eat meat," Qin Ming said with a smile. Moving like a gust of wind, he dragged his quarry back to his home. Having endured the hunger the entire trek back, he had almost felt tempted to tear into raw flesh and drink warm blood. He set water to boil right away and called over Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing to help. "Xiao Qin, are you hurt?" Liang Wanqing was observant and spotted the blood on his shoulder immediately. "Just a scratch, nothing serious." Qin Ming shook his head. Lu Ze checked the wound, seeing that it was shallow and already scabbed over, and breathed a sigh of relief. Before long, a rich aroma wafted through the courtyard. Thick cuts of meat simmered in the iron pot, while a deer leg roasted over the fire, dripping with sizzling fat. Qin Ming's stomach was thundering, and he could wait no longer. Using a small knife, he carved off a thin slice of venison and popped it straight into his mouth, heedless of the heat. "It's cooked, and it tastes incredible! Wenrui, did your uncle make your wish come true today?" Wenrui took a bite, squinting in pure bliss until his eyes were like crescent moons. Nodding like a chick pecking at grain, he beamed, "It's so good! I can't even remember the last time I ate meat. Uncle, you're amazing!" Qin Ming told Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing to eat first and worry about dressing the rest of the meat later. Little Wenhui, just over two years old, couldn't chew the roasted venison yet and had to settle for boiled meat mashed into a puree. He pouted in dismay, watching them with wide, longing eyes, which drew laughter from the adults. Qin Ming was at a critical juncture of his Newborn transformation, and his body was sending relentless signals of ravenous hunger for meat. Eating hungrily now, he finally felt sated. Just then, several children peeked into the courtyard, their little faces smeared with dirt. Catching the mouthwatering aroma of meat, their eyes shone with craving, but they were too shy to come in. Qin Ming waved to them right away. "Didn't I tell you at the village entrance? Come on in, let's all eat together." "Thanks, Brother Qin!" "Uncle, you're the best..." The children called out various names as they sheepishly entered the courtyard. Soon, their cheeks puffed out like little hamsters, murmuring indistinctly through full mouths about how delicious it was. "Eat slowly, there's plenty more." Fearing the children might choke, Liang Wanqing ladled out bowls of broth for them. Qin Ming felt his flesh and blood rejoicing, like sweet rain falling on a drought-parched land. Countless fresh shoots burst through the soil, brimming with the boundless vigor of new life. He could clearly sense his tendons lengthening, his joints popping from time to time, his hearing and vision sharpening, and his spirit surging with vitality. A postnatal womb-like metamorphosis—his body was undergoing a genuine Newborn transformation! Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing had long set down their bowls and chopsticks, yet Qin Ming was still wolfing down meat. His appetite was like a bottomless pit, bordering on frightening. Sweat poured steadily from his skin, rising into clouds of white steam. "A Newborn transformation—his body is undergoing a drastic change!" Lu Ze was astonished. He hadn't expected the process that began yesterday to continue today, let alone accelerate. What realm was he about to reach? The children couldn't eat another bite, their bellies swollen round and their little faces full of immense satisfaction. Noticing that they were still a bit constrained in his yard, Qin Ming smiled. "All full? Go on out and play, then." Word soon spread that he had hunted a saber-horned deer and a donkey-headed wolf. The villagers were stunned. The wilderness was perilous at this time of year, and most dared not step foot into the mountains, yet he had secured such a haul. Above all, the mutated donkey-headed wolf possessed a terrifying reputation; an ordinary person stood little chance of surviving an encounter with one. Qin Ming was barely past sixteen. How could he have taken down a beast weighing several hundred jin? "Could he have become a Newborn within his golden window?" Before long, many villagers gathered in Qin Ming's courtyard, asking about the conditions in the mountains. If it was safe, they planned to hunt as well. "Mom, I'm hungry," a little girl in patched clothes whispered. In this winter of scarce food, the roast meat in the courtyard smelled intoxicating. Several children hid behind the adults, watching with wide, pitiful eyes. Qin Ming knew the agony of starving. Looking at those red, freezing little faces and their miserable expressions, he waved them over. "Come on over and eat, all of you." The children didn't sit down right away; simple and timid, they first looked to their parents for permission. Qin Ming then addressed the adults: "Uncles, I won't invite you to sit and eat here, but each household can take five jin of meat home when we're done." "Xiao Qin, how can we accept that..." "It's settled," Qin Ming said. The village only had a few dozen households, so there was enough meat to share. "Xiao Qin really is such a good lad. Everyone should keep an eye out and help him arrange a pretty wife soon. He's just about the right age." "No rush for that," Qin Ming waved his hands in embarrassment. Laughter filled the courtyard. The children were the happiest of all, sitting together in a circle, their little faces gleaming with grease as they ate. *** "Xiao Qin, tell your uncle the truth—are you a Newborn now?" Yang Yongqing walked in. He had run into Qin Ming just before shallow night began. Not long after parting ways, the boy had managed to kill a mutated donkey-headed wolf, giving him quite a shock. Qin Ming smiled and nodded. "Uncle Yang, didn't you mention that a noble lady might be coming and told me to work hard and perform well? Plus, I ran into trouble in the mountains and got rattled, my body kept heating up, and all of a sudden, I transformed." "You cheeky kid, playing modest with me?" Yang Yongqing pointed a finger at him with a grin. Everyone present knew full well that this was the result of Qin Ming's extraordinary physical foundation and profound accumulation. "A Newborn in the golden window! In several decades, this is the first Twin Trees Village has ever seen!" Old Man Liu, who lived at the village entrance, marveled with a sigh. Everyone understood what this signified. Even across this entire region, it was brilliant, promising limitless potential for the future. In this freezing cold where breath instantly turned to ice crystals, Qin Ming's body burned like a furnace. Growing hotter by the minute, he poured out sweat until his clothes were soaked, wrapped in billows of white steam. "His vitality is so intense—far fiercer than mine back then." Yang Yongqing's bearded cheeks twitched, deeply shaken. He knew Qin Ming was undergoing an accelerated rebirth from head to toe, inside and out. It began like autumn and winter, shedding every withered leaf, before turning like spring and summer, bursting with new sprouts and branches. The sticky layer on his skin was the purging of old impurities, while within him lay boundless vigor. His blood seemed to glow, as if he had returned to the womb to cultivate an exuberant newborn force, once again unlocking the limits of his body. A heavy drowsiness washed over Qin Ming. Having eaten his fill, he felt as though he were slipping into a unique state of hibernation, his eyelids growing too heavy to keep open. He asked Lu Ze to distribute the meat to the households while he followed his body's instincts and headed inside to sleep. "Granny Zhou is being buried today. Please go on my behalf and take extra meat to the Zhou family," Qin Ming murmured, fighting off the exhaustion. After rinsing himself down with icy water, he collapsed onto the heated kang. The other villagers were surprised by what they saw, though they didn't fully comprehend it. Yang Yongqing, however, was a man of the world. Seeing Qin Ming enveloped in white mist, with a powerful heartbeat thumping like a war drum, left him thoroughly shaken! Crucially, the youth was still in the middle of his Newborn transformation; it was far from over. Could it be that after this transformation, Qin Ming might actually stand a slim chance of rivaling those celebrated prodigies in that bright distant city? Before long, Yang Yongqing shook his head. No matter how good one's natural talent was, how could it match three generations of accumulated heritage? What was more, those youths were remarkably gifted themselves. As for the boy and girl who had recently dazzled that city, outstripping every golden-window Newborn of past generations, he felt there was no point in even considering them; they were beyond comparison.