Beneath the night sky, Qin Ming stood atop the crimson eagle's back. Hearing Cui Chongyi's shouts, he looked back and saw him sprinting through the town, giving chase all the way.
At the same time, Qin Ming also spotted Cui Hong standing motionless amid the firelight at the town entrance.
He gave the crimson eagle a gentle pat, signaling it to descend a little and wait at the opposite end of Silver Vine Town.
"Cousin, I swear on my life that I bear no ill will! Why don't you trust me anymore? We were so close in the past!" Cui Chongyi shouted, a slight sob in his voice.
At last, he saw the crimson eagle circling outside the town rather than flying away, and hurried toward it at full tilt.
"Get on!" Qin Ming said, allowing him to leap onto the crimson eagle's back.
The wind howled as the crimson eagle carried the two of them away, soaring toward a region crowded with layered mountain shadows.
Cui Chongyi knew that Qin Ming truly did not trust Cui Hong and feared he might strike without warning.
"Chonghe... sigh, Qin Ming. No matter what I call you, it feels awkward." Under the cover of night atop a mountain peak, Cui Chongyi looked conflicted as he gazed at his cousin standing before him.
Looking back at the past, Qin Ming recalled that when he had lived among the Cui clan, the juniors who did not know the truth had all gotten along well with him, and Cui Chongyi had been the closest of them all.
Now that the illusion was shattered, he reflected carefully and realized that over those years, the older cousins among the main branch had treated him with lukewarm indifference—they had likely known the truth all along.
"Sigh, I've learned a few things as well. The family was indeed out of line back then, actually making you travel alongside a group of clan elders who were already destined to die, to face a large host of elite Li clan experts."
As Cui Chongyi brought this up, he looked filled with indignant resentment.
How could he not know by now? That time, the clan had intended for Qin Ming to die amid the chaos, settling everything once and for all.
Had Cui Qi not returned, learned the truth, and turned against his own clansmen, Cui Hong and that woman would never have been sent to rescue Qin Ming afterward, and all traces of him would have been erased.
"There's no need to bring up past events," Qin Ming said.
Standing atop the peak, he gazed into the distance. As the night wind blew past, his plain green robes whipped loudly around him.
In a low voice, Cui Chongyi said, "Chong... Qin Ming, I know many of our brothers and sisters in the family will probably turn cold toward you. But as far as I'm concerned, no matter what happens in the future, you will always be my brother. That will never change. Whenever you need help, just give the word, and I'll rush right over to fight for you!"
"There's no need for that," Qin Ming said, shaking his head. Knowing this cousin was a truly good person, he did not want him dragged into a needless vortex later on.
Qin Ming did not fear being targeted by others; his only worry was that someone might try to play the family-affection card. Hearing how most of them truly felt actually allowed him to let out a long breath of relief.
From now on, no one would be able to stop him from reclaiming his silk book.
Cui Chongyi sighed softly. He could understand Qin Ming's feelings, and though he did not know what else to say, he was reluctant to leave just yet.
"Cousin, your performance tonight truly shook me. I heard from Uncle Hong that you haven't been on the Newborn path for very long, yet you already possess such strength."
These words came from the bottom of his heart, born of genuine shock. He continued, "I knew that once you could embark on the path, you would surely be formidable. Back when we were at home, you learned everything so quickly. You casually picked up the zither and weiqi, yet surpassed all of us in no time."
"None of that matters anymore. I haven't touched them in over two years; my hands have grown rusty, and I've almost forgotten it all," Qin Ming said.
Cui Chongyi knew there was a deeper meaning behind his words—he simply did not wish to dwell on the people and events of the past.
"It's better that you focus entirely on your cultivation path. As long as you aren't distracted, there's nothing you set your mind to that you can't accomplish. It was just that silk book... sigh. You were far too obsessed with it back then. That thing truly shouldn't be practiced. If you had turned back earlier, you surely would have stepped into the Outer Sage realm long ago."
Qin Ming glanced at him, but ultimately held his tongue. Certain people had only wanted him to practice the silk book and had deliberately guided him toward it. Back then, he had only been a child; how could he have seen through it? He had been no match for them.
Under normal circumstances, that Newborn method was an utter dead end.
Fortunately, he had actually succeeded in mastering the silk book!
Qin Ming asked, "Can you do me a favor?"
Cui Chongyi nodded eagerly. "Name it!"
Qin Ming spoke solemnly, "Could you try to retrieve the silk book for me? It's the last thing my grandfather left behind for me."
"Seventh Uncle mentioned this once. Supposedly, the silk book was taken by our ancestor to comprehend," Cui Chongyi said, his voice trembling slightly by the end.
Hearing this, Qin Ming could not help but want to curse. Reclaiming it had just become vastly harder!
Seeing his face darken, Cui Chongyi quickly added, "Once Seventh Uncle comes out of seclusion, he can help you ask for it. It shouldn't be too big of an issue."
"Hopefully." After all he had been through, Qin Ming would never place all his hopes on someone else.
"Cousin, the region you live in is truly remote. Lately, I've completely lost touch with the outside world, so I don't know much about recent events. Where did you go? And how did you become so strong? Don't tell me you've already undergone Newborn more than five times? That's really bad; there needs to be a buffer period within a year..."
Cui Chongyi was clearly making conversation. He went on to mention how he had once been abducted by a white owl, taught a lesson by an infuriating purple lightning beast, and even forced to wash dentures for an elephant whose teeth had all fallen out, leaving him so outraged he hadn't slept for two days!
Listening to this, Qin Ming could not help but eye him twice. Why did his cousin's misfortune sound suspiciously related to himself?
"Cousin, that... that person is also in Black-White Mountain," Cui Chongyi said in a hushed tone, an awkward expression on his face. "The Cui Chonghe of the outer realm."
A slight ripple stirred in Qin Ming's heart, but he soon calmed down. "The black-white great medicine harmonizes yin and yang. It seems it is of great importance to people beyond the mundane world."
"He's obtaining it on behalf of a fellow disciple; he doesn't need it himself," Cui Chongyi informed him. Then, with great earnestness, he added, "Although the clan values him immensely, in my heart he is nowhere near as close to me as you are. To me, he's just a dazzling symbol radiating brilliant light."
Then he lowered his voice. "Almost all our old acquaintances who entered the outer realm have come."
After Li Qingyue obtained the yin-yang great medicine in Black-White Mountain, other renowned disciples of the outer realm had caught wind of it and hurried over, dreading to fall behind.
Cui Chongyi whispered, "Lately, the atmosphere among the factions in the outer realm has been extremely tense. The most outstanding new disciples are all actively preparing for battle, because a legendary item has surfaced. It's ideally suited for younger youths and can help them approach immortality in the future. Some of our old friends will likely take the field as well."
This was not the first time Qin Ming had heard of this, but it felt rather distant from him.
Cui Chongyi said, "Wang Caiwei, Zheng Maoze, and the others are nearby, all accompanied by experts. As you move around here, you must be careful of Li Qingxu. Although he looks ethereal in his feathered robes, he is extremely dangerous..."
"Understood," Qin Ming nodded.
Afterward, he prepared to leave.
"The Golden Bandits have gone mad. I need to check on other places," Qin Ming said. The crimson eagle parted the night mist and carried him into the distance.
Standing on an official road, Cui Chongyi watched the figure disappear into the night sky. He stood in a daze, his feelings thoroughly tangled.
"My cousin now, far away from the Cui clan, is striking out everywhere in this remote land just to keep the Golden Bandits from wreaking havoc and causing massive bloodshed."
Deeply moved, Cui Chongyi experienced a mix of complicated emotions. His cousin was younger than him, yet was running about and toiling like this, while he himself trained under the protection of his clansmen.
"In Black-White Mountain, Cui Chonghe, Zheng Maorong, Wang Caiwei, and the others are accompanied by experts from the outer realm as they obtain the yin-yang great medicine. People's fortunes are so different, worlds apart. I only hope everything goes smoothly for my cousin from now on."
Cui Chongyi wondered: if he had been made to go through all of that, how would he have ended up? Most likely, he would have collapsed, never to recover.
Emotionally, he felt much closer to Qin Ming. Yet he knew that people within the clan had indeed used his cousin, and even now, they showed a distinct lack of goodwill toward him. What was worse, they were all his elders, leaving him no choice but to exhale a heavy, sullen breath.
Then, Cui Chongyi felt a surge of concern. Although he had warned his cousin that some of their old acquaintances were in the area, he still worried that Qin Ming might run into certain individuals and meet with disaster.
"The experts guarding Emei Town repelled two Golden Bandits, but failed to kill them. The two vicious brigands have fled into the mountain forests," the speech sparrow brought the latest news.
Qin Ming frowned. With multiple Golden Bandits appearing in this remote region, something felt off. Could even more of these ruthless marauders be planning to pass through here?
His heart tightened. Could a group of Golden Bandits be heading into Black-White Mountain? He recalled that experts from the outer realm were accompanying several core disciples over there—could the two sides have some sort of transaction or connection?
The young man who could turn to mist, whom he had killed earlier with the mutton-fat jade iron saber, had been connected to the Golden Bandits and had once been escorted into the mountain by the bandit chiefs of Golden Rooster Ridge.
This was a major matter beyond his ability to meddle in. Qin Ming returned to Silver Vine Town and penned a letter, instructing the people there to send it to Chixia City via raptor.
The speech sparrow informed him, "The two Golden Bandits fleeing Emei Town are sprinting through the mountain woods. They're still several li from Twin Trees Village. My guess is they won't enter the village, but will end up heading into Black-White Mountain."
"Let's go intercept and kill them!" Qin Ming leaped back onto the crimson eagle. Those Golden Bandits were thoroughly wicked, their hands stained with the blood of innocents. Even if they had grown gray-haired with age, that was merely evil men growing old.
Within the dense forest, the two Golden Bandits abruptly ground to a halt. They saw a blood-red raptor circle down, and a youth carrying a massive hammer leaped boldly toward them.
Violent sounds of wind and thunder erupted through the woods as numerous trees disintegrated in an instant. Qin Ming didn't say a single word upon landing; he struck at them immediately. When it came to the Golden Bandits, every last one was fair game to kill—not a single one would be an unjust death.
The two ferocious brigands roared, fully unleashing their heavenly light force in a desperate attempt to fight Qin Ming to the death. But they were nowhere near his match and were smashed to pieces by the massive hammer, one after the other.
"Someone is actually fighting in the mountains."
Disciples of the outer realm appeared nearby, men and women alike, each accompanied by experts.
"The deceased weren't strong. Neither was qualified to be chosen as a gold-armored guard," a youth concluded after sensing with a secret technique, light glowing at his fingertips.
Gazing at the raptor receding into the night sky, they didn't pay it much mind.
Only Wang Caiwei stared deeply at the night sky. In that fleeting glance, she felt that the tall, slender figure atop the crimson eagle looked somewhat familiar.
Qin Ming did not plan to strike indiscriminately anymore; he had done most of what needed doing.
"Truth and lies are hard to tell apart. Everyone says the Golden Bandits are bathing villages and towns in blood to draw attention and create an opportunity for their leader far away to break through the encirclement. But if their leader is also taking this route, then things are about to become immensely perilous. I hope I guessed wrong."
The crimson eagle cut through the night mist and touched down on the slope outside Twin Trees Village.
Qin Ming kept watch here, hoping that true experts from Chixia City would arrive.
"Hm?" His eyesight was exceptionally keen, and he spotted several people appearing near Twin Trees Village.
Illuminated by the Fire Spring at the village entrance, the leading youth's body glowed with an ethereal Daoist grace. Wreathed in wisps of white mist and drifting showers of light, he appeared peerlessly otherworldly and untainted by the mundane.
The youth was examining the twin black and white trees at the village entrance when, as if sensing something, he turned around and looked toward the slope.
Qin Ming realized that this person's perception was remarkably keen.
Immediately, he knew who it was. That face bore several shades of resemblance to Father Cui.
Coupled with the immortal-like feathered robes, his status as a disciple of the outer realm, and the rain of Daoist light surrounding him like a being detached from the mortal world, everything pointed to one person. It had to be Cui Chonghe!
Qin Ming had never expected to come face to face with him under such circumstances.
Chapter 90