Chapter 11 - Fall from Grace

Feng Yi'an was tall, with a beard as stiff as steel needles. His eyes were bright, and his words were powerful, making him seem straightforward. However, after Qin Ming learned the truth, his aversion to him reached the extreme. "We truly apologize this time. We will quickly kill that blood bear to make up for our mistake," Feng Yi'an said with a sincere expression. Old Man Liu sighed, imploring them to guard the mountains and forests well and not let the mutated creatures wreak havoc again. Despite his advanced age, he was infuriated; the other side came to apologize after committing murder, but for whom was this act put on? Such false sincerity after a personal visit was akin to rubbing salt into the wounds of the deceased's family, showing they weren't taken seriously, nor feared for any extreme reactions from them. "Alas, it was mainly because some brothers were injured, and we were short-handed during the patrol, leading to this accident," Feng Yi'an explained. He brought up old matters, urging Xu Yueping to plant the Black Moon quickly, as the patrollers needed it for healing to better guard the mountains. Xu Yueping was fuming internally but had to hold it in. Feng Yi'an said, "We will set out immediately. We won't leave the mountains without slaying the blood bear. Brother Xu, please go comfort the families of the deceased and the injured for us." Qin Ming felt that such hypocritical demeanor was extremely repulsive. Xu Yueping inadvertently touched his arm before getting up to see off the patrollers. Clearly, he feared Qin Ming's youthful impulsiveness might lead to extreme actions. Qin Ming knew that even if he could kill a few patrollers now, it would provoke bloody retaliation, as there were still other members and teams. If these people had an incident here, the entire Shuangshu Village would be implicated. Naturally, he wouldn't act rashly and got up to see them off along with Xu Yueping and Yang Yongqing. When those people disappeared into the dim wilderness, Yang Yongqing spoke angrily, "I feel stifled!" "Can we report this to the higher-ups?" Qin Ming asked. "What fault can you pick? By the rules, we should provide four to eight Black Moon plants, and the Mountain Patrol Team only asked for the minimum of four this time. You say they are mutated seeds, but how can you prove it now? They look identical, and only based on last year's poor harvest in the fiery fields combined with the nature and usual behavior of Feng Yi'an and others, we speculate that they've successfully cultivated the mutated seeds this time. "Old Man Liu continued, 'There is another important reason. How could they dare to act this way without having smoothed out the relationships?' Xu Yueping spoke, 'The favors left behind by a highly respected Mountain Patrolman are enough for their descendants to squander for ten years.' In the end, Feng Yi'an and his group came insincerely, merely to continue urging Xu Yueping to cultivate herbs. They did not threaten directly, were very polite, and very gentle, but in such a situation, their behavior was more excessive than outright intimidation. Qin Ming exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, 'They are too much!' He then asked if the Black Moon Herb was important. Xu Yueping solemnly nodded, 'After mutation, its value is extremely high. Long-term consumption offers a slight chance for a second rebirth.' Old Man Liu said, 'As Mountain Patrolmen, we walk through the deep mountains for years and have probably seen advanced creatures. Who doesn't want to go further? Like this old man, I also want to revive once more. A second rebirth can extend one's lifespan and restore some youthful vitality. Who wouldn't yearn for that?' He spoke of the reasons and motivations behind the degeneration of some members of the Mountain Patrol Team, and added, 'But people must have a bottom line. How do they deserve to be Mountain Patrolmen by acting like this? They are more harmful than mountain monsters!' 'Second rebirth...' Qin Ming was lost in thought. Xu Yueping patted his shoulder and said, 'You definitely can. According to local records, the fastest rebirth for someone with a golden foundation was less than two months.' ...Today, all the villagers who entered the mountains were bloodstained. Several were severely injured, and it was uncertain if they would survive. Many households echoed with crying. Xu Yueping visited each home to offer help and restrain his anger, his chest heaving violently. The middle-aged man Wang Qinglin lay on the bed, in a continuous coma. As a reborn, his issues were more severe than anyone else's. After Old Man Liu reset his bones, he wiped the blood from his hands and said, 'The broken bone pierced the internal organs. If not for the vitality of people like us, this would be a fatal injury.' Qin Ming observed carefully, feeling that this was still caused by someone disguised in blood bear skin. Every household was filled with sorrow. Some children quietly wiped their tears, the sense of achievement and joy from adult hunts in the past two days had vanished. Some villagers had encountered mutated snow apes, and the torn wounds on their bodies were horrifying. 'Two years ago, the Mountain Patrol Team seemed to have raised one.'" "Yang Yongqing said in a low voice. Xu Yueping's face was unsightly, while Old Man Liu kept sighing. Qin Ming walked towards home, feeling a bit stifled, wanting to do something about it. The only good news was that Lu Ze had woken up, and given his physical resilience, there shouldn't be any lingering issues. Qin Ming didn't tell him the hidden truth, fearing that his emotions might get too agitated and affect his recovery. 'Brother Lu, how many people are there in a mountain patrol team?' Qin Ming inquired, wanting to understand the strength of those members. 'Between eight to twelve people,' Lu Ze informed him, mentioning that the team guarding their area currently had nine people, and only the team leader was a Second Rebirth, very strong. Fu Entao was the name of that team leader, who rarely appeared. Lu Ze sighed, 'For many, exhausting all efforts to reach the end is just to achieve a First Rebirth. As for the Second Rebirth, they dare not even think about it; it's an insurmountable barrier.' Qin Ming said, 'It seems that the team leader can completely suppress the other members.' Lu Ze nodded, 'The physical enhancement is very obvious during the First Rebirth, while the Second Rebirth doubles that on this basis.' 'In our area, lifting five hundred jin is the limit for those with a First Rebirth. How about that Fu leader back then?' Qin Ming probed. Lu Ze recalled carefully, 'Fu Entao was still some distance from the ceiling back then.' He looked over and said, 'You were reborn at a golden age, and with your foundation of breaking limits, your Second Rebirth is destined to be very intense.' Qin Ming understood that purely in terms of physical strength, even after Fu Entao's Second Rebirth, he was still not as strong as Qin Ming's First Rebirth. He got up to bid farewell, telling Lu Ze to rest assured and not to worry about anything else, as he was there. He returned to his own courtyard and began practicing some combat techniques. Living in the perilous mountains, he naturally knew many. Before his rebirth, he could chop through green bricks with his bare hands, and now he was even more formidable. He swept his leg like a whip, and with a bang, kicked through a tree stump as thick as his thigh. When he employed his long-practiced 'wild techniques,' his mind reached a state of high concentration, and ripples like shattered gold appeared between his muscles and flesh. With a gentle crash of his body, the tree stump disintegrated. After dinner, Qin Ming went to Xu Yueping's house. 'Uncle Xu, are you still sulking?' "They are pushing us too far," Xu Yueping felt a heavy block in his heart. "Please, persuade your uncle. He hasn't even eaten dinner," Xu Yueping's wife said, her face full of concern. "Auntie, leave it to me," Qin Ming entered the room and sat down. After practicing a round of martial arts at home, he was now calm and began discussing with Xu Yueping what to do next. "You want me to agree to their demands?" Xu Yueping suddenly looked up, his face angry and slightly cold, "Do you know the consequences? The fire fields will drastically reduce production next year, leading to famine!" "Uncle, please hear me out first," Qin Ming quickly said, genuinely worried about upsetting him. "Speak!" "It's still early spring. What harm is there in agreeing to them for now? If something unexpected happens, like during the mountain sweeping operation, if they all die; or if even the heavens can't stand them and they get wiped out by mountain monsters tonight; or if the magnetic fields in the mountains fluctuate violently, driving the Mountain Patrol Team insane..." Xu Yueping looked at him strangely as he solemnly uttered these curses. According to Qin Ming's logic, if something happened to those people and an investigation was launched, they might suspect those who had conflicts with the Mountain Patrol Team. If they didn't clear themselves in advance, they might end up in trouble. Xu Yueping wasn't pleased, "How could such 'what ifs' happen? You're overthinking it." Qin Ming's expression turned serious, "Uncle Xu, what I mean is, let's agree for now and wait for changes." He explained that the seeds could be thrown into the fire spring for now, and retrieved after the Mountain Patrol Team left, or they could be coated with transparent mineral glue from the mountain to isolate them from the fire spring. Qin Ming added, "Right now, every household is lacking food, so we should first ensure that the villagers can hunt safely in the mountains." Xu Yueping sighed, thinking there was some sense in Qin Ming's words. If they couldn't survive the present, how could they plan for next year's famine? "What do we do after getting through this period?" "He was still somewhat troubled, knowing that Feng Yi'an and others were ruthless, and would certainly retaliate terribly afterward. Qin Ming's eyes were resolute as he said, 'Uncle, in a little while, I might undergo a second rebirth, and then I can have a talk with them.' 'There should be someone supporting them from behind,' Xu Yueping said, rubbing his temples. Suddenly, as if recalling something, he asked, 'Xiao Qin, with your first rebirth, can you exert full strength with your arms to reach the threshold of six hundred jin?' 'Yes.' Xu Yueping sprang to his feet, exclaiming, 'That achievement would stand out even in the distant Chixia City.' A smile gradually spread across his face as he said, 'Tomorrow, come with me to Yinteng Town.' Qin Ming felt uneasy under his gaze and said, 'Uncle Xu, let's solve the current predicament first.' 'Feng Yi'an told me that after changing their minds, we could go to town to find him. Moreover, we might find a good marriage waiting for you in Yinteng Town.' 'Ah?' Qin Ming was stunned. Xu Yueping explained that a mysterious old noble had moved from afar and was living in seclusion in the town, with a very beautiful daughter of marriageable age. Qin Ming immediately shook his head and said, 'Uncle Xu, let's not bring humiliation upon ourselves.' Previously, Xu Yueping wouldn't have dared to visit, but the other party had themselves announced that they would choose a son-in-law based solely on the person, not their family background. Qin Ming's golden foundation was astonishingly solid, ranking among the gifted even in that distant bright city, which gave Xu Yueping confidence. He softly said, 'If this marriage can happen, the threat from the Mountain Patrol Team can be resolved.' Qin Ming opposed this, but Xu Yueping insisted on drinking with him all night. The next day, before the night mist had cleared, Xu Yueping came to find Qin Ming to set off. 'Uncle Xu, isn't it too early?' 'I know you might still have some resistance, it's fine. Once we get there, you won't need to visit them right away. I'll go to the old noble's house first to test the waters.' Xu Yueping thought it would be better if it worked out, and if not, it wouldn't hurt to try their luck there rather than do nothing. In the shallow night, the sky was still very dark, with dense forests on either side of the road, pitch-black, and from afar came the occasional calls of wild beasts and strange birds. Qin Ming and Xu Yueping trudged through the thick snow, heading towards Yinteng Town, a dozen li away." As they reached the halfway point, they suddenly halted. In the distant mountains and forests, a brilliant red light burst forth, piercing the night mist and illuminating the surroundings. A multitude of 'Scarlet Butterflies' appeared, fluttering gracefully, dyeing the night sky red. They filled the sky, flying in all directions. ———— Some readers mentioned that flying kites at night seems odd. But think about it, with a few thin shards of sunstone embedded in the kite, doesn't that evoke the right feeling?