Chapter 17 - Harvest

"Only one rebirth..." Fu Entao was deeply shaken. He had undergone his second rebirth many years ago and had accumulated a profound foundation, yet he was defeated by a youth who had just experienced his first rebirth. Supporting himself with one hand on his long blade, he forcefully pulled out the iron spear piercing his thigh with the other, causing a gush of blood and making his already exhausted body sway. Shao Chengfeng, missing an arm and pinned to the ground by the spear through his abdomen, struggled to pull out the spear, but upon seeing Qin Ming turn his gaze towards him, he weakly lowered his single arm. "The entire patrol group... wiped out by one person." Shao Chengfeng knew he was doomed; the opponent would not leave any survivors. "He has only been reborn once, why is he so strong?" Feng Yi'an murmured, wiping the blood from his lips. Qin Ming spoke, "Tell me something that interests me." "Dream on!" Fu Entao replied defiantly; he understood that there would be no good end for him, and bowing his head wouldn't change a thing. On the other side, Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng had no intention of speaking further. Usually, their minds were as vicious as wolves, and they were ruthless characters, but if begging could save their lives now, they wouldn't mind groveling. Yet, they knew it was unrealistic; they were doomed. "Tell me about the Blood Bamboo Forest." Qin Ming approached Shao Chengfeng. Shao Chengfeng remained silent, his eyes empty, gazing at the night sky. He was already reflecting on his past because he knew his life was about to end. "Not going to speak, are you?" Qin Ming didn't waste words; he swung his machete down with a thud, severing Shao Chengfeng's head from his body. Shao Chengfeng's eyes were wide open, dying with regret, as his opponent decisively chopped him down without hesitation. Qin Ming had come to deal with these members of the patrol group and had no interest in torturing them. Since they were tight-lipped, he would simply execute them. He wanted to see if, under such a life-and-death crisis, the other two would relent and speak. Fu Entao's face twitched slightly, but his gaze grew fiercer. Clutching his long blade, he slowly moved his steps, daring to attack once more. The reborn ones who have roamed this region for years fear not the threat of death, for they are ruthless individuals who have fought their way out of the deep mountains. On the other side, Feng Yi'an lay prone on the ground, an iron spear piercing his back, pinning him there, unable to rise. He trembled slightly. Amidst the swirling snow and wind, Fu Entao charged forward like a humanoid beast, exerting all his strength to unleash the sharpest blade light in a final desperate strike. After the intense clash, he gasped heavily, utterly exhausted; he truly had reached his limit in this battle. Yet, the youth still seemed vigorous, full of energy and vitality. Thud! After another exchange, Fu Entao's right arm was severed by a blade, and his long knife fell to the ground. His face turned pale as he staggered back. With a leg already pierced by a spear earlier, he lost his balance after being severely injured, kneeling on one knee in the snow, gasping for breath. His naturally curly long hair clung wetly to his head, his face filled with unwillingness and despair. "Is there anything you want to say?" Qin Ming asked. "Give me a swift end with my own long knife," Fu Entao, drenched in cold sweat, trembled as he clutched the wound of his severed arm with his left hand, but the blood had already stained half of his body, the snow beneath him turning crimson. "What makes you think I would fulfill such a wish?" Qin Ming stepped forward, wielding his chopping knife. "You... wish to humiliate me?" Fu Entao struggled to rise. "Are you even worthy?" Qin Ming dashed past, the chopping knife slicing across his neck, sending a head with an expression of unwillingness flying, the body collapsing to the ground. Feng Yi'an, with a pale face, lay there, struggling to rise. The iron spear embedded in him only trembled slightly, difficult to pull out from the frozen ground. He felt humiliated, for the other had already stood before him, a foot placed on his head. "Do you have anything to say to me?" Qin Ming looked down at him. Feng Yi'an clenched his fists, only to release them powerlessly. He breathed heavily and said, "Are you looking for spiritual creatures? I won't tell you. Qin Ming slightly exerted force with his foot, and a faint cracking sound came from the skull beneath him, indicating a partial fracture. The intense pain caused Feng Yi'an's face to contort. Qin Ming did not hesitate; he swung his blade down, beheading the big-bearded man and ending his life. As for the location of the Blood Bamboo Forest, he could ask Old Man Liu upon returning. In his youth, Liu had grand ambitions and often ventured into the mountains with the older patrol groups, gaining extensive knowledge of the distribution of fire springs in the mountains. Now, only the sound of the wind remained in the mountains; the piercing clash of blades and spears had ceased. This group of mountain patrolmen had been entirely wiped out by Qin Ming alone. He murmured, "I actually killed so many people, and without hesitation." Qin Ming stood silently, reflecting. Perhaps it was because he did not consider these people as his kind, but rather as mountain demons threatening the villagers. He began to clean the battlefield, knowing the bodies only needed to be thrown down the mountain for a "stomach burial." In the dense forest, various beasts roamed, leaving not even bones behind. Qin Ming had grown accustomed to frugality. He searched the bodies of Fu Entao, Feng Yi'an, and others, and under the reflection of the fire springs, some brilliant items appeared in his hands—night silver. This currency had far greater purchasing power than copper coins and was seen in trade transactions in the town. The coins were round, with a circular hole in the center, symbolizing the absence of the sun, hence called night silver. Subsequently, Qin Ming discovered something even more valuable—day gold. Its entire body was a radiant gold, the coins were complete circles, resembling the missing sun, embodying people's beautiful aspirations. Mountain patrols carried little day gold, only eleven coins in total, but for an ordinary person, this was already a considerable fortune. This was not Qin Ming's first time "finding" day gold. Before his strange illness, he had seen several corpses near a crevasse, where he not only found day gold but also obtained a very precious mineral essence. Day gold was seldom circulated in Silver Vine Town, so he never used it, as it would attract too much attention. The elaborately crafted and intricately carved crystal vial he also left untouched for now, because after recovering from his illness, he had rejuvenated himself. Moreover, he knew little about mineral essence and needed to understand it in detail to avoid wasting its true value. Most crucially, the events before him would soon erupt, and he had better keep a low profile under the guise of a newly reborn individual. "I have only been reborn once and lack the strength to confront the patrol group. If I can achieve a second rebirth after this 'storm' ferments, then it won't be a problem." Qin Ming continued to scour the mountain for spoils. "Fine armor, a well-forged long blade, all good things indeed!" he sighed, feeling it was a pity as he caressed the armor and weapons, planning to bury them scattered across the mountains and forests, to be unearthed when needed for exploring the Blood Bamboo Forest. He was straightforward and unpretentious, thoroughly searching everyone from head to toe, not even sparing the golden mastiff. He picked it up, tempted to slice off a large piece of dog meat to enjoy a pot of dog meat stew in the log cabin. He had set out in the middle of the night, standing guard in the forest until the night mist dispersed, and then battled fiercely with the patrol group until now, greatly exhausting himself, and his stomach had long been empty. But he sighed and gave up, tossing the mastiff into the snow, knowing it was truly unsafe to linger here and he needed to quickly clean the battlefield. Qin Ming entered a wooden hut, discovering it was arranged comfortably and invitingly. The floor was covered with thick animal skin rugs, and the dining table was set with silver bowls and chopsticks. The knife used for slicing roasted meat was both exquisite and beautiful. Each of the row of wine jars, when opened, exuded a rich aroma, clearly surpassing the harsh aged liquor that had long been depleted in Xu Yueping's home. His search yielded little, but in the hut that had collapsed due to fierce combat, he found a sword manual. The old leather pages were worn and curled at the edges, evidence of frequent study and examination. There were numerous notes and annotations, clearly written by different hands, giving it an ancient aura. As Qin Ming flipped through the pages, he recognized familiar sword techniques. Fu Entao's swordsmanship was only a part of what was recorded in the manual. It also mentioned 'Heavenly Light' and offered deeper descriptions. He did not read further but quickly closed it and took it with him; this aged leather tome was more valuable than those diurnal golds. After thoroughly searching the area, golden ripples appeared on Qin Ming's skin. With a flurry of punches and kicks, the remaining wooden huts exploded one after another. The strong wind immediately swept up the wood fragments, carrying them into the sky and down the mountain with the storm. The snow on the ground was frequently lifted, mixing with the falling snowflakes, leaving little trace of the scene. 'Pity about my chopping knife,' Qin Ming remarked, observing the blade, which was filled with numerous nicks. Though forged from refined iron, it was ultimately inferior to the weapons of the mountain patrol group. 'It can still be used.' He quickly found a whetstone and smoothed out the notches before sharpening the edge anew, making the blade slightly narrower than before. Qin Ming carried all the corpses down the mountain, throwing them into the dense forest, where he watched wild beasts quickly drag them away. As for the four he had intercepted earlier on the road, when he went to look again, not even bone fragments remained. Qin Ming moved heavy stones aside, retrieved his package from a snow cave, and changed out of his tattered, bloodstained clothes and armor into clean garments. He burned what needed burning, buried what needed burying, leaving the diurnal gold and the sword manual in the mountain. Soon, he vanished into the forest. Qin Ming returned quietly with a hunted prey. No one knew that this seemingly ordinary and gentle young man had just fought a bloody battle. He boiled a pot of water and, for a change, did not use cold water, enjoying a comfortable hot bath. His well-proportioned and tall body glistened, with smooth muscular lines, as he meticulously washed to avoid leaving any scent from the battle. Not long after, he appeared at Lu Ze's home. 'Uncle, what kind of meat is this?' Wen Rui approached. Qin Ming, holding a large piece of fresh meat, smiled and said, 'This is a treat, dragon meat from the sky, donkey meat from the earth. Uncle hunted a wild donkey today.' He couldn't forget the copper pot dog meat and regretted not eating the golden mastiff. Now, he planned to compensate himself with copper pot donkey meat. Soon, the sound of laughter and merriment filled the place. "Uncle, donkey meat really tastes good!" In front of the steaming copper pot, Lu Ze, who was injured, spoke: "Little Qin, you've already established a golden foundation, you should carefully consider the matter of your second rebirth." Qin Ming nodded and said, "Don't worry, Brother Lu, I have a clear idea." After the meal, he returned home, pondering how to inconspicuously ask Old Man Liu about the Blood Bamboo Forest. If he could undergo his second rebirth earlier, he naturally wouldn't want to delay and was eager to make a trip to the mysterious Blood Bamboo Forest.