Chapter 4 - The Interception

Qin Ming withdrew his gaze, slung the beast hide bag over his shoulder, and retraced his steps along the path home. Today had been quite fruitful, and he was very satisfied. With this nearly full bag of food, he wouldn't be hungry for some time. The ground beneath the snow was uneven, with depressions and rocks, making the path difficult to traverse. Yet, Qin Ming's spirits were high. With ample provisions, he wouldn't need to worry. If he could train for extended periods using those specific movements, there might be new progress. At the same time, he looked forward to the early spring, the season when life would burst forth. Despite the current icebound landscape where grass and trees appeared desolate and everything lingered in silence, when the drought period passed, the Fire Spring would gush out in the mountain's perilous zones. Coupled with the frequent shimmering of the earth's light, vegetation would bud, and life would revive. It would be a completely different scene. As he approached the edge of the dense forest, Qin Ming suddenly stopped, threw down his beast hide bag, and gripped his hunting fork tightly, turning around swiftly. A pair of blood-red eyes appeared in the darkness, eerily menacing, swiftly closing in on him. His skin tingled with fear; although it was still far away, he could sense the creature's enormous size and viciousness. The cold wind carried a pungent stench. Planting the hunting fork into the snow, Qin Ming quickly took out his bow and arrow. With his impressive strength, he was able to draw the bow—typically too stiff for most—into a full arc, launching a powerful iron arrow. The twang of the bowstring was loud and clear. In the distance, the creature charging with violent intent suddenly halted as if struck by the arrow. Qin Ming was focused, launching arrow after deadly arrow into the night with extraordinary skill. A muffled growl echoed from within the forest, and the pair of red eyes disappeared amid the cracking of dry branches as the creature hid behind the trees. He dared not relax; the unknown creature was injured but not fatally so, and lurking within the woods would make it even more dangerous. Without hesitation, he grabbed his beast hide bag and hunting fork, swiftly darting out of the forest into the open snowfield. He had no desire to linger in the dark, fearing an ambush. He suspected it was a tricky mutated creature. Sounds erupted from the forest, with the sound of snow being violently struck, indicating the creature's ferocious pursuit. Qin Ming unhesitatingly launched an arrow, some of which thudded into thick tree trunks, causing a cascade of snow to fall like an avalanche. The creature was forced back again, disappearing into the quiet forest. If it were an ordinary fierce beast, it would either be scared away or charged forward in a frenzy due to injury. Yet, this mutated creature lingered in the shadows, still seeking an opportunity. Qin Ming stood with his bow aimed at the dense forest, facing off against the dangerous creature. The snow beneath churned, and a large shadow flickered within the forest, its blood-red eyes chillingly cold, especially menacing in the night. In the end, though, Qin Ming's powerful, impressive archery held it at bay. It let out an unwilling, low roar and vanished into the thicket. With a heavy heart, Qin Ming discerned within the gloom that it was a figure capable of running upright, though he couldn’t determine which type of mutated creature it was. He retreated slowly, the stillness unsettling, yet he remained perpetually on guard. Even when he reached less than a mile from the Fire Spring by the village entrance, his vigilance didn't wane. Past grisly incidents warned him, for there had been villagers, close to home, who were caught in a moment's laxity only to be silently seized and dragged away by unknown predators. ... Outside Twin Tree Village, three young men shivered from the cold, stamping their feet and rubbing their hands, breathing out plumes of white vapors. Even their eyebrows were frosty. They stood watch on the snowy path Qin Ming had passed through earlier, whispering among themselves. "In this frigid weather, standing guard here is torture. We should call it off. I bet he's dead out there, no way he's bringing anything back." "What's the rush? What if he's as lucky as Old Man Li and finds some frozen mountain beast on the edge of the forest?" The three, notorious for being idle and lazy, didn't dare venture into the dangerous mountain depths but were bold enough to mooch around the village, always seeking free meals. They intended to ambush Qin Ming upon learning of his hunting trip, plotting to intercept and seize his haul. "Qin Ming is nimble, and his strength immense. We'd better not mess this up and let him turn the tables on us." "What's there to fear? He just recovered from a major illness; he's bound to be weak. We'll bag his head with the beast hide bag when he shows up. Just don't hit him too hard, just enough to knock him out." Malicious though their intentions were, they didn’t have the guts to kill; they aimed merely to rob him of his hunt. Qin Ming remained cautious along the way, his senses alert. He spotted the three shadowy figures from a distance. Immediately, he crouched down, vanishing completely into the snow that nearly came up to his shoulders. He moved stealthily along the trail, eventually discerning the dark figures as three idlers from the village. Stopping at a strategic position, he could overhear their conversation. Soon after, his expression soured. These three were actually planning to ambush him and steal his catch? Though he hadn't hunted a bear but had raided a squirrel's nest, not particularly "glorious" to boast about, he had genuinely faced two life-threatening crises, narrowly escaping attacks from Man-faced Vultures and unknown mutated creatures. Had he faltered, he'd have perished. Attempting to steal the food he risked his life to gather was intolerable, and this interception could not go unpunished. Hu Yong, Ma Yang, and Wang Youping shivered uncontrollably, digging a makeshift shelter in the snow to shield against the wind, in an attempt to prepare for their ambush. They assumed Qin Ming had ventured deep into the forest for a grand hunt, underestimating his return time, thus chatting carefreely moments earlier. "Let's keep it cautious, and make no sound when the time comes," Ma Yang advised. Hu Yong nodded, adding, "When you make your move from behind, strike fast and accurately. Be nimble!" Wang Youping grumbled, "Hope he brings something back alive. I'm freezing—can't wait to smack him a few good times." Suddenly, their snow shelter collapsed with a formidable roar, burying all three under the snow and filling their mouths and noses with it. Hu Yong reacted swiftly, bursting out first, only to find a foot meeting his face with a bang, sending him tumbling backward. The pain contorted his face, followed by a fierce whack from the hunting fork on his shoulder, making him feel as though his bones might shatter. Staggering backward, he collapsed to the ground. Ma Yang experienced a similar fate. As soon as he emerged, Qin Ming kicked him square in the nose. The searing pain was unbearable, leaving him howling as tears and snot streamed down his face, rolling in the snow. Hearing the commotion, Wang Youping, trembling with fear, burrowed deeper into the snow rather than emerging. But he was startled by a sharp pain in his back—a steel fork had pierced his clothes and drawn blood. "No... please don't kill me," he whimpered, his lips quivering. The situation was both humiliating and terrifying, as he'd wet himself out of fear of being impaled fatally. Qin Ming had no intention of taking his life; the puncture was merely enough to scare him and draw a trickle of blood. Yanking Wang Youping out, Qin Ming kicked him three meters away, sending him flying back into the snowdrift. "Qin... Ming." "Brother Ming, we're from the same village. We see each other every day. Show some mercy, we were wrong this time." The trio recognized him and, upon seeing the gleaming steel fork in his hands, aimed at them, they instantly backed down. Though armed with knives and sticks, they dared not challenge the imposing, battle-ready Qin Ming. Intimidated to their cores and already injured, they cowered pathetically. Typically, they bullied the weak and feared the strong, avoiding confrontations with tougher opponents. While their actions were despicable, Qin Ming wasn't about to commit murder over it. However, a drastic "lesson" was unavoidable. He prodded them to squat with the steel fork, making them sit obediently on the ground. Then, he gave them a good thrashing, loosening up his muscles in the process. By the end of it, they were left with swollen faces and bloody mouths, moaning painfully until Qin Ming sternly warned them to mend their ways and let them go. Qin Ming figured that these men were all bark and no bite, intending to act sinister but lacking both the courage and the capability. Teaching them a harsh lesson should suffice. Meanwhile, outside the dense forest where Qin Ming had faced the mutated creature, a donkey sauntered from the distant open plain. It was evidently familiar with the path, appearing to head into the mountains. On the donkey's back sat a weasel, snow-white with no blemish, an uncommon sight in this era where the sun no longer rose after setting. Unlike typical small creatures that were restless, the weasel was remarkably composed, even appearing "mature," perched serenely on its mount, facing backward. It seemed less like a wild animal and more akin to a poised human, its eyes deep and contemplative as it calmly rode the donkey down the path. Seeing the donkey draw near, the mutated creature Qin Ming had repelled lunged at first, but upon noticing the snow-white weasel, it abruptly halted. It turned and fled into the thick forest, burrowing under the snow, its body trembling slightly. The donkey remained undeterred, casting a cursory glance at the creature. With the weasel silent atop it, the donkey calmly ventured deeper into the mountains, akin to a seasoned traveller. ... In sight of the Fire Spring, the black and white trees swayed gently. Qin Ming hastened his steps, soon reaching the village entrance, where he finally allowed himself to relax. "Qin Ming has returned," someone stacking firewood exclaimed upon looking up and spotting him. Quickly, the gates of adjacent courtyards swung open. The news of Qin Ming venturing out alone had spread, sparking much conjecture. Many wondered whether he’d survive and whether he’d return with any bounty. "He set out fully geared up as Shallow Night arrived..." Twin Tree Village was small; villagers along the way emerged to witness the commotion. Every household had a Sunstone, casting a fiery glow, lighting even the streets faintly. They saw Qin Ming carrying a hunting fork with a red squirrel dangling from it, and all fell silent. This was far from what they’d anticipated. Lu Ze hurried over, relieved to see Qin Ming safe and sound, and his anxiety lifted. Being a straightforward man, he broke the silence, asking, "Everyone speculated you'd gone into the woods after a bear, and here you are with... a squirrel?" "And I raided its home," Qin Ming jested. Villagers noticed the bulging beast hide bag he carried, realizing its contents, and their eyes lit with envy. Soon, they observed the faint luminescence in the squirrel's fiery coat, unmistakably a mutated creature, certainly valuable. "You not only returned safely but with a handsome haul," Old Man Liu, residing at the village's entrance, marveled. Some villagers seized the moment to inquire if it was safe outside. Qin Ming recounted his journey truthfully, careful not to mislead his neighbors, as it could cost lives. Upon hearing about dangerous mutated creatures lurking in the forest outskirts, everyone’s mood shifted, realizing solitary outings were still risky. Without concealing it, Qin Ming also mentioned the scheming behavior of Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping, sparking the villagers' outrage. "Shameless! Too scared to head into the woods themselves, yet plotting against a fellow villager? Were they trying to steal his spoils and endanger his life?" As Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping, supporting each other, limped into the village, Lu Ze led a group to deal them another furious beating. "Brother Lu, Uncle Yang, Old Man Liu, spare us!" they cried, their tear-filled, blood-mixed snot freezing on their faces, as they screamed heart-wrenchingly, having incurred the collective wrath and the village's long-standing resentment. Meanwhile, Qin Ming distributed heaps of nuts to the street children, filling them with joy. Then he spotted Grandma Zhou, her face pale, leaning against her gate, and hurried over without waiting for her protests, leaving her a portion of dried goods. ... "Uncle, you're amazing! These wild walnuts are delicious, and these pine nuts are so fragrant!" At Qin Ming's home, Wen Rui couldn't stop praising him, delighted and constantly munching through all the nuts in turn. "Date paste, delicious, sweet." Little Wen Hui, barely two years old, piped up between bites of steamed and de-seeded mashed dates, planting a sticky kiss on Qin Ming’s cheek for good measure. Nearby, the red squirrel tied to the hunting fork regained consciousness, opening its eyes to find the group rooting through its hoard, and despaired. "Indeed, a hardworking and efficient creature. It stored over thirty jin of food," Liang Wanqing admired. The red squirrel's eyes widened and shimmered with fury. At this moment, Lu Ze spoke seriously, "Qin, I see you're almost fully recovered. It's time to seriously consider the 'rebirth' we've discussed."