Feng Yi'an was tall, with a beard that stood straight like steel needles. His eyes were bright, and his words were strong, giving off a straightforward vibe.
However, after Qin Ming learned the truth, he felt nothing but disgust for him.
"I'm really sorry this time. We'll kill that blood bear as soon as possible to make up for our mistake," Feng Yi'an said with a sincere look.
Old Liu sighed and urged them to keep the forest safe, warning them not to let the mutated creatures cause more trouble.
At his old age, he was already quite upset. The other party had killed people and then came to apologize. Who were they trying to fool?
This fake sincerity after coming to their door was like rubbing salt in the wounds of the victims. It showed they didn't care about the pain they caused and weren't afraid of any extreme reactions.
"Well, the main issue is that some of our brothers are injured, and we didn't have enough people for the patrol, which led to this accident," Feng Yi'an explained.
He brought up old matters, asking Xu Yueping to quickly plant the black moon herb, as the patrollers needed it to heal. That way, they could better protect the mountain.
Xu Yueping felt a fire of anger inside but had to hold it back.
Feng Yi'an continued, "We'll set off right away. We won't leave the mountain until we kill the blood bear. Xu, can you please go comfort the families of the injured?"
Qin Ming thought this fake kindness was too ugly.
Xu Yueping casually touched his arm and then stood up to see off a few patrollers.
Clearly, he was worried that Qin Ming, being young and impulsive, might do something extreme.
Qin Ming knew that even if he could kill a few patrollers now, it would lead to bloody revenge. After all, there were other members and other groups involved.
If something happened to these people here, the entire Shuangshu Village would suffer.
He wouldn't act recklessly, so he stood up and left with Xu Yueping and Yang Yongqing to see them off.
Once those people disappeared into the dim wilderness, Yang Yongqing angrily said, "I can't hold it in anymore!"
"Can we report this to the higher-ups?" Qin Ming asked.
"What can you complain about? According to the rules, we should provide four to eight black moon herbs, but the patrol only asked for the minimum of four. You say they're mutated seeds, but how can we prove that now? They look exactly the same. We can only guess based on last year's poor harvest and Feng Yi'an's behavior that they have successfully cultivated the mutated seeds this time."
Old Liu added, "Another important reason they dare to act this way is that they must have connections."
Xu Yueping spoke up, "A respected patroller left enough goodwill for their descendants to squander for ten years."
In the end, Feng Yi'an and the others were just pretending to be sincere to pressure Xu Yueping into planting the herbs.
They didn't directly threaten him but were polite and gentle. Yet, in this situation, their behavior was worse than outright intimidation.
Qin Ming let out a breath of frustration and said, "They're going too far!"
He then asked if the black moon herb was really that important.
Xu Yueping nodded seriously, "After mutation, it's very valuable. Long-term use has a slight chance of giving someone a second life."
Old Liu said, "As patrollers, we walk in the deep mountains for years. We've probably seen advanced beings. Who doesn't want to take a step further? Even I want to revive once more. A second life can extend one's lifespan and restore some youthful energy. Who wouldn't desire that?"
He talked about the reasons and motivations behind some patrollers' fall from grace and added, "But people need to have boundaries. How can they do this and still call themselves patrollers? They're more dangerous than the mountain monsters!"
"Second life..." Qin Ming was lost in thought.
Xu Yueping patted his shoulder and said, "You can definitely do it. According to local records, those who have a solid foundation for rebirth can achieve a second life in less than two months."
...
The villagers who entered the mountains today were all stained with blood. Some were severely injured, and it was uncertain if they would survive. Many homes echoed with cries.
Xu Yueping went from house to house to visit and help treat the injured, holding back his anger as his chest heaved with emotion.
Wang Qinglin, a middle-aged man, lay on the kang, unconscious. As a reborn person, his situation was worse than anyone else's.
After Old Liu reset his bones and wiped the blood off his hands, he said, "A broken bone pierced the internal organs. If it weren't for our kind, who have strong life force, this would be a fatal injury."
Qin Ming observed closely and felt that this was still caused by someone wearing a blood bear's skin.
Every household was filled with sorrow, and some children quietly wiped their tears. The joy and satisfaction from the hunting trips of the adults over the past few days had vanished.
Some villagers had also encountered mutated snow apes, with gaping wounds that were shocking to see.
"It seems the patrol group raised one two years ago," Yang Yongqing said quietly.
Xu Yueping's expression darkened, and Old Liu sighed repeatedly.
Qin Ming walked home, feeling a bit choked up, wanting to do something.
The only good news was that Lu Ze had woken up. Given his physical condition, he should not have any lingering issues.
Qin Ming didn't tell him the hidden truth, fearing it might upset him and affect his recovery.
"Lu Ge, how many people are in a patrol group?" Qin Ming asked, wanting to know about the members' strength.
"Usually between eight to twelve," Lu Ze replied. The group guarding their area currently had nine members, with only the leader being a reborn person, who was very strong.
The leader's name was Fu Entao, and he rarely showed himself.
Lu Ze sighed, "For many people, pushing themselves to the limit to reach the end is just to gain a second life. As for a second rebirth, they wouldn't even dare to think about it; that's a boundary they can't cross."
Qin Ming said, "It seems that the leader can completely suppress the other members."
Lu Ze nodded, "When someone is reborn for the first time, their physical strength increases significantly, and a second rebirth doubles that increase."
"In our area, the limit for first-time reborn people is around five hundred pounds. How was Fu Entao back then?" Qin Ming asked to gauge.
Lu Ze thought carefully, "Fu Entao was still a bit away from the ceiling back then."
He looked at Qin Ming and said, "You're in the golden age of rebirth. With your kind of foundation, a second rebirth is bound to be explosive."
Qin Ming understood. In terms of physical strength, even after Fu Entao's second rebirth, he wouldn't be as strong as Qin Ming's first rebirth.
He stood up to leave, assuring Lu Ze to focus on his recovery and not to worry about anything else, as he would take care of it.
Back in his own yard, he began practicing some combat techniques. Living in the dangerous mountains, he naturally knew a lot.
Before his rebirth, he could break bricks with his hands, and now he was even better.
He swung his leg and with a loud thud, broke a tree stump as thick as his thigh.
When he used the "wild techniques" he had practiced for years, his mind was highly focused, and ripples like shards of gold appeared in his flesh, causing the stump to shatter with a gentle push.
After dinner, Qin Ming went to Xu Yueping's house.
"Uncle Xu, are you still sulking?"
"They're going too far," Xu Yueping said, feeling upset.
"Quick, talk to your uncle. He hasn't even eaten dinner," Xu Yueping's wife said with concern.
"Aunt, leave it to me," Qin Ming said as he entered the house and sat down.
After practicing some combat techniques at home, he was now calm and discussed with Xu Yueping what to do next.
"You actually want me to agree to them?" Xu Yueping suddenly looked up.
He was very angry, his face slightly cold, and said, "Do you know the consequences? Next year's harvest will be severely reduced, leading to famine!"
"Uncle, let me finish," Qin Ming quickly spoke, genuinely worried about upsetting him.
"You speak!"
"Spring is still far off. What's the harm in agreeing to them for now? If something unexpected happens during this time, like during the patrol action, they all die; or if the heavens can't stand it, they get wiped out by mountain monsters tonight; or if the magnetic field in the mountains fluctuates violently, causing the patrol members to go mad..."
Xu Yueping looked at him strangely as he seriously cursed.
According to Qin Ming's idea, if those people had an accident and the higher-ups came to investigate, they might suspect those who had conflicts with the patrol group. If they didn't clear things up in advance, it could lead to trouble.
Xu Yueping was unhappy and said, "How could those 'what ifs' happen? You're thinking too much."
Qin Ming's expression became 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 first, and after the patrol group left, they could be fished out, or they could coat the seeds with a transparent mineral glue found in the mountains to keep them separate from the fire spring.
Qin Ming added, "Right now, every household is short on food. We need to ensure the villagers can safely hunt in the mountains first."
Xu Yueping sighed, feeling that what Qin Ming said made some sense. If they couldn't get through this, what was the point of worrying about next year's famine?
"After we get through this, what then?" He was still a bit troubled. Feng Yi'an and the others were ruthless, and they would definitely seek terrible revenge afterward.
Qin Ming's gaze was firm. "Uncle, in a while, I might achieve a second rebirth. Then I can talk to them."
"They must have someone backing them," Xu Yueping said, rubbing his temples.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. "Little Qin, when you were reborn, could you lift six hundred pounds with all your strength?"
"I can."
Xu Yueping stood up abruptly. "That achievement would be impressive even in the distant Chixia City."
A smile gradually appeared on his face. "Come with me to Yinteng Town tomorrow."
Qin Ming felt uneasy under his gaze. "Uncle Xu, let's first solve the immediate problem."
"Feng Yi'an told me that if he changes his mind, he can go to the town to find him. Also, we might find a good marriage waiting for you in Yinteng Town."
"Huh?" Qin Ming was shocked.
Xu Yueping explained that a mysterious old noble had moved from afar and was living in the town, and he had a very beautiful daughter who was of marriageable age.
Qin Ming immediately shook his head. "Uncle Xu, let's not humiliate ourselves."
In the past, Xu Yueping wouldn't have dared to approach, but the other party had openly stated that they didn't care about family background, only the person.
Qin Ming's golden foundation was astonishing, and even in the distant bright city, he would be considered exceptionally talented, giving Xu Yueping confidence.
He softly said, "If this marriage goes through, the threats from the patrol group can be resolved."
Qin Ming opposed it, but Xu Yueping insisted and made him drink all night.
The next day, before the night fog had lifted, 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, but it's okay. When we get there, you won't have to go in right away. I'll first check the old noble's family."
Xu Yueping thought it would be great if this worked out, and if not, it wouldn't matter. It was better to take a chance than to do nothing.
In the dim night, the sky was still very dark, and thick forests lined the road, black and dense. Occasionally, sounds of wild beasts and strange birds echoed from afar.
Qin Ming and Xu Yueping trudged through the thick snow, heading towards Yinteng Town, which was several miles away.
Halfway there, they suddenly stopped as a brilliant red light erupted from the distant forest, breaking through the night mist and illuminating the surroundings.
A large number of "red butterflies" appeared, dancing gracefully and dyeing the night sky red, filling the air and flying in all directions.
——
Some readers mentioned that flying kites at night seems off. Just think about it; if the kites had a few thin pieces of sunstone embedded in them, wouldn't that feel just right?