"Sharp enough!" Qin Ming stood up from the sharpening stone, the chopping knife in his hand now gleaming and smooth, like a clear autumn lake.
"People like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng are not worth much, but if a good person gets caught up in this, that would be a real shame." He wanted to understand the situation better.
In the evening, Old Liu was drinking with Xu Yueping. They each had a cup and took small sips to taste the wine, but the spicy old liquor at Xu Yueping's home was almost gone.
"A deer is worth a human life, it’s truly inhumane!" Old Liu complained while drinking, feeling frustrated. He couldn’t share these thoughts with the Qian family.
Xu Yueping was most worried that people like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng would really come back to life, which would make things even worse.
"Is there no good person in the mountain patrol team?" Qin Ming asked.
Old Liu sighed, "If a basket of pears has gone bad, the rest will be hard to save if left alone. The patrol team can have up to twelve members, but now there are only nine. Those who don’t fit in have either been pushed out or met with accidents in the mountains."
"Is there no one to balance or deal with them?" Qin Ming casually asked.
Xu Yueping shook the wine jar hard to pour out a little wine for him and pulled him to sit down and drink together.
Old Liu thought for a moment and said, "Some other patrol teams have conflicts with them, either because they dislike them or due to competition over spiritual creatures in the mountains, which has led to bloodshed."
Xu Yueping added, "And then there’s the nearby Qing Sang Village. They haven’t been forced to plant the Black Moon, looks like that relative of the second sickly person has some skills."
At this point, he looked at Qin Ming and said, "Little Qin, you have a solid foundation, you should have a plan. When spring comes, go out and take a look, don’t get stuck here."
He understood the personalities of Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng and feared for Qin Ming's safety against those wolf-like patrol members.
Qin Ming pondered, "A plan? I really want to know where I came from when I fled back then."
"Ah, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. I’ve always thought of you as one of us here," Xu Yueping said, unsure how to comfort him and decided to change the topic.
He spoke of the brilliance of Chixia City, its prosperity, and the talented people there, suggesting that there might be opportunities to learn advanced meditation techniques and skills.
Old Liu chimed in, "I also support you going out, Little Qin. Young people should have ambition and dreams. Otherwise, when you reach my age, you’ll be too weak to go anywhere and will be left with regrets."
Xu Yueping laughed, "Uncle Liu, I’ve heard you had high ambitions in your youth."
Old Liu didn’t feel embarrassed when reminded of his past, saying, "Who hasn’t been young?"
"What were your ambitions back then?" Qin Ming asked, genuinely interested.
Old Liu reminisced, "When I was young and reckless, it was normal to dream big. For example, I wanted to conquer a famous beast in the mountains and marry the most beautiful girl nearby."
"And how did that go?"
"Once, during a patrol operation, we unexpectedly encountered that famous beast. It charged past us and nearly wiped us all out. I got injured and lost my chance to come back to life, giving up on that dream, and that girl ended up marrying one of my rivals."
Qin Ming raised his glass to toast him, feeling the weight of his words.
Old Liu chuckled, "Later, I couldn’t take it anymore and married that rival’s sister, making him call me brother-in-law for life."
"That’s impressive!"
The three of them each had only half a cup of wine but ended up drinking all night.
When Qin Ming returned home, he wiped down the iron bow engraved with monster patterns. Unfortunately, it was no longer a strong bow for him; if he pulled too hard, it might break.
"It can barely be used."
He then filled the arrow quiver wrapped in beast skin with iron arrows and packed some spare clothes into his bag.
"Tomorrow is the middle of the month," he looked up at the deep night sky.
That night, he went to bed early to adjust his spirit and energy to their best state.
In the middle of the night, he woke up, feeling well-rested. Although it was still far from late night, he quietly pushed open the courtyard door.
In the deep night, everything was silent, and the darkness was thick and eerie, making it hard for ordinary people to see anything.
After coming back to life, his physical abilities improved in every way, including his eyesight. In this extreme environment, he could still see vague shapes, which didn’t hinder his movement.
He didn’t go past the Fire Spring but chose a narrow, less traveled path.
It had been snowing for days, and the snowfall was getting heavier.
His long black hair fluttered in the night wind, and his tall figure was strong and steady as he walked toward the mountains.
The faces of the injured villagers flashed in his mind, along with the scene of Feng Yi'an handing a deer to the Qian family during the funeral. He could no longer hold back; today he would confront the patrol team!
Qin Ming entered the mountains steadily and calmly, his heart set on his goal, feeling no tension or anxiety, as if he was on his way home.
In the dense forest, the howls of various creatures echoed, and dark shadows swept through the air. Many malicious eyes appeared in the abyss-like darkness of the forest—some red as blood, some green like ghostly flames, and some silver and cold, all staring at him intently. He could even hear the heavy breathing of strange beasts and the sounds of birds of prey nearby. The mountains were exceptionally dangerous at night.
Qin Ming suddenly sped up, his physical abilities surpassing the golden foundation. He charged at a larger beast, swinging the chopping knife like a flash of lightning. With a thud, a massive head was severed, blood spraying everywhere as the six-hundred-pound headless body crashed to the ground.
In an instant, the area fell silent; the green and red eyes in the darkness vanished.
Qin Ming continued on his path, determined and unwavering, heading straight for the stronghold.
Moments later, the headless mountain beast was torn apart by a group of carnivorous creatures, fighting over the remains.
As Qin Ming approached his destination, he stood on a neighboring peak, watching the stronghold with the Fire Spring across from him.
It was still a while until late night, but people were already moving around there. A nearly two-meter tall man with curly black hair was feeding bloody chunks of meat to a fierce golden mastiff.
"Fu Entao!" Qin Ming recognized him; he had heard about his appearance and knew that this strongest team leader was already in the stronghold.
Then he saw four others, including Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng, coming out of the wooden house one after another.
"They arrived early," Qin Ming frowned, guessing they must have come yesterday.
He descended the mountain at a steady pace, waiting on the path leading to the stronghold. With four still unaccounted for, he decided to take them out first.
The snowflakes turned his black hair white as he stood still. Late night had arrived, the mountain mist began to dissipate, and the sky was not so dark anymore.
For those who had come back to life, their vision became clearer. Qin Ming spotted a man approaching, draped in a beast skin cloak from outside the mountain.
The face was familiar; he had been with Feng Yi'an when he humiliated Xu Yueping in Yinteng Town.
Like a statue behind a large tree, Qin Ming moved. His hair flew like thunder as he rushed forward, crashing into the man with a dull thud.
The man’s bones broke in many places instantly, his eyes bulging. In excruciating pain, he couldn't even scream, as Qin Ming had already gripped his neck with a long, powerful hand.
With a crack, the patrol member's neck was snapped, and due to Qin Ming's immense strength, the neck bone shattered, nearly tearing off.
The man's head drooped to the side, his neck seemingly held by just a layer of skin, his face frozen in terror and despair after death.
Qin Ming dragged the man into the depths of the forest, smelling the scent of alcohol and heavy perfume on him. No wonder he was slow to react; he must have been drunk from a night of indulgence, dying without injustice.
After searching him, Qin Ming tossed the man aside. He took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions. After all, this was his first kill.
Though he had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a bit uncomfortable.
However, he quickly adjusted. Having often hunted in the mountains, he had faced dangerous creatures before and had seen blood, giving him strong mental resilience.
"To plant the Black Moon in the Fire Spring, you killed villagers, causing more harm than the fierce beasts in the mountains. Today, I will kill you all; this is the realization of my wish!"
Qin Ming calmed down, viewing this patrol team as beasts and monsters. He regained his composure and determination.
After waiting for a long time, a second person came through the snow, his tall figure imposing in the dim light, wearing armor similar to Shao Chengfeng's.
Covered in snow, Qin Ming slowly drew his chopping knife, ready to test its edge.
As the man approached, a flash of bright light from the knife erupted in the darkness. Qin Ming stepped on the snow, moving like lightning, closing the ten-meter distance in an instant.
This patrol member reacted much faster than the previous one. Sensing a deadly threat from behind, he bristled with fear and quickly dodged, trying to drop to the ground to escape.
As a newly revived person with enhanced physical abilities, his reflexes and adaptability were decent. If he faced another opponent of the same level, he might have avoided this attack.
However, Qin Ming was already faster, like a thunderbolt, and had anticipated his movement. With a swift slash, the man’s head flew off with a single blow!
Blood sprayed far and wide, staining the snow, while the headless body fell forward into the snowdrift.
Qin Ming sheathed his knife, maintaining his calm this time, feeling less turmoil inside.
The heavy snow fell like it was crashing down, and it grew heavier, hitting his face with considerable force. Looking up at the sky, Qin Ming said, "What good snow!"
With strong winds and heavy snow, it would better cover his tracks.
He stood in the wind and snow like a statue holding a knife, waiting for the third and fourth people to arrive. As expected, these two patrol members were also swiftly taken down by him in the dim forest.
He no longer felt uncomfortable; he could smile gently at Xiao Wenrui and then take his knife to slay a group of patrol members more dangerous than tigers.
Qin Ming walked steadily, neither hurried nor slow, heading toward the patrol team's stronghold alone.
Qin Ming's first kill, calling for the monthly ticket.