Qin Ming stood still, not feeling awkward about not being chosen. He was quite calm.
Xu Yueping was anxious for him, but there was nothing he could do. Yang Yongqing also felt sorry for him, recalling a time when he jokingly said that during the mountain cleaning operation, a noble girl would come down, and he should perform well.
Wei Zhirou was very friendly, greeting Qin Ming warmly and praising him. She expressed her desire to invite him to join her but mentioned that Cao Long and Mu Qing wouldn’t agree. She suggested he could visit her in Chixia City after the mountain cleaning was over.
Qin Ming didn’t act aloof; he smiled back, saying that if he left the area, Chixia City would be his first choice.
“I choose Qin Ming,” Mu Qing said.
Qin Ming’s body stiffened slightly. Earlier, he didn’t mind not being chosen, but now he felt a bit uneasy.
He wasn’t sure if Mu Qing was a high-level being who had joined Chixia City. After all, no matter how much a human body transformed, it shouldn’t grow a fluffy golden tail, right?
What could he do? In this situation, he didn’t hesitate and nodded in agreement.
Mu Qing was pleased with him. Noticing he only had a firewood knife, she asked, “Do you lack a suitable weapon? What kind do you prefer?”
Qin Ming replied, “I haven’t decided yet.”
Mu Qing thought for a moment and said, “There are some monsters in the mountains with tough scales and thick skin. Ordinary knives and swords might not work on them. I’ll give you a long-handled hammer. If you use it well, it can be very powerful and can crush a skull with one hit. But it’s a heavy weapon; I’m not sure if you can handle it.”
She waved to someone behind her, and soon a long-handled hammer made of black gold was brought over.
After receiving it, Qin Ming casually swung it a few times, leaving behind trails of motion and a buzzing sound as it sliced through the air. It looked as if he was gracefully wielding a spear or dancing with a sword.
“Good!” Mu Qing nodded, noticing his strength.
Wei Zhirou was slightly surprised. She had high standards, and just from watching him handle the heavy hammer with ease, she estimated his strength was around six hundred pounds.
Earlier, she had someone check on the only two boys with a solid foundation, thinking Xu Yueping was exaggerating about Qin Ming. Now, it seemed he wasn’t.
However, she didn’t feel regret. The chosen Zhou Wubing had injured his vitality in the past, but with his rebirth, his essence was gradually recovering, showing great potential. Once stable, he could likely lift at least six hundred pounds, truly a gifted individual, especially since even Xu Kong valued him and personally taught him.
Cao Long remained indifferent. He was on the path of the giant spirit, born with great strength!
Mu Qing added, “I’ll give you a short sword as well, just in case you need a sharp weapon for close combat.”
“Thank you!” Qin Ming accepted it. Now he finally had better weapons than those from the mountain patrol team.
Next, Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing quickly picked their team members.
Old Liu, over seventy years old, was initially not chosen. However, he recommended himself, saying he knew the mountains like his own backyard, and then he became quite popular, with all three parties wanting him.
“I want to be on the same team as Xiao Qin. We’re from the same village, so we can look out for each other,” Old Liu said.
Soon, the selections from the Cao, Wei, and Mu families were complete.
“Everyone, the higher-ups will soon have the final negotiation with the mysterious beings in the mountains, and for now, we can only wait quietly.”
Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing were to return to Yinteng Town where they were currently staying, to help the selected new members prepare for everything.
Then, people saw dozens more individuals emerge from the dense forest, leaving with the three teams, all wearing armor.
On the way back, Xu Yueping sighed, “It seems the people from Chixia City really just see us as guides. They act polite, but they don’t think much of our strength.”
Yang Yongqing spoke up, “The young men in those three teams are indeed here to hone their skills, while those dozens of experienced young adults are the main force for the three families in cleaning the mountains and exploring mysterious areas.”
Old Liu was more open-minded. The others possessed advanced techniques; how could he compare?
Xu Yueping shook his head, “I’ve been to Chixia City. Only a few core members of the nobility have complete advanced scriptures.”
From his judgment, the so-called rich rewards this time wouldn’t include their family’s secret teachings, as that would shake their foundation.
“I suspect they’ve collected fragments of advanced texts from the outside world, not from their own family’s heritage. But for newcomers, this would definitely be enough for cultivation to perfection.”
Yang Yongqing expressed his admiration, “Advanced techniques are incredibly rare. Even if incomplete, just having the path to the new life realm is enough to drive people crazy.”
Qin Ming quietly said, “If advanced scriptures are so precious, and the three major families of Chixia City are willing to share them, it shows how much they value the appearance of the four smoke and mist areas in the mountains. What’s really going on?”
“You’re wrong; there are more than ten families in total,” Old Liu corrected.
Not long after, they returned to the village.
As night approached, Qin Ming brought a large piece of donkey meat to Old Liu’s house, saying he was there to share a meal, but really he wanted to ask about the Blood Bamboo Forest.
Old Liu lived at the village entrance, close to the hot spring. In the night, his gray-brick house was tinted with a faint red glow.
As soon as Qin Ming entered the yard, a yellow dog jumped out of its doghouse. It was as tall as an adult's shoulder, with shiny yellow fur and white teeth showing.
Qin Ming immediately thought of the golden mastiff from the mountain patrol team and couldn’t help but look at the yellow dog a few more times. It looked well-fed and healthy.
The yellow dog seemed to sense something. It had just been showing its teeth, but suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and dove back into the doghouse.
“Why is Xiao Qin bringing meat to my house?” Old Liu, though old, was still very sharp and appeared in the yard right away.
Qin Ming smiled and said, “Old Liu, how about I trade you this piece of donkey meat for the yellow dog you’re raising?”
“Woof, woof…” The big dog in the doghouse barked, tail between its legs, tilting its head to look at its owner, as if trying to say something.
“This old dog has a strong spirit. It’s afraid of you, which means you’ve developed a killing aura from hunting in the mountains recently,” Old Liu said.
At the same time, he shook his head with a smile, “I won’t trade it with you. This dog is about to mutate, and it’s been bringing back wild game for our family from time to time.”
“It’s so spiritually aware?” Qin Ming was surprised.
Old Liu stroked his goat beard and said, “Of course. Two months ago, it could barely walk, then it disappeared for a few days. When it came back, it started to improve. It’s definitely going to mutate before Yang Yongqing’s black goat.”
“Dogs returning to the mountains either die in the mountains or come back stronger. There are indeed examples of this,” Qin Ming said, staring at the big yellow dog.
Old Liu chuckled, “Speaking of which, you almost died when you fell into that crevice in the mountains last time. After a serious illness, you quickly revived. It’s a bit like the dog returning to the mountains and coming back to life.”
Qin Ming wanted to hit him. This old man really knew how to talk; his words were a bit harsh. No wonder he never married the prettiest girl back in the day.
Old Liu said quietly, “That crevice you found is worth paying attention to.”
The big families in Chixia City were all looking for those special nodes, which surely held deep meaning.
Qin Ming shook his head, “No second rebirth. I don’t plan to get close to that area.”
He took the opportunity to ask Old Liu, “Old Liu, you know a lot about the legends of various spiritual creatures in the mountains. Can you tell me about them?”
“You kid, I knew you had something to ask me,” Old Liu laughed, pointing at him. But soon he became serious, “If spiritual creatures were so easy to obtain, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time until now. You’ve built a solid foundation; you can definitely achieve a second rebirth without taking risks.”
Qin Ming said, “Didn’t you say young people should have ambition? If you don’t act young and reckless, what’s the point of being in this world? I want to achieve a second rebirth as soon as possible to see the scenery from a higher place.”
“Did I say that?” Old Liu looked at him suspiciously. He hadn’t drunk too much the night before, only half a cup of spicy old wine.
“Something like that,” Qin Ming smiled.
“You should indeed have big ambitions when you’re young, because dreams tend to diminish with age. You need a higher starting point,” Old Liu said.
The cold wind whipped the snow against the windows, and inside the Liu family’s house, the dining table was steaming, mainly featuring donkey meat. Qin Ming and Old Liu chatted late into the night, learning the names of some spiritual creatures, all located in extremely dangerous areas, and he also found out where the Blood Bamboo Forest was.
Qin Ming had suspected that the Blood Bamboo Forest that Feng Yi’an and Shao Chengfeng were after was most likely within the patrol team’s area.
Sure enough, Old Liu mentioned that the Blood Bamboo Forest was only six miles from the patrol team’s base.
There lived a type of snake that was bright red all over, resembling carved red agate, with blood and flesh rich in vitality and spirit.
But this snake was very dangerous, even deadly. It had a potent venom; just one bite could be too much for even a reborn person to endure.
“If you’re lucky enough to catch one, you need to chop off its head and remove its venom glands. Otherwise, it’s not a tonic but a death potion.”
Old Liu explained that this snake, aside from its deadly poison, had a body as tough as iron and incredible strength. It could even leap, and even a small snake just a few feet long could be more dangerous than many mountain beasts, able to shoot through the air like an iron arrow, instantly piercing an opponent’s body.
So some called it the Blood Snake, while others referred to it as the Arrow Snake.
If a Blood Snake longer than ten feet was spotted in the mountains, the best choice would be to flee immediately.
Old Liu recalled that the snake den had existed when he was young, and after decades, the Blood Snakes there must have undergone a second mutation.
Qin Ming said, “Let’s hope there aren’t any stronger old snakes around.”
“Knives and swords striking a Blood Snake might not even cut through it, creating sparks. Among creatures of the same level, it’s extremely fierce and has almost no weaknesses.” Old Liu said this and suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the table, startling his wife and nearly scaring his youngest grandson to tears.
“What’s wrong with you, old man?” His wife glared at him.
Old Liu’s face turned red, as if he had regained his youth, excitedly waving his arms, “How could I forget this? If the hot spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest goes cold, the Blood Snakes there will freeze stiff. Wouldn’t that make them easy pickings?”
He wished he could grow wings and fly into the mountains to take a look.
Qin Ming immediately said, “Why don’t we go into the mountains tonight to catch some spiritual Blood Snakes?”
“Good idea!” Old Liu nodded vigorously, but then suddenly seemed to remember something and slumped back down, sighing, “I just realized that Feng Yi’an and Shao Chengfeng are guarding the mountains, eager for a second rebirth. How could they not think of the spiritual creatures in their own territory?”
Old Liu looked disheartened, feeling that his excitement was in vain. He sat there, almost beating his thighs blue, angrily cursing the mountain patrol team.
“These guys are really lucky. Are we going to see one or two more people like Fu Entao? They’re encountering such a good opportunity. I really want to pour a bucket of manure juice on them and make them smell bad all over.”
That day, Qin Ming was indeed busy, braving the wind and snow to enter the mountains at midnight, using a firewood knife to deal with Fu Entao, Feng Yi’an, and others, then meeting with the nobles of Chixia City, and finally listening to Old Liu bragging all night about his various mysterious experiences in the mountains.
By the time Qin Ming returned home, he was feeling a bit tired and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, he woke up early, quickly finished breakfast, and headed straight into the mountains.