Xu Yueping spoke up, "Xiao Qin, do you want to go take a look?"
"Have Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing already gone?" Qin Ming asked. Although he was curious about the top creatures in the mountains, he prioritized safety over everything else.
Xu Yueping replied, "They passed by our village and headed over. They got permission from the higher-ups, saying we just need to keep our distance."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Old Liu suddenly became excited and took the lead.
Qin Ming didn’t oppose. Since Cao Long and the others had already gone, there was no need to worry too much.
A moment later, the group set off and quickly reached the foot of the mountain. This area was already filled with many newcomers, all eagerly waiting to see the higher-ups from Chixia City make their appearance.
Qin Ming kept his eyes on a donkey, remaining silent. It looked much like the one he had hunted a few days ago. Could it be a descendant?
A pure white weasel sat on the donkey's back, looking like a wise monk, silent and composed, with deep eyes that seemed to understand the world.
Qin Ming focused his mind, hiding his presence, and blended in with the crowd.
"They're coming!" someone whispered. In the moonlight, a figure appeared at the edge of the snow-covered ground, getting closer and clearer.
"This should be the higher-ups from Chixia City, right?" Even the nobles couldn't stay calm, whispering to each other and gazing into the distance.
Soon, the area fell silent again, as it turned out to be another creature.
It approached with graceful cat-like steps, neither fast nor slow, reaching the front of the mountain.
It was a tabby cat, about three feet long and weighing several dozen pounds, walking upright instead of on all fours.
Qin Ming was at a loss for words. It seemed that the higher-ups among the creatures weren’t that rare after all; he could see these beings on a regular basis.
Especially since tabby cats and weasels were natural enemies. Would they fight in the mountains?
Many people thought this but didn’t dare to speak up, nervously keeping quiet.
"I thought the top creatures would be like the Moon Worms..." Old Liu mumbled.
Having guarded the mountains for decades, he had heard too many legends about terrifying mountain lords and famous birds that had stood for two hundred years, each more mysterious than the last, yet none had appeared.
"They wouldn’t... start fighting among themselves, would they?" someone noticed something unusual.
The elegant tabby cat and the old white weasel on the donkey's back were clearly at odds, looking like they were about to fight.
In the snow, the large tabby cat stood still, carrying a red long sword on its back, which was about the same height as it was. The sword had already half-drawn itself from its sheath, casting a red light that illuminated the nearby snow, resembling a sunset.
The white weasel was no longer quiet either. It jumped down from the donkey's back, nudging the old donkey to move away.
The snow-white weasel stood there, its upper limbs resembling human arms. One "hand" was behind its back, while the other "hand" was in front, holding a string of prayer beads.
It looked up at the sky, serene and detached, slowly twisting the beads, releasing a faint white mist that contrasted with the red glow from the tabby cat.
Everyone was a bit confused. Were these two creatures not on the same side? They were facing off against each other!
"One of them must be human, but their path has diverged, and they no longer resemble humans," someone whispered.
The crowd felt uneasy, as the paths they had taken were far removed from their own.
Right now, they couldn’t even tell which was human and which was a high-level being from the mountains.
There were many people present, including a large number of mountain patrollers who had come upon hearing the news. Although they guarded the endless mountains, they were still on the outskirts and could never see the top creatures. Today was just an opportunity to witness something new.
Many newcomers from Chixia City had also arrived, young and old alike, some from noble families and others from powerful organizations, creating a dense crowd.
The newcomers from nearby villages had also come to take a look, some bold enough to join in.
In the dense forest across from them, many creatures appeared, even more than on their side, all strange races that looked intimidating in the dim forest, some fiery red, others shrouded in purple mist, making loud noises that drowned out the murmurs from outside.
"Be careful; they might cause trouble!" Cao Long warned, his three-meter tall body clad in shiny armor, gripping a sharp spear tightly.
"Isn't this supposed to be the final negotiation? Are they really going to fight?" someone asked, looking puzzled.
Mu Qing, covered in a black cloak, said, "We won't provoke them, but if those creatures dare to cross the line, we can fight. The higher-ups will back us up."
Meanwhile, other organizations, clans, and experts among the mountain patrollers from Chixia City were also communicating, ready to fight if things went wrong.
"I haven't seen such a big scene in ages. Is it about to start? The last large-scale sweep of the mountains was thirty years ago," Old Liu said, a bit excited, gripping his heavy machete tightly.
He and Qin Ming had arrived relatively late, standing further back, which should be safer.
However, Qin Ming didn’t let his guard down. Since everyone here had reached a consensus, he was prepared, holding a long purple-gold hammer in his hand.
As a tall and imposing figure appeared, all the commotion was suppressed. Both the creatures in the forest and the newcomers in the snow fell silent.
No one saw how he appeared; he just stood there abruptly at the tense scene.
He was about ten meters tall, his massive frame imposing, wearing ancient-looking armor and holding a black spear in one hand, radiating an invisible, powerful aura that intimidated the creatures in the mountains and sent shivers down the spines of the newcomers in the snow.
Fortunately, his overwhelming aura quickly dissipated; otherwise, everyone would have felt suffocated.
The man had sharp features, looking to be in his forties, and his towering stature naturally reminded people of a giant spirit.
"This must be a big shot from Chixia City, but why haven’t I seen him before?" someone wondered.
Even Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and other noble members were talking and asking questions, as they had never seen him either.
In any case, he was clearly a genuine human, not a creature.
The man with the black spear had flowing black hair and a determined expression. He stood beside the snow-white weasel, facing the tabby cat with the red sword on its back.
With his arrival, the red sword that had drawn itself from its sheath and illuminated the area with its glow seemed to hum, warning of the power and danger of its wielder.
An old mountain patroller spoke up, "Now we can see the situation clearly. The ten-meter tall giant is a master invited by Chixia City, and the white weasel must be on our side too, as its path diverged and it transformed into a different form."
People nodded, clearly understanding that the tabby cat with the red sword came from deep within the mountains.
The giant and the one-foot-tall white weasel stood together, and the contrast was too stark. Many wanted to discuss it but didn’t dare to speak, only able to keep quiet.
"Brother Wei, Wei Mo, it’s been twenty years since we last met. Have you been well wandering in the depths of the mountains and swamps?" a calm voice suddenly rang out, catching everyone off guard as another figure appeared in the snow.
This was another human man, appearing to be in his early forties, dressed in white, very refined and handsome, blending seamlessly with the snow.
He stood beside the tabby cat carrying the red sword, looking at the ten-meter tall man.
At this moment, many people in the snow were utterly bewildered, unable to tell which side was the higher-ups from Chixia City and which side were their allies.
The giant known as Wei Mo nodded, and the dark red-gold armor he wore made a clanging sound. He said, "Indeed, twenty years have passed, and Ling Xu, you seem to have aged."
People were confused. Why did Wei Mo say the man in white looked aged? He seemed to be in his prime. It appeared that people at this level had different standards.
At the same time, some people from Chixia City gasped in surprise.
"Ling Xu... he is the city lord!"
Qin Ming, Old Liu, and the others were also stunned several times, but now they finally understood which side had the high-level beings from the mountains and which side had the higher-ups from Chixia City.
In such a short time, many people's understanding had taken several twists and turns.
The elegant middle-aged man in white, Ling Xu, nodded and said, "Who can escape aging? No one can resist time, not even the most mysterious top creatures."
Then he looked at Wei Mo and said, "You chose to delve into the night fog, wandering near the endless abyss, and you won’t be returning, will you?"
"Yes!" Wei Mo answered with just one word.
"I understand," Ling Xu nodded.
Many people looked serious. A few elders had heard of Wei Mo's name and knew how powerful he had been back in the day. His body had been much larger than it was now. Was this a sign of a higher-level transformation?
"Why is he standing with the creatures deep in the mountains?" a young man from Chixia City couldn’t help but whisper to his elder beside him.
The elder replied softly, "When you can’t find a way and lose hope, you walk into the vast night. So in the deep mountains and swamps, among the endless darkness, some high-level beings and mysterious creatures aren’t necessarily monsters; they were once humans!"
Qin Ming listened and fell into thought.
"Let’s sit down and talk." The city lord of Chixia City, Ling Xu, spoke and gestured for them to take a seat.
The four beings, each in very different forms, sat down in the snow to begin the final negotiation.
However, people noticed they couldn’t hear their voices.
That was a secret conversation among the higher-ups, clearly not meant for them to listen in. Being allowed to quietly watch from a distance was already a chance for them to see the world.
They could see that the scene was not peaceful. The red mist from Chixia swirled, and the clothes, armor, and fur of the four beings shook violently, as if there was a terrifying force field between them.
They could even see the large tabby cat unsheathing its sword, the red light shining brightly, almost like a rising sun from the ground.
The pure white weasel seemed quite upset, unable to maintain its earlier calm. One hand twisted the beads while the other lightly tapped the snow, expressing its dissatisfaction.
Suddenly, everyone was startled, feeling the ground shake as a large amount of snow was lifted into the air.
Many could clearly see that it was merely a light tap, not an actual attack.
However, this did intensify the tense situation.
Even the creatures in the dense forest began to roar, and several terrifying high-level beings appeared in the mountains.
Some stood coldly on the mountain, watching, while others flapped their wings to soar high above, looking down.
One particularly striking insect shone brightly, illuminating several nearby peaks as it approached the edge of the mountain.
"Moon Worm!" many exclaimed.
However, outside the mountain, powerful beings also emerged from the night. A large blue bird shimmered with brilliant colors, carrying a figure in flowing garments, who gazed at the Moon Worm from high above, exuding an ethereal and transcendent aura that instantly countered the terrifying energy radiating from the Moon Worm.
Qin Ming looked at the figure on the blue bird and felt a pain in his head, not because of the person, but because of the wide flowing garments, which felt like a lightning bolt striking his heart, clearing the dust from his subconscious and allowing him to suddenly recall some memories of bloodshed from when he was fourteen.