Qin Ming was quiet and still, but inside, memories flickered like shadows. At first, they were clouded in dust and dark fog, but suddenly, they burst forth like thunder, tearing through the darkness and revealing bloody images.
The night was deep, flames shot into the sky, and a young man in a feathered garment floated like an immortal, surrounded by bodies and blood.
Qin Ming touched his head, trembling slightly. The "feathered garment" had left a deep mark in his subconscious, now it stung him, awakening past memories like a gust of wind clearing away sand from his mind.
He closed his eyes, firmly suppressing his rising emotions, quickly relaxing his body before slowly opening his eyes.
The situation around him was not right; he couldn’t show too much abnormality. He needed to blend into the crowd, keeping a low profile.
Qin Ming's eyes cleared, his hair lifted by the wind. He stood straight, as if nothing had happened, but many broken images began to surface in his mind.
He calmed down, breaking free from his emotional cage, and viewed the past with a cool demeanor, like an outsider watching the bloody scenes that had once happened to him.
The night was filled with fire, the entire forest was ablaze, and the fierce flames seemed to threaten to swallow the night sky.
At the foot of the mountain, the village was also engulfed in flames, houses collapsed, and the streets were littered with bodies, blood flowed in the alleys.
Amidst the scorching flames and the ruins, a young man with flying hair and a feathered garment seemed to glow, transcending the ordinary.
His body radiated a soft light, his white shoes and socks untouched by dirt. Even amidst the ruins and surrounded by fire, he appeared detached from the world.
Fourteen-year-old Qin Ming lay on the ground, his nose and mouth filled with the acrid smell of smoke and ash. He heard cries of despair, and all he could see was the merciless fire. The beams of the house behind him collapsed with a loud crash.
He saw many familiar faces lying lifeless; the entire village was trapped in a sea of flames.
The young man in the feathered garment held a shimmering purple bamboo stick, stepping over the rubble to approach Qin Ming. Though he had an extraordinary aura and his eyes sparkled like stars, his actions were merciless.
The young man swung the glowing bamboo stick, striking Qin Ming on the head. Blood immediately flowed, making him feel dizzy, as if the night sky was ablaze.
Qin Ming's clothes were tattered, he had already been injured, and now with this blow, he coughed violently from the smoke and fire, struggling to rise.
Then, the young man continued to strike him with the bamboo stick, each hit sounding like cracking bones.
"I thought I only had a severe head injury, but I didn’t realize there were so many scenes buried in my forgotten memories."
Qin Ming whispered to himself, watching the old events unfold. He remained calm, as if he were observing someone else's past.
Many figures moved about in the village, quickly delivering fatal blows, but only the young man in the feathered garment stood still, attacking Qin Ming with his purple bamboo stick.
"I can tell he could crush my skull with one hit, yet he doesn’t. What hatred does he have for me? Why make me endure such pain?"
Qin Ming remembered the young man's face clearly. Despite his handsome appearance and ethereal presence, he showed a cold side in the firelight.
"My arm was broken, but I didn’t realize how long I was unconscious at fourteen," Qin Ming pondered.
"My chest hurts so much; I must have been struck hard with that bamboo stick." He quietly watched the bloody scenes in the firelight.
"First, he tortures me, then he kills me?" More than two years had passed, but recalling it now, Qin Ming still felt that helplessness and agony.
The young man in the feathered garment seemed disdainful, avoiding any direct contact, striking only with the bamboo stick, then hitting him on the head twice more.
Qin Ming clearly heard the sound of bones cracking, blood splattered on his neck and trickled down his cheek.
One young man was graceful and ethereal, while the other was burned and bloodied, lying in the dust, creating a stark contrast.
In the end, fourteen-year-old Qin Ming felt his consciousness fading. He vaguely saw two figures rushing out from the ruins, forcefully pushing back the young man in the feathered garment and quickly taking him into the darkness.
As they fled, he hazily saw a magnificent city stretching across the land, shining brilliantly.
"Luoyue City, better to avoid it." The two whispered, not taking him into the city but quickly circling away.
In his daze, he heard a sigh: "Three fractures in the skull, the scalp and flesh are severely damaged, too serious, he probably won't survive. The arm and chest..."
Finally, Qin Ming fell completely into darkness.
At that moment, he quietly experienced the boundless darkness, motionless.
"Someone took me away and brought me to this remote area. My head suffered three severe injuries, almost shattered. No wonder I forgot so much, only remembering the scenes of wandering after I woke up."
He realized he might have been unconscious for over three months, as when he woke up, the fractures in his arm and chest had already healed.
If he hadn't seen someone in a feathered garment today, he still wouldn't have remembered these things, only recalling the blow to his head and blood splattering in the fire.
Though he felt a bit choked up, he didn't feel much anger. What had happened was already done; being sad, angry, or agitated wouldn’t change anything.
What he needed was to effectively solve the problem in the future, to find and deal with that young man in the feathered garment!
"The feathered garment is not simple; there are many experts in that sea of fire. This likely involves a very powerful organization," Qin Ming sighed.
Then, he regained his calm.
He even began to reflect on the situation: if he were that young man in the feathered garment, he wouldn't torture his opponent like that. One strike would end it, eliminating future troubles.
"Luoyue City!" Qin Ming's eyes seemed to pierce through the night sky, silently repeating the name of the city. The village where the incident occurred shouldn't be too far from Luoyue City.
Old Liu was quite excited and whispered, "So strong! What is the background of that woman in the feathered garment? She dares to confront the Moon Insect, standing against the night sky."
Others in the snow felt the same way. Moreover, she was the only female expert present, and they were curious about her identity. She stood on the back of a large green bird, suspended in the air, looking very mysterious.
An elder said, "They probably won't fight. Experts are generally here to intimidate. If they really start a serious fight, it would be a life-or-death situation."
Just as he finished speaking, amidst the towering mountains covered in faint night, the Moon Insect suddenly emitted a blinding light, like brilliant arrows of thunder shooting toward the woman in the feathered garment on the green bird.
Many people's expressions changed. Could this lead to a big battle?!
Only the four beings sitting in the snow remained calm, not moving at all.
In the night sky, the woman on the green bird raised her delicate hand. She summoned the wind and snow, which transformed into countless sparkling raindrops, instantly creating a curtain of rain that blocked the arrows of light from the Moon Insect.
With a clanging sound, all the arrows were blocked, revealing their true form: they were silver insects, seemingly made of pure gold, exceptionally hard, shooting through the night sky, trying to tear through the rain curtain.
The rain curtain became crystalline, all the raindrops stretched infinitely, turning into glowing threads that sliced through the night, finally bursting the dense swarm of silver insects, either cutting them apart or piercing through them.
In the end, many silver flying insects shattered like illusions, turning into nothingness.
Only two glowing insects remained unharmed, falling toward the ground, and then with a loud rumble, it sounded like a violent earthquake, followed by an avalanche, covering the area in white.
Everyone was shocked, not daring to comment.
The Moon Insect hung high, like a bright moon in the night sky above the mountains, and it did not attack again.
The woman on the green bird also stood still, her garments fluttering, maintaining her calm and actively retreating a distance.
Clearly, this was a test from the higher-ups. If one side truly was not strong enough, then the so-called final negotiation would be unnecessary.
Qin Ming gazed at the woman in the feathered garment on the green bird, thinking it was too coincidental; a person in a feathered garment might not be related to that young man.
But he couldn’t help but want to ask someone. He turned to Mu Qing and said, "Is there a significant background behind someone in a feathered garment?"
Mu Qing, cloaked in black robes, glanced at him and said, "People from outside generally have a transcendent nature, detached from the mundane. I don’t know her specific background."
Qin Ming nodded, not asking further.
Ahead, the atmosphere among the four figures sitting in the snow had eased, and they were even smiling at each other.
Although people couldn’t hear their conversation, they guessed it was going well.
Of course, they believed this was related to the earlier test between the Moon Insect and the woman in the feathered garment, which facilitated the smooth progress of negotiations.
Ling Xu spoke up, "We’ll help you drive away the migrating creatures. We’re not greedy; if there are resources in those special nodes, just give us a share, that’s all. Also, the recently expanded creatures must retreat."
The white-haired old weasel sat cross-legged, fiddling with a string of beads, and said, "Why should we give you anything? Why not directly ally with the newly migrated high beings to deal with you?"
Ling Xu sat calmly and said, "There’s no need for us to test each other. Our time is precious. I have only a few simple words for you. Just listen. We only want the special resources that may emerge from those nodes. However, those newly migrated high beings not only want these but also have their eyes on your old nest. Do you believe they’re just passing through and staying for a few months?"
"Alright, we agree."
"Good, straightforward!"
Both sides stood up, having roughly settled their direction, quite decisively without any dragging of feet. As for the details, others would discuss those; it was no longer their concern.
"Is that it?" People were astonished to see the higher-ups standing up so quickly.
"You all go back and wait, ready to enter the mountains at any time," the tabby cat said, carrying a red long sword as it turned to the crowd.
Those from Chixia City were instantly excited; they had really made a deal!
Qin Ming noticed a crow flying not far away, which was rather eye-catching, and then it landed on a prominent large blue stone in the snow.
There, a woman wrapped in a fur cloak with flowing hair glanced over at him.
The crow spoke, "Why does that kid’s aura feel even weaker than last time? Something’s off; he probably practiced a method to conceal his vitality. He must think he stands out too much. I told you he’s not simple; what suitable candidate did you find? Don’t you want to take another look at this person?"
"The person I chose is like the blazing sun breaking through the dark clouds, but it’s not wise to expose him too early, or he might attract jealousy from the heavens and be sent away prematurely," the woman replied, glancing at Qin Ming again. "I’ll find someone to test him later to see if he can be one of the options."