Qin Ming nodded seriously. It was time to think about how to achieve a "new beginning."
This was a big deal, affecting one's entire life and future destiny.
At the age of fifteen or sixteen, it was the golden period for a "new beginning." The benefits gained during this time were the greatest, and missing out would be a huge regret.
However, it was difficult. The best in Shushui Village usually achieved a "new beginning" after the age of twenty, and some even succeeded after thirty.
Even so, in a village of over forty households and more than two hundred people, there were fewer than ten who had achieved a "new beginning."
Lu Ze spoke up, "The boy from the next village, Er Bingzi, has succeeded. He’s right in the golden age."
Qin Ming remembered Er Bingzi. He was thin and sickly-looking, with sparse hair that had a dry, straw-like color.
He was surprised that this seemingly weak boy had managed to achieve a "new beginning" at such a young age.
"When did this happen?"
"Almost a month ago," Lu Ze informed him. After Er Bingzi's new beginning, he even lifted a four-hundred-pound donkey in the yard, completely changing his previous frail appearance.
"That's really surprising." Qin Ming didn’t expect that so many strong boys had failed multiple times, yet Er Bingzi succeeded right away.
Lu Ze also felt a bit emotional. He was strong and considered quite capable among the young men, yet at twenty-three, he still hadn’t achieved a "new beginning."
"There's a rumor that it has to do with one of his relatives," Lu Ze shared some insider information.
Er Bingzi's relative, who wasn’t very close, had been traveling for years. Upon returning and seeing him, they recognized him as a good seed.
That person mentioned that Er Bingzi had some health issues before, which prevented him from harnessing his energy, making him look sickly, but he actually had a lot of potential.
The key was that this relative brought back a high-level energy technique, which allowed Er Bingzi to change his practice. The results were remarkable, and he eventually achieved a "new beginning."
Qin Ming was lost in thought; the twists of fate were indeed unpredictable.
"Afterward, that person said that Er Bingzi's innate foundation was much stronger than he initially thought. He might go very far."
Lu Ze never expected that someone who had been sickly for so long could become so impressive.
"Even though we don't have a high-level energy technique, we still have feasible methods. Xiao Qin, I think you should change your special training method," Lu Ze advised.
In his view, Qin Ming had a strong physique, even stronger than his own, and had already surpassed ordinary people.
However, with such good conditions, Qin Ming still hadn't achieved a "new beginning." The problem mostly lay in his training methods, which couldn’t nurture the new life force he needed to move forward.
He was already over sixteen; if this continued, he would really miss the golden period.
Liang Wanqing also encouraged him, "Xiao Qin, why not try practicing Lu Ge's Night Meditation Technique?"
In a world shrouded in eternal night, where the wilderness was extremely dangerous, various publicly available power books existed to help people improve their physical condition for self-protection.
Of course, these books weren’t high-end and were far from rare secret texts.
Qin Ming wasn’t stubborn. He understood their good intentions and nodded, "I’ll seriously give it a try."
Lu Ze sighed lightly, believing that Qin Ming was being held back by his usual "wild methods." They were far inferior to the low-level "Night Meditation Technique." However, changing training methods now would be too rushed.
He thought that only a high-level energy technique could help Qin Ming change his situation in a short time.
Lu Ze let out a breath, "Ah, if only there was a mid-level secret text. If you miss this precious golden period with your conditions, it would be such a pity."
However, the only books circulating in the area that could help people achieve a "new beginning" were a few like "Guiding the Floating Life Technique" and "Initial Understanding of Night Meditation," which were of similar levels.
Qin Ming wasn’t anxious, mainly because the movements he had practiced for years were starting to show results. There was a faint silver ripple on his skin, which was different from before.
His handsome face had a healthy flush, and his eyes sparkled. "Lu Ge, Sister-in-law, just wait a bit longer. I should be able to succeed."
A "new beginning" meant that, based on his original physical condition, a vigorous life force surged, almost like returning to the womb to nurture a new force of life.
In the muddy world, where physical conditions were usually fixed, if the "foundation" underwent another development, it would be like a rebirth.
Who wouldn’t be tempted by this?
For example, after Er Bingzi, who was originally a bit weak, achieved his new beginning, he could now lift several hundred pounds over his head.
This change was truly astonishing, akin to changing one's fate.
Imagine if Lu Ze, who could already break bricks and strike wooden dummies after practicing the Night Meditation Technique, experienced a "new beginning." How terrifying would his strength become?
"Once the illness is gone, I feel different. My body feels better than ever," Qin Ming said confidently.
Before Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing could respond, five-year-old Wen Rui was already nodding seriously, his rosy little face full of expectation. "Uncle is the best! After you succeed, catch a mountain beast to make soup for us. I'm... so hungry."
Two-year-old Wen Hui, who was just starting to walk, waddled over to join in, mumbling, "Uncle... strong, eat meat."
Qin Ming laughed, "No need to wait. We can satisfy you today."
With that, he took down the red squirrel hanging from the hunting fork.
The mutated squirrel, with eyes like black gems, seemed to widen in fear.
"Wow, it’s still alive! That’s even better; fresh meat is much more tender than frozen." Qin Ming examined it closely.
"This squirrel is so pretty and a bit cute," Wen Rui said, his big eyes sparkling with genuine affection for the furry creature.
"It’ll be even cuter once it’s cooked. I promise you’ll enjoy it," Qin Ming replied with a smile.
Wen Rui looked conflicted. He was indeed craving meat after a long time without it, but seeing such a shiny red creature made it hard for him to look away. He wanted to get close and hoped to keep it as a pet.
Wen Hui followed his brother closely, mimicking him, his bright eyes reflecting the squirrel's image as he babbled, "Squirrel... cute."
Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing watched the two kids and couldn’t help but smile.
Qin Ming agreed, "It really is cute and capable. Look at all the food it has stored for winter—pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, red dates, and more. There are at least a dozen types, even mushrooms! This is great; squirrel stew with mushrooms will be delicious and nutritious."
"Really... really? But I don’t want it to die," Wen Rui said, tugging at his clothes, his little face full of concern, though he couldn’t help but swallow.
"Of course not! Look at these mushrooms; there are tiger's paw mushrooms and sunbird mushrooms—both are famous mountain delicacies. You’re in for a treat! Truly, mutated creatures are the best," Qin Ming praised.
The red squirrel was quite agitated, its fur standing on end.
Qin Ming pulled out a short knife, ready to skin it in the yard. Scenes of bloodshed weren’t suitable for the kids to see.
"Chirp chirp!" The mutated squirrel squeaked in panic, struggling violently, the wire wrapped around it digging into its flesh.
"Uncle, how about... we keep it?" Wen Rui stopped him, trying hard to forget the taste of meat, as if he had made up his mind to plead for the creature.
"What a great ingredient! The meat of mutated creatures is the most delicious," Qin Ming teased.
"Let’s not eat it this time. Once you achieve your new beginning, you’ll definitely be able to hunt down bigger and fiercer mutated creatures. We’ll wait for you to succeed, Uncle," Wen Rui said, feeling sympathetic and resisting the temptation of food.
The mutated squirrel looked nervously from the knife in Qin Ming's hand to Wen Rui, as if seeking help.
Liang Wanqing was surprised, "This little creature is quite intelligent. It seems like it can understand what you’re saying. Look at its little face, all wrinkled up in tension."
Qin Ming put away the knife. This small creature didn’t have much meat. It was originally meant to satisfy the kids’ cravings, and since they liked it alive, he decided to keep it.
Lu Ze frowned slightly, "This winter is different from others. There’s no extra food to give it."
The mutated squirrel looked longingly at the bulging animal skin bag, which contained all its stored food!
Qin Ming also noticed how unusually intelligent this little creature was.
He picked out some acorns from the pile of nuts. "These nuts need to be processed before eating; otherwise, they’re slightly poisonous and a bit bitter. They’ll be perfect for feeding the squirrel."
The red squirrel didn’t make a sound, just stared at him with wide eyes, breathing heavily.
"Are you not satisfied with being alive? And if you dare to bite, I’ll definitely cook you," Qin Ming warned, putting it into a birdcage.
Lu Ze thought it would be better to sell the mutated squirrel. After all, its bright red fur was worth a lot, and keeping it would waste food and energy.
But when he saw the two kids so joyfully laughing and jumping around, he stopped opposing the idea.
When parting, Lu Ze took the cage and a bunch of acorns, leaving behind the other dried goods.
Qin Ming didn’t say much to him. He stuffed a bag of walnuts and pine nuts into Liang Wanqing's hands for the kids to snack on.
...
Having temporarily escaped the food shortage, Qin Ming began to seriously consider the issue of a new beginning.
Lu Ze said that his "wild methods" were holding him back, which indeed stirred some thoughts in him.
He vaguely remembered some blurry fragments from his childhood, where someone had told him that those movements had origins but were unlikely to be effective.
After a moment, he went to the yard and decided to practice his "wild methods," which he had been doing for over a decade. It felt different now, so there was no reason not to continue.
Qin Ming loosened his joints and stretched his muscles, twisting, turning, and flipping with ease.
He suddenly jumped off the ground, shooting out like an iron arrow, and when he landed, he was as light as a swallow, making no sound.
He changed between stillness and motion, sitting like a crouching tiger, walking like wading through mud, and moving fluidly as if it was second nature.
Then he spun around, kicking his leg like lightning, creating a dull sound as if a dragon was swinging its tail in mid-air.
After a simple warm-up, Qin Ming began performing various difficult moves.
"Blow and breathe, exhale the old and inhale the new, bear the bear’s energy..."
He stretched his body, strong and powerful, causing a fierce wind that stirred the snow on the ground, swirling around him.
Soon, the familiar feeling returned. Silver threads intertwined in his pores, rippling into waves, forming a faint glow on his skin.
Gradually, white mist rose around him.
A warm current flowed through his body, like a refreshing rain falling on parched land, which greedily absorbed the droplets.
Qin Ming's movements consumed a lot of energy, but he felt no fatigue. Instead, he was full of vitality.
His body seemed to be celebrating, as if it had been hungry for a long time and wanted to be filled, continuously absorbing the silver ripples.
His flesh felt itchy, and his whole body was gaining strength. Was he about to achieve a new beginning?
Qin Ming felt hot and had an impulse to run, wanting to release his abundant energy, and then he acted on it.
He dashed through the wilderness like a shooting star across the night sky, heading deeper into the mountains.
In the distance, on the snowy ground, a tall and slender woman stood still. Her black fur cloak shimmered with a faint dark light, covering her fair neck and only revealing her delicate chin, exuding a mysterious coldness.
A crow perched on a thorn bush beside her, speaking human words: "Oh, the body is achieving a new beginning on its own, showing unusual signs in the early stages, as if moonlight is falling on the surface, creating layers of shimmering golden waves."
"I sense this is a good seed, quite rare, appearing in such a remote place." Its black feathers shone like black gold, and it had purple eyes, gazing ahead. "Isn’t your teacher selecting closed-door disciples? This boy might be one."
The woman stood on a larger piece of blue stone, the cold wind blowing, her loose cloak clinging to her, unable to hide her exceptional curves. Yet her voice was slightly cold: "There are more suitable candidates than him."
Qin Ming seemed to sense something and turned his head to look into the distance, already holding a bow and arrow.
"Very keen intuition," the crow commented. It was now in the dense forest, speaking to the woman beside it: "Your teacher’s path is quite unique. Don’t miss out on a seed that has the potential to grow."
"Not being chosen is a regret he doesn’t know. What can I miss? I already have the best candidate." The mountain wind howled, and the woman’s dark hair fluttered, partially covering her pale cheek. Dressed in black, she looked stunningly beautiful yet cold. She began to walk forward, saying, "Right now, it’s more important to explore the mountains."