The entire mansion shone brightly as if it were daylight. Although snowflakes danced in the air, the inside felt as warm as spring or summer. The flowerbeds burst with vibrant colors, and the greenery in the courtyards looked lush and dripping with life.
In the spacious hall, a stern middle-aged man remained silent, creating a brief moment of stillness that made Cui Hong, who stood with his hands at his sides, feel as though he were facing a towering mountain.
“Leave him with enough daylight gold so that he can live comfortably, and let him enjoy a wealthy life there,” the man finally spoke.
Cui Hong, with his long arms, immediately nodded in agreement. However, he took a moment to cautiously ask again, “If he has been reborn, should we…?”
The middle-aged man interrupted, “The techniques on the silk scroll cannot be practiced.”
“What if he has given up on the silk scroll and, in that remote and barren land, for the sake of survival began practicing his own methods? What if he steps onto the path of rebirth…” Cui Hong inquired with great caution.
The middle-aged man rose and stood before a thick pillar etched with cloud patterns. He looked out at the beautifully arranged gardens, where every step revealed a new scene, and said, “Let him live a good ordinary life, let him take root there, rich and peaceful. That is enough.”
Cui Hong nodded, but he felt quite troubled. This matter was easy to handle for now, but who could say if trouble would find him in the future?
Before leaving, he said, “If he has perished and didn’t make it through, I will see to his burial with care.”
The stern middle-aged man grunted in response, indicating that he could leave.
…
The fall of Jinji Ridge was like a storm sweeping through the region, causing villages outside the mountains to erupt in cheers.
The forces settled in this area were astonished and shocked, such as certain merchant guilds and patrolling groups. Even the unusual creatures within the mountains were stirred by the news.
“The scene was quite brutal; I went to take a look. There were fierce beasts feasting on the remains, not a single whole bone left behind.”
“Jinji Ridge acted with great righteousness. When they collected protection money last time, they claimed it was for our safety as they confronted the strange creatures in the Great Rift, nearly suffering total defeat. I didn’t believe it then. But now I am convinced; they spoke the truth, and indeed they were annihilated, providing a feast for the mutated creatures!”
Someone scoffed, demonstrating just how unpopular Jinji Ridge had become. Upon hearing of their demise, it was safe to say people were nearly shouting in celebration.
“Who is the great hero that accomplished this? Please accept my bow!” someone shouted with excitement.
Many people knew that the two notorious bandits from Jinji Ridge were reborn four times, and a few who understood the situation were aware that there was also a mutated five-time creature, an old golden chicken, belonging to one of the region's strongest forces.
Yet, in a single night, they had been wiped out completely.
Some merchant factions sent out teams, alongside a few experienced patrollers.
“The bones left behind by the beasts were marked with knife scars, gun wounds, and arrow holes. This indicates that three strong fighters must have teamed up to wipe out Jinji Ridge,” someone analyzed seriously.
A patroller added, “The one who used the knife must be a master; the bones were slashed cleanly without a single crack, smooth as a mirror. The one who wielded the gun also wasn’t simple; every shot carried the same force, with the gun holes appearing meticulously polished. The archer was likely the weakest of the three, although his accuracy was terrifyingly high, managing to shoot down most of the mountain bandits, but his arm strength couldn’t exceed two thousand pounds.”
When Qin Ming heard such commentary, he fell into silence.
Some larger organizations learned of the matter and began to pay attention.
This was because Jinji Ridge was backed by the Golden Thief, whose activities spanned vast territories and were not limited to the area around Chixia City.
Now someone had removed one of their bases without showing any mercy.
Subsequently, certain hidden truths were uncovered: Jinji Ridge was not completely wiped out, as two survivors had escaped that night.
Those two fled to seek refuge with the Golden Thief, but they conveyed some information before leaving.
“Our leader died such a tragic death. When we returned to the stronghold, we heard their cries from far away, mentioning the city lord and the guardian of the mountains from outside.”
With this, the whole case seemed to surface, and many speculated in their hearts.
Then news came from the mutated creatures; on that night, the new city lord of Chixia City, Meng Xinghai, passed through the area and met with the old mountain lord.
Afterward, there were also claims from Qingsong Town stating that that night, they saw the outsider accompanied by two golden-armored mountain guardians checking into an inn.
“This new city lord is very imposing; we need to be careful when dealing with him in the future.”
“The outsider has stepped in too? It seems that Meng Xinghai once walked alongside a feather-clad woman, showing it was indeed them.”
Some organizations pondered over this matter. They didn’t care about the lives of Jinji Ridge; rather, they were trying to figure out what kind of person this new city lord Meng Xinghai was.
Li Qingyue also kept a lookout, wanting to know the cause behind Cui Chong’s actions and the resulting consequences; she never expected that the ‘melon’ would fall right on her head.
She was an eyewitness, knowing who was responsible for the misdeed, yet she found herself unjustly accused.
Most critically, even Meng Xinghai was dragged into the blame, as all parties believed the new city lord was exceedingly forceful and difficult to deal with. Newly appointed officials often wanted to make a mark, and perhaps he would aim for the Golden Thief.
“Uncle Meng, I’m so sorry. You went to Black and White Mountain to seek the Yin-Yang Elixir for me, but now people are misinterpreting your actions…” Li Qingyue said, showing her regret.
Eradicating Jinji Ridge was a small matter; they indeed deserved to die, but the fact that various parties misunderstood Meng Xinghai’s character and subsequent actions could have considerable repercussions.
Meng Xinghai, donned in a green robe, appeared to be in his late thirties. Though he looked like a scholar, his words were assertive. He shook his head and said, “It’s no matter; City Lord Lingxu and I have been in correspondence. He initially wanted to draw the Golden Thief out at Jinji Ridge to hunt them down. I was also planning to do the same, so I am unafraid of misunderstandings from others.”
He then added, “What I obtained from the mountain lord was a branch of the Black and White Tree. Lingxu has roots of it, so I will help you get a share later on.”
“Thank you, Uncle Meng.”
“Why are you being so polite? These matters could easily be resolved with a word from your family or your master.”
Li Qingyue shook her head and replied, “The Yin-Yang Elixir is vital for outsiders. Now, it’s not just one strong mountain gate that’s envious. Some are writing letters to request it, while others are sending people over. If we are a step late, we might fall behind and make a wasted effort.”
Meng Xinghai said, “Your path is enviable, truly brilliant. Other paths cannot compare; it won’t be long before you might catch up to me.”
…
The extermination of Jinji Ridge had wide-ranging impacts, drawing different reactions from large organizations and local forces.
For example, the Three-Eyed Sect, acting strangely unlike themselves, sent people to various villages, inquiring if any strange creatures were rampaging in the area, offering to help eliminate them, and their attitude was exceedingly friendly.
They even sent supplies to the most disadvantaged villages as part of their relief efforts.
Everyone’s first reaction was disbelief; the Three-Eyed Sect had not only refrained from exploiting them but was now even providing aid?
Soon enough, it dawned on people that the Three-Eyed Sect’s upper management was frightened, fearing that they would meet the same demise as Jinji Ridge, so now they sought to earn a good reputation to protect themselves.
“Let me tell you, the hero who flattened Jinji Ridge is someone else; he rode a Purple Lightning Beast, wielding a sky-splitting spear, truly magnificent, single-handedly exterminating that group of mountain bandits and slaying the old golden chicken. He also visited our Qingsong Town, scaring all members of the Three-Eyed Sect into fleeing overnight.”
Finally, someone let slip a very credible piece of news, yet it was hard to dig deeper, as various leads had already gone cold.
Some tried to contact the mutated beasts, but upon hearing that they needed to investigate the Purple Lightning Beast, certain mountain creatures turned hostile and refused to engage further.
People came to realize that this Purple Lightning Beast was indeed extraordinary.
“I can’t take this anymore! Is this never-ending? Am I destined to have this as part of my dark history?” In the mountains, the Purple Lightning Beast furiously exploded with hair, again calling upon a white owl, asking if there were any clues regarding the outsider. If not, it wanted more manpower sent quickly.
The owl responded, “After all, Black and White Mountain is not our territory; it will take time to investigate.”
…
Qin Ming had been practicing the Yellow Mud Palm, no longer just at the preliminary stage, but had reached a certain level. When the soft energy circulated and the Heavenly Light Energy burst forth, it was terrifying to behold.
He tested his right hand on a wild bull. With a light slap, the resilient hide shattered under his attack, and the blood, flesh, organs, and bones were all rapidly destroyed, crushed to pieces.
“Not suitable for sparring; it risks causing injuries,” Qin Ming muttered to himself.
What he was looking forward to most was merging the essence of the earth into the Yellow Mud Palm, for that was the true secret skill he wanted to master.
Before he left, Qin Ming wanted to find one or two ancient books and asked Old Liu for help. Indeed, there was still a family that had fallen into disrepair, but their asking price was too steep. When he learned that the Wu family had collected fifteen pieces of daylight gold, they wanted fifty pieces right away.
“Please check which type of Heavenly Light Energy they possess.”
Old Liu said, “No need to inquire; everyone knows it’s the Nail Energy. It is indeed very powerful, but they are asking an outrageous price.”
“Even if they drop the price to one piece of daylight gold, I wouldn’t look at it!” Qin Ming remarked.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic. In this remote land, it seemed that the variety of secret tomes was indeed limited. Only a few were circulating; as for the so-called Nail Energy, he had long practiced it. It was the very technique that the burly man, who had written “cannot wait to cultivate the Tathagata’s energy” in the knife manual, sought after through great hardship.
Two days later, Qin Ming prepared to travel far, not wanting to disturb too many people. Before leaving, he went to the adjacent courtyard.
After consuming the meat of the fire snake, Lu Ze not only recovered rapidly from his injuries but also experienced rebirth for the first time.
Qin Ming informed him that he had stored a mutated two-time fire snake in his cellar, advising him to consume it before spring arrived. If the potential was decent, perhaps another rebirth awaited.
Initially, Qin Ming had brought back two large snakes and six small ones, and he had not even finished one large snake, sharing some meat soup with Old Liu to help him with his recovery.
Lu Ze and his wife were in shock, suddenly understanding who had exterminated the patrolling team.
“Little Qin, are you really leaving?!” They were reluctant to part.
Qin Ming nodded. “I want to see what lies further away.”
“Uncle, will you come back?” Wen Rui wiped his tears, holding onto him tightly.
The two-year-old Wen Hui wasn’t very articulate yet, but he also realized that he was leaving, looking up and incomprehensibly calling out for his uncle.
“I will return,” Qin Ming patted the heads of the two children.
Before parting, he handed Lu Ze some handwritten techniques, urging him to practice diligently. In time, he could also teach Wen Rui.
“First practice the Harmonize with Light technique well. If you undergo a rebirth in a short time, it could help you conceal yourself.”
Qin Ming did not allow them to see him off, and with the jade-like iron knife on his back, he swiftly vanished outside the village.
Old Liu waited in the snowy distance, specially there to send him off.
At the same time, a gigantic fierce bird carried Cui Hong and a young man in splendid clothing, piercing through the night mist, crossing the vast expanses of land. After circling the area of Black and White Mountain, they gently descended into the snow outside Yinteng Town.
Some readers mentioned that Cui Chong practiced Heavenly Light Energy at thirteen, thinking it was a mistake, but there is no issue here, as it was briefly discussed in Chapter 55.