Qin Ming stood where he was. Not being chosen didn't make him feel awkward. His mindset was calm and composed.
It was Xu Yueping who seemed anxious on his behalf, though there was nothing he could do. Yang Yongqing also felt it was a pity. He had once joked with Qin Ming, saying that during the mountain sweep, noble girls would descend, and he should put on a good performance.
Wei Zhirou was very gracious. She greeted Qin Ming warmly, praised him generously, and said she would've liked to invite him along, but Cao Long and Mu Qing wouldn't agree. She told him that after the sweep, he could come find her in Chixia City.
Qin Ming didn't act aloof; he smiled and responded that if he were to leave the area, Chixia City would be his first choice.
"I chose Qin Ming," Mu Qing suddenly said.
Qin Ming's body stiffened ever so slightly. He hadn't minded not being chosen before; he was quite at ease with it. But now he suddenly felt a little uneasy. It wasn't just that this person's gender was unclear; even their humanity was now in question. Heading into the mountains with such a being made his heart beat a little faster.
He even began to wonder: Had Mu Qing been some kind of high-level creature that joined Chixia City? Otherwise, no matter how much a human body transformed, how could it possibly grow a fluffy golden tail?
But what could he do? In this situation, he didn't hesitate; he nodded and accepted readily.
Mu Qing was quite satisfied with him. Seeing he only carried a woodcutting knife, Mu Qing asked, "You're lacking a suitable weapon. What kind are you used to?"
Qin Ming replied, "I haven't settled on one yet."
Mu Qing thought for a moment and said, "Some of the monsters in the mountains have tough scales and thick hides. Normal swords might not even cut them. I'll give you a long-handled hammer. If used well, it's extremely destructive. You can smash a head with one strike. But it's a heavy weapon, I'm not sure if you'll find it easy to wield."
Mu Qing waved a hand, and someone immediately brought over a long-handled war hammer forged from black steel.
Qin Ming casually swung it a few times, creating trails of afterimages and a low, humming sound as it sliced through the air. He looked as if he were spinning a spear or dancing a sword, light and fluid.
"Good!" Mu Qing nodded, having seen that his strength was formidable.
Wei Zhirou was quietly astonished. Her standards were high, and from the ease with which he handled the heavy hammer, she estimated his raw power was approaching the six-hundred-pound threshold.
She had previously ordered background checks on the two boys with golden foundations. She'd thought Xu Yueping had exaggerated Qin Ming's strength, but now she saw that wasn't the case.
Still, she didn't feel she had made the wrong choice. Zhou Wubing, despite early damage to his vital essence, was recovering since his rebirth. His potential was tremendous. Once stabilized, he could likely carry over six hundred pounds. Truly a prodigy. Even Xu Kong had personally mentored him.
Cao Long, for his part, remained indifferent. His path was that of the Gigantic Spirit—innate divine strength!
Mu Qing added, "Let me give you a short sword too. If a monster gets close, you'll need a sharp weapon for close combat."
"Thank you!" Qin Ming accepted it. At last, he had a better arsenal than what the patrol group had issued.
The rest of the selection process went quickly for Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing.
Old Liu was over seventy. At first, no one picked him until he volunteered, saying he knew the mountains like his own backyard. Suddenly, all three groups wanted him.
"I want to be in the same team as little Qin, we're from the same village and can look out for each other," Old Liu said.
Soon, the Cao, Wei, and Mu families had finished their picks.
"Everyone, the leaders will soon hold the final negotiation with the mysterious mountain creatures. All we can do now is wait," Cao Long said.
Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing prepared to return to Yinteng Town, where they were staying. They told the selected rebirthers to get ready once they returned.
Just then, dozens more people appeared from the forest. They left with the three teams. All of them were young adults in armor, clearly experienced fighters.
On the way back, Xu Yueping sighed, "Looks like the Chixia City folks just see us as guides. They're polite, but they don't think much of our strength."
Yang Yongqing said, "The kids in those three teams are indeed here to train, but those dozens of seasoned fighters are the true core of the mountain sweep operation."
Old Liu was more relaxed about it. With access to advanced Qi cultivation arts, how could they be compared?
Xu Yueping shook his head, "I've been to Chixia City. Only a tiny number of core nobles have complete advanced scriptures."
He judged that the so-called generous rewards wouldn't include true clan secrets. That would undermine their very foundations.
"I'm guessing it's probably fragments of advanced texts they collected from outside, not their heritage. But even so, for someone in the rebirth phase, that's enough to reach full mastery."
Yang Yongqing sighed with longing, "Advanced Qi manual is so rare, so precious. Even incomplete, if it covers the rebirth phase, it's enough to drive people mad."
Qin Ming muttered, "If it's that valuable, yet the three great families of Chixia are willing to offer it... The smoke-and-light zones in the mountains must hold tremendous secrets."
"You're wrong, there are over a dozen families involved," Old Liu corrected him.
Not long after, they returned to the village.
…
As the shallow night came to an end, Qin Ming brought a large slab of donkey meat to Old Liu's door. He said he was there to mooch a meal, but he wanted to ask about the Blood Bamboo Forest.
Old Liu lived at the edge of the village near the Fire Spring. Under the twilight, his grey-tiled house was tinged with a reddish glow.
As Qin Ming stepped into the courtyard, a yellow dog bolted from its kennel. It was as tall as an adult's shoulder, its golden fur gleaming. It bared its sharp white teeth.
Qin Ming was instantly reminded of the patrol team's golden mastiff. He couldn't help but look at this dog a few more times. It was fat and sturdy, probably with good meat quality.
Sensing something, the dog that had just been snarling suddenly tucked its tail and dove back into its kennel, not daring to come out.
"Qin, what are you doing bringing meat to my place?" Old Liu appeared promptly despite his age.
Qin Ming smiled, "Grandpa Liu, how about I trade you two blade-antler deer for this yellow dog you raised?"
"Woof! Woof…" the big dog howled from its kennel, tail tucked, glancing sideways at its master as if pleading.
"This old dog is quite spiritual. It's terrified of you, probably because your recent hunts have filled you with killing intent," Old Liu said. Then he shook his head with a laugh, "No trade. This dog is about to mutate, and it's been feeding us instead. It sometimes brings back game on its own."
"It's that intelligent?" Qin Ming was surprised.
Old Liu stroked his goatee. "Of course. Two months ago, it was so old it could barely walk. Then it vanished for a few days. When it came back, it started recovering. I bet it mutates before Yongqing's black goat does."
"So, the saying's true. Old dogs return to the mountains—either to die or come back stronger." Qin Ming marveled, staring at the yellow dog again.
Old Liu chuckled, "Speaking of that, last time you fell into a crevice and nearly died, then came back reborn. You're just like an old dog returning from the mountains."
Qin Ming wanted to hit him. This cranky old man didn't know how to talk; no wonder he never married the prettiest girl in town.
Old Liu lowered his voice, "Keep an eye on that crevice you found."
The major families of Chixia City were all seeking those special nodes. There was definitely something going on.
Qin Ming shook his head, "Without a second rebirth, I'm not going near that place again." Then he asked, "Grandpa Liu, you know so much about the legendary spiritual creatures in the mountains, so can you tell me more?"
"You rascal, I knew you came with something in mind," Old Liu said, jabbing at him with a grin. But then he grew serious. "If those spiritual beasts were so easy to catch, I wouldn't have wasted half my life. You've built a golden foundation, and you're bound to get a second rebirth. No need to risk it."
Qin Ming replied, "Didn't you say young people should be bold? If I don't take risks now, when will I? I want to achieve a second rebirth quickly so I can see the higher peaks."
"Did I say that?" Old Liu looked skeptical. He hadn't even been drunk last night; he just had half a cup of spicy liquor.
"Close enough," Qin Ming said with a laugh.
"When you're young, it's true you need big dreams. Dreams shrink as you age, so your starting point must be high," Old Liu nodded.
Snow-laden winds battered the windows. Inside, the Liu family's dinner table was steaming, serving mostly donkey meat. Qin Ming chatted with Old Liu late into the night, learning the names of several spiritual beasts—all located in extremely dangerous areas—and found out where the Blood Bamboo Forest was.
Qin Ming had already guessed it. Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng had their sights set on it, and it was likely within the patrol team's jurisdiction.
Sure enough, Old Liu confirmed that the Blood Bamboo Forest was only six miles from the patrol group's base.
A species of snake lived there. Its body glowed like red agate. Its flesh and gall bladder contained potent vitality and spiritual energy. But this snake was incredibly dangerous—lethal, even. Its venom could kill even someone who had undergone rebirth.
"If you're lucky enough to catch one, chop off its head and remove the venom glands, or it'll be a deadly poison, not a tonic," Old Liu warned.
Not only was it venomous, but its body was also hard as iron with shocking strength. Even snakes just a few feet long were more dangerous than many beasts. They could shoot like steel arrows and pierce the body in an instant.
Some called it the Blood Snake, others the Arrow Snake. If one saw a Blood Snake over ten feet long, the best option was immediate retreat.
Old Liu recalled that the snake den had been there since his youth. Decades had passed, so it had surely spawned second-mutation blood snakes.
Qin Ming said, "Let's just hope there's no stronger old snake now."
"Blades barely scratch them, sparks fly instead. Among same-tier creatures, they're vicious with almost no weaknesses," Old Liu said, suddenly standing up and nearly flipping the table, scaring his wife and almost making his youngest grandson cry.
"What's gotten into you, old man?" the old woman scolded.
Old Liu's face flushed with excitement as he waved his arms, "How could I forget? If the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest goes out due to the mountain disturbance, the snakes might freeze, just waiting to be picked up!" He looked ready to sprout wings and fly into the mountains.
Qin Ming immediately said, "How about we go together tonight and grab some spirit snakes?"
"Great idea!" Old Liu nodded fiercely, but then suddenly deflated and sat down, sighing. "If I figured this out, you think those punks Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng wouldn't have thought of it already? They're stationed right there, and they're desperate for a second rebirth!"
He looked like life had lost all meaning. His joy and excitement evaporated. He slapped his thigh repeatedly in frustration and cursed the patrol team.
"Those lucky dogs! What, are we about to get another Fu Entao-level genius from this? If I could, I'd dump a ladle of golden chamber pot juice on them to give them everlasting glory!"
…
That day, Qin Ming barely stopped moving. He braved the snow in the middle of the night to enter the mountains, killed Fu Entao and Feng Yian with nothing but a woodcutting knife, met with nobles from Chixia City, then spent the night listening to Old Liu's tales of mysterious mountain creatures and bizarre encounters.
By the time Qin Ming returned home, he was a little worn out. He quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, he woke early, scarfed down breakfast, and headed straight for the mountains.