Chapter 13 The Passion is Gone

Xu Yueping remained silent until he left Yinteng Town. He rushed into the dark forest and slammed his fist heavily against a large tree, causing snow to fall from the branches. "If it weren't for my wife and children, or if I were twenty years younger, I would take Feng Yian with me today even if I had to die!" He gasped for breath, feeling extremely repressed, his arms trembling slightly. He had been humiliated in the private room, and there were still finger marks on his face. As a man, he couldn't swallow this anger. But he had a family and was no longer young; the burdens and obligations on him forced him to endure. He clenched his fist and whispered, "My hot blood has been worn down by life." Qin Ming didn't know how to comfort him, and even his emotions were fluctuating along with Xu Yueping's. "Uncle Xu, don’t let them anger you. They will be punished for their evil deeds sooner or later." After a long time, Xu Yueping finally exhaled a breath of foul air and said, "Let's go back." Snowflakes were still drifting in the night sky, and the two spoke little on the way back. Qin Ming tried to find some topics to ease the oppressive atmosphere. "Why haven't we started the mountain sweep?" Xu Yueping replied, "They should still be negotiating with the mysterious creatures in the mountains." Then his expression turned sour as he mentioned something: the mountain patrol team had a kind of catalytic liquid that was being prepared, which would be delivered to Shuangshu Village in three days to be poured into the Fire Spring. It was easy to imagine that this catalytic liquid, beneficial for the sprouting of Black Moon, would be harmful to Huotian. "Have the other villages agreed?" Qin Ming asked. Xu Yueping sighed, "Three of the villages have encountered some setbacks. Given the continuous decline in Huotian's production in recent years, they have also speculated that there is a problem with the seeds, but in the end, they couldn't withstand the pressure and agreed. Only Qingsang Village next door remains, as the mountain patrol team is wary of the person who passed the advanced cultivation method to Er Bingzi and didn't dare to pressure them too much." "It's almost the middle of the month," Qin Ming said, looking at the dark sky. He already knew that the mountain patrol team would only appear in the mountains at the middle and end of the month. At that moment, a giant bull with bright red fur appeared from a fork in the road across from them, drawing attention. Its back was much taller than that of an adult man, with thick long hair that shone and emitted a red glow, and besides the two normal curved horns, there was a straight, sharp horn in the center of its forehead. Clearly, this was a mutated creature. But what was most eye-catching was the man sitting on it, who was exceptionally tall; if he stood on the ground, he would likely exceed three meters. His long black hair fell over his shoulders, and his eyes, like blades, swept over the two of them. The fire-red mutated giant bull stomped through the snow at a very fast speed, heading towards Yinteng Town. "What a tall person," Qin Ming exclaimed. "He is on a different path," Xu Yueping said, watching the retreating figure. "Is it due to premature rebirth, causing his body to develop early?" Qin Ming asked. According to the experiences summarized by predecessors, the best age for physical rebirth was around fifteen or sixteen, as it could lay a golden foundation. If it happened too early, it could easily lead to imbalance, because the body was already in a high-speed growth stage. If another 'rebirth' promotion occurred, it could cause hormonal disruptions, ultimately leading to becoming a giant. The key point was that such giants often died young, as their bodies would often go out of control after drastic changes. Xu Yueping said, "Only large families with the experiences of past sages can accumulate enough resources to help such individuals grow." A few giants could survive and become very powerful, able to accomplish great feats with sheer strength. "Such people follow the path of the Giant Spirit God," Xu Yueping said, emphasizing that ordinary families simply could not cultivate them. He speculated that the person and the mount just now likely came from Chixia City. Speaking of the issue of physical rebirth, Qin Ming then brought up the mountain patrol team leader, Fu Entao. Xu Yueping turned to him and said, "Little Qin, you aren’t thinking of looking for them, are you? You must not do that." Qin Ming shook his head and said, "Uncle Xu, you think too much. I’m just a newcomer; what qualifications and strength do I have to face a second rebirth individual?" Xu Yueping breathed a sigh of relief; he was genuinely worried that Qin Ming, in a moment of impulse, would put himself in danger. "Though the first rebirth is comprehensive, it still emphasizes strength, while the second rebirth slightly leans towards flexibility and speed in physical qualities." They chatted along the way, and Qin Ming gradually sketched out Fu Entao's prominent fields and levels of strength in his mind. The two entered the dense forest multiple times on their way back, not wanting to return empty-handed, hoping to bring back some game for the families suffering from food shortages. "That was dangerous; even I, as a rebirth individual, almost got hurt. The creatures in the wild are indeed getting restless; we really need to sweep the mountains," Xu Yueping said, feeling a wave of fear. Just a moment ago, a mutated 'thorn leopard' had attacked him from behind, like a black flash of lightning, completely unexpected. If it weren't for Qin Ming's intervention, he would have been knocked down. "This area has recently seen mutated plants and is quite dangerous; we shouldn't linger," they decided. They didn't waste time and dragged the mutated thorn leopard along; it weighed four hundred and fifty pounds, with five-inch-long black spikes covering its abdomen to its head. Upon returning to the village, Qin Ming immediately felt a sense of oppression and gloom; even the children who usually liked to chase each other in the snow had decreased in number. After Xu Yueping distributed the thorn leopard meat to each household, he headed home, feeling extremely exhausted, primarily from psychological strain. Qin Ming stood by the bright Fire Spring, gazing into the wilderness, where the dim silhouettes of distant mountains were barely visible. "The catalytic liquid will be delivered in three days and poured into the Fire Spring. The way you’re pushing, you’re really not giving anyone time," he whispered. He walked out into the wilderness, preparing to enter the mountains. "First, I’ll scout a bit," it was still early night, and he didn't intend to take any drastic actions. The most important thing was that there were still two days until the middle of the month. "Do you have to force people into a corner? Ignoring next year's famine and disregarding the lives of others," Qin Ming strode into the forest. This time, he didn’t carry a hunting fork; since his body had fully rebirthed, he didn’t need it anymore, only bringing a bow and arrows and a chopping knife. He knew the base of the mountain patrol team and walked steadily in a particular direction. The wind was very strong, and snow was still falling; this environment in the mountains was favorable for him, allowing him to erase any traces he left behind. Each mountain patrol team was responsible for a specific area, covering six to eight villages, and Fu Entao and Feng Yian's resting spot during their breaks was just ahead, not needing to go deep into the mountains. Whenever Qin Ming spotted mutated beasts along the way, he tried to avoid them, not wanting to stir up trouble. After traversing large areas of forest and climbing over several mountains, he approached his destination. A peak was emitting small red glows; there was a miniature Fire Spring there, barely reaching level one, and not as bright as the one in Shuangshu Village, but sufficient for the patrol team’s base. This place had previously been occupied by a stronger mutated creature and had been surrounded and killed by Fu Entao and his team years ago. Deep in the mountains, there were higher-level Fire Springs with excellent environments, and the mysterious beings residing there looked down upon the dim Fire Springs of the outer areas. Qin Ming observed from a neighboring peak; over there, fire clouds flowed, and several wooden houses were built on the flat ground, with figures moving about. Usually, there were only two or three mountain patrollers in the vicinity. They acted together only to search for mutated plants and sentient beings, aiming for a second rebirth. "They’ve raised a keen-scented mutated creature," Qin Ming frowned, spotting a large golden mastiff there, its size comparable to that of a fierce tiger. Then he revealed an angry expression upon noticing a dazzling snow ape, which was clearly a tamed variant, soaking in the Fire Spring. Some villagers had previously suffered attacks from snow apes; some had broken ribs, while others had nearly had their arms torn off. Qin Ming quietly watched that mountain peak for a long time before silently disappearing into the night. He walked out of the forest, gazing at Shuangshu Village in the distance. Under the night, at the village entrance, fire clouds danced, and the nearby houses seemed to be inlaid with golden edges, revealing a hazy outline, with some families sending up curling smoke. This was originally a soft and beautiful scene, but upon entering the village, Qin Ming heard sounds of weeping. "Uncle Qian didn’t make it; he just passed away!" Many villagers stood at the door of the Qian family, unable to suppress their sighs. "Old Qian was too old; that snow ape nearly broke his neck, and he barely held on until now." Qin Ming listened quietly, not speaking; this was already the third person to die in this incident. Xu Yueping and Old Liu also arrived, all with heavy expressions. They knew the truth and felt immense hatred for Feng Yian and others in their hearts. The next day, when Uncle Qian was buried, members of the mountain patrol team appeared at the village entrance. Feng Yian sighed as he stepped forward, handing a roe deer to the Qian family. Watching his hypocritical facade while comforting the Qian family, even the oldest Old Liu felt disgusted and turned his face away. The Qian family, unaware of the truth, still held gratitude towards him. Qin Ming silently clenched his fists; a single roe deer for a life? The underlying implications were bloody; Uncle Qian's life was far too undervalued. A tall man in armor spoke, "Whether it’s that blood bear or the ferocious snow ape, both have been killed by us, so everyone can hunt safely in the mountains now." Qin Ming recognized him; his name was Shao Chengfeng. Once, while entering the mountains, he and Yang Yongqing had encountered this person on the road. At that time, he thought Shao Chengfeng was responsible and hardworking in patrolling the mountains late at night. Now this person was speaking nonsense with his eyes wide open, claiming credit for his wrongdoing, which was truly despicable. Soon, several members of the mountain patrol team found Xu Yueping. They were not there to comfort the villagers but to personally check the burial situation of the Black Moon. "Brother Xu, thank you for your hard work," Feng Yian said, patting Xu Yueping's shoulder with satisfaction this time. Qin Ming also stood by the Fire Spring, feeling that although he was smiling, there was no kindness behind it. Xu Yueping had a blank expression, recalling the humiliation he suffered in Yinteng Town, feeling a sting in both his heart and face. Shao Chengfeng laughed and said, "Last time I misjudged you; I didn’t expect little brother Qin to be a new individual with a golden foundation. Once the mountain sweep begins, we will likely fight alongside each other, so why not join our patrol team directly and become one of us in advance?" Qin Ming immediately declined, even as the other’s smile gradually faded, he pretended not to see it. Soon after, the members of the mountain patrol team left. "There’s no need to test; we can tell that kid has hostility towards us. We’ll find an opportunity to eliminate him after the sweep begins!" "Don’t waste it; the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest is about to extinguish, so it’s just right to use him to scout the path." A few people chatted casually and disappeared into the wilderness. That day, Qin Ming earnestly sharpened his chopping knife in the courtyard. Thanks to: Shepi Erdai Ji, Manman Manzi, Xun Fang, Why is it so hard to find a good book?, When your hair is long enough to reach your waist, will you marry me?, thanks to the support of several leaders!