Chapter 15 The Blade Light in the Wind and Snow

The mountain wind was fierce, its howling like the cries of ghosts, snapping many branches and stirring up the snow in the forest, blending it with the falling goose-feather snow in the night sky, creating a vast expanse of white. Qin Ming walked alone in the wind and snow, arriving at the foot of the mountain where the patrol team was stationed. He decided to use the captured bow and arrows; although he still considered them 'soft bows', newly obtained weapons were much better than the iron bows he had used earlier. The fierce wind and snow relentlessly battered his face, forcing him to squint his eyes. He changed out of his thicker warm clothing, donning a thin outer garment after putting on his armor. He buried the bow and arrows he had brought, along with his pack, in a snow cave and weighed them down with heavy stones, then proceeded up the mountain with four iron spears belonging to the patrollers. Qin Ming approached silently, gradually ascending the peak, only a few dozen meters away from the flat area. Were it not for the strong wind and heavy snow, the golden mastiff, which was as large as a ferocious tiger, would have surely sensed the presence of a stranger. Even so, it seemed to be aware, pricking up its ears adorned with golden patterns. Inside one of the larger wooden cabins, flames flickered, and shadows of several people were visible in the window; in this bitterly cold weather, they were drinking and feasting on the rich, steaming meat of yaks from a copper pot over the charcoal fire. "The fire spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest is about to extinguish, it's the perfect time to deal with that kind of spiritual creature, we need to plan ahead..." The words drifted with the wind, and Qin Ming was eager to listen; some members of the patrol team were eyeing a certain spiritual creature in the mountain for their second rebirth. Unfortunately, he could not eavesdrop any longer, as the golden mastiff had appeared outside the shed, looking in his direction and preparing to roar. He aimed at the window and drew his bow at the largest figure inside, sending iron arrows shooting through the night like lightning, all penetrating the wooden cabin with a whizzing sound. A muffled grunt came from within, and all the figures immediately dropped to the ground. The window and door of the cabin were then burst open, and several figures rushed out, using tables and door panels as shields while their sharp gazes searched for the hidden attacker. The golden mastiff barked incessantly, its imposing shout scattering the snowflakes before it, its massive body unleashing astonishing power as it charged towards Qin Ming's location. Qin Ming temporarily ignored the mutated golden mastiff, unleashing a torrential rain of iron arrows solely aimed at one person—Fu Entao. He paid no attention to the other patrollers; only the second rebirth individuals posed the greatest danger, and if he could injure Fu Entao, it would be more meaningful than taking out a few others first. Unfortunately, Fu Entao was only hit by one arrow, and it was a light injury. His specially made armor provided excellent protection, with the arrow penetrating only half an inch deep. Afterward, Fu Entao brandished a long knife, cutting down most of the iron arrows, and using trees as cover, he began swiftly closing in. He judged from the force of the arrows shot at him that this opponent had not undergone their second rebirth, not someone difficult to deal with. It wasn't that Qin Ming lacked strength; rather, the hard bows of the patrollers couldn't withstand his thousand-jin force, ultimately snapping in his grip. The mutated mastiff, covered in both golden and black patterns, leaped forward, pouncing at Qin Ming, its massive jaws emitting white mist, with sharp fangs glistening ominously, roaring violently through the forest. However, its immense body suddenly stiffened mid-air, its roar cut off, as an iron spear flew in at a terrifying speed, piercing its skull and splattering blood. Its fierce eyes dulled in an instant. Undeniably, this was a strong mutated creature capable of troubling the new rebirths, yet it was simply dispatched by Qin Ming's single spear throw, killed instantly! With a thud, it fell five meters in front of Qin Ming. In the distance, Feng Yian saw the golden mastiff's corpse hit the ground and cried out in pain, "Jinzi!" A surge of anger rose in Qin Ming's heart; in the eyes of such people, the lives of villagers outside the mountains were less important than that of a vicious dog, and they dared to lose composure and shout for it. He swung his right arm forcefully, launching another iron spear, which made a chilling sound as it whistled against the wind and snow, flying towards Feng Yian. The burly Feng Yian, who was expected to undergo a second rebirth, reacted quickly, swiftly moving sideways while brandishing the long knife in his hand, slashing at the approaching iron spear. With a clanging sound of metal striking, sparks erupted, and Feng Yian felt his entire arm go numb, his gripping hand trembling dangerously, nearly letting go of the knife handle. He was astonished at the immense force behind the spear; it grazed his body and crashed into a wooden cabin, shattering the thick door panel. At this moment, Fu Entao, standing nearly two meters tall, stomped on the snow, sending up a wave of snow, moving at an astonishing speed, closing in on Qin Ming within ten meters. Awaiting him was a specially made iron spear from the patrol team, shooting towards him like a venomous serpent in the night. As a second rebirth individual, Fu Entao’s perception was extremely keen, clearly tracking the flight path of the iron spear. Not wanting to waste any energy, his towering body merely shifted slightly, effortlessly dodging it while maintaining his momentum, charging at his opponent. He avoided the glimmering iron spear, but behind him, another patroller was following closely, trailing him by several meters, becoming an ideal second target. This was intentional on Qin Ming's part; if Fu Entao were to block, it would be one thing, but if he dodged, the thrown iron spear would target the person following closely behind. The patroller behind failed to evade, as the distance was simply too short, and Fu Entao had just blocked his line of sight. "Ah..." he let out a chilling scream as the thrown iron spear pierced his chest; even with armor, it couldn’t stop the blow, instantly bursting apart and sending shards flying. However, this obstruction altered the trajectory of the spear. After slightly deviating from its original course, with a thud, it pinned the patroller against a tree as thick as a water barrel, blood flowing down the shaft and staining the snow. He struggled in immense pain, knowing he wouldn’t survive. Behind, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng felt a chill run down their spines, as if they too were pinned to that tree, involuntarily stepping back a few paces. Fu Entao realized what had happened behind him, his expression turning grim; ten meters was a mere leap for him. His curly black hair was blown back by the frigid wind, his beast-skin cloak billowing, and the long knife he wielded was specially made, broader and sharper, as he slashed down, seemingly with the force to split mountains, fierce and formidable! Qin Ming was as immovable as a rock before, but now moved with the speed of thunder, quick and fierce. He slightly sidestepped to avoid the terrifying blade, and with the last iron spear in his left hand, he smashed against the knife body, deflecting its trajectory. Fu Entao was slightly startled; he realized this wasn’t someone he could casually handle; the opponent must have undergone a second rebirth. He pressed down hard on the knife, wanting to push away the iron spear and continue his aggressive slash, but he encountered tremendous resistance. Qin Ming pressed his left iron spear against the knife surface, creating sparks as they collided, keeping the long knife from reaching his body while he directly surged forward, aiming his chopping knife at the exposed chest of his opponent. Fu Entao's pupils contracted; the heavy long knife in his right hand couldn’t push back the iron spear, making him feel for the first time that he had encountered a formidable opponent. His left arm, adorned with a black gold guard bearing mountain monster patterns, quickly lifted to block the chopping knife, producing a piercing sound of metal clashing. Taking advantage of this, Fu Entao rapidly retreated, like thunder, stirring up all the snowflakes from the ground and shaking off the slightly passive situation after their first collision. He shook off his slightly numbed left arm, looking down to see cracks appearing on the guard, nearly severed. This wasn’t due to the sharpness of his opponent's knife but the overwhelming force that had shattered it. Misjudging the strength of the iron arrows, he initially aimed to kill the archer instantly, only to be thwarted at the start, forcing him to carefully assess his opponent's figure. Qin Ming looked at the chopping knife, its edge damaged with a noticeable chip; although it was forged from fine iron, it surely couldn’t compare to the weapons of the patrol team. He understood clearly that his strength surpassed that of his opponent, but he was slightly lacking in speed. The second rebirth individuals emphasized flexibility and speed, and he needed to engage in close combat while the opponent mistakenly viewed him as a similar new rebirth, restricting their ability to escape with a single strike. "Who are you, and why are you targeting us?" Fu Entao inquired; earlier, seeing the opponent’s youthful appearance, he had thought him an impulsive, hot-blooded youth, intending to beat him down and force a confession. In the face of his opponent's formidable strength, he calmed down, regarding him as an equal, even feeling a degree of apprehension; after all, the other was indeed too young—was he perhaps a noble scion from Chixia City? But his attire didn’t seem to match. Qin Ming did not answer; his left iron spear pointed forward, and his right chopping knife slightly raised, stepping closer and closer, composed and calm, though he looked young, he exuded a strong presence. Fu Entao frowned, increasingly suspicious of his identity. As Qin Ming emerged from the dark forest, nearing the fire spring area, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng recognized him. Earlier, they had noticed the familiar figure, and now illuminated by the flames, his face clearly emerged; they were completely taken aback. "You are... Qin Ming from Shuangshu Village?!" Feng Yian exclaimed incredulously; he had seen this boy several times, wasn’t he just newly reborn not long ago? Qin Ming did not reply, steadily approaching his opponent, then suddenly accelerating, thrusting his long spear, like an ice serpent transforming into a dragon on the snowfield, emitting a terrifying sound as it pierced the air, the falling snow exploding, and the snow on the ground also erupting. "Surround him, don’t let him escape; I want to capture him alive!" Fu Entao barked quickly as he drew his knife. His gaze was like cold lightning, exuding confidence, mainly to prevent Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng from shying away from the fight, boosting their morale. "Let’s all join forces to take him down quickly," shouted a burly patroller, approaching slowly with his knife; he wasn't rushing in recklessly but attempting to create psychological pressure on Qin Ming. Seeing this, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng advanced to encircle him, guarding a crucial position, ready to ambush at any moment, subtly influencing the situation. The confrontation between the two was terrifying, the iron spear trailing shadows like a dragon or serpent soaring through the air, while the flashing blade resembled lightning in a rainstorm, rapidly expanding the battlefield. Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng's faces changed drastically; this boy named Qin Ming was unexpectedly strong; could the leader truly suppress him? Qin Ming and Fu Entao once again plunged into the dense forest near the fire spring, forcing the three outside to follow cautiously, encircling him. In the forest, the two charged past, and the previously intact trees suddenly cracked and splintered, large branches crashing down onto the snow, and thick trees booming as they fell. Suddenly, from the dark forest, a silver figure leapt down from a large tree, aiming to ambush Qin Ming. Qin Ming was currently engaged in combat with Fu Entao, facing away from this direction, and the snow ape raised by the patrol team unexpectedly attacked from above, catching him off guard. It was a mutated creature, with claws capable of ripping apart ferocious beasts, and at this moment, it was extremely vicious, lunging for Qin Ming's neck with deadly speed. However, Qin Ming had long been aware of the snow ape's presence; after ascending the mountain, he had secretly located its position, remaining vigilant against all potential threats here. His feet moved like a gust of wind, exceptionally agile, evading the snow ape's assault while countering with a swift chop aimed at mid-air, with a thud, the chopping knife bisected the ferocious snow ape! Ape blood splattered everywhere; it howled in agony, its two halves dropping to the snow, quickly dying and going still.