Chapter 16 Defeating the Enemy

The Snow Ape was split in two by a single strike, a scene that sent a chill down Shao Chengfeng and Feng Yian's spines, causing them to involuntarily step back, once again doubting if their team leader could truly handle him. Fu Entao's expression changed slightly, but his attack was unaffected in the slightest. He seized the opportunity when Qin Ming dodged the Snow Ape, a bright long knife cleaving through the wind and snow, aiming to strike at the waist with an unmatched force. It seemed that Qin Ming had anticipated this; he raised his gun with his left hand to block behind him, turning his back to Fu Entao. Then, he leaped forward, utilizing the heavy downward strike that Fu Entao had landed on the iron spear to accelerate towards the enemy. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to do this, as even without being killed on the spot, they would be severely injured by such overwhelming force, potentially coughing up blood. But for Qin Ming, it was nothing; he quickly approached his target. The stout patroller's hair stood on end, realizing that the fierce opponent was coming for him, like a giant beast from the mountains. As he landed, the glimmer of the knife came slicing through the air. He immediately swung his knife to counterattack, intending to engage in a blade clash with his foe. However, in an instant, he felt his grip on the knife slipping due to the overwhelming force from his opponent. After just two brief but intense clashes, the flesh between his fingers split open, blood flowing profusely, staining the knife handle, leaving him unable to hold on any longer. Pfft! Under the reflection of the fire spring, a brilliant flash of the knife light passed by, and his head was severed, his body collapsing to the ground with a thud. Qin Ming swiftly turned, using his iron spear to block Fu Entao's long knife, then fiercely glared at Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng. The two behind him felt panic in their hearts; usually, they were tough characters, their natures akin to that of wolves, sly and ruthless. However, this young man before them was too brutal, coming forth to kill without a word, making them feel uneasy. Fu Entao also felt a shadow looming over him; this newly reborn youth brought him immense pressure, every spear and knife strike sending a slight numbness to his arms. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to flee into the depths of the dark forest, yet he feared that retreating would leave his back exposed to a deadly counterattack. Qin Ming spoke, "There are seven targets in the stronghold on the mountain that await execution. Four have already been taken down, leaving only you three left." Fu Entao was taken aback, and his expression darkened; this youth was equating them with Jin Ao, the Snow Ape, and their five members? Shao Chengfeng and Feng Yian tightened their grips on their iron spear and long knife respectively, as if anyone dared to belittle them like this in normal times, they would not know how to write the word 'death'. Qin Ming aimed to provoke their anger, sensing that the three were becoming timid, possibly contemplating escape, fearing he wouldn't catch up to the newly reborn Fu Entao. Indeed, the shadow that had just emerged in Fu Entao's heart was stimulated to dissipate; in this area, not even the veteran leaders from other patrol teams would dare to humiliate him like this. Fu Entao had accumulated experience over the years, on the verge of a breakthrough, almost touching the threshold. "Is he that Qin Ming from Shuangshu Village?" Fu Entao asked the two behind him. Previously, when they discussed the Blood Bamboo Forest, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng had mentioned Qin Ming, intending to use this golden-rooted youth to scout the way and eliminate him. "It’s him," the bearded Feng Yian nodded. After nodding, Fu Entao coldly said, "Alright, when the time comes, we will wash Shuangshu Village in blood, leaving no man, woman, or child behind. In this special phase, after the mountain-clearing operation begins, it would not be surprising if an unexpected 'famous beast' emerges from the depths of the mountains to massacre the village." The smile he displayed was cold, tinged with a sense of bloodshed, as he slowly raised his long knife. Qin Ming was not angered; he wanted to stir up the opponent's emotions, ensuring they wouldn't lose their fighting spirit and flee in a short time. He added fuel to the fire, saying, "Did I speak incorrectly about you? Over there in Chixia City, you receive high salaries, and the villagers also admire you; they would rather reduce their harvest than help the patrol teams plant the Black Moon. What have you done? Exhausted the resources, drained the essence, wishing to devour all the spirituality in the fire spring, regardless of how many people might starve to death due to famine in the coming year. You even casually kill those innocent villagers to threaten and intimidate. In your eyes, those lives are worth less than a deer, far less than the golden hounds you raise. Do you still have humanity? Is it wrong to compare you to vicious dogs and Snow Apes? You are a far greater threat than they are. Think about the deceased former patrol leaders and those responsible patrollers from other teams; you are not worthy to stand alongside them." Qin Ming spoke calmly, without fervor or anger, his voice even low. Yet this made Fu Entao's hand gripping the knife visibly tense, and he fell silent, actively pushing forward. Even Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng became bloodthirsty, wishing to eliminate this youth who spoke calmly yet pierced their hearts directly. Qin Ming took the initiative to attack first, the heavy iron spear moving with precision, the sharp spearhead piercing out, leaving shadows in its wake, stirring up the falling snowflakes. As Fu Entao tilted his head to dodge, the spearhead pierced through a thick larch behind him, and with a slight forceful shake of the spear, the tree trunk snapped with a crack. Following that, he swung the chopping knife too. In an instant, the two clashed heavily, the dangerous exchanges during their confrontation causing large trees to topple as they passed, the destructive power was astonishing. When they fought near the fire spring, with a loud boom, a large wooden house exploded in the wake of their knives. Standing nearly two meters tall, Fu Entao initially exuded a strong sense of pressure, but now he was gasping heavily for breath, white mist rising in his naturally curled hair. He was shocked, feeling extremely fatigued, his arms numb from the shock, while his opponent still displayed such ferocity. If not for his speed being fast enough, he would have long been defeated. He sensed that something was off about the opponent's speed, realizing his own advantages. At that moment, he waited for the opportunity; Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng, taking advantage of Qin Ming's thrust and swing, suddenly launched their attack. "Clang!" The piercing sound of knife and spear colliding erupted as Qin Ming used the chopping knife to block Shao Chengfeng's iron spear, quickly deflecting Feng Yian's long knife with the back of his blade. In this moment, Fu Entao was like a human tiger, exceedingly fierce, his hair flying in the snowstorm. His gaze became exceptionally sharp as he wielded the long knife, striking down blow after blow with all his might. He noticed that when Qin Ming wielded the iron spear with one hand, he was no longer as powerful as before, seemingly being suppressed. He shouted, "Give it your all to surround and kill him!" Qin Ming faced off against the other two with the chopping knife, while his left hand's iron spear was being pressed down by Fu Entao's continuous knife strikes, looking precarious. Even in several dangerous exchanges, he chose a mutually destructive approach, allowing Fu Entao's long knife to strike while still pushing forward with the spear tip, forcing the opponent to retreat. Fu Entao revealed a cold smile, fearing no one. He leapt forward, merely avoiding the critical areas of his upper body, swinging the bright long knife down at Qin Ming. At the same time, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng also revealed sinister smiles, working in perfect harmony to block all of Qin Ming's escape routes, their long knives and iron spears coming together, forcing Qin Ming to use the chopping knife solely to defend against their attacks. Qin Ming could not retreat and had no time to dodge Fu Entao's long knife. In that moment, he hesitated not at all, choosing to accelerate forward, unable to lift the spear high in time, and with a piercing sound, the spear tip stabbed into Fu Entao's thigh, completely penetrating it. Although Fu Entao's facial muscles twitched, he grew even colder; the consequence of this injury for an injury meant he only hurt one leg, while the long knife he slashed down could cleave his opponent in two. At the critical moment, Qin Ming's right hand's chopping knife still dealt with the other two, abandoning the iron spear, his left arm rising to withstand the sharp long knife. Fu Entao sneered disdainfully, thinking that this would cut off both the arm and the person. Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng also began to laugh; no one knew better than they did how terrifying a downward strike from a two-meter-tall leader could be, as they imagined the bloody scene. However, with a clang, a trembling sound rang out, accompanied by a piercing metallic scraping noise; things were entirely different from what they had imagined. Qin Ming's outer garment at the arm ripped, revealing the armor belonging to the patrol team members, and he was wearing more than one layer. Although this armor was not as exquisite as Fu Entao's, having donned three layers was sufficient to block that knife. Had it not been for the weight, Qin Ming might have worn all the armor from the four he killed at the base of the mountain. With a thud, Fu Entao stumbled as he landed, his thigh pierced, the iron spear still not withdrawn, blood flowing profusely, leaving him unable to stand. Feng Yian turned to flee, without a hint of hesitation; he was quite decisive, knowing that the entire patrol team was likely to be annihilated. Shao Chengfeng also realized that the earlier downturn in this youth was merely a ploy, and he too immediately fled. Qin Ming picked up an iron spear from the ground, leaped up, and hurled it forcefully into the air. At such a short distance, it was almost guaranteed to hit; the iron spear flew swiftly, piercing through Feng Yian's back, pinning him to the ground! "Ah..." he screamed in pain, unable to die immediately, struggling in place. The moment Qin Ming landed, he chased after the other person; his speed was slightly lacking compared to Fu Entao, but it was easy to catch up with Shao Chengfeng. Shao Chengfeng could not sit back and wait for death, turning to fiercely resist with the iron spear, but it was futile; Qin Ming chopped off his right arm. The iron spear fell to the ground, which Qin Ming picked up, and then without mercy, he pinned Shao Chengfeng in place with the long spear, instantly leaving the area covered in blood. Qin Ming stood in the center, speaking: "If we do not flee and engage in a life-and-death struggle right here, I believe I would have long since resolved you all. During the process, I had to divide my attention, fearing that one of you might escape; even if just one got away, it would mean my mission failed." "You..." Fu Entao leaned on his long knife, nearly spitting blood from anger, believing him to be speaking hubristically. "Facing you in a knife fight, I was indeed strained while distracted, but being newly reborn, it is understandable," Qin Ming reflected on the battle. "What?!" Fu Entao's expression froze, his heart trembling; he could not believe that the other party had just become a new student, unable to accept such a fact. "You truly haven't gone through a second rebirth yet," Feng Yian spat out a mouthful of blood, smiling bitterly; he knew it was all over, having encountered such an incredible monster. Thank you to the Silver Alliance: Dao Hua Huang Fa Chang Sheng Chou, thanks for the support! Thank you to the alliance leaders: Bu Xing Zhi Meng, Ye Cheng Mo, thanks for the support!