Chapter 2 Fire Spring

The Fire Spring was surrounded by stones, with smoke and mist rising, making it particularly bright in this world cloaked in night. Qin Ming crouched down, pulling out a glowing stone from the pool, more lustrous than red coral, radiating light in all directions. The sun stones used by various families all originated from the Fire Spring, and after the stones extinguished, they could be returned here to restore their brilliance after some time. The pool was filled with a fiery red light, shining like lava, yet it was far cooler than the human body temperature. The waves in the pool shimmered, and the flames danced; it was neither true fire nor spring water, but rather a very special substance. In this world where daylight was absent, there was only a distinction between shallow night and deep night. In such an era, the Fire Spring was especially important. Whether it was the mutated grain, Silver Wheat, or ordinary crops like land potatoes, all crops needed the irrigation of the Fire Spring to grow. Moreover, if a person did not see the Fire Spring for a long time, they would also feel unwell. It could be said that it was the foundation for people's survival. In this world without daylight, the seasons could still be divided. Spring and summer belonged to the active period of the Fire Spring, gushing forth to meet the needs of farming. Winter was its period of exhaustion; for example, here in Shuangshu Village, although the pool still emitted light, it could only be used to nurture the sun stones for illumination. Overall, in an era without daylight, people lived by chasing the fire. The Fire Spring stood out so prominently in the darkness that it naturally attracted the gaze of various creatures lurking in the shadows, but fortunately, each had its own territory, maintaining a certain balance most of the time. Shuangshu Village lacked food mainly because the harvest season had been raided by mutant birds; when their beaks touched the wheat ears, it was as if a sickle had passed, leaving behind only a few bare clusters. There had also been ant disasters and certain human factors that led to starvation nearing the winter. Now it was shallow night, the night was relatively light, and occasionally, 'earth light' rose in the distance, allowing the vague outlines of the dense forest to be faintly seen. As for deep night, nothing could be seen; everything was silent, and the darkness was chilling. Qin Ming pondered when he could go out to resolve the severe food shortage. He gazed into the wilderness, which was very dark, unable to see the distant scenery; the accumulated snow had already risen to chest level, making the survival environment extremely harsh. At the head of the village, the Fire Spring illuminated a bright area. The cold wind swept through, and in the square fire pool, the waves shimmered. The black and white twin trees in the pool shook off the accumulated snowflakes, glimmering in the firelight. The leaves of the two trees had a slightly jade-like texture, unaffected by the bitter cold, but apart from repelling mosquitoes in summer, they were of little use. Qin Ming felt the cold snowflakes falling onto his neck and came to his senses; after all, he needed to take care of his body since the outside world was extremely dangerous. He walked back along the original path, where the lights of various households sparkled, while the wilderness behind him was pitch black, lifeless, as if a giant beast were about to swallow everything. Standing in the courtyard, Qin Ming practiced various specific movements with great skill and fluidity; it had almost become instinct after years of practice. After a long while, he felt sweat on his forehead, warmth spreading through his body, and he stopped. He entered the room and took out a small crystal bottle, only as long as his thumb, intricately carved, transparent and delicate, containing a blue liquid with ice crystals. He carefully observed it in the light of the Fire Stone. The fine bottle was engraved with two characters: 'Mineral Essence.' The liquid inside was a mesmerizing blue, flowing gently when shaken, giving it a dreamlike quality. Qin Ming restrained his impulse and did not open the small bottle because he had just recovered from a serious illness; using the blue liquid would do more harm than good. This was something he had unexpectedly obtained in a dangerous area in the mountains, and before that, he had only heard of 'Mineral Essence' but had never had access to such a precious substance. Using it when the body was adjusted to its optimal state could improve one's physique and invigorate one's spirit. He had fallen seriously ill after escaping from the mountains and had never had the opportunity to try it. "Perhaps in a few days, I can use it," Qin Ming said as he put away the exquisite crystal bottle. A cold wind blew, and a few small snowflakes fell. Qin Ming lived alone, and the quiet courtyard felt very desolate, even somewhat barren. He had grown accustomed to it. As time passed, the night deepened, and the shallow night was coming to an end. Lu Ze arrived, accompanied by a boy about five years old; although he was wrapped up tightly, his little face was still red from the cold. "Wen Rui has grown a bit taller," Qin Ming remarked, gesturing at the boy's height. "Uncle, are you feeling better?" Lu Wen Rui asked with concern, looking up at him, his large, clear eyes reflecting the innocence and sweetness of childhood. Qin Ming smiled and replied, "I’m fine now. After a few days, your uncle will catch you a 'Language Magpie' that can talk to people." "The Language Magpie that can talk? Really? That's great!" Upon hearing this, little Wen Rui was exceptionally happy, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Something's not right outside lately," Lu Ze said, handing Qin Ming a food box and advising him not to rush outside. Although the rock rice was relatively coarse and hard to chew, it still made Qin Ming's mouth water; having only two meals a day, he was truly hungry. To his surprise, there were a few red dates in the rock rice, exceptionally soft and smooth, sweet and fragrant. Qin Ming noticed that little Wen Rui was staring straight at the food, swallowing hard. Feeling guilty, he crouched down and asked, "Wen Rui, tell your uncle, are you still hungry?" Lu Ze shook his head, saying, "That's not true; it's definitely because he saw the red dates." Qin Ming immediately picked out a few red dates and offered them to the beautiful yet simple little boy. Lu Ze stopped him, saying, "These were specially put in by your sister-in-law for you to nourish your blood; don’t give them to him." At that moment, Liang Wanqing also arrived and looked at Wen Rui, saying, "Your Uncle Qin is weak right now, and there’s no meat or supplements, so don’t be greedy." She was not a bad person; she had initially thought Qin Ming would not survive like the other three villagers, so helping him seemed pointless, which led to arguments with her husband. Now seeing him starting to improve and no longer in a daze, Liang Wanqing, even knowing that her family’s food reserves were running low, still wanted to help. Little Wen Rui nodded obediently, blinking his big eyes, and said, "Uncle, you eat quickly; get better soon; I’m not hungry anymore." How could Qin Ming eat? He insisted on feeding the dates to little Wen Rui while feeling a bitter taste in his heart; he must go into the dense forest soon. He was grateful to the couple but did not say too many polite words; instead, he asked them about the current situation outside. Liang Wanqing sat down to chat for a while before leaving, as she had a two-year-old child at home to take care of. "Recently, there have been gigantic creatures appearing in the dense forest, causing some deaths and injuries..." Lu Ze informed him that he could not act alone right now, as it was very dangerous outside. Qin Ming nodded, listening intently. It was hard to tell if it was because of the raging blizzard, making it difficult for mountain beasts to find food, or for other reasons, but there was a lot of noise in the wild. Particularly, the area where Qin Ming had contracted the strange illness had once had pupils brighter than the sun stones, piercing through the darkness of the mountains, causing the dense forest to fall silent in an instant. When he heard this, Qin Ming could not avoid thinking about the dangerous experience from a month ago. On that day, in the pitch-black forest, he and three companions suddenly stepped into a void and fell into a fissure. The underground environment was extraordinarily strange; after an extreme darkness came a blinding light that hurt his eyes, making tears flow uncontrollably. What troubled him the most was that his heart began to beat excessively, like a drum, the powerful sound reverberating outside his chest. As he recalled this moment, he still felt a lingering fear. At that moment, he could not move; blood flowed rapidly through his body, and in a daze, he heard the sound of a waterfall. Qin Ming thought he would die, feeling as though his heart would burst. Soon, the depths of the fissure were no longer so dazzling. He saw strands of silver light, like silk, intertwined like a spider's web, disorienting and distorting his sense of space. At that time, Qin Ming felt dizzy, while the other companions had lost consciousness. It was not until the silver light suddenly disappeared, plunging into complete darkness, that Qin Ming's heartbeat gradually returned to normal, and he could move again; he took the three companions out of the fissure, waiting for a long time before they awakened. During this time, Qin Ming also discovered a few corpses not far from the fissure, dressed well, indicating they had not been dead long. Following the principle of waste not, he quickly checked and found the crystal bottle containing the blue liquid at that moment. Qin Ming had not mentioned the small bottle to Lu Ze because the deceased appeared to have a background, and he feared it would cause trouble. The mountains were full of ferocious beasts, and he figured that nothing would be left there; all traces would be erased. On the way back to the village, Qin Ming and the others gradually felt unwell, walking unsteadily, their consciousness becoming hazy. The three companions died on the same day they returned, their bodies turning black; only Qin Ming managed to survive after a month of recovery. After eating the coarse rice, Qin Ming chatted with Lu Ze for a long time. Wen Rui was very understanding, quietly listening nearby. Later, the atmosphere relaxed; Qin Ming looked at the somewhat shy boy and said, "Wen Rui, once Uncle is better, you can have all the dates and hazelnuts you want." "Will there be meat? I... haven’t eaten it in a long time," little Wen Rui said softly, unable to help swallowing again, as if recalling the taste from before, his rosy little face full of hope. "There will be!" Qin Ming affectionately ruffled his hair. As the night deepened, Lu Ze stood up and left with Wen Rui. Inside the room, the flames released by the sun stone in the copper basin faded. Qin Ming closed his eyes and sat quietly, shaping his figure in his mind, practicing various specific movements, engaging in mental training until he finally emptied his mind. The moment he opened his eyes, he vaguely saw a faint silver light flash and disappear. "Was that an illusion?" Qin Ming was taken aback. Although it was just a brief glance, he believed he had not seen it wrong; there was indeed a faint silver ripple dissipating from his body, vanishing quickly. This special training method had been maintained for many years, but he had never experienced any 'activity'; today, it actually showed an anomaly! Qin Ming noticed a layer of fine sweat had formed on his body, as if he had gone through a vigorous workout, yet he felt invigorated. He went to the courtyard, eyes sparkling, showcasing a series of specific movements with his body. He was very focused, and soon his body began to heat up, a vigorous vitality expanding within him, like a light rain falling in a long-dry desert. After a long time, Qin Ming was drenched in sweat, white mist rising from his head, and he felt extremely comfortable, as if the last remnants of illness had been expelled with the abundant sweat. Only when he felt fatigued and stopped this special training did he truly see a very faint silver light emerge from his skin, then quickly dissipate. "It really is different now," he observed clearly this time. Qin Ming felt a sense of exhilaration, and a genuine warmth began to flow within him, slowly nourishing his entire being, his spirit becoming increasingly vibrant. After a short rest, he wanted to practice those specific movements again, but his stomach growled, and a feeling of hunger emerged, despite having already eaten dinner. Qin Ming immediately stopped, unwilling to exhaust his strength further; he had no face to ask Lu Ze for food again. He was drenched in sweat, his clothes completely soaked, and he went to boil water to wash up. Looking at the clear face reflected in the basin, no longer pale but with color returning, he murmured, "I’ve almost recovered; I’ll set off in the morning." He didn't want to trouble others or be a burden; once he could move again, he wanted to quickly resolve the food issue and escape the current predicament. Qin Ming returned the extinguished sun stone to the Fire Spring and only took a small piece to light his way on the way back. The flames in each household gradually dimmed, and the entire village merged into darkness. A cold winter night brought strong winds, swirling the accumulated snow outdoors into a white haze, much of which fell into the village, burying several courtyards. "I’m so hungry!" Before it was even time to sleep, Qin Ming felt he could not endure the hunger; it felt like fire in his stomach, and he would eat anything, even a gopher, if it appeared before him. Unfortunately, in such a year, the village's mouse holes were desolate. Qin Ming tried to hypnotize himself to sleep, but he was so hungry that he felt anxious and could not sleep at all. He forced himself to shift his attention to think of beautiful people and things, like the few blurry faces in his mind. Then he thought of his special training method, which had truly changed; it had begun showing signs of 'activity,' causing a very faint silver ripple to briefly appear on his skin, which made him look forward to what changes would come next. Then his thoughts scattered, recalling the sweet berries beneath the ice and snow in the dense forest and the golden, glistening leg of lamb roasting over the campfire. "I’ve gone too far, how can I think of these things!" He quickly pinched himself. He decided to set off as soon as shallow night arrived; everything was to fulfill little Wen Rui's wish as soon as possible, and then he couldn't help but swallow again. Accompanied by his craving and longing for food, Qin Ming finally fell asleep slowly. Please save this book, and if you can cast a guaranteed monthly vote, that would be even better. Thank you.