Chapter 5 Rebirth

Qin Ming nodded solemnly; it was time to consider how to achieve 'rebirth'. This was a significant matter, concerning a lifetime and influencing future fate. The age of fifteen or sixteen is the golden period, and achieving 'rebirth' at this age brings the most benefits; missing it would be quite regrettable. But it was very difficult. The best among Shuangshu Village usually attained 'rebirth' after the age of twenty, and some even succeeded after thirty. Even so, with over forty households and more than two hundred people in the village, the total number of 'reborn' individuals was less than ten. Lu Ze spoke up: 'The second son of the neighboring village has succeeded; he just happens to be in the golden period.' Qin Ming had an impression of the second son, who was thin, pale, with a hint of illness, and even his hair was sparse and dry like withered grass. He was deeply surprised that the seemingly frail boy had actually achieved 'rebirth' in his golden age. 'When did this happen?' 'Almost a month ago,' Lu Ze informed him. After achieving rebirth, the second son had directly lifted a four-hundred-pound black donkey in the yard, changing from his usual weak appearance. 'That's quite strange,' Qin Ming really didn't expect that so many robust boys had faced setbacks multiple times, while the second son achieved it effortlessly. Lu Ze also felt some sentiment; being strong and capable among the young adults at twenty-three, he still hadn't achieved 'rebirth'. 'It is said to be related to one of his distant relatives,' Lu Ze knew some inside information. The second son's relative, who was not very close by blood, had been traveling for many years and, upon returning, identified him as a good seed. That person said the second son had had some minor health issues before, which prevented him from locking in his vital energy and spirit, hence looking sickly; however, he actually had great potential. The key part was that this person brought back a high-level Qi technique, allowing the second son to switch to this method, resulting in extremely significant effects, ultimately leading to his 'rebirth'. Qin Ming was lost in thought; indeed, one’s destiny is hard to predict. 'Afterwards, that person said the second son’s inherent 'foundation' was far more solid than he previously guessed; perhaps he could go very far.' Lu Ze never expected that someone who had been sickly for so long could be so formidable. 'Even though we don't have high-level Qi techniques, we also have feasible methods. Xiao Qin, I think it's time for you to change that special training method of yours.' Lu Ze advised. In his view, Qin Ming's physical fitness was quite strong, surpassing him by a considerable margin. However, despite such good conditions, Qin Ming had still not 'reborn' after so long, which was likely due to his method of honing himself, which could not nurture the rebirth power necessary for his advancement. He was already over sixteen; if this continued, he would really miss the golden period. Liang Wanqing also advised, 'Xiao Qin, why not practice your brother Lu’s Night Meditation Technique?' The eternal night shrouded the world, and the wilderness was extremely dangerous; in such an environment, various publicly available power books existed to help everyone improve their physique for self-preservation. Of course, these books could not be considered high-end and were far from precious secret texts. Qin Ming was not a stubborn person; he understood their good intentions and nodded, 'I'll take a serious look at it next.' Lu Ze sighed lightly, believing that Qin Ming was held back by the 'wild methods' he practiced daily, which were far inferior to the lower-level 'Initial Understanding of Night Meditation Technique' he practiced. The time was too tight to switch practices now. He pondered that only a high-level Qi technique could help Qin Ming change his situation in a short time. Lu Ze exhaled a breath, 'Sigh, even a mid-level secret text would be good; if you miss the most precious golden period with your conditions, it would be too regrettable.' However, the only books circulating in this area that could help people achieve 'rebirth' were a few like 'Guiding Chapter of Floating Life Technique' and 'Initial Understanding of Night Meditation Technique', all of similar standards. Qin Ming did not feel anxious, primarily because the movements he had been practicing for years had shown results, with a flow of light emanating from his body; although the silver ripples were faint, they had manifested genuinely, unlike before. His handsome face now bore a healthy flush, and his eyes shone brightly, 'Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, just wait a little longer; I should be able to make it.' 'Rebirth' meant that on the foundation of his existing physical fitness, vigorous vitality surged forth, as if returning to the womb to nurture a robust new life force. In the muddy world, the originally solidified physical conditions, if the 'foundation' underwent another development, would be akin to a natural rebirth. Who would not be tempted? For instance, the second son, who had been somewhat weak, after his rebirth, could exert force with both hands to lift several hundred pounds of living creatures above his head. This change was indeed astonishing, comparable to a change in fate. Just imagine, after practicing the Night Meditation Technique, Lu Ze could already break blue bricks and shatter wooden dummies; if he experienced 'rebirth' and his strength grew significantly, how terrifying would his punches and kicks be? 'After the ailments are gone, I feel different; my physical condition has never been better,' Qin Ming was now quite confident. Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing had not said much, but five-year-old Wen Rui was nodding seriously, his rosy little face full of anticipation, 'Uncle is the strongest; once he succeeds, he will catch a mountain beast to stew meat for us; I... am craving it.' Little Wen Hui, just over two, stumbled over, echoing, 'Uncle... strong, eat meat.' Qin Ming immediately laughed, 'No need to wait until later; I can satisfy you today.' Saying this, he took down the red squirrel hanging on the hunting fork. The mutant squirrel's gem-like large eyes were about to pop out, then it showed a look of terror. 'Oh, it's still alive; that's even better; the meat is far more tender than the frozen one,' Qin Ming looked at it again. 'This squirrel is so beautiful; it's quite cute,' Wen Rui said, blinking his big eyes, genuinely liking the fluffy little creature. 'Once it's stewed, it will be even cuter; I guarantee you will eat it deliciously,' Qin Ming smiled. Wen Rui was immediately conflicted; he indeed had a craving and hadn't eaten meat in a long time, but seeing such a fiery red and shiny little being, he couldn't take his eyes off it, wanting to get close and hoping to keep it. Little Wen Hui followed closely behind his brother, mimicking him, his bright eyes reflecting the shadow of the red squirrel and mumbling incoherently, 'Squirrel... cute.' Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing looked at the two children and laughed. Qin Ming nodded in agreement, 'Indeed cute and capable; look at how much food it has stored for winter—pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, red dates, and so on, not less than a dozen varieties, even mushrooms. Now it’s great; squirrel stew with mushrooms, delicious and nourishing.' 'Really... really? But I don’t want it to die,' Wen Rui tugged at his clothes, his little face full of difficulty, but he also did not forget to swallow. 'Of course, look, among these mushrooms are Tiger’s Paw Fungus and Sunbird Fungus; these are quite famous mountain delicacies; you’ll be in for a treat. Indeed, selecting mutant creatures must be top-notch,' Qin Ming praised. The red squirrel was very temperamental, its fur bristled. Qin Ming drew out a short knife, preparing to skin it in the yard; such a bloody scene was not suitable for the two children to see. 'Squeak!' The mutant little mountain beast was terrified, panicking and crying out, struggling fiercely; the iron wire entangled around it was almost digging into its flesh. 'Uncle, why not... leave it be,' Wen Rui stopped him, trying hard to forget the taste of stewed meat, as if he had made up his mind to plead here. 'What a good ingredient; the meat of a mutant creature is the most delicious,' Qin Ming smiled enticingly. 'Let’s not eat this time; once Uncle is reborn, he will definitely be able to hunt down very fierce big mutant creatures. We’ll wait for Uncle to succeed,' Wen Rui developed compassion, resisting the temptation of food. The mutant squirrel was nervously looking at the knife in Qin Ming's hand, then back at Wen Rui, squeaking as if seeking help. Liang Wanqing was surprised, 'This little mountain beast is remarkably intelligent; it seems to understand what you are saying; look at its little face, it’s all wrinkled from tension.' Qin Ming put away the short knife; such a small creature had little meat and was originally intended to satisfy the two children’s cravings; since they liked living creatures, it would be better to keep it. Lu Ze frowned slightly and said, 'This winter is different from others; where is there extra food for it?' The mutant squirrel looked longingly at the bulging beast skin bag, which contained all its savings! Qin Ming also noticed that this little mountain beast was extraordinarily intelligent. He picked out some acorns from the pile of dried fruits and said, 'These nuts need to be processed before they can be eaten; otherwise, they are mildly toxic and somewhat bitter. Just right to keep for feeding the squirrel.' The red squirrel remained silent, staring wide-eyed at him, breathing a bit heavily. 'Aren't you happy to be alive? Besides, if you dare to bite, I’m sure to stew you,' Qin Ming warned, putting it in a birdcage. Lu Ze thought it would be better to sell the mutant squirrel; after all, its fiery and radiant fur was quite valuable, and keeping it would waste food and energy. But when he saw the two children so joyful and jumping with laughter, he no longer voiced any opposition. When parting, Lu Ze took the iron cage and a pile of acorns, leaving behind the other dried goods. Qin Ming didn’t say much to him and stuffed a cloth bag containing walnuts and pine nuts into Liang Wanqing's hands as snacks for the two children. ...... After temporarily escaping the food shortage, Qin Ming began to seriously consider the issue of rebirth. Lu Ze said that 'wild methods' had delayed him, which indeed stirred some ripples in his heart. He vaguely remembered some unclear fragments from his childhood; someone had once told him that while those movements had origins, they were unlikely to be practiced successfully. After a moment, he went to the courtyard, first following his own rhythm. The 'wild methods' he had practiced for more than ten years were clearly different now; it was unreasonable not to continue. Qin Ming moved his joints, stretching his muscles, twisting, rotating, flipping, fluid and unimpeded. Suddenly, he leaped off the ground, as swift as an iron arrow, and when he landed, he was as light as a swallow, making no sound upon landing. He changed between stillness and motion, sitting like a tiger crouched, walking as if wading through mud, turning round as if naturally at ease. Then he spun around, kicking his leg fast as lightning, like a dragon coiling its tail in midair, producing a dull sound. After a simple warm-up, Qin Ming began performing various high-difficulty movements. 'Blowing breath, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, the bear sutra observing the owl...' He stretched his body, robust and powerful, creating a fierce wind that stirred the snow on the ground around him, swirling and flying. Soon, the familiar feeling returned; faint silver threads intertwined in his pores, rippling into waves, forming a very faint glow on his body’s surface. Gradually, white mist rose all around him. A hot current flowed through his flesh, like life-giving rain after a long drought, with the parched land greedily absorbing the raindrops. Qin Ming's movements consumed a great deal of energy, yet he felt no fatigue; instead, he was invigorated. His body seemed to be cheering, as if it had been hungry for a long time and wanted to be full, continuously sucking in the silver ripples. His flesh felt itchy, his entire body was gaining strength; could this mean he was about to 'rebirth'? Qin Ming's body felt hot, an impulse to run surged within him, wanting to release the abundant energy, and then he acted on it. He sped through the wilderness, like a shooting star across the night sky, racing away towards the forest area. In the distance, in the snowy field, a tall and slender woman stood still, her black fur cloak flowing with faint dark light, concealing her white neck, revealing only her delicate chin, exuding a mysterious and aloof air. A crow perched on a cluster of thorns beside her, speaking human language: 'Oh, the body is achieving self-rebirth, with abnormal phenomena in the early stage, as if moonlight is falling on the surface, creating layers of shimmering golden ripples.' 'I feel this is a good seed, quite rare, appearing in such a remote place.' Its black feathers gleamed like ebony gold, with a pair of purple eyes gazing ahead, 'Isn’t your teacher looking for a closed-door disciple? This boy might be suitable.' The woman stood on a larger piece of green stone, the cold wind blowing her loose cloak against her body, failing to conceal her exceptionally beautiful curves, but her voice sounded somewhat cold: 'There are more suitable individuals than him.' Qin Ming seemed to sense something, turning his head to look into the distance, already holding a bow and arrow. 'Very sharp intuition,' the crow commented. At this moment, it was already in the dense forest, speaking to the woman beside it: 'Your teacher's path is quite unique; you must not truly miss a seed that has the potential to grow vigorously.' 'Not being chosen is a regret he does not know; what can I miss? I already have the best candidate.' The mountain wind howled, the woman’s dark hair fluttered, covering one side of her bright white face; dressed in black, she appeared strikingly beautiful yet cold. She walked forward and said, 'It is more urgent to enter the mountain and investigate.'