Chapter 6 The Golden Age

Qin Ming's heart stirred with waves; the 'path' he had once been told he could not practice, had it now become harmonious and connected? He returned from the wilderness, feeling a fire light within him, making even the cold winter feel warm. The strength coursing through his body was no illusion; with a flick of his toes, he lifted the stone mill in the courtyard off the ground. He leapt into the air, the sensation of weightlessness strong, and grasped a handful of snow from the roof eaves. As he exhaled, a white mist shot out, like a long spear laden with fog, bursting forth with a loud sound of breaking the void. Qin Ming practiced abdominal breathing vigorously, his figure flickering, stirring the accumulated snow on the ground into the air, causing the courtyard to be blanketed with fresh falling snow. With a single movement, he moved all his limbs, swinging his arms, scattering all the swirling snowflakes before him. His bodily vitality surged, radiating heat, with silver patterns intertwining at his pores, bringing forth a deluge of sweat, as if purifying his body. Qin Ming felt utterly at ease, enveloped in a faint silver glow. Such a sight during 'rebirth' was indeed rare. He had trained for a long time, consuming tremendous energy, and only when he truly felt fatigued did he stop. Rebirth was a process; Qin Ming believed he was undergoing a transformation, soon to fulfill his desire. He did not return indoors but sat quietly in the courtyard, allowing the swirling snowflakes to fall upon him, unafraid of the biting cold, feeling warm all over. This was entirely different from before; when he was recovering from illness, he would be cold even wrapped in thick quilts on a heated bed. Qin Ming closed his eyes, reflecting on himself, repeating those high-difficulty movements from earlier, exercising his mental strength. The silver ripples that had just receded reappeared; his breathing was driven by his thoughts, constantly adjusting, becoming exceptionally complex and elusive. Thoughts arise from the spirit, Qi is stirred by intention, and the flowing light on his body brightened slightly as a result. The courtyard fell silent, Qin Ming was covered in snowflakes. After a long while, he let go of all thoughts, completely emptying his mind. When the silver light on his body faded completely, he slowly opened his eyes, sensing the changes within himself, confirming that a vigorous power of rebirth was indeed brewing inside. Qin Ming easily lifted the two hundred-odd jin stone mill in the yard, then gently set it down. "The rebirth will likely be completed within two days," he mused to himself. At that moment, he unavoidably felt a strong sense of hunger. Qin Ming cooked a pot of mushroom soup, considering walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts as the main course, while viewing red dates and hawthorn as side dishes, eating to his heart's content. After sufficient rest, he began a new round of training, wanting to accelerate the process of 'rebirth.' Qin Ming moved like a bowstring snapped, hair like thunder, stirring up the snowflakes filling the courtyard, his bodily vitality growing stronger. Thus, he would take short rests when fatigued, eat hearty meals when hungry, and train again, from early night to deep night, continually surging with vibrant life. Before sleeping, he washed with cold water laden with ice shards, feeling no chill, his tall body devoid of any excess flesh, muscles firm, lines smooth, his wet black hair adorned with droplets, under the radiant light of the sunstone, his physique gleamed with a glossy sheen, exuding a sense of power. At night, he slept soundly, entering the deepest layer of sleep; due to the acceleration of rebirth, his body remained filled with fresh vitality. The next day, Qin Ming's appetite greatly increased, already reaching seven meals. The main reason was that the consumption required for the forthcoming rebirth was substantial. No matter how delicious the food, eating many meals in a row was beginning to feel monotonous; besides, they were all dry goods, and he needed to eat them with hot water. "It's a pity there aren't many mushrooms left; I can't even make some fresh soup," Qin Ming lamented. What troubled him was that the stored food was running low; at this rate, it would only last for another day. "Am I a bottomless pit? A whole beast hide bag of dried goods only lasts me three days," Qin Ming muttered to himself. The method aiding in rebirth must not stop; when he was still, he was as stable as a mountain, and when he moved, he was as fierce as an eagle soaring through the sky, the silver glow emerging from his pores grew stronger. He genuinely felt that his physical condition was improving, not instantaneously, but gradually changing. Qin Ming walked to one side of the small courtyard, attempting to lift both upper and lower stone mill together; he suddenly exerted force and surprisingly moved them from their original spot. Lu Ze happened to push the courtyard door open and was rendered speechless. "Little Qin, what are you doing..." he exclaimed, astonished. Just yesterday, he had been lamenting for Qin Ming, thinking he would miss the golden age of rebirth, and today he witnessed such a scene. In the courtyard separated by a wall, Liang Wanqing heard the commotion and came over; upon learning what had happened, she froze in disbelief. "Like that second sickly boy from the neighboring village, just after rebirth, he can lift over four hundred jin of weight," Lu Ze sincerely felt happy for Qin Ming. "In the golden age of rebirth, Little Qin has truly achieved it," Liang Wanqing remarked; in all these years, he had become the first in Shuangshu Village to accomplish this. "Uncle, you are amazing!" Wen Rui also ran over, her big eyes sparkling, gazing up at him, her small face filled with admiration. "I feel the changes of rebirth are still ongoing," Qin Ming said. He had already realized that time would exceed his earlier estimations and was far from over. Liang Wanqing, with a look of shock, said, "In our region, even during the golden age of rebirth, once stabilized, lifting five hundred jin is already the limit; Little Qin won't be pushing that boundary, will he?" "I've heard that in the distant bright city, there are youths who can lift six hundred jin," Lu Ze said, eager to know what height Qin Ming would reach after his rebirth. Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the street. Liang Wanqing stepped out, quickly returning, saying, "The old lady from the Zhou family is unwell." Qin Ming had seen her on the road yesterday; recalling her frail body and pale face, she indeed did not seem well. "What happened?" Lu Ze inquired. Liang Wanqing sighed, "It is said that she has been eating too little lately, coupled with her already poor health, hence the issue." Qin Ming and Lu Ze went to the street to learn the details. Zhou Laoma's son had gone out some time ago, bringing no food back, yet he had sustained serious injuries, breaking his right arm. This winter, every family was short on food; with the pillar of the household in trouble, Zhou Laoma was deeply worried, secretly saving the food she should eat each day, just taking a little to fill her stomach. Many people had already gathered in the Zhou family yard; when Qin Ming and Lu Ze entered the house, they saw Zhou Laoma lying still, her complexion waxen, now silent. Two children were in tears, kneeling close by, loudly calling for their grandmother. Before leaving, Zhou Laoma had told them where to find food; some land yams and hard cold bread had been hidden in the bamboo basket under the snow. The nuts Qin Ming had given her, she hadn’t even eaten a single one. Also today, her family learned she had been frugal, trying to save her rations, worried that her severely injured son, Zhou Changyu, would not return with food, fearing her grandchildren would go hungry; she would rather eat less, or not at all. Upon realizing the truth, Zhou Changyu's heart shattered; this nearly thirty-year-old man was in tears, furiously slapping his own face, feeling useless and unfilial for not discovering this sooner. His wife also knelt there, crying uncontrollably. Many people in the yard sighed; in such times, the entire region faced disaster, all lacking clothing and food, struggling to get by. Qin Ming felt a tightness in his heart; two days ago, when he saw Zhou Laoma's pale face, she had trembled as she handed him several pieces of dried yam, wanting to press them into his hand. Now, it was clear that was her routine of secretly saving her rations. What a good old lady, just like that, gone. Qin Ming stood silently for a long time. As early night fell, the people in the yard gradually dispersed; Qin Ming returned, carrying a cloth bag containing five jin of nuts, handing it to Zhou Changyu, offering his condolences. "Brother Qin!" Zhou Changyu, red-eyed, tried to refuse; he knew how difficult it was to find food in the wild right now. Qin Ming placed it in his hand, insisting he accept it, turning to leave. It was already very late, yet the sounds of weeping from the Zhou family could still be heard. Qin Ming sat in the dark yard, while others still had relatives mourning; for him, those unclear faces in his heart were becoming increasingly blurry, and he feared that one day he would completely forget, losing every bit of memory. On this cold winter night, he gazed up at the night sky, unable to see anything, lost in thought for a long time, feeling an indescribable loneliness. In his heart, there was a hazy light, with dim shadows; he wanted to approach and see clearly, but he could never reach those faded childhood memories. Suddenly, a chilling aura rushed toward him, exceptionally oppressive, causing Qin Ming's body to tense up instantly. In that pitch-black night sky, two golden lanterns appeared, mysterious and daunting! Then, the calm winter night began to be swept by fierce winds, the snow on the ground surged upwards, and the rooftops seemed about to be lifted, shaking violently. The night sky, dark as an abyss, saw those golden lanterns cross the sky, accompanied by fierce winds, creating an immense sense of oppression that nearly suffocated one! Qin Ming's pupils constricted; he guessed it should be a high-level being, vast and inconceivable, waving its wings like dark clouds covering the sky, passing over Shuangshu Village. The golden lanterns were its eyes; as it moved further away, the sudden storm quickly weakened and then dissipated. There was a stir in the village; many people came out, discussing fervently. Older villagers who had experienced similar events before bore solemn expressions but reassured the younger generations to remain calm, saying it should just be a high-level being passing through. Qin Ming returned from the street, sitting in the courtyard for a long time, staring at the endless night. The night enveloped the world, blocking the road to the distance, making this world even more mysterious; waves stirred in his heart, and he longed to step outside and explore the vast land. Finally, he resolutely stood up, rehearsing the specific movements he remembered most clearly from childhood. Even with his thoughts lingering, he knew he needed strength. Gradually, a vigorous power of rebirth surged within his body, a thin glow enveloping his surface. After a long time, he felt an unparalleled hunger. The changes of rebirth had not yet ceased; it seemed to intensify. Qin Ming ate a pile of dry goods with hot water and still felt unsatisfied. When thoughts of the mutated squirrel and the black goat from Yang Yongqing's family at the village entrance crossed his mind, he couldn't help but swallow. He truly wanted to eat meat; just thinking about it felt as if he could smell the rich aroma, and he realized his body was signaling a need for supplements. It wasn't until Qin Ming ate another pile of nuts that the unusual craving began to fade. "It seems that after the early night falls, I need to enter the mountains again," he decided, wanting to heed his body's call and ensure nothing went wrong with his rebirth. In fact, after giving Zhou's family five jin of dried goods, his original food supply was not very ample either. Having a dreamless night, Qin Ming woke early; although his stomach was very hungry, his spirit was exceptionally vigorous. He felt a sense that his rebirth had been ongoing and was capable of lifting over five hundred jin now. "Most importantly, the rebirth is still ongoing." This made him very much anticipate what level he would eventually reach. He began to stretch his muscles and bones. Then, Qin Ming performed the Dragon Spine technique, first bending at the waist, then violently arching backward, his entire spine curving into an exaggerated crescent shape, joints cracking all the way up, his flesh trembling violently. Starting from the tailbone, Yang Qi surged forth, climbing along the Dragon Spine all the way to his head. Qin Ming felt tingly all over, as if electrified, with all his pores wide open, feeling warm all over, covered by Yang Qi. At the same time, a layer of silver light rippled across his body, clearer than before. Undoubtedly, this significantly promoted the process of rebirth! Before early night fully arrived, Qin Ming was already outside the village, as various dried fruits could no longer meet his needs; his appetite seemed insatiable. When he thought of the rock sheep, night deer, and black-feathered pheasants roasting over a bonfire, dripping fat onto the charcoal, he couldn't hold back, saliva dripping; his feet moved swiftly, wishing to dash into the wild forests immediately.