Chapter 45 - 31 Piercing the Night_2
"Not like what?" Xie Lingxi asked.
"Not like some people who, after being glanced at unintentionally, would glare back twice as hard," Qin Ming said offhandedly.
"You're not talking about my junior uncle from the front courtyard, are you?" Xie Lingxi revealed a look of surprise.
The moment the woman who had just left the Old Noble's mansion hesitated, the Purple-eyed Crow flying low in the sky let out a laugh: "Gaga gaga..."
"That sounds awful!"
...
Qin Ming felt too embarrassed to freeload a meal at the Old Noble's home, feeling that he had gotten a lot today, the news alone made the trip worthwhile.
Approaching Shuangshu Village, he was still pondering over what Xie Lingxi had told him, deep in thought the whole way.
"I think, with my three rebirths, those lost memories will eventually be picked up," he murmured, his gaze resolute.
Qin Ming realized that the Old Noble was quite extraordinary; her daughter was extremely powerful, already near five meters tall while still young, indicating that she had made significant progress on the path of the Immortal of Colossal Spirit.
"The two who set me on my journey, the woman has a red mole in her right eyebrow, the man's arms are extraordinarily long. I wonder if they'll come to the mountains this time to harvest the special products from the nodes," Qin Ming speculated.
At the same time, he learned that Luoyue City was not small in scale and was very far from here.
Soon came news from Cao Long, Wei Zhi Rou, and Mu Qing: we're heading into the mountains in two days!
Now with solid information, the higher-ups of Chixia City and the High-level Creatures in the mountains have agreed; the territory expanded by the Alien Species before will all be relinquished.
Places outside the mountain where people used to hunt and gather herbs are now freely accessible.
However, if one wants to venture deeper into the dangerous areas of the mountains, that's up to their own ability.
Of course, the High-level Creatures promise they won't hunt in secret, but there are also other dangerous creatures in the mountains, which those from outside must deal with themselves.
The higher-ups of Chixia City also made a promise; they won't make secret moves either.
Clearly, even with the foreign High-level Creatures driven out, the mountains will not quiet down. Even if the higher-ups won't engage in a bloody hunt, there are still the old timers from the great families, and other terrifying Alien Species, who will collide in the areas where the night mist is thickest.
Once you venture deep, bloodshed and conflicts are inevitable, regardless of your identity or background.
"I can lead the way, but only up to the outer areas; I will not step foot into those unknown regions!" Qin Ming informed Mu Qing and the others immediately.
"Alas, we don't dare to venture too deep either; that's the old timers' territory, and things can get murderous," Mu Qing, Cao Long, Wei Zhi Rou, and others were disheartened.
The main issue was that other people from different regions had also hurried over, making even the outer areas not that safe.
Because the news had spread, some special nodes had already borne rare resources that could now be harvested.
In the following two days, Qin Ming observed the various actions of different factions.
It wasn't just those outsiders who were overbearing, but even local organizations like the Sanyan Sect and Jinji Ridge were actively moving.
The Sanyan Sect was a mystery, rumored to have members in cities far away, and what had developed here was merely an outpost.
Normally, the sect's local members liked to press others using the high-ups' power, always taking the initiative to notify others that they were from the Sanyan Sect before conflicts arose, implying that there were top experts backing them, suggesting they weigh their options.
But today they had a change of heart, someone came to communicate with Xu Yueping, no longer in a crude and simple manner.
"We are all locals. After making a special discovery, we should share information. The rare resources of our region naturally should stay with us. Look, the mountain is right there, it will never move, standing beside you and me for life, even in death, we rest with it eternally. And the Sanyan Sect, rooted here, is as permanent as the mountain itself, enduring through time..."
Old Man Liu, looking at the man with scars on his face, could not bear to listen anymore. He said, "Scarface no.2, it would be better if you were straightforward like before. You should be rolling up your sleeves, planting the knife on the table, menacing us while standing on a stool, threatening to inform you about special findings after we enter the mountain. Otherwise, once the people of Chixia City leave, you will remain here, just like the mountain, to take revenge on us, is that it?"
"Right, actually, I also thought about saying it in that way, but I was told not to be rough this time. As long as you take the hint, that'll do for me, I'm leaving!" Scarface no.2 from the Sanyan Sect turned and left.
Soon after, people from Jinji Ridge came, too. They used to be bandits, and although they had been pacified, the nearby towns and villages distrusted them intensely.
Because the Golden Chicken Knights they trained were fierce, excellently suited for assassination in the forest; the Golden Chickens corresponding to second rebirth creatures, coupled with their riders, posed a significant danger.
...
"We will be going into the mountains soon..." You Liangyun sat in the quiet room with a jade jar in front of him on the table, containing some kind of spiritual material. Consuming it could induce second rebirth, and with two days left until the mountain expedition, it was enough to fully elevate him to a new level of life.
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Originally he did not want to rush, as he wished to further temper the foundation of rebirth.
But now he looked uncertain, at one moment cold, the next hesitant, as he could not bear the thought of not being able to go to Liuguang City with that woman.
"You all investigated everything, right?" You Liangyun asked the people outside the quiet room.
"Yes, everything is clear. After entering the mountain, it's best not to approach him in the first two days. He will most likely be with Mu Qing, Cao Long, and others. Once that group familiarizes themselves with the terrain, it's probably a good time to find him."
"Good!"
Two days later, various groups began to enter the mountains.
What left Qin Ming speechless was that Old Man Liu donned armor, a heavy-backed cleaver slung over his back, and he sat aboard his earthy-yellow large dog.
He wasn't the only one: Yang Yongqing, with dual blades in hand, rode a Black Mountain Goat taller than an adult's shoulders, transforming into the Black Sheep Knight.
"Into the mountain!" Cao Long, Wei Zhi Rou, Mu Qing, and others led the team out. They were just a small fraction of Chixia City's younger contingent, with even larger troops arriving from various organizations and families.
"Be careful, there are people here, two-legged beasts roaming about!" Not long after entering the mountain, a talking sparrow shouted above Qin Ming and the others' heads.
This was a bird capable of speaking human language, cunning and fast-flying, currently signaling other creatures within the mountain.
The buzzwords were "Human" and "Two-legged Beast", mutant species of the mountain could understand these two transliterated words.
"Shoot it down!" said Cao Long.
"Here's a big bunch of two-legged beasts, bigger than a three-meter-tall bear!" Without a doubt, this talking sparrow was mutated. It was not only sending messages to the mountain's alien species but also to other human teams, hoping to incite infighting among them.
Cao Long, upon hearing this, flew into a rage and personally bent his bow and placed an arrow.
...
Boom!
Suddenly, in the depths of the mountain, Five Colored Smoke and Mist surged towards the sky, shocking everyone. Was the expedition just beginning and the most mysterious of resources ripe for the taking already?!
"My Mountain God, the land where the Five Colored Smoke and Mist illuminates has appeared right away, let's rush!"