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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 21: [The Blood Bamboo Forest]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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In the dim night, towering Great Mountains stood like silent sentinels. Vast forests of larch, hazel, and birch stretched across the landscape, though most had shed their leaves, leaving only bare branches burdened with white snow.
Qin Ming trudged through the snow, crossing several Great Mountains before reaching the Blood Bamboo Forest.
He had never ventured into this area before; it was no longer the outer region of the mountains.
Along the way, he had encountered numerous mountain beasts and heard the constant cries of strange birds. But here, only the howling wind remained. All other sounds had vanished.
Qin Ming realized the danger of the Blood Bamboo Forest. All creatures in the mountains avoided this place, rarely venturing near.
This was still the frigid winter, with the land blanketed in snow.
When the Fire Spring became active and life began to stir, when the Blood Snakes emerged to hunt, the silence here would likely deepen further.
"The scenery is quite beautiful," Qin Ming murmured, standing at the edge of a valley and gazing within.
The Blood Bamboo Forest lay nestled in the valley. Though the sky was dim, he could still see the dense bamboo grove standing tall against the wind and snow. Its fiery red stalks, dusted with white snow, created a breathtaking spectacle.
The valley was filled entirely with Blood Bamboo. The plant was stunning, its stalks and leaves glowing crimson, like red coral growing into a dense forest in the snow.
"This is truly a wonderful place," Qin Ming exclaimed.
Normally, no one dared to come here to admire the scenery. The Blood Snake's fearsome reputation made even the Mountain Patrolmen wary.
In the valley, there was no sign of the Fire Spring's light steaming upwards, as if it had truly extinguished.
However, Qin Ming didn't step a single foot into the valley.
He suspected that "embers" still smoldered beneath the frozen earth, and the Fire Spring might not be completely gone.
He circled the area, studying the terrain.
Climbing a high slope, he gazed down from above and spotted a faint "red glow" at the center of the valley.
After a moment's thought, Qin Ming turned away from the tranquil spot and headed towards an area teeming with strange birds and mountain beasts.
There, he caught a rabbit in the snow.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, holding the plump snow rabbit.
He returned to the vicinity of the Blood Bamboo Forest, stood on the high slope, and hurled the rabbit with all his power towards the "red glow" at the valley's center.
With a loud thud, the large rabbit slammed into the thick snow, sending up a cloud of snowflakes.
It landed not far from the Fire Spring's embers.
Almost simultaneously, a red line shot out, slicing across the snow at astonishing speed and piercing the rabbit's body in an instant.
Qin Ming's mind was razor-sharp, his body shimmering with golden ripples. His eyes were fixed on the center of the valley, not too far away.
Undoubtedly, it was a Blood Snake, just over three feet long. As rumored, its body was as hard as refined iron, capable of leaping briefly into the air and piercing its target like an iron arrow.
"It's indeed a dangerous creature," Qin Ming frowned. "And this is just a relatively small one. If a several-meter-long giant appeared, it would be a nightmare to deal with."
The most troubling aspect was that even in this frigid season, the Blood Snake remained active, able to move briefly through the snow and ice.
This made it particularly troublesome.
Then he saw several more red lines emerge from the "red haze."
Each was only a few feet long.
This time, instead of shooting forward like iron arrows, they crawled across the snow, reaching the snow rabbit and burying their iron-hard heads into its body.
These spiritually endowed snakes couldn't be judged by normal standards.
They weren't as afraid of the icy wilderness as one might expect and wouldn't freeze stiff in a short time.
"Am I providing you with a winter nourishment, a surprise meal?" Qin Ming watched the Blood Bamboo Forest, where the Blood Snakes were clearly sucking the warm blood from the snow rabbits.
This snake species, named for blood, also has a unique feeding method.
Unlike ordinary snakes that swallow their prey whole, these snakes feed with incredible speed, perhaps driven by their reluctance to linger in the snowy terrain.
They quickly slithered towards the dying Fire Spring.
"Hmm?" Qin Ming noticed that two of the snakes hadn't immediately returned to their den but were instead rapidly crawling through the Blood Bamboo Forest, as if searching for something.
At the same time, he saw a larger snake head emerge from the "red haze," its crimson tongue flicking constantly as if sensing something.
"This is going to be troublesome," Qin Ming realized.
These deadly spiritual creatures were powerful and highly alert, far more challenging to deal with than other mutant creatures.
He considered using poison to fight poison, perhaps offering them poisoned blood as food.
However, the large snake showed no signs of eating, and the smaller snakes always sent one ahead to test the food first, making this strategy seem impractical.
Qin Ming observed that after completing a large circuit through the Blood Bamboo Forest, the two three-to-four-foot-long snakes noticeably slowed down, ending their patrol and disappearing into the "red haze" of their habitat.
"The icy weather is clearly affecting them significantly. That's good news," he thought as he descended the slope, retracing his steps.
He prepared to transport various weapons.
Once he ventured deep into the Blood Bamboo Forest, he would need to don three or four layers of Mountain Patrol Group armor.
He couldn't afford to be caught off guard by the Blood Snakes. If their iron-hard heads pierced his skin, even as an awakener, he would be instantly killed.
It didn't take long for him to unearth and transport the iron spears, armor, and other weapons, hiding them near the Blood Bamboo Forest.
"Against the Blood Snakes, Fu Entao's sharp longsword is actually more effective than the long-handled Black Gold Hammer."
While heavy weapons were devastating against larger, monstrous creatures, capable of crushing a skull with a single blow, they were less practical against slender snakes.
Qin Ming pondered when the Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest would finally extinguish completely.
The longer it burned, the weaker the Blood Snakes would become. But his time was running out, as the final negotiations between the Human High Command and the top-tier monstrous creatures in the Great Mountain were scheduled to conclude within the next few days.
"I've alerted them today, made them wary. I'll return tomorrow," Qin Ming decided, retreating.
Though time was tight, he could afford to wait one more day.
"Can I handle this nest of Blood Snakes?" he thought as he walked.
Feng Yi'an, Shao Chengfeng, and their group had plotted to seize the Blood Bamboo Forest, but Qin Ming had wiped them all out.
Qin Ming felt he couldn't let his guard down and had to proceed with extreme caution.
On his way back, he spotted three massive raptors sprinting through the forest at incredible speed.
Each one carried a rider on its back, cutting across the dense woods ahead of him.
"People from Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge?" Qin Ming hid behind a large tree, recognizing their identity from the scene.
These were three mutated ground chickens, each taller than a man and incredibly powerful.
They could carry riders at high speeds through the mountains and forests. Only Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge could cultivate such creatures in this region.
Qin Ming had heard of Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge. It was home to a Second-Level Fire Spring. In the past, there was a group of bandits that had operated there, but we're eventually recruited.
Their mutated ground chickens were very useful, and even Mountain Patrolmen sometimes relied on their Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Knights to scout the Great Mountain.
"Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge is far from here. Why would their people be here?" He watched the three ground chickens disappear into the distance.
One rider wore exquisite armor, unlike the other two, who were dressed completely differently.
"From Chi Xia City?" Qin Ming noticed the black armor's design didn't match the Cao Family, Wei Clan, or Mu Family styles.
It likely belonged to another prominent clan.
Seeing they weren't heading toward the Blood Bamboo Forest, Qin Ming continued his journey home.
As Qin Ming dragged his prey toward the edge of the Great Mountain, he spotted four unusual awakeners.
Two of them, though lacking armor, were clearly dressed in extraordinary attire. Black robes woven with metallic threads covered their entire bodies, concealing their faces.
Qin Ming was taken aback.
The Mountain Sweep Operation hadn't even begun, yet the Great Mountain was already bustling with activity.
Who were these people?
The other two awakeners appeared to be locals, both in their early thirties.
One of them greeted Qin Ming with a smile: "Little Brother, do you know of a fissure nearby that emits Silver Light?"
Qin Ming realized they were searching for a special node. It seemed likely the two Black-Robed Men were also from Chi Xia City.
"Head that way, straight for three miles," Qin Ming directed them.
The location wasn't a secret; many people already knew about it.
"Little Brother, why don't you lead us there? We'll give you a Night Silver Coin in return," the man who asked for directions offered with a smile.
Qin Ming took two steps back, saying, "I'm afraid of that place. The fissure is dangerous, and besides, I'm in a hurry to get back. I haven't caught any prey in days, and my mother is nearly starving."
"Let's go," one of the Black-Robed Men said, his voice surprisingly young.
Hearing this, Qin Ming turned to leave.
However, the black-robed man's next words froze him in place.
"Eliminate him. Our presence here is best kept secret." With a casual sentence, the black-robed man sealed the fate of the "young hunter."
Qin Ming was stunned. 'Where did these demons come from?' To decide a person's life and death with a single word was a blatant disregard for ordinary lives.
He had met Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, Mu Qing, and others from Chi Xia City. They were all quite affable, whether they were maintaining noble etiquette or genuine courtesy.
At least on the surface, they were pleasant and didn't offend.
But this black-robed man was excessively "ruthless and decisive," showing no emotional fluctuation as he ordered the two local awakeners guiding them to kill.
"Brothers, we're all locals here. We can't do this," Qin Ming pleaded.
One of them chuckled. "Sorry, brother. We're under orders to accompany these two distinguished guests into the mountains and must obey their every command."
"You are..." Qin Ming asked.
"We're from the Three-Eyed Sect," the two locals replied, advancing menacingly.
In the next instant, Qin Ming moved like an agile leopard, leaving a blur in his wake as he charged forward.
His short sword flashed, instantly severing both men's throats.
The two men from the Three-Eyed Sect stared in shock, terror, and disbelief.
They had assumed they'd encountered an ordinary hunter, since Qin Ming had only taken down a small Rock Sheep.
But before they could react, their throats were inexplicably slit. The speed of the attack was simply too fast.
When the two Black-Robed Men saw Qin Ming charging toward them and noticed the exceptionally heavy Black Gold Hammer he had taken from his back, their expressions instantly changed.
Qin Ming swung the Black Gold Hammer in his right hand toward the head of one man, while his left-hand short sword thrust at the other.
Since the men had already decided to kill him and ensure their tracks remained hidden, further words were useless.
He could only fight back with everything he had.
In an instant, the clash of metal weapons erupted between the three men, the sound piercingly sharp.
After a brief exchange, Qin Ming gauged their skill levels.
One was a Second Awakener, while the other posed little threat, having only undergone a single awakening.
He focused his full strength on attacking the Second Awakener, the only one who posed a real danger.
Before today, he might have needed to engage in a prolonged battle with this opponent.
But after reading the Sword Manual, the improvement to his combat skills was immense.
It wasn't quite enlightenment, but it had significantly enhanced his fighting techniques.
"Clang!"
After several clashes, the Black-Robed Man with the superior strength found his long saber knocked high into the air by the Black Gold Hammer, his arm numb from the impact.
At the same time, his pupils contracted in shock.
The long-handled Black Gold Hammer, moving like lightning, was swung with effortless grace by his opponent, hurtling toward his chest at a speed he couldn't hope to match.
It was too late to dodge.
His chest caved in, blood gushed from his mouth, and he was clearly beyond saving.
"You wanted to trade blows with me?" Qin Ming gripped the long-handled Black Gold Hammer, using a sword stance.
Without even glancing at the fallen man, he turned and advanced on the other Black-Robed Man.
The remaining man was stunned.
His companion had been killed in mere moments, the speed of it utterly shocking.
How could a young man who looked like a mere hunter be so terrifying?
Knowing he stood no chance, he turned and fled into the dense forest, hoping to escape.
"Sword Throwing Stance!" Qin Ming spat out the words, and with a thunderous boom, the long-handled Black Gold Hammer shot forward.
The Black-Robed Man's head, not far away, exploded like a rotten watermelon.
Without hesitation, Qin Ming quickly cleared the battlefield, using snow to wipe the blood from the Black Gold Hammer.
He then dragged his prey and began the journey home.
However, he felt uneasy. With so many people entering the mountains these days, employing all sorts of techniques, he couldn't afford to stay away from the Blood Bamboo Forest for too long.
After dinner, he quietly returned to the Great Mountain.
"Each day that passes, the Fire Spring dims further, which benefits me. But I must also be wary of outsiders trying to seize the spiritual treasures," Qin Ming muttered to himself.
For now, he could only remain here.
He didn't leave until nearly midnight, as no one would choose to strike at that hour.
The dark night had little effect on snakes, but it would severely limit the awakener.
The next morning, he entered the mountain early and found that the "red glow" at the center of the valley had indeed faded significantly.
This discovery solidified his decision to wait a little longer, planning to strike no later than the end of Shallow Night.
An hour later, the entire mountain suddenly erupted in brilliance.
Boundless Earthlight surged upward, and a rain of light filled the sky, illuminating the surrounding area.
As the Earthlight soared and the rosy clouds flowed, Qin Ming was captivated by the spectacle.
It was truly breathtaking.
The scene was especially striking here, where the fiery red bamboo forest contrasted with the pristine white snow, creating a fresh, stunning, and otherworldly beauty unlike anything he had ever seen.
"Hmm?" It was at this moment that Qin Ming noticed a group of people approaching in the distance.
He didn't panic.
Instead, he calmly retreated into the shadows.
This was for the best.
If this group was after the spiritual treasures of the Blood Bamboo Forest, he could let them clear the area first.
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END OF CHAPTER
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