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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 56: [Master of Sword, Spear, and Bow]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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"What right do they have to demand our Night Silver?"
"We were starving just a while ago! Now that things are barely improving, how can we withstand this extortion from Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge?"
The villagers were furious.
Though grain had been brought in by Giant Beasts, it still had to be purchased.
With such a poor harvest, how could they afford to pay tribute to Golden Rooster Ridge?
Most importantly, they were being forced to support a band of bandits.
In this remote region, a family of three could barely survive for a month on a single Night Silver if they were frugal.
Now, the two Golden Rooster Knights, sitting arrogantly on their rooster mounts, casually demanded a month's worth of living expenses from each household. It was an outrageous act of oppression.
And who knew if this was a one-time demand or if it would become a regular occurrence, with tribute demanded every few months?
"Those bandits truly have no humanity!"
The crowd seethed with anger, ready to resist.
The two Golden Rooster Knights had already left the village, but they could still hear the villagers' indignant shouts echoing behind them.
"These peasants are overreacting. We need to report this to the higher-ups. If we push them too far, they might revolt."
"Agreed. Our forces in the stronghold have been severely weakened. In these turbulent times, we must be careful about the consequences."
...
"Aren't the people of Chi Xia City going to do anything about this?"
The villages outside the mountains were in turmoil, everyone discussing the matter.
Some suggested contacting the Mountain Patrol Group to intervene, while others urged reporting the situation to Chi Xia City immediately, arguing that Golden Rooster Ridge shouldn't be allowed to run rampant during this critical winter.
An old man sighed, "The higher-ups in Chi Xia City probably don't have the energy to deal with this right now."
"Why not?"
"A Traveling Merchant brought the latest news from the city. Two major organizations suspect City Lord Ling Xu of colluding with High-Level Aberrants from Blackwhite Mountain, accusing him of setting a trap for them in the mountains last time."
According to the Traveling Merchant, the atmosphere in Chi Xia City was tense.
While there was no direct evidence to support these claims, the two organizations suspected Ling Xu of being ruthlessly cunning, believing he had used them as pawns in his schemes.
The matter was likely to fade away eventually, but for now, the city's leaders were too preoccupied to focus on anything else.
Qin Ming gazed at the dark night sky, listening to the villagers' discussions.
A blinding Heavenly Light erupted from his body, mirroring the violent turmoil in his heart.
Humans are inherently driven by the seven emotions and six desires, making it impossible to maintain constant tranquility.
Moments later, the Heavenly Light faded from Qin Ming's body.
He entered the cellar and selected two Blood Snakes, each six to seven feet long and mutated once.
Then, wielding his long-handled Black Gold Hammer, he pounded the spiritual creatures into a pulp on an iron plate.
He personally simmered the mixture into a jar of meat broth.
Before leaving, he wanted to settle a few matters.
Soon after, Qin Ming arrived at the neighboring courtyard.
"Brother Lu, are you feeling any better? I hunted down a spiritual Mountain Beast in the mountains. It might help you achieve Awakening."
Qin Ming didn't want to keep everything a secret.
He explained to Lu Ze that consuming the meat broth would not only accelerate his recovery but also potentially trigger an Awakening within the next few days.
"Xiao Qin!" Lu Ze, a man of few words, could only nod heavily, at a loss for words.
Liang Wanqing's eyes reddened.
She understood what awakening meant in this harsh environment—she would no longer have to live in constant fear every time Lu Ze ventured into the mountains.
Qin Ming said, "Sister-in-law, you should have some too. There's plenty of meat broth. Even if your body can't undergo awakening, it will still improve your constitution."
"It smells so good, Uncle! I want some too!" Wen Rui, who hadn't fallen asleep yet, caught the Blood Snake's distinctive aroma and nearly drooled like a hungry kitten.
"You're too young to eat this now, or you'll develop too early. Here, Uncle brought you the freshest wild fruits—a special variety cultivated by Old Huang."
Wen Rui's big eyes lit up, but she looked puzzled. "But Uncle, last time you said these fruits were grown by Uncle Niu."
"Hmm, close enough," Qin Ming chuckled, knowing these fruits naturally came from Wild Bull Ridge.
"Uncle, I want some too..." Two-year-old Wen Hui mumbled sleepily, waking up groggily.
Then, Qin Ming heard the squirrel chirping and bowing to him from its cage, this time eyeing the Blood Snake meat broth.
...
The next day, Qin Ming polished his Jade Iron Sword.
Its brilliance was too conspicuous; if drawn, it had to strike down any opponent who laid eyes on it.
After carefully concealing the sword's body, he sheathed it.
Qin Ming retrieved a long staff, using it as a spear, and found his old bow and arrows.
He could now be considered a master of both spear and bow!
Soon, he practiced astonishing spear techniques in the courtyard.
The wooden staff coiled through the air like a dragon, as if about to soar into the heavens.
With a gentle flick, the staff split into dozens of illusory afterimages, each thrusting toward different points.
In an instant, every falling snowflake was pierced.
However, as Qin Ming increased the force of his strikes, the sturdy wooden staff couldn't withstand his immense power and shattered into more than a dozen pieces.
He picked up the bow and arrows, testing them briefly before giving up.
With even a slight increase in force, either the bowstring would snap or the bow itself would break.
"At this rate, my title as a master of both spear and bow is meaningless. I don't even have proper weapons," Qin Ming muttered.
He resolved to venture into the mountains to find suitable weapons.
The Great Rift Valley lay silent.
The guards from Golden Rooster Ridge had long since left.
Qin Ming entered the deathly silent underground cavern, wandering through its spiderweb-like passages for a long time.
He saw shattered armor, broken weapons, and large pools of blood, along with severed horns and fractured bones of various Mutated Creatures.
Finally, deep within the cavern, Qin Ming discovered an altar shrouded in eerie gloom.
With a single kick, he shattered it, unleashing a torrent of black mist.
However, as his body radiated Heavenly Light, the gloom rapidly dissipated, evaporating completely.
"What were they doing here?" Qin Ming wondered, suspecting collusion between the two Great Bandits and the Outsider who could transform into mist, and that they had been up to no good.
After searching extensively, he found some intact weapons and pieced together several sets of armor.
Naturally, the preserved items were all of exceptional quality.
He selected a great spear, a long sword, and a sturdy bow capable of withstanding his immense strength, then gathered a pile of iron arrows, filling six quivers.
"Tonight, I shall be the Sword Immortal, Spear Sage, and Arrow God—master of sword, spear, and bow!" Qin Ming declared to himself.
Donning the gleaming armor, equipping the bow and arrows, and carrying the heavy, razor-sharp spear, he slung the phoenix-engraved sword across his back and strode out of the underground cavern.
"Hmm?" Qin Ming was surprised to find Old Liu's tracks outside the Great Rift Valley.
He made no attempt to hide and approached directly.
Old Liu's expression turned grave as he saw Qin Ming.
"I heard you entered the mountains and guessed you might come here," he said. "Are you planning to attack Golden Rooster Ridge?"
Ever since their joint expedition to destroy the ant nest, Old Liu had witnessed Qin Ming's strength far surpassing his peers. It was like a sudden enlightenment, clarifying many things for him.
Moreover, having personally witnessed Qin Ming rapidly master the Heavenly Light Technique at Old Wu's home, Old Liu was both astonished and realized that Qin Ming likely possessed the ability—and the desire—to confront Fourth Awakening Realm.
Qin Ming realized the old man was quite astute, having pieced together much of the situation.
"If you're truly set on attacking Golden Rooster Ridge, I know I can't stop you," Old Liu said solemnly. "But don't act rashly. Wait another day or two."
"Why?"
Old Liu's expression grew even more serious.
"Golden Rooster Ridge exists because the infamous Golden Bandit used it as a base when trading between the two regions long ago. Though it's rarely used now, if you happen to encounter them, you'd be in grave danger."
Qin Ming gasped, inhaling the frigid air swirling with snowflakes.
"Is your fate really that special, Old Liu? Nothing was wrong before you mentioned it, but now I'm starting to think something might actually happen."
He didn't believe in such things, of course; he was just joking.
He only trusted his own strength.
Old Liu replied, "Let me make some inquiries first. You're not in a rush, are you?"
"What connections do you have that could help us track down the Golden Bandit?" Qin Ming asked, surprised.
"I don't have any special connections or abilities," Old Liu admitted, "but I can deduce their movements by analyzing past patterns and current details. Rumor has it that whenever the Golden Bandit is about to appear, the two Great Bandits of Golden Rooster Ridge send their men to prepare rare ingredients, purchase fine wines, and even hire beautiful dancers a day or two in advance."
Qin Ming nodded immediately, finding this information reliable.
He decided to wait for Old Liu's update.
After hiding his armor in the mountains, Qin Ming returned to the village with Old Liu and a freshly hunted prey.
The village was in an uproar.
The Golden Rooster Ridge bandits had returned.
"Who are we doing this for? It's to protect you all! That's why we're urgently recruiting Awakeners," the bandits explained.
Having sensed the villagers' strong resistance, the Golden Rooster Ridge emissaries had come to ease tensions and offer some necessary explanations.
"Recently, to protect the villagers outside the Great Mountain, we of Golden Rooster Ridge fought a bloody battle against the mutant creatures in the Great Rift Valley. We slaughtered countless mutated creatures attempting to seize the outer regions of the Great Mountain, but our forces were nearly annihilated."
Upon hearing this, some villagers glared at them with hostility.
Everyone knew Golden Rooster Ridge had entered the mountains seeking mysterious resources.
Their incompetence and bad luck had led to their near-total annihilation, yet now they claimed to be protecting the villagers?
"The two leaders, understanding your plight, have decided to postpone the Night Silver collection until next month, giving you time to prepare."
Unsurprisingly, Golden Rooster Ridge's explanation rang hollow, only fueling the villagers' resentment.
In the end, they still intended to exploit every household, refusing to waive the protection tax.
Many were ready to fight them to the death.
"These peasants are overreacting!" The Golden Rooster Ridge men finally retreated in haste.
That same day, Old Liu brought news: Golden Rooster Ridge showed no unusual activity. Reliable sources confirmed that only two Great Bandits and their close confidants remained in the mountain stronghold.
"Also, two Traveling Merchants have arrived in Yinteng (Silver Vine) Town, bringing the latest news: Chi Xia City is about to change City Lords. Though Ling Xu remains unharmed, he will be transferred to another city."
Qin Ming nodded in agreement.
Now was the perfect time to strike.
He murmured, "If major organizations suspect the City Lord of Chi Xia City is colluding with Aberrants, they'll naturally suspect local factions of leaking information and cooperating. They can't touch Ling Xu, but would they hesitate to wipe out Golden Rooster Ridge?"
Then, he mused aloud, "Two Great Bandits colluded with Outsiders, and the man who could turn into mist died mysteriously. Wouldn't his sect and elders suspect Golden Rooster Ridge?"
As Shallow Night ended, Qin Ming immediately entered the mountains.
He donned his armor, armed himself, and set off toward Golden Rooster Ridge, fifty miles away.
The night was dark, and the journey was long.
Most people wouldn't dare travel alone through the wilderness at such a late hour.
In fact, Qin Ming did encounter trouble.
He was ambushed mid-journey when a purple-glowing mutant beast suddenly leaped from the forest, charging toward him.
Its head resembled a horse's, but it was no equine creature.
A mouth full of snow-white, razor-sharp teeth gleamed with a cold light, clearly marking it as a carnivorous predator. Its torso was like a tiger's or leopard's, but its limbs were long and ended in heavy, horse-like hooves.
Its silken fur shimmered with a hazy violet glow, radiating an otherworldly majesty.
The creature reared up, its massive hooves descending toward Qin Ming's head.
"A Purple Lightning Beast?" Qin Ming exclaimed in surprise, encountering such a rare anomaly.
He had recently learned about these creatures from Old Liu, who had shared his extensive knowledge of the mountain's anomalies.
The Purple Lightning Beast was a newly emerged creature that had undergone three mutations. It moved with the speed of wind and lightning, surpassing even creatures with four or five mutations in speed.
Apparently startled, it had fled from the Great Mountain.
Seeing Qin Ming blocking its path, it lashed out with a hoof strike.
Had he not dodged, he would have faced a "brain-splitting" blow.
Qin Ming sidestepped the massive violet hoof, then swiftly closed the distance, touching the beast's shimmering purple flank.
The Purple Lightning Beast panicked.
What kind of monster was this?
How could a mere brush of its fur cause the creature's fingers to stick to it like a plaster?
Qin Ming's Heavenly Light Technique, with its adhesive properties, proved its worth.
Once he made even slight contact, escape became impossible.
First, his fingertips, then his entire palm, gripped the Purple Lightning Beast's fur firmly.
Finally, he mounted the creature directly.
"Stop struggling and give me a ride!" Qin Ming commanded.
The Violet Lightning Beast, a notoriously untamable mutant creature, erupted in fury. It shook its head, thrashed its tail, and bucked violently, trying to throw him off.
Qin Ming wasted no time arguing.
With a swift motion, he drew his gleaming longsword and pressed it against the beast's neck. If it refused to cooperate, he'd simply kill it.
The Purple Lightning Beast's luminous purple mane fluttered wildly, and several strands were severed by the sword.
The creature tensed, ceasing its struggles. It glanced toward the depths of the Great Mountain before breaking into a frantic gallop.
Under the thick cloak of night, Qin Ming rode atop the magnificent mutant creature, its body shimmering with flowing purple light, racing toward Golden Rooster Ridge!
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END OF CHAPTER
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