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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 60: [Old Acquaintance]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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The two taller men wore golden armor that shone brightly in the night, bearing a resemblance to the Six Ding and Six Jia deities revered in some regions.
Qin Ming sensed that these men were no ordinary warriors.
Their bodies radiated a potent life force, their vigorous spirit and blood Qi seeping through the armor, impossible to conceal.
He had never seen any of these four before.
The most striking figure was undoubtedly the woman at their head.
Qin Ming's first impression of her was one of breathtaking beauty. Initially stunning, she seemed even more captivating upon closer inspection.
Li Qingyue had already stopped, standing calmly by the roadside.
Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, her figure as slender and graceful as a willow branch.
The wind stirred her robes, creating a sense of ethereal radiance in the deep night.
Though there was no Fire Spring here outside the town, she seemed to emanate a celestial glow, as if she could dispel the Night Mist itself.
Qin Ming didn't linger.
He urged the Purple Lightning Beast forward, preparing to ride past them.
The young maid opened her mouth as if to speak, but remembering her mistress's instructions against revealing their identities, she quickly closed it again.
Qin Ming's keen eyes caught her expression; even the darkness couldn't obscure his perception.
At the same time, he noticed the woman seemed to be studying him intently.
Qin Ming was surprised and couldn't help but glance at her.
They were standing so close that he could even make out the intricate patterns on her hair ornaments.
The woman wore a silver Feather Robe, her face flawless and unadorned. She stood there like a radiant moon piercing through the cloud mist, seeming to glow in the pitch-black night. Her ethereal form was pure and refined, her elegance unparalleled.
Not long ago, Qin Ming had been attacked by that Outsider capable of Transformation.
Two years ago, he had been critically wounded by a Feather-Robed Youth, nearly dying before being stranded in this remote region.
As a result, he harbored a deep-seated aversion to Outsiders.
Though the Feather-Clad Woman was undeniably stunning, Qin Ming merely cast her a calm, cursory glance before urging his mount onward.
Li Qingyue turned to watch his retreating figure.
She had initially believed it best to avoid another meeting, yet here they were.
She had been contemplating whether to speak, but he had passed by with such indifference, without a moment's hesitation.
Li Qingyue's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She wasn't wearing her veil, so he couldn't possibly have failed to recognize her. Yet his gaze remained utterly calm, deep, and devoid of any emotion.
She was mildly surprised.
Had they both changed so drastically in just over two years?
It felt as though she were experiencing the bitter truth of "things change, people change" far too soon.
The maid spoke up, "Miss, is there something between you and him? I sensed something strange. You think it's best not to meet again, but he seemed even more indifferent than you, almost cold. If we hadn't looked at him first, he wouldn't have even glanced your way. So cold, so heartless!"
Li Qingyue shook her head. "What are you imagining? We were just friends once. There's nothing more to it."
The maid's eyes widened in realization, and she nodded.
"His surname is Cui. You mean he's just from the same social circle, right? Nothing more."
Li Qingyue sighed. "A lot happened two years ago. All the people we knew scattered to pursue their own paths. Some became Outsiders, others forged their own paths early on, some rose to prominence, while others settled into mediocrity. Though their families remain influential, everything has changed. I don't know why he came here."
"Which category does that man belong to?" the maid asked cautiously.
"Someone a bit... ethereal (illusory). Let's go," Li Qingyue said, leading the way toward Qing Song (Green Pine) Town.
...
"Strange, she feels vaguely familiar," Qin Ming mused as he walked.
He secretly assessed her.
The Feather-Clad Woman was so slender that, without resorting to the unpredictable methods of Outsiders, he was confident he could send her flying with a single punch based on physical strength alone.
He shook his head and used his broken spear to prod the Purple Lightning Beast, urging it to flee at top speed.
"Alright, you can leave now," Qin Ming said, keeping his word.
After the Purple Lightning Beast had run a considerable distance—now eighty miles from Twin Tree Village—he decided to release it.
The Purple Lightning Beast was overjoyed. It had braced itself for the worst, planning to endure this humiliation temporarily and settle the score later, making this brat scream for mercy!
Being allowed to leave now was completely unexpected.
"What are you waiting for? Stop daydreaming!" Qin Ming kicked the beast in the rear.
Startled and enraged, the Purple Lightning Beast leaped forward several dozen meters.
Turning back, it pointed a front hoof at him and growled menacingly, its words unintelligible.
"What are you barking about? Do you have a death wish?" Qin Ming hefted his broken spear.
Startled, the Purple Lightning Beast leaped over ten meters into the dense forest and vanished.
Qin Ming began his journey home, avoiding the original path and taking a longer route.
Along the way, he entered the forest and buried his armor, weapons, and bow and arrows deep in the ground, discarding them completely.
He felt he no longer needed armor.
After merging multiple strands of Heavenly Light Force and channeling it to his body's surface, his defense far surpassed that of any armor.
Even the Old Golden Chicken, mutated five times, could slice through his fine armor with its Phoenix's Single Wing Spread, but it couldn't penetrate his Heavenly Light-infused barrier.
Carrying only his Jade Iron Blade, Qin Ming traveled light, his speed increasing dramatically.
He entered the village silently through the falling snow.
Having left Shallow Night earlier, his return wasn't particularly late.
Qin Ming was in good spirits, having single-handedly conquered Golden Rooster Ridge!
"After a long night of raiding, traveling, and fighting, I'm actually quite hungry," he mused.
He first ate some fruits from Wild Bull Ridge, and soon the steaming copper pot of meat stew was ready.
Deep in the Great Mountain, the Purple Lightning Beast raged, crashing into trees with thunderous force.
It snapped several trees as thick as water buckets in its fury.
A white owl flew over, urging the Purple Lightning Beast to calm down, saying there was no need to lose its temper.
Then, in a hushed tone, the owl asked, "Did you meet the Mountain Lord? Were you able to obtain the Yin-Yang Elixir?"
"That old mountain boar is suspicious. I fled before getting close," the Purple Lightning Beast replied.
The white owl cautioned, "In this region, we should still refer to it as the Mountain Lord. What could be wrong?"
"The old mountain boar has been replaced!" the Purple Lightning Beast said.
The owl gasped in surprise. "Replaced by whom?"
"I suspect it's the white-haired old beast that wept at the grave years ago," the Purple Lightning Beast said. "It didn't die or flee; instead, it became the Mountain Lord."
"What do we do now? Everyone knows that the ancient tree remnants—roots, trunks, and branches—of Black and White Mountain have been nourished by Heavenly Light and transformed into the Yin-Yang Elixir. All factions are pressuring us to hand it over, especially the Outsiders, who covet this herb imbued with Yin and Yang Qi. If too many covet it, can you still secure it?"
"I'll have to ask the elders to intervene. I can't handle this alone," the Purple Lightning Beast sighed in frustration.
Then, trembling with rage, it snarled, "Find that man for me! He's had four or five Awakenings, definitely not a local—his accent screams 'Noble Clan' from a Giant City. Check who's been in the Black and White Mountain area recently. When I get my claws on him, I'll kick his dog head into oblivion!"
The Purple Lightning Beast still felt like it was about to explode with fury as it recalled the incident.
It hastily retreated to the hot springs, as if to wash away the humiliation.
Qin Ming usually spoke with a pure local accent. But ever since fragmented memories—blurred scenes and distant voices—began surfacing in his mind, he had also picked up a foreign accent.
Tonight, he naturally pretended to be an outsider.
While sorting through his spoils, he accidentally discovered some papers tucked inside a book: correspondence between two Great Bandits and an elder from the Golden Bandit.
"The Golden Bandits are colluding with Outsiders? Could that man who can turn into mist even be an Outsider beast?"
Qin Ming didn't dwell on it.
After all, every lead ended at Golden Rooster Ridge.
The next morning, he woke up feeling invigorated.
Having finally avenged his grievances against the bandits, he decided it was time to embark on a long journey.
"Xiao Qin!" Old Liu knocked on Qin Ming's door early in the morning.
Seeing Qin Ming at home, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's done," Qin Ming replied simply.
Old Liu knew Qin Ming had traveled far the previous night to accomplish something significant.
Hearing this confirmation, he took a deep breath to contain his excitement, resisting the urge to shout triumphantly.
"You're truly remarkable!" Old Liu exclaimed.
After just three Awakenings, Qin Ming had already slain Great Bandits and single-handedly annihilated Golden Rooster Ridge!
After gathering the details, Old Liu returned home, his heart brimming with satisfaction.
He opened a jar of fine wine he'd brought back from the Mountain Patrol Group and savored a leisurely drink.
He knew it wouldn't be long before this region was plunged into turmoil.
"Yongqing, come join me for a drink," Old Liu called out to Yang Yongqing, his neighbor.
"Old Liu, I'm about to become a Mountain Bandit. How can I be in the mood for drinking?" Yang Yongqing replied.
Old Liu chuckled. "You haven't left yet, have you? Enjoy the moment while you can. Who knows, they might change their minds and stop forcing people to go to Golden Rooster Ridge."
Yang Yongqing sighed. "Unless they all die, their domineering nature will never allow that."
Qin Ming was waiting for the incident to erupt.
If he suddenly left now, disappearing from this place, some might find it suspicious.
He was studying the three newly acquired books.
Two of them, likely written by the Great Bandits to instruct the Awakeners at Golden Rooster Ridge, held no interest for him.
Only the ancient, yellowed, and worn book commanded his full attention.
As he studied it, he found the Awakening Technique within to be quite formidable.
The Heavenly Light Force it described was particularly unique—a soft, yielding force that emphasized overcoming hardness with softness.
It also corresponded to a supreme technique: the Yellow Mud Palm.
Qin Ming hadn't yet delved deeply into the technique, first skimming through the entire book.
The name of the palm technique alone didn't sound particularly impressive.
However, a later reader who had thoroughly studied the book had left notes mentioning that after mastering the Yellow Mud Palm, he had once killed an Outsider.
Qin Ming murmured, "It seems Outsiders exert an unparalleled sense of oppression over those who follow different paths. Killing one must have been such a momentous achievement for this expert that he recorded this glorious victory in his treasured secret manual."
Even before leaving this remote region, he had already encountered Outsiders twice in succession.
Inevitably, his thoughts drifted back to the Feather-Clad Woman he had met the previous night. Her face seemed strangely familiar.
Qin Ming pondered, the woman's exquisite features surfacing in his mind. Her refined elegance was rare, and the more he considered it, the stronger the sense of familiarity grew.
Finally, fragmented images flashed through his mind—he did know her!
"No wonder she stopped by the roadside to look at me, her gaze tinged with something peculiar. She must have recognized me."
"I had forgotten some things due to a severe injury and have only recently begun to recover my memories."
"Why did she stand there, acknowledging our encounter without revealing her identity?"
"Was she deliberately avoiding something?"
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END OF CHAPTER
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