Subscribe to the MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel.
***********************************
Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 40: [Fame Spreads Far and Wide]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
***********************************
"Knowledge is never a burden. Learning more is always good — it might save your life someday. Besides, you learn things remarkably fast," Old Liu acknowledged with approval, but then sighed.
In this remote region, noble lineages were vanishingly rare.
Even more crucially, despite their decline, these families still adhered to their ancestral teachings, refusing to share their treasured books with outsiders.
"I'll ask around and see what I can find," Old Liu promised.
Qin Ming was overjoyed.
If he could stumble upon another ancient secret manual brimming with the wisdom of past masters, the rewards would be immense.
He sensed an opportunity.
While some members of these fallen lineages might cling to tradition, surely not all would be so rigid.
"Grandpa, how's your health?" Qin Ming asked with genuine concern.
Old Liu had spent half his life striving to obtain the crimson grass, rich in spiritual energy, from the Fire Bat Cave, only to be targeted by the Jin Ji (Golden Rooster) Ridge sect, who had secretly struck him with a Yellow Mud Palm.
He sighed. "It won't kill me. The injuries can be managed, but achieving a Second Awakening is beyond my control now. I'll leave it to fate."
...
Qin Ming returned home, butchered the Fire Snake, and placed the meat on an iron plate.
He then picked up his long-handled Black Gold Hammer and pounded the meat into a fine paste.
"There shouldn't be any human blood smell, right? I washed the Black Gold Hammer twice."
An hour later, Qin Ming arrived at Old Liu's house with a jar of meat porridge.
"I hunted a small Spiritual creature in the mountains," he said. "It can't grant Awakening, but it's nourishing and has a cooling nature, which should counteract the fiery properties of that red grass."
Old Liu eyed the jar suspiciously but accepted it nonetheless.
"You're a thoughtful lad," he said.
The next day, just as Shallow Night fell, Old Liu was pounding on the courtyard gate.
When Qin Ming answered, the old man grabbed his hand. "Xiao Qin, what did you feed me?"
The Fire Snake's meat was like that of an entirely different creature compared to ordinary snakes, with a completely distinct flavor.
Even Old Liu couldn't identify what he'd eaten.
Yet his entire body felt revitalized, no longer frail and sickly.
"Old man, I feel so good now, with this body I can even have another child in my old age!"
...
That day, everyone noticed Old Liu's renewed vigor, his voice booming with newfound energy.
"Black and White Mountain has become the talk of the land," Cao Long, Mu Qing, Wei Zhirou, and the others discussed as they searched for special Nodes in the mountains.
Their intelligence network was remarkably efficient, relying on raptors to carry messages to the outside world.
Qin Ming perked up immediately, listening intently.
He was fascinated by the mysterious resources associated with the scrap materials and eager to learn more about the outside world.
"Many major organizations are now regretting their initial underestimation of this place. After evaluating the most mysterious resource discovered here, they've concluded it's a divine gift, priceless beyond measure. Even ancient sects that had long withdrawn into seclusion have been stirred, sending envoys to investigate."
Overnight, the long-dormant Black and White Mountain became the focal point of discussion across the land.
"Two centuries ago, the Heavenly Light pierced Black and White Mountain. Remarkably, some of the experts who rushed here from the capital are still alive. Rumor has it that one old fellow, his Qi inflamed with rage, stayed awake for two days and nights, his eyes bloodshot as he stormed into the deep mountains and marshes to hunt the legendary Six-Tusked White Elephant."
"The Six-Tusked White Elephant? Isn't that the mount of a deity worshipped by some esoteric sect? Even if it exists in reality, it's likely hidden deep within the Night Mist's most shrouded realms."
Qin Ming listened with rapt attention, his heart yearning for the vast, boundless world beyond their remote village.
Even these brief glimpses painted a vivid, dazzling picture, fueling his desire to leave this isolated place and see it for himself.
"Forget the royal capital — rumor has it that even the High-Ranking Figure in the distant, mighty Yu Kingdom's imperial city was alerted. The Imperial Preceptor himself took personal interest in the matter. After all, the simultaneous emergence and fusion of the ten-colored light pillar and the Five-Colored Mist and Haze had never been recorded in any historical texts."
Though some coveted this mysterious phenomenon, their investigations ultimately stalled due to formidable resistance. It seemed that an otherworldly figure of immense status had intervened.
"Those Blessed Lands, and the Spirit Mountains steeped in Heavenly Light, are now believed to be..."
Qin Ming desperately wanted to urge them to elaborate, but despite their friendly rapport, they weren't close enough for such familiarity.
He understood his place and remained silent.
After failing to locate a special Node today, Xu Yueping and Old Liu discussed leading three teams to the Flying Sickle Bird's nest.
Xu Yueping admitted frankly that whether any Spiritual substances existed there remained uncertain, but it was undoubtedly an excellent place to temper the Awakeners.
Xu Yueping was deeply devoted to his village and felt responsible for its well-being.
He wanted to ask Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing to help eliminate the threat.
The winter's food shortage was largely due to the Flying Sickle Birds. Before the autumn harvest, these birds would swoop down from the mountains, skimming over the Fire Fields like scythes.
With a single bite of their sickle-like beaks, they could strip clusters of grain stalks bare.
Wei Zhirou nodded. "The original purpose of the Mountain Sweep Operation was to clear out various vermin. Since these vicious birds are causing such damage, we should investigate."
Xu Yueping was immediately grateful.
Everyone knew the Mountain Sweep was just a pretext; the real goal was to find rare resources in the mountains.
Cao Long added, "The newly Awakeners this year have only seen a little blood in the Fire Bat Cave. They haven't had proper training yet. The Flying Sickle Birds would be perfect for that."
Soon after, they arrived at a low cliff face.
The snow-covered ground was littered with bird droppings, and numerous crevices in the cliff walls served as nests for the Flying Sickle Birds.
Mu Qing, Cao Long, and the others were well-prepared, even bringing woven metal nets.
They hurled over a dozen large nets, covering the most densely populated nesting areas.
Even so, countless Flying Sickle Birds surged upward in a dense swarm.
At least a thousand escaped the nets, proving the birds had indeed become a plague.
The Flying Sickle Birds were about a foot long, with exceptionally large and sharp beaks.
Ferocious by nature, they charged relentlessly after their nests were attacked and covered.
Fortunately, everyone was wearing armor.
Even when some of the birds managed to break through the defenses, the armor held.
Qin Ming, Xu Yueping, and the others were no exception.
Having guided three teams through the mountains in recent days, they had each been gifted a set of armor.
In the end, a vast number of Flying Sickle Birds were killed, especially those trapped in the netted nests.
After clearing the cliffside, the ground was carpeted with bird carcasses.
Though many of the fierce birds escaped, the majority had been eliminated, and their nests destroyed.
They wouldn't dare return for some time, and with their numbers reduced, the villagers would now be able to hunt them safely.
Black Sheep Knight Yang Yongqing was tasked with notifying the villagers to bring sacks and collect the bird corpses.
Wasting such a bounty of meat would have been a true waste.
Over the past few days, Qin Ming had been diligently observing the various groups operating in the Great Mountain, but he still hadn't found the people he was looking for.
"They were in their early thirties. The woman had a mole above her right eyebrow, and the man had unusually long arms. Alas, no one matching that description has appeared."
Back then, the pair had rescued him from the Feather-Robed Youth, whisking him away from the city to this remote region.
After leaving him in Yinteng (Silvervine) Town, they had briefly explored the Black and White Mountain, but they hadn't shown up this time.
During this time, Qin Ming kept his promise, contacting members of the Old Noble faction multiple times to inform them of what he had seen in the mountains, including which organizations had obtained particularly rare resources.
Xie Jingrui, the Old Noble, sighed, as none of the items he sought had yet appeared.
Today, he personally ventured into the mountains, astonishingly making his way to the deepest recesses.
This sent shockwaves through the ranks of the elderly figures from Chi Xia City.
Since Ling Xu and Li Hua Cat had departed, no one dared to venture deep into the mountains.
Forget the Mysterious Mountain Lord — even the foot-long Old Weasel, when enraged, was terrifying.
It had been seen running wildly across the mountains, carrying a donkey, its composure shattered after being intercepted by the Blue-Robed Woman.
Who would dare provoke such misfortune?
Half a day later, Xie Jingrui emerged silently, two short plant roots — one black, one white — held delicately between his fingers.
He sighed softly, "The roots of the Black and White Tree truly remain deep within the mountains. Nourished by the Heavenly Light, they have transformed into extraordinary spiritual resources!"
Qin Ming, who had been operating alone, searching for special Nodes, noticed Xie Jingrui approaching and asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I made a discovery, but someone beat me to it," Xie Jingrui replied, standing in the mountain forest, his voice tinged with resignation. "It's a pity I'm still injured and can't endure prolonged combat in chaotic situations. Otherwise, I would have entered the mountains long ago."
"Were there no clues left behind?" Qin Ming realized that the roots of the Black and White Tree, nourished by Heavenly Light, were of paramount importance to the Old Noble.
He had come two years ago specifically to obtain them.
Xie Jingrui replied, "I know who took them. We need to head to Chi Xia City."
"Could it be City Lord Lingxu?" Qin Ming asked.
The Old Noble nodded.
He had questioned Wei Mo, who followed the path of the Giant Spirit God, deep in the mountains.
Wei Mo had confirmed that Lingxu had lingered there for quite some time.
Xie Jingrui scoffed, "No wonder Lingxu missed out on the most powerful mystical resource and immediately fled back to Chi Xia City. Everyone said he was so furious he nearly broke his thigh from slapping it in regret for not buying a flying mount."
"But the truth is, he was afraid others would discover his other great harvest. He used this opportunity to escape. What a cunning thief! All that talk of scholarly elegance in white robes? He should be wearing black instead."
Qin Ming was speechless, also finding it strange that the Old Noble had spoken so much to him before leaving.
The answer soon became clear.
Xie Jingrui said, "That Purple-Eyed Raven has high hopes for you. Work hard. This place is too remote and isolated. Get out of here as soon as you can."
He was about to leave Yinteng (Silvervine) Town and would set off immediately after exiting the mountains.
"Miss Xie will be leaving with you as well, right?"
"Yes. Until we meet again!" With a flash, the Old Noble Xie Jingrui vanished into the forest, his speed astonishing.
A commotion erupted in the distance.
When Qin Ming rushed over, he found a group of richly dressed nobles confronting Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing.
The major clans of Chi Xia City were far from harmonious.
With the Cao, Wei, and Mu families allied, other powerful clans had naturally banded together to enter the mountains as well.
Just moments earlier, someone had attacked Cao Long but was swiftly defeated, sent flying backward in a shocking display of power.
Now, a young man clad in golden armor rode forward on a mutated golden panther, his aura radiating intense pressure.
Cao Long's voice turned icy. "Feng Xing, don't start trouble. That old Wang Clan geezer tried to steal my Seventh Uncle's Longevity Tree and got his ass kicked. What's the problem? Are you here to defend the Wang Clan?"
Feng Xing, the youth on the golden panther, replied calmly, "It's been two years since we last met. I heard your strength has increased dramatically. We've fought our way here together, so let's spar."
"You just want a fight, don't you? I'm not afraid of you!"
The surrounding crowd, all hailing from Chi Xia City, knew each other well.
Though mainly divided into two factions, there were also neutral nobles present, one of whom stepped forward to mediate.
"Brother Feng Xing, Brother Cao Long," he urged, "you are both outstanding figures who have risen from Chi Xia City to this Giant City. Let's not let this escalate. With your current power levels, an accidental misstep could have dire consequences."
In such a tense situation, anyone daring to intervene must possess considerable influence.
The speaker was a young man riding a white rhinoceros, approaching from the distance into the dense forest.
Strikingly handsome, his silver armor accentuated his noble bearing, making him appear exceptionally distinguished.
Beside him rode a young woman on a black tiger. Her graceful figure was clad in purple-gold armor, her arched eyebrows framing bright, captivating eyes.
Her radiant beauty drew lingering glances from many young men.
Upon their arrival, many greeted the pair warmly, even those older than them showing deference.
Trailing behind the exceptionally striking young man and woman was a large group of people, surrounding them like stars orbiting the moon.
From the hushed conversations around him, Qin Ming learned why the pair drew such attention.
When they underwent their Awakening this year, they had caused a sensation in Chi Xia City. Hailed as the most dazzling talents in two decades, their brilliance had captivated the entire region. Even those who had established Golden Foundations in recent years paled in comparison.
As expected, when the young man spoke, Feng Xing showed him great respect, sheathing his weapon and exchanging a few words with him with a smile.
"Who is Qin Ming?" Nie Rui, the silver-armored youth astride a white rhinoceros, called out, his handsome face radiant as he scanned the crowd.
Qin Ming frowned.
How did he know about him?
Nie Rui chuckled. "I came to visit Master Xu Kong and wanted to spar with his disciples. Zhou Wubing claimed he was unwell and couldn't fight, but he insisted you were stronger than him. I was genuinely curious — could there really be a youth in this region more skilled than a disciple personally trained by Master Xu Kong? So I came to see for myself."
Qin Ming stared in disbelief.
"That lunatic Er Bingzi is truly insane!"
______________________________
END OF CHAPTER
Subscribe to MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel
*********************************