The Invisible Zone

The ridges of the fields were laid out in neat rows. From stalk to leaf to grain, the crops shone brilliantly like golden ornaments, especially striking amid the pitch-black mountains and cloaked in mystery.

Everyone present was drawn in by Feng Yi'an's words. Such a strange sight existed in mountains blanketed by heavy night fog?

"Who was farming them?" Xu Yueping asked.

Feng Yi'an shook his head. The Mountain Patrol had stumbled upon the place after getting lost, but they had not dared approach.

They reported it immediately afterward, and even higher-ups came in person, but no one could find it again.

Old Man Liu, who was over seventy, sighed. "The night is boundless, and the deep mountains and great marshes hold too many unknown things. The vast uninhabited regions are exceedingly dangerous. Even if the distant city lord came in person, it would be difficult to venture deep inside."

"Grandfather Liu, have you encountered strange things as well?" Qin Ming asked.

Old Man Liu nodded, his expression turning nostalgic. "Forget the wilderness. There are oddities even near where we live."

Back then, he had still been a boy, flying kites with his companions at the village entrance. When they reeled in the string at the end, they found it sticky. There was blood on the kite.

"Right at our village entrance?" Yang Yongqing was startled and could not help looking out at the night sky beyond the window.

After hesitating, Qin Ming said, "Could an injured bird have flown into the kite afterward?"

"Perhaps. When my grandfather saw the bloodied kite string back then, his face changed at once. He told me to bury the matter in my belly. In the blink of an eye, decades have passed," Old Man Liu said.

Something like that happening right on one's doorstep always left people unsettled.

Xu Yueping said, "Let Brother Feng tell us more about the mountains."

"Have you ever heard of mountain beasts weeping at graves?" Feng Yi'an was cautious and reverent when he brought it up, his expression exceedingly complicated.

"What kind of grave were they weeping at?" someone asked. They traveled through the mountains year-round, yet they truly had never encountered such a thing.

Feng Yi'an said, "A Beast Tomb."

"Wild beasts practice burial?" Xu Yueping asked in astonishment.

Feng Yi'an nodded. "The uninhabited regions covered by night fog inspire awe. Any bizarre occurrence is possible there."

That day, the old leader of the Mountain Patrol Group noticed something unusual in the mountains. Worried that some mysterious creature was undergoing another transformation and that disaster would follow, he quietly approached.

"The old leader wanted firsthand information. He wanted to see what kind of 'strange insect' or 'Famous Beast' was strengthening itself, so we could prepare precautions and strike back precisely."

After all, creatures that had mutated multiple times each possessed different abilities. To deal with them, different measures and methods had to be prepared.

On the way, the old leader suddenly realized that the abnormal sound was weeping. Yet he did not stop. Soon afterward, he saw a White-Haired Old Beast sobbing quietly, weeping at a grave in the night. It was deeply chilling.

Feng Yi'an said, "That ruined earthen grave had existed for at least a thousand years, because the ancient cypress growing from it had lived for no fewer than a thousand years."

The old leader saw the white-haired mountain beast kowtowing like a human. A rain of light actually crashed down around the earthen grave, illuminating the pitch-black forest.

Afterward, fierce birds descended from the night sky, while monsters climbed ashore from the marshes. All of them joined in the worship.

Feng Yi'an stopped there.

"What happened afterward?" someone urged.

Feng Yi'an said, "The old leader risked drawing closer to see the white-haired mountain beast's true appearance. He planned to return and consult records to see whether there was any local documentation, so he could guard against it accordingly."

The White-Haired Old Beast kowtowed and shed tears, then inexplicably began to mutate. Weeping at the grave seemed to be some mysterious ritual that elevated its level of life.

The old leader quietly retreated, but he began coughing blood on the way back, and his entire body itched sharply. Though he returned alive and reported what he had seen, his flesh later festered and rotted, and he died.

"The higher-ups dispatched a large force and fought a great battle in the mountains. They say that fortunately, the news arrived in time. Otherwise, once the White-Haired Old Beast truly came into its own, there would have been a tremendous disaster."

Everyone's hearts grew heavy. Outside the mountains, life was usually fairly peaceful, but unseen truths lay hidden in places beyond sight. People were silently guarding the mountains, fighting and killing.

Old Man Liu's hair was snow-white, and wrinkles covered his face. He sighed. "There were more than one or two people like the old leader. A close friend I met in my youth guarded the mountains year-round, blocking dangerous aberrations. When he grew old, I do not know whether he died inside the mountains. He never appeared again."

Feng Yi'an nodded. "Most members of our Mountain Patrol Group have suffered grave injuries. Some cannot even die a good death, leaving not even their bones behind."

Using the old leader's master as an example, he said, "Back then, that Old Senior was extraordinarily skilled and held in high esteem. He had already retired honorably after losing an arm. But when he heard that a dangerous Mountain Monster had appeared, he feared the younger generation would be unable to stop it. To keep others from going to their deaths, he dragged his crippled body there himself."

After one battle, the old leader's master severely wounded the Mountain Monster, but he himself died miserably. Apart from a large stretch of bloodstains, only half a saber remained.

"That Old Senior's greatest wish in life was to be buried outside the mountains alongside his deceased wife and children. Yet his wish came to nothing. His soul could not return home, and he fell within the pitch-black mountains," Feng Yi'an said, shaking his head with a sigh.

The old man's wife and children had died prematurely when the Mountain Monster wreaked havoc years ago. From then on, he never remarried.

The Mountain Patrol Group brought back his bloodstained broken saber and buried it beside the graves of his wife and children.

After hearing this, Qin Ming found even the fiery old wine tasteless. He remained silent.

Feng Yi'an was despondent. "In the end, among the Mountain Patrol, there are the crippled, the dead, and those who go mad and remain in the mountains. They eat bloody raw meat with fur like wild beasts, becoming monsters through and through. Sigh. No one knows how our batch will end up. Perhaps the mountains will be our final resting place."

The atmosphere at the wine table became somewhat stifling. The mountains were changing now, and perhaps a mountain-clearing campaign was imminent. No one knew what would happen next.

Feng Yi'an drained his cup and said, "Brother Xu, sorry for the trouble, but I still need you to plant the medicinal seeds."

He solemnly took a wooden box from his robes. Inside, after opening it, were four black seeds, each about the size of a broad bean.

Xu Yueping froze. "They need to be planted in winter?"

Feng Yi'an's expression was grave. "Put them into the Fire Spring to nourish them now, and they will flourish in early spring. In this great battle, the Mountain Patrol Group will certainly be at the forefront. The lives of some brothers have likely begun their countdown. Even if they survive, they may be half-crippled. I do not know whether they can last until the Black Moon matures. This is life-saving medicine for many people. Old Xu, you must take it seriously!"

The Black Moon took root in the Fire Spring. Its leaves resembled orchids, and once its full buds bloomed, every petal was like a black crescent moon, scattering Dark Light amid curling white mist.

Feng Yi'an wiped a trace of wine from his thick beard, rose, and took his leave. "Thank you for your hospitality, Brother Xu. If I return alive after the mountain-clearing, we will gather again."

"Brother Feng is highly skilled. You will surely turn misfortune into fortune," Xu Yueping said.

Those present escorted Feng Yi'an to the village entrance and watched him disappear into the night.

"The times are hard, but the Mountain Patrol Group is considerate enough. They only sent four seeds, and the spiritual essence drawn from the Fire Spring can bear it," someone said.

The Mountain Patrol not only monitored the dangers in the mountains, but also guarded them. Every place was willing to grow life-saving medicinal herbs for them and did not resist doing so.

By agreement, every village had to provide four to eight Black Moon plants each year. If it was only four, the impact on the crops in the Fire Field would not be too great.

Those present dispersed.

Old Man Liu had not left. He stared at the four black seeds and said, "They really managed to cultivate them."

When Qin Ming left, he noticed that Xu Yueping seemed weighed down by worries.

There were many more people on the streets, all carrying bows, arrows, and hunting forks as they prepared to enter the mountains.

Yesterday, they had asked Qin Ming in detail about the situation in the mountains. Early this morning, they began taking action.

The main reason was that every household was running low on stored grain, and food was scarce.

"A huge haul! We hunted two Saberhorn Deer!"

When a group returned, they brought good news. Their harvest was plentiful.

"For now, the outer reaches of the forest have calmed down. As long as we do not venture deep in, we can hunt cautiously."

The next day, even more people entered the mountains in groups and brought back quite a few prey animals.

Many children cheered. Unafraid of the cold, they breathed out white mist and ran up and down the streets as if it were New Year. The village atmosphere visibly improved.

"Little Uncle, come to my house and try something fresh. We're having muntjac meat today." Wen Rui happily came to call Qin Ming.

After eating the game meat, Qin Ming walked out of Lu Ze's house and happened to see Xu Yueping returning from the village entrance with a frown.

"Uncle Xu, did you go see someone off?"

"Yes. People from the Mountain Patrol Group came and urged me to plant the Black Moon," Xu Yueping said.

Qin Ming felt that the Mountain Patrol truly had it hard. Facing every kind of danger, they might be maimed or even die at any time.

Seeing Xu Yueping's worries and deeply furrowed brow, he said nothing more.

That day, when the last group to enter the mountains returned, it caused a commotion. Most of them were injured and covered in blood, and all their prey had been lost.

"That was close. We encountered a mutated Snow Ape. Old Chen nearly had an arm torn off." The villagers who had fled back were still shaken.

"Fortune amid misfortune—we drove it back with bows and arrows and escaped." Having survived the disaster, they said they had ventured too deep into the mountains this time and could not act rashly next time.

The heavy night fog dispersed, and a new day arrived. Though some people had been injured yesterday, it did not frighten the others away, because a New Life Evolver was accompanying them this time.

However, not long afterward, one of the groups returned. Quite a few were bloodied, and the New Life Evoler's injuries were the most severe.

His left shoulder blade was shattered, one leg bent unnaturally, and part of his chest had caved in. His mouth was full of bloody froth, and no one knew whether he would survive.

"What happened?"

"We encountered a Blood Bear!" someone said, their lips trembling.

The Blood Bear was an extremely powerful mutated creature. Its fur was blood-red, and it was violent and ferocious. Even a New Life Evolver might not survive an encounter with one.

"Where is Brother Lu?" Qin Ming quickly rushed into the neighboring courtyard.

"He went into the mountains." Once Liang Wanqing learned what had happened, she immediately became anxious.

"I'll find him!" Qin Ming turned and left.

When Xu Yueping learned that another group had yet to return, he immediately panicked and called for all the New Life Evolvers to enter the mountains together.

Qin Ming ran at the very front, great waves of snow surging up on both sides of him. Xu Yueping, who was nearest to him, was stunned, while everyone else had long since been left far behind.

Near the forest, Qin Ming stopped, because a group of people was staggering out.

At a glance, he spotted Lu Ze. He was being carried out.

"Brother Lu!" He rushed over.

Lu Ze's face was like golden paper. His eyes were shut, his clothes torn to rags and stained with blood. His chest and abdomen were the most severely injured, and at least three ribs were broken.

Crying came from nearby. Of the severely injured people being carried back, two had already breathed their last.

"Did the Blood Bear injure you?" Qin Ming asked.

Someone still wore a look of lingering fear. "Yes. If the Mountain Patrol had not appeared, many more of us might have died."

Qin Ming stared into the gloomy forest and drew his gleaming short saber.

Xu Yueping arrived and stopped him. "Do not take risks. Go back first!"

When Liang Wanqing saw Lu Ze being carried back, her face turned deathly pale. She stumbled as she ran over, while the two children burst into loud sobs.

"Sister-in-law, Brother Lu only fainted," Qin Ming said.

He had examined Lu Ze carefully. His broken ribs had not pierced his internal organs, and after Qin Ming set them and treated his wounds, the problem was not too serious.

Many people had been injured this time. Even standing on the street, one could hear old people and children crying.

The village atmosphere was oppressive. Xu Yueping ordered that from now on, no one was allowed into the mountains.

Qin Ming entered Xu Yueping's courtyard and found that Old Man Liu and Yang Yongqing were there as well.

"You want to kill the Blood Bear?" Xu Yueping asked from inside the house.

Qin Ming kept his voice low. "Brother Lu has wounds left by bear claws, but several of his ribs look more as though they were broken by fists."

"You feel that too? Then it was most likely caused by a person." Xu Yueping abruptly rose, anger appearing on his face. "Some people have gone too far!"

Qin Ming had already sensed something and formed certain suspicions.

After all, Xu Yueping had been weighed down by worries ever since receiving those four seeds.

"Why?" Qin Ming asked. Guessing was one thing, but he found it difficult to accept in his heart.

Xu Yueping's voice was low and heavy. "The Mountain Patrol Group forced me to plant the Black Moon immediately. I refused. I never thought they would retaliate like this."

Old Man Liu said, "There is something wrong with the seeds. They should have mutated. They will absorb a huge amount of spiritual essence from the Fire Spring and affect cultivation in the Fire Field. There may be famine next year."

Qin Ming could not calm his emotions. That bearded Feng Yi'an had seemed bold and forthright. He had told of some of the Mountain Patrol's bleak past, stirring people's hearts, yet they had actually done such a thing.

Yang Yongqing said, "Everything Feng Yi'an mentioned was true, but it has nothing to do with the core members of this current group!"

Qin Ming recalled what he had said before: some Mountain Patrol members were very responsible.

At the time, Qin Ming had felt Yang Yongqing seemed to be hinting that some were also very irresponsible. He had expressed it with considerable subtlety.

Old Man Liu lowered his voice. "This group has hunted Blood Bears before. I strongly suspect that someone is now wearing that bear hide and committing evil."

After hearing that, a blaze rose in Qin Ming's heart. The Mountain Patrol was supposed to guard the mountains and protect the people. They were respected by all, but what were they doing? On the surface, they were bold and responsible, yet in secret they committed evil, their hands stained with villagers' blood. Where had their consciences gone?

"Is Brother Xu home?" Feng Yi'an led four Mountain Patrol members into the courtyard.

"It was all our fault. We failed in our duty this time and could not protect the elders and villagers." The bearded Feng Yi'an looked guilty and said they would immediately pursue and kill the Blood Bear.

The knuckles of Xu Yueping's fingers, hidden within his sleeves, had clenched white, yet he could not lash out. He still had to maintain a proper demeanor and deal with them.

He felt unbearably miserable. They had killed people, then come to apologize at his door. It was like riding on someone's neck, looking down at them, and smiling as they mocked them.

Qin Ming sat quietly, temporarily suppressing the urge to draw his saber.

Thanks to sss Xi, A True Gentleman Never Looks at Snow White, Li Li Xi Xi, Xiao Wu Wu Wu Wu, Keep Names Short Enough, and Say More. Many thanks to the Alliance Leader for the support!