Fallen

Feng Yi'an was tall, with a beard standing straight out like steel needles. His eyes were bright, his voice forceful, and he looked like a blunt, straightforward man.

Yet after learning the truth, Qin Ming found him revolting beyond measure.

"We truly failed you this time. We'll kill that Blood Bear as soon as possible and make up for our mistake." Feng Yi'an wore a look of utter sincerity.

Old Man Liu sighed and asked them to guard the mountain forests well, not letting the mutated creatures wreak havoc again.

At his age, he had been angered badly enough already. They had come to apologize after killing people—who was this performance for?

That false sincerity of personally coming to the door was no different from rubbing salt into the wounds of the dead's families. They had clearly never taken them seriously, unafraid that they might react rashly.

"Alas, some of our brothers were injured, and we were short-handed during the mountain patrol. That led to this accident," Feng Yi'an explained.

He brought up Old Matters again, asking Xu Yueping to plant the Black Moon as soon as possible. The Mountain Patrols needed it to treat their wounds so they could guard the mountains better.

Fury rose in Xu Yueping's heart, but he had no choice but to swallow it.

Feng Yi'an said, "We'll set out immediately. We won't leave the mountains until we've slain the Blood Bear. Brother Xu, please visit the homes of the dead and wounded for us and offer them comfort."

Qin Ming felt that such a hypocritical face was far too ugly.

Xu Yueping casually touched his arm, then rose to see the Mountain Patrols out.

Clearly, he was afraid Qin Ming's youthful temper would drive him to do something extreme.

Qin Ming knew that even if he could kill several Mountain Patrols now, it would bring bloody retaliation. There were still other members, and other groups besides.

If something happened to these men here, the entire Double Tree Village would be dragged down with them.

Naturally, he would not act rashly. He rose with Xu Yueping, Yang Yongqing, and the others and saw them out.

Once the group vanished into the dim wilderness, Yang Yongqing spoke angrily. "I'm choking on this!"

"Can we report this to those above?" Qin Ming asked.

"What fault can you pick out? By the rules, we should provide four to eight Black Moon plants. This time, the Mountain Patrol Group only demanded the minimum of four. You say the seeds are mutated, but how can we prove that right now? They look exactly the same. We only guessed it from last year's poor Fire Field harvest, together with Feng Yi'an and the others' temperaments and usual behavior. This time, they've completely succeeded in cultivating the mutated seeds."

Old Man Liu added, "And there's another crucial reason. Since they dare act like this, how could they possibly not have greased the right palms?"

Xu Yueping said, "A favor left behind by a highly respected Mountain Patrol is enough for their children and grandchildren to squander for ten years."

In the end, Feng Yi'an and the others had come with false concern for only one reason: to keep pressing Xu Yueping to plant the medicine.

They had not threatened him directly. They had been polite and mild. Yet under these circumstances, such words and actions were even worse than open intimidation.

Qin Ming let out a breath of stale air. "They've gone too far!"

Then he asked whether the Black Moon medicine was truly that important.

Xu Yueping nodded solemnly. "After mutating, it becomes incredibly valuable. Long-term consumption gives a person a slight chance at Second New Life."

Old Man Liu said, "As Mountain Patrols, they walk the deep mountains all year round. They may have encountered higher lifeforms—who wouldn't want to go a step further? Even an Old Man like me wants to revive once more. Second New Life can extend one's lifespan and restore some youthful vigor. Who wouldn't crave that?"

He spoke of the reasons and motives behind some Mountain Patrol Group members' corruption, then added, "But people must have a bottom line. How are they worthy of being Mountain Patrols when they act this way? They're more dangerous than Mountain Monsters!"

"Second New Life..." Qin Ming was lost in thought.

Xu Yueping patted his shoulder. "You'll definitely make it. According to local records, among New Life people who laid a Golden Foundation, the fastest achieved Second New Life in less than two months."

The villagers who had entered the mountains that day were all bloodied. Several were gravely wounded, and no one knew whether they would survive. Crying drifted from many homes.

Xu Yueping went door to door, visiting them and helping treat their injuries. He restrained his fury, though his chest heaved violently.

The middle-aged man Wang Qinglin lay on the heated brick bed, still unconscious. Though he was a New Life person, his condition was worse than anyone else's.

After setting his bones again, Old Man Liu wiped the blood from his hands. "The broken bones pierced his internal organs. If our kind didn't possess such vigorous vitality, this would have been a fatal injury."

Qin Ming examined him carefully and felt this, too, had been caused by someone wearing a Blood Bear hide.

Every household was shrouded in sorrow. Some children quietly wiped away tears. The sense of harvest and joy brought home by the adults' hunting over the past two days had vanished without a trace.

Some villagers had also encountered mutated Snow Apes, and the torn wounds on their bodies were horrifying to behold.

"Two years ago, the Mountain Patrol Group seemed to have raised one," Yang Yongqing said quietly.

Xu Yueping's face darkened, while Old Man Liu sighed again and again.

Qin Ming headed home, his chest feeling blocked. He wanted to do something.

The only good news was that Lu Ze had awakened. With his physical condition, he should not suffer any lasting complications.

Qin Ming did not tell him the hidden truth, afraid that becoming too agitated would affect his recovery.

"Brother Lu, how many people are there in a Mountain Patrol group?" Qin Ming asked, wanting to understand the strength of those members.

"Anywhere from eight to twelve," Lu Ze told him. "The group guarding our area currently has nine people. Only the leader has achieved Second New Life, and he's very strong."

Fu Entao was the leader's name. He rarely showed himself.

Lu Ze sighed. "For many people, giving everything they have and reaching the end is only for the chance to gain one New Life. As for Second New Life, they don't even dare dream of it. It's a boundary they cannot cross."

"It seems that leader can completely suppress the other members," Qin Ming said.

Lu Ze nodded. "During First New Life, one's physical abilities improve dramatically. Second New Life then doubles that improvement on top of the original foundation."

"In our area, five hundred jin is already the limit for someone who has undergone First New Life. What about that Leader Fu back then?" Qin Ming was probing for details.

Lu Ze thought carefully. "Fu Entao was still some distance from the ceiling at the time."

He looked at Qin Ming. "You underwent New Life during the Golden Age, and with that foundation of yours that breaks through the limit, your Second New Life is destined to be formidable."

Qin Ming had a clear answer now. In terms of physical ability alone, even after Fu Entao achieved Second New Life, he would still fall short of Qin Ming after just one New Life.

He rose and took leave, telling Lu Ze to recover in peace and not worry about anything else. Qin Ming was here.

Back in his own courtyard, he began practicing methods of close combat. To make a living in the dangerous mountains, he naturally understood many such techniques.

Before New Life, he could chop through green bricks with his bare hands. Now, he was naturally even more formidable.

With a sweeping whip kick, he struck with a bang and snapped a tree stump as thick as a thigh.

When he used the Wild Style he had practiced for years, his mind became highly focused. Ripples like shattered gold appeared between his flesh and blood. With a light bodily impact, the tree stump broke apart.

After dinner, Qin Ming went to Xu Yueping's home.

"Uncle Xu, are you still sulking?"

"They've pushed us too far." Xu Yueping's heart felt terribly stifled.

"Hurry and talk him around. He didn't even eat dinner." Xu Yueping's wife looked worried.

"Auntie, leave it to me." Qin Ming entered and sat down.

After practicing his combat techniques at home, he had calmed down completely. He discussed what to do next with Xu Yueping.

"You're telling me to agree to their demands?" Xu Yueping suddenly raised his head.

He was furious, his face turning cold. "Do you know what the consequences will be? Next year's Fire Field yield will plummet, and there'll be famine!"

"Uncle, hear me out first." Qin Ming spoke quickly, genuinely afraid of angering him too badly.

"Go on!"

"It's still a long time until early spring. What harm is there in agreeing to them for now? If something happens in the meantime—for instance, they all die during the Mountain Sweeping Operation; or heaven itself cannot bear watching them, and Mountain Monsters wipe them out tonight; or the mountain's magnetic field fluctuates violently and all the Mountain Patrol Group members go mad..."

Xu Yueping watched him solemnly curse them and immediately gave him an odd look.

Following Qin Ming's reasoning, if something happened to those people, those above might suspect anyone who had conflicts with the Mountain Patrol Group. If they did not clear themselves in advance, they might end up covered in muck.

Xu Yueping was displeased. "How could any of those 'what ifs' happen? You're overthinking it."

Qin Ming's expression became serious. "Uncle Xu, what I mean is that we agree for the time being and wait for a change."

He explained that the seeds could first be tossed into the Fire Spring, then fished out after the Mountain Patrol Group left. Or afterward, they could coat the seeds with a transparent mineral glue unique to the mountains, isolating them from the Fire Spring.

Qin Ming added, "Every household is short of food now. First, we need to ensure the villagers can hunt safely in the mountains."

Xu Yueping sighed. He felt Qin Ming's words made some sense. If they could not even endure the present, why talk about next year's famine? "But what do we do after dragging things out for this period?" His head still ached. Feng Yi'an and the others were ruthless; afterward, they would surely take terrible revenge.

Qin Ming's gaze was unwavering. "Uncle, after a little while, I might achieve Second New Life too. Then I can have a talk with them."

"They should have people behind them too." Xu Yueping rubbed his temples.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said, "Little Qin, when you underwent First New Life, could you reach the six-hundred-jin threshold with both arms exerting their full strength?"

"Yes."

Xu Yueping sprang to his feet. "That result would stand out even in distant Red Haze City."

A smile gradually spread across his face. "Come with me to Silver Vine Town tomorrow."

Qin Ming felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "Uncle Xu, shouldn't we deal with the crisis before us first?"

"Feng Yi'an told me that if I change my mind, I can find him in town. Besides, if we go to Silver Vine Town, perhaps a fine marriage match will be waiting for you."

"Huh?" Qin Ming was stunned.

Xu Yueping explained that a mysterious Old Noble had moved in from afar and lived in seclusion in town. He had a very beautiful daughter who had reached marriageable age.

Qin Ming immediately shook his head. "Uncle Xu, let's not humiliate ourselves."

In the past, Xu Yueping would never have dared visit their door. But the other party had spread word themselves: when choosing a son-in-law, they cared not for family background, only the person.

Qin Ming's Golden Foundation was astonishingly deep. Even in that distant Bright City, he would count as someone blessed with extraordinary talent. This gave Xu Yueping confidence.

He said softly, "If this marriage can work out, the threat from the Mountain Patrol Group can be resolved."

Qin Ming objected, but Xu Yueping forcibly dragged him into drinking the entire night.

The Next Day, before the night mist had fully dispersed, Xu Yueping came to find Qin Ming and set off.

"Uncle Xu, do we have to leave this early?"

"I know you may still feel resistant now. It's all right. Once we arrive, you don't need to call on them for the moment. I'll first visit the Old Noble's home and test the waters."

Xu Yueping felt it would be best if the matter worked out, but there would be no real loss if it did not. Trying their luck was better than doing nothing at all.

In the shallow night, the sky remained extremely dark. Dense forests lined both sides of the road, black and oppressive, while the cries of wild beasts and Strange Birds occasionally came from afar.

Qin Ming and Xu Yueping trudged through thick snow toward Silver Vine Town, more than ten li away.

After reaching the halfway point, they abruptly stopped. Dazzling red light suddenly burst from the distant mountain forest, piercing the night mist and illuminating the surrounding area.

A great number of Red Butterflies appeared, dancing gracefully and dyeing the night sky red. They filled the heavens as they flew in every direction.

Some readers said flying kites at night seemed a little strange. But think about it—if several thin Sun Stone fragments were set into the kite, wouldn't that create the right feeling?