Subscribe to the MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel.
***********************************
Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 86: [Honor and Disgrace Carried Away by the Wind]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
***********************************
Without a word, Qin Ming produced ten Day Gold coins and swiftly tucked the ancient tome into his robe.
The Mountain Monster, covered in black fur from head to toe, was surprisingly discerning.
He wasn't easily fooled, keeping an eye on Qin Ming even as he watched the Purple Lightning Beast.
"Sir, you're buying this book without even glancing at it?"
Qin Ming stroked his thick beard, which covered his chubby face.
"I collect old books purely for show," he replied. "They're just decorative pieces for my bookshelf. I don't read much, so this is my way of compensating for what I lack. They add a touch of sophistication to my study, making it seem more cultured."
The Mountain Monster chuckled. "You're being too modest, sir. Anyone who loves books is a true scholar."
Qin Ming laughed along, but inwardly he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Lingering in this place meant being constantly watched by mutant creature's eyes, and he knew he could be exposed at any moment.
He wanted to leave immediately, but then he saw it: a distant stall piled high with books!
As a true book lover, Qin Ming couldn't tear his gaze away. His feet rooted to the spot, his heart tormented by an inner struggle.
"I'll risk it!" Qin Ming thought. "I've come this far, and now I've stumbled upon a stack of ancient secret manuals. If I don't at least take a look, I'll regret it for years."
Besides, what difference did a few more minutes make?
This place was just full of Mutant Creatures anyway. If anything went wrong, he could bathe in their blood and fight his way out.
Qin Ming felt a knot of tension in his chest, and some of the mutant creatures also sensed the pressure.
Could someone personally escorted by a Noble Lady from the Blessed Land be anything less than extraordinary?
Especially since the Purple Lightning Beast was sticking so close to him, its expression utterly solemn. It was clear at a glance that this human man was someone of immense importance.
Many mutant creatures noticed that even the Purple Lightning Beast's two attendants were perched on the human man's shoulders, grinning like fools.
It was as if simply being near this man had set them on a path to heaven, making them forget their own master.
They were laughing so hard they looked like they'd lost their minds!
In truth, the two birds were suffering inwardly.
Who the hell wanted to laugh?
They were being forced!
Stuck to his shoulders, they couldn't escape.
If they refused to cooperate, they'd be flattened into meat pies!
Before entering, they'd been ordered to wash the bloodstains off their wings.
Now, with their wings folded, the stains were completely hidden.
Qin Ming gazed at the ancient books scattered across the floor, each one radiating the weight of centuries.
He picked them up one by one, running his fingers over their worn covers before flipping through a few pages at random.
He frowned.
Why wasn't he sensing any spiritual resonance?
It quickly dawned on him: this was a massive forgery!
Qin Ming looked up at the simple-minded, grinning mutant creature, inwardly sighing.
"Is the competition in the Great Mountain this fierce? This bear-like Mountain Monster is clearly up to no good, trying to scam humans."
"These were all left by my father. I don't really know what they are or how they work. I can't read this writing," the mutant creature grinned, its blood-reeking maw reeking of decay, immediately shifting the blame.
Qin Ming had no time for idle chatter.
Time was of the essence; he could be plunged into a bloody battle with Mutant Creatures at any moment.
He needed to scour this place quickly.
His sole focus was on finding ancient artifacts, hoping to obtain rare and precious inheritances.
Qin Ming felt no guilt.
The relationship between humans and mutant creatures was complex—sometimes peaceful coexistence, but often mutual exploitation and slaughter.
In the Great Mountain, whenever the opportunity arose, they hunted each other.
The presence of these books here undoubtedly concealed bloody tales.
Finally, Qin Ming made another discovery: a Secret Manual on leg techniques.
This brought him considerable joy, marking his first acquisition of this type of inheritance.
The Purple Lightning Beast stood by as a mere backdrop throughout the entire process.
The fat creature was clearly riding on its coattails, using its presence to brazenly fleece the area.
How infuriating!
"Gah gah..." Speaking Sparrow and Myna cackled even more gleefully as Qin Ming made another acquisition.
They felt their master's expression was too stern, lacking proper control.
Terrified of death, they were desperately trying to cover up any flaws in the Purple Lightning Beast's disguise, hoping to delay exposure.
They feared the fat man might kill the beast to silence it, leading to a desperate, mutually destructive outcome.
Initially, Qin Ming was so nervous his palms nearly sweated through his gloves.
More and more Mountain Monsters were casting fiery glances his way.
But as time passed, he realized the truth: these mutant creatures had completely misunderstood the situation!
He noticed the Mountain Monsters were giving him very peculiar looks.
"This esteemed gentleman is my master's dearest friend!" Speaking Sparrow declared firmly, still grinning foolishly.
Some mutant creatures sneered, convinced the thieving bird had switched allegiances to follow the human man.
Qin Ming quickened his pace, relishing the feeling of fleecing these creatures.
Each successful acquisition brought him a surge of satisfaction.
"Boss, I saw a book on your stall from way back there. Where did it go?" Qin Ming asked, stopping before a particularly unique stall.
This wasn't an ordinary roadside stall, but a large, silver-glowing tent made of animal hide. It was clear this Mountain Monster was quite wealthy, and the goods he offered were extraordinary.
He was a Third-Generation Beast with a distinguished lineage, who had ventured out from the deep mountains to relax.
Occasionally, he would trade unique items with humans based on his whims.
"Did you deliberately hide when you saw us approaching?" Qin Ming asked bluntly.
After all, if there were any problems, the Purple Lightning Beast would bear the full weight of the consequences.
The humanoid mutant creature had long, silver hair cascading down his back. Two jade horns, one long and one short, protruded from his head along a central axis, resembling a rhinoceros horn.
The Purple Lightning Beast glanced sideways, somewhat displeased.
"Did he start hiding things the moment he saw me coming? Is he guarding against a thief?"
It recognized this White Rhinoceros as the grandson of the Spirit-Communicating Jade Rhinoceros from the deepest part of the Great Mountain.
"Does he harbor prejudice against me?"
Bai Xi, seeing that look, immediately broke into a cold sweat. Though he came from one of the region's most prestigious clans, descended from a legendary old rhinoceros who commanded awe, he couldn't compare to someone from the Blessed Land.
"Here it is," Bai Xi said with a smile, retrieving the gold-bound book from inside the silver tent. "I noticed it was dusty earlier, so I took it to wipe it clean."
Qin Ming accepted the book with a hint of restraint, projecting an air of authority that made the surrounding Mountain Monsters wary.
After all, this man dared to act so haughtily even before Bai Xi.
Qin Ming had fully immersed himself in his role. As the close friend of the formidable Purple Lightning Beast, he needed to maintain a certain "presence."
He focused his mind and flipped through the first two pages, immediately recognizing the book's extraordinary nature.
No wonder the White Rhinoceros had hastily hidden it away—such a volume was certainly not something he'd give away for free.
"How many Day Gold?" Qin Ming asked calmly.
"Day Gold is too vulgar for this occasion," Bai Xi replied magnanimously. "I, Bai Xi, am honored to make a friend like you and offer it as a gift!"
He knew he couldn't fetch a high price from this man anyway, so forging a good relationship was the better option.
"I am Zheng Maorong," Qin Ming said. "I will be sure to visit you in the deep mountains when I have the time, Brother Bai."
The Purple Lightning Beast finally realized that its disapproving glare had inadvertently assisted this fat fool!
Deep down, Qin Ming felt the pressure mounting.
Having reached this point, turning back was no longer an option.
He had no choice but to brace himself and try to squeeze out one last advantage.
He approached another tented stall, but unfortunately, there was no Secret Manual here either.
"Do you have any spiritual substances?" Qin Ming asked casually.
A woman with a willow-like figure lay on a recliner inside the tent. Dressed in a black dress, her delicate, snow-white face stiffened slightly at his words.
"Is he trying to fleece me too?" she thought. "I thought I'd be safe without the Secret Manual."
Qin Ming then noticed that her lower body wasn't legs, but a black serpentine tail.
"Do you have any spiritual substances that can grant six or seven awakenings?" Qin Ming asked, assuming she was also a Third-Generation Beast from the depths of the Great Mountain.
Wu Yiyi wanted to lash him with her tail.
"What an outrageous demand!" she thought. "And you're not even planning to buy it—you're trying to extort me!"
She shook her head calmly. "No, I only had one Fifth Grade spiritual substance, which a friend reserved last month and picked up this morning."
Qin Ming sighed in disappointment.
"Fifth Grade is too low-tier," he said dismissively.
Although he hadn't gotten what he wanted, he couldn't lower his standards.
After all, he was now a friend of the Purple Lightning Beast.
"Then there's nothing I can do," Wu Yiyi replied with a smile. "I only have Second Grade spiritual substances left."
Qin Ming remained unfazed. "Let me see the second-grade one. I just remembered I need to enlighten some birds and sparrows soon, so it might come in handy."
Wu Yiyi's face stiffened.
"This is too shameless!"
"What happened to your earlier dignity? Even the Purple Lightning Beast is embarrassed to be seen with you!"
Qin Ming felt satisfied having acquired a jar of spiritual substance at cost price.
"Even a mosquito is still meat."
What did dignity or reputation matter?
Let all honor and shame be swept away by the wind. If there were storms ahead, let them fall on Zheng Maorong and the Purple Lightning Beast.
He knew he had thoroughly offended the Purple Lightning Beast today.
"Let it burn its last bit of energy, then I'll make my escape!"
"Something's wrong!" Qin Ming's instincts flared.
He noticed some Mountain Monsters were still sharp-witted, like the Snake Woman Wu Yiyi, whose eyes held a strange glint.
"Boss, give me a stack of waterproof oil paper before I go." Qin Ming wasn't trying to fleece the shop; this paper would actually be useful to him.
The Mountain Monster stared blankly.
The Purple Lightning Beast thought, "He's gone mad with poverty, even trying to steal this junk now!"
"Let's go. This place is boring, there is nothing rare here!" Qin Ming suppressed his inner cravings.
He couldn't linger any longer.
He decisively turned and strode out, dragging the Purple Lightning Beast and two sparrows with him, escaping the Black Market shrouded in Night Mist.
"My lord, is it over so soon?" Speaking Sparrow asked.
"Haven't you heard the ancient saying? 'Contentment avoids disgrace, restraint prevents danger, and these lead to lasting prosperity,'" Qin Ming replied, flipping onto the Purple Lightning Beast's back.
"Hurry up and give me a ride!"
The Purple Lightning Beast was about to explode with frustration—it was a mount again!
"Faster!" Qin Ming urged, sensing impending danger.
Sure enough, barely a mile after Qin Ming had ridden the Purple Lightning Beast into a frenzied gallop, a sudden, inexplicably dense fog descended upon the mountain forest, plunging the area into oppressive darkness and bone-chilling cold.
Qin Ming inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh, early spring air tinged with the delicate fragrance of budding plants.
"What kind of monster have I encountered? This feels strangely like the work of an Outsider."
Perched anxiously on a towering tree branch, a white owl fidgeted nervously. Its kind preferred to sleep during the Shallow Night and hunt in the deep darkness. It had only slipped away for a nap while its master soaked in the hot springs, and now this had happened!
If the guardian, the Four-Tusked Old Elephant, returned from his drinking spree deep in the mountains and learned of this incident, he would undoubtedly shift all blame onto the owl.
The owl's eyes shimmered as it opened its beak, spewing forth a dense black mist that surged toward Qin Ming through the forest, intent on swiftly subduing the audacious human.
Qin Ming felt as if mountains were closing in from all sides, suffocating him. He knew he had encountered an Outsider from Beyond the Mortal Realm.
The two birds had already rolled their eyes back and fainted.
Qin Ming didn't bother them further.
He untied their bindings, tossed them to the ground, and set them free.
He glanced down.
The Purple Lightning Beast remained unaffected, the black mist swirling madly around his physical form.
With a sharp smack, Qin Ming slapped the beast's back.
"Stop now, or I'll kill it!" Qin Ming threatened, drawing his blade with fierce resolve.
The hidden Outsider seemed unfazed by the threat, continuing to manipulate the black mist into a colossal mountain range that pressed down on Qin Ming's flesh and bones.
Qin Ming's bones creaked and groaned under the immense pressure.
He erupted with Heavenly Light, its brilliant radiance tearing through the night sky.
He had intended to wield the Jade Iron Sword, but now realized that the fused Heavenly Light Force was already dispersing the black mist.
With a roar, he unleashed a palm strike with all his might.
The strike reverberated through the land like a thunderclap!
Qin Ming's palm strike sent the black mist surging like a raging tide, its violent undulations shattering nearby trees.
Seeing its effectiveness, Qin Ming unleashed a series of palm strikes, detonating one black mountain after another in his vicinity.
Previously, when he had encountered the young man who could transform into mist, his Heavenly Light Force had proven utterly ineffective, forcing him to rely on a surprise attack with the Jade Iron Sword to escape.
Now, after integrating multiple techniques, his fully unleashed Heavenly Light Force could actually counter certain techniques of Outsiders!
As the black mist dissipated, a white owl perched on an ancient tree across from him.
Startled, the owl exclaimed, "Whose Heavenly Light Force is this? It's overwhelmingly powerful!"
"Let me leave!" Qin Ming pressed his sword against the Purple Lightning Beast's neck.
"Alright, just don't harm it!" The white owl agreed readily, unwilling to risk a confrontation after failing to subdue Qin Ming immediately.
Moments later, Qin Ming arrived at the Red Mist Cave, a mere two miles away. It was here, days earlier, that he, Xu Sheng, and Sister Fenfang had come to fish for Spiritual Eels, only to be swarmed by a sky-darkening horde of Fire Bats.
Standing at the cave's edge, Qin Ming patted the Purple Lightning Beast and said, "As the saying goes, 'Even a thousand mile journey must end with a farewell.' Go back now."
The Purple Lightning Beast gnashed its teeth, its eyes nearly spitting fire with rage.
Qin Ming eyed it suspiciously. "You look strangely familiar. That snarling, glaring expression—it's exactly like the last Purple Lightning Beast I encountered. Could you be the same creature? Did you follow me all the way from Black White Mountain?"
"Get lost!" the Purple Lightning Beast roared, finally snapping and speaking in human tongue.
"You can speak human language!" Qin Ming exclaimed in shock.
He slapped the beast out of the Red Mist Cave, then swiftly detonated the area, summoning a swarm of Fire Bats that blotted out the sky.
He turned and fled, sprinting toward the icy pond.
On the way, he wrapped several ancient books in waterproof oiled paper before plunging into the frigid water.
Qin Ming resurfaced in a lake twenty miles away.
By then, he had already torn off his fake beard, shed his bulky robes, and shed his plump physique, slimming down to his true form.
Beneath his outer layers, he wore loose-fitting inner garments. He used Heavenly Light Force to dry them instantly, the wide sleeves billowing gracefully as he transformed back into a handsome young man.
Instead of hurrying back, Qin Ming hunted in the mountains until it was nearly time to return.
Seeing others emerging from the forest, he joined them on their journey home.
"Hey, you fat, bearded guy! Get over here!"
"And you, hairless fatty! Stop right there! Did you shave your beard off just now?"
At the main road leading to Chi Xia City, overweight travelers faced a barrage of verbal insults.
A flock of birds and terrifying Mountain Monsters alike called them "fatties," stopping them for questioning.
Qin Ming's robes fluttered in the spring breeze, his long, dark hair dancing behind him.
His clear, untainted eyes shone with a purity untouched by worldly concerns.
With elegant grace, he entered the city.
______________________________
END OF CHAPTER
Subscribe to MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel
*********************************