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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 88: [The Future Role of the Awakeners]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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"You can't go!" Meng Xinghai immediately objected.
In his eyes, Qin Ming was still a budding talent, needing time to mature.
Any mishap now would be a devastating loss.
"Meng Shu, I really need to return to Black and White Mountain," Qin Ming said earnestly. "I have a feeling that the Golden Thieves might have taken note of Golden Rooster Ridge's destruction. If something happens there, I won't be able to live with myself."
Qin Ming's solo raid on Golden Rooster Ridge to eliminate the Great Bandit had been well-intentioned.
But if it inadvertently brought disaster upon the local Mountain People, he would be consumed by guilt.
Meng Xinghai stroked the Bronze Cauldron in the living room.
"I'll consider sending reinforcements there. At your age, even direct descendants of the major clans would still be under protection during their training expeditions."
Their opinions clashed.
Qin Ming had already survived numerous bloody battles and recently captured one of the Golden Thieves.
He refused to remain a bystander.
"The Golden Thieves (Or Golden Bandits) have higher-level operatives. Even though their movements have been tracked, we can't afford to take chances. I've finally found a promising talent like you, and I don't want anything to happen to you," Meng Xinghai said gravely.
He added fresh Mind-Soothing Incense to the Purple Bronze Incense Burner and said, "To be honest, although I still wield a sword and cultivate Heavenly Light, I'm no longer on this path. I see certain qualities in you that remind me of my younger self, so I want to see if someone with your extraordinary talent as a Youthful Prodigy can go further on the path of Awakening."
Qin Ming was astonished. Old Meng was even stronger than he had imagined, having walked multiple paths.
He asked, "Does this path really become so difficult later on?"
Meng Xinghai nodded. "Yes. I originally wanted to follow this path, but now wielding a sword and cultivating Heavenly Light is merely inertia driven by obsession, a way to conceal my true power."
"It's not just me—Old Cui Seventh is the same. His journey to the Beyond the Mortal Realm wasn't to enhance his Heavenly Light or purify his Spirit Field through Awakening; it was to reveal his true hand and strengthen his cultivation on another path."
Qin Ming frowned. If even Meng Xinghai and Cui Hao had abandoned this path, no longer walking it, the future seemed uncertain, almost illusory.
Meng Xinghai sighed. "Among our generation, those who shone brightly on this path in their early years have either faded into obscurity or were merely using the Awakening Path as a facade, secretly focusing on another path all along. Looking closely, there isn't a single true pillar of this path left."
Qin Ming asked, "If I persist on this path, setting aside the Esoteric Sect, how would I compare to my peers from Beyond the Mortal Realm in the end?"
"The disciples from Beyond the Mortal Realm always start with Golden-Armored Guards at their side. When those guards can no longer keep pace, they're quickly replaced with Jade-Armored Guards—all selected from our path. Do you understand what this positioning implies?" Meng Xinghai calmly explained.
Qin Ming nodded, pondering for a long time.
After embarking on the Awakening Path, his progress had been astonishingly rapid, especially his ability to quickly grasp the true essence of various secret texts.
He had initially believed himself to be exceptionally remarkable.
Now, glimpsing the road ahead, he realized there were few fellow travelers. He would face the mountainous pressure of other brilliant cultivation systems, leaving no room for complacency or self-satisfaction.
"I've endured arduous cultivation, not to join the Esoteric Sect or become someone else's follower in the Beyond the Mortal Realm!" Qin Ming thought to himself.
He then asked, "Uncle Meng, has the exceptionally rare Spiritual Substance you prepared for me arrived? If I consume it, I'll definitely be able to handle Black and White Mountain."
Meng Xinghai sat down and took a sip of tea. "Don't rush, it will be delivered along with the extraordinary cultivation technique."
Qin Ming smiled. "Why not just give me the Spiritual Substance for six awakenings? I'll handle the fifth awakening myself."
"Calm yourself," Meng Xinghai replied. "I'll give you some Mind-Soothing Incense. No matter which path you choose, you must never rush. Maintain inner peace, even if Spirit Mountain collapses before your eyes, you must remain composed."
The next day, Meng Xinghai himself grew anxious, unable to maintain his composure.
A Golden Thieves bloodbath had erupted in neighboring Maple Leaf City.
The Golden Thieves were a sizable organization, not confined to a single city or region. Their presence extended across several nearby cities.
This time, Meng Xinghai had rallied numerous allies, including the City Lord of Maple Leaf City, to launch a coordinated strike and eradicate the Golden Thieves root and branch.
However, news leaked from Maple Leaf City, forcing them to act prematurely. They managed to eliminate some notorious Golden Thieves, but the survivors retaliated fiercely.
"They lack the courage and strength to besiege a city," Meng Xinghai explained. "Instead, they burned down two towns, unleashed wild beasts, and slaughtered countless people."
Qin Ming arrived at the City Lord's Mansion and overheard the conversation, gaining a partial understanding of the situation.
The reinforcements Meng Xinghai had dispatched and the experts he had summoned had yet to arrive.
Qin Ming learned that former City Lord Ling Xu would also join the defense, and the Li Hua Cat, who carried the Crimson Haze Sword, had been persuaded to assist once more—though it would take time.
"Some Golden Thieves have escaped and may pass through our territory," Meng Xinghai warned. "We don't know if they'll launch a full-scale attack. Maple Leaf City is utterly unreliable—the Golden Thieves have already infiltrated their mid-level ranks!"
Qin Ming urgently requested permission to go to Black and White Mountain.
This time, Meng Xinghai agreed.
He had received intelligence that the Golden Thieves' High-Ranking Figures wouldn't take the Black and White Mountain route, having already appeared elsewhere.
With time running out, Meng Xinghai wasted no time.
At the City Lord's Mansion, he swiftly ordered the city's major clans to mobilize their experts and deploy them to strategic locations.
"Be careful!" Meng Xinghai cautioned, summoning a man-carrying raptor for Qin Ming.
It was a Crimson Eagle, its entire body blood-red, with a wingspan of six meters.
Having undergone two mutations, it could transport people over long distances but wasn't yet a true flying mount.
Normally, experts wouldn't easily ride such creatures. They preferred Strange Birds of comparable strength, considering them true flying mounts.
Otherwise, being ambushed mid-air could lead to a grim fate.
Qin Ming came prepared, emulating Ge Qianxun of the Righteous Faith Hall by donning black robes with bat-like wings.
He also instructed the Crimson Eagle to fly at a low altitude.
The straight-line distance between Chi Xia City and Black and White Mountain was less than three hundred li.
The reason ground travel took several days was the constant detours required to avoid territories claimed by powerful creatures.
Night Mist shrouded the land, casting heavy shadows across the mountains. Fire Springs glowed like scattered fireflies across the landscape.
Standing on the Crimson Eagle's back, Qin Ming gazed down at the world below.
In certain regions, one must fly through the Night Mist at high altitudes; otherwise, the High-Tier Mutant Creature dwelling in the deep mountains would perceive it as an intrusion.
Even when riding a man-carrying raptor, it was necessary to avoid dangerous territories such as the abyss-like deserts and the central region of Black and White Mountain.
Before long, Qin Ming arrived.
This was precisely why many experts yearned for a flying mount of comparable strength to their own.
The Night Mist World was vast and boundless, with countless hazardous areas requiring detours.
Without a Strange Bird capable of traversing the night sky, travel was exceedingly inconvenient.
Qin Ming instructed the Crimson Eagle to land on a high slope outside Twin Tree Village.
He didn't enter the village, instead quietly observing from the shadowy darkness.
His life could no longer maintain its former tranquility.
He feared that becoming too deeply involved here would draw the attention of future adversaries to this place.
"Brother Lu, Wen Rui, Old Liu..." Qin Ming sighed softly in the gentle breeze, gazing at the village from afar.
In the end, he only alerted the mutated and cunning Talking Sparrow, luring it over.
"My Mountain God, Mountain Lord Qin! What brings you back so suddenly?" This Talking Sparrow was significantly larger than its kin, and it had once infuriated Cao Long to the point of wanting to roast it alive.
"Stop your flattery," Qin Ming snapped. "Do you think you can casually use the title 'Mountain Lord'? If the True Master with his boundless spiritual power hears you, he might send me away again!"
"This is my way of showing you respect," the sparrow replied, shamelessly buttering him up. "In my heart, you already stand shoulder to shoulder with him!"
True to its word, even after its wife was prematurely released from her cage and regained her freedom, the sparrow didn't leave.
Instead, it built its nest right in Lu Ze's yard.
"Don't tell anyone I'm back," Qin Ming instructed. "Gather your little brothers and help me with something."
"Yes, sir!" The Talking Sparrow (Yuque) perked up, switching to formal speech.
This was partly because Master Wu, the Purple-Eyed Raven, had once instructed it to keep a close eye on Qin Ming in the mountains and warn him of any danger.
Having neglected this duty, the sparrow was now eager to make amends.
Qin Ming lowered his voice. "Send one of your brothers to each nearby town. Have them keep a close watch. If they hear any news about the Golden Thieves, report it to me immediately. If a Blood Chaos erupts, don't delay even for a single breath."
"Okay!" The Talking Sparrow vanished in an instant.
Within half a day, Qin Ming received news of the Golden Thieves.
Chi Xia City was alerting all regions via raptors, and the message had spread throughout Black and White Mountain.
Two major figures among the Golden Thieves were planning a breakout.
A group of loyal subordinates were creating diversions across the land—murdering, arson, and inciting chaos—to draw attention and tie up skilled fighters, hoping to create an opportunity for their leaders to escape.
"The situation is dire in several villages and towns near Maple Leaf City," the Talking Sparrow reported urgently. "Many have died, and even some areas within Chi Xia City's territory have seen bloodshed."
Panic had gripped Green Pine Town, Yinteng (Silvervine) Town, and Emei Town, as residents feared the Golden Thieves might target these remote regions.
"If you get any new information, come to Golden Rooster Ridge and tell me!" Qin Ming commanded, mounting the Crimson Eagle and soaring across the night sky toward the old territory fifty miles away.
He had a premonition: if any of the Golden Thieves still held affection for Golden Rooster Ridge, they would likely return to this place.
During his previous encounter, Qin Ming had learned that the five-times mutated Old Golden Chicken was a skilled mutant creature, personally trained by a Golden Bandit.
In the past, several Golden Thieves had resided on Golden Rooster Ridge for an extended period.
The Black and White Mountain region, with its high elevation, still retained patches of snow on its peaks, even as early spring had arrived in lower-lying areas.
Under the cloak of night, Qin Ming revisited this familiar place, standing atop Golden Rooster Ridge and gazing out at the surrounding mountains.
"Go hide in the back mountains," he instructed the Crimson Eagle.
Although only a two-times mutated creature, the Crimson Eagle possessed remarkable intelligence.
It immediately retreated from the high ground, where dilapidated wooden huts dotted the landscape.
Chi Xia City blazed like daylight, but the Black and White Mountain region lacked bright Fire Springs, leaving it much darker.
Qin Ming, however, felt no discomfort; having lived here for two years, he felt a sense of familiarity and belonging.
As night deepened, the Talking Sparrow arrived with urgent news: the Golden Thieves, in their frenzy to protect their leader, had begun appearing in the Black and White Mountain region.
"Fortunately, a Chi Xia City expert stationed in the town eighty miles away successfully killed one of the Golden Thieves."
Qin Ming nodded upon hearing this—it was good news.
Golden Rooster Ridge had a Fire Spring, which Qin Ming avoided by settling into a dilapidated wooden hut some distance away.
The next day, Shallow Night arrived, but the Great Mountain remained shrouded in darkness, save for the Earthfire Glow radiating from the heart of Golden Rooster Ridge.
A slender, elderly man climbed the mountain, his boots crunching through the snow as he reached the summit.
Though his hair was entirely white, his face bore few wrinkles, and his demeanor was far from fierce, resembling that of an aged scholar.
"I once recuperated here for five years," he murmured. "To return and find this place in ruins... Who could have done such a thing?"
As expected, a Golden Bandit had come to mourn and was planning to strike in the surrounding area.
"The Golden Thieves once held great renown, their name striking fear across this vast land for decades. Now, after our recent misfortunes, do they think we've grown weak and vulnerable? I will cleanse this land with blood to help our leader escape his predicament," the old man declared calmly.
Having paid his respects to Golden Rooster Ridge, he turned to leave.
"A group of vicious and wicked people, yet you speak of them as if they were extraordinary and tragic heroes," Qin Ming said, approaching from the distance. "In truth, they are infamous!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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