Chapter 56 The Three Perfections

“Why should we hand over night money? What reason do they have to make us hand over night money?”

“People were starving to death a while ago, and things have just started to improve. How can we withstand such exploitation from Jinjiling!”

Everyone was outraged.

Although grain from outside was brought in by giant beasts, it still cost money to buy. With such a poor harvest, where would they find the money to pay tribute to Jinji Ridge?

Most importantly, they were supporting a group of bandits.

In such remote areas, if a family of three uses their money frugally, one night silver coin can almost solve their food and clothing problems for a month.

The two people sent by Jinji Ridge are now sitting smugly on the backs of chickens, casually opening their mouths to collect a month’s living expenses from each household. It’s really too much of a bully.

Furthermore, it is unclear whether this is a one-time event or if it will become a regular practice to hand it over periodically.

“These bandits are truly inhuman!”

Public sentiment was outraged, and people wanted to boycott the event.

The two golden rooster riders had only come to inform the villages, and now they were far from the village entrance, but they could still hear the indignant voices of the people behind them.

“These peasants are reacting way too strongly. We need to tell the higher-ups not to really provoke them into reckless resistance.”

“Yes, the strength of the stronghold has been greatly weakened. These are turbulent times, and we need to be careful about the impact.”

…

“Don’t the people of Crimson Cloud City care?”

The villages outside the mountains were in turmoil; everyone was talking about it.

Some suggested finding the patrol team and having them handle the situation, and that the matter should be reported to Chixia City as soon as possible, as the people of Jinjiling should not be allowed to act recklessly during this special winter.

An old man sighed, “The higher-ups in Crimson Cloud City probably don’t have the energy to deal with these things lately.”

“Why?”

“A traveling merchant brought the latest news from there: two major organizations suspect that Ling Xu, the city lord of Crimson Cloud City, is colluding with the high-level aliens of Black and White Mountain, and that he tricked them in the mountains last time.”

According to the traveling merchant, the atmosphere in Crimson Cloud City is currently delicate.

There is no direct evidence regarding this matter. The two major organizations only suspect that Ling Xu is extremely ruthless and that he used this opportunity to manipulate them.

This matter will most likely end without any resolution, but the higher-ups in Crimson Cloud City are currently preoccupied with other matters.

Qin Ming gazed at the pitch-black night sky, listened to people’s discussions, his body radiating a blinding light, and his emotions surged violently.

Every human being has seven emotions and six desires, and it is impossible to always remain at peace.

A moment later, the heavenly light surrounding Qin Ming faded away.

He went into the cellar and selected two blood snakes, each six or seven feet long, that had mutated once.

Then, he picked up the long-handled black gold hammer and pounded the two spiritual creatures into a paste on the iron plate, then personally cooked it into a jar of meat soup.

Before leaving, he needed to make some arrangements.

Soon after, Qin Ming arrived at the small courtyard next door.

“Brother Lu, are you feeling better? I hunted a spiritual mountain beast in the mountains, which might be able to help you start anew.”

Qin Ming didn’t want to keep it all a secret, so he told Lu Ze that after eating the meat soup, not only would his injuries heal quickly, but he might also be reborn soon.

“Xiao Qin!” Lu Ze was a straightforward person and didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded heavily.

Liang Wanqing’s eyes reddened. She knew what it meant for her body to be reborn in such an environment. She would no longer have to live in fear every time Lu Ze went into the mountains.

Qin Ming said, “Sister-in-law, you can eat some too. There’s plenty of meat broth. Even if your body can’t regenerate, it can still improve your physique.”

“It smells so good, Uncle, I want to eat it too.” Wen Rui hadn’t fallen asleep yet. He smelled the unique aroma of the blood snake and, like a little glutton, his mouth was practically watering.

“You’re still too young to eat these, or you’ll get sick early. Here, your uncle has brought you the freshest wild fruit, a variety that Old Huang cultivated.”

Wenrui’s big eyes lit up, but he was also a little puzzled. He said, “Uncle, last time you said that the fruit was grown by Uncle Niu with great effort.”

“Hmm, more or less.” Qin Ming smiled. These were naturally fruits from the Bison Territory.

“Uncle, I want one too…” Two-year-old Wenhui woke up groggily.

Then, Qin Ming heard the squirrel squeak and bow to him in the cage, this time eyeing the meat soup made from blood snake.

…

The next day, Qin Ming polished the mutton-fat jade iron knife. It was too conspicuous. If he didn’t draw it, he would cut down any opponent who saw it.

After disguising and concealing the blade, he put it back in its sheath.

Qin Ming took a long stick and used it as a spear. He also found the bow and arrows he used before. He can now be said to be a master of both spear and arrow!

Soon, he displayed astonishing marksmanship in the courtyard, the wooden stick in his hand swirling in the air like a dragon, seemingly about to soar into the sky.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the long staff split into dozens of afterimages, piercing different areas, instantly striking dozens of falling snowflakes.

However, as Qin Ming increased the force of shaking the gun barrel, the sturdy long wooden stick could not withstand his enormous strength and broke into more than a dozen pieces.

He picked up the bow and arrow, tried it once, and then stopped. If he exerted even a little force, either the bowstring would break or the bow itself would snap.

“In that case, my reputation as a master of both spear and arrow is undeserved, as I don’t even have a suitable weapon.” Qin Ming decided to go into the mountains to find some suitable weapons.

The Great Rift Valley was silent; the people who had guarded Jinji Ridge had long since left.

Qin Ming entered the lifeless underground cavern and wandered around the spiderweb-like passages for a long time. He saw some broken armor, broken weapons, and a lot of bloodstains, as well as some broken horns and bones of strange creatures.

In the end, Qin Ming discovered an altar deep in the underground cave, which was filled with eerie energy. He kicked it and shattered it, sending out a large cloud of black mist.

However, when his body radiated light, the dark mist quickly dissipated and evaporated completely.

“What have they been doing here?” Qin Ming felt that the two bandits were colluding with the otherworldly person who could transform into mist, and that they hadn’t done anything good here.

He searched for a long time and found some intact weapons. As for armor, he managed to piece together a few sets, and those that survived undamaged were naturally of the highest quality.

He picked up a large spear and a long sword, found a sturdy bow that could barely withstand his immense strength, and collected a pile of iron arrows, filling six quiver.

“Tonight, I will be the Immortal of the Sword, the Saint of the Spear, and the God of the Arrow—the master of the three arts!” Qin Ming muttered to himself.

He donned a gleaming suit of armor, carried a bow and arrows, wielded a heavy yet exceptionally sharp spear, and slung a long sword engraved with a phoenix pattern over his back, before emerging from the underground cavern.

“Hmm?” Qin Ming was somewhat surprised to find Old Man Liu’s trail outside the Great Rift Valley.

He didn’t hide and walked straight over.

When Old Liu saw him, his expression was extremely serious. He said, “I heard you went into the mountains and guessed you would come here. Could it be that you are planning to make a move against Golden Rooster Ridge?”

Since the last time he went into the mountains with Qin Ming to wipe out the ant nest, Old Man Liu witnessed his strength, which far exceeded that of his peers. Suddenly, he had an epiphany and understood many things.

Furthermore, he witnessed Qin Ming rapidly mastering the Heavenly Light Force at Old Wu’s house, which shocked him and made him realize that Qin Ming could probably deal with four newcomers, and he really wanted to do so.

Qin Ming discovered that the old man was quite shrewd and had probably guessed quite a few things.

“If you really want to go to Jinji Ridge, I know I can’t stop you, but don’t rush to do it. Wait another day or two.”

“Why?”

Old Liu said solemnly, “The reason why Golden Rooster Ridge appears is because the infamous gold thieves used it as a stopover when they traveled between the two regions to do business. Although it is hardly used now, it would be very unlucky if you happened to run into it.”

Qin Ming gasped, taking a deep breath of the swirling snowflakes, and said, “Is your fate really that special? Originally, nothing was wrong, but after you said that, something might actually happen.”

He naturally didn’t believe any of that; he was just joking. He only believed in his own abilities.

Old Liu said, “Let me find someone to find out first. You don’t need to rush for a day or two.”

“What connections do you have to find out the whereabouts of the gold thieves?” Qin Ming asked in surprise.

“How could I possibly have such connections and abilities? But I can judge based on past situations and current details. It is said that as long as gold thieves are about to appear, the two big bandits of Golden Rooster Ridge will order people to prepare all kinds of rare ingredients, buy fine wine, and invite beautiful dancers one or two days in advance.”

Qin Ming nodded immediately, finding it a reliable approach, and decided to wait for Old Man Liu’s message.

He then hid the armor and weapons in the mountains, and returned to the village with a prey and Old Man Liu.

At this moment, the village was filled with anger, because the people from Jinji Ridge had arrived again.

“Who are we doing this for? Isn’t it all to protect you all? That’s why we’re recruiting new recruits so quickly.”

Jinjiling already knew that the villages were strongly opposed to the conflict, and the people who came were there to ease the tension and provide some necessary explanations.

“A few days ago, for the sake of the villagers outside the mountain, we at Jinji Ridge fought a bloody battle with the aliens in the Great Rift Valley, killing a large number of mutated creatures that wanted to occupy the outer areas of the mountain, while we were almost completely wiped out.”

Upon hearing this, some villagers glared at them with hostility. Everyone knew that Jinji Ridge was a place where people went into the mountains for mysterious products, and that they themselves were weak and unlucky, and were almost all wiped out. Now they were saying it was to protect them?

“The two leaders are understanding of your situation and have decided to collect the Night Silver next month, giving you time to prepare.”

Undoubtedly, Jinjiling’s explanation was weak and unconvincing, which aroused even greater resentment among the villagers. In the end, it was still about exploiting each household, and the protection tax could not be reduced. Many people wanted to fight them to the death.

“These peasants are overreacting!” In the end, the people from Jinjiling hurriedly left.

That day, Old Liu brought news that there was no unusual activity at Golden Rooster Ridge. He had reliable information that only two bandits and their confidants were in the stronghold.

“In addition, two traveling merchants appeared in Silver Vine Town with the latest news: Crimson Cloud City is going to change its city lord. Although Ling Xu is fine, he will be transferred to another city.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming nodded, now was the perfect time to make a move.

He muttered to himself, “If a major organization suspects that the Lord of Crimson Cloud City is colluding with the aliens to set up a trap, it’s also possible that they suspect local organizations are tipping them off and cooperating. If they can’t touch Lingxu, surely they wouldn’t dare to destroy Golden Rooster Ridge?”

Then, he muttered to himself, “Two bandits colluded with a hermit, and as a result, the man who could turn into mist died mysteriously. Wouldn’t his fellow disciples and elders suspect Golden Rooster Ridge?”

By this time, the night had ended. Qin Ming went straight into the mountains, changed into his armor, took his weapons, and headed towards Jinji Ridge, fifty miles away!

The night was dark, and the journey was not short; most people wouldn’t dare to travel alone after nightfall.

In fact, Qin Ming also encountered an accident and was attacked on the way. A strange beast with flowing purple light suddenly leaped out of the forest and stomped towards him.

Its head resembles a horse, but it is not a horse at all. Its mouthful of white, sharp teeth gleams with a cold light, clearly indicating that it is a carnivorous beast. It has the body of a tiger or leopard, but its limbs are very long and have heavy, horse-like hooves.

Its fur, like silk, shimmered with a hazy purple light, making it incredibly majestic. It leaped into the air, its massive hooves hurtling towards Qin Ming’s head.

“Purple Lightning Beast?” Qin Ming was surprised to encounter such an anomaly. He had recently asked Old Liu about the strange creatures in the mountains and knew about this kind of creature.

The Purple Lightning Beast is a recently emerged anomaly that has mutated three times. It runs like lightning, faster than creatures that have mutated four or five times.

It seemed startled and fled from the mountains. Upon seeing Qin Ming blocking its way, it immediately stomped on him. If he didn’t dodge, he was in for a “mind-blowing” surprise.

Qin Ming slightly turned his body to avoid the huge purple hoof, then quickly approached and touched its purple body.

The Purple Lightning Beast was shocked. What kind of monster was this? How come its fingers barely touched its fur, yet it stuck to it like a dog skin plaster?

The sticky properties of Qin Mingtian’s Light Force came into play. Once he made even the slightest contact, there was no way to escape. First, his fingertips, then his entire palm, firmly gripped the Purple Lightning Beast’s fur, and finally he mounted it directly.

“Stop messing around and give me a ride!” Qin Ming said.

The purple lightning beast, enraged and an extremely difficult creature to tame, began to shake its head and tail and kick, trying to throw him off.

Qin Ming didn’t waste any words with it. With a whoosh, he drew his gleaming longsword and held it to its neck. If it didn’t work, he would just kill it. Its glowing purple mane fluttered, and many of its hairs were cut off.

The Purple Lightning Beast tensed up, no longer daring to cause trouble. It glanced into the depths of the mountains before starting to run wildly.

Under the heavy cover of night, Qin Ming rode on the back of a divine steed shrouded in purple light and mist, rapidly approaching Golden Rooster Ridge!