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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 22: [The Harvest]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Qin Ming reached a higher slope, close to where he had buried his weapons and armor.
He hid behind a massive tree that would take several people to encircle.
As expected, the group of eleven men indeed charged toward the Blood Bamboo Forest.
They moved with agility and speed, arriving at the valley's edge in the blink of an eye.
Taking advantage of the fading Earthlight, Qin Ming could clearly see their faces. They were all young and strong, clad in gleaming armor and wielding longswords that glinted with cold light.
Their coordination was impeccable. They moved in perfect unison during their rapid advance, and even their stances as they drew their swords in preparation for battle were remarkably similar.
"Mountain Patrolmen!" Qin Ming realized their identity.
Their standard-issue armor was identical to that worn by Feng Yi'an, Shao Chengfeng, and the others, except they all carried swords instead of the Mountain Patrol Group's usual iron spears.
This was likely a deliberate choice.
Swords were better suited for dealing with snakes, at least more effective than the standard-issue iron spears.
The Earthlight had faded completely.
The group at the valley's edge removed their packs, revealing various bottles and jars.
They began mixing something.
Qin Ming thought, "They're clearly experienced veterans. They might actually wipe out this nest of Blood Snakes."
Not long after, another figure emerged from the dense forest, sprinting towards the valley entrance.
Everyone turned to watch him.
The Awakener, panting heavily, reported, "Fu Entao, Feng Yi'an, and their group aren't at their base. What's even stranger is that several wooden cabins on the mountain have vanished."
The group exchanged surprised glances.
"Weren't these guys about to attack the Blood Bamboo Forest? Where did they run off to now? Could they have been wiped out by mountain monsters?"
"Lately, nobles from Chi Xia City and famous organizations have been arriving. Some have already entered the mountains. Could Fu Entao's group have stumbled into something they couldn't handle?"
The leader of the Mountain Patrol Group, Liu Huaishan, commanded great respect.
When he spoke, the others fell silent. "Let's not worry about that for now. I was already concerned about our mission to infiltrate Fu Entao's territory and hunt Blood Serpents, fearing they might discover us and fight to the death. This removes one potential threat, which is for the better."
"Even heaven is on our side!" a Mountain Patrolman exclaimed.
Liu Huaishan, a powerfully built man resembling a brown bear, spoke sternly, "I'll repeat this one last time: if anything goes wrong, retreat immediately. Flee for your lives without hesitation."
The others had come for their own Second Awakening, but Liu Huaishan had come for his eldest son's.
Otherwise, no one would risk their life for it.
The group silently entered the valley and stopped.
As planned, Liu Huaishan, the strongest among them, stepped forward alone.
He was a Second Awakener, a man of great responsibility. Carrying various bottles and jars, he walked alone.
From a distance, he ignited some of the substances inside the jars, releasing thick yellow smoke that he tossed into the Fire Spring.
Other bottles and jars contained medicinal powders and liquids, which he hurled with precision into the dim "red glow."
The instant he finished, he retreated swiftly, creating a safe distance.
Seeing this, the other members of the Mountain Patrol Group remained tense, also retreating almost to the valley entrance.
The Fire Spring erupted in billowing smoke and a loud commotion.
First, a dozen small snakes, each several feet long, shot out, slithering rapidly nearby as if scouting the area.
Then, two massive snakes, each over four meters long, leaped out. Their entire bodies glowed crimson.
When the two snakes brushed against each other, they clanged like clashing swords.
Their scales shimmered like molten gold, radiating a brilliant sheen.
The two Blood Snakes charged towards the valley entrance at incredible speed, briefly lifting off the ground like crimson spears piercing the air.
Their terrifying hissing filled the air, fueled by their rage.
The Mountain Patrolmen cursed inwardly.
How could they be facing two giant serpents?
This was completely beyond their expectations.
Liu Huaishan shouted, "Run! Snake venom and irritating smoke won't work on these Blood Serpents!"
In truth, he didn't need to remind them.
These seasoned Mountain Patrolmen, who spent their lives in the mountains, knew when to retreat.
They immediately turned and fled.
As a Second Awakener, Liu Huaishan was the fastest.
Despite starting from the rear, his powerful legs quickly propelled him past several others.
One of the giant serpents pursued them only a short distance. Its massive body paused briefly on a large slab of blue-green stone just outside the valley entrance before leaping into the air with astonishing force, transforming into a terrifying streak of crimson light that shot towards them.
The display was truly terrifying, accompanied by a sound like thunder and wind.
"Crack!"
The last Mountain Patrolman, struck by what felt like a four-meter-long crimson spear, saw both layers of his armor shatter.
The serpent's head, as hard as refined gold, pierced through the armor, sending fragments flying.
The Mountain Patrolman was a seasoned veteran, thoroughly prepared. He had even placed a thick iron plate against his back, which, at a critical moment, blocked the Blood Serpent's attack. Otherwise, he would have been pierced through the body.
However, this didn't change his fate.
The iron plate buckled slightly under the impact, and the force was so great that he lost his footing and tumbled into the snow.
The four-meter-long Blood Serpent struck with lightning speed, instantly coiling around his body.
If it were any other snake, even one longer or thicker, it wouldn't have been able to restrain an Awakener.
But the Mountain Patrolman was screaming in agony.
The Blood Serpent tightened its coils with brutal force, its crimson-gold scales clashing like metal.
The Mountain Patrolman's armor shattered instantly, followed by multiple fractures throughout his body. His face was bitten, and the flesh there dissolved instantly.
The Mountain Patrolman was dead in an instant.
In this brief encounter, the Blood Serpent's terrifying nature was fully revealed: its iron-hard body, incredible strength, the ability to leap through the air like a metal arrow, and its potent, incurable venom — all lethal.
Another giant serpent had already leaped out of the valley and plunged into the dense forest.
The second Mountain Patrolman was overtaken, and a shrill scream pierced the air.
Not far from the valley entrance, the first serpent abandoned its corpse and entered the forest to continue its hunt!
When the fourth Mountain Patrolman was ensnared by the Blood Serpent, Liu Huaishan, the Mountain Patrol Group leader, suddenly appeared.
Gripping a sharp longsword with both hands, he slashed fiercely at the serpent's body.
This was a Second Awakening warrior's full-power strike. The sword flashed like a streak of pure white light, cleaving through the serpent's crimson-gold scales.
A deep wound opened, and crimson blood gushed out.
This was terrifying.
Any other Second Awakening creature or human would have been cleaved in two by such a ferocious blow.
Liu Huaishan continued his attack, swinging his sword repeatedly, but unfortunately, he failed to strike the same spot twice.
The Blood Serpent evaded each blow, leaving only new wounds on its body.
In pain, the Blood Serpent immediately released the mortally wounded Mountain Patrolman and launched a furious counterattack against Liu Huaishan.
At the same time, its hissing attracted the attention of the other giant serpent nearby, whose crimson form hurtled toward them at lightning speed.
Liu Huaishan sighed inwardly, abandoning the injured Blood Serpent and plunging headfirst into the dense forest.
He had already missed his best chance to kill one of the serpents, forcing him to make a decisive retreat.
The two Blood Serpents pursued him relentlessly. However, the injured serpent's speed gradually slowed as its wounds made it increasingly vulnerable to the frigid, snowy environment.
It finally stopped, hissed a few times, and then turned back, slithering along its original path toward the valley.
Qin Ming, clad in four layers of armor and with his face now concealed by a black cloth, stood on the slope beside the valley entrance, his eyes the only visible feature.
He waited patiently.
Several iron spears and a long saber were planted in the snow before him, while the long-handled Black Gold Hammer was strapped to his back.
After a moment, he heard movement and saw the four-meter-long Blood Serpent returning, already wounded.
Three patches of its scales were missing from its body.
Though its crimson scales still glowed faintly, the serpent was clearly weakened, its speed noticeably slower than before.
As it neared the valley, Qin Ming yanked an iron spear from the snow, took a deep breath, and hurled it with all his might at the Blood Serpent.
Then he quickly pulled up a second iron spear from the snow...
The Blood Serpent was thoroughly enraged.
Several iron spears flew toward it with terrifying speed, two of which shattered its scales once more, leaving wounds on its serpentine body even more severe than the earlier sword cuts.
It lunged up a twenty-meter-tall tree, then leaped down with incredible speed, resembling a dazzling crimson streak that instantly pierced the night.
It plunged downward in a dive, aiming to pierce its target's flesh and blood.
Qin Ming had initially intended to draw his sword, but he suddenly changed his mind.
Instead, he gripped the long handle of his Black Gold Hammer and swung it forward with all his might, meeting the serpent's head head-on.
The Blood Serpent shot forward like a rainbow piercing the sun, but instead of striking flesh, it collided with the heavy Black Gold Hammer.
A deafening clang echoed through the air as sparks flew.
The four-meter-long Blood Serpent instantly crashed to the ground, its taut body coiling and thrashing violently in the snow.
If it had been a smaller serpent, Qin Ming wouldn't have used the Black Gold Hammer.
Its slippery surface made it unsuitable for smashing.
But with the large serpent charging at him with such extraordinary force, Qin Ming seized the opportunity.
The Blood Serpent suffered a devastating blow.
Its head caved in, its bones fractured, but it hadn't died instantly.
Qin Ming immediately drew the long sword embedded in the snow. Stomping through the accumulated snow, he charged forward and unleashed a series of powerful, consecutive slashes.
With a clang, crimson scales fell away, and the snake's head was severed!
"This is the 'nourishment' that will allow me to quickly undergo Second Awakening," Qin Ming thought, still somewhat excited about having slain a spiritual creature.
"Hiss!"
Several smaller Blood Serpents, ranging from three to seven feet in length, near the valley entrance began slithering toward him.
Some even leaped forward, shooting through the air like iron arrows.
Qin Ming swung his sharp longsword repeatedly.
With his full strength, he cut each one down with a single stroke, adding six more snake corpses to the ground.
He pulled out a leather pouch and began collecting his spoils.
Suddenly, Qin Ming felt a surge of danger.
He swiftly sidestepped, narrowly dodging an iron arrow that shot past him with terrifying speed, embedding itself deep into the ground where he had just been standing.
Two more arrows grazed his armor, sending sparks flying as they slammed into a nearby tree, piercing deep into its trunk.
Qin Ming stood with his sword drawn, glaring at the group of people nearby.
"Humans are truly different," he said. "We're both guarding this place, but while I'm here to hunt snakes, you're here to hunt people."
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END OF CHAPTER
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