Qin Ming stood silent and still, but within his heart, fragmented memories began to surface. At first cloaked in dust and swirling black fog, then suddenly, like thunder piercing the clouds, the darkness was torn apart, the smoke swept away, and scenes of bloodshed were laid bare before him.
The night was deep and dark, flames soared into the sky. A young boy, dressed in feathered robes, drifted like an immortal, yet beneath his feet were corpses and blood.
Qin Ming clutched his head, his body trembling slightly. The "feathered robe" had once left an indelible mark on his subconscious. Now, it pierced him with pain, awakening old memories like a gust of wind blowing away the sand that veiled his soul.
He closed his eyes and forcefully calmed his surging emotions. His body relaxed, and he slowly opened his eyes. This wasn't the time or place to show any strangeness. Using "Merging Light with Dust," he dimmed his aura and melted into the crowd.
Qin Ming's eyes regained clarity. His hair lifted gently in the breeze, and he stood straight as if nothing had happened, yet within, countless shattered images were beginning to stir.
He steadied himself, breaking free of emotional entrapment. With a composed mindset, he observed his past as if he were a bystander watching another's tragedy.
Nightfall. Flames engulfed the mountains. The entire forest burned, the blazing inferno seeming as if it might swallow the night sky whole. At the base of the mountain, the village was also consumed by fire. Flames spread everywhere, buildings collapsed, corpses littered the streets, and blood flowed in the alleys.
Amid the searing blaze and crumbling ruins stood a boy with wind-tossed hair and feathered robes fluttering like a celestial being. Light shimmered at the corners of his eyes and brows. He was ethereal and detached from the world.
Light flowed around his body. His white shoes and socks remained unstained, even amid rubble and fire. He looked as if he existed beyond the mundane, untouched by the chaos.
The fourteen-year-old Qin Ming lay on the ground, nose and mouth filled with the acrid scent of smoke and ash. His ears rang with screams, his eyes burned with the sight of fire, and behind him, the roof beams of a house cracked and crashed down.
He saw many familiar faces, all of them dead. The entire village was engulfed in a sea of flames.
That feather-robed youth approached him, stepping lightly over rubble, holding a glowing purple bamboo staff. Though the boy looked extraordinary, with starlight in his eyes, his actions were merciless.
With one swing of the glowing staff, he struck Qin Ming on the head. Blood immediately flowed, and Qin Ming's world spun. In the sky above, even the stars seemed to burn. His clothes were tattered, his body already wounded. The strike forced him into a violent coughing fit, choking on smoke, unable to get up.
Then, the youth's long fingers tightened around the staff, delivering blow after blow to Qin Ming's body. The sound of bones cracking rang out.
"I thought I had only suffered a head injury. I didn't expect that scenes like this would be buried in forgotten memories," Qin Ming whispered to himself. Even as he watched these memories, he remained calm, as though witnessing someone else's past.
Figures moved through the burning village, dealing final blows to the wounded. Only the feather-robed youth remained still, using only the bamboo staff against Qin Ming.
"He could have shattered my skull with a single blow… Yet he didn't. What grudge did he have against me, that he insisted on making me suffer such pain?"
Qin Ming etched the boy's face into memory. Although he was extraordinarily handsome and transcendent, in the firelight, he looked cruel and cold.
"My arm was broken, and I didn't even know… How long was I unconscious at fourteen?" he wondered. "My chest hurts. Probably cracked from his strikes."
He quietly observed the blood-soaked scene in the firelight.
"Was he going to torture me first, then kill me?" Over two years had passed, but even now, recalling it, Qin Ming could feel the powerlessness and searing pain.
The youth seemed disgusted, never once touching him directly, only using the bamboo staff. After striking him twice more on the head, blood sprayed, splashing onto his neck and face.
Two boys. One ethereal and divine, the other battered and bleeding, collapsed in the ashes. What a stark contrast.
At last, as the fourteen-year-old Qin Ming's consciousness faded, he vaguely saw two figures burst from the ruins, strike back the feather-robed youth, grab him, and flee into the night.
Through hazy eyes, he saw a massive city looming brilliantly in the distance.
"Let's avoid Luoyue City." The two whispered. They did not enter but skirted far around it and left quickly.
Through the haze, he heard a sigh, "Three skull fractures. His scalp is a mess. His wounds are too severe. He likely won't make it. His arm and chest…"
And then Qin Ming fully succumbed to darkness.
Now, in the present, he quietly experienced that boundless dark again, unmoving.
"Someone took me away and brought me to this remote place. My head was shattered in three places. No wonder I forgot so much. I only remembered the wandering after I awoke."
He realized he must have been unconscious for over three months. When he awoke, the fractures in his arm and chest had already healed.
If not for seeing someone wearing a feathered robe today, he wouldn't have remembered any of this, only the flash of blood and fire in his mind.
Though there was heaviness in his chest, he didn't feel too much anger. What use were grief, rage, or fury now?
What he needed was an effective solution to one day find and eliminate that feather-robed youth!
"Feathered robes, drifting like a fairy… Clearly not a simple origin. There were many strong individuals present in that sea of fire. This must be tied to a powerful organization," Qin Ming sighed softly. Then, he regained his calm.
He even began reflecting. If he were that feather-robed youth, he wouldn't have tortured an enemy he intended to kill. One clean blow would have ended it and prevented future trouble.
"Luoyue City." Qin Ming's eyes seemed to pierce through the night sky as he silently recited the name. The attacked village couldn't have been far from it.
Old Liu was quite excited and whispered, "So strong! Who is that feather-robed woman? She dares stand against the Moon Worm, face to face, blocking it in the sky!"
Others in the snowy field shared the sentiment. She was also the only female powerhouse to appear, and many were curious about her identity. She stood atop the green bird, hovering in the air, shrouded in mystic light.
An elder said, "They probably won't fight. These experts are here to intimidate. If they go at it, that'd mean all-out war. No turning back."
But just as he finished speaking, the Moon Worm suddenly emitted a blinding light in the towering mountains covered in mist, like thunderous arrows of lightning, shooting directly at the feather-robed woman atop the green bird.
Everyone's expression changed. Was this about to erupt into full-scale war?!
Only the four figures sitting in the snow remained calm and unmoving.
In the night sky, the feather-robed woman raised a delicate hand, channeling the wind and snow, transforming it into dense, crystalline raindrops. Instantly, a curtain of rain formed in the sky, blocking the Moon Worm's light arrows.
With clanging sounds, the arrows were all deflected, revealing their true form—silver-white insects, seemingly forged of fine metal, sharp and lethal, tearing through the sky.
But the rain turned crystalline. Each droplet elongated into glowing threads, slicing through the air. In a series of muffled pops, the dense swarm of insects was either split or pierced through.
Most of the silver worms shattered into nothingness like illusions. Only two light-formed worms survived, crashing into the mountainside with a deafening boom, triggering a violent avalanche, turning the landscape blindingly white.
Everyone was shaken. None dared to speak recklessly.
The Moon Worm hovered silently in the sky above the forest like a bright moon and made no further moves.
The feather-robed woman atop the green bird also stood motionless, her robes fluttering. She remained calm and even retreated slightly.
This was a high-level test. If one side lacked strength, there would've been no reason for any final negotiations.
Qin Ming looked toward the feather-robed woman on the green bird. He didn't believe it was just a coincidence. Just because she wore a feathered robe didn't mean she was connected to that boy.
But he couldn't help wanting to ask someone. He turned to Mu Qing and said, "Is there any particular origin to people who wear feathered robes?"
Mu Qing, wrapped entirely in a black cloak, glanced at him and said, "People from beyond the mortal realm are usually detached from the world. I don't know her specific origin."
Qin Ming nodded and didn't press further.
Ahead, the four seated figures in the snow seemed to relax, the atmosphere lightened, and they even smiled. Though no one could hear what they were saying, it was clear the talks were going well.
Of course, people assumed it was thanks to the earlier test between the Moon Worm and the feather-robed woman that it had helped move the negotiation forward.
Lingxu spoke, "We'll help you drive out those newly migrated creatures. We're not greedy. If those special nodes contain resources, we'll just take a share. That's all. Also, all those creatures that expanded their territories recently must retreat."
The snow-white old weasel sat cross-legged, twirling his prayer beads, and said, "Why should we give you a share? Wouldn't it be better for us to ally with those new high-tier beings and deal with you instead?"
Lingxu, still seated, replied calmly, "No need for posturing between us. Our time is precious. I'll keep this short. Just a few points. We only want potential resources in the special nodes. But those new migrants want more. They're eyeing your old strongholds. They're saying they have no home, just passing through, and staying temporarily. Do you really believe that?"
"Fine. We agree."
"Great."
Both sides stood up. The general direction of the agreement was reached. It was simple and decisive. The rest of the details would be worked out by others.
"That's it?" People were stunned to see the top figures rise. They hadn't expected it to wrap up so quickly.
"Return and prepare to enter the mountains," said the tabby cat with the red sword on its back as it turned to address the crowd.
The people from Chixia City were instantly thrilled. This was real, the negotiation was a success!
Qin Ming noticed a crow flying nearby. It stood out oddly, eventually landing on a large rock in the snow. There, a woman in a fur cloak with fluttering dark hair glanced in his direction.
The crow spoke, "That kid's aura is even weaker than last time. Something's off. He must've trained some technique to conceal his vitality. Even he realizes he's too conspicuous. Didn't I say he's not simple? Have you found someone better? Not going to take another look at him?"
The woman replied, "The one I chose is like the blazing sun, waiting to break through dark clouds, but it's too soon to expose him. Lest heaven grows envious. He's already been sent away. Still," she glanced again toward Qin Ming, "I'll have someone test him later to see if he can be a backup."