From the far slope stepped six men. Four wore black armor, exceptionally fine make. Two wore plainer iron, clearly local. One gave a whistle, and three powerful birds came running out of the woods — ruffled feathers, thick-legged, fast.
Golden Ridge Roosters. Qin Ming recognized them — the previous day he'd watched three riders cross the mountains on them.
"Brother, fine work. Standing alone at the valley mouth to cut down Blood Snakes — brave and resolute." One of the armored young men spoke.
Qin Ming didn't answer. The man held a hard bow and hadn't lowered it — and moments ago he'd meant to kill him with an iron arrow.
"My apologies. Acting on impulse, testing your skill. Rude of me."
Qin Ming looked at the bowman. "Do you believe those words yourself?"
"Oh? Your voice sounds young. A Second New Life at such an age — your prospects are boundless." He stared at the cloth-covered face, then stowed his great black bow, taking the boy for a talent. "Brother, truly I was rash. My elder brother was hurt and desperately needs a spiritual creature to restore his body."
Qin Ming was unmoved. In a moment of distress one casually kills another man? The excuse rang hollow — nothing but cold ruthlessness, souls held in contempt.
He bundled the Blood Snakes into his hide pouch. "If it's all a misunderstanding, may I go?" "Brother, no rush. Perhaps we could be friends." The intent to recruit was plain.
Qin Ming studied the band. The elder brother seemed truly in poor shape — his face tinged green-black. That tint looked familiar: when he'd fallen into the earth fissure, he'd been much the same, and fallen gravely ill.
The young man smiled. "Brother, the misunderstanding is cleared, and we do need a spiritual creature. Not that we'd take your Blood Snakes for nothing — I'd ask you to join us."
Qin Ming wanted to slap him. Give up the creatures, then render service as well?
The young man, getting no warm response, let his hand drift to his sword hilt. Seeing this, Qin Ming spoke: "This isn't Redcloud City. No one's watching. I'll ask once — misunderstanding cleared, may I go?"
The young man's face went cold, his words blunt: "Scorning a kindness — ungrateful wretch."
Qin Ming tore off two layers of armor to lighten himself, noting the long blade now had a nick in it.
The others had gone cold. Some drew great swords, others readied longbows.
Only the green-black faced young man stayed still. He eyed the distant woods. "You didn't flee at once. You were waiting for the other Blood Snake, weren't you — wanting it to attack without discrimination, to help you against us? All right, I need these snakes badly. I won't let it slip back into the valley."
A streak of red appeared. The fiery great snake had returned; the bitter cold had kept it from a long hunt.
Qin Ming, seen through, hurled his spears at full force. The nearby men dodged — then realized they weren't aimed at them at all. Thud, thud, thud. Three spears punched into the three roosters, spraying blood.
The Blood Snake reached them, rose erect at the crowd, and attacked without fear. "You handle the boy. I'll deal with the serpent," the green-black face said. Drawing a long sword: "I entered a special node willingly, not hurt by accident. This level I can bear."
At the snake's arrival Qin Ming attacked with near-madness, then turned and fled. The others struck out; the sneak-arrow man began to shoot again. Qin Ming dodged through the woods, the great trees his cover.
The green-black man was truly strong. He held off the Blood Snake, carving bright arcs that left several wounds on the spot.
Qin Ming wove on. Two pursuers had reached Second New Life; one was fast, drawing nearer all the time. Qin Ming had strength enough, but his speed fell short.
They reached a stretch thick with branches. Qin Ming scanned and dashed along the one free path. The others, not about to hack branches, followed close.
"Ahh — "
The lead Second New Lifer screamed and toppled into the snow, face twisted. An iron spear hidden in the snow had run clean through his right foot.
Qin Ming had guarded against the worst: three iron spears buried in this stretch. He hadn't expected them to come into play. The man dodged two and hit the third. Running at full tilt, his foot was ruined.
The talkative young man, cold-blooded, hauled a great sword and chased on, his speed closing the gap. He'd seen the boy was slower — "A New Lifer from some remote backwater, without the secret arts." That was his confidence to press on.
Qin Ming knew he'd be caught. Better to take the initiative. He slowed deliberately to take out the most dangerous first.
"Flee again, why don't you? Ungrateful wretch." The young man came forward, cold-faced.
Qin Ming said nothing. Gripping the hammer, he charged.
The snow burst. Qin Ming put everything in, and the hammer's first blow stunned the young man, his sword hand gone numb. How could this slower, weaker boy have such strength?
The young man was strong — far beyond Fu Entao — and at this reversal launched a quick counter. But shock set in: the boy wasn't the clumsy fighter he'd imagined. He commanded a ferocious killing art, the hammer parting the night in impossible ways, each swing a killing move.
Then it clicked — the boy was using it as a sword technique.
"This one's dangerous. I need my Second New Life fast!" Qin Ming thought. And his hand on the hammer suddenly slipped.
Bang. The young man's head spun, tears and snot streaming. In the clash, the other's hand "slipped" — from this close, the heavy hammer smashed his jaw. The bone shattered.
Gritting through the pain, he pressed on with the great sword — he couldn't retreat, couldn't give the boy a chance to grab the hammer again. But he was plainly addled.
Too late. Qin Ming drew his long blade, knocked aside the great sword, carved off the sword arm, and kicked him over. Then he picked up the hammer and caved in the man's skull.
The green-black young man had killed the Blood Snake without surprise — his strength was simply enormous.
Liu Huaishan and the surviving patrolmen wheeled back for a second pass. He'd judged the snake spent in the frozen waste. Now he saw the youth cut it down.
Silence fell. No one had expected anyone else here, let alone success, with such strength.
The young man dropped the snake and walked forward, sword in hand. His killing intent blazed. "Friend, we mean no harm. The snake is yours!" Liu Huaishan called, backing off. They nocked arrows and retreated faster.
The young man suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He took a long breath and nodded. When the sick feeling passed, he set off after Qin Ming.
Snow drifted but couldn't cover the footprints. He raced on and before long heard screams. Qin Ming had put down the two Golden Ridge New Lifers and the weakest Redcloud man. Taking their weapons, he wheeled back and met again the Second New Lifer whose foot was impaled.
Just as the green-black man appeared, he caught Qin Ming interrogating one of his own. Blood surged — rage boiling.
"Talk — do you have a high-grade qi circulation manual?" Qin Ming crouched, holding up the gravely wounded man. The man couldn't speak — his mouth had taken a hammer blow, and the boy didn't want him talking.
The green-black man surged forward. Then he grunted and pitched over. He'd stepped not on a spear but on his cousin's great sword.
Not long before, Qin Ming had laid the ground with care — it looked like the wreck of a fierce battle, severed branches everywhere, only a few clear patches. Each clear zone hid a spear, a sword, a blade. The arrangement worked to perfect effect.
Bang. One strike ended the earlier man's life. Qin Ming calmly faced the one whose foot the great sword had pierced. The green-black young man was named Wang Nianzhu — a name of some standing in Redcloud City. At his first New Life he could carry five hundred seventy jin; after his Second, his arms held nearly twelve hundred. Laid low here — by the masked boy he'd written off as a bumpkin.
Qin Ming fell back and trained his cousin's bow on him. With his foot pierced, Wang Nianzhu could barely move; before long an arrow took him. Qin Ming stepped in and caved in his skull with the hammer.
"Well — one extra Blood Snake. Thanks for the gift!" He bundled the second great snake into the pouch. Today's yield was extraordinary.