"Qin, this... this is way too much!"
"Brother Lu, Sis Liang, I can't finish it all on my own. I'll be heading back into the mountains soon, anyway, so changing up the flavors now and then is good." Qin Ming smiled as he spoke.
If Lu Ze hadn't taken care of him not long ago, he might have starved to death.
"You're the best, Uncle! Otherwise, we'd be hungry in a few more days," Wenrui said happily. He had overheard his parents saying the family's food supplies were nearly gone.
Qin Ming ruffled his hair. "With your uncle here, how could I let you go hungry?"
The mutated squirrel in the cage was hopping mad, squeaking angrily at Qin Ming. The little mountain beast, full of spiritual intelligence, clearly bore a grudge.
"Qin." The village chief, Xu Yueping, had arrived. Wearing a fur-lined coat, he looked like he was in his forties. His face was square, with thick eyebrows and bright, piercing eyes. His body was sturdy and strong.
"Uncle Xu," Qin Ming greeted him.
Xu Yueping laughed heartily. "I knew you'd make something of yourself. This step you've taken is like leaving behind a golden footprint." He was very curious. How strong had Qin Ming become after his rebirth during the golden age?
"You've grown taller, Qin. Has your rebirth ended?" Lu Ze asked.
Qin Ming was just about to respond when, suddenly, a malicious wind swept toward him. Without warning, Xu Yueping's right hand, like a blade, chopped toward Qin Ming's neck.
It was all too sudden. At such close range, it was nearly impossible to defend. But Qin Ming dodged it and precisely countered, grabbing Xu Yueping's wrist with a smack.
"Your reaction speed far surpasses that of other rebirthers," Xu Yueping exclaimed. At such a close distance, even the most alert mountain beasts would've struggled to evade his sudden strike.
Liang Wanqing let out a gasp, only then realizing Xu had been testing Qin Ming's post-rebirth foundation.
Xu Yueping's wrist was tightly held, and he couldn't budge it at all. "Your strength after rebirth..." He looked stunned.
Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing looked on with anticipation. They hoped Qin Ming's physical capabilities had taken a qualitative leap forward. After all, this was a life-changing moment—a chance to defy fate itself.
Qin Ming let go.
Xu Yueping's eyelids twitched violently. As the strongest rebirther in Shuangshu Village, he could already tell the youth before him hadn't even used his full strength. He said seriously, "I estimate your raw strength is close to six hundred pounds."
Liang Wanqing's eyes widened. In this region, five hundred pounds was already the absolute limit for rebirthers. Lu Ze was thrilled. "Even in that brilliant faraway city, he wouldn't fall behind anyone!"
"Uncle is the best!" Wenrui clapped his hands in delight.
"Old Xu, the patrollers are here," said Yang Yongqing, who had just arrived and overheard the conversation, clearly shaken. He realized that Qin Ming had broken through the local ceiling for rebirthers.
Since patrollers were showing up, something serious must be happening. Xu Yueping and Yang Yongqing quickly left. A short while later, someone came calling for Qin Ming, informing him to head to the village chief's house.
He was a little confused. Why were they calling for him?
"All rebirthers need to attend. The patrollers will speak on the situation in the mountains," the person said.
Xu Yueping's house was lively. Including Qin Ming, there were seven rebirthers in the village, all present—even old man Liu, over seventy, hadn't missed the meeting.
A sunstone lit the room brightly. The atmosphere was cordial. The patroller's name was Feng Yian, and he was currently explaining the mountain conditions.
"In recent days, the magnetic field in the mountains has become unstable. It's easy to get lost if you go deep. Stranger still, dangerous beasts' fire springs have almost gone cold, while higher-grade fire springs have appeared in the depths of the night fog." Feng Yian had a bushy beard and an unrefined, bold air. He downed his cup of tea in one gulp.
Now Qin Ming understood why the mountains had been so chaotic lately, with massive creatures being spotted at the forest's edge.
Something had changed in the mountains. Some nests of rare birds and strange beasts were disturbed, causing them to move and forcing other creatures to flee.
"Will things get worse? What if high-level species come bursting out?" someone asked.
"Rest assured, high-ranking figures will enter the mountains to negotiate with those mysterious beings and help restore peace to this region."
Even if negotiations failed, Feng Yian said powerful people would hold back the top-tier mountain creatures.
"As a precaution, patrollers are standing by, and in the villages and towns outside the mountain, all rebirthers must prepare as well."
He explained that the main goal was to trap the powerful beings in a net, though some "small fish" might still slip through.
The mood grew serious. If necessary, rebirthers would have to fight!
Feng Yian smiled, "No need to be too tense. It's not as bad as it sounds. Besides, if a major battle does occur, nobles from the distant city will be dispatched to train here. They're all elites and will help clear the mountains."
The crowd visibly relaxed upon hearing this.
"Brother Feng, thank you for sharing the news with us after patrolling the mountains late at night," Xu Yueping said.
Feng Yian waved him off. "Don't say that. This is my duty. Rest assured, if any beasts or mountain monsters charge out, they'll have to trample over our corpses first. We won't let anyone beyond the mountains get hurt."
Xu Yueping personally brought out a large iron tray with a whole roasted rock sheep, its rich aroma tempting, to treat Feng Yian. He stopped a few people who were about to leave. "Don't go, stay and have a drink with Brother Feng."
The room's atmosphere immediately became more festive.
"I'll tell you, no need to worry. Not only will the governor of this region's main city come in person, but I hear a master from afar has also been invited. Nothing will go wrong. They're mainly guarding against the Moon Worm and the unpredictable Mountain Lord."
After a few drinks, Feng Yian shared even more startling information.
Qin Ming listened intently, intrigued. He wasn't used to the harsh local liquor. Just as he reached for some tea, he noticed something in the cup and hesitated. It contained not only bitter tea but also dried black ants the size of his thumb pad. The tea's composition was... complex.
Xu Yueping laughed, "A man's got to learn to drink, Qin! And these black ants, they're a powerful tonic. Really good stuff!"
Feng Yian glanced over. "This young brother looks new and unfamiliar."
"Just call me Qin, Uncle Feng."
Xu Yueping introduced him. "This is Qin Ming, who has just turned sixteen. He's freshly reborn and the most promising youth in our entire region. I'm hoping he'll study in the distant Chixia City."
"A fine seedling. To undergo rebirth during the golden age. What a remarkable foundation," Feng Yian said with admiration.
The others joined in, praising him, clearly envious. Everyone knew how great the potential was for someone with a golden-age foundation. They clinked cups again and again. The atmosphere at the table grew lively. Feng Yian began recounting strange events deep within the mountains.
"Have you ever seen a mysterious field hidden deep in the mountains, where all the crops glowed golden, visible even through thick fog? Radiant golden light piercing through the pitch-black night sky... Whose grain is that, exactly?"