Night Without End-Chapter 22 - 14 First Kill

"Sharp enough!" Qin Ming rose from beside the sharpening stone, his chopper in hand, free of rust and smooth as a mirror, like a pool of autumn water.

"Feng Yi'an, Shao Chengfeng, people like them dying is no great loss, but it would be too regretful if any good people got caught up in the accidents with them." He wanted to get to the bottom of this.

In the evening, Old Man Liu was drinking with Xu Yueping, each with only one cup, both of them sipping just a bit each time, savoring the taste of the liquor—that was all they had left, the jar of spicy old liquor at Xu Yueping's home was nearly empty.

"A roe deer in exchange for a human life, they truly lack any humanity!" Old Man Liu cursed as he drank, feeling frustrated in his heart, but these words couldn't be shared with the Qian Family people.

Xu Yueping's biggest worry was that people like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng would actually achieve a Second Rebirth, which would be even worse.

"Isn't there a single good person in the Patrol Team?" Qin Ming arrived.

Old Man Liu sighed, "If more than half of the pears in a basket are bad and you don't do anything about it, it's difficult to save the rest. The Patrol Team could have up to twelve members, but currently, there are only nine. Those who don't fit in are either driven out or have accidents in the mountains."

"Isn't there anyone who can keep them in check, or deal with them?" Qin Ming asked casually.

Xu Yueping managed to pour a small amount of liquor from the vigorously shaken jar before sitting him down to drink together.

After thinking for a while, Old Man Liu said, "Other Mountain Patrol groups have conflicts with them, either out of disdain or because of competition for the Spiritual Objects in the mountains, leading to bloody incidents between them."

"There's Qingsang Village nearby; they haven't been forced to plant Black Moon. It seems that sick boy's relative is quite capable," said Xu Yueping.

Speaking of this, he turned to Qin Ming and said, "Xiao Qin, you have a solid Golden Foundation. You should have a plan now. When early spring arrives, go out and take a look around. Don't stay trapped here."

He understood the nature of people like Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng and was concerned that Qin Ming might fall victim to those Mountain Patrol members who were like wolves.

Qin Ming pondered, "A plan? I really want to know where I came from when I fled the famine years ago."

"Ah, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. I always thought of you as one of our own," said Xu Yueping, not knowing how to comfort him and thus changing the subject.

He spoke of the splendor of Chixia City—immensely prosperous, full of outstanding talent and spiritual sites, maybe even a chance to acquire Advanced Meditation Techniques and Will Power skills.

"I also support you going out too, Xiao Qin. Youngsters should be spirited and have dreams. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, with weak legs, you can't go anywhere; only the regrets are left, and you will sigh at the twilight of life," Old Man Liu added.

Xu Yueping laughed, "Uncle Liu, I heard that you had high aspirations back in the day."

Old Man Liu, reminded of certain past events, wasn't embarrassed, "Who hasn't been young?"

"What were your aspirations back then?" Qin Ming was very interested.

Old Man Liu reminisced, "It was normal to be young and reckless, and dare to dream. For example, I wanted to rise up and subdue a famous beast in the mountains, and I wanted to marry the most beautiful girl nearby."

"And the result?"

"I once cooperated with the Patrol Team on an operation and by accident encountered that famous beast. It just stormed past, almost wiped us all out just by passing through there. That left me injured and with my Primordial Qi damaged; I never got to touch the threshold of the Second Rebirth, let go of my dreams, and that girl was married off to one of my rivals."

Qin Ming raised his glass in honor of him—a single word 'tragic' was an understatement.

Old Man Liu laughed and said, "Later, when I couldn't swallow my anger, I married my rival's elder sister, making him call me 'brother-in-law' for life."

"You still got it!"

The three of them each had only half a cup of liquor, but it lasted them the whole evening.

After Qin Ming returned home, he wiped the Iron Core Bow etched with monstrous patterns, a pity it was no longer a Hard Bow for him; using too much force would break it.

"Barely usable."

He then filled the beast skin Arrow Tube with Iron Arrows and took out spare clothes to put in his pack.

"Tomorrow is mid-month." He gazed at the deep night sky.

That night, he went to bed early, adjusting his spirit to its optimal state.

He woke up in the second half of the night; he had had enough sleep. Although it was still far from Shallow Night, he quietly pushed open the courtyard gate.

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In the dead of night, everything was quiet, the darkness of the night deep and chilling. Ordinary people could hardly see anything.

After his rebirth, Qin Ming's physical abilities were wholly enhanced, including his vision. In such extreme conditions, he was still able to see hazy objects, which didn't hinder his journey.

He did not pass by Fire Spring but chose the most secluded path to circumvent it.

Snowflakes had been floating around for consecutive days, with a tendency to grow heavier.

His black hair over his shoulders fluttered in the night wind; his tall body wasn't frail, strong and forceful, his steps unwavering towards the great mountains.

The faces of those injured villagers appeared one by one in front of him, and the scene of Feng Yi'an handing over a roe deer at Uncle Qian's funeral lingered in his mind. He could no longer endure, today he was going to confront the people of the Patrol Team!

Xu Yueping entered the mountain calmly and steadily, his heart already set on his goal, without any trace of tension or unease, as if he was stepping on the path home.

The howling of various creatures in the dense forest rose and fell in waves, and even darker shadows flitted through the sky. The dark forest, like an abyss, was filled with many malevolent eyes—some blood-red, some yellow-green like ghostly flames, some cold and silver-white—all staring intently at him. One could even hear the breathing of mutant beasts and the whooshing of raptors, all very close by, making the mountain extremely dangerous at night.

Suddenly, Xu Yueping accelerated, his physical condition surpassing the Golden Foundation. He instantly charged at a larger mutant beast, his chopper cutting sharply through the air. With a thunk, a huge head was chopped off, blood gushing as the headless, six-hundred-pound body thudded to the ground.

Instantly, the nearby area quieted down, and those green and red eyes in the darkness vanished.

Xu Yueping continued on his way, with a clear and resolute goal, heading toward the stronghold with the Fire Spring.

Moments later, the beheaded mountain beast was torn apart and devoured by a group of carnivorous creatures, their squabbles and protective growls sounding from afar.

Xu Yueping neared his destination, standing on an adjacent peak to observe the stronghold with the Fire Spring.

There was still some time before Shallow Night, yet there were already people active there. A curly-haired man nearly two meters tall fed bloody chunks of meat to a ferocious Golden Mastiff.

"Fu Entao!" Xu Yueping recognized who it was. He had heard of his distinctive appearance, born with natural curly hair; this strongest leader was already at the stronghold.

He then saw four people, including Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng, walking out of a cabin one after another.

"They arrived early," Xu Yueping frowned, guessing that they probably arrived yesterday.

He descended the mountain at a steady pace and stood on the only path leading to the stronghold. With four more people yet to arrive, he decided to take them out first.

The snow turned his black hair white, as he stood still and motionless. Shallow Night had arrived, the mountain mist gradually dissipating, and the sky not so dark anymore.

For the newcomers, the visibility became broader. Xu Yueping saw a man appear, wearing a fur cloak and walking from the direction outside the mountain.

The man was familiar; he was the one who had followed Feng Yi'an when he humiliated Xu Yueping in Yinteng Town.

Xu Yueping, who stood behind a large tree like an ice sculpture, moved. His hair exploded like thunder, instantly reaching the man, colliding with him with a dull sound.

Many bones in the man's body were broken on the spot, his eyes bulging, unable to scream due to the intense pain, for his neck was the first to be attacked, gripped by a slender yet powerful hand.

With a crack, the neck of the Mountain Patrol member was twisted and broken, and because Xu Yueping used too much force, he almost tore it off after crushing the neck bone.

The man's head drooped powerlessly to one side, as if connected only by a layer of skin, his face even in death wearing an expression of horror and despair.

Xu Yueping carried the man deep into the forest, smelling the alcohol and overpowering scent of powder on him, no wonder the man had dull reactions, drunk and hungover from a night of debauchery, his death not unjust.

After searching him, Xu Yueping tossed the body away and took a deep breath. His emotional fluctuations were somewhat pronounced; after all, this was his first time killing someone.

Although he had been mentally prepared in advance, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

But he quickly adjusted himself, being accustomed to hunting in the mountains and fighting dangerous creatures, he had already seen plenty of blood and had a very strong psychological endurance.

"For the sake of planting the Black Moon at the Fire Spring, you kept on killing villagers, presenting a greater hazard than the fierce beasts and raptors in the mountains. Today, I'll kill you all; eliminating this menace is what I've longed for!"

Xu Yueping calmed down and regarded this group of the Patrol Team as evil beasts or monsters in his heart, regaining his composure and determination.

After a long wait, the second person braved the wind and snow, his tall figure in the Shallow Night seeming particularly imposing, wearing armor similar to Shao Chengfeng's.

Xu Yueping, covered in snowflakes, slowly drew his chopper, ready to test its edge.

When the man approached, a sharp gleam of knife light burst through the darkness. Xu Yueping exploded off the snow, swift as lightning, traversing the ten-meter distance in an instant.

This Mountain Patrol member reacted much more quickly than the previous one, feeling a lethal threat appear to his side, his hairs standing on end, he moved swiftly to the side and then dropped to the ground, trying to avoid the crisis.

As a newcomer whose physical attributes had been fully elevated, his quickness and adaptability were satisfactory; against any other opponent at the same level, he might have dodged the attack.

However, Xu Yueping was faster, his momentum like thunder, and with anticipation, his sharp chopper cut through, thunk, and the man's head flew off, decapitated by a single stroke!

Blood surged out in an instant, staining the snow red, and the headless body kept its forward momentum and crashed into a snowbank.

Xu Yueping sheathed his knife, this time remaining calm, with no turmoil in his heart.

The heavy snow seemed not to fall but to pelt down, getting thicker, the cold wind hitting his face with a substantial force. Xu Yueping looked up at the sky and said, "Beautiful snow!"

The stronger the wind and snow, the better to erase any traces he left behind.

He stood in the wind and snow like a statue holding a knife, immobile, waiting in turn for the third and fourth person to come. Without any surprise, these two Mountain Patrol members were both cleaved to death by him in the dimly lit mountain forest with the fury of thunder.

He was no longer uncomfortable; he could smile gently at Little Wenrui, and he could also carry a knife into the mountains to slay a group of Mountain Patrol members more dangerous than tigers.

Xu Yueping walked firmly and unhurriedly toward the Patrol Team stronghold, alone and steady.

Xu Yueping's first kill, calling for monthly votes.