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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 54: [Secrets and True Name]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Qin Ming entered the dense forest beside the road, used his Jade Iron Sword to dig a deep pit, and buried the palm-sized scrap of cloth.
"Afraid it'll cause trouble?" Old Liu asked.
Qin Ming nodded, tossing the wild rabbit he'd hunted into the pit as well.
The young man formed from black mist had been chillingly cold, giving Qin Ming an ominous feeling.
He felt it prudent to handle the only item the man carried with utmost caution.
After a steaming breakfast in Yinteng (Silver Vine) Town and half an hour of wandering the streets, the two finally headed toward the agreed-upon residence.
The Wu Clan's estate wasn't small, but it showed clear signs of decay. The red paint on the main gate had peeled, and the bronze rings lacked luster.
"Old Wu, open the door!" Old Liu rapped on the gate ring.
"Coming," an elderly man appeared and ushered them inside.
The courtyard was vast but had lost its former grandeur.
Some of the bluestone paving slabs were cracked, a large flower garden had been converted into a vegetable patch, and withered gourd vines climbed over the artificial mountain.
The Wu Clan's ancestors had once been wealthy, but now the family had fallen into decline.
The estate still boasted four courtyards, but the buildings were dilapidated, showing their age and neglect, giving the place an air of desolation.
If not for their dire circumstances, they likely wouldn't have agreed to show their ancestral secret manual to outsiders.
Old Wu had only undergone one awakening and had long shed the airs of a noble family, now resembling any ordinary old man.
The Wu Clan had no servants.
A young boy brought them coarse tea.
"Old Wu, let's not beat around the bush. You know why we're here. Name your price," Old Liu said bluntly, eager to avoid wasting time.
"To be honest, my feelings are complicated. The Wu Clan was once so glorious. Four generations ago, we even had a master of Fivefold Awakening who looked down upon this entire region, not to mention our ancestors. Now, I suppose this is considered... selling off the family inheritance? Sigh, the more I think about it, the more guilty I feel," Lao Wu sighed.
He glanced around the spacious living room, once adorned with carved beams and painted rafters.
Now, the table corners were chipped, and the gold and silver threads inlaid in the massive pillars had vanished.
Old Liu took a sip of tea and said, "Old Wu, you need to let go of the past. Which clan hasn't had its glory days? Take my Liu Clan, for example—trace our lineage back far enough, and we were royalty! But have I, a descendant of dragons, ever complained?"
"That's ancient history," Old Wu retorted. "Besides, are you even the same 'Liu'? Sigh, I haven't been able to sleep soundly these past few nights."
"Elder Wu, we only want to borrow the manual and guarantee it won't be shared with outsiders," Qin Ming said directly, placing five Day Gold coins on the worn table.
This was already a generous offer, considering that in this remote region, a single Day Gold could provide a family of three with food and warmth for an entire year.
"Not enough," Old Wu said, shaking his head.
Old Liu retorted, "Don't be greedy, Old Wu. We're only borrowing it for a day and promise not to share it. Do you think this is some celestial scripture?"
Lao Wu sighed. "When I was young, I spent two Day Gold in a single night at the Bright Moon Pavilion in Chi Xia City."
Old Liu chuckled. "Bringing up the old days again? Be careful your wife doesn't hear you!"
Qin Ming finally understood why the Wu Clan had fallen so quickly. Old Wu had clearly lived a lavish life in his youth, spending money freely.
Without a word, he placed two more Day Gold on the table.
Old Liu sighed. "Old Wu, Xiao Qin and I have been risking our lives lately, killing Mutant Creatures and scavenging broken weapons from the Great Rift Valley. This is all we have left after selling them. Don't squeeze us too hard."
Old Wu remained silent, calmly sipping his tea.
It wasn't until Qin Ming had added fifteen Day Gold that Old Wu finally sighed.
"Undutiful descendants, burdened by poverty, are forced to show this secret manual to outsiders."
He retrieved a weathered beast-hide book from his robes and placed it on the table.
With a look of melancholy and exhaustion, he shuffled out of the room.
Qin Ming held the beast-hide book, his expression utterly focused, his mind completely immersed within its pages.
This was a critical and sensitive stage for him, and he was determined to enhance his strength as quickly as possible.
Old Wu hadn't been exaggerating.
This ancestral secret manual was the culmination of generations of Wu Clan ancestors' efforts, imbued with a powerful emotional resonance.
Qin Ming studied it earnestly.
The section on the Awakening Techniques couldn't compare to the Silk Book, but it still offered valuable insights.
After a long while, he handed the beast-hide book to Old Liu, then closed his eyes to digest what he had learned.
Old Liu accepted it without hesitation, meticulously reading each page, comparing and verifying the contents against what he had learned from the Old Mountain Patrolman.
Suddenly, he sensed something and looked up.
His composure instantly shattered.
Qin Ming sat there with his eyes closed, wisps of Heavenly Light shimmering from his fingertips, their sharpness palpable.
Old Liu, who prided himself on his quick learning and exceptional talent, nearly lost his composure.
What was this?
Qin Ming had only just started, yet he had already mastered the Heavenly Light Technique described in the book!
"Old Liu, You can take your time reading," Qin Ming said, rising to his feet. "I've already paid for it. I'm going home to practice."
Old Liu was completely stunned.
People truly couldn't be compared.
He had almost become an apprentice in Chi Xia City, but now his talent seemed utterly inadequate.
"Young man, are you leaving already?" Old Wu asked in surprise, not expecting Qin Ming to emerge so quickly and bid him farewell.
Qin Ming nodded. "Yes, the book's content is too abstruse, and its approach doesn't suit me."
Old Wu's gloomy expression brightened considerably.
He smiled, walked over, and patted Qin Ming on the shoulder.
"That's perfectly normal. The secret texts passed down by my ancestors are incredibly profound. Even after studying them for half my life, I still haven't fully grasped their meaning, let alone someone who's only glanced at them for such a short time."
"Indeed, it's a remarkable book!" Qin Ming agreed, nodding as he stepped out of the Wu Clan's gate.
"Clatter!"
A noise from the living room startled Old Wu.
He hurried inside to find Old Liu in a flustered state, having accidentally knocked a teacup off the table.
As Qin Ming returned to his own courtyard, he noticed Yang Yongqing, who lived at the village entrance, gently stroking his towering Black Mountain Goat while murmuring, "Yonghei, in just four more days, we'll be heading to Golden Rooster Ridge..."
Back in his small courtyard, Qin Ming began practicing the newly acquired Heavenly Light Technique.
The Mang Force, as described in the beast hide book, allowed one to effortlessly pierce armor with bare hands, rendering any defense utterly useless. It was an exceptionally penetrating form of the Heavenly Light.
Without a doubt, the Mang Force shared significant similarities to the Nail Force.
It was estimated that practicing both simultaneously could complement each other, allowing for efficient fusion.
The ancestors of the Wu Clan, renowned in this region as masters of both spear and arrow, had honed their skills in archery and spear combat through the Mang Force.
***
[T/N: A single Heavenly Light Technique can have multiple characteristics forces such as Qin Ming's Heavenly Light Technique from Silk Bood has adhesion, tearing, and penetration forces! And its same for every Heavenly Light Technique (Like the Wu Clan's Mang Force)! The more profound a Heavenly Light Technique is the more powerful forces it contains...]
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When their Heavenly Light could be projected externally, their arrows and spear thrusts became terrifyingly powerful.
Furthermore, the records and experiential insights within the beast hide book broadened Qin Ming's knowledge.
For instance, it detailed the medicinal properties of the Three-Colored Flower.
According to the book, the Three-Colored Flowers from Ling (Spirit) Mountain were of superior quality.
Their gentle medicinal properties could nourish and strengthen the Heavenly Light within the body, enhancing the Heavenly Light Technique's power.
Ultimately, everything stemmed from the Heavenly Light itself. In its natural state within the human body, Heavenly Light is peaceful and warm, nourishing the self.
However, when projected externally through various force projection Techniques, its violent aspect is unleashed.
The beast hide book warned that fusing different Heavenly Light Forces required extreme caution. Incompatibility could trigger a catastrophic eruption of Heavenly Light within the body, leading to dire consequences.
Mang Force was also a fusion Heavenly Light Technique, having fused three ordinary force techniques. The Wu Clan ancestors dared not attempt more.
Qin Ming pondered this, having never encountered such a problem.
He believed his Heavenly Light Technique possessed exceptional compatibility.
The book mentioned that where Heavenly Light pierced the night sky, the Three-Colored Flowers nourished by its descent were of Supreme Grade, far more precious than even the top-grade flowers from Ling (Spirit) Mountain.
However, these Three-Colored Flowers, imbued with the Heavenly Light's essence, possessed an excessively potent medicinal property and a highly corrosive nature, making them unbearable for the human body.
To consume them safely, they required supplementation with substances rich in vital energy.
Of course, exceptions existed for those with extraordinary constitutions, who might withstand the Supreme Grade Three-Colored Flower's violent medicinal corrosion without assistance.
Qin Ming speculated that this "corrosion" likely stemmed from the spiritual essence left by the Heavenly Light that pierced the night sky within the Three-Colored Flowers.
Back in the underground cavern, Huang Jingde had smiled amiably, seemingly answering every question, yet he had never mentioned these details, ultimately concealing a portion of the truth as was his habit.
Qin Ming reasoned that since his body could withstand the Heavenly Light's corrosion without dying, he should be able to endure the Supreme Grade Three-Colored Flower's medicinal potency without needing to seek substances rich in vital energy.
...
In the mountains, near the Great Rift Valley, two Great Bandits from Golden Rooster Ridge personally guarded the area with their men.
"He won't target the young and strong again, will he? We've warned him repeatedly that a string of deaths will cause trouble. If the Chi Xia City authorities notice, we'll be in serious trouble."
"Is he truly an Outsider? He's so cold and sinister, nothing like the divine or immortal beings we hear about."
"He doesn't reveal himself unless he chooses to. We wouldn't even know he's here otherwise. This must be the work of an Outsider, but judging by his methods, he's clearly not following a righteous path."
The two Great Bandits continued their hushed conversation, unaware that the young man who had materialized from the black mist was already dead.
Earlier, the young man had arrived with a token from the Golden Bandit, requesting the Golden Rooster Ridge bandits to guard the area and prevent anyone from approaching.
"He promised he would only target the elderly, making it look like natural deaths that wouldn't cause suspicion. But night has long passed. Why hasn't he returned yet?"
"Let's wait and see."
"Back then, the Old Beast of the Mountain wept at its grave, each bow triggering a strange phenomenon. It mutated rapidly, advancing in leaps and bounds, causing a massive commotion."
"Afterward, the Chi Xia City authorities sealed all further news of the incident. Now this Outsider has come to the same place to stir things up again. Do you think he's trying to imitate the Old Beast? If that gets out, a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough for us."
"He's an Outsider. He wouldn't follow the path of an outsider (unorthodox path), would he?"
The two Great Bandits wore grave expressions, clearly reluctant to deal with the sinister young man.
"Could it be that some powerful Outsider is using him to test Black White Mountain's defenses?"
"Unlikely. I think he'll be leaving soon. He looks like he's in a hurry, probably just passing through and doing a few things along the way."
...
Qin Ming sat in quiet meditation.
Having mastered the Silk-Winding Force, Intercepting Force, Nail Force, and Mang Force, and combined them with his unique Heavenly Light Force, he felt ready to consume the Three-Colored Flower.
***
[T/N: These Forces are the unique forms of energy of the Heavenly Light Techniques, cultivated from Heavenly Light. Don't get confused by translation as I have already mentioned that Technique and Force are corresponding to each other: one is unique force of the technique cultivated from the Heavenly Light; while other is the technique which is used to draw this force (energy).]
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He believed that fully integrating everything would lead to a significant boost in his strength.
"This scene feels familiar..." he murmured, staring blankly at the Three-Colored Flower within the jade box.
The flower's layered petals, resembling both willow leaves and sharp blades, emitted a vibrant, colorful mist. Spiritual light flowed around him, enveloping him in its radiant glow.
Since his Third Awakening, Qin Ming had not only recalled fragments of his childhood but also begun to experience other hazy, fragmented memories surfacing in his mind.
"Abandon," he whispered, tracing the word on the table with a drop of tea.
At that moment, gazing at the Three-Colored Flower, he felt as if he were witnessing a similar scene from his past.
"Cui Chonghe," he wrote next, staring intently at the characters. "(To harmonize through the vital energy)—this phrase originates from ancient scriptures scattered by Outsiders."
"Cui, Cui Chonghe... is this my true name?"
"Yet I now harbor a deep aversion to Outsiders."
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END OF CHAPTER
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