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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 61: [A Pieced-Together, False Life]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Qin Ming rubbed his temples. Everytime he tried to recall those fragmented memories, he would feel a slight headache and mental fatigue.
It was clear how severe he had been injured in the past.
Despite repeated awakenings and continuous physical enhancements, he still hadn't fully recovered.
However, he was certain it would be soon.
With each successive Postnatal Maternal Transformation, he would finally resolve the remaining minor issues plaguing his body.
"The scenes are so disjointed," Qin Ming frowned. "My life feels pieced together, almost like a fabrication, a false life."
During his hazy childhood, he had lived in poverty, his clothes tattered and patched. Yet by the time he was thirteen or fourteen, everything had changed drastically.
In those fragmented memories, he had once ridden a magnificent beast at full gallop outside a colossal city. The creature was tall and powerful, its scales shimmering with a hazy, ethereal glow, clearly no ordinary beast.
He had also resided in a grand mansion, every object within exquisitely crafted and luxurious.
The mansion's prominent figures wore lavish robes adorned with jade ornaments, their daily routines and travels governed by strict etiquette.
Even the women's hair ornaments were extraordinary, ranging from hairpins made of rare feathers that shimmered with golden light to peach blossoms, their petals dripping with dew and wreathed in crimson mist, woven into their hair.
Within this magnificent estate, he was known as Cui Chonghe, presumably a direct descendant of the Cui Clan.
He had personally witnessed a youth, Cui Chongxuan, about a year younger than himself, consume the Three-Colored Flower and successfully fuse four types of Heavenly Light Force, eliciting gasps of astonishment.
"It's Puzzling," Qin Ming murmured to himself.
Here, he was a direct descendant, and he could sense that his circumstances weren't unfavorable. He enjoyed lavish clothing and fine food, and even traveled by rare and exotic mounts. Yet why hadn't he embarked on the path of cultivation?
When Cui Chongxuan fused the four Heavenly Light Forces, he was met with exclamations of awe and showered with praise by the Cui Clan elders, who hailed him as extraordinary.
To commemorate this achievement, they even procured the priceless Six Sovereigns Heart Sutra for him.
"Fusing four Heavenly Light Forces doesn't seem that remarkable," Qin Ming thought.
In this remote corner of the world, he had effortlessly surpassed that feat through his own efforts.
Some things remained unclear.
The fragmented memories he had glimpsed were still too incomplete.
"The year I turned fourteen seems to have been a turning point," Qin Ming recalled, piecing together other fragmented memories.
At that time, he had returned to a life of poverty. His clothes, once splendid, became ordinary, even tattered.
He became a village youth.
One fateful night, the Feather-Robed Youth appeared with his followers, engulfing the entire village in flames.
Nearly everyone perished, and Qin Ming was gravely wounded.
Using tea, Qin Ming wrote several numbers on the table: three, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen.
Each corresponded to a different stage of his life, each lived in stark contrast to the others, like fragments of a false life pieced together.
Simultaneously, he delved into his shattered memories and learned the name of the Feather-Robed Woman he had seen the previous night: Li Qingyue.
When he was thirteen or fourteen, he often rode out with peers on rare exotic beasts.
Li Qingyue frequently appeared in these scenes, one of his closest friends.
"We met in this remote place, yet she didn't acknowledge me. Is it because I'm now destitute and estranged from the Cui Clan? Or could there be deeper reasons stemming from the tragedy two years ago, reasons beyond my current understanding?"
Qin Ming tried to piece together the timeline, but the more he struggled to recall and excavate his memories, the more certain fragments felt hollow, like rootless duckweed, as if they didn't belong to him at all.
He shook his head, abandoning the effort.
Even if he knew more, what could he change now?
He had long since fled that great city, drifting to this remote place.
There was nothing he could do to alter his present circumstances.
The most crucial task now was to accumulate strength.
As his life essence deepened, those memories would naturally resurface.
Qin Ming refocused his mind and turned back to the yellowed pages of the ancient manual.
"Though the name 'Yellow Mud Palm' sounds unrefined, according to the ancient records, it is actually a highly orthodox and profound technique..."
Qin Ming was surprised.
The notes in the manual showed that all who had practiced this palm technique praised it highly, considering it exceptionally powerful.
However, due to limitations in aptitude, many failed to reach its advanced stages.
Some of the comments, written in the tone of venerable masters, even claimed that the Yellow Mud Palm was no less formidable than the ultimate techniques of advanced Intent Qi Cultivation Techniques.
This piqued Qin Ming's interest completely.
He stilled his mind, preparing to delve deeply into the manual.
Gradually, a thick mist materialized before his eyes, and an elderly man appeared, demonstrating various palm techniques on the earth.
From the transformation of life essence to the cultivation of Heavenly Light, and finally, the Yellow Mud Palm's ability to turn the mundane into the miraculous...
By the end, Qin Ming was awestruck.
His thoughts soared as he broke free from the mystical state.
The ancient manual had completely absorbed his attention. He couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration.
"If one could reach that level, the technique would approach the Dao itself!"
The name "Yellow Mud Palm" was chosen by its humble creator.
Even at the initial minor stage of mastery, this palm technique could penetrate bone, pierce organs, and pulverize the internal body through flesh and skin.
"This is the wondrous advantage of gentle force," Qin Ming concluded.
This Heavenly Light Force was clearly not a single force but a fusion of multiple secret forces, otherwise it wouldn't be so Powerful.
"With further refinement, this gentle yet powerful Heavenly Light Force could flow through the fingertips, effortlessly shattering armor, tearing through flesh, fur, scales, and horns, like crushing dry twigs."
Qin Ming flipped directly to the final page, where vivid scenes unfolded before him.
"The highest realm of the Yellow Mud Palm involves cultivating a unique power: the Heavenly Light Force condenses strands of Earth Qi, dramatically amplifying its destructive force."
In the vision Qin Ming saw, the elderly man stood firmly on the ground, his feet drawing Earth Qi that fused with the Heavenly Light Force.
The Earth Qi (Energy) between his palms grew increasingly dense, gradually solidifying into a layer of yellow mud clinging to his hands.
With a casual wave of his right hand, he struck a mountain-size creature—a terrifyingly massive creature—with a seemingly weightless palm strike.
The beast shattered instantly, like a mountain of flesh being cleaved and torn apart, staining the earth crimson.
"Incredible!"
This technique transcended the realm of conventional combat techniques, an extraordinary feat.
The saying "Technique approaches the Dao" originates from such transcendent Techniques that break free from all constraints.
"Reaching the highest level of mastery is incredibly difficult," Qin Ming sighed.
In terms of comprehension, he was confident.
Combined with emotional resonance, he could access the elder's experiences and insights, making that aspect no problem at all.
Ultimately, it all came down to accumulating a sufficient quantity of Heavenly Light.
Only after amassing a vast reservoir could he use the Heavenly Light Gentle Force to draw forth the Earth Qi.
Qin Ming practiced in the courtyard, starting with the mysterious Gentle Force, the essence of the manual that underpinned everything.
Except for meal breaks, he spent all his time studying and practicing diligently, progressing from the Heavenly Light Gentle Force to the Yellow Mud Palm.
Qin Ming was eager to master the Yellow Mud Palm quickly, as it had proven its effectiveness in real combat, having killed Outsiders.
After most of the day, fatigue set in, and he finally paused.
While resting, Qin Ming pondered silently.
Among all the secret techniques he had acquired, only the final move of the sword manual rivaled the Yellow Mud Palm.
That sword intent sought to sever the heavens with a single strike, tearing through the night sky.
Similarly, unleashing the full power of that ultimate sword intent required exceptionally high standards.
"I'm leaving soon, so I need to fulfill my promise," Qin Ming thought.
He valued his word; once given, it had to be kept.
Soon after, he ventured into the mountains with a casting net.
The coldest days of winter had already passed.
In just over a month, the ice and snow would begin to melt, signaling the revival of the Fire Spring and the arrival of spring's warmth and blooming flowers.
Some birds were already becoming active, and it was likely they would start building nests soon.
Qin Ming was intimately familiar with the mountains, understanding the habits of its creatures.
With his current skills, stealthily approaching and capturing small animals was no difficult task.
After an hour, he spotted his target and swiftly cast the net toward a thicket of thorns.
"Help! Murderer! Bird killer!" a small creature cried from within the net, its voice frantic as it struggled desperately to escape.
Qin Ming grinned and strode over.
Inside the net was a pale blue bird, slightly shorter than the length of a palm.
Its large, gem-like eyes glowed brightly as it spoke in human tongue: "Two-legged beast, spare me! Let me go, and I'll lead you to a bear. It has much more meat!"
Before leaving, Qin Ming had finally captured a Talking Sparrow, fulfilling his promise to Xiao Wenrui.
Now, there was no way he would release this pale blue bird.
As he approached the village entrance, Qin Ming suddenly heard an enraged voice behind him: "Who kidnapped my wife?! Stop right there! Don't you want to leave anymore!"
Qin Ming glanced back and immediately recognized it.
This Talking Sparrow was noticeably larger and more intelligent than the others, with a mischievous glint in its eyes and a sharp, insolent tongue that had once driven Cao Long to the brink of fury.
"Two-legged beast! Release that Talking Sparrow at once, or I'll summon the Bear down from the mountain to tear you to shreds in your village! Don't you know who I am? I'm a legendary sparrow of these mountains! I can even summon the Mountain Lord himself to wipe out your entire village!"
The insolent mutated sparrow's eyes burned crimson as it closed in, showering Qin Ming with threats and intimidation.
But when it finally recognized Qin Ming, it froze in shock, its demeanor instantly shifting.
"Brother! It's all a misunderstanding! We're family here!"
Qin Ming stared in astonishment at the sparrow hovering in the night sky—its earlier arrogance now replaced by groveling deference and incessant chatter.
"Master Wu instructed me to help you deliver messages and scout the mountains before he left. I've been a bit busy lately, though, having just taken a wife. I haven't had time for these tasks."
"What nonsense is this?" Qin Ming couldn't make sense of it.
"Master Wu is that crow who follows the woman in the black cloak. Her name is Tang Jin, by the way—she has an incredible figure and a face that's absolutely stunning. I could draw her for you..."
Qin Ming suspected this creature might be a human who had transformed into a beast after entering the mountains.
"Brother, please show mercy and release my wife."
...
Soon after, at Lu Ze's home, the two children were jumping up and down with joy.
"Uncle, you're amazing! You actually caught the Talking Sparrow! I'm so happy! My little squirrel finally has a companion."
"She's my wife! Squirrels belong with weasels!" the mutated Talking Sparrow squawked from the eaves, correcting them.
The mutated red squirrel immediately glared at it with hostility.
Lu Ze and his wife couldn't help but feel that these little animals had become sentient!
Qin Ming said, "We'll keep it for a few months and then release it. I've already negotiated with it—it will warn Lu Ze when he goes into the mountains. Don't worry, it doesn't have any bad intentions. If it does, I'll go find Master Wu."
The next day, Yang Yongqing arrived, sighing heavily as he led his Black Mountain Goat.
He was ready to set off for Golden Rooster Ridge with Qin Ming.
Qin Ming remained silent, reluctant to make the fifty-mile round trip again.
Why hadn't the situation already erupted?
"Uncle, there's no rush. We just need to get there before nightfall. Why are you so eager to join a bandit's lair?"
"Alright then," Qin Ming said reluctantly.
Even after lunch, Qin Ming remained unwilling to set out.
Yang Yongqing, growing impatient and worried that the mountain bandits might cause trouble if they arrived late, tried to persuade him.
When his efforts failed, he had no choice but to leave ahead.
Yet less than an hour later, Yang Yongqing came galloping back, his face flushed with triumph.
As he burst into the village, he shouted with a grin, "A miracle! Heaven has opened its eyes! All the bandits from Golden Rooster Ridge have been taken to the heavens! Hahaha..."
"What?!" The villagers were stunned, rushing out of their homes.
Yang Yongqing had been completely dumbfounded when he first heard the news on the road.
Just yesterday, he had been cursing, saying he wouldn't report unless every bandit there was dead.
Now, before he even reached Golden Rooster Ridge, it had truly become a silent, lifeless ridge!
Qin Ming sipped his coarse tea, gazing out the window. With this matter resolved, it was time for him to embark on his journey.
...
In a renowned and resplendent city, magnificent buildings stretched across the landscape.
Within a grand hall adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, a dignified middle-aged man sat regally on his throne.
"Recently, several Yin-Yang Elixirs have flowed out from Black White Mountain, stirring envy among noble families and Outsiders alike," he said. "Cui Hong, you're familiar with that region, having observed it two years ago. Go there now and see if you can retrieve one of these elixirs."
A man with exceptionally long arms stood in the hall and nodded in agreement.
"You were the one who left that child near Black White Mountain, weren't you?" the dignified man asked.
"Yes," the long-armed man replied. "If he survived, he would likely have taken root there."
"Check on him while you're there," the dignified man instructed.
"Do you have any specific instructions?" the long-armed man asked cautiously, knowing that the dignified man wouldn't send him on a mere detour.
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END OF CHAPTER
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