13: Chapter 8 Once Returned with the Glow of Sunset Clouds 13: Chapter 8 Once Returned with the Glow of Sunset Clouds Editor: Henyee Translations In this era, darkness shrouds the world.
Luminous creatures are rare; when they appear, they often signify sothing formidable and lethal, warranting prompt avoidance of their vicinity.
In the vast wilderness, countless dangerous beings lurk unseen.
To expose oneself and radiate light in such a perilous environnt is undoubtedly a display of confidence, likely indicative of imnse strength.
Qin Ming slid down silently beneath a tree, hiding in the shadows of the dense forest, his heart unsettled.
This was no ordinary luminous creature; it illuminated the entire night sky.
In an age devoid of sun, moon, and stars, such a spectacle was astonishing.
“Moon Worm!” He had heard of it.
The elders often recounted to the younger generation that in a distant, ancient era, there was once a sun and a moon.
Seeing the children’s bewildered expressions, they would use Moon Worm as an example.
“If one day you unexpectedly glimpse a Moon Worm, you’ll know what the moon looked like.”
The appearance of a Moon Worm needs no explanation; it is unmistakable, for it becos the sole light in the night sky.
Initially, as that glow slowly ascended, it was relatively gentle.
Perhaps due to preconceived notions, Qin Ming vaguely saw a blurred insect silhouette.
Now, it was too dazzling to discern any insect form.
The interwoven light resembled a magnificent disk, akin to a divine halo, illuminating the night sky.
The cicada knows not of spring and autumn; typically, few insects survive the winter into the following year.
According to the elders, the Moon Worm has migrated to this region for over fifty years, residing deep within the majestic mountains, rarely venturing into outer areas.
Local customs have long docunted it as a “notable insect” that has stood unshaken in the mountains for fifty years.
People have reason to believe that its true essence may rival that of ancient mythical beasts or mountain lords with even longer histories.
Qin Ming was entranced.
Was the moon in that distant ancient era truly like this?
In the night sky, it seed as if a celestial lamp was suspended, radiating brilliance, casting gentle light upon the dark forests and shadowy ridges, instantly tinting the area with a faint silver hue.
This was entirely different from what he had seen before, as the deep darkness of the mountains was completely dispelled.
The entire world transford.
Gazing upon such beauty, Qin Ming couldn’t help but yearn for the ancient tis when the sun and moon existed.
What kind of world was that?
He knew that the Moon Worm only illuminated the nearby two low hills, far less than the true moon, which, according to legends, shone for thousands of miles, a vast spectacle in the sky, representing true brilliance.
At this mont, all was silent.
Whether it was the Wild Boar King, the mysterious creature pursuing it, or other birds and beasts, all lay quietly dormant.
Suddenly, a streak of light pierced the sky as the Moon Worm departed, and the nearby area quickly lost its luster, plunging the forests back into boundless darkness.
Qin Ming felt emptiness in his heart, followed by a strong desire: when could he, like the Moon Worm, co and go freely, with the eternal night unable to obscure his path?
Without allowing himself further thought, taking advantage of the various beasts still deterred and not daring to roam recklessly, he acted, leading the blade-antler deer and donkey-headed wolf over the low hills, swiftly departing.
Deep within the mountains, a mournful howl rang out, then abruptly ceased.
It seed a powerful creature had been slain where the Moon Worm had dived.
The forests remained silent.
Whether it were exceptionally strong exotic beasts or repeatedly mutated “notable birds,” no one wished to make a sound.
Shuangshu Village ca into view as Qin Ming returned successfully with his prey.
Approaching the village entrance, he looked back at the pitch-black, vast expanse.
The dazzling scenes from earlier still lingered in his mind, leaving him sowhat dazed.
The ancient bright moon once illuminated colorful clouds returning ho, but where is it now?
*Grumble!* A sound from his stomach brought him back to reality with a strong sense of hunger.
He chuckled to himself.
Why ponder such elusive matters when he needed to address his imdiate need for food and warmth?
In such cold weather, only a few children were at the village entrance, chasing each other, unwilling to stay indoors.
“Brother Qin, you went into the mountains…
and hunted a blade-antler deer alone?” A frail boy widened his eyes in astonishnt.
The children’s faces were reddened by the cold as they gathered around.
Seeing the black donkey-headed wolf, weighing several hundred pounds, they were startled.
They stared at the two pieces of prey, unable to help but swallow secretly.
“Co to my house later for so at,” Qin Ming said with a smile.
Like a gust of wind, he dragged the two pieces of prey back ho.
Having endured the journey, he was eager to experience the primal life of eating raw at and drinking blood.
He imdiately boiled water and called Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing for assistance.
“You’re injured?” Liang Wanqing, being observant, imdiately noticed the bloodstain on his shoulder.
“A minor injury, it’s nothing,” Qin Ming shook his head.
Lu Ze checked and saw that the wound wasn’t deep, and it had already scabbed over, and he felt relieved.
Soon, the small courtyard was filled with a rich aroma; large chunks of at boiled in an iron pot, while deer legs roasted over the fire, dripping with fat.
Qin Ming’s stomach growled; he couldn’t wait any longer.
Using a small knife, he sliced a thin piece from the deer leg, disregarded the heat, and put it directly into his mouth.
“It’s cooked, tastes great!
Wenrui, I fulfilled your wish today, right?”
Wenrui took a bite, his eyes squinting in delight, nodding like a pecking chick, “So delicious, I’ve forgotten how long it’s been since I had at.
You’re the best, Uncle!”
Qin Ming invited Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing to eat first, planning to handle the remaining at later.
The two-year-old Wenhui couldn’t chew the roasted deer leg yet, so he could only eat mashed boiled at, pouting in grievance, watching eagerly, making everyone laugh.
Qin Ming was at a critical stage of rebirth.
His body repeatedly signaled an intense craving for at.
Now, after he had devoured the food, he finally felt satisfied.
At this mont, a few children peeked in from outside the courtyard, their faces dirty.
Slling the at aroma, their eyes sparkled with longing, but they were too shy to enter.
Qin Ming imdiately beckoned, “Didn’t I call you at the village entrance?
Co in and eat.”
“Thank you, Brother Qin.”
“Uncle, you’re so kind…”
The children called him variously, shyly entering the courtyard.
Soon, they were like little hamsters, cheeks puffed, mumbling about how tasty it was.
“Slow down, there’s plenty,” Liang Wanqing worried they might choke, serving them so at soup.
Qin Ming felt his flesh and blood rejoicing, as if a drought-stricken land received nourishing rain, countless new sprouts breaking through the soil, life burgeoning with vitality.
He could feel his tendons growing, joints occasionally cracking, and his senses sharpening, his hearing and vision becoming keener, his mind increasingly alert and vibrant.
A postnatal rebirth as if returning to the womb—his body was truly transforming!
Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing had long since set down their bowls and chopsticks, but Qin Ming was still devouring at.
His appetite was like a bottomless pit.
The way he was eating was a little frightening, and his body constantly emitted steam as sweat poured down, enveloping him in a white mist.
“His body is undergoing a violent transformation, he’s in the midst of rebirth!” Lu Ze was astonished.
He hadn’t expected Qin Ming’s state from yesterday to continue, and it was even accelerating.
What level would this transformation reach?
The children couldn’t eat anymore.
Their bellies were round and full, their little faces shining with satisfaction.
Noticing the children were a bit reserved with the adults around, Qin Ming laughed and said, “All full?
Then go play.”
Before long, news of Qin Ming’s hunting the blade-antler deer and the mountain mongrel had spread.
The villagers were stunned.
The wilderness was extrely dangerous at this ti; most people didn’t dare venture into the mountains.
Yet he had managed such a haul?
Especially shocking was the mutant donkey-headed wolf, infamous for its ferocity, and most people wouldn’t survive an encounter.
Qin Ming was barely over sixteen.
How could he handle a beast weighing several hundred pounds?
“Did he really undergo rebirth during the golden age?”
Soon, many villagers arrived at Qin Ming’s courtyard, asking about the mountain situation.
If it was safe, they too were considering hunting expeditions.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” a little girl with patches on her clothes whispered.
In this food-scarce winter, the aroma of roast at in the courtyard was especially enticing.
So children peeked from behind adults, eyes wide and longing.
Qin Ming knew the pain of hunger well.
Seeing those small faces, red from the cold, pitiful and hopeful, he quickly waved them over.
“Co eat, everyone.”
The children didn’t sit right away; they looked at their parents first, their manners simple and shy.
Qin Ming continued, “Uncles and aunties, I won’t ask you all to eat here, but every family can take five pounds of at ho later.”
“Qin, we can’t accept that…”
“It’s settled,” Qin Ming replied firmly.
The village only had a few dozen households, so there was enough to share.
“Qin is such a good lad.
We ought to find him a pretty wife soon.
He’s at that age already.”
“That’s not urgent,” Qin Ming waved his hand hurriedly.
Laughter filled the courtyard.
The children were the happiest of all, sitting together, their cheeks greasy with joy.
…
“Qin, be honest with , did you go through rebirth?” Yang Yongqing arrived.
Just before dusk, he’d seen Qin Ming.
Not long after parting, he heard the boy had killed a mutant donkey-headed wolf, and it had truly startled him.
Qin Ming nodded with a grin.
“Didn’t you say a noble lady might be coming here?
I figured I should level up and make a good impression.
Then I ran into danger in the mountains, my body heated up, and suddenly, I underwent rebirth.”
“You rascal, still trying to act modest.” Yang Yongqing chuckled, pointing at him.
Everyone present knew the truth.
It was Qin Ming’s exceptional physical foundation and deep accumulation that led to this transformation.
“Rebirth during the golden age…
This is the first in all these decades for our Shuangshu Village!” said old Liu from the village entrance with emotion.
Everyone understood what this ant.
In the entire region, Qin Ming now stood out with endless potential ahead.
In this bitterly cold weather where even exhaled breath turned to ice crystals, Qin Ming’s body was like a furnace, growing hotter by the minute.
Sweat poured from him, soaking his clothes, and a white mist rose around him.
“Such intense bodily activity, far beyond what I experienced in my youth,” Yang Yongqing’s thick beard trembled with awe.
He could see that Qin Ming was undergoing a full-body transformation, inside and out.
First like autumn and winter—sweeping away the dead leaves—then like spring and sumr—sprouting fresh growth.
The sticky residue on his skin was the shedding of old filth, the clearing of stagnation.
Inside, he was brimming with life.
His blood glowed; it was like he had returned to the womb, where a powerful new life was gestating, breaking past previous physical limits.
Qin Ming felt a wave of drowsiness coming over him.
Full and satisfied, he felt like he was about to enter a kind of hibernation, his eyelids heavy.
He asked Lu Ze to help distribute the at to the households, while he followed his body’s instincts and went inside to sleep.
“Grandma Zhou is being buried today.
Can you go on my behalf and bring so extra at to her family?” Qin Ming forced himself to stay awake long enough to bathe in ice water, then collapsed onto his heated brick bed.
Others were surprised by the sight, but didn’t fully grasp the significance.
Yang Yongqing, however, was well-traveled.
He noticed the white mist enveloping Qin Ming’s body and heard the strong, drum-like beat of his heart, and he was deeply shaken.
Most crucially, Qin Ming’s rebirth wasn’t over, it was still underway.
Could it be that, after this rebirth, Qin Ming might have a sliver of a chance to stand among the most renowned youths in that distant, radiant city?
But soon, Yang Yongqing shook his head.
No matter how good one’s natural talent is, how could it compare to three generations of inherited advantage?
And those youths were already extraordinarily gifted.
As for the recent prodigious boy and girl who had amazed the entire city with their golden-age rebirths, he felt there was no need to even entertain the comparison; they simply weren’t in the sa league.
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