PBSE 15

Chapter 15: The Challenge.

2014-12-24 — Author: Wei Yi Yong Heng.                                                                                                                                         

Honor and pride — these two words have always been directly proportional to strength.

For Qin Mo, who never really understood what honor was, there was a time when he felt proud — that was when he hadn’t yet tested as having white “waste blood,” and he possessed the strength of five hundred jin, the limit of an ordinary human being.

But the test before the Heaven and Earth Stone had completely shattered Qin Mo’s pride. Now, he understood what pride was — but he also knew he had no right to possess it.

The woman who saved him, however, did have that right. Her name was Qing Wei — one of the three most promising warriors in the Hammer Stone Tribe.

She possessed high-grade crimson blood, far superior to Qin Yu’s mid-grade crimson. The other two with the same high-grade crimson blood were named Su Qin and Qin Luo.

Qin Mo had seen these three when he was very young, but after so many years, he had long forgotten them.

However, when Captain Lin Tong mentioned them again today, Qin Mo’s memory stirred. And the one he remembered most wasn’t Qing Wei, the one who saved him — nor was it Su Qin — but Qin Luo.

That man was Qin Yu’s elder brother, the eldest grandson of the Great Elder Qin Tianli, and the person most likely to inherit the position of tribal chief.

Thinking of this, Qin Mo didn’t feel much pressure. After all, the pressure from that “little witch” Lin Yue was already more than enough — everything else seemed trivial in comparison.

“Remember — never act as recklessly as you did yesterday. Even if a great opportunity appears before you, you must keep calm,” Lin Tong said, patting Qin Mo’s shoulder.

Qing Wei’s strength was expected, but Lin Tong was still surprised by the power Qin Mo had shown the day before. Though he had foolishly charged into a beast’s territory, he had managed to slay an elephant boar in the end.

Even for him, a captain commanding a thousand men, killing such a creature was no simple feat. Qin Mo’s recklessness, with that achievement in mind, could be entirely forgiven.

“I’ll remember that,” Qin Mo nodded.

Lin Tong wanted to say more, but when he remembered that Qin Mo had the white waste blood, he could only sigh and lead him toward the outer edges of the Blackstone Mountains.

Along the way, the two did not remain silent — Qin Mo asked many questions. For instance, why could other hunters hit their prey with perfect accuracy, while he could never seem to land a shot?

To this, Lin Tong chuckled. “That’s because you’ve never joined a hunting squad. There are things you don’t understand yet.”

Then, muttering to himself, he added, “I really don’t know what the chief is thinking. Even if he wants to toughen you up, he doesn’t have to do it this way.”

Qin Mo, however, didn’t mind. He now fully agreed with Chief Qin Lin’s decision. With his situation, if he continued to grow under the tribe’s protection, then even in ten years, he wouldn’t be able to defeat Lin Yue — let alone within one.

Seeing Qin Mo’s calm expression, Lin Tong nodded in surprise, then continued, “The reason you can’t hit the wild rabbits is because these beasts can sense fluctuations in the ambient elemental energy of heaven and earth.”

“But they haven’t formed a Star Core — how can they sense elemental energy?” Qin Mo asked immediately.

“True, they haven’t condensed a Star Core, but they’re far stronger than ordinary humans. They can still feel the energy around them and use that to avoid danger,” Lin Tong explained patiently. “That’s why only those who’ve reached the Aperture Realm can truly hunt.”

“Why is that?” Qin Mo pressed. Then, as realization dawned, he said, “Is it because of their ability to manipulate elemental energy?”

This was not the first time Lin Tong had been stunned by Qin Mo. At that moment, he couldn’t help but think the heavens were unfair — if Qin Mo had tested as a nine-star bloodline, even the lowest gray-grade one, he would have been extraordinary. He might even have reached the Crown Realm one day.

But alas, he was a white waste blood. Lin Tong shook his head inwardly and smiled faintly. “You’re right. The energy of heaven and earth isn’t only for refining the body and blood — it can also be used. When you can sense it and merge yourself into the surrounding energy, no matter how keen the beasts’ senses, they’ll never react faster than you.”

Qin Mo’s mind suddenly cleared. He clasped his hands in salute and said respectfully, “Thank you for your teaching.”

“As it should be,” Lin Tong replied with a smile.

Then Qin Mo’s serious expression shifted into a grin. “Captain Lin Tong, about that elephant boar I killed — does that count as my spoils of war?”

“In your dreams.” Lin Tong flicked him on the forehead with a laugh. “I know you wouldn’t lie about killing it, but since you didn’t protect your spoils, they don’t count as yours. Understand?”

“Got it,” Qin Mo smiled bitterly. Seeing that they were nearing the tribe, he raised a hand in farewell and returned to his stone hut.

Watching him leave, Lin Tong sighed once more before heading back into the Blackstone Mountains.

But before Qin Mo could even reach his home, he ran into several people. Seeing him covered in blood, they blocked his path and mocked, “Well, if it isn’t the young chief himself! I heard you stayed in the mountains all night yesterday — what happened, couldn’t catch a single prey?”

Qin Mo said nothing. He couldn’t exactly tell them he’d killed an elephant boar but almost got torn apart by a striped tiger.

“Where do you think you’re going?” one of them sneered, stepping in his way. The leader, Qin Mo recognized — it was Qin Li.

Ironically, before the bloodline tests, Qin Li hadn’t been Qin Yu’s friend — he had been Qin Mo’s. But the moment the results were revealed, Qin Li had switched sides, becoming Qin Yu’s closest follower. The former “drinking buddy” had turned into a constant thorn in his side.

Qin Mo didn’t waste time with pointless talk like “What do you want?” He simply said coldly, “Move.”

“Oh, such a temper!” Qin Li sneered. “Do you still think you’re the young chief you used to be?”

“Even if I’m not who I used to be, I am still the young chief,” Qin Mo replied, his tone flat, merely stating a fact.

Qin Li was momentarily speechless. He had expected Qin Mo to grit his teeth and stay silent — he hadn’t thought he’d respond so calmly.

Indeed, even if he was no longer the rising star of the tribe, as long as the tribal chief remained the chief, Qin Mo was the young chief.

“Heh!” Qin Li suddenly laughed coldly. “Even if you are, you’re still a useless waste — a waste who eats the tribe’s food for nothing, a waste who’s opened only one aperture!”

Three “wastes” in a row — and Qin Li still didn’t feel satisfied. He continued, “The tribe spent so many resources just to open that one aperture for you. Yet on your first hunt, you didn’t bring back a single prey. Probably spent the night hiding in a rabbit hole, huh? Don’t you think you owe us all an explanation?”

Qin Li looked at him triumphantly. Among humans, honor was everything. Even an ordinary warrior’s pride was sky-high — being called a waste was unbearable. Especially when the insult rang true. Qin Li eagerly awaited the sight of the once-glorious young chief bowing his head in shame.

But he was wrong.

Qin Mo was no longer the same Qin Mo — he was someone from another world. So, hearing Qin Li’s tirade, he didn’t blush or flinch. He simply said, perfectly naturally:

“If you’ve got the ability, go get yourself a chief for a father.”

“…” Qin Li’s face instantly turned green. He pointed a trembling finger at Qin Mo, but no words came out.

The others with him were equally dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected Qin Mo to answer so bluntly. For a moment, none of them could respond.

“What’s wrong? Can’t find one?” Qin Mo sneered. He had never been one to take insults quietly. Then he added, his voice dripping with mockery, “I’ve got an idea. Kill yourself now — maybe in your next life you’ll be born lucky.”

“You… you… you—!” Qin Li stammered, teeth clenched in rage. Of course, he couldn’t actually kill himself. Watching Qin Mo stride past him proudly, he could only tremble with anger. Then, suddenly, a malicious thought flashed in his mind.

“Stop right there!” he shouted. “I challenge you — to the Dueling Platform!”