Chapter – 57
The Boy’s Shyness
“Old Frost Soul doesn’t know the origin of this Qianmo Bow, but I do,” said Qin Lin.
Frost Soul was the chief of the Frost Leaf Tribe, and this bow was something he had obtained from a secret realm long ago—but it had originally come from Qin Lin’s hands.
Li Hai knew the story behind it. Back then, he and Qin Lin had gone to the secret realm together and found the hidden treasure.
Unexpectedly, they ran into danger along the way. Qin Lin was severely injured, and a few strong members of the Frost Leaf Tribe followed behind them with murderous intent.
If they hadn’t feared Qin Lin’s strength, a battle might really have broken out. In the end, what was exchanged was this Qianmo Bow.
Thus, the bow fell into Frost Soul’s possession.
Over the years, Frost Soul had never known the true origin of this bow, nor its full use, but Qin Lin knew some of its secrets.
“He doesn’t even know that when he took the bow, he forgot that there were arrows as well,” Qin Lin said, taking out a dusty box. Inside were three green-feathered arrows, exuding an ancient aura.
“Does the chief know the true origin of this bow?” Li Hai asked.
“No,” Qin Lin shook his head. “But judging from its aura, it should be an artifact from the Eighth Era. It had already existed for countless years before we were even born. The bow is Qianmo, the arrows are Green Feather… Even I…”
He plucked the bowstring lightly, producing a soft, ethereal note, like some ancient bird singing, and continued, “Even I cannot unleash this bow to its full potential.”
“What? Even the chief can’t pull it to a full moon?” Li Hai was shocked. After all, the chief was a Second-Level Enlightened expert.
“Our tribe’s treasures often surpass what even I can wield; there’s nothing surprising about that,” Qin Lin smiled. “But I never expected that the one to fulfill this wish of mine would be Qin Mo. That boy is really exceptional.”
“He deserves a reward,” Li Hai said with a smile. “If it weren’t for him, whether Zhao He’s team could have returned safely would have been uncertain. The Frost Leaf Tribe is becoming more and more presumptuous. Perhaps they should be taught a lesson.”
Although the Hammer Stone Tribe was only a one-star lower-class tribe, and the Frost Leaf Tribe a one-star middle-class tribe, the Hammer Stone Tribe felt no fear.
With Qin Lin, a Second-Level Enlightened chief, one person was enough to suppress countless strong opponents. Among the nine major surrounding tribes, Hammer Stone was still the leader.
“The reward is necessary; teaching them a lesson can wait,” Qin Lin said, having his own considerations.
“Why?” Li Hai asked. Why not teach the Frost Leaf Tribe a lesson? After all, the Hammer Stone Tribe maintained its supremacy by demonstrating occasional deterrence.
“This is a special period. The tribe has just undergone the three-month hunting ban, and our vital energy hasn’t fully recovered. It’s not suitable to make enemies with the Frost Leaf Tribe,” Qin Lin explained. “Besides, Qin Mo has already taught them a major lesson—crippling Wang Si and two squad leaders, taking all their prey. That should be enough. I believe Old Frost Soul won’t dare act rashly again.”
Li Hai nodded. He knew the chief’s real concern wasn’t the other eight tribes, but forces beyond the nine tribes.
“How should we reward the young chief?” Li Hai asked.
“Hm.” Qin Lin paused, then tossed the bow to Li Hai. “Give him this.”
“This!” Li Hai’s expression changed—not in dissatisfaction toward Qin Mo, but in astonishment. “Chief, even you can’t unleash the full power of the Qianmo Bow. Giving it to Qin Mo—isn’t that a waste?”
“This artifact has a connection with him, since he reclaimed it. Moreover…” Qin Lin gazed at him intently, “Who could have foreseen he would reach such a level today?”
“Yes, the boy is becoming increasingly promising,” Li Hai laughed. Suddenly, a serious expression crossed his face. “Chief, why has he become so strong? White waste blood, ten opened acupoints, two thousand jin of strength—it’s unbelievable.”
“Perhaps it’s the barbarian bear’s essence blood and star core that contributed,” Qin Lin said. “After all, it was a half-step Third-Level ancient beast.”
In truth, Qin Lin was also puzzled. He knew how difficult it was to refine White Waste Blood, and a Third-Level ancient beast alone shouldn’t have created such a miracle.
At this moment, he could only regard it as a miracle. He dared not link Qin Mo to the mysterious black-clothed person—not possible, and certainly not advisable.
“Alright, let’s make this bow his reward,” Li Hai said with a smile.
For some reason, Qin Lin did not give the arrows to Qin Mo, nor did Li Hai mention it. It was as if everyone had forgotten that the Green Feather arrows and the Qianmo Bow were a set.
Meanwhile, inside a tall stone house, Grand Elder Qin Tianli fell into a long silence.
“The Qianmo Bow… is it really the Qianmo Bow?” Qin Tianli asked suddenly.
Sitting beside him were Qin Yu and Qin Luo, his two grandsons.
“Li Hai confirmed that it’s definitely the Qianmo Bow. It has already been delivered to the chief,” Qin Luo said.
Qin Yu said nothing, deep in thought.
“If it truly is the Qianmo Bow, it will be a great benefit for our Hammer Stone Tribe,” Qin Tianli said, a rare smile appearing on his usually stern face.
“Why?” Qin Luo asked. Even as one of the tribe’s three prides, he didn’t know the reason.
“This goes back to when the Hammer Stone Tribe was first established…” Qin Tianli recalled. Quickly, he recounted the story. “The chief never mentioned this before, but it had been his greatest mental burden. Today, the Qianmo Bow returning to its rightful owner is truly a blessing for us.”
“Is the Qianmo Bow that mysterious?” Qin Luo clenched his fists.
Qin Tianli seemed to understand his thoughts. “The chief will surely give the Qianmo Bow to Qin Mo as a reward. Unfortunately, it wasn’t you who retrieved it.”
Qin Luo fell silent. He understood what his grandfather meant, but he stubbornly said, “Even if given to Qin Mo, can he truly wield it? A fine bow requires a wise master. He is not the rightful master of this bow.”
“After this, do you still think he is useless?” Qin Tianli asked.
“Not useless, but how could he ever match me?” Qin Luo retorted.
Nearby, Qin Yu lifted his head, then lowered it again, lost in thought. If it weren’t for Qin Luo’s palm stopping his reverse blood, he might have fallen into a demonic state, and even after recovery, he might not have progressed further in this lifetime.
“Ha, worthy of my grandson,” Qin Tianli said, patting Qin Luo’s head. Then he looked at Qin Yu coldly. “Do you still not understand?”
Qin Yu shook his head. “I’m not afraid. I just wonder how he grew so strong in such a short time—two thousand jin of strength. That’s equivalent to opening fifteen acupoints, yet he has only opened ten.”
“That’s what makes him exceptional,” Qin Luo said. “Do you know, during these three months, he did not eat a single bite? He trained continuously. This is extreme breakthrough—he was harsh on himself, and that is why he gained reward and surpassed limits to reach his current state.”
Qin Luo never believed Qin Mo was the mysterious genius who helped Hammer Stone; he didn’t even suspect it. He only believed that only a genius like that could match him.
“Harsh on himself?” Qin Yu fell silent again.
“You don’t need to. You have red blood lineage; progress must be gradual. Too much harshness may cause backlash,” Qin Luo patted his shoulder. “Besides, he could never enter the Enlightened realm in this life, but you can. This is nearly fated—you will surpass him sooner or later.”
Hearing this, a smile returned to Qin Yu’s face, and his confidence was restored.
“Your elder brother is right. You don’t need that because you simply don’t need it,” Qin Tianli finally relaxed. His two grandsons were promising, especially Qin Luo.
“In a few days, the tribe will hold competitions for all ranks. By then, Qin Mo will be promoted to squad leader. This is a bottle of Peiyuan Pill; you can stabilize your realm these days and then break through,” Qin Tianli handed Qin Yu a bottle.
Qin Yu said nothing, just took it calmly. He could have broken through long ago but had remained at ten acupoints to consolidate his foundation and lay the groundwork for future leaps.
“During the competition, I’ll show you—you’ll never catch up to me. You have grown stronger, but I will always be stronger,” Qin Yu said, holding the jade bottle.
He never considered Qin Mo a competitor. His true rivals were Su Qin and Qing Wei, or even that mysterious black-clothed figure.
That was his true mental barrier.
Qin Mo never expected that the first person to come to his stone house after his return would be Qing Wei.
She walked in, wearing a plain long robe in green, looking simple yet elegant. Her face was as cold as ice, perfectly beautiful, with not a trace of emotion.
It was as if she had walked into her own stone house. She found a comfortable stone seat and sat down, then surveyed the simple interior.
Qin Mo did not feel awkward at all. As the saying goes, “A virtuous lady matches a gentleman.” Since meeting Qing Wei, he had always been drawn to the shadow of green.
“You are very good,” Qing Wei said suddenly.
“Good? How?” Qin Mo smiled bitterly. He understood what she meant. But the power he had now was earned through life-or-death trials—entering the Black Stone Mountains alone, fighting in ancient beast territories, braving the mysterious water formation…
All of it forged the person he had become. He hadn’t relied on luck.
Unknowingly, he had become a so-called strong person. He was on par with Qing Wei, though he didn’t know her full strength. He was confident he could win if they fought.
Yet facing Qing Wei, he felt a boyish shyness.
He was nervous, though trying to appear calm.
“So, being good is enough—why the need for more?” Qing Wei countered, her black-and-white phoenix-like eyes staring fixedly at him.
Immediately, Qin Mo’s face flushed from head to neck. He fidgeted uncomfortably.
“Do you want some water?” Qin Mo found a reason to speak.
“No,” Qing Wei refused outright.
