Night Without End
Chapter 92 - 59: As Time Goes By

Chapter 92: Chapter 59: As Time Goes By

"Could it be... that Cui Family?" the maid exclaimed in a low voice.

She knew that their young lady had once lived for four years in a city with a resounding reputation, where she had met some very formidable characters.

Next to her, two golden armored men also revealed a hint of surprise upon hearing the words "Cui Family," their eyes shining brightly as they looked towards Jinji Ridge under the night sky.

"We cannot be sure it’s him, after all, it has been over two years since we last saw him. Riding past here on the Purple Lightning Beast, the eyes, nose, and mouth visible beneath his facial armor did indeed look very much like him, as well as the habitual action of riding the mutant beast, grasping its mane with one hand, using the knife as if it were a riding crop..."

"Miss, you really are remarkable. With the night so dark and only a fleeting glance, I felt he was very vague, but you could see him so clearly. Is this the ability of an outsider?" The maid chattered lively.

Even in a low voice, she wondered if Cui Chonghe was an acquaintance, a close friend, or someone very close to the young lady, and whether there would be a recognition soon.

The young lady, dressed in a Feather Robe, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, and her bright eyes shining with dazzling light, softly said: "If it is him, why would he appear here? Times have changed, it’s not suitable to meet him again. Let us wait in the dense forest, I only want to confirm whether it is that old friend or not."

"Should we avoid meeting him now, does he have... problems?" The maid’s mouth dropped open in astonishment.

One of the golden armored men spoke up: "Miss, we should move further away. Lord Meng is venturing deep into the mountains to help you obtain branches from the Black and White Ancient Tree, in case the negotiation fails..."

...

Behind Jinji Ridge, Qin Ming was riding on the Purple Lightning Beast and saw a large expanse of Wutong trees and even a big bird nest, where an Exotic Bird rested quietly, not too large, just over three meters long, lying still in the nest.

The nest, built with Wutong tree branches on the ground, had only a few shining golden feathers on the Exotic Bird, as most parts were bare and its body looked skinny, seemingly quite old.

"Come feel, is this a ferocious bird that has mutated five times?" Qin Ming tapped the Purple Lightning Beast’s head with his long spear.

When it comes to sensitivity to Alien Species, mutant beasts understood each other the best. He asked the Purple Lightning Beast, wanting to confirm.

This Purple Lightning Beast was very Spiritual, fully able to understand his words. Although unwilling to inform, it eventually complied and nodded.

"So this is the foundation of Jinji Ridge, no wonder it’s named so, there’s a five-times mutated Old Golden Chicken." Qin Ming revealed a look of surprise; the state of the old bird seemed not very good, and its feathers were falling off.

Earlier, the four mountain bandits who had fled were right beside the Wutong Nest, acting very nervous in front of the Old Golden Chicken, even terrified.

The surviving bandit stood in front of the Wutong Nest, saying: "Although you, Senior, have warned us not to allow anyone to disturb, the stakes of life and death are high, Jinji Ridge is about to be annihilated, we had no choice but to come here to seek help."

It was evident he was also on edge, fearing Old Golden Chicken would target him.

Because this ferocious bird had reached its old age, it was completely out of control, no longer heeding their words, and their tributes became pointless.

It now focused single-mindedly on emulating the Phoenix Blood Exotic Bird’s rumored Nirvana Technique, wishing to make its final attempt here, to succeed and transform into a six-times mutated being, or to fail and die miserably on the spot.

The bandit from Jinji Ridge knew it would surely fail; it knew nothing of the Nirvana Technique, and its sparse Phoenix Blood was insufficient to push it further.

Old Golden Chicken glared viciously at the bandit, then looked towards the man and beast in front with excessive malevolence, its few remaining gold feathers bristling.

Anyone who obstructed its "Nirvana" would be torn to shreds. With little chance left, it needed only the slightest hope but still faced disturbance, causing its fury to surge.

"Are you laying eggs down there?" Qin Ming asked with a hoarse voice.

He quickly whispered to the Purple Lightning Beast: "If I can’t beat it, you can outrun it, right?"

Inside the Wutong Nest, Old Golden Chicken flew into a rage, its name as fitting as ever with goosebumps all over, as it stood up and emitted a loud Golden Chicken crowing.

"You might as well die; the Senior is a Male Phoenix, how dare you insult it like that..." spoke one of the still living mountain bandits, obviously trying to curry favor with Old Golden Chicken.

However, such flattery fell flat, as the ferocious bird in the Wutong Nest now swung between moods, lashing out at everyone.

After it lunged out, it executed a Phoenix Single Wing move, with the other robust chicken leg kicking sideways, sending the four bandits flying away with "puff" sounds.

It was not a mere sidekick; its sharp claws instantly pierced through the men, causing bloody injuries, some with guts spilling out, others holding their hearts with huge cavities in their chests, lying on the ground, wailing in agony, one of them dying on the spot.

Even the surviving bandit’s expression changed drastically as he quickly retreated but was still a step too late. Old Golden Chicken performed a Phoenix Single Wing, its bare wings gleaming. Although it didn’t hit him squarely, it sliced open his armor, leaving a large gash on his chest.

Old Golden Chicken was ruthless, eager to end the interference and continue with its Nirvana process, killing anyone who hindered its twilight years.

It moved as fast as lightning, giving the bandit another claw strike, flinging him seven or eight meters away, piercing his thigh and leaving it a muddled mess of flesh and broken bone.

It was mainly because the bandit had been severely wounded by Qin Ming before, or he wouldn’t have been taken down so quickly.

Qin Ming watched, his eyes wide open, thinking, "How come this Old Golden Chicken feels like a ’practitioner’? It strikes decisively and with precision, as if it’s skilled in human combat techniques."