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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 66: [From Now On, I Live Only for Myself]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Qin Ming's head throbbed violently, as if a dull axe were repeatedly striking his skull, leaving him feeling like his head was about to shatter.
His vision darkened, and the pain threatened to overwhelm him.
He took a deep breath, but it did little to calm him. His feet stumbled, his emotions surged like a raging fire, burning him from within.
"Why did they do this to me?" he whispered through the agony.
He had entertained countless suspicions, but never imagined his parents would order Cui Hong to do this to him.
The revelation felt like his heart was being torn apart piece by piece, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.
The pain far surpassed even the agony of having his arm broken and skull fractured by the Feather-Robed Youth's glowing purple bamboo staff.
Qin Ming staggered backward, fragmented memories flooding his mind.
No wonder, during his third awakening, he had dipped his finger in coarse tea and written the character "(abandon)" on the table.
Now, he recalled more.
Before the Feather-Robed Youth found him, when he still lived in that peaceful village, he had silently written the same character "(abandon)" on that fateful night.
Even as the village was engulfed in a sudden inferno, as hordes of skilled warriors breached its defenses, and the air thundered with battle cries, he remained silent.
Facing this life-or-death calamity, he watched calmly, not uttering a single word.
"Had I already lost the will to speak at that time? Did I sense what was coming? Was it utter despair? Perhaps also heartache and loss?" Qin Ming stood in the desert, enduring the searing pain in his head, feeling as if he were tearing open an old wound, reliving the torment once more.
He clearly saw his past self, even as the flames threatened to consume him, his expression remained unchanged.
In the end, he even gazed at the horizon with a sense of relief, staring into the dark night sky, as if he had finally let go of everything.
"In my final moments, did I actually feel a sense of relief? I had imagined this moment before, but when it finally arrived, I was already able to face it with composure."
Qin Ming stood in the desert, his eyes bloodshot, staring at his past self.
He felt resentment, defiance, and indignation for the person he had been two years ago—emotions surging from the depths of his heart.
"Young Master Chonghe, what's wrong?" Cui Hong asked, his voice filled with concern as he saw Qin Ming's distress.
He moved to approach him.
"Don't come any closer!" Qin Ming said in a low, strained voice.
Before him stretched an endless inferno, the burning rafters having nearly crushed him.
In that moment, he had cared nothing for life or death.
Two years ago, for reasons he couldn't fathom, he had let out a final sigh, as if relinquishing everything.
But now, he couldn't bear to let go!
"Did being nearly killed by that Feather-Robed Youth erase so many memories that I can't let go of the past? Why can't I understand why I found peace at the last moment that night two years ago?"
Qin Ming stood in the desert, enduring the searing pain as he struggled to recall the past.
Fragmented scenes surged back, like a dense forest of spears or a cold array of swords, relentlessly attacking his mind, threatening to tear him apart.
Another night. He saw many people.
This must have been an earlier memory, before he encountered the Feather-Robed Youth.
Surrounded by a large crowd, he was parting ways with members of the Cui Clan.
Across from him stood a middle-aged couple, watching him board a bronze chariot engraved with cloud patterns.
The middle-aged man remained silent, his presence radiating authority. His eyes seemed to pierce through hearts, calmly observing Qin Ming's departure.
The woman, appearing to be in her early thirties, wore a magnificent palace gown. Her cloud-like hair was styled in an elaborate updo, secured with a golden feather hairpin that shimmered with flowing light. Her exquisite face showed no emotion as she watched Qin Ming's journey begin.
Nearby, many vigorous elders, seemingly intimidated by the couple's aura, maintained a respectful distance, feeling uneasy if they drew too close.
At that moment, Qin Ming couldn't resist glancing back.
He saw only their retreating figures as the middle-aged couple led their entourage away.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Though the memory was fragmented and blurry, Qin Ming could clearly sense the intense emotions he had felt then—as if facing a life-or-death separation, filled with reluctance, profound loss, and lingering resentment.
"Chonghe, are you alright?" Cui Hong asked, his face etched with concern.
Qin Ming looked at him and replied, "The truth is, I'm doing quite well now. It would be even better if you hadn't reappeared!"
His headache had subsided somewhat.
He touched his face and found tear streaks he hadn't realized were there.
Annoyed, he wiped them away roughly.
"Such cheap sentiment has no place in my life now," he thought. "The past is gone, discarded. What's there to cry about?"
Qin Ming's expression remained impassive as he said, "I always wondered if I'd wronged you in some way. But now I'm certain I haven't betrayed you or the Cui Clan. Yet you've come seeking me out again. What do you want?"
Cui Hong replied, "I came here for two reasons: to obtain the Yin-Yang Elixir and to discuss your situation. We've arranged a residence for you with guards to protect you, Young Master. There's no need for you to venture into the outside world and risk your life."
"You think you can decide my future with a single sentence?!" Qin Ming's eyes sharpened, tinged with red.
He had endured so much—near-fatal injuries, covered in blood, freezing like a beggar in the snow.
If the people of Twin Tree Village hadn't taken him in, he would have died long ago.
Now, with a casual remark, they wanted to confine him to this remote place forever.
On what grounds?
Everything he had now—his strength, his skills, his very life—he had earned by risking it all in the mountains, without a single resource from the Cui Clan.
Cui Hong fell silent, guilt and reluctance surging within him again.
But this was his mission; how could he return without completing it?
After a long pause, he spoke earnestly, "Chonghe, you must have switched to practicing the local Awakening Techniques, right?"
"After all, without the guidance of predecessors, the techniques in the Silk Book are impossible to master."
"These local Awakening Techniques are hardly profound; even with relentless effort, you'll never achieve true greatness."
"At best, you'll become a local expert in this region. If you ever venture beyond this place, you'll be overshadowed, a mere footnote among the true powerhouses of the world."
"So, why not cut your losses now, abandon the Awakening path entirely, and live a peaceful, prosperous life here? You'll be protected and cared for."
"What's wrong with that?"
Qin Ming's anger flared.
His path, his life—what right did anyone have to dictate it?
He demanded, "If I undergo awakening, whether through the Silk Book's methods or any other Awakening Techniques, you'll be ordered to stop me, to attack me, is that right?"
Cui Hong remained silent.
"My parents' decision..." Qin Ming stared into the dark desert, a profound sense of helplessness mingling with his boundless fury.
The past hardships had forced him to confront death directly, even to the point of having died once already.
Yet he had never felt fear or dread.
But this blade of familial betrayal and human nature had pierced his defenses.
Though the fragmented, incomplete, and missing scenes flashed before him, Qin Ming vaguely understood something from the character "(abandon)".
Whether he was a discarded pawn or a mere chess piece, the realization made his breath come in ragged gasps.
He couldn't reconcile himself to this truth.
He was certain he had not only never wronged the Cui Clan, but had even risked his life for them, surviving against all odds only to be exiled to this remote place.
Flames danced before Qin Ming's eyes, blurring visions flickering across his mind.
He grew increasingly convinced that many in the Cui Clan had known in advance what would happen that night.
"Were they pushing me forward to bear the brunt of the disaster?"
He couldn't understand why, even after he had fallen to such depths, the Cui Clan—specifically his parents—would still resort to such measures.
What he had once dismissed as illusion was gradually solidifying into reality.
How desperate he must have been in the past to believe life was all a false, a patchwork of lies, because the foundations of his faith had crumbled.
Cui Hong remained silent, stepping forward.
Though regret lingered in his heart, he prepared to strike.
"Can you tell me everything I've been through?" Qin Ming suddenly asked, pointing to his head. "You must have witnessed that night firsthand. The Feather-Robed Youth shattered my skull in three places, and I've forgotten so much. If you're going to kill me, at least let me understand why."
"What?" Cui Hong's expression shifted dramatically, his face twisting with shock, self-reproach, and guilt.
"I didn't realize you'd lost your memories. This is our fault. We should have arrived sooner. I'm so sorry, Young Master, Chonghe."
His voice trembled with emotion as he continued, "Chonghe, I came here not to kill you, but to dissolve your Awakening Methods. From now on, no one will target you. You can marry and raise a family here, free from conflict!"
"What's the difference between that and killing me? I want to walk the Awakening Path—it's the future I chose for myself. What right do you have to sever it?" Qin Ming's voice rose. "I've completely forgotten my past, leaving only fragmented memories. What more could you possibly fear?"
"How could this happen?!" An exclamation rang out from the rugged path at the edge of the desert as Li Qingyue, clad in a feathered robe, appeared.
Beside her stood her maidservant, two golden-armored guards, and Meng Xinghai, the new City Lord of Chi Xia City.
The desert fell silent.
Cui Hong didn't retreat, his gaze fixed on the youth before him.
Realizing that the confrontation was inevitable, Qin Ming spoke, "Even the humblest families, my neighbors—ordinary couples—can raise their children with love and warmth, willing to give their lives to protect them."
"A thousand-year-old clan?"
"From this moment forward, we have no further ties. Let us sever all connections."
At that moment, a voice seemed to sigh within Qin Ming's heart, telling him it was all in the past.
They were his parents; he shouldn't blame them anymore. It was right for him to make sacrifices.
He should just leave and move on.
But now, he shook his head, unable to find peace.
"I've already died once," Qin Ming shouted into the desert.
"From now on, I am no longer Cui Chonghe. The man who lives again is Qin Ming, and from this moment forward, I will live only for myself!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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