Chapter 2: Eternal Night

That day, the sun set and never rose again...

...

...

Eternal night, the world was pitch black, as if an unfathomable abyss was going to swallow everything.

Daylight had long since become a thing of the past, now a legend.

The vast frozen land, with cold winds howling and blizzards falling, piled up to half a person's height on the ground.

Shuangshu Village was half-buried in snow.

There were only about forty to fifty households here, a village seemingly forgotten by time, with the houses' outlines barely visible in the dark.

In the howling wind, many of the rooftops were slightly shaking, as if they were about to be torn off.

Qin Ming was very weak and had just been woken by hunger, his stomach growling non-stop. In the cold night, just thinking about any kind of food made him swallow in anticipation.

Not to mention steaming hot meat, or fresh fruit, even thinking about a cold, hard flatbread made his mouth water, and saliva gathered in his mouth.

The cold weather made the inside and outside of the house feel suffocatingly dark.

Qin Ming wrapped himself in the old quilt, but even the warmth from the heated bed couldn't stop the outside chill. The cold air, as it entered his lungs, felt like ice shards scraping through, slightly painful.

He tried to control himself and stop thinking about food, otherwise, the acid in his stomach would start to rise.

After calming his emotions, he suddenly realized that his mind was clearer now, no longer groggy like before. Could it be that the "strange illness" was going away?

Though he was suffering from hunger and cold, the long-term illness seemed to be showing signs of improvement. His eyes shone with hope, waiting for "shallow night" to arrive.

As time passed, the wind slowed down, and the snowflakes that had been blown around gradually became scattered small snowflakes.

There was movement from the neighboring yard, and voices were heard. It was the young couple, Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing.

"Where are you going? Are you going to deliver food to Qin Ming again?" Liang Wanqing's voice rose slightly.

"He was very ill, just sixteen or seventeen, living all alone. It's really pitiful," Lu Ze said in a low voice.

"Do you know that we don't have much food left at home? If this continues, the kids will starve!" Liang Wanqing said, her voice full of emotion.

"The snowstorm has stopped, we'll find a way to solve it," Lu Ze said, staring at the pitch-black world.

---

Qin Ming heard the couple's argument and felt guilty. He didn't want to accept Lu Ze's kindness anymore, as everyone was struggling in such times.

He had already gotten out of bed, put on a cotton coat, but still felt cold. He pulled out an old animal skin coat from the cupboard, wrapped himself in it, and walked around, rubbing his hands in the dark room.

After recovering from the illness, his tall body had become a bit thinner, and his once lustrous black hair had lost some of its shine. His delicate face looked slightly pale, but his clear eyes still shone brightly, showing a determined aura despite the illness.

A month ago, he had barely escaped from the mountains, and his hands and feet had started to turn black. He had been seriously ill ever since.

As for the companions he had traveled with, they had all died upon returning that day.

Qin Ming had been plagued by a "strange illness," and many believed he wouldn't survive.

But here he was, still alive, and clearly improving.

Thinking about the unknown dangers of the mountain, he still felt a lingering fear.

The darkness outside changed, as if ink was dropping into a small amount of water, turning lighter. "Shallow night" had come, signaling the arrival of "daytime."

Clearly, it was only slightly better than "deep night." The whole world remained a blur, and distant objects were hard to see clearly.

The yard gate opened, and Lu Ze appeared, his strong body clearing the snow with a shovel, quickly making a path toward the door.

Qin Ming opened the door, which had been blocked by snow, and called out, "Lu Ge."

Lu Ze was carrying a glowing cloth bag and poured a pile of red stones into a stone basin in the snow. The stones clinked as they fell, and their glow cut through the night.

These were "Sun Stones," their name symbolizing people's hopes in this era. Now, they lit up the courtyard.

Lu Ze was surprised. "Qin Ming, you seem to be in much better spirits."

Qin Ming invited him into the house and honestly told him that he was no longer groggy, and he was probably recovering.

Lu Ze said that he was strong, surviving the "strange illness" from the mountains was no easy feat. He then poured the remaining glowing stones from the bag into a copper basin inside the house, instantly filling the room with light. The Sun Stones came from "Fire Springs," and though their flames were strong, they were far from as hot as the human body. After several hours, they would automatically extinguish and needed to be returned to the "Fire Springs" to be recharged.

"Here!" Lu Ze handed over a food box.

Qin Ming had been ill for a month, and the food he had stocked up was long gone. He had been relying on Lu Ze's help. After overhearing their argument earlier, knowing their own situation wasn't great, he felt guilty.

"Eat while it's hot." Lu Ze was a straightforward person, always showing gratitude. It was Qin Ming who had repeatedly called out his name to guide him back when he had gotten lost in the endless dark forest.

Looking at the steaming hot black flatbread, the intense hunger made Qin Ming's mouth water.

"Why are you standing there? You're still recovering. You can't recover on an empty stomach. Don't be too polite!" Lu Ze directly placed the food box in his hands.

"Lu Ge!" Finally, Qin Ming didn't hold back. He tore off a piece of bread. It was rough, but he devoured it hungrily, feeling a sweetness fill his mouth.

"If you need anything, call me." Lu Ze turned and left.

As the hunger receded, Qin Ming felt even more energetic. The discomfort in his body disappeared, and he was certain that the illness would soon be gone.

He thought he should get some fresh air and stretch his legs. He pushed open the door and stepped out onto the street, where the cold air was especially biting. His breath turned to white mist as he exhaled.

Shallow night, the "daytime" of this era, had arrived, and the glow from the Sun Stones was flowing in every house, casting a faint light on the streets.

"Qin Ming, is your health better?" someone called out to him.

"Little Qin, let me have a look." Old Granny Zhou from the North Street grabbed him, inspecting him closely and noticing that his complexion had improved significantly since the last time they met.

Qin Ming smiled and greeted them, assuring them that he was recovering quickly.

There weren't many people on the street, but those who were there had a look of disbelief. Could the "strange illness" really be cured?

"Little Qin, even if you're getting better, don't rush to go outside. It's dangerous out there now," Old Granny Zhou reminded him, her gaze drifting to the black world beyond the village.

Other neighbors also showed worried expressions. The year had been tough, and food was scarce. If this continued, people would starve.

Qin Ming noticed that the once kind and gentle Old Granny Zhou now looked pale, and her body was frail. The wind seemed like it could blow her over.

After the others left, Old Granny Zhou carefully pulled a few dried yams from her pocket and stuffed them into Qin Ming's hand.

Qin Ming quickly pushed them back. The elderly woman looked like she had been suffering from hunger herself. How could he accept food from her?

Each household had cleared the roads near their homes, but not thoroughly. There was still snow, and it made a crunching sound when stepped on. Qin Ming exhaled mist as he walked forward.

As he approached the village entrance, he stopped.

In front of a larger yard, there was a small grain mill. A black goat, about the height of an adult's shoulder, was pulling a stone mill, grinding small mutant wheat grains.

Not everyone was lacking food, as it seemed the family at the village entrance was doing well.

Qin Ming stared at the black goat, his eyes sharp. In these times, even getting enough food was a challenge. He hadn't eaten meat in a long time and felt an intense craving.

The black goat was quite tall, with thick horns, looking somewhat fierce. When it sensed Qin Ming's gaze, it seemed startled and dropped its tail.

"Little Qin, your health is better? You must have good fortune if you survived that calamity." A middle-aged man with a sturdy build and a beard stood at the gate, thinking Qin Ming was looking at the mutated grain under the millstone. He continued, "Our family has a lot of mouths to feed, and the food runs out quickly. This is our last batch of grain."

"Uncle Yang, you're impressive. Even in these hard times, you can take care of your whole family," Qin Ming said with a smile, though he didn't believe that the family only had one bag of silver wheat.

After greeting Yang Yongqing, Qin Ming continued his walk to the village entrance.

The "Fire Springs" were just ahead, casting a bright light nearby.

It was surrounded by a stone wall, forming a pool about a square yard in size. The stone walls were only knee-high, and inside, there was a fiery red glow.

Even in this snowstorm season, though the Fire Springs were close to running dry, no longer bubbling with water, the flames still swirled around.

Inside the pool were two trees. This was where Shuangshu Village got its name. One tree had black leaves, the other had white leaves, both of which did not wither in the winter cold.