Volume 1 Chapter 8 My Cheat

Qin Zheng lunged forward with resolute determination, but a wisp of pale blue flame arrived faster, slamming into the chest of the "Ma Hua" with a muffled thud.

The creature’s chest hair instantly turned charred and black, yet it suffered no injury. However, visible to the naked eye, the creature’s expression shifted from anger to hesitation, and finally, to sheer terror.

As the air whistled with the force of the movement, Qin Zheng’s fist was nearly pressed against the creature’s body. Unexpectedly, the "Ma Hua" shoved off with its forelimbs, performed a backflip, and then another, bolting away until it vanished from Qin Zheng’s sight.

"It... it fled?"

Qin Zheng stood there, stunned and suspicious. He looked at Xie Qingluan, who had retracted her small flame and wore an equally bewildered expression. "It really is afraid of you. Well, afraid of this flame of yours!"

Xie Qingluan’s face tightened. She bit her lower lip and whispered, "This is a divine fire gifted by my teacher, but I am only at the seventh rank; I cannot unleash its true power. I didn't even manage to harm the monster's physical body..."

Her delicate brows furrowed as she grew suspicious again. "Besides, just like before, that monster was staring at you the entire time, as if it were guarding against you. It didn't even spare me a glance!"

*Could it really be afraid of me? But I’m just an ordinary Qin Conan...*

Qin Zheng didn't dare to delve deeper, fearing his secret as a transmigrator would be exposed, leading to him being handed over to the state for dissection and research. He immediately glanced at Xie Qingluan and went on the offensive: "How did you lead the way? Didn't you say Yang Fengqing left through here?"

"He did leave through here! But I never said he killed all the monsters before leaving!"

Xie Qingluan was successfully distracted, arguing with conviction: "You think his phrase, 'When the Xiuchun Blade is drawn, ghosts and gods retreat,' was mere boasting? That is his supernatural ability! As long as he uses it at the mouth of this tunnel, he can trap the monsters!"

She then muttered to herself, "I only realized it after seeing the monster. I didn't know beforehand that he would use this ability to trap them instead of slaughtering them all..."

Qin Zheng stood dumbfounded, casting a look of pity at Xie Qingluan. *Junior sister, this is a matter of life and death; how could you be so careless!*

He didn't argue with her, instead hesitating over their current predicament. With a "Ma Hua" in front and another behind, were they truly reduced to waiting here for rescue? What if the creature decided to return?

Xie Qingluan suddenly realized she had been led astray by Qin Zheng. A green light flashed in her eyes—her "Qi-Gazing Technique" activated—as she scrutinized Qin Zheng’s five internal energies.

A moment later, her small mouth parted in astonishment. "Your emotions—why are they hunger and even excitement?"

*Hunger?*

Qin Zheng thought of the pile of flesh and blood mangled by Cui Guangyuan and felt a wave of nausea. He retorted, "My drumstick was kicked away by the jailer, and I haven't had a drop of water since this morning. Can I not be hungry?"

Xie Qingluan shook her head, correcting him, "The Qi-Gazing Technique observes your emotions, not your stomach!"

Qin Zheng looked around, choosing not to dwell on the topic, but his heart suddenly skipped a beat. If Yang Fengqing had blocked the tunnel exit, trapping the "Ma Hua," wouldn't they inevitably encounter it again?

"Quick, let's head back!"

Qin Zheng grabbed Xie Qingluan and ran, hoping to reunite with the group of Dali Temple clerks. After all, there was safety in numbers; if they couldn't outrun the "Ma Hua," they could at least outrun the clerks.

Just then, a thunderous "boom" echoed through the tunnel, shaking the very ground.

The "Ma Hua" reappeared. However, it no longer moved stealthily. Its scarlet gaze was no longer fixed on Qin Zheng; instead, it charged with heavy, mountain-crushing steps, galloping on all fours like a fierce, fearless Spartan warrior, heading straight for them.

Crushed stones flew in its wake, and the creature’s aura grew increasingly manic and murderous.

Qin Zheng’s heart jumped. He pulled Xie Qingluan along in a wild sprint. This was not the close-quarters encounter they had faced before; if they could just reach the central chamber and utilize the other tunnels, they might still have a chance.

But the "Ma Hua" suddenly accelerated. In one leap, it caught up to Xie Qingluan, who was trailing behind Qin Zheng. It swung its fan-sized right paw, extending claws as sharp as daggers from its pads, and swiped down at her!

Xie Qingluan’s face turned stern as she shook her small alchemy furnace.

The furnace spun and shot out, colliding with the creature's claws with a sharp metallic "ding" that showered sparks like clashing steel! Simultaneously, the wisp of pale blue flame surged out, wrapping around the creature's paw. It seemed to unleash its full potential, emitting the charred, savory scent of "roasted monkey paws."

Regrettably, despite two consecutive blocks, the creature’s right paw still swept downward with unstoppable force, slamming into Xie Qingluan’s chest and sending her flying past Qin Zheng to crash heavily onto the ground ahead!

The "Ma Hua" bent its knees and leaped. Ignoring Qin Zheng, it raised its filthy paw toward Xie Qingluan once more!

In that split second, with Xie Qingluan in mortal danger, Qin Zheng’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts—

I can't save her. I'm just a ninth-rank martial artist; rushing forward would be suicide...
I am a smart man; smart men don't play the hero or make pointless sacrifices...
Besides, I'm Qin Conan; I didn't even know her a day ago...

Yet, as he looked at the creature’s vicious claw and saw Xie Qingluan, nearly unconscious and breathing faintly, a sudden realization struck him—*So, I’m just a lecherous scoundrel after all!*

In an instant, Qin Zheng sank into a stance and clenched his fist. He pressed his right thumb against the first knuckle of his index finger, causing the second knuckle to protrude like a sharp spike. Meanwhile, the tendons in his legs snapped like a taut crossbow, propelling him forward to meet the "Ma Hua." He slammed his right fist directly into the creature’s exposed throat!

*I can't shatter its throat, but I can block it for the slug...*

Qin Zheng thought powerlessly, intending to use the recoil to jump back, grab Xie Qingluan, and flee.

But then, the unexpected happened. At the tip of his spike-like knuckle, a beam of orange flame suddenly appeared. It was the size of a bean, unremarkable and plain, yet it instantly wrapped around the creature’s throat, then its neck, and finally engulfed its entire body.

Without any warning, the creature’s outstretched paw froze before Xie Qingluan’s chest. Its body rapidly withered. In the panic of its scarlet eyes, it let out a few incomprehensible, guttural cries before suddenly collapsing into a pile of fly ash!

*Did I cremate the "Ma Hua"?*

Qin Zheng stared in shock at the creature that had been reduced to nothingness, then at the ashes on the ground, and finally at the small orange flame dancing on his knuckle.

It looked like a flame burning on an ordinary candle—low temperature, dim light, no strange brilliance—yet it had cremated the monster in an instant. It had even devoured the creature’s body, along with Xie Qingluan’s alchemy furnace and her pale blue divine fire.

Under Qin Zheng’s gaze, the small flame enveloped the furnace and the divine fire, as if digesting them. The flame grew by an imperceptible margin, while the furnace and the fire vanished without a trace.

Then, the small flame retreated silently back into Qin Zheng’s knuckle, devoid of heat or any anomaly.

*What is going on!*

Qin Zheng swallowed hard, staring blankly at his knuckle where the flame had disappeared, his mind in total chaos.

My family’s martial arts are battlefield combat techniques. They don't require opening the "Heavenly Gate"; one only needs to strike with the sound of thunder to shatter a soul...
My mother said our techniques were the most inferior and must never be spread, lest we be mocked!
Bah! That was clearly a lie to fool the "Qin Academic Failure"; the "never spread" part was the only truth!
But my family's techniques only produce a thunderous sound, and even at their peak, they only harm the enemy’s soul while hitting the body.
Yet, as a ninth-rank martial artist, I can't even produce the thunderous sound, so how did I produce fire?
And it didn't just harm the soul; it wiped the enemy out of existence and even devoured the girl's furnace and divine fire...
No, that's not right. The "Qin Academic Failure" never saw this flame. It looks exactly like the one I lit during the spirit-summoning ceremony before I transmigrated.

Qin Zheng closed his eyes to recall the memory, becoming more certain. It was indeed the flame from the ceremony—the final memory of his previous life, etched deep in his heart.

*Did I bring it with me when I transmigrated?*
*No, that's not right. It’s more likely that it transmigrated and brought me here!*
*But where is it hiding now?*

Qin Zheng realized what to do. Following his family's techniques, he began to look inward, his eyes half-closed, leaving only a sliver of light.

In an instant, his consciousness entered a vast, boundless expanse—his sea of consciousness.

Within the sea, the orange flame floated, burning on its own, like the only light in an infinite void.

Qin Zheng’s heart hammered. He tried, "System?"
The flame remained as steady as a rock, offering no response.
Qin Zheng scratched his head and tried again, "Old Medicinal Master?"
The flame continued to admire its own reflection, burning away without a stir.
Qin Zheng pondered for a moment and tried, "God of Wealth?"

The flame floated on, utterly unresponsive.

Qin Zheng persisted, tirelessly cycling through a hundred different ways to greet the flame in his brain, but the result was nil.

His lips twitched, his teeth aching. *Is the command word wrong?*

Just then, he heard Xie Qingluan groan, "Qin Zheng, what are you staring at?"

Qin Zheng had no time to experiment. He looked at the listless girl, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, and asked with concern, "Are you alright? Does your chest hurt? Do you want me to rub it for you?"

"You... you lecher!"

Xie Qingluan’s face flushed red. She coughed violently and whimpered, "I have a protective artifact from the Imperial Observatory; I only suffered some internal injuries. We must hurry... wait, where is my Purple Gold Furnace? Where is my Guanghan Flame?"

The girl suddenly became agitated, scrambling to her feet. Her expression was more panicked than when she faced the monster. She muttered, "My Purple Gold Furnace, my Guanghan Flame—why can't I sense them anymore?"

"Your Purple Gold Furnace and Guanghan Flame..."

Qin Zheng looked at her, feeling a twinge of guilt. He let out a heavy sigh. "To protect their master, they perished with that monster! They were utterly destroyed, leaving not even a trace behind. It was truly heroic..."

*So they were called the Purple Gold Furnace and Guanghan Flame—what terrible names!*

Xie Qingluan was distraught, looking lost. "Utterly destroyed? But those were divine objects my teacher searched the world to find for me. How could they be destroyed? Besides, they have no sentience, and the material of the Purple Gold Furnace couldn't possibly leave no trace..."

Her eyes scanned the ground, searching inch by inch as if looking for the most precious treasure.

"What is a divine object? A divine object must have its miracles!"

Qin Zheng said with certainty, his tone steady. "They gained sentience at the critical moment and fought to the death against the monster. But they are gone now; you must accept your grief."

As he spoke, he swayed and coughed heavily, partly intentional and partly because he was truly exhausted after the harrowing day.

Xie Qingluan was startled again. "Are you hurt?"

"When I saved you, I took a few hits from that monster..."

Qin Zheng’s expression faded rapidly, his gaze deep and poignant. "A mere flesh wound, not worth mentioning. Even if I don't survive this, don't be sad. It’s just a pity that I couldn't fulfill my mother’s wish to find her a daughter-in-law and continue the Qin family line..."

He was just about to reach out and put his arm around her waist when a flash of blade light cut through the tunnel.

A Xiuchun blade whistled through the air, vibrating with murderous intent. It hesitated for a moment before plunging straight into the ground, its hilt trembling as the residual force rippled outward.

Then, Yang Fengqing’s voice came, full of suspicion: "The last monster is dead too?"

His form appeared before them almost simultaneously with his voice. He looked at Xie Qingluan and asked hesitantly, "Did someone from the Star-Plucking Tower intervene?"

He then glanced at Cui Guangyuan, who lay like a dead dog in the center of the Dali Temple clerks, and sneered, "A scholar trying to imitate us martial artists by engaging in close-quarters combat with a monster!"

Qin Zheng quickly interrupted, gasping for breath, "My Lord, there is another monster outside the exit of the Jiaofang Division's secret chamber!"

"I already slaughtered it!"

Yang Fengqing said, not without pride. He held up ten fingers, then quickly lowered them, shaking his head. "Twelve monsters, all executed! This outcast of the Legalist school killed three, but ended up like this after just one blow!"

Qin Zheng finally let out a long, slow breath...

*The case is finally over. I, Qin Conan, the amateur Sherlock, have finally escaped death!*
*Finally, I can get some rest and figure out what that little flame in my sea of consciousness is all about!*
*How exactly does one activate this long-overdue cheat code...*

Yang Fengqing patted his shoulder, smiling. "Let's head back to the Jiaofang Division first. Those courtesans have been crying ever since we rescued them; you need to comfort them! There are also over a hundred young nuns and entertainers from the brothels!"