Chapter Fifty-Five: The Detective and an Acquaintance

However, he had underestimated Qi’s abilities, failing to understand them and thus making the wrong decision at the critical moment. Under Si Dawn’s horrified gaze, Qi revealed a strange smile, as if he had been waiting for this moment, then suddenly erupted with double his speed. The diamond fist was as sharp as a dagger, piercing straight into Si Dawn’s terrified brow.

Si Dawn’s frightened and unwilling eyes dimmed instantly. The last thing he saw was the Crystal Rainbow Sword plunging into his opponent’s skull, and his expression before his fall held a trace of relief and confusion.

Once again, Qi’s head was pierced through. He silently withdrew the Crystal Rainbow Sword, its glow fading. Why was it that his head was always the target for mockery? It seemed he was always getting shot in the head or repeatedly roasted. Could it be… that he was so handsome the heavens envied him?

Of course, that couldn’t be the case. Without a nearly immortal ability to recover, Qi wouldn’t have let his enemies hit such a deadly spot so easily.

His greatest foe vanquished, Qi felt elated. Carrying Si Dawn’s corpse to the ground, he first retrieved the red shield that had fallen nearby. This was a valuable item; it had withstood Qi’s frenzied attacks without a scratch. At the very least, it was a high-grade defensive artifact, likely on par with the flying Crystal Rainbow Sword.

“Every time I defeat an opponent, I end up looting their corpse. Why does this feel like monsters dropping loot in a game? Wait, Si Dawn—wasn’t he just a minor boss? Damn, this must be some joke orchestrated by a lunatic, putting such an easter egg in this dull place.” Qi muttered as he collected the storage pouch and summoned the Qi Codex.

After forcibly stuffing the corpse inside, he gained several dozen energy points. Having destroyed all evidence, Qi examined his spoils with satisfaction. Aside from various unknown bottles, pills, and talismans, the Qi Codex identified a superior artifact: the Flame Armor Shield, and a top-quality flying sword: the Crystal Rainbow Sword. There were also two mid-grade flying swords. Altogether, the items were worth about fifteen hundred.

Through his experiences, Qi had learned a few tricks: the more complex and larger, the more energy-rich an item, the more valuable it was. For instance, the last time he captured the living spirit beast Arrow Peng Snake, it was worth fifteen hundred as well, which in the cultivation world equaled the price of a high-grade artifact.

“So, where do I go next? I have no goal, no plan.” Qi stood motionless, temporarily trying to map out his path forward. He took out the jade slip with the simplified map marked by the Qi Codex and pressed it to his brow to scan the nearby area. This was his first time scanning information like this, and the novelty intrigued him. After a while, Qi decided on a temporary destination: the nearest cultivator marketplace, in a small city a hundred miles south of Qi Country.

His understanding of the cultivation world was still limited to descriptions in fantasy tales. Without a thorough grasp of this world, it would be difficult to decide his next move. Intelligence was crucial.

Once his thoughts were organized, Qi prepared to take flight. But suddenly, a terrifying pressure swept from afar, enveloping him. It felt as though he had returned to the moment when Si Dawn had forced him out of this world.

This pressure was far more intense than what he had felt from Si Dawn, though fortunately, it wasn’t directed at him nor did it carry malicious intent—it was simply pure force. Qi could endure it.

Compared to Lingmeng, however, this spiritual might was somewhat lacking. Wait—he had forgotten about Lingmeng. He hadn’t said goodbye to her. Oh well, since that world’s time had frozen, when he returned she wouldn’t even know he’d left. He just wondered when that would be.

Before such a powerful figure, running would be futile; waiting obediently was the only wise choice. Not that Qi feared too much now—if necessary, he could hide in his original time-space. He doubted the mighty cultivator would stay posted waiting for a mere third-layer Qi-refining novice to reappear.

Qi stood respectfully for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Then, a green rainbow streaked across the sky, arriving in the blink of an eye. Even if Qi used his full strength, he couldn’t match that speed. The rainbow descended, revealing three figures: two women and a man. Qi’s gaze first fell not on the cold, powerful woman in the lead, nor the handsome man, but on the familiar silhouette of the second woman.

The girl was equally surprised to see him here. But her expression soon returned to calm, bearing the same chilly demeanor as the leading woman.

“Greetings, Senior,” Qi said, bowing slightly to the cold woman.

“What happened here?” she asked lightly.

“I’m not entirely sure, Senior. I noticed some commotion and came to investigate, but found nothing. Then you arrived.” Strength commanded respect, and Qi felt no resentment or humiliation in showing deference to someone so much stronger.

The cold woman had rushed over because she sensed the battle of foundation-stage cultivators; in such a remote area, the only nearby power was the Qi Sect branch. Any duel above foundation stage was usually related to Qi Sect disciples, and as an elder of Qi Sect, she couldn’t ignore it.

Her spiritual sense swept the area, noting the sparse traces of battle—but for someone of her level, it was enough. “Was the person you killed a member of Qi Sect?”

The simple, pointed question startled Qi, but he remained calm and shook his head without betraying any emotion. “I just arrived here, Senior. I’m not sure what you mean.”

The cold woman glanced at him. “You’re a physically strong martial cultivator, and your opponent was a mid-stage foundation cultivator of the fire element. The battle lasted for a quarter of an hour. Though I don’t know how you concealed your cultivation from Bai, the marks on your clothes and the footprints on the ground—left after a burst of force—make it clear you fought a fire-element cultivator just now.” She calmly pointed out Qi’s flaws.

Qi looked down at his clothes in surprise; the spots where he’d been entwined by the fire dragon were now yellowed and wrinkled, even in ordinary attire after returning to this world. Even diamonds couldn’t protect ordinary clothes from the heat.

He forced a smile, then glanced at the footprint on the ground—the one he’d left during his initial surprise attack on Si Dawn. It matched his perfectly. He was cornered, unable to explain it away. Was she a detective or what? Compared to her, Conan and Kindaichi were amateurs.

She must be a disciple of Qi Sect as well. Yet, faced with such obvious evidence, she hadn’t attacked him outright. Could she be a reasonable, fair-minded person?

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