Chapter Fifteen: Qin Xiaochuan's Tactics

“Die, you detestable human!”

Flying Flame raised his sword, preparing to end Qin Xiaochuan’s life as he hung motionless in midair, bound by the demon’s evil eye. Qin Xiaochuan struggled desperately, but the sinister power wrapped around his body rendered him completely immobile.

At that critical moment, a white shadow darted out of nowhere, suddenly blocking Flying Flame’s fatal thrust and taking the blow in Qin Xiaochuan’s place.

Flying Flame was stunned to see his sword pierce into White Shadow’s body—he could hardly believe White Shadow would sacrifice himself for a human.

“Flying Flame!” White Shadow roared, grasping the blade embedded in his own flesh with one hand while flinging his spurting blood with the other, splattering it onto Flying Flame’s evil eye on his forehead. Overwhelmed by the burning sting, the evil eye squeezed shut, unable to withstand the blood.

“White Shadow, you—ah! My eye! Damn it, it won’t open!”

“I can move!” Relief flooded Qin Xiaochuan as the binding force vanished and he dropped to the ground. He looked at White Shadow, who had shielded him, and said, “White Shadow, it’s you? Your—”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry. I’m a demon too—it’ll take more than this to kill me,” White Shadow answered with a faint smile. “That eye on Flying Flame’s forehead is an amplifier, a device for controlling the body. It’s also the source of his power. Now that I’ve blinded it with my blood, he can’t open it. This is your chance—finish him!” After a pause, White Shadow added, “I’m here to repay a debt. And as for that girl, leave her to me.”

“But your wound…” Qin Xiaochuan couldn’t help but worry, seeing the sword still lodged in White Shadow’s abdomen.

“It’s fine. I am a demon, remember? This sort of injury is nothing to me.”

“White Shadow! You traitor!” Flying Flame, scrubbing frantically at his blood-blinded face, managed to force one eye open, but the evil eye on his forehead remained stubbornly closed, flooded with blood. When he saw White Shadow standing with the humans, fury twisted his features. “You dare stand with humans? Unforgivable! I’ll kill you!”

He lunged forward, intent on dealing with his traitorous comrade first, but suddenly a figure flashed before him—Qin Xiaochuan barred his path. “Stop! Your opponent is me! Look over here.”

“Incredible…” Flying Flame was beginning to regret not killing this dangerous human sooner. “Every time you escape death, your spirit power grows. You really are a threat. I’ll use my full strength and end you now!”

He darted toward Qin Xiaochuan, landing a punch to the man’s face, then nimbly leapt aside, attacking again from another angle—a blow to Qin Xiaochuan’s body. ‘I can win! I still have the edge in speed and strength.’ The quick succession of successful attacks boosted Flying Flame’s confidence. Seeing Qin Xiaochuan trying to escape, he pursued with a mocking laugh, “Trying to run? No chance! You won’t get away—prepare to die!”

‘Not yet… just a little more.’ As he ran, Qin Xiaochuan glanced over his shoulder at Flying Flame, clearly calculating distances in his mind.

Suddenly, Qin Xiaochuan stopped. Flying Flame saw his opening and raised his arm, exultant. “Ha! The finishing blow—die!”

‘Now—the one who dies will be you!’ At the sound of Flying Flame’s shout, Qin Xiaochuan spun around, raised his right hand, and fired a spirit bullet. Whether he had fired too soon, or Flying Flame dodged too quickly, the glowing missile barely missed, whizzing past Flying Flame’s ear.

“What?!” Instinctively, Flying Flame twisted aside, narrowly evading the attack. Watching the spirit bullet fly past, his heart pounded with fear—he hadn’t expected Qin Xiaochuan to have such a dangerous trump card up his sleeve.

“What a dangerous man,” Flying Flame said, wiping cold sweat from his brow as he turned to see Qin Xiaochuan slumped, exhausted, against the wall. “Hiding a move like that… damn it. That was your final attack, wasn’t it? Looks like you’ve spent all your spirit power. If I’d been a moment slower, you might have killed me with that.”

He strode toward the weakened man, gloating. “There’s no need for that sour look. No matter how you struggle, you can’t escape your fate. After I kill you, I’ll take care of the other three and send them to join you in the underworld. Consider it merciful! Hahaha…”

As Flying Flame laughed, he caught a glint of cunning in Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes. His heart seized with alarm. He began to turn, but before he could look behind, the spirit bullet—having bounced off the wall—struck him from the back.

“Wha—?!” He stared in disbelief at the dark mirror spinning behind him. “Who…?” But before he could finish, he collapsed forward. Qin Xiaochuan propped a foot on Flying Flame’s face and grinned wickedly, “Good thing my calculations were right. Call me an idiot, will you? Now you see what I’m capable of, you fool!”

Flying Flame managed to force his eyes open and croaked, “…You even calculated the distance I’d dodge?”

“Heh, of course. I wasn’t just flailing around—you dimwit. I lured you into the spirit bullet’s trajectory. Even if I didn’t hit you the first time, after it bounced, it would strike you eventually. Impressive, right?”

“…What a terrifying man…” With those words, Flying Flame finally succumbed, collapsing completely. It seemed Qin Xiaochuan’s image would haunt his nightmares forever.

Qin Xiaochuan kicked Flying Flame aside, then staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall. The spirit bullet had left him drained of both energy and strength. If his calculations had been wrong, he shuddered to think how he would have dealt with that troublesome little demon.

He walked over to White Shadow, Xia Dan, and Fan Fan. Fan Fan lay on the ground, sleeping soundly, the evil eye on her forehead now vanished. It seemed Flying Flame’s spell would trouble her no longer, and Qin Xiaochuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing White Shadow resting against the wall, holding the sword that had been embedded in his body, Qin Xiaochuan hurried over to support him. “Are you alright, White Shadow? You’re still bleeding…”

“I’m fine. I’ve already used herbs to stop the bleeding, and the wound isn’t fatal…”

“But you really are something,” Xia Dan, who must have witnessed the battle, couldn’t help but comment, “Using a spirit bullet to shoot at a mirror and hit your opponent with the rebound—how did you know it would work?”

“Huh?” Qin Xiaochuan was momentarily taken aback. In truth, he’d never tested the tactic before. “That wasn’t really a strategy—just a sudden inspiration. Flying Flame was so fast, I figured the only way to bring him down was from behind. Just as I was wondering what to do, I noticed the clothes and dark mirror he’d thrown off behind him. So I gambled that the mirror’s reflection might let me hit him from behind.”

“But what if the mirror didn’t reflect it, or if the rebound missed? What then?” Xia Dan asked, incredulous.

“Well, I’d have thought of something else,” Qin Xiaochuan replied matter-of-factly.

Xia Dan and White Shadow exchanged a glance and laughed awkwardly. Qin Xiaochuan’s fighting style matched his personality; he acted first and thought later, always improvising. But this had its advantages—if not even he knew what he’d do next, neither could his enemies.

A few days later, Qin Xiaochuan walked to school with Xia Dan, backpack slung over his shoulder. Gazing up at the clear sky, he spread his arms and drew a deep breath of the fresh morning air. “Ah! What a beautiful day. As soon as I drop off my bag at school, I’ll sneak out—where should I go today?”

“You’re really in high spirits today, Xiaochuan,” Xia Dan giggled. “Oh, I just got news from the Underworld: the Stone Demon has been dealt with, Flying Flame is in custody, and the three treasures were returned to the Treasure Hall before King Yama came back.”

“So Little Yama managed to keep it from his father? He must be pleased.”

“Well…” Xia Dan gave a sheepish laugh, hinting at some mishap. “Because the dark mirror was struck by your spirit bullet, its surface cracked. The Flame Gem suffered some scratches, too. With so little time, they couldn’t repair them before King Yama returned, so the theft was exposed after all.”

“So? Did King Yama fly into a rage?”

“No… not really. Although the treasures were damaged, they were recovered in the end. So Little Yama only received a light punishment.”

“A light punishment? What does that mean?”