Beast Taming: Starting from Transmigration and Starting with a Cheat Code

"I'm not saying this to be dramatic," Zhang He said, hooking his arm around Qin Ming's shoulder, who had just returned. He lowered his voice mysteriously, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

"I suspect that there's a top-tier expert sent from the academy hidden within our team!"

Though he said it was a doubt, his tone was quite certain. Qin Ming disdainfully pried open his sweaty arm, his curiosity piqued, "...What kind of expert?"

"Think about it!" Zhang He's eyebrows danced with excitement.

"We barely arrived in Siyuan City when the city's water resource problem was solved in the blink of an eye! Can this be a coincidence? There must have been a powerful figure pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

He stroked his chin with smug satisfaction, looking quite proud of himself: "You didn't see the way those people looked at us afterwards! They were so grateful, their eyes were practically sparkling, like they were seeing saviors descended from heaven! I've never been worshipped like that in my entire life!"

Qin Ming smiled helplessly at his exaggerated expression: "It's alright. After hearing your vivid description, I can imagine it too."

There was a hint of barely perceptible relief in his tone.

"How can that be the same?!" Zhang He jumped up and down in a panic, hands on his hips, chin held high.

"You didn't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears! Several little kids were tugging at my pants leg, praising me in their sweet, childish voices as 'beautiful inside and out, the most handsome guy in the universe!'"

"You know, children are the least likely to lie!"

He was completely immersed in happy memories, his lips curling into a wide smile.

Qin Ming could hardly bear to look, his eye twitching slightly. "Well, it's a good thing I wasn't there..."

"Hey! What do you mean! You're not happy with that?"

Zhang He was indeed very perceptive; he actually heard Qin Ming's extremely low muttering and rolled up his sleeves, pretending to argue with him.

Qin Ming pressed his hands down slightly, signaling him to calm down, and said seriously, "This isn't a matter of whether I submit or not, the main thing is... a person... should know their own limitations!"

Zhang He's eyes widened, and he choked on his breath, "You!"

Si Yan, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, patted Zhang He on the shoulder. Once Zhang He's attention was drawn back, Si Yan declared righteously, "I don't agree with what Qin Ming said!"

Zhang He smiled broadly, feeling confident now that he had found his teammates. "I knew it!"

Si Yan's tone was cold, his words piercing, "Because he phrased it too euphemistically! You've repeated these words countless times along the way, so please stop brainwashing yourself. Looks aside, don't lose your intelligence too, Lao Zhang."

Zhang He's expression cracked; it was as if he was seeing the sinister faces of these two for the first time. "You...you guys!!"

Qin Ming continued, "I know, we're all fine. You've had a long day, go and get some rest."

Si Yan nodded. "Good night!"

The two were able to rest as they wished, but Zhang He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

-

A few hours ago, at the command camp ahead.

A messenger brought exciting news to everyone.

"Report: The water crisis in the rear urban areas has been greatly alleviated! Public sentiment has stabilized!"

The representative from Siyuan City immediately stood up. "On behalf of all the people of the city, we thank everyone from Shanghai University! Master Chu, you truly live up to your reputation as a master of spatial abilities; your strategic position is extraordinary. Seeing is believing!"

Master Chu Wuxi, who was rubbing his temples and looking tired, was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter and slammed his hand on the table.

"You've thanked the wrong person this time, Master Zheng! Luckily, someone helped me, otherwise I would have been working myself to the bone again!"

He spoke these words sincerely, without a trace of falsehood. Although he was highly skilled, his spatial stone, when it came to large-scale water storage, was truly inferior to the top-grade one that Elder Kong had given to Qin Ming.

In addition, the cave of the Spirit Beast Cave Weasel is carefully cultivated with many extremely precious spiritual plants, so it cannot be used haphazardly as a reservoir.

If he were to travel back and forth between several places by himself, it would be too much for him.

Everyone in the tent was shrewd enough to understand that Master Chu's words had a hidden meaning and that he was unwilling to reveal the identity of the "master". Naturally, no one was tactless enough to press for details.

Master Zheng's mind flashed with Qin Ming's image, but considering Qin Ming's current strength, he shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought. How could that be...?

"Alright!" Master Chu stood up abruptly, his spirits high and his eyes regaining their sharpness. "Now that there's no major worry at home, it's time for us old folks to show some real skills!"

His gaze swept over the powerful figures in the tent: "What's the current situation? We need the latest battle report."

Tantai Jing, the vice president of the Spirit Master Association who was mainly responsible for frontline coordination, stepped forward. He was a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor and sharp eyes.

He pulled up a map, his voice clear and calm.

"The third to fifth tier spirit beasts in the water area are affected by the poison and fall into chaos. Driven by instinct, they are heading towards the city with clean water sources, forming this continuous wave of beasts."

"Fortunately, in the confrontation with our spirit masters, the impact and purification forces have gradually restored the rationality of some wild spirit beasts. Although the pressure is great, the situation is still within a controllable range."

"Spirit beasts of the fifth rank and above can resist poison and still retain their rationality. Most of them serve as leaders of their tribes, protecting the weaker spirit beasts within their groups and observing the movements of humans here."

"Overall, the two sides are at a stalemate, with no intention of going to war, but I must emphasize—"

He emphasized, "If the source of the pollution remains unresolved and the toxicity continues to spread, it's only a matter of time before the deadlock is broken. At that point, the situation will take a sharp turn for the worse."

A moment of silence fell inside the tent.

One of the supporting warriors sighed, "It would be best if it didn't escalate into a life-or-death war. Even setting aside the losses and strength of both sides, there's still the mess to clean up afterward! This poison is truly deadly..."

Master Zheng sighed deeply and replied, "Yes, the Qinglan River is the mother river of our Siyuan City. Many of the spirit beasts in the river, some I may have even watched grow up... How could I bear to see them fight to the death?"

"Understood. It seems everyone shares the same general idea—prioritize control and purification to avoid unnecessary casualties."

Master Chu concluded, then posed the most crucial question, "So, how do we purify it? What are your insights?"

Immediately, someone suggested, "What about Jiang Ling of the Qinglan River? I remember she was born with seventh-tier strength and is the spirit of the regional water veins. Her strength is greatly enhanced in water! If she were to preside over the purification..."

When Jiang Ling was mentioned, both Tantai Jing and Zheng Da showed solemnity and shame on their faces.

"...We couldn't find it."

"To be precise, the monster that caused the poison was killed by the combined efforts of the association's experts and her, but now the association's experts are unconscious from poisoning, and Lord Lan Yuan is also missing..."

A heavy sigh suddenly filled the tent; hope was within reach, yet shrouded in mystery.

-

"Xiao Bao, is there really treasure in this river?"

"Oh! Mice never lie!"

After finally waiting for Zhang He to fall asleep, Qin Ming got up in the dark...