Forge a path to success

“That matter is in the past,” Qingxia said. “I can’t sense any anger in you.”

If he could still maintain his old grudges and rage under these circumstances, then Chu Hengkong might as well abandon the path of martial arts cultivation in Dragon Village and go to an even worse other world to seek refuge with the Chosen of Khorne. He tidied his hair and decided to put the past aside for the time being and start from the root of the problem.

"Qingxia, I don't understand where your affection for me comes from. I haven't helped you in any way, I haven't even given you a flower. What reason do you have not to tear me apart in this situation?"

"When you're out in the world, is it necessary for the other person to bring you benefits before you can like them?" Qingxia asked, puzzled. "Then do you like the benefits or the person?"

Chu Hengkong grew increasingly agitated: "Don't change the subject, tell me the reason—"

“Because we are the same kind of people,” Qingxia said matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it natural for people of the same kind to be close to each other?”

"Me? And you?" Chu Hengkong pointed to his human form and the horse's form in the lake, "The same kind??"

Qingxia's eyes darted around, and she suddenly started talking about something unrelated.

"You always treat your surroundings with care, touching objects with your fingertips when you pick them up. When drinking tea, you never hold the teacup with your hands, but rather hold it by the bottom with your hands. When you sit in a chair with a backrest, you never lean back, keeping your back away from the chair."

Chu Hengkong was taken aback when he heard this. Qingxia was talking about habits he had developed since childhood. He was very strong when he was a child and would often unintentionally break things in the orphanage. So he got used to keeping his distance from his surroundings, otherwise bottles and jars would always be broken all over the place.

Qingxia smiled slyly: "You always habitually clench your fists because you want to fight anyone you see who is strong. Such a strong fighting spirit can disturb those around you, so you clench your fists from time to time to remind yourself to restrain yourself."

"Because of the metal on your back, you feel murderous intent whenever you see a living creature. You think about killing all the time, even your companions. At this time, you will blink harder to wipe away the murderous intent surging in your heart."

The succubus gently poked him with the tip of her fingernail: "Anything else... You actually really like Ji Huaisu, don't you? You want to get closer to her, but you never take the initiative to approach her. Occasionally, when Ji Huaisu takes the initiative to get close to you, the muscles in your face relax because you are very happy at that time."

"I..." Chu Hengkong stared in disbelief, "You..."

"You want to ask me how I know?" Qingxia lazily lay on the shore. "Back in Jinye City, I was observing you all! You weren't as strong as you are now back then, and you didn't notice that I was hiding not far away. I hid in the eggshell and watched you keep your distance from those around you, never sharing your thoughts with anyone. Even though just surviving was painful for you, you pretended that nothing was wrong."

I thought to myself, "This person lives such a tiring life! It's like they've locked themselves in an invisible shell. Watching your every move is like watching my past self."

"Are you serious?" Chu Hengkong was incredulous. He couldn't associate this person with the word "pain." He couldn't find another person in the whole world as free and unrestrained as this.

Qingxia smiled slightly and blinked.

Her gaze instantly shifted, becoming fierce and brutal, like a spear pinning him to the ground. An invisible aura surged behind her, like the gaping maw of a deformed, frenzied beast. In the beast's eyes, intense gold danced, like gold shimmering in fire. That flame was a burning desire, a savage manifestation of all kinds of lust: appetite, lust, a thirst for killing, a sadistic urge… the frenzied desires transformed into claws and fangs, almost tearing Chu Hengkong to shreds.

Qingxia closed her eyes, and the invisible behemoth vanished, leaving only the naked girl in the lake. She smiled with a hint of unease: "If my heart started beating, everyone would be in trouble, so let's just forget about it... Anyway, I've been trying my best to hold back."

This is not the real her yet. If her heart were to beat normally, it would kill most of the people in the settlement. Therefore, Qingxia is currently in a state of suspended animation.

Chu Hengkong fell silent. He knew what he had felt earlier; Qingxia, who had assassinated Wu Heshi, had exactly that demeanor—like a beast eager to toy with its prey. The fear he felt was that of someone who opposed Qingxia, but the situation was more than that…

"You, do you also feel murderous intent towards ordinary people?"

“Is that so?” Qingxia said matter-of-factly.

"appetite?"

"I only crave it very occasionally," Qingxia said shyly.

Despite being in the humid jungle, Chu Hengkong felt icy cold all over. Qingxia was still talking to herself: "When you see a weakling, you want to play with him; when you see something that suits your taste, you get excited. But if you let your desires run wild, you'll turn into a monster. So I've always been trying to control myself."

"It is because I strive to restrain my desires every day that I am called the 'Disciplined Knight'."

wrong.

It is absolutely impossible.

No living being can take a self-destructive lifestyle as a form of spiritual practice. The reason why a small number of humans can practice asceticism is because material wealth and enjoyment are not considered necessities for survival, but even an old monk in the mountains needs to drink water and eat vegetarian food, otherwise it is not asceticism but suicide.

If Qingxia wasn't lying, she was like a wild animal living in modern society. Humans were merely food, prey, and playthings in her eyes. Her lifestyle was like a tiger that doesn't hunt, a shark that doesn't prey; it might be tolerable in the short term, but it would inevitably lead to distortion over time. This psychological imbalance would bring about pathological madness, and before she could completely collapse, she would die from her own inner torment. Not to mention that long-standing habit of suppressing her heartbeat…

"Qingxia, listen to me carefully." Chu Hengkong pressed down on her shoulder. Even though their positions and preferences differed, there were some things he had to say.

"You've got some things wrong. If you continue living like this, you're bound to die—"

“Yes, I understand. When I was little, I had it just as tough as you did. I almost died several times…” Qingxia said nostalgically. “Fortunately, Grandpa helped me find the secret technique that our clan must learn.”

Qingxia held up one finger and said cheerfully, "That is the Secret Technique of the Broken Heart!"

Chapter 196 Single-mindedly devoted to the enemy (1)

Chu Hengkong immediately realized Qingxia's methods.

“You used a wholehearted ritual.”

“Correct!” Qingxia nodded repeatedly. “Just like the legend of Prometheus battling eagles for three thousand years, successfully stealing the sacred fire after only having one heart left. As long as one’s heart is aligned, there will be no contradictions.”

Put aside that drastically altered version of Greek mythology for now, and don't imagine Prometheus, the devilish warrior. Focus your mind on Qingxia's ideas.

The One-Mind Ritual is a method for combating external forces at the spiritual level. It achieves self-unity by eradicating and obliterating the externalized self. If one has not been corrupted by external forces but actively uses this ritual…

"Is this just a disguised form of subduing one's inner demons?" Chu Hengkong muttered to himself. "This would cause him to actively develop a split personality."

"Therefore, we must not fight amongst ourselves," Qingxia said. "We must learn to compromise!"

"……Aha?"

"All desires arise from the heart. The influence of external paths can amplify certain thoughts within the heart, but their root is always one's own thoughts. If you don't even acknowledge that it is yourself, you will drift further and further away from yourself." Qingxia imitated her grandfather's tone. "So, little Qingxia, if you can't defeat yourself no matter what, you need to find a clever way. Fighting is just a means; the true essence of ritual is to reconcile with yourself."

Chu Hengkong's expression was quite subtle: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"For example, they don't have an appetite for the people around them, but when they do eat, they will eat more other nutritious foods."

For example, you shouldn't do anything that would upset others, but it's okay to be a little more relaxed with your words.

For example, it's okay not to harm the weak around you, but it's fine to torture your enemies..."

Qingxia counted on her fingers one by one: "Tell yourself the terms one by one like this, and when everyone says 'That's acceptable!', the Yixin ritual is complete. Life will be much easier after that."

"You're talking nonsense," Chu Hengkong groaned. "I will never talk to those bastards!"

Qingxia remained silent, watching him intently, her focused gaze sending chills down Chu Hengkong's spine.

"what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to memorize Chu Hengkong No. 1's aura so I can distinguish him when No. 2345 appears," Qingxia drawled, her tone suggestive. "If things suddenly change on the battlefield, it could be troublesome..."

These words struck a nerve with Chu Hengkong, casting a shadow over his eyes. This was his greatest fear: if he went berserk due to external forces during the next life-or-death battle, all his companions would face mortal danger.

"Teach me how to do it," he said reluctantly. "Please."

“It’s not difficult. First, add a 'visualization' before entering the ritual…” Qingxia explained in detail, “Then coordinate with a specific breathing technique. Like this…”

She grasped Chu Hengkong's right hand and pressed it against his snow-white skin. The vibrations of their hearts traveled with the touch, and the presence of their blood caused their heartbeats to synchronize.

“Suppress it appropriately… shrink your ego…”

Thump...thump... The sound of his heartbeat and Qingxia's words faded into the distance. Chu Hengkong closed his eyes, once again pulled back into his own world.

The 49th Ichishin Ritual has begun.

·

Outside the old room, the sun was shining brightly.

The house is quite old and doesn't have air conditioning. Pirated comics with poor printing are piled on the desk, and the wall above the desk is cracked, covered by posters of martial arts stars. Peking Opera is playing in the courtyard, with the actors singing "The Loss of the City," a piece the old man loved.

This is a room in the Chu family compound, where he spent the happiest years of his childhood.

The fallen girl was lying on the bed, reading a copy of Dragon Ball she had borrowed from the bookstore. Chu Hengkong closed the door, pulled out a chair that seemed too small for him, and sat down.

“Let’s talk,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” the fallen girl said gloomily. “You’re ungrateful anyway, and you’re going to hurt me anyway.”

"You didn't help me much either."

"Without my help, you would have been dead the moment that scourge raised its hand!" the Fallen Girl said angrily. "Ever since we arrived in the Despair Wilderness, you've relied on me to fight. I worked myself to the bone to power your weapons without a single complaint... and what did you get in return? Now you want to advance, but you want to kill me!"

“Don’t try to absolve yourself so easily,” Chu Hengkong pointed out. “You originally wanted to transform me into a degenerate, but I am trying to save myself.”

“You were meant to be like me,” the fallen girl reacted fiercely. “I am you. I am Chu Hengkong! Now you want to talk? Too late, I’m not going to let you go!”

She turned into a lump of mud, still sporting her short, frizzy haircut, looking like a small, agitated animal. Chu Hengkong couldn't help but laugh. After shifting his focus, his mindset calmed down, and he couldn't help but marvel at how he had managed to get thwarted by this thing in the previous 48 attempts.

He pressed down on the girl's head with one hand to prevent her wildly swinging fists from touching him: "I'm already prepared to negotiate, what else do you have to complain about?"

"I'm not satisfied with the sea anymore!" the fallen girl cried out. "I'm asking you, Chu Hengkong, when will I be able to have a home?"

"What do you want?" Chu Hengkong was dumbfounded.

"Home. I want a family. I want elders to shelter me from the wind and rain, I want relatives to help me, I want others to care for me and love me!" the fallen girl shouted.

Chu Hengkong was furious. He shoved the other person away and said, "Have some backbone!"

The girl, now a victim, collapsed on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably: "I've never had a father or mother since I was little, what's wrong with me wanting a home!"

I spent a few years with Grandpa Chu, then he passed away! I finally managed to live with my boss, but he's gone too! I've always slept alone since I was little. I'm always the one sheltering others from the storm, but who's ever sheltered me?! Waaah…”

She clutched the blanket, crying harder and harder, her black tears streaming down the bed, becoming a flood that overwhelmed the room.

In just a few seconds, the water level reached Chu Hengkong's waist. He became alert and quickly shouted, "Stop crying! What's the use of crying!"

"You always do this!" the girl continued to sob. "Just keep yelling at yourself like that! If you die out there all alone, nobody will even build you a grave!"

The water level rose rapidly, soon reaching almost above Chu Hengkong's neck. He pinched his brow hard and reluctantly began to speak.

"……you're right."

The crying stopped abruptly. The fallen girl leaned against the headboard, staring at him in astonishment. Chu Hengkong lowered his hands and sighed deeply.

“I don’t know if you’re a heretic borrowing my memories or the spirit of my childhood,” he said. “But you’re right. I’m naturally a solitary person. I have no home.”

“You can!” the fallen girl cried out eagerly. “We can find new parents. A father as loving as an old man, a mother as gentle as a maiden…”

“No, it won’t work,” Chu Hengkong said. “You’re 22. You haven’t needed your elders to protect you for a long time. Whether you like it or not, you are the protector of those around you.”

These words were like an invisible bullet piercing through the mud, causing the fallen girl to crumble instantly. The limp mass of mud reformed itself, transforming into a thin, gloomy woman with long, black hair.

“I won’t accept it,” she said. “I don’t want to live a lonely life. I should have never practiced martial arts. I should have stayed peacefully in the orphanage and waited for a kind person to take me in…”

“You know it’s a dream.” Chu Hengkong tried to convince her, or rather, to convince his younger self, “You can’t pin your future on other people’s choices.”

"So what do you plan to do?" The woman's eyes were clouded.

"What do you plan to do?"

“I don’t want to go through all that trouble. Once the boss is resurrected, I’m going to stay in Huilong City for the rest of my life,” the fallen woman said. “Until then, I need Sister Huaisu to sleep with me every day.”

Chu Hengkong drew his sword, his face grim, exuding a chilling murderous aura. The fallen woman clutched her pillow in fright: "Don't do this! Let's talk this out!"

"There's nothing more to say, I'll kill you."

"After reviving the boss, let's start a family in Dragon City, that should be fine, right?"

"Delete the last one!"

"No!" The fallen woman shook her head desperately. "I like sleeping with other people... I don't feel safe at all when I sleep alone, and the more I sleep, the colder I feel inside. You can have someone else you like, but I will absolutely not give in to this, absolutely not."

Chu Heng slumped back in his chair, deeply considering the feasibility of an assassination. Seeing the negotiations on the verge of collapse, the fallen woman quickly conceded: "Once every three days is also acceptable..."

"Half a year."

"Five days!"

I've been saying this for half a year.

"Once every two weeks!" The fallen woman pulled a black knife from her body. "That's my bottom line. If we can't reach an agreement, then we'll fight!"

Chu Hengkong sighed deeply.

"make a deal."

The woman, now a victim, jumped off the bed and pitifully grasped his hand.

"Please don't go back on your word, okay? Otherwise I'll really be heartbroken."

Chu Hengkong remained silent.

“You know how much you want a home,” the fallen one whispered.

The assassin sighed and nodded. The black-haired woman smiled, transforming into a stream of turbid fluid that flowed into his arm. He instantly felt a sense of "fulfillment," his blood flowing joyfully, his palm brimming with power. But at the same time, he also felt languor, lethargy, and weakness—positive and negative always coexist, a self unrelated to power.

The familiar old house began to fade from view. Chu Hengkong closed his eyes, wanting to listen to some Peking Opera. But just as the "Empty City Stratagem" was finished, the radio was turned off. The old man always listened to operas only halfway through; he liked the strategist who played the zither to repel the enemy, but disliked the old prime minister who wept as he beheaded generals.

Even at his age, he's still like a child.

Chu Hengkong smiled, suddenly feeling relieved. He opened the door, leaving behind his childhood memories.

He entered a cramped rented room filled with smoke, and crushed beer bottles lay scattered on the floor. A game console lay charging on a dirty table, and a woman in a red evening dress sat on the edge of the bed, puffing on a cigarette.

"You've arrived, General," the woman in red smiled. "You've always wanted to have a talk, haven't you?"

Chu Hengkong waved away the smoke: "What do you want?"