Forge a path to success

"I heard something interesting from Burning Ember. Other Earthlings have visited the Despair Wilderness before, and they were also assassins."

“What a coincidence,” Chu Hengkong said. “It’s unbelievable. I have no doubt that there are other old acquaintances somewhere in the Submerged Realm.”

Oblivious to the atmosphere, Gulibo excitedly exclaimed, "Great! There's another super-human on Earth as strong as you guys!"

"This is not a good thing, you little animal," Shaks sneered. "Every single one of my old acquaintances deserves to go to hell. Guess which they prefer, the Allies or the heretics?"

Jie An imagined Chu Hengkong joining a heretical sect and couldn't help but shudder: "I thought you were all chivalrous people."

“You’re overthinking it. We’re assassins.” Shax poured himself a glass of tomato juice. “Do you sell your drugs, Jie’an?”

"I don't usually sell them, but it's fate that we met. If you need them, I can give you a few."

"A transaction is a transaction."

“Then we can talk slowly… I heard you often hunt exotic beasts, and I happen to be short of materials for making medicine…”

The cook and the sniper ran off to negotiate the price, while Gulibo began to imagine the Fallen Chu Hengkong and the Cataclysmic Shax, growing increasingly terrified. It grabbed Vande's tentacle, crying out in panic, "The Fallen, the Fallen, the Fallen World is doomed!"

Vande scoffed: "Before the Fallen Realm is destroyed, the tides of fate will bring the fellow Earthlings together, and then the problems will resolve themselves."

“That makes sense…” Gulibo felt relieved upon hearing this. “Could you please get me another small slice of potato pizza?”

When Chu Hengkong returned to the table, the women's group was still chatting about random topics. He cut a small piece of pizza for Gulibo and noticed that there were already several small round chips on the pizza.

The bony claws behind Qingxia moved quietly, and when no one was paying attention, they put a small portion of the food into a small cloth bag.

Chapter 230 The Man in the Mist

The smoke from the chimneys dissipated, and the lamps were extinguished. After a hearty meal, everyone rested, and the quiet settlement was mostly silent except for the occasional sound of horses' hooves weaving through the leaves.

Qingxia skipped over the uneven steps and climbed the path leading to the shore. Just as she was about to step onto the white sand, she stopped and saw a familiar figure by a large tree.

"Ah, I was discovered."

"I knew you were coming here when I saw you secretly hiding food," Chu Hengkong said, stepping out from under the shade of a tree. "Is it finished?"

"Not yet... I originally wanted to bury some things that Grandpa liked, but then I thought it would be too wasteful."

They walked together to the beach, the lonely wind blowing the white sand, the waves crashing against the wordless gravestones. Perhaps because Bernhard had been working a few days earlier, there were a few more graves by the sea than when they last visited.

Qingxia stepped over the row of stone tablets and buried a stone slab in the seawater up to her ankles as a tombstone. She stared blankly for a while, then placed the small pieces of food she had saved earlier in front of the tombstone.

“Although Grandpa is old, he still has a good appetite. However, he is very small and can’t eat big bites, so he always cuts his food into very small pieces and drinks from a small cup,” Qingxia said. “He’s been here since I can remember… Even though he’s a high priest, he eats the same food as everyone else. I thought he would like tonight’s food, so I secretly saved some for him.”

“That’s good,” Chu Hengkong said. “It’s not a waste.”

Qingxia nodded, gazing at the tide. After a long while, she spoke, very slowly, as if turning the chaotic thoughts in her mind into words was too difficult, requiring all her strength.

"I still feel like it's all unreal... Grandpa died, we were besieged, we fought our way out, we fought, we killed Wen Yao..." Qingxia murmured to herself, "We've experienced so much in just a few days, it's like a dream. I haven't even had time to think about anything, and now it's all over..."

She closed her eyes and said with difficulty, "I never thought I would erect a tombstone for Grandpa. I always thought I would take him out, to a place beyond the wilderness... to his hometown, or those beautiful places described in books..."

I never imagined he would die.

Tears streamed down her face. Chu Hengkong grasped Qingxia's hand, knowing she needed companionship, not advice. He waited until Qingxia calmed down before speaking.

“Look forward,” he said. “You know how to mourn the dead.”

"Hmm." Qingxia wiped away her tears and poured a small cup of wine in front of the stone tablet.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa,” she whispered, “we’ve avenged you. We will continue to fight, and we will definitely lead everyone in the settlement out of the wilderness.”

"Well done, Qingxia! Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Silar said.

"..." "..."

Chu Hengkong slowly lowered his gaze and saw two rabbit ears standing next to the stone tablet. The furry old man stood beside the grave, his two big eyes reflecting light like car headlights.

He picked up a small piece of pizza from his own grave and munched on it like a hamster: "Oh, this pizza is delicious! Where did you find it?"

"Grandpa, that's cold. We need to heat it up before we can eat it."

"You silly child, you don't even know how to bring something warm."

Qingxia released a wisp of blood energy to quickly reheat the offerings. Silaar picked up the soft cheese with its paws and munched on it with obvious enjoyment: "Hot cheese tastes three times better than cold cheese!"

"Yes, that's right." Qingxia nodded. "Mmm, mmm..."

She grabbed the old man and lifted him into the air, shaking him frantically: "Grandpa?!?!"

"Waaaaah! (I'm choking!)" Sillar's paws shook helplessly.

"Why?! Grandpa's back to life?!" Qingxia exclaimed, laughing. "Grandpa, you're not dead?!"

"Waaaaaah! (If you don't let go, Grandpa's going to die a second time!)"

Chu Hengkong reacted swiftly, snatching the old man away. Silar plopped down on his own tombstone, pounding his chest, "I almost... choked to death on that pancake..."

"It's better than being poisoned, right?" Chu Hengkong said with a forced smile. "So what's going on here?"

“Well, how should I put it…” Slar scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. “He was definitely dead. But… I don’t know how it happened, he suddenly could move again…”

Qingxia started cracking her fingers: "Old man, if you don't explain yourself in three seconds, I'll bury you."

"Why has this child suddenly reverted to his rebellious phase?!"

Without a word, Qingxia grabbed the old man and shook him violently, a sharp scream echoing across the shore. Chu Hengkong tapped the hilt of his knife, seriously considering whether to join the torture.

Suddenly, the murderous blade trembled, like an offended and enraged animal. Chu Hengkong turned his head in surprise and heard the man's impatient shout.

"Have you two lost your minds from fighting? Have you even forgotten the basics of the Heavenly Prison border?"

Chongming stood lazily in front of Chu Hengkong, yawning as if he had just woken up.

"Those who die here will become people in the mist."

·

"Drink!" Slar swung his claw, striking Chu Hengkong's arm. A shallow bloodstain appeared at the tip of his claw, but it disappeared in an instant.

The old man stared at the claw: "It really doesn't work anymore... it's like a ghost..."

"A ghost can't eat a quarter of a pizza, Grandpa."

Slar felt a new worry: "So, will you not be able to hear anything I say from now on?"

"What did you say, Grandpa?" Qingxia shouted. "I can't hear you! Do you want to go bungee jumping?"

"Where did you hear me say those two words?!"

"No problem, Grandpa, I'll take you bungee jumping right now!"

Qingxia smiled and pulled out a bone-white chain. Silaer broke out in a cold sweat: "Qingxia, calm down and listen to me. Grandpa only woke up today. He wasn't out just now because... the atmosphere became very inappropriate to talk about... you can definitely understand that, so put that thing down first! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!"

"Grandpa flew so high!"

The screams of the small animals faded into the distance with the bone chains, followed closely by the joyful sound of horses' hooves. Chu Hengkong watched the old man's retreating figure as he flew towards the settlement, and felt a fleeting moment of genuine joy and sympathy for him.

Chongming gloated: "Damn it, he deserved it."

"I thought only a small percentage of people would become the Fog Man."

“Either they have something to hold onto and are unwilling to leave, or they fought bravely and are remembered by the Heavenly Prison,” Chongming said. “The group of people you saw in the Valley belonged to the former, most of them were lonely souls who died during the great war; that kid Silar belonged to the latter, he fought as a warrior all his life, so he had to stay and see how it ended.”

Chu Hengkong nodded; Silar's behavior reminded him of another group of people.

"Now all the members of the 28th batch of newcomers are present, right?"

Chongming glanced at him, slightly surprised.

"The latter type of person in the mist must be the researcher, right?" Chu Hengkong continued, "From the 1st to the 34th... none of them actually 'died,' they are still alive and kicking under your command. Those researchers call you boss because you used to be their superior."

Chongming laughed: "Not all of them are included. Every year, some people go to the higher Heavenly Prison. Whether they live or die depends on themselves."

"The mechanism of this Fog Man is quite considerate," Chu Hengkong said. "It's not like the style of this place, Heavenly Prison."

Chongming glanced sideways at the rows of wordless tombstones on the coast.

“Newcomers are the unluckiest people in the world... They come to this place for no reason, fight against heretics for no reason, and die for no reason. The war should have ended in the last era, but it is being ended by the young people of today. It is only right and wrong that some compensation should be made.” Chongming said, “I can only try my best to remember them. There is nothing else I can do.”

"No way, you saved us a few days ago."

"You've been saving up for hundreds of years to finally unleash this sword, and you almost got killed after the fight. Do you think you can do it a second time?" Chongming sneered. "I only have the strength to speak because you pulled out your sword. Of the 35 generations of warriors over the past few hundred years, you, Chu Hengkong, are the most outstanding one."

Chu Hengkong patted Chongming on the shoulder, wanting to say that he hadn't had it easy. His perception was now vastly different; a mere touch was enough to grasp the other person's condition. At this moment, Chongming's bones were hollow, his muscles fragile, and his heart felt like a bomb about to explode—a far cry from the state the murderer remembered…

Just a tiny bit.

Chu Hengkong was stunned. In that instant, it was as if an invisible membrane had shattered, allowing him to see the other person's condition for the first time, breaking through the fog of confusion. He felt as if he were patting a piece of cardboard, which would crumble into dust with the slightest touch. The wild samurai's body was riddled with holes; he was hardly any better off than the man the murderous swordsman had imagined!

"You're still seriously injured?"

Chongming looked completely bewildered: "Huh? Which eye of yours saw that I was injured?"

Chu Hengkong pointed at the murder knife at his waist: "Stop talking nonsense, I've been through it all, okay?"

"How can you say such nonsensical things after you've been through it all?"

The two stared at each other, neither seeming to understand what the other was saying at all. Then Chongming realized what was going on.

"Ah...you misunderstood, that's not an injury."

He tapped his temples and said, word by word, "That's how I always am."

Chapter 231 The Final Operation

Chu Hengkong was stunned for about three seconds.

"You mean you're usually like this... on the verge of death?"

"Otherwise, why would I bother practicing the Heart-Breaking Technique when I have nothing better to do?" Chongming said with a half-smile. "I'd die if I even touched your Dragon Township Fist Technique, I can't practice it!"

"No, then how did you fight back then? With your physique, you can only decide the outcome in a short time. You'd be out of breath after running a long distance for an hour, right?!"

“Find someone to take me,” Chongming said. “During the great battle, I rode on Duranbai’s celestial horse.”

Chu Hengkong rubbed his forehead, finally clearing up his confusion. He had always wondered why Chongming, with a mass of 7, was fighting alongside Du Lanbai, who had a mass of 5. It turned out that it was because his physique was too weak and he needed Du Lanbai's help to carry him.

Mr. Duranbe's mission back then was probably to use armed helicopters to airdrop bombs on Chongming and then, after the matter was resolved, to retrieve the half-dead man...

After such a long partnership, it's no wonder Du Lanbai felt ashamed. Anyone with common sense would probably question their own existence seeing Chongming win every single time despite his near-death experiences. In "Memories of the Murderous Blade," Du Lanbai would definitely let Chongming go first. From his perspective, if the attack helicopter breaks down, he can simply replace it, but if the bomb is gone, it's truly gone...

"I never expected you guys to be so carefree during the war back then."

"A fight is a fight, why do you all have to look so miserable?" Chongming pointed to himself, "Look at me, even in this terrible state, I still insist on being a mature commander and a kind big brother to you newbies. This is the spirit that the Allied Forces have always upheld!"

Chu Hengkong's lips twitched twice: "How can someone with such a trashy personality have the nerve to say 'kind-hearted big brother'..."

"Are you looking for trouble, kid?! Put your hand on your heart and tell me, haven't I been consistently encouraging you guys all along?!"

"Yes, you are trying." Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly, "But every time you try to play the role of the big brother commander well, you overdo it and act out the nuclear mutation. Everyone in the research institute works very hard to cooperate with you in your acting. After receiving your encouragement last time, Qingye secretly told me that she suspected that you had been in a high-pressure environment for too long and had collapsed, to the point that you had a mental breakdown and were in a daze."

Chongming coughed loudly.

"On the contrary, your sarcasm and irony are extremely sharp, you're adept at hitting people where it hurts, and you always utter words that cut to the heart. You can make a newcomer cry with just a few words." Chu Hengkong showed no mercy. "Tell me, what kind of image do you have in everyone's eyes?"

Chongming gave the middle finger: "You bastard, shut up! I'm getting angry."

Chu Hengkong smiled helplessly: "I'm not good at this kind of thing to begin with, so why bother dressing myself up like this?"

A cold wind brushed against their faces, the sound of the wind like a soft laugh. Chongming looked up, gazing at the dark sky.

"Is there a sun in the desolate wilderness?" he suddenly asked.

"No."

“There is no sun or stars here. If you light a fire, you will be arrested. If you sleep outside, you will have nightmares,” Chongming said. “After the night, it is still dark. You can endure a whole day but you can’t see any light. You can watch the days go by without feeling anything. It’s like falling into an eternal hell.”

This is a hopeless place, so people need light. Light can be a battle plan, a strategy for becoming stronger, a dream, hope, or love and courage… but it must exist; only with light illuminating the path can there be direction to move forward.

Chongming picked up a grain of sand and threw it into the sea.

“Someone once told me these things, and I dismissed them, saying I could keep going even without light… It wasn’t until much later that I realized they were right, but the people who could shine were gone, and I couldn’t shine anymore, so I could only imitate what I remembered of them.” Chongming said, “You’re right, I can’t imitate them at all. Now you have the power, you can become the real light.”

“I’m an assassin, and I’m not good at these things at all.” Chu Hengkong shrugged. “Besides, I’m not exactly strong either. We were able to fight our way out because of your knife… I don’t even know what it’s called.”

The murderous blade at Chu Hengkong's waist was still vibrating, seemingly growing increasingly agitated. Chongming glanced at the blade and laughed, "You've drawn it, haven't you? Now it's your blade, give it a catchy name."

"You're not planning to take it back?"

"It was originally meant for you guys, otherwise why would I leave it here?" Chongming waved his hand. "Remember to talk to the sword when you have time. There are three sword techniques inside, enough for you."

Chongming walked toward the settlement, his cloak, like a lingering ember, billowing behind him, blending into the night. Chu Hengkong watched his retreating figure and suddenly called out, "Hey, Commander Chongming."