Forge a path to success

“There are also many vampires and goblins in Europe, and the situation is similar,” Chu Hengkong said. “The religious forces there have been fighting against other species since the beginning of time, and they can be considered one of the original founders of the Blood Alliance.”

Ji Huaisu looked at the two assassins chatting and laughing, and felt increasingly uncomfortable: "So you two were once in the same subordinate unit... then why did you become mortal enemies later?"

“When problems arose within the Blood Alliance in the 21st century, the assassins naturally turned their guns on each other,” Shakes said calmly. “I think you’ve taken care of that before you leave.”

"I've killed them all from top to bottom, things should be better now," Chu Hengkong said as if he had just thrown away a few bags of trash.

“Very efficient…” Shakes started fiddling with the guns again.

Jie An felt a chill run down his spine and weakly raised his hand: "Excuse me, but I've been really curious about what the police in your hometown are doing... why would they let a secret organization like this, led by a heretic, surround and kill them..."

"You think this is Huilong City? My hometown doesn't have any roads that can be upgraded." Chu Hengkong laughed. "Evolved humans all look rather creepy. Special forces soldiers would faint from fright if they saw them. A collective encirclement and suppression is not cost-effective, which is why we assassins are needed."

"Based on my education, being scared out of one's wits upon meeting someone isn't called being frightening in appearance, it's called mental pollution," Qingye said.

"They're actually quite boring to kill, and the hunting difficulty is not as great as that of wild boars," Shakes commented. "Before I left, the church had already developed drones specifically for killing aliens, which are much more efficient than me doing it alone."

“Ever since the boss decided to deploy armed helicopters in large numbers, I’ve rarely gone out to kill cultists alone anymore,” Chu Hengkong sighed. “Times have changed. A few hundred years ago, having good martial arts skills could make you the protagonist in a storybook, but now you’re criticized for being slow at work. My grandfather saw through this a long time ago, so he’s never been happy to see me learn martial arts.”

“Your adoptive father?” Shakes recalled for a moment. “I’ve seen him in church records. He was famous in the mid-20th century for solving ‘zombie resurrection’ cases. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, he went abroad to share his advanced experience.”

Chu Hengkong was taken aback: "He really didn't tell me... It sounds pretty mysterious..."

"Viruses that cause patients to appear dead will naturally disappear once hygiene conditions improve."

"No wonder the old man doesn't like to talk about this," Chu Hengkong chuckled. "It's all feudal superstition!"

The two assassins toasted each other, reminiscing about the era dominated by technology and material power. Compared to the turbulent world, everything on Earth seemed so simple, without external paths or routes of ascension, only the struggle between people and the clash between humanity and the times.

Qingxia listened and took notes, filling nearly ten pages in one go. She put down her notebook and said contentedly, "So this is what the ordinary world is like!"

“Listen to me, you should tear up that piece of paper,” Van der said earnestly. “It’s better for your mind and heart.”

The audience's expressions were incredibly varied. Qingye secretly leaned over and asked, "Sister Huaisu, I haven't been to many Dust Islands, so my experience in this area is a bit limited... Are most of the smaller Dust Islands like this...?"

Ji Huaisu whispered, "Their Dust Island... I think the enemies that could be slaughtered by A Kong before his transformation are nothing special. But their attitude is really problematic. Even the fierce people of Shura Island would shout at the sight of a Calamity Seed, right?"

"It will always make a 'ee-yah' sound."

"Would you seriously say that the firefly corpse is just some kind of fungal parasite?"

Qingye slowly shook her head.

"No, I won't say."

"Right...right...!"

Ji Huaisu downed two glasses of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and made his own judgment.

In short, that Dust Island called Earth is definitely a very problematic place.

These two were able to excel in such a godforsaken place even before they were Ascended, no wonder they became legends once they entered the Realm of Submerged Auras...

(The hiatus is over, updates will resume~)

Chapter 257 A Memorable First Date (1)

It was the weekend, and the weather was perfect. The sun had just risen, and golden wildflowers swayed in the morning breeze on the hillside covered in blossoms.

Chu Hengkong walked from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point, picking and choosing along the way, but couldn't find any flowers he liked. He decided to use his spirit to explore the surroundings and headed towards a patch of blue flowers.

The young flower seller was carefully inspecting her flowers, a wooden basket full of blossoms slung over her arm. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her small face filled with surprise: "Oh, it's Lady Divine Child!"

"Just call me Detective," Chu Hengkong waved his hand. "Are these flowers for sale?"

"I picked these flowers to sell, what kind of flowers would you like?" The flower girl didn't offer to give them away, knowing that the trendsetter never took anything for free.

"It's...the kind that's pretty but not too tacky..." Chu Hengkong pondered, "It has to have a fragrance, but not too strong..."

The flower girl took out several white flowers adorned with pale purple, their unique shapes resembling swallows in flight.

"What do you think of the white larkspur? Its flower language is lightness, freedom, and justice."

"This one's fine." Chu Hengkong handed him a large flower bead. The flower girl deftly packed it up for him, chuckling, "Detective Chu buys flowers too?"

Chu Hengkong shrugged: "When you ask a girl out, you always have to bring flowers."

He gathered the five larkspurs, lightly touched the lawn with his toes, and leaped up as gracefully as a bird. The colorful marshland shrank in his eyes, and the waving flower girl became a patch of color among the flowers.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Hengkong had crossed half of the swamp and arrived at the dock. The Death Wing silently unfolded, carrying him into the air, skimming the waterfall towards the central courtyard. As he flew, he extended a flower, letting a few drops of fresh water splash onto the petals.

Just then, the first dragon boat began its ascent, and the citizens gasped in amazement as they watched the figures moving parallel to the vessel. Chu Hengkong raised his hand in response, admitting that he enjoyed the feeling, just as he loved flying. No vehicle could offer the freedom of soaring alone.

Chu Heng flew away from the Rising Dragon Ship and quickly returned to his dormitory in the central courtyard. The time was 7:30, exactly as predicted. The clothes he had urgently ordered yesterday had already been delivered to his door. He went inside and changed into a casual suit, slightly adjusting the thickness of the wristbands so that they could be neatly tucked into the sleeves. He then put on a pair of white gloves, so that no one could find any trace of the wristbands.

He carefully smoothed his hair, adjusted his bow tie in front of the mirror, and felt he was well-prepared. He turned back for a final check: "How do I look?"

Vande stood by the door, clutching its little sleeping bag, its eyes wide open like a camera lens out of focus. It tried several times, but couldn't utter a sound, and the sleeping bag fell to the floor with a thud.

"It looks alright." Chu Hengkong nodded in satisfaction. "Then let's keep it that way."

He took the bouquet and went out, then gently knocked three times on the door next door.

"Come on~"

A few seconds later, a groggy response came, followed by the sound of footsteps as heavy and unsteady as a corpse. The door slammed open, and Miss Ji, who had just woken up, stood in the doorway, wearing a tank top and shorts, with a head of messy blond hair.

"Good morning, Akong~" Ji Huaisu yawned.

"Good morning, madam." Chu Hengkong handed her the flowers. "It's such a beautiful day today. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a stroll?"

"Oh..." Ji Huaisu rubbed her eyes, trying to regain her senses. She instinctively took the bouquet and looked at the elegant man before her, who exuded the air of a foreign gentleman. "Thank you so much!!!"

Then, within 0.3 seconds, a terrified scream pierced the morning air! A flock of birds took flight around the dormitory, and Qingxia, who was brushing her teeth downstairs, was so startled that she threw her toothbrush cup out the window. Qingye, who lived on the upper floor, was jolted awake by the scream and hit her head on the ceiling!

Ji Huaisu, clutching the bouquet, leaped back, creating a five-meter gap. Utterly helpless, she collapsed to the ground, clutching a large vase in the living room. Her face was deathly pale, her expression one of utter terror, as if possessed by a ghost from a desolate wilderness. Suddenly, her dazed mind cleared completely, and her restored vision etched the harsh reality into her brain. Her screams intensified, causing Fan De, who had just regained consciousness next door, to lose his hearing: "Aaaaaaaahhhhhh! Don't come any closer!!"

Chu Hengkong's smile froze on his face, thinking to himself, "This is damn wrong!"

Before the date, he had prepared contingency plans for all sorts of unexpected situations. After all, Ji Huaisu was known for her strong will and anything could happen. He anticipated that Ji Huaisu might tease him for a while, in which case he could recite his prepared retort; she might make an excuse that she didn't have a suitable outfit and needed to go out shopping, and he would follow up by bringing out another women's dress that he had ordered in advance... He had even thought of the possibility that she might feign illness and refuse to come out, and he had specifically asked Jie An for a pill for this purpose in advance.

He went to great lengths this time, preparing 18 contingency plans and meticulously calculating every detail using the Immortal Machine. He hadn't even taken assassination missions this seriously. But who knew that from the very beginning, this girl would act like she'd seen a ghost?! If the leading lady of Earth's horror movies had that voice and that acting skill, audiences would be terrified in the theater. Even the most vengeful spirits would probably be scared into becoming Buddhas by that scream!

Chu Hengkong decided to bite the bullet and try, at least to block out the noise: "If there's anything offensive, I'd be very sorry..."

Ji Huaisu immediately conjured up a giant paw, holding it protectively in front of her chest like pepper spray: "You, you, you, shut up! Who are you?! Why are you here! What are your intentions in impersonating my boyfriend... my friend... my partner! What did you do to Chu Hengkong?!"

Chu Hengkong's face stiffened: "I am Chu Hengkong..."

Ji Huaisu gripped the bouquet of flowers as if it were a spear and jabbed it repeatedly at the door: "Get out! Get out! What kind of monstrous creature is this, acting all high and mighty, messing around with your knightly ancestors so early in the morning? Fan De, go call Qingxia and Xiaoye! I'll deal with this monster first!"

Vande next door rolled over, deciding to play dead for good. Chu Hengkong took off his gloves, revealing his wrist, and groaned, "I really am Chu Hengkong!"

At that moment, Qingye somersaulted out of the window, gripping the Mian Sheng spear, ready to fire. Qingxia shot into the air like a rocket, startling even Qingkun Spear into being drawn. "What on earth happened?!!"

Upon seeing a certain man, Qingye let out a scream no less piercing than Ji Huaisu's, losing her balance and collapsing at the gate. Qingxia's wings cramped from shock, and the unfortunate girl, temporarily out of control, hung from a tree like a kite. Ji Huaisu broke out in a cold sweat, swiftly sitting up and grabbing her partner's hand: "Akong, what's wrong with you?! You can discuss any difficulties with everyone, please don't do anything rash!"

"Monster—" "A ghost...!"

Outside the dormitory building, the moans of the girls echoed, attracting the attention of passersby. Chu Hengkong looked up at the sky, feeling that he had never done anything so difficult in his life, and he almost wanted to give up.

"Calm down and listen to me," Chu Hengkong said desperately. "I really came here to ask you out."

Ji Huaisu let out a second round of horrifying screams.

·

"Ah Kong, shall we go practice boxing?" Ji Huaisu said sincerely. "Don't do this, I'm scared."

Wearing his usual green overcoat and white shirt, Chu Hengkong felt for the first time in his life like a defeated general who had suffered repeated defeats. He had to change back into his less-than-stellar attire, otherwise the ladies would have thought he was a demon and killed him on the spot. The thunderous laughter that followed the clarification of the truth was now firmly locked away in a corner of his memory.

He used to look down on young people who were unwilling to face the truth, but after experiencing it firsthand, he had to admit that there were some things he would never want to think about again.

"How did it become my fault for preparing for a date so carefully?" Chu Hengkong sighed.

"Is that what you call preparing for a date? This is more like a funeral procession coming to claim my life!" Ji Huaisu shrieked. "I am very grateful for your meticulous preparations, but my poor heart really can't take it... By the way, why are you dressed like this? Is it a custom where you're from?"

“I learned it. I’ve never been on a date before.” Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly. “My family education since I started working has always taught me that going out with a lady requires careful preparation to show the gentlemanly manners of an aristocrat, and most of the young elites I’ve met do the same.”

"Just wondering, in which situations did you meet these beautiful and talented men and women..."

“When I’m on a mission,” Chu Hengkong said, “they are usually my targets. I wait until they’re ready and then take them out with one slash. Then I use their phones to send an apology text to my date saying I can’t make it…”

Chu Hengkong hesitated for a moment. Even with his steely nerves, he subconsciously sensed something was amiss. Ji Huaisu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot: "Your so-called role model is just a spoiled brat who deserved to be killed by you! You should at least learn from your underlings back then!"

Chu Hengkong was speechless. His former underlings were all incredibly ruthless, Italians from generations of organized crime, who believed in using kisses and guns to deal with women. According to them, dating was all about passionate masculine charm; to win over your sweetheart, you had to fire three shots into the air to assert your ownership, then go up and force a kiss while spouting flirtatious lines…

Using this approach to deal with Ji Huaisu is probably because he thinks his life is too smooth. He is 100% sure that his good partner will be completely infuriated by the Italian street hustler's routine, turning the date into a full-blown brawl, or even leading to a complete break in their friendship.

He offered a weak protest: "That's what I dressed like when I attended high society events with my boss back in the day."

“Ah Kong, firstly, your boss brought you along to show everyone that ‘I have the world’s number one assassin.’ What you wear is really irrelevant.” Ji Huaisu patted his face. “Secondly, you said it yourself that it was a high-society occasion… Ask yourself honestly, am I a member of high society?”

"It's my fault." Chu Hengkong readily agreed, pulling out a pre-prepared slip of paper. "Then let's skip this topic. You can take a look at my schedule—"

Ji Huaisu took the piece of paper, folded it neatly with a smile, and put it back in his pocket.

"Since it's a date, let's relax and forget about the plans," Ji Huaisu announced cheerfully. "Let's go for a walk in the countryside!"

Chu Hengkong stood there, stunned: "But the first project I arranged was—"

"Ah Kong~" Ji Huaisu slapped his head hard, "I'm begging you, you're on a date with me, not accompanying your superior on a trip! Enough nonsense, let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Okay, okay."

Chapter 258 A Memorable First Date (2)

On the dormitory rooftop, Vande put down his sniffer tube, turned around and announced, "After careful observation, I've come to the conclusion that those two are probably going out on a date."

Qingye and Qingxia both gasped. Qingye exclaimed in shock, "It's a date!"

Qingxia was also shocked: "What is dating?"

"Sorry, I forgot you lack common sense. It's like..." Qingye began, "...a situation of impropriety, a talented scholar and a beautiful woman! Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand." Qingxia nodded. "In other words, it's an essential pre-procedure step for procreation. After appeasing the woman, you take her inside for a night of passion."

"There were some major problems with the understanding, but it can't be said that it was wrong in the general direction."

Qingxia watched the two figures ride away on their bicycles, sighed and shook her head: "I don't think this will work, Xiaoye. Chu Hengkong's plan is terrible. He made the date like a ghost story right from the start, and the initiative is completely in Ji Huaisu's hands. If this continues, we won't be able to sleep together."

"Although the wording is problematic, I generally support your viewpoint," Qingye pondered. "In that case... we can't just sit idly by!"

"OAO has to help them out!"

The two women bumped fists, their eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit. Watching this scene, Vande felt like the only sane statue in this mad world.

“Sorry to bother you,” Vande said, his eyes fixed on the spot. “If I’m not mistaken, you two seem to have feelings for me too.”

"I didn't!" Qing Yechao protested loudly.

"So Ji Huaisu is your rival in love? Shouldn't you two be trying to sabotage their date? Instead, you're both so full of fighting spirit... that you've decided to support your rival's date?" Vande felt like his eyes couldn't keep up.

Qingxia picked up Fan De and said earnestly, "Fan De, they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. How dare you, a blind man, object to their relationship..."

"What does this have to do with me? I'm talking to you guys."

"Anyone who gets in the way of love will get kicked by a horse!" Qingye said seriously. "Besides, we're comrades-in-arms and best friends who've been through thick and thin together. A woman who trips up her comrade is a slut. Nobody should be a slut, right!"

"Xiao Ye, your thoughts and awareness are so noble! You shine brightly in my eyes!" Vande exclaimed.

Qingxia rubbed her hands together with a grin (the gesture was somewhat like that of a spider): "Besides, everything has a way of repaying debts. If we help Ji Huaisu now, then when we go on a date with Chu Hengkong later, Ji Huaisu won't have any reason to stop us. It's a win-win situation!"

"On the other hand, this side is full of dirty schemes, you lecherous scoundrel." Van der's eyes were lifeless. "Is this what love is all about? Or is there something wrong with my common sense?"

"You're too narrow-minded~" Qingxia spread her wings, "Hurry up, let's think of a way! We must make sure Chu Hengkong successfully climbs into Ji Huaisu's bed!"

"Oh!" Qingye laughed excitedly.

·

On the outskirts of the swamp, Detective Chu, who was riding his bicycle, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, cold sweat breaking out on his back. Such a direct, intuitive warning was extremely rare; it was as if a group of people were plotting to assassinate him.

He scanned the area thoroughly but found nothing suspicious. Even the Immortal Machine's calculations suggested it was just his imagination. He looked around, trying to find a clue, when a girl next to him bumped into him forcefully: "Hey, what are you looking at?"

"Someone is trying to assassinate me," Chu Hengkong said seriously.

Ji Huaisu burst out laughing, made an ice pop and used it to block the front wheel of the bicycle: "I'll ambush you right now."

"Don't damage public property, okay?" Chu Hengkong sighed and lifted the front wheel. "Hey, get out of the way!"

The bicycle straightened up, dodging the popsicle. Ji Huaisu casually tossed out a prop, and the popsicle scattered into a mist, spreading in the gentle, warm sunlight.

Bathed in sunlight, the damp grass spread out like a painting, a winding country road nestled among the verdant green, stretching towards a distant forest of ancient trees. Ji Huaisu loosened the handlebars and exclaimed, "This is the kind of place we should be on a weekend morning!"