Forge a path to success

"It's all about loyalty," he said.

Chapter 55 I am born with talents that will be useful

Three o'clock in the afternoon, in Chu Hengkong's single dormitory room.

A newly purchased spring-loaded mannequin stood upright in the living room, swaying like a roly-poly toy with the slightest movement. Chu Hengkong was circling the mannequin, throwing water bullets at a dazzling speed. His technique was supernatural; dozens of water bullets popped with a popping sound, but the impact seemed to disappear as if sinking into the sea, leaving the mannequin completely still.

For a long time, the only sounds in the living room were footsteps and clattering, until Ji Huaisu raised his head in despair: "Chief Inspector, we just finished fighting at the club the day before yesterday, didn't we?"

"Correct."

"You just got out of bed yesterday, didn't you?"

"Correct."

"Then can you take a break and do something other than cultivation?"

Chu Hengkong stopped what he was doing and glanced at her helplessly: "You've taken away my entertainment. What else can I do if I don't cultivate?"

Ji Huaisu quickly hid the phone, looking as self-righteous as if she were taking something that was her own. This girl not only snatched the phone but also occupied the entire sofa by herself, and even generously grabbed a pillow to put on it so that she could lie down comfortably.

Ever since he started playing games, Captain Ji's rest time has become very regular: he regularly completes his outdoor activity quotas, then runs to his neighbor's house to snatch their phone to play. The whole process is perfectly natural and logical. Chu Hengkong sometimes thinks he has a Golden Retriever, whose behavior is almost 100% identical to Captain Ji's: big, good-tempered, will snatch food from you, treats the sofa as its den, barks if you don't play with it, and smiles at you if you yell at it.

"Playing all day is bad for your eyes!" Ji Huaisu declared emphatically.

Chu Hengkong glared at her a few times, then shook his head helplessly. The golden retriever, though thick-skinned, still had a great figure; if she lay down on the sofa and closed her mouth, she was practically a jade-like body lying prone, making it difficult to glare at her. He casually tossed a water bomb; the spring-loaded dummy wobbled slightly, then suddenly exploded from the inside, scattering into fragments all over the floor.

Ji Huaisu suddenly sat up abruptly: "Holy crap, what's the principle behind this?"

"Strike the enemy's body with power like a thorn, then detonate it with skillful force." Chu Hengkong swept the floor with a broom. "I just learned a slightly more advanced version of the Dragon Township Fist this morning."

"You call this boxing..." Ji Huaisu said expressionlessly, "This technique is so outrageous that I can't even understand it..."

"The principle is very simple; you'll learn it after you learn it."

Chu Hengkong twisted and tightened the tentacle on his left arm like a wound-up toy, compressing it severely. The naturally ejected tentacle created a ring of airflow, blowing dust into the trash can under Ji Huaisu's blank gaze.

"And this one, it enhances the 'gun' using the principle of immobility. I think its power will be quite considerable in actual combat." Chu Hengkong patted the tentacle with satisfaction. "Learning new skills will also improve old moves. That's the joy of martial arts."

“Go ask a hundred people on the street and they’ll all tell you it’s a superpower,” Ji Huaisu said. “Don’t use ‘technique’ to describe your absurd fighting, okay? Real skill-based fighters would cry when they see you.”

"I want superpowers too!" Chu Hengkong spread his tentacles. "I don't have any!"

Since entering the city, Chu Hengkong has fought his way through countless skilled fighters. The Hundred Palms technique possesses inherent compression and physical enhancement abilities; Du Muyan, besides his swordsmanship, also has the ability to petrify; even the initial Mimori Nozomi could use her fingers as water guns. Each skilled fighter, besides their learning ability, possesses some degree of "superpower," but Chu Hengkong…

Why is it that after the promotion, besides becoming more physically robust and learning faster, there are no other changes?

“That’s because there are different categories of skilled hands.” Ji Huaisu lazily lay back down. “The ones you fought all had ‘extraordinary limbs,’ so their extraordinary abilities were also enhanced. If someone like you, who relies entirely on extraordinary skills to advance, becomes a skilled hand, wouldn’t that just be a pure enhancement of your skills?”

Chu Hengkong shook his tentacle forcefully: "Isn't this extraordinary enough??"

Ji Huaisu pinched the tip of the tentacle with his fingertips and tugged at it, his voice low and deep: "Ah Kong... look, you've been transformed for three months now, and there's still no sign of it. So this tentacle is probably just an ordinary arm of a giant squid... Oh no, stop secreting mucus! It's splattering on my face!"

"This must be my extraordinary power." Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly, "With more practice, I can trap people with slime. I can create traps with slime. I can launch slime projectiles with powerful slime..."

“This superpower sounds pathetic. You’ll become the enemy of all the women in the city.” Ji Huaisu wiped her face vigorously with a tissue. “To be serious, there’s another possibility: this thing’s extraordinary ability manifests outside of combat. Do you remember Sansen Wangxiang? That kid used to be a third-rate craftsman, but after he transformed, he became particularly good at making and modifying firearms.”

Chu Hengkong was somewhat tempted upon hearing this: "Perhaps I can also create relics?"

"Try it and you'll see!" Ji Huaisu grabbed him and walked towards the door. "Come on, let's test your talent."

"You're only happy because you found something to play with."

"How could that be? I was just trying to help you!"

Twenty minutes later, at the Huilongcheng cafeteria.

"What do you mean?" Jie An scratched his head. "You want to cook?"

“I’ve read in books before about people who are exceptionally skilled at cooking. Maybe A-Kong is one of those extraordinary individuals!” Ji Huaisu said with great interest.

Chu Hengkong was picking and choosing in the kitchen, occasionally taking out a knife or spoon to weigh it. His movements were steady and his technique professional, like a murderer searching for a murder weapon.

Jie An felt a pang of sympathy: "Fine, it's just a matter of leaving the stove empty... Killer Bro, have you ever cooked before?"

"I'm very good at wilderness survival," Chu Hengkong said.

"Alright, that's fine." Jie An handed them two eggs. "Why don't you try something easy first and make some fried rice?"

Chu Heng chopped some scallions and ginger, heated oil in a wok, and cracked two eggs into the pan to fry. Jie An felt a little relieved; at least the person opposite him wasn't the type to just throw whole eggs into the wok. But then, a conversation that reached his ears made him dizzy.

"Ah Kong, should I use uncooked or cooked rice for fried rice?"

Someone's naive and confused question received a firm answer: "Of course it's raw. You've already cooked it in the simmering pot, why would you stir-fry it?"

"Oh, okay. So you just throw away the eggshell, right?"

"That's a waste. I'm used to cooking them together. They can still be eaten after being fried in oil."

"I've learned something. Hey, do you think we should add some mucus? Maybe your hand can be used as a seasoning?"

"It's worth a try..."

Jie An pounded his chest hard, feeling a lump in his throat, threatening to burst his lungs. He opened the window to gasp for air, and when he came to his senses, the deadly duo appeared with a plate of unidentified objects.

The fried rice had an eerie green color, and the sticky liquid after heating resembled the foam on a poisonous swamp. The half-cooked rice mixed in looked like swimming insects, and the eggshells were hidden beneath the poisonous swamp like reefs.

The other cooks in the kitchen made excuses to go to the restroom and fled for their lives. The two men pushed the plate forward with all their might: "Cook, why don't you give it a try?"

Jie An took a spoon, shakily scooped out a spoonful, and licked it.

"Get out of here, you two! You're never allowed to set foot in the cafeteria again!!"

Five minutes later, in the city lord's study.

Ji Qiufeng was in a particularly refined mood today, sketching lines for a painting with a bamboo brush. Seeing the two arrive, he didn't even look up: "What terrible idea have you come up with now?"

“We are trying to develop Akong’s skillful hands!” Ji Huaisu said enthusiastically. “I just tested his cooking skills and found that he wasn’t very good at it. I came to see if he has the ability to draw talismans and write incantations.”

Ji Qiufeng smiled enigmatically: "Heng Kong, do you think you have this talent?"

"It's worth a try," Chu Hengkong said, forcing himself to speak.

“Sure! It’s always good to try new things.” Ji Qiufeng handed over paper and pen. “We won’t go into theory for now. Just draw something and see how your intuition is developed.”

Chu Hengkong took the brush, pondered for a moment, and then finished the painting. The father and daughter took the painting and stared at it for a long time. Ji Qiufeng put on a stern face: "Your painting of the Fallen One is very lifelike, but the things related to heretics should not be recorded. Don't joke about this in the future."

Chu Hengkong was a little embarrassed: "I didn't draw the Fallen Ones..."

Ji Huaisu stared in shock at the grotesque, black and reddish mud monster on the drawing paper: "...What is this?"

"A head that fell from the twentieth floor," Chu Hengkong gestured, "from an overhead view."

"..."

The study was silent for about three seconds before Ji Huaisu silently handed the masterpiece back to his partner. Ji Qiufeng rubbed his temples and said thoughtfully, "Hengkong, your painting can be described as lifelike, and you certainly have artistic talent. However... the times may not be ready to welcome your masterpiece."

Chu Hengkong still intended to make one last effort: "Is there no hope in literary creation?"

"Not necessarily. I have fellow disciples who are also prodigies who have mastered the art of talismans through their literary talent. Why don't you try writing a short story?"

This time, Chu Hengkong spent half an hour writing a lengthy piece of about a thousand words on the theme of assassination, using his tentacles as a pen. The two editors' expressions changed several times during the review, making for a fascinating reading experience.

“First of all, I can’t say your writing is bad,” Ji Qiufeng said. “Your scene descriptions are very realistic, and some details are especially vivid. The opening three hundred words describe… a brief history of the development of a certain family crest… which especially demonstrates your research skills. However, that’s also where the problem lies…”

"It's too realistic!" Ji Huaisu slammed his fist on the table. "You even wrote down that there was a flying insect flapping its wings next to the target when the second hand turned once. Who wants to care about such details? You even gave out the full name and lines of every speaker. Only one second has passed in the entire story! At this rate, we'll have to wait three days to see the protagonist say the first line!"

"I thought everyone already knew the fate of the assassination target, so I didn't write it..." Chu Hengkong frowned.

Ji Qiufeng was unusually troubled: "Why would you assume we already knew the ending?"

Chu Hengkong pointed to the avant-garde art masterpiece created half an hour ago.

"His head fell from the twentieth floor," he said.

Ji Qiufeng put down his manuscript and sighed deeply. Ji Huaisu grasped his partner's hand and said affectionately, "Akong, you absolutely cannot leave the literary world. If you leave, we'll never see the Chaotic Dog Shit School again..."

Chu Hengkong threw the painting into the trash can: "I'm going to practice martial arts."

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! There are other possibilities, right!" Ji Huaisu pressed him back into his seat. "Dad, you were a master craftsman back then. How did you develop your extraordinary powers?"

“It hasn’t been developed yet.” Ji Qiufeng took a sip of tea. “I advanced through hard work and diligent study. I don’t have any special abilities. After advancing, I formally entered the training program and continued learning.”

"So all the martial arts practitioners in our Dragon Township have been... blank slates for generations?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"Except for a few special races, yes." Ji Qiufeng nodded seriously. "Look, you still have a tentacle, how great! When I was a kid, everyone would be so envious."

Ji Huaisu was deeply shocked: "How did someone as strong and honest as Longquan Township manage to make a name for himself in this godforsaken place?"

Ji Qiufeng opened his folding fan and shook it, then laughed and said, "Because great strength and skill are more useful than most special abilities. No matter how strange the enemy's strength is, they were still defeated by Heng Kong."

Ji Huaisu started to argue: "What if we encounter special abilities that go too far, like instant death or time stop..."

“Of course we have more profound secret techniques and stronger powers to break it,” Ji Qiufeng laughed. “Alright, Dad has to go to work now, go play somewhere else.”

"So, can I start practicing martial arts now?"

"No way! Let's keep trying. I refuse to believe we can't figure it out this afternoon!"

·

Over the next two hours, Chu Hengkong tried playing musical instruments with his tentacles (the surrounding residents were terrified and went out to call the police; Lu Xing, who came to enforce the law, had a very complicated expression); he tried making relics with his tentacles (after wasting three good pieces of material, Mrs. Ansa politely asked the two to leave); and he tried playing games with his tentacles (but he lost miserably because the screen was covered in slime). Finally, they returned to the sofa in their single dormitory room. Chu Hengkong's eyes were empty, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"Well, how should I put it?" Ji Huaisu pinched his hair, "As the saying goes, everyone has their own unique talents, and your talent... might just be your exceptional fighting ability..."

“Otherwise, how would I become an assassin?” Chu Hengkong sighed. “I’ll probably be unemployed by the time Huilong City recovers. I’ll probably have to volunteer as a bodyguard on other small islands.”

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. Look at me!" Ji Huaisu gave a thumbs up. "I'm not good at anything except fighting!"

"Your consolation, which is like comparing apples and oranges, makes me even more pessimistic."

“No, being good at fighting is the most sought-after skill. Once Huilong City recovers, there will be plenty of things for you to do. As the chief detective, you will definitely not be idle.” Ji Huaisu said, “Maybe when you become even better at fighting, I can step down as captain and retire with honor, lalalala.”

Chu Hengkong's heart skipped a beat: "You don't want to do this anymore?"

"Well, how should I put it..." Ji Huaisu chuckled awkwardly, "I have some personal little goals."

Chu Hengkong suddenly realized. Her origins. Ji Huaisu was an adopted child; her biological parents and hometown were certainly not in Huilong City. It's only natural for people to want to see their biological parents.

"Hometown?"

“Not only that.” Ji Huaisu released a light shield and examined it. “My ability is also innate. Neither my father nor Youyou could teach me. As for myself… ‘I remember’… my technique is only up to point 2. If I don’t go out and look for something, I can’t stay in the shadow forever.”

"Just ascend step by step like a regular Ascendant, isn't that enough?"

“…I feel like I’m not quite the same as them.” Ji Huaisu said vaguely, “Sometimes I have an impulse, a strong urge to go somewhere, to defeat some enemy, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s like having something on the tip of my tongue but then forgetting it, and it’s incredibly frustrating not being able to express it.”

Chu Hengkong seemed to understand, but instinctively sensed that the other person wasn't lying. He scratched his head and said, "Then you could consider becoming an adventurer and going out to find clues about your hometown."

“That’s true, I think this approach is good too!” Ji Huaisu’s eyes lit up, but then she pouted, “But I don’t think even if things get better, Dad will let me out…”

"Therefore, solid skills are the key. Practice diligently before pursuing your dreams."

"Hey, why are you boxing again?"

"I don't have any special abilities!" Chu Hengkong sighed. "I can only make up for it with technology."

Deep down, Chu Hengkong knew this tentacle wouldn't be ordinary; the large book that only he could use was the best proof. But after all this fuss, he wasn't that bothered.

Everyone has their own unique talents. Just as Ji Huaisu was born a knight, he was naturally skilled in combat, and he enjoyed it. To be able to pursue one's passion is a rare kind of happiness.

He twisted his tentacles, contracted them, and then struck out. The simple exercise brought him a sense of peace. On the sofa, Ji Huaisu chatted noisily, exchanging occasional words. He repeated the exercise over and over until late at night.

Chapter 56 The past

Nine o'clock in the morning, the 31st floor of the main building's shrine.

The sword light was sharp and unyielding, while the whip's shadow flickered. Ji Huaisu held a light shield in one hand and a shadow blade in the other, constantly drawing her sword as she circled around Chu Hengkong.

She deliberately shrunk her weapon by one size because her opponent was too agile, and the greatsword had virtually no chance of hitting her. But this painstaking effort had little effect; Chu Hengkong still dodged with ease, and each time he dodged, he didn't forget to slap her hand with his tentacles.

“You’ve been hitting too straight; your right hand has been broken eight times already.” As he spoke, he lashed out with his whip again. The tentacle flicked its whip, defying common sense, and circled around to the bottom, grazing the back of Ji Huaisu’s hand.

"Look, 9 times." Chu Hengkong shrugged, while Youyou, who was watching, chuckled strangely.

"Aaaaaah!!" Ji Huaisu screamed in anger, her hands covered in slime. She tossed her shield into the air, where it emitted a light, then stepped on Chu Hengkong's elongated shadow. The constantly moving assassin had no choice but to stop, and Ji Huaisu smiled triumphantly. She raised her hand and slashed down with her sword... but Chu Hengkong only slightly turned his body, the shadow blade grazing his clothes.

At that moment, the light shield descended, and the shadow shifted away from Ji Huaisu's feet. She hurriedly tried to step on the shadow again, but her right foot was just lifted when it was grazed by a tentacle.

"It would be much more effective to turn the Shadow Blade into a throwing dart than to stab it," Chu Hengkong said. "Now that your right leg is broken, you can only fight by hopping on one leg."

Ji Huaisu threw down the Shadow Blade, lay down on the ground, and started rolling around. While rolling, he howled, "I'm not playing anymore!"

Youyou crawled over and tapped her head with its tail. Ji Qiufeng, who was watching from the side, sighed, "What a disappointment."