Forge a path to success

"I dare not improve at all, while he does everything so easily. How am I supposed to train like this? Even if I practice ten thousand times, I'll still be the one who suffers!" Ji Huaisu protested loudly. "Besides, his new fighting style is utterly shameless! How can you fight like that!"

Chu Hengkong's practice today has deeply grasped the essence of the Steel Edge Style, emphasizing a lack of haste. He often dodges and defends before launching a single attack. Crucially, his attacks are often quite insidious, targeting vital points or severing limbs. If one recklessly charges in for a sword fight, his quick release and release of force on his blade can easily dislodge the weapon, leaving the opponent vulnerable. Ji Huaisu, with his power withdrawn, has no way to counter this style, naturally finding himself increasingly frustrated.

"Heng Kong knew to learn after being beaten, but you silly girl, you got beaten for so long and still couldn't figure out a way..." Ji Qiufeng sighed.

"I'm Reverse Shadow, not Skilled Hands, okay? My specialty is elemental control, elemental control!" Ji Huaisu brandished his claws. "Anyone who wants to compete with Skilled Hands should try fighting a simulation battle the way we Reverse Shadows do!"

After watching the spectacle for a while, Chu Hengkong asked, "Then how do you suggest we fight?"

Ji Huaisu's eyes darted around mischievously, and she ran to the corner and squatted down. She transformed her light shield into a heavy shield and slammed it in front of her, then shrank behind it: "If you touch me, you win."

"Ouch!" "How embarrassing..." Ji Qiufeng and Youyou both covered their faces. Chu Hengkong was truly shocked by this shameless behavior. He first tried to test the waters with two whips, only to find that the luminous shield was incredibly hard, and his hand went numb from the blows. Using the Thunder Whip to break through this thing was probably hopeless, and the distance between the man and the shield made it difficult to attack from a distance. He moved his arm, compressing his tentacles, and fired a small, penetrating silver spear!

Boom!

"Wow, that's strong!" The giant shield didn't budge, Ji Huaisu said sarcastically. Chu Hengkong's tentacles trembled uncontrollably, the familiar soreness making his face turn black.

It sprained its tentacle.

He took a deep breath, then unleashed a burst of power, his unsheathed rock blade slashing repeatedly, each strike ineffective, as if striking a mountain. In those few seconds, Ji Huaisu racked her brains and devised a new tactic: she made a small hole in the middle of her large shield and poked out a blunt-tipped shadow blade as thin as a needle.

This move proved incredibly valuable in actual combat; for every slash Chu Heng made, she could stab him three times. In the blink of an eye, Chu Heng was struck twice in the chest. Ji Huaisu proudly puffed out her chest and raised her head: "Chivalry has triumphed!"

Chu Heng sat down on the ground and waved his hands repeatedly: "You win, okay, you win."

Ji Huaisu removed his large shield, stood up with his hands on his hips, and said, "See that? Even though I lost an arm and a leg, Captain Huaisu is still... damn it!"

Chu Hengkong tripped her, causing her to fall to the ground. Ji Huaisu, enraged and embarrassed, pounced on her with a howl, and the two began a passionate second round of simulated combat on the spot.

Youyou looked up at the sky and sighed, "Throw her out! We can't let her embarrass herself any longer!"

"This is real combat!" Ji Huaisu made a face at her. Ji Qiufeng smiled and waited until the two finished their playful banter, then gestured with his fan towards Chu Hengkong: "What do you think?"

Chu Hengkong stared at the longsword, lost in thought. He was using Yan's relic; the blade was rough yet as tough as steel, reminiscent of the swordsman's unbreakable Iaijutsu.

“I can’t break through the light shield without using the Unreturning Blade,” he said. “I still lack the means to deal with elements and spirits. If I don’t have the Rock Blade, my chances of winning are very low.”

"Where do you get the courage to think you still have a chance of winning..." Ji Huaisu squinted.

"If you don't even believe it yourself, you'll really lose." Chu Hengkong turned to look at Ji Qiufeng. "Mr. Ji, what am I lacking?"

If Du Muyan could unleash an Iaijutsu that could sever a water flag, there was no reason why Chu Hengkong couldn't. After the battle, he repeatedly reviewed the duel in the fire, believing he had mastered 80% of the Steel Edge Style, yet his own Mureikatsu was never as powerful as a strike using the Rock Blade. He must be missing something crucial, a secret unknown on Earth.

Ji Qiufeng shook his fan: "It lacks a bit of 'spirit'."

"I can learn."

“This is not something that can be learned.” Ji Qiufeng shook his head. “There is a basic concept in Dragon Township Fist called ‘Refining Technique and Concentrating Intent’. It refers to practicing the same move countless times, reducing the movements until there is nothing left to reduce. At that point, only the most essential bone of the move remains, and only in such a move can the martial artist’s ‘intent’ be contained.”

Ji Qiufeng threw a straight punch, stopping right in front of Chu Hengkong's face. This punch was a little faster and a little heavier than a normal straight punch, but that slight difference was enough to determine victory or defeat, life or death, in actual combat.

“You can’t learn spirit; you can only train hard again and again, tempering your body with your blood and sweat until your fist is strong enough to penetrate energy and the Netherworld.” Ji Qiufeng smiled helplessly. “Heng Kong, you lack nothing. You just lack time.”

He had already mastered the three thousand most basic techniques, and with Chu Hengkong's talent, mastering the spirit and energy was by no means difficult. With just half a month of intensive training, or even less than a week, this child could completely cultivate his own spirit and energy. But there wasn't that much time for him to learn. Just as there were still many moves he hadn't yet encountered and many secret techniques to learn, he also had a lot of work to do, so he could only practice whenever he had a spare moment.

Seeing this, Chu Hengkong understood and didn't care too much: "We'll have time once we finish cleaning up the black workshop."

"However..." Ji Qiufeng changed the subject, "Although a one-size-fits-all solution is out of the question, we can think of some ways to deal with the immediate situation!"

He pulled a talisman from his pocket and slapped it into Chu Hengkong's hand. Chu Hengkong had developed a habit of stuffing any unusual things he saw into his book first.

[Burning Blood Royal Qi Talisman]

[Rating: Level 2 (Bold)]

【Origin: Mysterious Realm of Senluo - Huilong City】

……

Ji Huaisu peeked over and, after a quick glance at the effect, immediately reached out to snatch it: "What the hell is this junk? Confiscated!"

"Good stuff." Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up as he stuffed the talisman into his pocket. "It's mine."

Ji Huaisu couldn't win against him, and glared at Ji Qiufeng: "Father!"

"You're going to fight over a bonus?" Ji Qiufeng laughed. "No rush, everyone gets a second one."

Youyou climbed over, pulling a miniature stroller with two jade dragon sculptures, each about the size of a tangerine, on it. The white jade dragons were lifelike, embracing a ball of flame, looking both festive and auspicious.

For some reason, this little white jade dragon is rather round; if you don't look closely, it looks like a chubby white snake...

“Consider this your mid-year bonus. One for each of you, no more,” Youyou said.

[Dragon Spreading Fire Statue]

[Rating: Level 2 (Bold)]

【Origin: Mysterious Realm of Senluo - Huilong City】

[Effect: Enhances Ghost Body Strength; Maintains a cool state; Increases resistance to fire elemental attacks]

[Missing you: The weather is dry~ Be careful with fire~]

Chu Hengkong weighed the jade carving in his hand and said sincerely, "It's a bit heavy..."

"You brat, who are you calling heavy?!" Youyou roared in fury. "If you think it's too heavy, don't take it!"

Ji Huaisu and his daughter chuckled to themselves, their expressions practically identical. Youyou whipped the three of them with its tail, then coiled itself around Ji Qiufeng's head and announced, "I'm going into seclusion! Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary. Hengkong and Huaisu, you two shouldn't go to work for the next few days either. Rest well and prepare yourselves, understand?"

"Understood." Chu Hengkong watched the man and the snake depart. Both relics originated from Huilong City, clearly indicating that they were hastily produced after their condition improved over the past two days. For someone critically injured and on the verge of death, they had already done far too much.

He knew what Youyou was going to do: work with Ji Qiufeng to consolidate the city's order and prepare for the upcoming conflict. During this time, although Ji Qiufeng hadn't taken his medicine, his spirits had noticeably improved, all thanks to the restoration of order in the city. The city lord, like the city itself, could be protected by the power of the Huilong. If Huilong City could recover even better, perhaps he could even briefly intervene.

"Don't wander around these next couple of days, just think of it as being on duty," Ji Huaisu said. "Our building is quite important; we can't afford to lose it no matter how chaotic things get outside."

"Because the building is a 'temple'?" Chu Hengkong pointed to the white jade dragon sculpture in the middle of the building.

“Lord Huilong’s temple is the core of our city.” Ji Huaisu scratched his head. “If the temple is destroyed, the gods will have nowhere to live, and the city lord’s ‘majesty’ will be gone. At that time, no matter how hard the soldiers fight, they will be powerless to turn the tide, so we must defend the tower.”

A hint of melancholy lingered in Ji Huaisu's eyes. Chu Hengkong had intended to continue practicing his hidden weapon skills, but seeing his partner's expression, he changed his mind and sat down beside her, touching the cool jade carving.

"Once we deal with the illegal workshops, will we go to war?"

Ji Huaisu gazed through the ceiling at the distant water curtain.

“It’s almost over,” she said. “It’s a war that wasn’t finished twenty years ago.”

·

"Do you remember life before the war, Kanin?" Bessen asked casually.

Kanin was smoking a handmade Fufen cigarette, a high-end product from the Divine Tree City-State. He smoked it casually, gazing at the slowly swirling, canopy-like curtain of water.

“Oh?” Kanin snapped out of his reverie. “I remember. It was a… uneventful time. Occasionally we’d go hungry, but no one would die; it was peaceful and comfortable, but lacked excitement.”

"So you don't remember it."

“No, no.” Kanin shook his head with a smile. “The most vivid memories I have are always the first three months after the war. You weren’t here then, so you can’t imagine how wonderful Dragon City was back then. Dead people and monsters were everywhere, relics were scattered around like they were free, and people were everywhere exchanging jewelry and materials for rice and bread. Today you could find high-level relics in a dead person’s pocket, and tomorrow you could meet a demon in your dream.”

Kanin took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled it forcefully, revealing a childlike smiling face hidden within the smoke.

"That's when I realized that this city was full of opportunities. If you showed it even a little courage, it would reward you with wealth tenfold or a hundredfold. If you dared to scavenge things from piles of corpses, you could become the leader of the salvage team; if you dared to stab robbers and thieves to death, you would become the new master of the street; if you dared to take over dilapidated factories with a hammer, you would become the first new workshop owner; with a little capital, you could make yourself a nice set of clothes, and you would transform into a powerful and influential merchant."

Just one success, Bessen! Just one! And you'll be a winner, a wise man, people will follow you, enemies will fear you, and wealth will pour into your pocket. All you need is courage!

Getting carried away, Kanin waved his cigarette like a vulgar, uncouth nouveau riche. He exhaled a large smoke ring: "It gave me everything I have, how can I not love my homeland?"

“So you have to get it,” Besson said.

“Actually, I’d rather buy it,” Kanin chuckled. “Unfortunately, Ji Qiufeng isn’t selling.”

He stubbed out his cigarette and went into the factory. The crows stood silently in the dark warehouse, like a group of faithful wind-up dolls. Kanin removed the mask from one of the crows, and a bright light shone from its pale face, like a light bulb shaped like a human head.

After reviewing the results of the fluorescent corpse transformation experiment and thanking Adari for the valuable data, he went to the workshop at the deepest part of the factory. On the workbench piled with materials were the five bottles of "parent's blood," the summoning mirror, and a puppet that was about to take shape. It was time to work on the new spoils of war. Kanin ended his short break and began to concentrate on preparing his partner's new body.

Bessen remained outside, watching a crow foraging in the wasteland. Kanin avoided discussing the topic that concerned him most, but he actually knew about that time. Because they had made a pact, there were no secrets between them.

It reminisces, like a ghost from the past, watching over a little orphan from 20 years ago. He wore dirty overalls and sat for years at the bar entrance watching the glamorous passersby come and go, wiping their shoes with a towel.

Most shoe shiners are thieves, taking money from customers' pockets. But he wasn't; he was too afraid of losing his little job, so he never stole. The little orphan was quick-witted and flattered every shoe shiner, making them laugh. Some scoundrels would dance in the mud after shining shoes, splattering mud all over his face and head. But he would laugh and clap, praising the customers' dancing skills, and then shine their shoes again for free, not bothering to wipe his own muddy face.

When there were no guests, he silently looked up at the sky, at the headquarters building towering into the clouds under the sunlight, and at the golden birds flying overhead.

“You just really want to climb up,” Bessen muttered to himself.

Chapter 57 The Secret in the Smoke

The scars of war linger in Huilong City, etched into the dilapidated buildings, the dusty tombstones, and the hearts of the homeless. Even with no interest in old history, Chu Hengkong gained some understanding of the past wars after three months of exposure to the city.

Over the past twenty years, Huilong City has fought three major battles. The first battle was against demons. One day, a massive number of imaginary demons suddenly appeared, charging towards the city with frenzied fighting spirit. It is said that many high-ranking demons with names appeared in that battle. Huilong City repelled the demons, but also suffered heavy losses.

Shortly after the war against the demons ended, a second war broke out in a bizarre manner. This time, the enemy's identity was unknown; some said it was a fire monster, others a storm spirit, and rumors swirled about it. The only common thread was the unusual celestial phenomena. It was said that torrential rain fell for a long time, thunder obscured the brilliance of the sun and moon, and the clouds were pure crimson—a raging inferno across the sky.

“You can’t even imagine how nightmare it was,” Jie An said. “I was just a kid back then, hiding in the shelter and thinking the sky was falling.”

"From the description, it seems to be a massive convergence of natural disasters."

"Well, the natural disasters attacked the city..." Jie An scratched his mouth with his knuckles halfway through his sentence, "Just pretend you didn't hear me. Anyway, we completely sealed off the city after that, out of necessity."

"The city is under lockdown, so where did the enemy for the third major battle come from?" Chu Hengkong asked.

“The heretics don’t reason with you. They just popped out like that and fought a real battle with the city lord. Nobody knows what they look like, and all the other participants died.” Jie An handed him a small medicine bottle. “This story tells us that disaster can strike at any time, so it’s best to prepare in advance—take your medicine.”

The bottle contained specially made lozenges, a new panacea that Jie An had improved recently, effective against all kinds of poisons and unorthodox methods. Production was limited; each ordinary team member received one. Chu Hengkong not only received half a bottle but also an unfinished Bodhi Bliss Pill.

Now that the prescription is complete, the pestle can only produce complete spiritual herbs. Unfortunately, Jie An himself is just a foundation stone; the only complete Chang Le Pill was automatically completed by the pestle, and it can no longer be obtained. This incomplete pill was an extra one he made when he went down to the swamp. Taking this out means that the team's resources are truly running out.

"We've won so many battles in a row, so why are we getting poorer and poorer?" Chu Hengkong said helplessly.

"Treatment and healing are free? Equipment replacement is free? Fortifications and watchtowers, which one is free? Tell me, where did all the money go!" Jie An glared. "If you think it's too shabby, then hurry up and smash up the illegal factory. The whole team is counting on you to generate revenue!"

"Okay, I'll try my best."

Chu Hengkong felt a chill run down his spine when he heard the nagging tone of the housekeeper. He quickly put away the medicine bottle, jumped out of the window, hooked his tentacles on the windowsill, and swung away in a few leaps.

The weather remained gloomy, and the flow of weapons was slower than usual. A somber darkness shone through the water curtain, as if rain was imminent. However, the atmosphere in the city was not as oppressive as usual. Dozens of bright yellow towers stood in various parts of the courtyard, their bodies emitting a faint light, like lighthouses in the thick fog.

Chu Hengkong adjusted his angle in mid-air, silently landing on the tower closest to headquarters. The guard on the tower's top, startled by the footsteps, immediately turned and drew his gun, then sheepishly lowered it: "Detective, you scared me to death..."

"Good alertness. Remember not to fire next time." Chu Hengkong raised his gun again. "Any abnormalities?"

"No one's committed any crimes in our area today, everything's peaceful," the team member said smugly. "With the tower built, this shift has become really comfortable!"

This tower, named the Tower of Divine Vision, is a result of the new "gacha machine" after the club was captured. The tower itself can enhance the combat abilities of the team members within its range, and the towers can quickly exchange information. It can also instantly detect and alert to events such as fraud, theft, and violent assault within its range, making it a supercharged version of the Watchtower in another world.

When Chu Hengkong first saw the tower, he joked that its reconnaissance function might infringe on other people's privacy. However, before he could even finish his question, Youyou launched into a long, confident lecture, going on about "the ancient dragon clan's persistent experimentation and improvement over three thousand years" and "the culmination of a great totem system and new-generation trendy techniques." In short, she was saying that any questions a young upstart like him could think of had already been answered by the dragon ancestors, and the tower itself had absolutely no suspicion of authoritarian rule. Chu Hengkong listened and nodded, resolving that from now on, no matter what new gadget she pulled out, he would just use it and then question it as a corpse.

"The club's investigation is stalled for now." Knowing what Detective Chu was most concerned about, the team member said proactively, "You know that place is completely burned; there's no trace left..."

The team member suddenly looked down as a tall tower in the west began to glow, transmitting a signal. He observed it carefully for a moment, then turned and said, "You're really lucky. Lü Xing sent a letter saying there's been progress."

"Do your duty well." Chu Hengkong jumped out of the tower and headed west.

He had been troubled since the club's battle. Firstly, he hadn't confirmed Vesap's death, and secondly, he didn't understand why Kanin was there. The man in white wasn't stupid; having already instigated the team to fight the club, there was no reason for him to risk personally entering the fray. He went to the swamp to prevent Ji Huaisu from participating, so what was his purpose in coming to the building?

Chu Heng couldn't understand it, and that's precisely why he was worried. Hostility lurking in the shadows is always more worrisome than an enemy in the open.

·

"Grandma, please slow down..."

The courtyard, the ruins of the former club.

Chu Hengkong pushed aside a charred rock and entered the crime scene marked by a yellow circle. The surface of the rock was scorching hot, and the ground was burning hot underfoot. The team members investigating the scene drank water from time to time to cool off. The fire that destroyed the club had long been extinguished, but the scene still emanated a lingering heat.

The team later discovered a secret room at the bottom of the building, but the area had long been burned beyond recognition, and even with the help of the artifacts, they couldn't find any evidence. Chu Hengkong was very curious about what new method they had used, but when he arrived, he found a hunched old woman standing in the ruins. She was holding a pipe, puffing out smoke, the pale green smoke seeping into the ruins and condensing into ambiguous and blurry shapes.

"Grandma Sangjia?" Chu Hengkong looked at Lü Xing beside him. "What happened?"

Lü Xing rubbed his hands together, looking a little uneasy.

“This morning, my mother-in-law came to the central courtyard for a mobilization meeting. I was thinking that the investigation had been stuck for quite a while, so I mentioned it to her…” Even if it was just a subtle hint, it was undoubtedly too much for a squad leader to ask the Grand Wizard to investigate. He lowered his head. “I was reckless.”

"Well done, very clever." Chu Hengkong didn't care at all; being able to pass the buck meant he did a good job. Grandma Sangjia's willingness to help had nothing to do with who asked her; it was purely because the old lady appreciated their kindness.

He stood behind the old man and waited patiently until the shapes in the smoke became clearer, turning into a magic circle, footprints, and a disgusting trail that looked like a slug wriggling.

“Look, here are the footprints of the Moon Child.” The old man pointed to the writhing trail. “It was filled with terror and resentment, stubbornly advancing while sucking blood. But its fate was cut short…”

Granny Sangjia pointed to footprints not far away, footprints that had stepped into the magic circle and destroyed the already formed magic circle: "There, are the claw marks of a raven, carrying the god of the sea. He discovered the escape of his young child, and then..."

Grandma Sangjia paused for a long time, seemingly unable to imagine what would happen next. Chu Hengkong walked around the area, stepping on his footprints to simulate the distance between the two of them at that time.

“He burned Vesap to death,” Chu Hengkong said with certainty. “The flames erupted from the ground in an instant.”

Grandma Sangjia nodded slowly, as if her mind had suddenly become clear: "That's right, the flames destroyed the young child's fate, and the crow picked up the treasure..."