Forge a path to success

“What you said makes sense.” Chu Hengkong nodded. “However, this is our job, so please return the extra amount.”

"Wow! Is there going to be a fight?" Sriel hugged his harp tighter. "No, no, I'm a poet, I don't do action scenes! Money is fine with me..."

He magically produced a wooden envelope and waved it at Chu Hengkong: "Please exchange it for a debt of gratitude."

Chapter 101 "Please help me!"

The envelope had a rough texture and was brown all over, resembling a handcrafted item made from extremely thin pieces of wood. Chu Hengkong couldn't figure it out at first, so he gave Fan De a look.

The latter took a look, pondered for a moment, and said with certainty, "This... must be top-quality wood."

"Vander's daily quota for nonsense is -1," Chu Hengkong said.

"Aren't you being a little too harsh on me?! Seriously though, is there even a credit limit?!"

“Daily quota of 0 sentences, one hour of overtime for every sentence exceeding the quota~” Ji Huaisu said with a smile.

Vande froze: "What's going on? This captain is supposed to be a generous, warm, and cheerful person, so why is he acting like he's been given a ton of salt when he's with me?"

"The squid must be salted, that's what Xiao Qisu said."

"That useless priest who's always haunting me! Ahhhhh!"

Vande lunged at Ji Huaisu with his tentacles, only to be grabbed and bounced upside down like a yo-yo. Sriel whistled in encouragement, playing a soaring melody that made one hallucinate the strings catching fire. Chu Hengkong, observing the man's reaction, formed a preliminary conclusion about his character.

A master of witty banter. When telling a story, he's tight-lipped about important information, ensuring his words don't become tainted. He has no qualms about swindling others out of their money, and he won't let unexpected absurd jokes disrupt his rhythm during negotiations. This person has an excellent grasp of "moderation," and if he's speaking seriously, he wouldn't use jokes to confuse the issue.

Chu Hengkong did not take the envelope, but sat down opposite the poet: "You should have arrived in Huilong City within the last ten days or so, so we seem to have no obligation to talk to you."

“Poets are solitary and need no one else’s help. But someone is alone in a foreign land and desperately needs allies to come to their aid.” Sriel smiled mysteriously. “You have no obligation to write this letter. But to the captain beside you, and to the city protected by the Dragon God—that obligation has existed since ancient times and cannot be shirked.”

"...What nonsense are you spouting?" Ji Huaisu was completely bewildered.

Vande struggled free from her grasp, rolled onto the table, and his expression changed: "You mean an ally of the Ancient Dragon Clan?"

"I didn't say anything, I was just responsible for delivering a letter."

The poet instantly dropped his meaningful expression, quickly strumming his strings and urging, "Think it over, make a decision! I won't go into the details, countdown five, four, three, two, one! Should you keep this letter or not? If you accept it, I'll repay you; if not, I'll go find someone else to help me."

The two detectives spoke at the same time: "Receive." "Take it."

The poet smiled slyly, then suddenly rose and gave the two men a flamboyant bow. He carried the small bowl out of the tavern, singing as he went:

"Hearing the song makes one laugh, losing money makes one angry, and desperately begging someone to help recover the money."

A legendary figure arrives with a laugh; what harm is there in returning the goods and offering gifts?

Although there is no personal grudge, there is cause and effect; one should not shirk one's duty and should make a promise.

The millennium-old alliance has never been forgotten; aid has been rushed from afar to protect the righteous path.

The small bowl jingled in his hands, spewing forth pearls, treasures, swords, spears, and clubs like a fountain, leaving a trail behind the bard. He walked away with the song, transforming into a crescent-shaped shadow that flowed into a crack in the ground, the fading song accompanied by a long laugh:

"Please send me any new stories you have~"

Van der chased after him all the way to the door, watching the departing figure, his eyes seemingly shining: "Today has truly been a dream come true... He's been my idol since my student days..."

Chu Hengkong's lips twitched: "You've always wanted to be a traveler like that, haven't you?"

Van der nodded frantically.

“At least in terms of looks, you two are quite similar…” Ji Huaisu picked up the envelope, looked it over, and said, “Let’s give this to Dad to make a decision.”

"What do you think?" Chu Hengkong looked in the direction the shadow had disappeared. "That's a method used by your Supreme Path."

"He's probably crossed the first abyss, at least a 4-point mass. These days, who would dare to travel off the island alone without some skill?"

Chu Hengkong nodded, then paused as he took a step. A pure white spear was planted right in front of him, placed perfectly within his reach, like a gift offered to him. He glanced at it with his silver eyes and chuckled to himself.

"He'll still get a long spear."

·

[Unrivaled Guns Above and Below Ground]

[Rating: 2 (Bold)]

【Origin: Seeking Fun and Leisure - Fashion Value Research Institute】

[Effect: A long spear crafted from pure white material, with a sharp blade and a tough body, possessing limitless possibilities!]

[Thoughts: "If we write like this, we can attract everyone's attention and sell it for a high price!"]

"Are you an idiot? No matter how high your base stats are, without power, it's just a blank slate. Who would pay a high price for a relic with no power?"

"Trust in the potential of your customers!"

"And I don't trust your intelligence."

The gun was eventually sold to Paradise for the wholesale price of two building blocks of candy.

[A word of advice: A hero cannot be without a divine weapon, so I am giving you a long spear. Please accept it with a smile :D.]

Don't forget to send me your next story. Address: Seafood Bookstore, Senluo Secret Realm, Thorn City, for poet Sreyer.

·

Distributing the gold, silver, and pearls scattered on the ground to their rightful owners is a very challenging problem. Chu Hengkong proposed a groundbreaking solution and assigned the task to Lü Xing, who is of great potential for improvement.

The henchman arrived dressed in a full "Dragon Guard suit," his dragon-head helmet gleaming majestically in the sunlight. He removed the helmet, revealing a less imposing, dejected face: "Brother Chu... if you can't handle this, how are the brothers supposed to get it done..."

"We can ask the cook to help with the accounting. Return as many relics and jewels as possible, and confiscate all the flowing pearls." Chu Hengkong tapped his shoulder armor. "This is already at point 1, good progress. Skillful Hands or Foundation Stone?"

"After all, you trained her, so she must be very skilled." Lü Xing rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "She's a senior member, after all, so how could I waste public resources?"

The Dragon Guard Set is a mass-produced standard equipment after the revitalization of Dragon City. Its appearance resembles a combat suit with a dragon-head helmet. This set of equipment can comprehensively enhance the wearer's physical fitness, and the accompanying special trendy gun and baton can cope with combat in a variety of complex environments. Its overall combat power is rated above standard mass point 2, and it was quickly welcomed by all team members after being put into actual combat.

Before the opening of Huilong City, the team members never dared to imagine they would receive such good treatment. After the city opened, the outer passages outside the water curtain were wiped out in one battle, and Lady Huilong no longer had to devote most of her energy to maintaining the water curtain, but could concentrate on developing her trendsetting skills and mass production. As a result, all sorts of ideas that had been pent up for 20 years were put into practice in a revenge-like manner, and the team's equipment was changed almost every day. The momentum was so rapid that even the city lord personally advised that we are a peaceful and friendly trading city, and that the lord's aggressive military campaigns might scare away tourists.

The retaliatory expansion has yielded a variety of products, including Dragon Guard Stones personally wholesaled by Lord Huilong (which can be used as a foundation for advancement after inspection), Level 2, 3, and 5 Dragon Guard Sets personally designed by Lord Huilong (corresponding to Level 1, 2, and 4 advancers respectively, increasing combat power by one level), and the "Dragon's Wrath" urban defense system personally produced by Lord Huilong (Chu Hengkong served as the first tester, and destroyed the head of a giant demon with a single shot from 1 miles away)... Last month, Youyou even planned to create a Heavenly Punishment Device that she would personally control, but she was persuaded to stop by Ji Qiufeng after much persuasion.

That was the first time Chu Hengkong had seen the worry of unemployment on the city lord's face. If things continued like this, even the peerless generals might be in danger of being "optimized" (i.e., eliminated).

Although these specialized equipment items can only be used within the Ancient Dragon Totem's territory, urban security is located within Huilong City, and any future battles will be city defenses, so there are no concerns. Everyone has been extremely happy using them for the past three months, saying they've never felt so happy working before. Many older comrades who are about to switch to clerical positions are very reluctant to leave and have submitted reports requesting to work for two more years to contribute to the city.

Lü Xing was ambitious; instead of using the Dragon Guard Stone as a stepping stone, he steadily and surely advanced to the Skillful Hand level. Such an advancer is naturally more worthy of cultivation than those who advance in batches, and can be considered a reserve talent for leadership. Chu Hengkong slapped him hard: "Aren't you going to treat everyone to a meal after you get promoted?"

"Of course, of course, that's why the brothers are all waiting for you to come back."

"Okay, do a good job. Come find me when you have time, I'll teach you a few tricks to keep things in check."

"Hey! Thanks, Brother Chu!"

Lu Xing was both surprised and delighted, and suddenly felt full of energy while counting the valuables. Ji Huaisu clicked his tongue repeatedly: "Your skill at winning people over is truly impressive..."

"Back in the day, I was a leader, after all," Chu Hengkong shrugged. "Times have really changed."

Ji Huaisu winked and said, "Aren't you feeling a little sour? This isn't the time for the whole team to rely on you."

"Captain, you seem quite happy."

"After all these years of hard work, I finally have a chance to slack off, so of course I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest!" She stretched. "That's how it should be, otherwise how can I go on a trip?"

Later, according to the military finance department's estimate, Sreil did not return all the money he received; the amount he withheld was roughly equivalent to the ticket revenue from a three-day concert. It seems the poet has a sense of self-worth regarding the fruits of his labor, perhaps a similar principle held by artists from another world.

But that's a story for later. Right now, the chief detectives finished their work and returned to headquarters. When they entered the city lord's office, Ji Qiufeng was sketching and writing on a human anatomy diagram, leisurely commenting and offering unique artistic insights such as "the head isn't upturned enough" and "the horns aren't bright enough."

Ji Huaisu watched for a while and couldn't help but ask, "Father, are you drawing a portrait of...youyou?"

"You're always overthinking things." Youyou glared at her. "Hengkong, take off your clothes and stand here."

"Oh."

Chu Hengkong took off his shirt and leaned over. Ji Qiufeng stopped writing and pondered for a while, then shook his back.

His eyes instantly turned blood red, and Chu Hengkong spun around and threw a punch!

Ji Qiufeng blocked the fist with a single finger, his brush swirling as he tapped 36 points down from his brow, Adam's apple, shoulders, and chest to the backs of his feet. Chu Hengkong's eyes, still red, lowered their clenched fists. He looked at his right hand with surprise and asked, "This can suppress?"

“Even the most powerful weapon is only at mass point 2, so suppressing it is still easy,” Ji Qiufeng said with a smile. “Both my Chenjun Palace and the Zhengxuan Palace, which originated from Jiewen, have a talisman that can cure foreign objects entering the body. It has been tested many times over the past few thousand years and has been quite effective. These two talismans each have their advantages and disadvantages, and you need to consider them yourself.”

Chu Hengkong couldn't wait to ask his first question: "Can I learn it?"

"It requires artistic talent."

"Then please choose the first one."

"The treatment method of Chenjun Palace is called the 'Wandering Dragon Meditation Talisman.' It uses thirty-six major acupoints throughout your body as a guide, combined with a specific breathing technique, to circulate your internal energy and refine the foreign object for your own use. After the talisman is completed, the foreign object is completely refined into qi and blood, greatly enhancing your physique. It is a wonderful method to turn danger into safety," Ji Qiufeng said. "One drawback is that the foreign object itself loses all its mystical power, and your True Mechanical Spine will become ordinary hard bone..."

"What drawbacks? Don't use such misleading language! This is called eliminating hidden dangers within the body!" Youyou said fiercely. "You can't be greedy for those little benefits. Even if the real machine is powerful, you still managed to defeat it. Think about it carefully, do you really need those force fields, armor, and stuff?"

Youyou's words made a lot of sense, and Chu Hengkong secretly agreed. It was indeed a pity that the bones couldn't be fully utilized, but constantly carrying the risk of rampage wasn't a good thing. He was about to nod in agreement when he heard Ji Qiufeng slowly say, "The second drawback is that refining it will take a certain amount of time, estimated to be at least ten years..."

Chu Hengkong made a quick decision: "You can choose the second option."

"It's only ten years! How can you not wait such a short time!" Youyou said, exasperated.

"Ten years is a very long time for us..." Ji Huaisu said weakly.

Ji Qiufeng unfolded the completed drawing, and on the back of the human anatomy diagram, a large tree was drawn with the spine as the main trunk, and long dragons swam around the limbs and bones, resting around the tree.

"The tattoo of the Zhengxuan Palace is called the 'Dragon Tree Stabilizing and Purifying Talisman'!" Ji Qiufeng said with great excitement. "I am quite familiar with this talisman. When Jie Wen went up the mountain to discuss the Dao, he drafted a paper on tattoos, and I was the co-author. This talisman uses the dragon's energy to guide the meridians, uses the divine tree to stabilize the universe, helps humanity manifest profound virtue, and harmonizes heaven, earth, and humanity into one. Once the talisman is completed, one can use the evil energy to temper the body and assimilate foreign objects with the human body, so that there will be no more worries."

"Then why don't we use solution two from the beginning?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"Because it won't work." Youyou began sarcastically, "Why is this thing called a discussion of Taoism and academic papers? Because once you leave Longquan Township, you'll almost never find another place with both ancient dragons and divine trees! Making this talisman requires not only dragon energy but also the fragrance of divine trees. In the current environment, where are you going to find a sacred tree like the Senluo Divine Tree..."

At this point, Youyou sniffed and suspiciously moved closer to Ji Huaisu: "...Why do you smell like trees?"

Ji Huaisu was stunned for a moment, then took out the wooden letter requesting help from his pocket. The letter opened automatically at the slightest touch, revealing four crooked characters under everyone's gaze:

Please help me!

Vande, who had been silent until now, poked his head out of his coat pocket and said in a strange tone, "The Senluo Divine Tree clan is the closest ally of the Ancient Dragon Clan..."

Youyou's expression was a fascinating mix of emotions. Ji Qiufeng shook his head and gave a helpless, bitter smile. Chu Hengkong, observing this scene, suddenly recalled Ji Qiufeng's theory of destiny when they returned from the Divine Kingdom—that colorless current that drew all living beings in.

At that moment, he truly felt that the trend was real; you always have places to go and people to meet. Whether you resist it or look forward to it, there will always be an irresistible reason for you to set off. That's why it's called fate.

Chapter 102 Gathering

Late at night, on the rooftop, a torrential downpour was in full swing.

This was the heaviest rain in nearly a decade. The overloaded drainage system had stopped working, and rainwater flowed like rivers in the streets. Everything became blurred under the raging curtain of water, and even the distant high-rise buildings looked like phantom lighthouses.

The man in front of the sniper rifle remained motionless.

He had been waiting for three hours, not wearing a raincoat to prevent even the slightest error. In this weather, even his muscles felt like they were melting; all that remained before his sniper rifle was a skeleton. Snipers dislike rainy days; both wind and rain can introduce fatal errors. The observer had suggested retreating more than once, but he hadn't responded.

coming.

A static crackled through his headphones, a series of coordinates shifting rapidly as he calculated the position and fine-tuned his rifle. The heavy sniper rifle was aimed at the office building window; his focus was at its peak, his eagle-like gaze piercing the glass, sweeping across the floors, like a bullet hurtling towards the back of the building. The target was weaving between the buildings!

He fired simultaneously! In an instant, a deafening gunshot rang out, glass shattered, and a blinding spray of blood erupted from the point of impact. He succeeded! This was an unprecedented shot—a lone, blind-sniper maneuver through a building on a stormy night to kill his target. It was the only solution; for that monstrous target, only such an absurd plan could possibly succeed!

The crackling of electricity. Voices. The observer was shouting. His heart skipped a beat, then pounded wildly in revenge. The frantic pounding threatened to shatter him. He pushed against the weapon, sliding across the flooded rooftop. He slid down through the only exit, water droplets flying from his hair, landing with a javelin in his hand.

The elevator indicator light was flashing. He jumped out of the window and fell with the momentum. In the distant rain, blood spread, and the blood mist condensed like the fangs of a venomous snake. The man threw a grappling hook, smashing a hole in the building across the street. He rushed into the path of bullets, countless fragments reflecting off his狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face.

Amidst the noise, the stench of blood, and the distorted sound of rain, he instantly calculated the only possibility. He twisted his body and thrust his javelin diagonally upwards; at the same moment, the ceiling collapsed, and stone fragments rained down!

He saw a flash of silver light!

"—!"

The man broke free from the nightmare, his lean body covered in sweat. He clutched his face as if he were tearing his skull apart, the last lingering pain still radiating from his brain.

"I had another nightmare." The woman next to him pressed against his back. "How about we get a dream editing surgery?"

“No need.” His voice was so hoarse that it surprised even himself.

"Why suffer so much after achieving fame and success?" The prostitute got up and dressed. "I can't bear to see my old customer in such pain."

The bedside lamp turned on, illuminating the woman's pale body, a stark contrast that reminded him of the final flash of the blade. He tossed the woman a large teardrop, then lay alone for another half hour, listening to the incessant sounds of people outside the window.

Six months ago, Sutton Harbor was a small town buried in yellow sand, quiet day and night, inhabited only by the poor and law-abiding prostitutes. After the shipping routes reopened, speculators from the underworld flocked in, bringing their delusions, lies, and sea charts to Dragon City. Overnight, the town became rich and vulgar, filled with merchants, gangs, and assassins—just like his hometown. The day the prostitutes also cease to follow the rules will be the day he leaves.

The man went downstairs to the bar and ordered an iced milk. Three months ago, when the dark-faced poet stayed there, the place was packed; now, there were hardly any customers. The milk wasn't fresh, and it was sweetened; it wasn't very interesting.

Why don't you go to your mother for milk?

The cup was snatched away, and the slick-haired young master taunted him with a vulgar gesture, followed by a crippled man. "Remember Wrench Kid? The idiot you killed yesterday?..."

He had no interest in the incessant rambling. "Listen, I don't care if you're a legend or some damn epic, this street is my territory..." He continued his incessant chatter, ignoring it; he wanted to see what kind of thug he was. The Heartless One behind him drew his sword. "My Six-Line One-Sword Style is a demonic blade that kills without drawing blood..."