Chapter 101 "Please help me!"

The envelope had a rough texture and was brown throughout, like a handicraft made from very thin wood sheets. Chu Hengkong couldn't figure out what it was and gave Fander a look.

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

"Fander's nonsense quota today is -1." Chu Hengkong said.

"Aren't you being a little too harsh on me?! Is there a limit to the nonsense you talk about?!"

"The daily quota is 0 sentences. For every sentence exceeding the quota, I will be required to work overtime for one hour~" Ji Huaisu said with a smile.

Vander froze for a moment: "What's going on? This captain is obviously a generous, warm and cheerful person. Why is he treating me like a ton of salt?"

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

"That useless priest who's haunting us all!"

Fander launched his unyielding tentacles at Ji Huaisu, only to be grabbed and dangled upside down like a yo-yo, bouncing non-stop. Sreel whistled in support, playing a melody so passionate it made one imagine the strings were on fire. Chu Hengkong observed his reaction and formed a rough idea of ​​his character.

A true master of the game world. He's incredibly precise about the key points in his storytelling, preventing his songs from causing any damage. He feels no compunction about defrauding others of their money, and he's not disturbed by a sudden, idiotic comedian during negotiations. He has a perfect sense of balance; if he's speaking seriously, he won't use jokes to confuse the audience.

Chu Hengkong didn't take the envelope and sat down opposite the poet. "You should be coming to Huilong City within the next ten days. It seems we have no obligation to you."

"A poet walks alone, unburdened by the responsibility of others. But someone is alone and desperately needs allies." Sreel smiled mysteriously. "You have no obligation to this letter. But to the captain beside you, and to the city protected by the Dragon God—this obligation is ancient and unshirkable."

"...What nonsense are you talking about?" Ji Huaisu was confused.

Fander struggled out of her grasp, rolled onto the table, and his expression changed: "Are you talking about the allies of the Ancient Dragon Clan?"

"I didn't say anything. I was just delivering a letter~"

The poet quickly put away his meaningful expression. He plucked the strings with his hands, urging them to think quickly and make a decision. I won't go into the details. Count down to five, four, three, two, one! Do you want to keep this letter or not? If you accept it, I'll pay you back. If not, I, the poet, will go find help elsewhere.

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

The poet smiled cunningly, then suddenly stood up and bowed to the two men in a pretentious manner. He walked out of the tavern holding the small bowl, singing as he walked:

"Hearing songs and laughter, losing money and getting upset, dying and asking for help in vain.

A legend comes to your door with a smile, so what’s wrong with returning the goods and giving gifts?

Although there is no grudge, there is cause and effect, and we should make the promise without hesitation.

The thousand-year covenant has never been forgotten, and we will rush to help and protect the righteous path from thousands of miles away."

The small bowl jingled in his hands, and pearls, treasures, swords, spears, and clubs gushed out like a fountain, trailing behind the bard. He walked away with the singing, turning into a crescent-shaped shadow that flowed into the cracks in the ground. The fading singing was accompanied by a long laugh:

"If you have any new stories, please send them to me~"

Fander chased all the way to the door, looking at the receding shadow, his eyes shining: "Today is my dream come true... He has been my idol since my school days..."

Chu Hengkong's mouth twitched: "You've always wanted to be a similar traveler, right?"

Vander nodded desperately.

"At least in terms of frontal appearance, you two are very close..." Ji Huaisu picked up the envelope and looked around. "Let's give this thing to Dad to make the decision."

"What do you think?" Chu Hengkong looked at the direction where the shadow went away. "That is the method of your supreme path."

"Most likely he's crossed the First Abyss, at least to point 4. These days, who dares to travel off the island alone without some skills?"

Chu Hengkong nodded, his foot pausing as he stepped forward. A pure white spear lodged before him, perfectly positioned next to his tentacles, like a gift delivered to him. He glanced at it with his silver eyes and laughed.

"There's still room for a spear."

·

[Unparalleled Guns Above and Underground]

[Rating: 2 (bold)]

[Origin: Fun Paradise - Fashion Value Research Institute]

[Effect: A spear made of pure white material, with a sharp blade and a tough body, with infinite possibilities!]

【Thoughts: "As long as we write like this, we can attract everyone's attention and sell it at a high price!"

"Are you an idiot? No matter how high your basic panel is, without power, it's just a blank. Who would pay a high price for a relic without power?"

“Believe in the possibilities of your customers!”

"And I don't trust your intelligence."

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

[Gift: A hero cannot be without a magic sword. I will give you a spear. Please accept it. :D

Next time you have a story, don't forget to send it to me. Address: Seafood Bookstore, Jingsha City, Senluo Secret Realm, collected by poet Si Ruier.

·

Distributing the scattered gold, silver, and flowing pearls to their owners was a challenging task. Chu Hengkong devised a groundbreaking solution and assigned the highly skilled Lu Xing to this task.

The henchman arrived wearing a full set of "Dragon Guard Suit," his dragon-head helmet looking incredibly majestic in the sunlight. He took off his helmet, revealing a rather unimpressive, dejected look. "Brother Chu... how can we, the brothers, handle this job if you can't even handle it..."

"You can ask the cook to help you settle the accounts. Return as many relics and jewelry as possible, and confiscate all the flowing beads." Chu Hengkong tapped his shoulder armor. "That's already Seismic Point 1, good progress. Dexterity or Foundation?"

"After all, you brought him up, so he must be skilled." Lu Xing rubbed his hands and laughed awkwardly, "You are an old veteran after all, so how can I waste public resources?"

The Dragon Guard suit, a standard equipment mass-produced after the revitalization of Huilong City, resembles a combat uniform with a dragon-headed helmet. This suit comprehensively enhances the wearer's physical fitness. The accompanying specialized trend-setting rifle and killing stick allow for combat in a variety of complex environments. Its overall combat capability is assessed at above a standard mass point 2, and upon its deployment in actual combat, it quickly gained unanimous support from all team members.

Before Huilong City opened, the team members couldn't even imagine receiving such privileges. After the city opened, the outlaws outside the water curtain were wiped out in a single battle. Finally, Master Huilong no longer had to devote the majority of his energy to maintaining the water curtain, freeing himself to focus on his fashion crafts and mass production. As a result, ideas that had been pent up for 20 years were put into action, and the team's equipment was updated almost daily. The momentum was so strong that the city lord himself advised, "We are a peaceful and friendly trading city. Such aggressive tactics would scare away tourists."

The products brought about by the retaliatory military expansion include the Dragon Guard Stones wholesaled by Lord Huilong himself (this foundation stone for upgrading can be used after passing the inspection), the level 2, 3, and 5 Dragon Guard Sets designed by Lord Huilong himself (corresponding to level 1, 2, and 4 upgraders respectively, increasing the combat power by 1 level), and the "Dragon's Fury" urban defense system produced by Lord Huilong himself (Chu Hengkong served as the first tester, and he destroyed the giant demon's head with a single shot from 8,000 miles away)... Last month, Youyou was planning to make a sky punishment device that she would personally control, but Ji Qiufeng persuaded her to give up.

That was the first time that Chu Hengkong saw the worry of losing his job on the city lord's face. If he continued like this, even Wushuang General would be in danger of being optimized.

While these specialized equipment can generally only be used within the range of the Ancient Dragon Totem, the city's security is already within Huilong City, and any future battles will be city defenses, so there's no need for concern. Everyone has been incredibly happy using them over the past three months, saying they've never felt so happy working. Many veterans, who are reaching retirement age and preparing to transition to civilian positions, are reluctant to leave and have submitted requests to stay for two more years to contribute to the city.

Lu Xing was a man of great ambition. He didn't use the Dragon Guardian Stone to upgrade his foundational stone, but instead steadily upgraded his skillful hand. Such upgraders were naturally more worthy of training than those who were promoted en masse, and could be considered a cadre reserve. Chu Hengkong clapped him hard, "Aren't you going to treat everyone to a meal when you get promoted?"

"Of course, of course. The brothers are all waiting for you to come back."

"Okay, do a good job. Come find me when you have time and I'll teach you how to manage the situation."

"Hey! Thank you, Brother Chu!"

Lu Xing was surprised and delighted, and his work of counting the property suddenly became full of motivation. Ji Huaisu smacked his lips repeatedly: "You are so good at winning people's hearts..."

"After all, I was the leader back then." Chu Hengkong shrugged. "Times have really changed."

Ji Huaisu winked and said, "Are you feeling jealous? This is not the time when the whole team is counting on you."

"Captain, I see you're quite happy."

"I've worked so hard for so many years and finally have a chance to slack off. Of course it feels good!" She stretched. "That's how it should be. Otherwise, how could I go on a trip?"

Later, the military's finance department estimated that Sreel hadn't returned all the money he'd earned, withholding an amount roughly equivalent to ticket sales from a three-day concert. It seemed the poet had a set limit on what he wanted from his labor, and perhaps otherworldly artists also had a similar insistence.

But that was all for later. The inspectors finished their work and returned to the military headquarters. When they entered the city lord's office, Ji Qiufeng was sketching on a human anatomy diagram, with Youyou commenting on it from time to time, offering unique artistic insights like "the head isn't perky enough" and "the corners aren't bright enough."

Ji Huaisu watched for a long time and couldn't help asking, "Dad, are you painting a portrait of... of Youyou?"

"You just have these random thoughts all day long." Youyou glared at her, "Hengkong, take off your clothes and stand over here."

"oh."

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

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

Ji Qiufeng blocked his fist with one finger and waved the brush in his hand, tapping from the center of his eyebrows, Adam's apple, shoulders, chest, and all the way down to the tops of his feet, tapping 36 times in a row. The red in Chu Hengkong's eyes didn't fade, but his clenched fist dropped. He looked at his right hand in surprise and asked, "Can this be suppressed?"

"No matter how powerful the real weapon is, it's only 2 particles. It's easy to suppress it." Ji Qiufeng said with a smile, "My Chenjun Palace and the Zhengxuan Palace where Jie Wen came from both have a needle talisman that can cure foreign objects from entering the body. It has been used many times over the past few thousand years and has been quite effective. Both talismans have their pros and cons. You need to consider them carefully."

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

“It takes artistic talent.”

"Then tell me the first one."

"The Chenjun Palace's healing method is called the 'Wandering Dragon Meditation Talisman.' It uses the thirty-six major acupoints throughout your body as guides, combined with a specific breathing technique, to circulate your internal energy, refining foreign matter for personal use. Once the talisman is completed, the foreign matter is completely transformed into qi and blood, greatly strengthening your physical strength. It's considered a miraculous method to turn danger into safety," Ji Qiufeng said. "One drawback is that the foreign matter loses its magical power, and your true mechanical spine will become ordinary rigid bones..."

"What disadvantages? Don't use such misleading terms! This is called eliminating hidden dangers within the body!" Youyou said fiercely. "Don't be so greedy for such a small benefit, kid. The real machine is powerful, but you defeated it too. Think about it, do you really need those force fields and armor?"

Youyou's words made a lot of sense this time, and Chu Hengkong secretly agreed. It was a shame not to be able to fully utilize the strengths of his bones, 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 takes a while, estimated to be at least ten years..."

Chu Hengkong made a quick decision: "You said the second one."

"It's just ten years! Why can't you wait for such a short time?" Youyou was very disappointed.

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

Ji Qiufeng opened the finished drawing and saw a big tree with the spine as the main trunk behind the human anatomy diagram. There was a long dragon swimming around its limbs and resting around the tree.

"The Zhengxuan Palace's tattoo talisman is called the 'Dragon Tree Calming and Removing Defilement Talisman'!" Ji Qiufeng beamed. "I'm quite familiar with this talisman. Jie Wen's "Discussing Dao in the Mountains" was a paper on tattoo talismans, and I was a co-author. This talisman draws on dragon energy to guide the meridians, uses the sacred tree to stabilize the universe, helps human nature manifest its profound virtue, and harmonizes heaven, earth, and man into one. Once the talisman is completed, it can harness evil energy to fortify the body, allowing the human body to assimilate foreign matter, freeing one from worries."

"Then why don't we use solution 2 from the beginning?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"Because it can't be done." Youyou began to speak sarcastically, "Why is this thing called a thesis on Taoism? Because outside of Longquan Township, you can hardly find another place with ancient dragons and sacred trees! Making this talisman requires not only dragon energy but also the fragrance of the sacred tree. Where can you find the Senluo sacred tree in this environment..."

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

Ji Huaisu was stunned for a moment, then took out the wooden letter asking for help from his pocket. The letter opened automatically upon contact, revealing four crooked characters under the gaze of everyone:

Please help me!

Fander, who had been silent the whole time, poked his head out of his coat pocket and said in a strange tone, "The Senluo Divine Tree Clan is the Ancient Dragon Clan's closest ally..."

Youyou's face lit up with excitement. Ji Qiufeng shook his head, giving a helpless smile. Chu Hengkong watched this scene from the sidelines, suddenly remembering Ji Qiufeng's theory of destiny when he had just returned from the Kingdom of God, the colorless current that pulled all living things together.

At that moment, he truly felt that trends were real. You always have places to go, people to meet. Regardless of your deepest resistance or intense anticipation, there will always be an irresistible reason to embark on your journey. This is why it is called destiny.

(End of this chapter)