Chapter 30: Obstinate
If we talk about the notorious reputation of the Knight of Disaster, we have to mention the past situation of the swamp.
At that time, the people of Midgard called the Lower Level a cult's paradise. The dragon boat service connecting the Middle and Lower Levels was temporarily suspended, and people would rather starve than venture near the swamp. The swamp was teeming with deceitful scoundrels in the name of God, and wicked beliefs were rampant. Daily, unholy summoning rituals summoned demonic phantoms. Some with ulterior motives salvaged eerie relics from the tides, using them as a medium to summon "evil gods" distinct from demons. Crazed believers sacrificed their loved ones on the altar, disemboweled them, branded each other heretics, and burned those with differing beliefs on the fire.
Around that time, a righteous young woman had just finished her training and joined the workforce. On her first day, she sailed alone down a waterfall into a swamp. That day, she was seen carrying a giant sword as she charged into a ritual, beheading the cult leader in a sea of fire and blood.
There was no mercy, no surrender. Cult leaders who advocated human sacrifice were to be slain without mercy, and thugs who reveled in executions were to be put to death without mercy. She spent three months traversing the swamp, destroying hundreds of lewd cults and slaying countless demons. From then on, no one in the swamp shed blood for their faith. For if anyone dared to break the taboo, the knights of disaster would arrive in their boats and transform the swamp into a land of blood...
——Translated from "Grandma Sangjia Tells Stories", translated by Chu Hengkong.
·
"People reach their end because of their own choices. This is what we call fate." Granny Sangjia smiled. "And that fate has come true in a crude way. This is youth."
Ji Huaisu pulled the hood of her raincoat tightly, determined to hide in the cloth and become dust. Chu Hengkong looked at her expressionlessly: "Don't you think you're a little too extreme?"
"There's nothing we can do! The situation is so bad that it's hopeless unless we deal a heavy blow!" Ji Huaisu argued. "You don't even know how rotten the swamp was back then. I could even run into seven demon-possessed people just to eat a bowl of noodles. Those I killed all have blood debts and deserve the death penalty according to the law!"
"Then why not follow the procedural law enforcement?"
Ji Huaisu's eyes wandered: "That is, that is, special times require special measures..."
"It's a shame you don't do my job," Chu Hengkong said. He ignored the other woman's aggressive expression and turned to ask Granny Sangjia, "Do you know anything about those monsters?"
"Children of fashion, the gods have not told me the secret of light." The old woman shook her head. "In this decrepit spirit, the past is as hazy as smoke. Even the words of the Pure Treasure Master are no longer clear. Where is his gold..."
The previous assassination attempt seemed to have disturbed her thoughts. Granny Sangjia was silent for a long time before she slowly said, "It should be where the flowers are blooming... The Bodhisattva in white stood among the many flowers... He said that many years later, gold would be born in the swamp."
"After that, he hurriedly joined the trend and disappeared." Granny Sangjia smiled, "And the truth about the gold, only the Bodhisattva knows."
Judging from her micro-expressions and heartbeat, the old woman wasn't lying. Furthermore, at her age and not seeking power or wealth, she had no motive to deceive them. It seems the situation was so serious that Jie An's father left town to search for medicine without even having time to discuss it with his family and friends. He had come to the swamp specifically before leaving, presumably to retrieve the "gold." But perhaps he left too early and didn't take it with him...
Chu Hengkong tossed the matter and the glowing corpse into the "to be resolved by Youyou Jie'an" basket, stood up, thanked him, and left. The great wizard Adari was still guarding the door, saying coldly, "Don't come again."
Chu Hengkong ignored him, and the white-robed believers escorted them to the settlement's exit. Bize District lacked a central waterway or road, so to get out, one had to either take the three daily buses, a wooden cart, or a bicycle.
The believers lent out two emerald green bicycles, and the two inspectors rode their bicycles panting along the muddy path. Ji Huaisu was still thinking hard while riding.
"I don't think that's right. Even a seriously injured Uncle Jie Wen could turn the swamp upside down, so how could he not dig up the gold... Just how heavy do you think that thing is?"
"You're not good at thinking. Forget it." Chu Heng said absentmindedly. Ji Huaisu accelerated and approached, bumping him hard with his shoulder.
·
The resurrection troops' base was located in the "Deep Root Settlement," an hour's drive away. This settlement, nestled near the base of a giant tree, was the most prosperous area of the swamp. Here, the primitive, backward tribal style had finally faded, and modern architecture, not unlike the courtyard, became the norm. However, squid and geese still roamed the streets, and most men and women walked around wearing gray robes. This obscuring clothing was the norm in the swamp, as the water-avoiding geese would flee in panic at the sight of women, forcing women to wear robes when they went out... and then, when the geese weren't paying attention, they would grab them by the neck and chop them up at home.
The iconic landmark of Shengen Village is the bronze "Great Wizard Prayer Statue." A 15-meter-tall statue of Adari stands in the center of the square, surrounded by offerings of flowers and food. Passing by the statue, Ji Huaisu let out a resounding "tsk!", clearly expressing her dislike for the great wizard.
The team's base was a three-story building not far from the Great Wizard statue. The members stationed there were incredibly enthusiastic when they saw the arrival of the headquarters, their words filled with the sincere message, "Please, give us a change of duties, this damn place is unbearable." Unfortunately, Chu Hengkong was lost in thought, and Ji Huaisu was preoccupied, their faces laced with misery, all for the blind man to see.
Considering the risks of staying alone, they settled for a double room. Upon entering, Ji Huaisu immediately drew the curtains and turned on the air conditioner, the old unit blasting out cold air with a clanging noise. She yanked off her raincoat and plopped down on the bed. "It's scorching hot! This place feels like a moldy steamer. If I keep going any further, I'm going to boil."
Chu Hengkong sat on the bench, staring at her blankly. His eyes made Ji Huaisu shudder: "...What are you looking at?"
"Look at you." Chu Hengkong said.
The swamp was incredibly hot, and after countless battles, her golden hair was matted with sweat. Beads of sweat dripped from the end of her ponytail, sliding down her swan-like neck and seeping into her white tank top. Her clothes clung to her damp skin, perfectly framing her curves. Sweat could be seen trickling down her abdomen between her top and shorts, and her skin was slightly flushed from the heat. At this point, no matter how extravagant the rumors were, it was hard to connect them with the person before her. There was no madness or bloodshed, only youth and charm.
Ji Huaisu glanced down, feeling a little embarrassed for a moment: "Is it okay if I'm pretty? Wait a minute, I'll go change my clothes..."
"Tempered through thousands of trials, full of spirit." Chu Hengkong's eyes were focused. "It can be called beautiful."
"What the hell are you crazy about?!"
His eyes roamed all over his body, revealing undisguised desire. Ji Huaisu felt goosebumps all over his body, and immediately grabbed his raincoat and wrapped himself up again: "Calm down!"
"Let me see it again."
"Uuuuuu?!"
Chu Hengkong walked to the bedside and grabbed her shoulders without saying anything. Ji Huaisu's face flushed instantly. She was flustered and embarrassed, and she was speechless for a moment. The man's face enlarged in her eyes, and his breath was filled with fiery and warm expectation.
"Let me see that sword strike again!"
"……………………Why?"
"That slash!" Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up. "The sword wind swept the surroundings, and the slash hit the main body directly. The timing and angle of the attack were extremely precise, and the power was transmitted over a wide range and deep enough to withstand the ever-changing battle formations. It can be called the ultimate slash, a superb skill!"
“…”
The corner of Ji Huaisu's mouth twitched. Chu Hengkong was completely immersed in that sword move. He chattered in excitement: "I've been reviewing your slashing moves along the way and have grasped some of the essence. The key lies in the technique of charging power, right? Just show me one more time and I can master it!"
"Oh." Ji Huaisu said, "Oh."
The next moment, a tremendous force blew his hands apart. As the saying goes, hands are like a door, and the gesture of spreading arms wide is what's commonly known as "opening the door." Then, a dazzling stream of light transformed into a force, driving straight through the gap in the light shield. The long-desired skill fell into Chu Hengkong's arms in another way—
This is what Chu Hengkong thought when he was knocked away by the light shield.
The martial arts in the other world are indeed profound.
It turns out that you can also use a shield to perform a slashing attack.
"Get out of here, crazy Wu!!!"
However, Chu Hengkong spun mid-air, landing on the bed with the lightness of a feather! The sheets swirled around his landing point, a secret technique recorded in the 3,000 sets of Longxiang boxing techniques, a vortex-like attack that relied on the environment to dissipate force. What a skill!
Chu Hengkong smiled in surprise: "I found the feeling! Let's do it again——"
Ji Huaisu roared like a beast and rushed towards him, grabbing his neck with one hand: "I will strangle you to death!"
"You misunderstood. It's not a joint technique. Use a slashing strike." Chu Hengkong corrected seriously.
"You're going to lose consciousness just like that!!"
"Finally want to fight me? But I have the advantage in joint techniques... Hey!" Ji Huaisu was thrown back onto the bed! He immediately counterattacked with a roundhouse kick! The struck killer responded with a cross punch, and the fight turned into a tense close combat! In a blink of an eye, no less than thirty rounds had passed. The fierce confrontation was so intense that even the insects around the building were scared away by the evil spirit!
"Keep in touch regularly. Huaisu and Hengkong, how are you doing?" Ji Qiufeng's voice sounded.
Amidst the debris, the yellow crystal used for communication flashed with a regular light. Everyone in the headquarters was surprised to find that the two usually reliable generals had not formally responded this time. Only the crystal faithfully transmitted the familiar noises in the environment.
"Get the hell off my bed!" "You started it." "That's disgusting! Stop using tentacles!" "Who hit me with a raincoat first?"
After a moment of silence, Citrine gave a polite reminder.
"The two inspectors are probably very busy right now, so let's postpone the scheduled contact for an hour..." Ji Qiufeng paused and said excitedly, "No, two hours!"
The two detectives in the fierce battle looked up at the same time: "I misunderstood." "It's not what you think!!"
(End of this chapter)
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