Chapter 5 Demonic Possession (Part 1)
The door was knocked open by a ball, revealing the interior of the Iron Paddle Shop.
The semi-open counter had been crudely remodeled, with gloves, helmets, and iron bars crammed into ill-fitting wall display cases. The lounge area, once reserved for customers, had been transformed into a dance hall-like setting, with constantly changing light bulbs illuminating posters of scantily clad showgirls. In the center of the hall, several young men were assaulting a trembling elderly man with blunt instruments, while spectators on the second floor cheered and laughed.
"This is my shop..." the old man begged.
"What you say is yours? Huh? You say you're my father, so do I have to kneel down for you?!" The thug raised his stick and beat him. "I told you not to spread rumors, old man! You're making things difficult for me, idiot!" The thug stepped hard on the old man's face. "But this is originally..." "What is it, old man! Say it again, you old man!!" The thug shouted and threatened!
Chu Hengkong's hearing was very good, good enough to hear the conversation inside the room before breaking the door. The moment the iron door opened, everyone in the room focused their attention on him. The thug who was shouting threats paused for a second, then continued his threats as if nothing had happened: "Look, I'm going to take your—"
Before he could finish his words, Chu Hengkong's tentacles suddenly extended, sweeping out like silver whips. The tip of the tentacle lashed out at the thug's face, causing his entire face to deform violently like dough. The force, powerful enough to bend steel, shattered his teeth and flew everywhere. This incredibly fast and brutal blow directly smashed him into his accomplices, and the thugs' bodies were "stacked" one after another by the tremendous force, finally slamming into the wall of the store at the same time!
Dust flew through the room, the lights flickered violently, and for a moment, the room fell silent. The simple-minded violent criminals were still unable to comprehend what had happened. Then the silver tentacle leaped out again, this time sweeping up the injured old man. The old shopkeeper, having fallen to the ground, had avoided the previous blow. Now, believing he was being attacked by a monster, he was nearly speechless with fear: "Please... here..."
“I know, this is your store.”
The old man was stunned. Only then did he see the true identity of the intruder. He had not expected that the tentacle belonged to a young man. The man's eyes could even be described as gentle.
"Don't run around." Chu Hengkong gently placed the old man behind him. "The government is here to seek justice for you."
At that moment, the thugs in the room finally reacted. The spectators on the second floor frantically drew their guns, while the three remaining thugs on the first floor hastily drew their swords and rushed forward. Chu Hengkong pulled the silver-eyed book from his coat and hurled it forcefully toward the second floor. The book fell into the crowd, smashing the floor and causing screams. The impact of the falling book sent the thugs plummeting to the next floor, like a boulder hitting water, creating a cloud of water.
They were too close together, their reaction speed too slow. Even if the inexperienced thugs rushed at him, Chu Hengkong showed no fear. He tiptoed forward as he hurled the tome, his tentacles retracting and glancing across the first man's chin like lightning. This attack, like shaking the guard's head earlier, could instantly cause a concussion in the brain, rendering the enemy powerless.
The first man fell unconscious, speechless. A step later, the second man, wielding a dagger, rushed over with a loud, bravado-filled shout. Before he could even draw his sword, Chu Hengkong punched him, shattering his Adam's apple and sending him crashing to the ground. The last man was the one in the rusty armor and sandals. He held a small pistol and stared at his companion, clutching his neck as if in a coma, his hairy legs trembling uncontrollably.
Chu Hengkong beckoned his tentacles at him, and the armored thug screamed like a woman. He dropped his pistol and fled, pounding on a closed iron door. "Help, Boss Hugos! The tentacle demon is here to mess things up!"
The entire iron door flew up and smashed into the ceiling along with the armored man who was knocking on the door!
A pair of feet, vast and powerful, appeared from the crumbling wall. They belonged to a strong, brutish man. He wore jeans and a floral shirt, his blind right eye covered by an eyepatch. A malevolent glint gleamed in his single, remaining eye. Bones cracked as the one-eyed man extended his fist. A black iron ring adorned his right arm, and it was this arm that had smashed the iron gate.
"It seems that you are a newcomer to the resurrection unit." The one-eyed man Hugos stared at Chu Hengkong, "Your senior didn't die this afternoon, so now you are here to take his place—"
Boom!
A strong gust of wind blew away the gun ash, and the sound of heavy footsteps shook the ground. Chu Hengkong had no interest in listening to nonsense. In an instant, he was in front of Hugos. As his right heel landed, his right fist struck out with all its force. The blow slammed into Hugos's chest like a sledgehammer, pounding his nonsense and threats back into his abdomen. Hugos was sent flying backwards, collapsing the wall and flying out of the store!
The shock kick and the pendulum kick are the fundamentals of Bajiquan. While the bluffing "kick" previously frightened the zealots, this low, powerful kick is the true power of the lower body. The shock kick can be used to strike the enemy's lower body, or to quickly close the distance. The reaction force of the stomp combined with the cross-force of the punch can transform a simple punch into a lethal move.
This was Chu Hengkong's preferred opening move. Opponents who could hold their own were worthy of encouragement; those who couldn't withstand a single blow were mere scum. This time, the target of this mission seemed quite capable, rising from the dust. The one-eyed man's form contorted violently, his upper body rapidly expanding, his silhouette in the dust as ferocious as a beast.
“Boss…” “The boss is angry…” “I’m going to die! Run!!”
The thugs who were still conscious were pale. No one tried to help, and everyone ran out of the house as fast as they could. They were afraid of Chu Hengkong, of course, but they were even more afraid of their leader. If they were hit by the tentacles, their bones would be broken, but if they were caught in the boss's fight... they would definitely die!
Amidst the hurried crowd, Chu Hengkong remained motionless. He calculated the time in his mind and realized that two minutes and ten seconds had passed since he started counting.
I wonder if less than eight minutes is enough to deal with a "demon-possessed person"?
"Tentacle bastard, I'll kill you!!"
A foul-smelling gust of air blew away the dust, revealing a crude, terrifying figure completely beneath the bright light. It was a complete monster! Hugos's legs grew three times thicker, his height skyrocketing to four meters. His entire upper body, including his head, transformed into a massive beast's head, a single eye, several times larger, nestled in the center. His thick arms were gone, replaced by two deep blue "tusks."
This monster reminded Chu Hengkong of the lion dances from his hometown. Its heavy head and light feet resembled a dancing elephant from another world. This dancing elephant, however, showed no joy, only murderous intent. It raised a tusk as thick as a small tree and brought it down heavily on Chu Hengkong.
Chu Hengkong tucked his tentacles back at his waist to stabilize his center of gravity. He stepped forward with his left foot, transforming his right palm into a fist and thrusting it upwards. Facing Hugos's violence, he neither retreated nor evaded, choosing to meet it head-on with a soaring palm strike. The palm and the fang collided head-on, and both wrestlers' lower bodies simultaneously sunk. Cracks stretched like spiderwebs across the floor beneath Chu Hengkong's feet, yet he remained motionless despite the immense force.
He actually managed to withstand it! With just one hand, he blocked the demon's attack!
Even the onlookers were filled with admiration, but Chu Hengkong himself remained focused. He noticed the enemy's iron ring was vibrating. After transforming, it was now attached to Hugos's tusk. It now glowed with a pitch-black light, like a great wizard's pendant.
"--strengthen!"
The pressure in his hand instantly intensified. If before, he had been fighting a boulder, now the tusk was like a piece of iron ore. Chu Hengkong decisively withdrew his hand and jumped back. But even if he had noticed something was wrong beforehand, he was still half a step too late. Hugos's tusk fell to the ground, creating a huge crater about three meters deep.
He retreated narrowly to avoid a direct blow, but the excessive force created an invisible impact, which was like a sharp sweeping blow, knocking Chu Hengkong out in mid-air!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
