Chapter 56: Past Events
Nine o'clock in the morning, in the 31st floor temple of the headquarters.
The sword light was straight and the whip shadow was ethereal. Ji Huaisu held a light shield in one hand and a shadow blade in the other, and from time to time he drew his sword and ran around Chu Hengkong.
She deliberately shrunk her weapon down because the opponent was too agile and the giant sword had little chance of hitting him. But her efforts were ineffective. Chu Hengkong still dodged easily, and every time he dodged, he would use his tentacles to slap her hands.
"You hit me too straight. Your right hand has been broken eight times." He lashed out with his whip again. The tentacle trembled, whip-like, and counterintuitively, it circled below and brushed the back of Ji Huaisu's hand.
"Here, 9 times." Chu Hengkong shrugged, and Youyou, who was watching, laughed strangely.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ji Huaisu cried out in anger, her hands covered in slime. She threw her shield into the air, emitting a radiant glow, then stepped forward and stomped on Chu Hengkong's elongated shadow. The restless assassin was forced to stop. Ji Huaisu smirked and raised her sword to strike... but Chu Hengkong only slightly turned his body, and the shadow blade grazed his clothes.
At this moment, the light shield fell, and the shadow shifted from Ji Huaisu's feet. She hurriedly stepped on the shadow again, but as soon as she raised her right foot, it was brushed by the tentacle.
"Why not turn the shadow blade into a dart and throw it? It's much more effective than just stabbing it." Chu Hengkong said, "Now that your right foot is broken, you'll have to fight by hopping on one foot."
Ji Huaisu threw the Shadow Blade away and rolled over on the ground, howling, "I don't want to play anymore!"
Youyou crawled over and hit her on the head with his tail. Ji Qiufeng, who was watching, sighed, "What a shame."
"I don't dare to improve with my little effort. He does it as easily as he wants. How can I practice this? Even if I practice it a thousand times, I will still be defeated." Ji Huaisu protested loudly, "Besides, his new fighting style is shameless to the extreme. How can you fight like that!"
Chu Hengkong's practice today had mastered the essence of the Steel Edge Style. He was unhurried in his attacks, often dodging and defending before executing a move. Crucially, his moves were often quite insidious, striking vital points or severing limbs. If one were to recklessly press forward with a sword, his reflexive force would easily knock the weapon out of his hand, leaving it vulnerable to numerous attacks. Ji Huaisu, with his retraction of his strength, had no way to counter this attack, and naturally felt frustrated no matter how hard he fought.
"Hengkong knew how to learn after being beaten, but you, silly girl, are different. You got beaten for a long time but still can't figure out a solution..." Ji Qiufeng sighed.
"I'm Niying, not Qiaoshou, okay? My specialty is elemental control, elemental control." Ji Huaisu said fiercely, "If anyone wants to compete with Qiaoshou in technology, then use our Niying style to conduct a simulated battle!"
Chu Hengkong watched the joke for a long time and asked, "Then how do you say we fight?"
Ji Huaisu's eyes slyly rolled around as she ran to the corner and squatted. She transformed her light shield into a heavy shield and smashed it in front of her, then shrank back behind it: "If you touch me, you win."
"Ouch." "How embarrassing..." Ji Qiufeng and Youyou both covered their faces. Chu Hengkong was genuinely shocked by this rogue's behavior. He launched two tentative attacks, but found the shield's toughness incredibly tough, and his hand went numb from the blows. Breaking it with a thunder whip was probably impossible, and with the distance between the shield and the person, it wouldn't be easy to attack from a distance. He flexed his arm to compress the tentacles, then unleashed a silver spear that broke through!
Bang!
"What a powerful force!" Ji Huaisu said sarcastically, the shield remaining motionless. Chu Hengkong's tentacles couldn't stop trembling, and the familiar pain made his face darken.
The tentacle is sprained.
He took a deep breath, then unleashed his strength, striking several times with his unsheathed rock blade. Each strike was fruitless, like a blow to the mountain. In those few seconds, Ji Huaisu brainstormed a new strategy: she opened a small hole in the middle of her large shield and thrust out a needle-thin, blunt-tipped shadow blade.
This move was incredibly valuable in actual combat. For every one Chu Hengkong slash, she could stab him three times. In an instant, Chu Hengkong was stabbed twice in the chest. Ji Huaisu proudly raised her head and chest, "Chivalry has triumphed!"
Chu Hengkong sat down on the ground and waved his hands repeatedly: "You win, okay, you win."
Ji Huaisu put away his shield and stood up with his hands on his hips: "See? Even if I give up a hand and a leg, I, Captain Huaisu, will still... Damn it!"
Chu Hengkong stretched out his leg and tripped her to the ground. Ji Huaisu was so angry that he rushed over and howled. The two sides started the passionate second round of simulated battle on the spot.
Youyou sighed to the sky, "Throw her out! We can't let her embarrass herself again!"
"This is real combat." Ji Huaisu made a face at her. Ji Qiufeng smiled and waited for the two to finish their fight, then pointed at Chu Hengkong with his fan: "What do you think?"
Chu Hengkong stared at the long sword, lost in thought. He was using Yan's relic, the blade rough but tough as steel, reminiscent of the swordsman's unstoppable Iai.
"I can't break the light shield without the No Return attack," he said. "I still lack the means to deal with elementals and spirits. Without the Rock Blade, my chances of winning are slim."
"Where do you get the courage to think you still have a chance of winning..." Ji Huaisu looked empty-eyed.
"If you don't believe it yourself, you will really lose." Chu Hengkong turned to look at Ji Qiufeng, "Mr. Ji, what am I missing?"
If Du Muyan could wield the Iai sword, severing the water flag, there was no reason Chu Hengkong couldn't do the same. After the battle, he repeatedly replayed the duel in the fire and believed he had mastered 80% of the Steel Edge Flow. However, his own unleashed no-return strikes could never match the power of the Rock Blade. He must be missing something crucial, a secret untold on Earth.
Ji Qiufeng waved his fan and said, "It lacks a bit of 'spirit'."
"I can learn."
"That's not something you can learn." Ji Qiufeng shook his head. "There's a fundamental concept in Longxiang boxing called 'refining skills and concentrating intentions.' It's about practicing the same moves countless times, reducing the movements until there's nothing left to reduce. At that point, only the most essential bones of the move remain, and only then will the martial artist's 'spirit' be imbued with them."
Ji Qiufeng threw a straight punch, stopping it right in front of Chu Hengkong's face. This punch was a little faster and heavier than an ordinary straight punch, but that tiny difference was enough to determine victory or defeat, life or death in actual combat.
"You can't learn willpower. You can only practice hard over and over again, tempering your body with your heart and blood until your fists are strong enough to penetrate energy and the spirit body." Ji Qiufeng smiled helplessly, "Hengkong, you have everything. You just lack time."
The three thousand most basic moves were already memorized. With Chu Hengkong's talent, mastering Yi Qi was no problem. With just two weeks of intensive training, or even less than a week, the child could fully cultivate his own Yi Qi. But time was running out for him. Just as he had many moves yet to master, many secret techniques to learn, and a lot of work to do, he had to practice whenever he could.
Chu Hengkong understood what was happening, but he didn't care too much: "Once we finish cleaning up the black workshop, we'll have time."
"But..." Ji Qiufeng changed the subject, "Although there's no permanent solution, we can think of some emergency solutions!"
He fished out a talisman from his pocket and slapped it into Chu Hengkong's hand. Chu Hengkong had already developed a habit of putting anything unusual into his book.
[Burning Blood Royal Qi Talisman]
【Rating: Level 2 (bold)】
[Origin: Senluo Secret Realm - Huilong City]
…
Ji Huaisu leaned over to take a look, took a quick glance, and immediately reached out to grab it: "What the hell is this crap? Confiscate it!"
"Good stuff." Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up and he stuffed the talisman into his pocket. "It's mine."
Ji Huaisu didn't grab him and glared at Ji Qiufeng: "Dad!"
"You're going to grab a bonus even if it's given out?" Ji Qiufeng laughed, "No rush, everyone will get a share of the second one."
Youyou crawled over, pulling a miniature cart. On the cart sat two jade dragon sculptures, each the size of a tangerine. The white jade dragons, vivid and lifelike, embraced a ball of flame, looking festive and auspicious.
But for some reason, this little white jade dragon's body is quite round. If you don't look closely, it looks like a fat white snake...
"This is your mid-year bonus. Each person can take one, but no more." Youyou said.
[Roaming Dragon Fire-Repelling Statue]
【Rating: Level 2 (bold)】
[Origin: Senluo Secret Realm - Huilong City]
[Effect: Enhances the strength of the spirit body; keeps the spirit cool at all times; increases resistance to fire elemental attacks]
[Thoughts: The weather is dry, be careful with fire~]
Chu Hengkong weighed the jade carving and said sincerely, "It's a bit heavy..."
"You little brat, who did you say was the sunken one?" Youyou was furious. "Don't take it if you think it's too heavy!"
Ji Huaisu and his daughter chuckled to the side, their expressions identical. Youyou whipped the three of them with his tail, then coiled it around Ji Qiufeng's head and announced, "I'm going into seclusion! Don't bother me unless it's important. Hengkong Huaisu, you two shouldn't go to work for the next few days. Get some rest and get ready, okay?"
"I understand." Chu Hengkong watched the man and the snake depart. Both relics originated in Huilong City, and they had clearly been rushed out after their condition improved over the past two days. They had already done too much for the seriously injured and dying.
He knew what Youyou was going to do: work with Ji Qiufeng to consolidate the city's momentum and prepare for the upcoming conflict. Although Ji Qiufeng hadn't taken his medication during this period, his spirits had noticeably improved, 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 would be able to intervene briefly.
"Don't run around these two days, just treat it as a duty shift." Ji Huaisu said, "Our building is very important. We can't lose it no matter how chaotic it is outside."
"Because the building is a 'temple'?" Chu Hengkong pointed at the white jade dragon sculpture in the middle of the floor.
"Lord Huilong's temple is the core of our city." Ji Huaisu scratched his head. "If the temple is destroyed, the Lord God will have no place to stay, and the city lord's 'dignity' will be gone. By then, the soldiers will be powerless to save the city, so we must defend the building."
There was a hint of melancholy in Ji Huaisu's eyes. Chu Hengkong had wanted to continue practicing with hidden weapons, but seeing his partner's expression, he changed his mind and sat down beside her, touching the cool jade carving.
"Once we solve the problem of the illegal workshop, will we have to go to war?"
Ji Huaisu looked through the ceiling at the distant water curtain.
"It's almost over," she said. "It's the battle that wasn't finished twenty years ago."
·
"Do you remember life before the war, Kanin?" Benson asked casually.
Kanin was smoking a handmade Fufen cigarette, a high-end product produced in the Shenshu City-State. He smoked it absentmindedly, gazing at the slowly swirling curtain of water, which seemed to be a canopy.
"Oh?" Kanin came back to his senses. "I remember. It was a... ordinary time. We would go hungry occasionally, but it wouldn't kill us. It was stable and leisurely, but lacked excitement."
"So you don't have any impression."
"No, no." Kanin smiled and shook his head. "The most vivid time in my memory will always be the first three months after the war. You weren't here then, so you can't imagine how wonderful Huilong City was back then. Dead people and monsters were everywhere, relics were scattered around like they were free, and people were everywhere trading jewelry and materials for rice and bread. One day you could find a high-level relic in a dead person's pocket, and tomorrow you could meet a demon in your dreams."
Kanin took a big puff of cigarette and exhaled fiercely, a childlike smile hidden in the smoke.
"It was then that I realized this city was teeming with opportunity. If you showed even a little courage, it would reward you tenfold or a hundredfold. Dare to pick up things from the dead, and you'd become the leader of the salvage crew. Dare to stab robbers and thieves to death, and you'd be the new master of the streets. Dare to seize dilapidated factories with a hammer, and you'd be the first new workshop owner. With just a little capital and a nice suit of clothes, you could become a powerful merchant.
"If you succeed just once, Bethan! Just once! You'll be a victor, a winner, a resourceful person. People will follow you, your enemies will fear you, and wealth will flow into your pockets. If you have the courage!"
When he got excited, Kanin waved his cigarette like a vulgar and rude upstart. He blew out a big smoke ring and said, "It is my hometown that has given me everything I have. How can I not love my hometown?"
"So you have to get it," Bethan said.
"Actually, I'd rather buy it." Kanin chuckled, "It's a pity Ji Qiufeng won't sell it."
He stubbed out his cigarette and walked into the factory. The crows stood silently in the darkened warehouse, like a group of faithful clockwork puppets. Kanin peeled off a crow's mask, and its pale face shone brightly, like a lightbulb shaped like a human head.
After reviewing the results of the luminescent corpse experiment and thanking Adari for the valuable information, he proceeded to the workshop deepest in the factory. On a workbench piled with materials lay the five vials of "parent's blood," the summoning mirror, and a puppet about to take shape. Now it was time to work on the new trophy. Kanin ended his brief intermission and began to concentrate on preparing his partner's new body.
Bethan remained outside, watching a crow foraging in the wasteland. Kanin avoided discussing the subject that concerned him most, but he knew about that time. Because they had made a pact, there were no secrets between them.
It recalls, like a ghost from the past, watching a little orphan from 20 years ago, who wore dirty overalls and often sat at the door of a bar, watching the well-dressed passersby come and go, and polishing their shoes with a towel.
Most shoe boys were thieves, stealing the slips from customers' pockets. But he wasn't. He was too afraid of losing his small job, so he never stole. The little orphan was quick-witted, flattering every customer who came to shine his shoes, making them laugh. Some of the ruffians danced in the mud after shining their shoes, getting mud all over their heads and faces. But he laughed and applauded, praising the customers' dancing skills, and then gave them another shine for free, not even bothering to wipe his own muddy face.
When there were no guests, he would silently look up at the sky, at the headquarters building towering into the clouds in the sunlight, and at the golden birds flying across the sky.
"You just want to climb up so badly." Bethan said to himself.
(End of this chapter)
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