Forge a path to success.

Chapter 195 Both idiots and brats are harsh on themselves

Chu Heng had thought many times about how to mend his relationship with the centaur. Although the centaur was at fault, he had also acted impulsively that night. Moreover, he hadn't repaid the centaur's life-saving grace, and they would still have to fight together in the future. It was both morally and logically necessary for him to resume communication with Qingxia.

But certainly not in this form.

And certainly not in this kind of setting.

The stream babbled, the forest was serene, and Chu Hengkong stood by the lake, his face expressionless. He truly didn't know what expression to wear; his nerves were probably frozen by excessive embarrassment, and his facial muscles were protesting loudly from within, ready to give up. But to make matters worse, his heart was pounding wildly, beating like a drug addict who'd been on drugs for three days straight in a nightclub. That uncontrollable, rampant desire flowed joyfully through his blood, threatening to rebel on the spot if he didn't pounce on it.

The most dangerous thing is that because of the previous blood injection, he can sense Qingxia's heartbeat and emotions.

vice versa.

The red-haired girl slightly avoided his gaze, her face flushed.

Chu Hengkong calmly used his prosthetic arm to grip his neck, forcibly controlling his muscles to turn around. He began to run with all his might: "Sorry, wrong way, goodbye!"

Unfortunately, as had been proven many times in previous battles, his speed was simply no match for Miss Centaur. Chu Hengkong hadn't even run half a meter before Qingxia, who had angrily come ashore, grabbed him.

Qingxia wrapped her arms around him and picked him up, shouting, "How dare you! You scoundrel, don't you dare run away!"

"Let go first!" Chu Hengkong was utterly devastated. He couldn't help but break down; the difference in height and physique between them was too great. Qingxia's embrace had lifted his feet off the ground. He was buried deep within the snow-white peaks, the elastic, moist skin enveloping him like a sponge.

Standing next to the four-meter-tall Qingxia, he was like a large rag doll. Qingxia could easily wrap him up with a gentle hug, and he could be manipulated without any way to fight back.

He struggled fiercely, but couldn't break free; his opponent was also stronger. Qingxia's face grew increasingly red, and she lowered her head and whispered, "If you keep moving around like this, I'll really get excited."

Chu Hengkong's body stiffened, wishing he could stop breathing. He spoke through the air, relying on his willpower: "If you really care, let me go first."

"No!" Qingxia's attitude was exceptionally firm. "I read in a book that if a man accidentally sees you bathing, you'll be cursed with nudity by the Magpie Fairy. If that man escapes, you'll be naked for life. To break the curse, you must marry him!"

"Who exactly modified the Seven Fairy Maidens fairy tale you're reading? I'm going to kill them!" Chu Hengkong said.

"If I let you get away, I'll have to marry you," Qingxia said nervously. "That's absolutely... um... umm..."

Miss Centaur pondered for a moment, then readily let go.

"You go!"

"Don't change your mind! Seriously, don't let me go! What are you thinking?! I'm terrified just trying to guess what's going on in your head!" Chu Hengkong shouted hoarsely.

Qingxia gave a thumbs up: "If you can find a good man just by being completely naked for a few days, that's a good deal."

"No naked! Put your clothes on! And no bathing in the middle of nowhere! Go to your own house to bathe!"

Qingxia started to backtrack: "(ノ)ノ Let's take this opportunity to sneak back and make our escape a fait accompli..."

"Wait, stop right there, you bastard!!"

Trying to restrain the centaurs with words is pointless. Trying to stop them with their obviously inferior strength is even less feasible. So Qingxia happily returned to the waterfall to continue showering, while Chu Hengkong, fearing she might misunderstand, sat motionless by the lake with his back to the waterfall, his eyes looking as if he were dead.

It seems there was originally a naive man who came to the lake to cultivate his mind. The torment he's experiencing now offers no help in practicing the secret art of the broken heart, but it's a leap forward in consolidating his mental state. It's said that when the Buddha was meditating under the tree, he remained unmoved by the temptations of a beautiful demoness; now, with his back to the lively female demon, he experiences the Buddha's feelings for the first time.

Was the Buddha like that back then? He clearly wanted to meditate peacefully, but there was always a mentally ill female demon running around and chattering away. No wonder the Buddha eventually chose the path of enlightenment. After this matter was over, he could probably consider following the Buddha's example, shaving his head and becoming a monk, living a secluded life, detached from worldly affairs.

A few drops of water hit the back of Chu Hengkong's neck, the icy touch sending a shiver down his spine. Qingxia quietly swam over, poking half her body out onto the bank, watching him with a grin. Her hair spread out in the water, like blood-red seaweed.

"Won't you come with me?" she whispered.

The assassin covered his forehead and sighed deeply.

"If I remember correctly, the last time we met I was beating you up."

“That matter is in the past,” Qingxia said. “I can’t sense any anger in you.”

If he could still maintain his old grudges and rage under these circumstances, then Chu Hengkong might as well abandon the path of martial arts cultivation in Dragon Village and go to an even worse other world to seek refuge with the Chosen of Khorne. He tidied his hair and decided to put the past aside for the time being and start from the root of the problem.

"Qingxia, I don't understand where your affection for me comes from. I haven't helped you in any way, I haven't even given you a flower. What reason do you have not to tear me apart in this situation?"

"When you're out in the world, does the other person have to bring you benefits first before you can like them?" Qingxia asked, puzzled. "Then do you like the benefits or the person?" Chu Hengkong grew increasingly irritated: "Don't change the subject, I'll tell you why—"

“Because we are the same kind of people,” Qingxia said matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it natural for people of the same kind to be close to each other?”

"Me? And you?" Chu Hengkong pointed to his human form and the horse's form in the lake, "The same kind??"

Qingxia's eyes darted around, and she suddenly started talking about something unrelated.

"You always treat your surroundings with care, touching objects with your fingertips when you pick them up. When drinking tea, you never hold the teacup with your hands, but rather hold it by the bottom with your hands. When you sit in a chair with a backrest, you never lean back, keeping your back away from the chair."

Chu Hengkong was taken aback when he heard this. Qingxia was talking about habits he had developed since childhood. He was very strong when he was a child and would often unintentionally break things in the orphanage. So he got used to keeping his distance from his surroundings, otherwise bottles and jars would always be broken all over the place.

Qingxia smiled slyly: "You always habitually clench your fists because you want to fight anyone you see who is strong. Such a strong fighting spirit can disturb those around you, so you clench your fists from time to time to remind yourself to restrain yourself."

"Because of the metal on your back, you feel murderous intent whenever you see a living creature. You think about killing all the time, even your companions. At this time, you will blink harder to wipe away the murderous intent surging in your heart."

The succubus gently poked him with the tip of her fingernail: "Anything else... You actually really like Ji Huaisu, don't you? You want to get closer to her, but you never take the initiative to approach her. Occasionally, when Ji Huaisu takes the initiative to get close to you, the muscles in your face relax because you are very happy at that time."

"I..." Chu Hengkong stared in disbelief, "You..."

"You want to ask me how I know?" Qingxia lazily lay on the shore. "Back in Jinye City, I was observing you all! You weren't as strong as you are now back then, and you didn't notice that I was hiding not far away. I hid in the eggshell and watched you keep your distance from those around you, never sharing your thoughts with anyone. Even though just surviving was painful for you, you pretended that nothing was wrong."

I thought to myself, "This person lives such a tiring life! It's like they've locked themselves in an invisible shell. Watching your every move is like watching my past self."

"Are you serious?" Chu Hengkong was incredulous. He couldn't associate this person with the word "pain." He couldn't find another person in the whole world as free and unrestrained as this.

Qingxia smiled slightly and blinked.

Her gaze instantly shifted, becoming fierce and brutal, like a spear pinning him to the ground. An invisible aura surged behind her, like the gaping maw of a deformed, frenzied beast. In the beast's eyes, intense gold danced, like gold shimmering in fire. That flame was a burning desire, a savage manifestation of all kinds of lust: appetite, lust, a thirst for killing, a sadistic urge… the frenzied desires transformed into claws and fangs, almost tearing Chu Hengkong to shreds.

Qingxia closed her eyes, and the invisible behemoth vanished, leaving only the naked girl in the lake. She smiled with a hint of unease: "If my heart started beating, everyone would be in trouble, so let's just forget about it... Anyway, I've been trying my best to hold back."

This is not the real her yet. If her heart were to beat normally, it would kill most of the people in the settlement. Therefore, Qingxia is currently in a state of suspended animation.

Chu Hengkong fell silent. He knew what he had felt earlier; Qingxia, who had assassinated Wu Heshi, had exactly that demeanor—like a beast eager to toy with its prey. The fear he felt was that of someone who opposed Qingxia, but the situation was more than that…

"You, do you also feel murderous intent towards ordinary people?"

“Is that so?” Qingxia said matter-of-factly.

"appetite?"

"I only crave it very occasionally," Qingxia said shyly.

Despite being in the humid jungle, Chu Hengkong felt icy cold all over. Qingxia was still talking to herself: "When you see a weakling, you want to play with him; when you see something that suits your taste, you get excited. But if you let your desires run wild, you'll turn into a monster. So I've always been trying to control myself."

"It is because I strive to restrain my desires every day that I am called the 'Disciplined Knight'."

wrong.

It is absolutely impossible.

No living being can take a self-destructive lifestyle as a form of spiritual practice. The reason why a small number of humans can practice asceticism is because material wealth and enjoyment are not considered necessities for survival, but even an old monk in the mountains needs to drink water and eat vegetarian food, otherwise it is not asceticism but suicide.

If Qingxia wasn't lying, she was like a wild animal living in modern society. Humans were merely food, prey, and playthings in her eyes. Her lifestyle was like a tiger that doesn't hunt, a shark that doesn't prey; it might be tolerable in the short term, but it would inevitably lead to distortion over time. This psychological imbalance would bring about pathological madness, and before she could completely collapse, she would die from her own inner torment. Not to mention that long-standing habit of suppressing her heartbeat…

"Qingxia, listen to me carefully." Chu Hengkong pressed down on her shoulder. Even though their positions and preferences differed, there were some things he had to say.

"You've got some things wrong. If you continue living like this, you're bound to die—"

“Yes, I understand. When I was little, I had it just as tough as you did. I almost died several times…” Qingxia said nostalgically. “Fortunately, Grandpa helped me find the secret technique that our clan must learn.”

Qingxia held up one finger and said cheerfully, "That is the Secret Technique of the Broken Heart!"

(End of this chapter)