Forge a path to success.

Chapter 22 Murder in the City Center
"I'll send you on your way with this 'skillfully crafted' quick-firing gun... Impossible?!"

"He actually blocked a water gun bullet with his bare hand?!" "Amazing!" "No wonder he's the detective!"

Chu Heng clenched his fist, and in an instant, the wanted criminal fell to the ground. "Quick Gunner" Tatar relied on his heirloom pistol to wreak havoc, but even Mimori Nozomi's special weapon could not pose a threat to the detective's body.

·
"Everyone, split up and run! He's only one person; no matter how strong he is, he can't possibly catch us all!"

The thieves, having transformed their legs into springs, desperately leaped into the air. Impossible, impossible; fighting that tentacle-wielding man was like fighting a Calamity Knight—a suicide mission. But even he, with only one arm, had the advantage in jumping ability—

"how come?!"

The thieves in mid-air gasped in alarm. Look! The detective skillfully used lampposts and billboards to scale the rooftops with lightning speed, then leaped into the air. He reached a height greater than the thieves, his silver tentacles transforming into long whips that swept across the room. "Bouncing Man" Karat used his jumping ability to randomly rob people, but his demon-possessed, modified body was no match for the detective's leg strength.

·
"Your death is imminent, Chu Hengkong." The man with the shrimp-like head drew his long sword. "My 'Six Lines One-Sword Style' is a demonic blade that kills without shedding blood. You won't even have a chance to realize you've been struck—cough!"

"Shrimp Head's" longsword was shattered by a single punch, along with the red shrimp shell! What incredible strength! "Shrimp Head" Bu Shi 67 was a bloodthirsty killer, yet his sword couldn't cut through the detective's steel fist.

……

At the military headquarters, Jie An tore down three wanted posters in succession, his face expressionless: "I need to consider devaluing the bounty."

Chu Hengkong smiled and held out his hand: "20 after tax, please."

Jie An grumbled as he entered the warehouse, and soon came out with two small boxes, his face full of pain: "Slow down, Chief Inspector, if you keep going like this you'll empty the budget."

"It can't be that bad, can it? A government office like ours be short of money?"

"We lack money, manpower, and equipment—we lack everything. Otherwise, why would we have hired you?" Jie An said with a worried expression. "I'm not kidding, the bounty really will be reduced from now on. If you find any rare medicinal herbs, we can buy them at a high price."

Chu Hengkong tapped the beads one by one, and asked upon hearing this, "You still need medicine now that you have a temple?"

“…It’s not allowed for my personal preferences.” Jie An pulled down his hat. “What’s the Chief Detective having for dinner?”

After being promoted to senior detective, Chu Hengkong's treatment was completely upgraded, including a five-man squad under his command, a relic of a "walkie-talkie" (which looked like a handheld game console from the late 20th century) that could communicate instantly within the city, and a special daily meal prepared by the canteen chef. He hooked the box with his tentacles: "Let's go out to eat tonight."

"Just eat, don't be afraid of stuffing yourself to death." Jie An said sarcastically. Chu Hengkong just smiled and thought that this person had probably been in charge of accounts for too long, and his demeanor was like that of a stingy housekeeper. He walked out of the warehouse and came to the main hall of the headquarters, waving to the team members who had finished their shift: "Everyone, you've worked hard."

"It's not hard work for us to pick up the scraps," the team members said modestly. "Just running errands." After all, all the credit went to Detective Chu, and the few guys were just doing odd jobs, like giving directions, gathering intelligence, and running errands. It was really nothing. One of the more lively guys touched the box with the tattered beads: "It's so heavy, is Old Jie really giving us 20?"

"What reason is there to withhold money earned through one's own abilities?" Chu Hengkong retorted.

"It's so great to be skillful..." the team member rubbed his hands together enviously, "One day's work is worth a year's work for me."

"Envious?" Chu Hengkong flicked him. "If you're envious, practice your skills more. If you become more skillful, you'll earn more money."

The team member chuckled awkwardly, "Don't even mention it. I've been practicing for three years, and I still haven't mastered a single routine..."

The Dragon Township Fist Technique, with its three thousand forms, was never a secret or closely guarded technique of any sect. The Misty Fate Master spread this skill widely across countless Dust Islands so that more people could embark on the path of advancement. The Single Resurrection Troops regularly organize training sessions for their members, but the problem has never been a lack of places to learn…

It's not that I can't learn it!

According to Ji Qiufeng, to meet the requirements for advancement without relying on supernatural physical abilities, one must at least have mastered a set of martial arts techniques to a high level. Such a person would be a true martial arts master on Earth, easily a top-tier figure even in the Republic of China era. Martial arts requires talent; many people spend their entire lives without ever becoming a mediocre "expert," let alone the poor, struggling members of the Resurrection Army who lack even sufficient training time.

Therefore, Chu Hengkong did not laugh at them, but asked, "Aren't there other ways?"

"That's even less likely!" The team member shook his head. "One doesn't have exceptional talent, so he doesn't even qualify to join. The other needs extraordinary wisdom; otherwise, it'll all be for nothing..."

"Not necessarily. Even without wisdom, you can still rely on your vast wealth!" another person joked.

"If I had that kind of money, why would I be working a job now?"

"It's always good to dream~"

Seeing that his men were becoming increasingly dejected, Chu Hengkong decided to end the conversation quickly. He lifted the beaded box and tapped it, producing a clear, resonant sound. "I got my bonus today, so I'm treating everyone to dinner," Chu Hengkong said. "Let's get some good recommendations from the locals!"

These words dispelled the gloom, and everyone became eager to try it out. For the brothers who ate in the canteen every day, eating out was a delightful thing. Someone recommended barbecue, someone slyly suggested beef on Rich Street, and a young man strongly recommended the bullfrog restaurant near his home... In the end, everyone unanimously decided to go for hot pot. Chu Hengkong listened quietly, a smile on his face.

He used to do this all the time when he was in the gangsters. Being single and unattached, he figured money was useless, so whenever he made a fortune, he'd treat his men to restaurants and drinks. Back then, he earned far more than he does now, enough to go to the most upscale restaurants, order the most expensive food, and open bottles of fine wine like they were free. That night, the well-dressed gentlemen and ladies would watch a bunch of thugs drunkenly shouting by the window. Occasionally, the boss would join them, telling everyone to keep their voices down and mind their manners… He never really saved much money, but he always lived a very carefree life…

"Brother Chu, maybe we should call it quits."

The voices of dissuasion snapped him out of his reverie, and everyone turned to look at Lü Xing. He was now a member of the new team, and knowing it would be a disappointment, he still forced a smile and said, "You've been drawing too much attention lately, I'm worried..."

"Worried about poison in the food?" Chu Hengkong chuckled.

The team members' expressions turned grim; they remembered the assassination attempt on the detective a few days ago. Chu Hengkong, however, seemed unconcerned: "You haven't killed many people, have you?"

"I can't compare to you in this respect." Lü Xing broke out in a cold sweat.

“The more you kill, the more you’ll realize that poisoning is the most troublesome method,” Chu Hengkong said. “First, you have to pinpoint your destination precisely from all the restaurants and bars in the city. If the target changes their mind halfway through, all your preparations will be wasted. Second, many restaurants have chaotic food preparation processes. If poisoned food is served to other tables, it will not only cause accidental injuries but also disrupt your plan. Furthermore, important figures often have their food tested before eating, so even if you successfully poison someone, it’s difficult to get it into their mouth. Accidents such as the poison being diluted or its effectiveness being reduced are also common. If killing someone is this troublesome, why would an assassin bother with poisoning?”

Chu Hengkong was in high spirits. Once the topic turned to professional matters, the man became quite talkative, enthusiastically explaining every detail. The team members nodded in agreement, but Lü Xing, feeling embarrassed, couldn't help but argue: "What if the assassin had all the intelligence, bribed the restaurant beforehand, and was willing to do anything to kill that person…?"

"Then why bother with poison?" Chu Hengkong retorted. "Just shoot them dead when they arrive."

After a long pause, Lü Xing finally said, "...You're right."

Chu Hengkong laughed: "Assassins only choose poison when dealing with certain highly protected individuals in high positions. In most other cases, knives and guns are always the better option."

"Brother Chu, how would you do it if it were you?" one of the bolder team members asked.

By this time, they had walked for more than ten minutes. Across the street was the market where they often took a shortcut, and further on was the hot pot restaurant recommended by the team members. The pre-closing special offer hadn't started yet, and there were few customers in the market. The vegetable and meat vendors were eating noodles while tending their stalls, too lazy to even respond to their calls.

Chu Hengkong lightly clenched his right fist, his gaze sweeping from the vendors on either side to the dark windows of the houses behind, his smile deepening. He led his team across the street before calmly continuing, "The methods will naturally be knives and guns; we'll need at least four or five skilled men. The most important thing is to choose a good place to strike. That place should ideally be in an area the target frequently passes through, to avoid empty-handed attacks. There should be many people around us for hiding, and few people around the target for aiming..."

He tossed the suitcase full of dripping beads to Lü Xing and strode forward: "Just like here."

Lu Xing's face paled, and he turned and lunged forward, stopping everyone in their tracks. At the same moment, a piercing whistling sound cut through the air, and the half-closed window on the fourth floor to the right was flung open, from which emerged a long, trumpet-like mouth. The strange mouth spat out a black iron pellet, which exploded in mid-air, instantly transforming into a rain of steel that fell upon the ground!
— "Shotgunner" Mimori Shito, with a bounty of 120,000, is a demon-possessed individual skilled in sniping.

Chu Hengkong's gaze shifted, turning to his feet. The ground beneath his feet, soft and muddy, instantly transformed into a deep green swamp. The swamp originated from the piercing sound of a flute; the flutist, hidden behind a vendor, had thorn tattoos on his face.

—"Swamp Spellcaster" Gore, with a bounty of 120,000, created a poisonous swamp using a flute-shaped relic.

Bullets rained down from above, and mud swamped below; Chu Hengkong had nowhere to hide. The third ambush arrived at that moment. Tall, thin men carrying loads on shoulder poles along the market streets threw off the cloths covering their goods, grabbed long spears disguised as carrying poles, and thrust them forward. As they thrust, the spears extended to over three meters, a distance sufficient for them to launch a deadly attack from a safe distance. The two men wielding the spears looked exactly alike, their eyes equally cold and sinister.

—The Ouyang brothers, known as the "Double Guns," have a bounty of 130,000. Their double guns are a pair of relics, and a simultaneous hit will cause great damage.

The four wanted criminals' abilities intertwined, creating a deadly trap. The only way to avoid being swallowed by the swamp was to endure the damage and break through. But then, a series of booming sounds came from ahead, and a man with large hands came charging towards them, his palms gleaming with an ominous black light. He was "Hundred Palms," with a bounty of 170,000; he was there to fill the final gap in the game!
Terrain, environment, enemy intelligence, the movements of the citizens, the trajectory and speed of bullets… information flashed through his mind like lightning, and Chu Hengkong's left arm tentacles shot out. His first strike didn't hit the enemies on either side, but instead lashed out at the mud beneath his feet. The freely extending length became the key to seizing the initiative; the tentacles' touch rippled across the surface of the mud. Exquisite control allowed the force to penetrate deep into the mud and explode. A surge of power rose from within the mud, and Chu Hengkong used the momentum to break free, leaping into the air.

Above his head were bullets swarming from the gunman, a dense barrage of forty or so. These were bullets generated by a demon-possessed individual, not ordinary water bullets from a jet gun; their impact was powerful enough to penetrate walls, let alone a human body. Therefore, Chu Hengkong didn't intend to take them head-on. He flicked two fingers, throwing a water bullet at the nearest bullet. The water bullet shattered upon impact, its trajectory deflected by the iron bullet it hit, and by sheer coincidence, it struck another iron bullet.

The same scene repeated itself: the misaligned projectiles collided with each other. This "coincidence" happened five times, ten times, twenty times, forty times... like the first dominoes falling, followed by the next. All the projectiles scattered in all directions upon impact, and the aerial net collapsed instantly!

The shotgunner's mind went blank. He was Mimori Nozomi's brother, and he had specifically investigated Chu Hengkong's abilities beforehand. This man was indeed highly skilled, but he was afraid of guns; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to hide behind the Calamity Knight's shield when arresting his brother. Yet now, he had shattered a barrage of bullets with just one water bullet—a terrifying feat beyond skill. How could a human possibly do such a thing!
unless……

The shotgunner considered that desperate possibility: "He's a master craftsman—!"

He only had time to utter those words before the second water bullet shattered the glass and struck his heart, knocking the "shotgunner" unconscious. Mid-air, Chu Hengkong spun to dodge the thrust, kicking left and right, striking the Ouyang brothers' wrists. The Ouyang brothers staggered back in pain, barely managing to grip their spears, while Chu Hengkong landed calmly. He leaped up, clearing the mud, and in the blink of an eye, was between the two brothers.

The Ouyang brothers thrust again, but Chu Hengkong turned sideways, pressing down on the left spear shaft with his right hand, while his left arm's tentacles wrapped around the right. The spears shifted their trajectory, and the brothers' thrusts were about to collide with each other. Knowing the power of the relics, the two brothers tried to release their grip, but Chu Hengkong seized the opportunity to disarm them, causing the spears to fall to the ground. He took a step to the right, raising his crossed arms and slashing down left and right. His right fist struck first, sending the elder Ouyang brother flying, while his left arm's tentacles struck the younger Ouyang brother in the face.

Upon taking the tentacle's blow head-on, Ouyang's younger brother immediately foamed at the mouth. Chu Hengkong changed his attack from pulling to entangling, lifting him up and hurling him at the oncoming Bai Zhang. Seeing his companion charging towards him, Bai Zhang had no choice but to swing his arm to deflect it. This deflection caused him to lose sight of his enemy, and Chu Hengkong seized the opportunity to leap into the crowd, his tentacles lashing out at the fleeing Swamp Curse Master!

(End of this chapter)