Forge a path to success.

Chapter 266 Where to Go From Here (Part 1)

"Good morning, Chu Hengkong," Qingxia said with a smile.

Chu Hengkong opened his eyes and brushed aside the orange-red stray hairs in front of him. He propped himself up and looked around to confirm that this was his bedroom, and that the door and windows were still locked.

Qingxia stood obediently by the bed, letting him reach out and pinch her cheek: "Tell me honestly how you got in today?"

"Don't ask a girl's secrets, lalalala~"

Chu Hengkong pulled harder, and Qingxia started to cry fakely: "If you keep squeezing it, it'll turn into mochi."

Qingxia typed the emoticon QAQ on her combat suit and reluctantly let go. After upgrading to level 4, this girl became an absolute monster. Her face was so beautiful it was otherworldly, and her teary-eyed expression was incredibly captivating; even the most steely person would soften upon seeing her.

Even if you know she's faking it on purpose, what can you do? Being beautiful can, to a certain extent, allow you to do whatever you want.

"Qingxia, you should be careful not to wear too pretty clothes in the future, it's not good for those around you," Chu Hengkong sighed.

"Yes, yes, I'll only wear it for you to see!" Qingxia raised her hand.

"is not what it means."

"I'll change it in front of you."

"This has absolutely nothing to do with the original topic! Don't take your clothes off while we're talking!" Chu Hengkong had a headache. "You've made me forget why you even came here."

Qingxia conjured up a crumpled storybook, her face full of anticipation: "I want to hear the final chapter!"

Chu Hengkong tapped his head, thinking to himself, "No wonder this girl is causing trouble so early in the morning."

Last night we talked about how Jiang Wei abandoned his supplies and defeated the Wei army, leaving one last loose end. This morning we'll tell another part, and Qingxia's much-anticipated "first story" will be finished.

They had made a promise beforehand in the desolate wilderness, and neither of them had forgotten it after returning. Qingxia had been eagerly waiting since the second day after arriving in Huilong City, and Chu Hengkong spent the whole day urgently reviewing the events on his phone, and then spent an hour or two each day telling the girl stories from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Thankfully, he had a text saved on his phone, so he could at least fill in the gaps in the story and avoid having to rob Peter to pay Paul. Theoretically, he could just hand the phone to Qingxia to read herself, but since he had agreed to "tell" the story, he had to be a proper storyteller. It would be too disrespectful to break his promise to the young girl.

Fan De went to the library with Gu Libo early in the morning, leaving Chu Hengkong's little room unusually quiet. He took out two pieces of bread from the refrigerator, heated them up, and ate them while talking.

He had a very vague memory of the end of the Three Kingdoms period; to be honest, he hadn't read much about it since the Prime Minister's death. So, while recounting the story, he had to keep checking his phone, his head huddled together with Qingxia's.

"...The affairs of the world are endless and the will of Heaven is inescapable."

The dream of a tripartite balance of power is now just a distant memory; future generations can only offer empty lamentations.

Chu Hengkong slammed his phone down like a gavel, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and said, "The story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms ends here. The book is finished."

He was a little worried about Qingxia's mood; after all, he had rarely seen a child finish reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms without feeling melancholy. Qingxia blinked, then lowered her head somewhat dejectedly.

"So General Lü didn't come back to life after all..."

"The first thing they said after hearing that was?! How long has it been since the White Gate Tower incident?! They're still thinking about Lü Bu?!"

Qingxia was indignant: "And Lü Bu wasn't even mentioned in the final closing poem! Li Jue and Guo Si were clearly mentioned!"

“Well, after all…” Chu Hengkong paused, “Alright, I also think we should mention Lü Bu; after all, he’s an important figure.”

"Right! That's not fair~ That's not fair~"

Qingxia slammed onto the sofa and sighed softly, "I never expected it to end like this."

"It's surprising that Shu didn't win, isn't it?"

"It's not that bad. Liu Bei's power was never as great as Cao Cao's. When I heard the story, I thought Cao Cao would unify the country... but all the heroes died, and Sima Yi was the one who had the last laugh. On one hand, it seems excessive, but on the other hand, it seems very realistic," Qingxia said. "Is that how history really went?"

Chu Hengkong shrugged: "The general direction is the same: the three families were united under the Jin Dynasty, and the Sima family gained control of the country. However, the Jin Dynasty only lasted for more than 150 years before it came to an end, followed by a new era of chaos."

"That's it..."

Qingxia stopped talking, swinging her legs back and forth, and looked out the window. A small bird was perched on a treetop, preening its feathers before taking flight. Her gaze followed the bird, drifting high into the sky.

"I have a strange feeling."

"how?"

“I used to really, really love this story,” Qingxia said. “I loved every character in the book, and just imagining their interactions and battles made me very happy. But after hearing the real ending, I realized that I… don’t love this story as much anymore.”

Qingxia, clutching the crumpled storybook, pondered, "But this is the true story. So, what I like isn't actually *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and its characters, but rather my own imagination?" "You can use a simple method to discern this," Chu Hengkong said. "If I were to tell you the story of the Three Kingdoms again now, would you still listen?"

"I want to hear it!" Qingxia immediately raised her hand. "I want to hear about shooting the halberd at the gate, the three heroes fighting Lü Bu, Zhao Zilong rescuing his lord single-handedly, and Zhuge Liang burning the Red Cliffs!"

“You even lit it, huh?” Chu Hengkong flicked her forehead. “Then it seems you still love this story, because you still have passion for it.”

"But I don't like this ending."

“I don’t like it either. I think that among readers of popular literature, few people truly like the ending of the Three Kingdoms being unified under the Jin Dynasty,” Chu Hengkong said. “However, liking a story doesn’t mean you have to like every single paragraph. You can love one part and make some judgments about another you don’t like. That’s the attitude of a reader.”

Qingxia pondered for a moment: "But can this kind of attitude, which contains 'impurities,' really be considered liking?"

"Unreserved affection and indiscriminate hatred are both terrible emotions." Chu Hengkong rubbed her head. "People's views are always different. Even things we create ourselves are bound to have flaws, let alone the creations of others from thousands of years ago."

If someone says they love everything about another, then that person is deliberately ignoring the factors that displease them; they are deceiving others, and also deceiving themselves. I think you're familiar with this kind of behavior.

Qingxia realized: "Just like a high-level lustful demon."

Forced obedience, ingrained adoration, and an unshakeable class society built upon this foundation—this monotonous fanaticism can be seen as a symbol of the Hedonistic Demon's heretical nature.

“It’s not uncommon to find people who are intellectually inclined towards heterodox paths,” Chu Hengkong said. “So, the first story is over. What would you like to hear next? Don’t rush to answer. I’ll give you two choices.”

Chu Hengkong held up two fingers: "First, the story of Sun Wukong leading Tang Sanzang on their journey to the West. There are many joyful moments along the way, as well as subtle allusions to the chaos of the time. In the end, the journey is successful and everyone is happy. It's your favorite happy ending."

"Secondly, there are the lovesick men and women in the Grand View Garden, who engage in chess, music, calligraphy, painting, and love, and whose witty remarks and famous works are endless, but whose final endings may not be to your liking."

Which one do you want to choose?

"Mmmmmmm..."

Qingxia hugged her arms tightly, deep in thought, when suddenly a single hair that had been standing tall on her head drooped down.

"I want to hear about Sun Wukong's havoc in the Heavenly Palace, but I'm also very interested in Jia Baoyu's ending. But if I only listen to stories I like, won't I become a monotonous person? So, should I go listen to the story of the Grand View Garden?"

Chu Hengkong smiled without saying a word. Qingxia thought for a while, then raised her hands in protest: "Chu Hengkong, you're so mean! I don't want to choose anymore! Can't I have both?"

“Of course,” Chu Hengkong said. “That’s the correct answer.”

"?"

“Reading is different from life; it’s not a one-time choice. What you read first and what you read later, what you want to read and what you don’t want to read, is entirely your own freedom. Being forced by a sense of responsibility to read things you’re not interested in won’t bring you joy, but actively engaging with stories you’re unfamiliar with might bring you surprises.” Chu Hengkong put away his phone. “Stay away from ‘should’ and ‘must’ and don’t become a boring adult.”

Qingxia nodded repeatedly: "Chu Hengkong is like a teacher..."

"You're too much like a child."

How do you choose your stories now?

“I’ve started actively choosing stories I like to read, and it’s gradually becoming boring.” Chu Hengkong shrugged. “My old man used to just pick a few books to read over and over, and he wasn’t interested in anything else. That’s what makes him a boring old man.”

"In that case, we should read as many books as possible while we can still read."

Qingxia muttered to herself, then suddenly stood up: "I'm going out!"

"Where to go?"

"Go check if the children are studying properly." Qingxia turned around. "I can give you a ride, come along~".

As she turned, her lower body stretched like putty, sprouting two demonic hooves. White fur grew rapidly, hardening into bone armor. Qingxia's head touched the ceiling, and in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a centaur, smiling down at Chu Hengkong.

"After only a few days, I'm already not used to your appearance anymore."

"I actually feel more natural now~" Qingxia said, skipping around. "When you're going to walk a long way, you have to use all four legs."

With four hooves clattering, leaving two trails of footprints on the cobblestone path, Qingxia walked beside Chu Hengkong with small steps. Twice as tall as her companion, she looked like a small, orange-red tree. The citizens of Huilong City cast admiring glances, whispering amongst themselves from a distance.

Most people believe that this remarkable centaur is the mount that the chief detective has tamed, a few firmly believe that she is the chief detective's new girlfriend, and some even swear that Chief Detective Chu had an affair with a horse while on an adventure, and this female centaur is the fruit of their love.

Chu Hengkong silently activated a chain of misfortunes, casting a small curse on the one who spoke carelessly—a curse that would make him step in dog poop. He patted Qingxia's horse: "Becoming a 4th mass point is really convenient."

"This is my talent; ordinary Skywing transformations aren't this simple," Qingxia said smugly.

(End of this chapter)