Forge a path to success.

Chapter 267 Where to Go From Here (Part 2)

After reaching Particle 4, the Ascended on the Path of Unity gain the ability to freely control their own bodies.

The degree of freedom in this ability varies from person to person. Most Skywing users can freely retract their manifested wings and make minor changes to their limbs and facial features. A small number of gifted individuals or special races can freely adjust their height, alter their limbs, and even "disguise" themselves from the inside out.

Qingxia is a rare type among the Cheng Kong Wings. Thanks to the inherent talent of the Xiangyu Demon Clan, she can freely switch between the forms of point 1 to 3. Her unique mutated virus also gives her the creativity to drastically change her body according to her own imagination, transcending the inherent framework of the heretical path.

In theory, Qingxia could transform into a complete horse or other animal form, but she herself did not want to do so.

"I've heard my grandfather say that if the physical changes are too drastic, there's a possibility of losing oneself. That's why the more powerful an Ascendant is, the more cautious they are about their transformation abilities."

“That makes sense. The spirit-body is easily affected by the material-physical body. For example, physical disabilities can greatly affect a person’s mental state.” Chu Hengkong nodded. “We should be especially careful about changes in facial features, as they are the clearest definition of oneself.”

“Yeah, so no matter what I become, I’ll keep my face.” Qingxia poked her cheek. “I heard that during the war years, some Ascendants became ‘Faceless’ specifically for infiltration operations. I feel like their ghosts would turn into a lump of dough without a face.”

“You’re wrong. Those kinds of people have the strongest sense of self,” Chu Hengkong said.

"?Why?"

"Their spirits can remain stable without the reference of a physical body, which is why they don't need their own faces," Chu Hengkong said calmly. "You must be vigilant when you encounter such people; they are the most terrifying type in the world."

"I've learned a lot." Qingxia took out her notebook and carefully wrote it down, "Be careful of Wuxiang..."

"Don't use that kind of misleading writing style." Chu Heng wanted to pat her head, but couldn't reach it. "We're here. Be serious and don't let the kids laugh at us."

"Cough cough!"

Qingxia put away her notebook, striking a pose of a proud warrior captain. They walked past the beautiful wooden wall covered in ivy and arrived at the bronze gate. Two plump dragon statues stood on either side of the gate, next to which was a prominent jade plaque bearing the city lord's decree:

"Be civilized, polite, and set a good example for the marshland."

This is the landmark building newly constructed in the swamp this year, the first experimental school of the Bize District, built by the city lord's mansion at great expense.

As the saying goes, no matter how hard life is, we must not let our children suffer; no matter how poor we are, we must not neglect education. Since the reconstruction of Dahui Longcheng, Youyou has learned a painful lesson from the chaos of the past swamp and is determined to improve basic compulsory education, popularize healthy and positive beliefs, and fundamentally isolate itself from cult beliefs and heretical influences. Thus, the First Experimental School came into being.

Our school gathers the most determined, hardworking, and highest-paid elite teaching staff in the city, handling all aspects of primary, secondary, and tertiary education. During the day, it is responsible for the basic quality education of minors, and in the evening, it serves as an adult night school open to local residents. Students with outstanding performance and excellent academic conduct can also participate in the official twice-yearly qualification examination for upgraders, referred to as the "Upgrade Examination."

The school was very popular with the public after it opened, and many residents of Zhongting rented wooden houses in the swamp specifically to send their children to the school for the entrance exam.

The children of the settlement, settled in the marshland and all promising talents honed by the wilderness, were all granted places at the school. Chu Hengkong greeted the school security guard and then led Qingxia into the campus. Soon after, a female teacher rushed over, her smile somewhat awkward.

"Our Highness, ... no, Inspector, your visit to the school is a great honor for us..."

"This is Miss Qingxia who has come to inspect. I will accompany her." Chu Hengkong waved his hand. "No need for a big fuss. Please show us the new students."

The female teacher's smile became even more awkward: "How about I give you two a tour of the campus first...?"

Qingxia tilted her head: "Are they having classes outside the teaching building?"

The female teacher turned her head resignedly, her voice tinged with sorrow: "Please come with me..."

Chu Hengkong and Qingxia exchanged a glance, both feeling bewildered. They followed the female teacher to a classroom on the third floor, where the elderly teacher was holding a book called "Candlelight Poetry Collection" and lecturing with great enthusiasm. Inside the classroom, a group of children were listening attentively, and the teaching atmosphere was excellent.

However, there is still a small problem in the classroom.

"...Why are half the seats empty?" Qingxia peeked out. "Only 30% of the children from the settlement are here."

The female teacher's forehead began to sweat: "This...this..."

Chu Hengkong didn't want to make things difficult for her, and just then he saw an acquaintance in the classroom, so he waved. The little girl sitting by the window responded and ran out the door with the safe on her back, followed by a little dog wagging its head.

"Hello, Detective Chu!" Tina said cheerfully, and the little black dog Hawu barked twice in response.

This little girl was the ghost girl from the haunted house years ago. Now that order has improved in the city, she can finally go to school with her peers. Chu Hengkong squatted down and smiled at the little girl: "You've come all this way to school in the swamp, it must be so hard?"

“It’s not hard work. My dad is very fit now, and he carries the safe to take me to school every day,” Tina smiled.

"So his workouts are quite effective..." Chu Hengkong's lips twitched. "Do you know where the new students have gone?"

Tina blinked: "Promise me you won't blame the teacher, okay?"

"Don't be afraid, we're not here to cause trouble." Chu Hengkong gestured to the female teacher not to be nervous. "Right, Qingxia?"

"Of course~" Qingxia said softly.

Tina nodded and said to Qingxia, "Miss Centaur, all the children you brought have skipped school."

Qingxia revealed a terrifying, devilish expression.

·
Foreman Lao Fan, carrying a rafting axe, shouted, "Ten-minute break, then line up for inspection!"

The lumberjacks lined up lazily, while Lao Fan, with his hands behind his back, inspected each log, paying particular attention to the direction in which it had fallen.

Falling tree trunks are the riskiest accident in the industry. Before felling a tree, the direction must be carefully calculated. Some tough woods have a rebound risk, and hollow logs that are prone to collapse are even more nerve-wracking to cut. The swampy area has many strange and unusual trees, and even after cutting them down, one cannot be careless; who knows what kind of monstrous creature might be lurking inside the stump? Old Fan, with his sharp eyes and meticulous attention, spotted a thin thread of insect silk masquerading as wood chips extending out. With a swift stroke of his axe, he smashed the hidden poisonous insect into a pulp. "Who the hell cut this down? Don't they value their lives?" A young worker in the team shrank back; it was the infamous exploding insect, which would explode if exposed to air for too long.

Old Fan crushed three more different insects, getting angrier and angrier. He turned around and started cursing: "Fuck your mothers! I told you to memorize the safety regulations, but you didn't. You didn't memorize the required actions. With your idiots, you think you can work on your own? You'll be dead in a week! You'll be lying in the park with missing arms and legs, collecting welfare. I'll make your mother carry you!"

The workers were scolded and looked disheveled. Old Fan walked to the last row and stopped. There was a nest of poisonous insects hidden in the wooden stake, all of which had been killed beforehand. The direction in which the log fell was even more precise than he had calculated, avoiding the small, easily scattered pieces of wood around it.

Whose is this?

The new female worker raised her hand, wearing a wooden helmet as a protective cap: "Engineer Fan, this is mine."

"You did a great job! You won't fall and die from this anymore!" Old Fan looked at the other logs and was very satisfied. "Damn it, a bunch of old squids can't even chop as well as these young guys. Time for a break and lunch. The newbies will all get an extra chicken leg for lunch!"

The workers listlessly responded and ran off to collect their boxed lunches. The female workers and the other young people ate together, while Old Fan squatted down with his own portion, asking, "What's her name again? Vita, right?"

"Yes, Engineer Fan."

“You’d better do your job carefully, you know your life is at stake,” Old Fan said. “I’ve been assigned a spot for a night class at the school, you can go.”

Vita shrank back: "No need, no need..."

Old Fan was dissatisfied: "Fuck your mother, you don't even go to school? There's air conditioning here."

“Evenings are so precious, why not practice boxing? Learning a skill is worse than studying,” another Black man said lazily.

Old Fan patted his arm, which was as thick as a tree trunk: "Boxing? Want to be a cop?"

"Being a cop allows you to engage in illegal activities and earn a lot of money."

“Even cops need to study, you bastards.” Old Fan sighed. “If none of you go to study, what will happen to the spots?”

“You go work as a carpenter, Mr. Fan. I’d rather be a carpenter.”

"Me, a roughneck all my life, going to school? That's laughable." Old Fan spat. "Damn, if you really want to, I can introduce you to a carpenter. You're young, you have plenty of opportunities. Making quick money is fine, but don't always have to do manual labor... What's going on?"

A deafening roar erupted all around, like a thousand horses galloping towards them, causing Old Fan's chopsticks to tremble. He put down his lunchbox and turned around, only to see a blood-red centaur charging straight at him, its expression so ferocious it seemed it wanted to devour him alive.

Old Fan was utterly terrified: "Help! Detective, help me!"

The centaur grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. Old Fan, who was 1.6 meters tall, looked like a chick: "I'm going to report you!"

Old Fan's vision blurred, thinking, "Isn't this supposed to be a demon's attempt to take my life? How did it turn into a civil dispute?" He was completely bewildered and, with his neck stiff, stammered, "I have a business license..."

"You're employing child labor!" Qingxia's roar was like a whirlwind.

Old Fan became even more agitated upon hearing this: "Are you kidding me?! Where are there child laborers?!"

The outstanding young people started to shrink back, and Qingxia pointed at the black guy: "Lu Ge is only eight years old!"

Old Fan stared at the black guy's strong muscles, shiny bald head, and towering two-meter-tall physique, and was so aggrieved that he couldn't speak: "This guy is eight years old?!"

The black guy said hesitantly, "My Lord Blood Knight, I'm nine years old this month..."

"They're all just kids, what's the difference?" Qingxia released Lao Fan and glared angrily at the group of newly hired lumberjacks.

Some of them looked to be of scholarly age, while the youngest looked to be fifteen or sixteen or older—they were hardly children. In the entire entertainment industry, it was extremely common for people to be thirteen or fourteen years old and start working; no normal person would consider these able-bodied men as "children."

Although none of them were actually more than ten years old.

"We finally have such a good environment now, why don't you study hard!" Qingxia's roar was like thunder exploding across the wilderness.

The children huddled together timidly, not daring to utter a sound. Vita stepped forward, her neck stiff: "Blood Knight, may I ask why we need to study?"

Qingxia was furious. It was the first time she had ever seen these kids talk back to her: "You can only succeed if you go to school and study—"

“But Blood Knight, you never went to school either, you are still the hero of the settlement,” Vita said angrily.

"I...I..." Qingxia was speechless for a moment. The children mustered their courage and protested all at once: "Blood Knight, this isn't fair!" "Everyone else is working, why should we do nothing but study?" "I can't let my grandparents support me for nothing!" "Studying those lousy books is not as good as practicing martial arts..."

Qingxia pointed at the wooden stake: "Does coming out to cut down trees really make you knowledgeable?"

“Blood Knight, we’ve learned how to safely cut down trees and recognized many kinds of poisonous insects,” Vita said. “Besides, we can earn 450 Flowing Orbs for a day of cutting down trees, which is more than many office workers earn!”

Qingxia, unable to find a reason to refute the repeated retorts, stomped her foot in anger. She turned and shouted, "Chu Hengkong, you speak up for me!"

The chief detective leaned against a large tree, gloating, "I never went to primary school either."

"what??"

(End of this chapter)