Forge a path to success

Chu Hengkong felt a slight sense of lingering fear: "The natural disaster species are so vengeful... well, they really are vengeful."

“Fortunately, your bad luck has also worked; with this talisman, you are somewhat safer,” Ji Qiufeng said. “But remember, the talisman can ward off malice, but it cannot ward off chance. What is meant to happen to you will not be hidden no matter how hard you try.”

"It's enough if we can avoid being crushed by high-quality points. As for the rest," Chu Heng laughed, "we'll see who crushes whom."

"Don't be too confident; there are plenty of experts in the city-states."

Ji Qiufeng patted his shoulder and walked back to the deck. A caramelized aroma filled the air; Ji Huaisu had already grilled the large fish head. She chopped off two pieces and tossed them over, yawning repeatedly: "Add salt if you think it's too bland."

"Eat quickly, we'll be there soon," Ji Qiufeng said.

"Huh?" Ji Huaisu looked at the vast, boundless sea. "Right away?"

A crimson aura enveloped the entire ship, burning fiercely and transforming into immense thrust. The speed of the Rising Dragon Ship instantly increased dozens of times, the seawater on both sides of the ship surged up like mountain peaks, and the air practically solidified, shattering layer by layer like stacked glass. Vande, who had been enjoying the wind, was suddenly sent flying into the air, where Chu Hengkong reached out and grabbed him tightly.

Gulibo, clutching the tape and snot streaming down his face, cried out, "I—I—get—seasick—!"

"I haven't finished eating yet!" Ji Huaisu also shouted.

The crazy girl grabbed the fish's head, jumped up, sat on the railing, and laughed wildly in the wind. The demons of the shallow sea were startled; they surged towards the ship, only to be burned to ashes in their burning rage.

This was the first time Chu Hengkong had come to understand the source of his girlfriend's personality in this way. Now it seemed like a case of the upper beam being crooked, just like the lower beam, because her father wasn't exactly a reasonable person either. Normal martial artists use Burning Night as a life-or-death technique, while Ji Qiufeng uses his secret technique as an accelerator to propel his ship!

In just a few minutes, the coastline came into view. Ji Qiufeng gradually regained his composure, and as the ship returned to normal speed, the appearance of the other continent finally unfolded. Beneath the deep brown mountains, lush green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, with the leisurely shadows of cattle and sheep scattered among the tall grass. At the foot of the mountains, rustic wooden houses clustered together like a city, blending with the wildflowers covering the mountains and fields to create a beautiful pastoral idyll.

Ji Huaisu put down the fish bone, his eyes filled with rapture: "The city-state is so beautiful..."

"What are you looking at?" Ji Qiufeng laughed. "Look up."

"what?"

Following Ji Qiufeng's direction, she looked up along the brown mountain range. The peaks were majestic and imposing, like high walls at the edge of the world. The main peak stood tall and straight, and no matter how far she looked, she could not see the end of it. She could only see the mountain range hidden in the clouds, and the clouds were a bright green.

"No way……"

Van der muttered to himself, "My God!"

That wasn't a mountain range at all; it was the roots of an old tree, a tree as vast as the world itself! Scattered wooden cities were built upon its roots, and the vast plains were the flowers and grasses that grew beneath it. The "clouds" were actually the canopy of the old tree, a single floating continent high in the sky.

A gushing fountain erupted from the nearshore waters, lifting the dragon boat high into the sky. They approached the clouds, but did not stop, continuing their ascent propelled by the turbulent currents. Above the verdant clouds lay another continent, and far beyond, other landmasses of varying heights floated, like several kingdoms nestled around a great tree. Countless crowds drifted on the gentle breeze, carried by the wind to and fro between these kingdoms, like flocks of birds dancing among the trees.

"With a habitable area of ​​4100 million square kilometers, occupying about a quarter of the total area of ​​the Senluo Secret Realm, and a current citizen population of over 15 billion, it is supported by the 7th Divine Tree 'Jingsha' and is the largest and oldest urban federation in the Shendong Realm." Ji Qiufeng concluded his introduction, "Welcome to the center of the Senluo Secret Realm, the free and open Jingsha City-State."

The dragon boat came to a thud, wedged on the port of the second continent. Several ivy-like plants grew from the shore, forming steps leading directly to the deck. Chu Hengkong was the first to disembark, even he, as composed as he was, felt a surge of joy at this moment. A small, hamster-like animal on the shore, seeing him disembark, immediately blew a horn-like horn.

"So hospitable?" Van der Ritsu was delighted.

A chorus of bugle calls erupted from all directions, and the world instantly turned brown. Thousands of fully armed soldiers emerged from the foliage, taut bowstrings snapping, arrowheads gleaming with the dark green of deadly poison. All soldiers maintained a strict distance, adhering to protocol, awaiting the command to unleash a volley of arrows!

The horn-blowing squirrel darted past the archers and stood beside a large slipper. It saluted: "Captain Trek, the encirclement is complete."

"Very good, very good. Little one over there, don't move."

After the words were spoken, there was a slurping sound of juice being drunk. The man who had spoken slowly finished half a glass of iced juice and tossed the glass into the squirrel's paw. He took off his sunglasses, his gaze passing over the archers and landing on Chu Hengkong's face.

“These little heretics really don’t know the rules. They dare to swagger around in Jing Sha in broad daylight and cause trouble.” Cui Ke gestured, “Drag them away and behead them.”

Chapter 271 The Third Lineage

"Hold your hand," Chu Hengkong called out, signaling a halt.

"Find out the facts before enforcing the law!" Ji Huaisu said aggressively.

Trek stroked his stubble-covered chin and said casually, "According to our tradition, anything can be discussed amicably... It's just a pity you're an outsider, so even if you bribe me, it won't work."

"Captain! Bribing you won't work if you're just an ordinary person!" the squirrel team member squeaked.

"Hmm...that's how it is theoretically."

"Please, don't talk about theories, have some self-respect!"

Trek put on his sunglasses and sat down on a beach chair: "Even if you gave me a new suit, a briefcase, and a new Fourth Pulse car... I wouldn't make much of a fuss."

"Please remove the last sentence! This hesitant tone sounds like you're directly soliciting a bribe!"

“It’s indirect,” Trek corrected.

"What a scoundrel!" Ji Huaisu retorted.

The squirrel team members screamed, "Enough! Someone come and gag the captain!"

The last few small animal archers jumped up to cover Trek's mouth, but unfortunately Trek was two meters tall, and the little animals couldn't reach him no matter how hard they jumped.

Captain Trek was wearing oversized flip-flops, his hairy legs peeking out from under his beach shorts, and a floral shirt typical of beach tourists. His long face was adorned with sunglasses popular in the late 20th century. If it weren't for the military overcoat draped over his back, no one would easily associate this somewhat sleazy vacationer with a title like "captain."

But the locals were clearly good at seeing the essence of things, skipping the surface. Gulibo's first words after getting ashore directly confirmed the other party's identity: "Captain, don't shoot, it's me, Bo!"

“Gulibo, it’s you, kid.” Captain Trek said, “It’s good to be back in the city-state, but since you’ve been hanging out with the heretics…”

Trek wiped his eyes feigning concern: "We'll just have to kill them all."

"Don't kill me, Bo!" Guli Bo cried out frantically, waving his claws. "This isn't a heretic, he is, he is..."

Gulibo stammered for a while, staring blankly at Chu Hengkong: "What are you now, Bo?"

Chu Hengkong felt an urge to cover his face. Trek took off his sunglasses and scanned him up and down with his dark eyes.

"That's really hard to say. With such a mixed aura, who exactly created this new thing?" Trek counted on his fingers one by one. "A demon? A fallen one? A calamity species? A true machine? Or..."

His gaze pierced through the crowd, like a sharp arrow aimed at Chu Hengkong's chest.

"A lustful demon?" Trek narrowed his eyes.

His voice bypassed the archers and reached everyone's ears directly. Ji Huaisu, who was about to protest, fell silent upon hearing the voice. Chu Hengkong once again raised his opinion of this man, and he gripped the hilt of the Divine Slayer sword.

"Let's just call them martial arts practitioners from Dragon Township."

At this moment, the cabin of the Rising Dragon Ship opened again, and Ji Qiufeng stepped off the ship carrying a flowerpot. He raised his hand to Trek: "Long time no see."

Trek took off his sunglasses, his mouth agape in an "o" shape. He looked back and forth between Chu Hengkong, Ji Qiufeng, and Fenya, letting out a heartfelt exclamation.

"I was wondering which heretical sect was so ruthless, but it turns out it's Detective Chu from Huilong City!"

·

After the order to annihilate them was rescinded, the archers vanished as if they had disappeared into the ground. Trek strode to the ship and shook hands with everyone.

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding." Cui Ke smiled, his face full of wrinkles. "That old bastard Ji Qiufeng came over without telling me, he just wanted to see me make a fool of myself."

“I submitted my application to Mansa Starburg three weeks ago,” Ji Qiufeng said helplessly.

"First line of succession? I've been transferred to a new job..."

Trek opened his arms and gave Ji Qiufeng a warm hug. He was a head taller than Ji Qiufeng and patted Ji Qiufeng's shoulder hard: "More than 20 years! Before you left, you were just a cultivator who could fly through the sky. Now you're a remarkable Dharma Aspect."

"After suffering so much, things should change." Ji Qiufeng smiled. "You already know Hengkong, this is Ji Huaisu, my daughter. Huaisu, say hello to Uncle Cui Ke."

"Hello, Uncle Trek." Ji Huaisu pretended to be well-behaved.

Trek nodded repeatedly: "Oh, you have a daughter now. This girl has the same spirit and energy as you; she's definitely your biological daughter."

Ji Huaisu chuckled foolishly. Ji Qiufeng coughed, "We're not related by blood..."

Trek remained unfazed: "I was wondering why you only look alike; your daughter doesn't really resemble you at all."

Ji Huaisu grinned and made a face at him, and Cui Ke jumped back a step: "Oh dear, how scary. Is this little guy an 'Eye Demon'?"

Vand bowed with his tentacle, his single eye curving into a line: "Hello, hello, I am Vand, a graduate of the Twilight Library. I am currently on my graduation trip. Please take care of me in the future."

"Not at all, let's learn from each other and exchange ideas more often." Trek shook its tentacle. "I am Jas Trek, the captain of the Divine Guard of the Third Order, which is roughly equivalent to the police chief of your Dragon City. If you need anything, feel free to talk to me anytime."

He withdrew his hand and asked, "I roughly understand Ji Qiufeng's purpose in coming. Who are the three of you?"

"I'll take it back to the bookstore and run some personal errands while I'm at it," Chu Hengkong said, picking up Gulibo. "And also, a vacation."

“Then you’ve come to the right place. Jing Sha is the best place in the world for a vacation.” Trek bent down and looked them over one by one. “Just to do some routine checks, what are the genders of the three of you?”

Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu looked completely bewildered, wondering if they even needed to ask. Gu Libo answered for them: "Body male, mind male; body female, mind female; body asexual, mind asexual, boo."

“Very traditional.” Trek pulled out three perfume bottles and shook them. “Interested in finding a romantic encounter in the city-state?”

The two men shook their heads in unison. Trek sprouted a sprig of wood from his fingertip and dipped it into each of the three small bottles. He pressed three fingers down on the bottles and sprayed perfume onto each of the three men.

"That solves the problem." Trek put away the bottle. "Your Uncle Ji and I are going to a bar to catch up. You can ask Gulibo to lead the way wherever you want to go. Have fun!"

He pulled out a pocket watch-like object, pressed it, and instantly disappeared from everyone's sight, along with Ji Qiufeng and Fenya, who had remained silent.

“He’s a master,” Chu Hengkong said.

"After all, he's Dad's good friend; it would be strange if he were weak." Ji Huaisu sniffed the faint scent of perfume on his body. "But what's going on here?"

“You’ll see the city-state’s traditions and customs when you get there,” Vande said, unfazed. “Gulipo, lead the way!”

"Let's go home!" Gulibo ran happily forward.

Trek seemed to have evacuated the surrounding civilians in a very short time; there wasn't a soul to be seen around the port. They entered a wooden building for customs inspection, and as they passed several wooden, carved-looking machines, alarms blared wildly. The guard (a pig-headed man standing on two legs) seemed to have been instructed and let them in directly.

The moment they stepped out of customs, the tranquil atmosphere vanished, replaced by a cacophony of voices that overwhelmed them. A kaleidoscope of colors filled their vision; towering mushrooms, as tall as trees, dotted the streets, painting a corner of this intricate tapestry with countless hues. In a single glance, Chu Hengkong saw over a hundred races, and simultaneously heard the most complex sounds in the world.

Those were the sounds of flapping wings, buzzing bees, the deep breathing of beasts, and the high-pitched roars of humanoid races—all of which were merely "noise" in the environment; the harmonious symphony was the dominant theme here.

The drums beat powerfully, the piano music was gentle and lingering, the female lead singer sang loudly atop the tree, and many flowers and exotic plants joined in the chorus from the flowerbeds. Musical notes were everywhere, musicians were everywhere, and the extremely complex music presented an incredible harmony, like a symphony played by all living beings.

Their arrival was a discordant note in the harmonious melody, and the perceptive musicians immediately came to investigate. The next moment, the music became light and lively, and the musicians sang in unison: "Friends from afar, welcome to the city of Thorns!"

"My God." Ji Huaisu stared blankly at everything. "This is too... this is too..."

"This is fantastic!" Van der exclaimed. "This is what travel should be like, my friends!"

It leaped into the circle of the small band and excitedly began to accompany them on the xylophones thrown to it by the citizens. Chu Hengkong smiled at the sight and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's like stepping into a fairy tale world."

"In terms of living environment, we're even more comfortable here than Paradise." A small flower resembling a sunflower nodded at him, its flower head bearing features in a very American cartoon style. "Welcome, welcome. This is the Third Lineage, 'Poetry and Prose Umbrella,' the cradle of writers, poets, musicians, and architects. We have—"

"—The world's finest poetry, and unparalleled music!" A young man with insect wings approached, strumming his guitar and gazing at Chu Hengkong with deep affection. "Oh, sir, you are truly captivatingly handsome. May I have the honor of singing you a song?"

Chu Hengkong wasn't surprised; he'd seen many unusual orientations in his career, but he never expected there to be male-female pairings in the adult entertainment industry. Gulibo jumped up and flapped its insect wings: "You should go check out the temple first, Bo!"

"What?" The insect-winged man sniffed hard, then quickly distanced himself, his face full of apology. "I'm so sorry, I've had a cold these past few days and didn't smell your scent! To express my apology, here's a poem to wish you a happy day~"

He sang a short poem with great emotion, then flapped his wings and flew away. Little Flower pouted: "You see, the atmosphere here is quite open. Courtship and love at first sight are common occurrences. Without perfume as a warning beforehand, you'll have a lot of trouble after you leave the house."

"Using scent to identify whether someone is single and their gender?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"Everyone looks so different, it would be so rude to mistake one's face for another." Xiaohua laughed. "Gulibo, you'd better go back to the bookstore and check in, everyone's been looking for you for ages."

"I hope I won't be fired..." Gulibo's nose turned white.

Who knows~~~

Little Flower turned her face away and ran off to chat with the other flowers and plants. Gulibo walked ahead carrying a small bundle, feeling uneasy. Chu Hengkong didn't forget to use his wicked wrist to drag Fande along, and in just a short while, it had three specially made small flower wreaths, two mini musical instruments, and a storybook woven from a stack of leaves.

"Hehehe, not enough fun yet!" Vande protested loudly.

"You'll have plenty of time to play after you finish your business." Chu Hengkong stuffed it into his pocket. "How far is the bookstore from here?"

"It will take an hour... or two hours to walk..." Gulibo was like a mouse about to start school but hadn't written a single word of his homework.

"You point the way, I'll walk it."

"No, no!"

Protests were useless; the journey that took one or two hours was shortened to five minutes by Detective Chu's stamina, and Gulibo finally led them to a large mushroom.

“It’s much bigger than I imagined,” Ji Huaisu said, tilting her head back. “I always thought it would be one of those…you know, a cute, trendy college student entrepreneurship bookstore.”

“I understand,” Chu Hengkong said. “It is indeed very large.”

This was the largest mushroom Chu Hengkong had ever seen, nearly six stories tall. Its white, umbrella-like stem had rows of square windows running from top to bottom, and its thick, red cap formed a natural roof, upon which sat a round, plump seal statue. Between the seal's two paws gripped a wooden plaque with four large characters inscribed on it: "Seafood Bookstore."

He stepped forward and pushed open the shop door, the wind chimes tinkling softly as the door opened. Soft folk music played inside, reminiscent of a library. Large bookshelves lined the spacious lobby, with books of all kinds neatly arranged and categorized. Besides books, there were also entertainment items; just inside the entrance, there were shelves of card games, and on the upper floors, there seemed to be dedicated sections for various toys and models.

A fish dressed in dowdy overalls was watering a potted plant, its eyes filled with a lifeless, sullen look, as if it had been baked in the sun for ten thousand years after coming ashore. It wiped its fins on its apron and said to Chu Heng in a dry, uninspired tone, "Welcome—"

Gulibo poked his head out: "Manager Bangbangji, I'm back!"

Manager Bangbang's already bulging eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. It leaped up, grabbed Gulibo, and excitedly slapped its fins wildly: "Heavens! The divine tree has sprouted! You've been missing for almost five months! I thought you'd been stewed long ago!"

"Why are you assuming I've been eaten?!"

"It was placed in an earthenware round pot, soaking in cream, curry, cumin, and broth..."

"You even came up with the recipe for me?! And this looks awful!"

Manager Bangbang cheered and tossed Gulibo into the air, almost to the height of a three-story building. The animal shop employees working on various floors chattered excitedly: "Gulibo's back!" "Gulibo's not dead!" "Skipping work for five months, Gulibo has set a new record!"

"Go do what you're supposed to do, don't make a fool of yourself in front of the guests."