Forge a path to success

Atop the float stood a woman in a long white dress, its petal-lined collar billowing high. She raised her cane and laughed heartily: "The parade is about to begin! Get your hats ready, your laughter, your chocolates, and—music!"

The soldiers took off their red uniforms, revealing colorful performance costumes underneath. The woman in the white dress magically produced several cards and tossed them into the air: "Entertainment Party - Flower Parade Float, Confetti Disco Balls, Candy Castle!"

"It's the Entertainment Party deck!" Gulibo jumped up excitedly.

Those were several cards from the Ultimate Battle. The cards floated above the parade, transforming into several extravagantly designed floats that landed and linked together behind the locomotive. At the center of the parade was a bouncy city made of gummy candy, with small animals arriving from all directions, jumping into the procession to sing and dance.

Come on, my cheerful friends! Let's enjoy this amazing night.

Flowers turned into honey and flowed down. Chocolate was pounded into a great castle.

Soldiers took to the stage and danced gracefully. Even their hoarse voices could produce ethereal melodies.

Forget all your worries for now. Laugh heartily and witness your dreams!

The staff scattered ribbons and balloons, pulling onlookers onto the floats. Caught up in the atmosphere, the tourists joined in singing and dancing. The floats summoned by the woman in white seemed endlessly crowded; groups of people boarded without trampling, making it difficult to distinguish between amusement park employees and tourists.

Chu Hengkong observed carefully and whispered to Fan De, "Is the information of the Floating Light Path materialized?"

Van der grabbed the balloon and ran toward the float, completely forgetting about the important matter: "I want to play too! I haven't gotten on the float yet!"

A little rabbit reached out and pulled Fan De onto the train. Ji Huaisu and Gu Libo stared expectantly at Chu Hengkong. Chu Hengkong could only nod helplessly and boarded the train with the cheering Ji Huaisu and Gu Libo. They boarded the locomotive at the very front of the parade, with little rabbit and dragon dolls blowing trumpets and scattering ribbons on either side. The woman in white stood at the very front of the train.

Seeing everyone board the carriage, she stepped forward and gave an exaggerated bow: "What a coincidence! I am Harley Luoya, the captain of the Fifth Vein. Welcome everyone from Huilong City to visit!"

Captain Harley Luoya seemed completely detached from those in power, more like a wholehearted amusement park manager. Chu Hengkong and his companions introduced themselves and, without further ado, asked, "Captain, are you familiar with the Demon Cards?"

Haliroya was still busy waving to the tourists, speaking in a song-like voice: "I know that~"

Ji Huaisu pressed further, "So, what does Captain Harley Roya mean?"

“Of course I have to deal with something as terrible as the contamination of the outer paths. However…” Harleroya pointed her cane behind her, “I have more important matters to attend to right now, and I don’t have time to spare.”

Following her gaze, everyone saw a group of incongruous individuals standing on a float—some were pot-bellied like capitalists, others were dressed in suits like politicians. Once on the float, these people seemed to have become thirty years younger, singing and dancing along with the animals, overjoyed.

“The members of the Senate just happened to be visiting the amusement park, and as the park director, I have to personally receive them,” Halillow said, her eyes crinkling. “So, I really haven’t had time to work on the investigation lately!”

Ji Huaisu was truly astonished: "No, have you even grasped the concepts of priority?!"

“Miss Ji is absolutely right. Things should be prioritized.” Harley Luoya circled around them. “I’ve heard that you all have a wealth of experience dealing with heretics, but I wonder if you are familiar with the Path of Floating Light?”

Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu, one a unified barbarian and the other a supreme barbarian, were truly ignorant of the fleeting path of the mortal world. The two barbarians quickly raised the most knowledgeable eye demon in their group, and Fan De's eyes darted around, as if he understood something.

"We are well aware of the 'rules' of the Holy Grail Cup."

"Great!" Harley Luo clapped her hands childishly. "Then, I'll have to trouble everyone to help with the card survey! If you need any assistance, please feel free to ask the amusement park staff~"

After saying that, she threw a handful of candy at the tourists, then jumped onto the float behind and brazenly began chatting with politicians and capitalists. Ji Huaisu's face immediately turned ugly: "Damn, is she out of her mind? Outsiders have infiltrated, and this person is still busy flattering them!"

Chu Hengkong didn't care: "The captain has a mass of 5, while you and I have mass of 3. Why point fingers at others? Since Captain Harley Luoya has no objections, let's get down to business."

Chapter 300 Enjoying It (3)

"Fan De, explain the riddle," Chu Hengkong said. "What are the rules?"

"The rule is just 'woo woo woo woo'."

Gulibo eagerly tried to answer, but Fan De covered his mouth with a hand. The latter looked around and said, "Let's find a few places with disputes to look at."

The Flying Swallow Amusement Park was extremely crowded, and among the citizens of Jingsha were often individuals with unique personalities, so arguments and conflicts were practically everywhere. Chu Hengkong listened carefully and found several incidents. The closest one was a small soldier arguing with a couple.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Can't you smell my 'Don't Look at Me' perfume?!"

The couple, both dressed like thugs, kept snapping photos with a crystal and yelling, "Keep going! Louder!"

"You're using people as material to make short videos, huh?!" The soldier jumped up angrily. "You've offended me! You're finished!"

"What, trying to cause trouble?" the thug scoffed. "High-speed roller coaster or a bouncy ball game?"

"Coward, I challenge you to an ultimate battle!"

"Then let's duel!" "Duel!"

Halfway through their argument, the two sides abruptly changed their tune, pulling out their card decks and engaging in a thrilling duel, which made Ji Huaisu rub his eyes in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Ji Huaisu asked, bewildered. "Two point masses got into an argument and then... started playing cards?"

The little soldier, wearing a shadowy coat, is a typical recently evolved Shadow, eager to show off. The skulls of the thug couple are very prominent, clearly indicating they are made of steel bones. After arguing, the two short-tempered evolved beings decide to "have a round of extreme battle first," making it look like they're playing some kind of role-playing game to the uninitiated.

Chu Hengkong scanned the surrounding arguments one by one. He saw the stingy father arguing with the candy seller about the high prices at the amusement park (the two sides were competing in a simulation management game), the conservatives and radicals arguing about the new bill (they ended up in a ball game), and the young people who were angry because they failed to flirt with him (they started a simulated fighting match on the spot)...

Whether they were ascendants or ordinary tourists, all disputes were resolved through gameplay. No one objected; everyone considered it perfectly normal.

“This must be Harley Luo’s ‘rules’,” Vande said thoughtfully. “Her Cup of Honor is mostly built around the core concept of ‘entertainment.’ In her territory, all disputes can be resolved through entertainment, and violent conflict is probably strictly prohibited.”

"Please provide further explanation," Ji Huaisu raised his hand.

“You mean the commonalities of the Holy Grail?” Gulibo continued, “Those who ascend on the Path of Floating Light, once they reach point 5 or higher, all have their own ‘rules’.”

Everyone knows that the path of worldly success and fleeting fame is one that relies on external things.

Upon reaching Particle 4, the Ascended of the Path of Light acquire "vehicles" for exploring new lands. The Ascended leave their homeland and venture into new worlds, using their mutated blades to slay local enemies and relying on their information materialization abilities to create staffs of suffering and foundation stones for their companions, enabling them to survive desperate situations just as they once did.

Thus, the Ascended were able to spread their doctrines and follow their paths in foreign lands. And when all this was accomplished, and the pioneered lands became their homes, the Ascended's identity naturally transformed. He was no longer simply a pioneer; he gained prestige through his achievements and gathered people's hearts through his teachings. He had become a de facto "ruler," and what he needed was no longer a tool, but power.

Define rules within the territory, use rewards and punishments to satisfy the desires of the people, and establish a complete system to ensure the smooth operation of everything under the rule. The vehicle that was pioneered is transformed into a vessel that gathers authority to satisfy desires, which is the Path of Submerged Light, point 5, "The Cup of Holy Honor".

"...the 'sacred' representing merit, the 'credence' symbolizing authority, and the 'cup' carrying wishes, combined together, constitute the rule of the ruler."

Vande added, “You’re all very familiar with this logic. The cook’s father believed in healing the sick and saving people from suffering, so his Holy Grail was a pestle; the more people he saved, the stronger he became. Under Youyou’s rule, Huilong City encouraged exchange and trade. After the sea route opened, trade continued, and divine power surged. Huilong City was immediately transformed. This is the proven power of ‘rules’.”

The two chief detectives of Huilong City looked bewildered, as if they were listening to someone else's story.

"Hey you two, what are you doing? Don't you know? Really don't know?"

"Never heard of it," Chu Hengkong said.

"I don't know," Ji Huaisu scratched his head. "Youyou didn't explain these things to me in detail... I thought things would naturally fall into place once the city opened."

Vande buried his face in his pocket: "Heavens have mercy, please send someone with brains! These two barbarians' brains aren't even as big as Gulibo's, I can't handle them!"

"In short, the more you follow the rules in the territory of the Holy Grail, the better for the lord," Chu Hengkong concluded. "What if you don't follow the rules?"

“The ruler’s authority will be shaken, just like you repeatedly committing crimes and refusing to mend your ways.” Van der peeked out again. “And the ruler, of course, will not allow such reckless behavior. Look over there.”

Not far away, there was a big guy who looked like he came from Dust Island, pushing and rubbing a small animal that had accidentally bumped into him.

"Who the hell plays that game with you? Get the hell out of here—"

"I protest!" the little animal shouted. "Violence is not allowed in the amusement park!"

In the blink of an eye, a little rabbit floated down, leading a balloon, and without a word, put a giant balloon headpiece on the big guy. Then, a cartoon dragon plushie came running over with an air pump, puffing and puffing out the big balloon.

The balloon grew larger and larger, eventually expanding to resemble a hot air balloon, carrying the massive object high into the sky. This massive object was originally a pure fire of particle 3, but it couldn't ignite inside the balloon, just like an ordinary person.

Just then, a member of the Divine Guard, piloting a small flying saucer, plopped down in a hot air balloon and leisurely remarked, "According to Article 87, Amended Clause 6 of the Fifth Order Citizens Act, anyone who initiates a violent conflict within an amusement park will be sentenced to five minutes of marching for the first offense. Repeat offenders will be detained for 1 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the offense."

"This idiot never learns his lesson," Gulibo commented.

"Yes, this is the second time this person has broken the law."

The little rabbit hopped over and bowed to everyone with a gentlemanly air: "This is the rule of the Fifth Lineage. Please be more restrained when investigating cases and don't make things difficult for the hard-working members of the Divine Guard."

The rabbit had grayish fur, a silver pocket watch around its neck, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on its face, making it a literal, refined beast. Seeing that it had guessed his purpose, Chu Hengkong knew this was the amusement park employee assisting with the investigation, so he squatted down and asked, "May I ask your name?"

The gray rabbit pushed up its glasses, placed one paw down and the other up at an angle, striking an exaggerated pose like a tokusatsu hero: "I am the hero of chaos, Mr. Gray!"

The cartoon dragon plush toy came running over, not to be outdone: "I am the righteous Demon King, Mr. Blue!"

The two small animals flipped over and jumped in unison, landing on another large, adorable animal that resembled a giant salamander: "To protect world peace, to uphold true fairness, we have been fighting on the other side of the horizon, seeking the unknown and possibilities. We are a small animal duo traversing the dynamic world, and a brand new future awaits us!"

"Waaah~" the big animal replied with a silly laugh.

"..."X4

The four stood frozen, expressionless, like prehistoric cavemen stunned by the sight behind the wondrous black stone slab. Receiving no response, Mr. Gray struck a pose, his gaze burning with genuine intensity beneath his glasses!

"Well, Ah Kong, although I don't quite understand, Mr. Hui gave me a look that seemed to yearn for a response." Ji Huaisu couldn't bear to reply.

Chu Hengkong hesitated for a long time before turning his head to the side: "The Rockets joke is already too old..."

"I knew this style wasn't popular anymore," Mr. Lan sighed.

"Where are you old! Mr. Gray, I grew up watching this cartoon!" Gray Rabbit bristled.

"Besides, Xiao Zhi has been retired for several years now," Chu Hengkong pressed on.

"I don't accept it! I don't accept that there's no Pokémon anime without Ash and Team Rocket!! Besides, even though the original anime was already terrible, changing the protagonists and the world setting didn't actually improve the quality!"

Chu Hengkong comforted him, "At least your painting skills have improved..."

"Mr. Gray, I don't accept that reason. There were many excellent drawings during Ash's time!"

"Can we get down to business? I haven't watched the Naruto anime." Ji Huaisu raised her hand.

"From the Unmarked to the Diamond and the Sun & Moon, they're all worth seeing. Remember to catch up when you have time," Mr. Gray muttered. "So, everyone now understands the rules of the Fifth Lineage..."

“Even if you’re here to investigate a case, you still have to follow the rules…” Mr. Lan echoed.

The two little animals turned around at the same time and then revealed a game crystal: "Therefore, let's use this modified version of Super Robot X vs Alpha 1+2+3 to decide the winner! Both sides will use a completely unmodified lineup, and if we win, we will provide clues!"

Chu Hengkong turned around: "Then I'll investigate myself."

"Why?! That's a Gundam!"

Chu Hengkong shrugged: "I'm not interested in robot animation."

Mr. Gray released the game crystal and collapsed to the ground in dejection: "Where has the steel spirit of otaku gone these days? You can't even sing your favorite anime theme song? You can't even recite famous lines from memory?!"

"You wouldn't normally watch anime to this extent," Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly.

Mr. Lan sighed repeatedly: "Look, you've fallen behind the times. You're the kind of person who stands in a crowd wanting to rally a crowd but finds everyone looking at you strangely, posts on forums seeking recognition but only receives a bunch of replies you don't understand, makes videos of your true feelings and posts them online but is ridiculed as a idiot, discusses animation with rare enthusiasts but finds they don't discuss the matter at hand but accuse you of not understanding the work, and only realizes late at night, tossing and turning, that you've long since become a decadent and powerless adult who has gone against the trend."

Mr. Gray choked up and said, "You see, the tears of the times..."

"Honestly, it's quite impressive that they can still keep using memes at a time like this," Vande said.

"Waaaaah!" the wondrous large animal echoed.

Mr. Gray rallied his spirits, flipped himself to his feet, and said, "In that case, let's use this Street Fighter V!"

"No, thank you, we'll look it up ourselves."

Mr. Gray adjusted his glasses and questioned, "What's going on? According to the usual routine, you should be going through all the amusement park rides with me in turn, introducing the entire Flying Swallow Amusement Park, and finally going to the hidden demon gathering place beneath the amusement park to investigate the truth of the case."

"So wouldn't it be better for me to go directly to the hidden demon-infested area beneath the amusement park to investigate the truth of the case?" Chu Hengkong said.

Mr. Lan yawned, looking listless: "Friend, you're so boring. If you're not cooperating, we won't tell you where the entrance is. It's not too late to back out now—wow, he really left."

"Such a high salinity. This guy's salt corresponds to 15,000 power points," Mr. Gray exclaimed.

If they were just here to have fun, Chu Hengkong wouldn't mind following along with the routine. But since he was here to investigate a case, he couldn't be bothered to play along with these little animals. He glanced at a map and handed it to Gulibo, whose face clearly said, "I want to go out and play."

"You don't want me to help you, do you?" Gu Libo wondered.

"Do you want to play cards?" Chu Hengkong asked in return.

Chapter 301 Enjoying It (4)

"Use the War Plant - Willow Man to attack the Blood Swordsman!" Gulibo delivered the final blow. "The attack power difference is 2000 points, and based on the Willow Man's effect, I can attack again. I win!"

The wicker man at the card table swallowed his opponent's fighter whole and swung his enormous fist at him. "Damn it, I lost!" The loser slammed his cards down, and the crowd roared.

"Ten consecutive wins! Congratulations to Gulibo for achieving the first ten-win streak of the month. We're awarding the King of Duels of the month with a Legendary card, 'Lycoris Radiata'!"

"Thanks!"

Gulibo took the cards from the host and left the stage excitedly. Applause filled the colorful plaza, and the spotlight quickly shifted to another dueling table, where the host explained the new battle.

Colorful Plaza is a themed venue within Flying Swallow Amusement Park dedicated to card battles, and it's the most popular spot both day and night. Gulibo put away his cards and jumped onto a mini table reserved for smaller guests, generously slapping out five green branches (a bonus for consecutive wins in duels), and proudly declared, "I'd like a sticky banana milkshake!"

"Please go ahead."

An employee who looked like a Yeti put down his milkshake and struck up a conversation with him: "This customer's card skills are really impressive. This is the first time I've ever met such a strong fan of Plants of War."

"Right, right, right?" Gulibo said smugly, yet a little frustrated. "If only there were reinforcements for war plants, right? There are still very few universal plant-type accessories..."

"Here's the big lily you just won."

"The lily is a powerful terminal, but not a powerful subordinate, eh?"

"In that case," the Yeti winked mysteriously, "I do have two powerful, versatile lower-tier fighters that can be recycled from the graveyard during the opponent's turn. Would you like to take a look?"

"Wow, that's amazing! Let me see!"