Forge a path to success.

Chapter 30 Obsession
To understand the infamous reputation of the Disaster Knights, one must mention the past conditions of the swamp.

At that time, the people of Midgard called the lower levels a cult's paradise. The dragon boat connecting the middle and lower levels was once suspended, and people would rather starve than dare to take a step near the swamp. This was because the swamp was full of wicked people who swindled and deceived in the name of gods, and lewd beliefs flourished everywhere. Every day, there were strange summoning rituals that invoked the phantoms of demons. Some even salvaged evil relics from the currents and used them as a medium to call upon "evil gods" that were different from demons. Mad believers offered up their relatives and friends on the altar and disemboweled them. Madmen called each other heretics and burned those with different beliefs.

Around the same time, a young woman with a strong sense of justice had just finished her training and joined the workforce. On her first day, she rowed alone down a waterfall and into a swamp. That day, people saw her carrying a giant sword and charging into the site of a human sacrifice, beheading the cult leader amidst fire and blood.

There is no mercy, no surrender, and cult leaders who preach human sacrifice are to be killed without exception; those who are fond of executions are certain to die. She spent three months traversing the swamp, destroying hundreds of wicked cults and slaying countless heretics. From then on, no one in the swamp shed blood for their faith, for if anyone dared to break the taboo, the knight of calamity would arrive in his boat, turning the swamp into a land of blood…

— Translated from "Grandma Sangjia's Stories" by Chu Hengkong.

·
“People reach their end because of their own choices; that’s what we call fate,” Granny Sangjia smiled. “And that fate has come true in a brutal way. That’s youth, isn’t it?”

Ji Huaisu pulled hard on her raincoat hood, determined to disappear into the dust. Chu Hengkong looked at her expressionlessly: "Don't you think you're going a bit too far?"

"There's nothing we can do! The situation is so corrupt that it's beyond saving without drastic measures!" Ji Huaisu argued. "You have no idea how rotten the swamp was back then. I could run into seven demon-possessed people just by going out for a bowl of noodles. All of them I killed were bloodthirsty and deserved the death penalty according to the law!"

"Then why not follow proper procedures for law enforcement?"

Ji Huaisu's eyes darted around: "That is, well, special times call for special measures..."

“It’s a shame you’re not in my line of work,” Chu Hengkong said. He ignored the other woman’s menacing expression and turned to Granny Sangjia, asking, “What do you know about those monsters?”

“Children of the times, the gods have not told me the secret of light,” the old woman shook her head. “In this decaying spirit, the past is as hazy as smoke. Even the words of the Great Master Jingang are unclear. Where is his gold…”

The previous assassination attempt seemed to have disrupted her thoughts. Granny Sangjia remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "It must have been in a place where flowers bloom... The white-robed Bodhisattva stood among many flowers... He said that many years later, gold would be born in the swamp."

"After that, he hurriedly stepped into the trend and disappeared without a trace." Granny Sangjia smiled. "And the truth about that gold, only the Great Master knows."

Judging from her micro-expressions and heartbeat, the old woman was probably not lying. Moreover, given her advanced age and lack of ambition for power or wealth, she had no motive to deceive them. It seems the situation back then was extremely serious; Jie An's father didn't even have time to explain to his relatives and friends before hastily leaving the city to find medicine. He specifically came to the swamp before leaving, presumably to obtain the "gold." But perhaps he left too early and couldn't take it with him…

Chu Hengkong tossed the matter and the Ying Shi into the "to be resolved by Youyou Jie'an" problem basket, got up, thanked him, and left. The Grand Wizard Adali was still guarding the door, coldly saying, "Don't come back."

Chu Hengkong ignored the man, and the white-robed believers escorted them to the settlement exit. The Bize District lacked a central waterway and driveway; getting around required either taking the bus (which ran three times a day), a wooden cart, or a bicycle.

The believers lent out two emerald green bicycles, and the two chief detectives rode them along the muddy path, their breaths rumbling. Ji Huaisu was still deep in thought as he rode.

"I don't think this is right. Even Uncle Jiewen, who was seriously injured, could turn the swamp upside down. How come he couldn't dig out any gold... Just how heavy do you think that thing is?"

"You're not good at thinking, so stop thinking," Chu Heng said absentmindedly. Ji Huaisu quickened her pace and bumped him hard with her shoulder.

·
The Resurrection Force's stronghold was located in "Deep Roots," an hour's drive away. This settlement, situated near the roots of a giant tree, was the most prosperous area of ​​the swamp. Here, the primitive, backward tribal style finally faded, replaced by modern architecture resembling that of the central courtyard. However, squid and geese still roamed the streets, and most men and women wore drab, gray robes. This type of clothing, which obscured body curves, was the norm in the swamp, because the water-avoiding geese would flee in terror at the sight of women, forcing many women to go out wearing robes… and then, when the geese weren't looking, to grab them by the neck and take them home to be chopped up.

The iconic structure in the Deep Roots settlement is the bronze "Great Wizard Prayer Statue," a fifteen-meter-tall statue of Adari standing in the center of the square, surrounded by flowers and food offered by the people. As Ji Huaisu passed by the statue, she let out a loud "tsk," clearly showing her dislike for this great wizard.

The team's base was not far from the Grand Wizard statue, a three-story building. The team members stationed there were extremely enthusiastic when they saw the headquarters personnel, their words dripping with the sincere plea, "Please, let's get a change of posts! We can't stand this hellhole anymore!" Unfortunately, Chu Heng was lost in thought, and Ji Huaisu was preoccupied with his own worries; their forced smiles were all for naught.

Considering the risks of spending the night alone, they stayed in a double room. As soon as they entered, Ji Huaisu immediately drew the curtains and turned on the air conditioner, the old equipment blasting out cold air with a clanging noise. She haphazardly pulled off her raincoat and plopped down on the bed: "It's so hot! This place is like a moldy steamer, I'll be cooked if we walk any further."

Chu Hengkong sat on the bench, staring blankly at her, a gaze that sent chills down Ji Huaisu's spine: "...What are you looking at?"

"It's up to you," Chu Hengkong said.

The swamp was unbearably hot; after the series of battles, her golden hair was matted with sweat. Beads of sweat dripped from the ends of her ponytail, sliding down her swan-like neck and soaking into her white tank top. The clothes clung to her damp skin, outlining her beautiful curves perfectly, and sweat could be seen trickling down her lower abdomen between her top and shorts. Her skin was slightly flushed from the heat. At this moment, no matter how lavish the rumors were, it was hard to reconcile them with the person before you. There was no madness or bloodshed, only youth and charm.

Ji Huaisu glanced down, feeling a little embarrassed: "Can't I be beautiful? Wait a minute, I'll go change my clothes..."

"Refined through countless trials, brimming with spirit." Chu Hengkong's gaze was focused. "It can simply be called beautiful."

"What the hell are you doing?!" His eyes roamed over her body, revealing undisguised desire. Ji Huaisu felt a chill run down her spine and immediately pulled her raincoat over herself again: "Calm down, you bastard!"

"Let me see it one more time."

"Huh?!"

Chu Hengkong walked to the bedside and grabbed her shoulders without a word. Ji Huaisu's face flushed instantly; panic and embarrassment left her speechless. The man's face loomed large in her eyes, his breath carrying a fiery, expectant heat—

"Let me see that sword strike again!"

"……………………Why?"

"That slash!" Chu Hengkong's eyes gleamed. "It swept away the surroundings with sword wind, then struck directly at the target. The timing and angle of the attack were extremely precise, and the power was transmitted over a wide and deep range, enough to withstand any ever-changing battle formation. It was an ultimate slash, a masterful technique!"

"..."

Ji Huaisu's lips twitched, while Chu Hengkong was completely absorbed in that sword strike. He chattered excitedly, "I've been reviewing your strike the whole way here and I've grasped a bit of the essence. The key is the technique of charging up the power, right? Just show me again, and I can master it!"

"Oh," Ji Huaisu said.

In the next instant, immense force blasted his hands away. As the saying goes, hands are like doors; an open-armed stance is what is commonly referred to as "a wide-open door." Then, a dazzling stream of light transformed into a powerful impact, penetrating directly into the gap in the light shield, and the long-awaited technique fell into Chu Hengkong's arms in a different way—

As Chu Hengkong was blasted away by the light shield, he thought to himself.

The martial arts in this other world are indeed profound.

It turns out that you can also perform slashing attacks using a shield.

"Get out of here, you madman!!!"

However, Chu Hengkong spun around in mid-air, landing on the bed with the lightness of a feather! The sheets swirled around his landing point, a secret technique recorded in the Three Thousand Sets of Dragon Township Fist—using the environment to deflect force and land in a vortex. Impressive skill!

Chu Hengkong smiled with delight: "You've got it! Let's do it again—"

Ji Huaisu roared like a beast as he charged forward, grabbing his neck with one hand: "I'll strangle you!"

"You misunderstood. It's not a joint lock. It's a slash." Chu Hengkong corrected him earnestly.

"Just lose consciousness like this!!"

"So you finally want to fight me? But I have the upper hand in joint locks... Hah!" Ji Huaisu was thrown back onto the bed! He immediately countered with a spinning kick! The hit assassin responded with a cross punch, turning the fight into a fierce close-quarters battle! In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged no less than thirty rounds. The battle was so intense that even the insects around the building were frightened away by the murderous aura!

"Keep in touch regularly, keep in touch regularly. Huaisu Hengkong, how are you doing?" Ji Qiufeng's voice rang out.

Amidst the pile of debris, a citrine communication crystal gleamed with a rhythmic light. To the surprise of the headquarters staff, their two usually reliable lieutenants offered no formal response; only the crystal faithfully transmitted the familiar ambient noise.

"Get the fuck off my bed!" "You started it." "Disgusting! Don't use tentacles!" "Who hit me with their raincoat first!"

After a moment of silence, the citrine offered a polite reminder.

“The two detectives must be very busy right now, so let’s postpone our regular contact by an hour…” Ji Qiufeng paused for a moment, then said with great interest, “No, let’s do it for two hours!”

The two detectives, caught in the heat of battle, simultaneously looked up: "You've misunderstood." "It's not what you think!!"

(End of this chapter)