Forge a path to success.

Chapter 32 Panacea

"Chu Hengkong, you'd better stop now..."

Across the table, the wind howled, and Ji Huaisu covered her face and sighed; her skin was undergoing the greatest challenge she had ever faced since birth.

This is a typical noodle shop, old-fashioned and down-to-earth, its only reason for staying open is its low prices and the chef's skill. The shop used to be filled with the cheerful atmosphere of chatting and joking, but today, from the chef to the customers, everyone is silent, not daring to touch their chopsticks, and all eyes are fixed on the table opposite Ji Huaisu.

Chu Hengkong, chopsticks in his right hand, buried his head in his noodles, while his left arm's tentacles swung back and forth like a tennis racket, each movement causing the extended tentacles to sway in a full circle around the shop, resembling a silver electric fan from above. Everyone looked terrified; few wouldn't feel apprehensive facing a fan blade that could brush against your scalp at any moment.

The few remaining hairs on the shopkeeper's head swayed pitifully in the wind stirred up by the tentacles. He asked tremblingly, "What is the divine messenger's decree?"

“No imperial decree… He’s gone mad…” Ji Huaisu said weakly.

Just then, the swirling tentacles made a crisp "snap" sound, and Chu Hengkong suddenly looked up, a shred of pickled vegetable still hanging from the corner of his mouth: "I got it!"

Everyone in the shop was startled. The timid customers immediately jumped up, clutching their bowls, ready to flee. Ji Huaisu wished she could disappear into the ground. Chu Hengkong, seeing this, snapped out of his daze and tossed a large bead to the shopkeeper: "Sorry to bother everyone. I'll pay for everything today, keep the change."

The fear on everyone's faces immediately vanished, and they all praised the divine messenger for his compassion and beautiful touch, then shouted for another bowl. The shop manager happily went into the kitchen. A large bowl of noodles in the shop costs 7 Flowing Pearls, and this big one is worth 1000 Flowing Pearls. Being so generous, he would be willing to be whipped a few times himself, let alone get an electric fan.

Ji Huaisu looked up in despair: "You used to be the kind of person who would say 'I'm paying for everything' in a bar and then go on a drunken rampage, right?!"

"No, I used to be responsible for cleaning up the mess after people got drunk," Chu Hengkong corrected seriously. "I drink very little; being drunk impairs my judgment."

"You look quite drunk now."

“I am very clear-headed. Mr. Ji was very wise back then.”

These two seemingly random sentences were Chu Hengkong's true thoughts. After seeing Ji Huaisu wield his sword, he began to ponder the details of that move, spending the better part of half a day before finally grasping the knack. This speed was incredibly fast compared to before, but if it were when he had just broken through to the Skillful Hands stage, he wouldn't even need half a minute.

Only after returning to normalcy could he truly appreciate how precious the burst of inspiration he experienced upon his initial transformation was. Learning three thousand sets of techniques within those three days was the best decision he made since arriving in Huilong City.

Chu Hengkong reminisced about his lost inspiration while eating the remaining noodles. The noodles were a little cold, but they still tasted good. The dark noodles were made from coarse flour and plant roots, topped with slices of chicken, various pickled vegetables, and a spoonful of chili oil; a bowl of them made him feel refreshed from head to toe.

"I didn't expect that chili peppers would grow in swamps."

"This is the granary of Huilong City. You can find all sorts of exotic species just outside the gates—everything except large livestock," Ji Huaisu said, sucking on his chopsticks with a look of optimism. "Once the city returns to order, we'll be able to raise pigs, cattle, and sheep..."

Chu Heng burst the bubble of fantasy: "The premise is that there are still living piglets in the city."

"I hope so," Ji Huaisu said viciously. "If you don't have it, you'll come with me out of the city to steal pigs!"

"Keep your voice down, the scouts at the shop entrance are laughing."

Ji Huaisu turned to the door and made a face, startling a young man who was peeking in. She turned back and scoffed, "There are eyes and ears everywhere! As if controlling the volume would help."

Ji Huaisu was absolutely right; the enemy's surveillance was brazen to the point of being blatant. The customers in the restaurant across the street, the squid vendor on the street, the old man drinking tea in the teahouse… Chu Hengkong spotted three spies with just a glance, and it wasn't hard to imagine that many more were lying in wait. If it weren't for the astonishing noise of the electric fan he had just touched, the spies would probably have sneaked into the shop to spy on him.

He finished his noodle soup and casually said, "Let's write an arrest warrant and arrest Adali."

There was no doubt about it; only the High Priest of the Society of Spirits had the resources to use overwhelming numbers in the swamp. Granny Sangjia had been assassinated that morning, so it could only have been Adali who did it. Ji Huaisu was also somewhat tempted; she picked up her chopsticks several times, but ultimately put them down.

"Not really."

"reason?"

“Religious rule is also a distorted order,” Ji Huaisu said. “The reason I didn’t destroy the All Souls Society when I came to the swamp last time was because Granny Sangjia was a decent person, and more importantly, because the swamp would fall into chaos if the All Souls Society collapsed. Life is hard for the lower classes, and people need to find spiritual sustenance even if they have blind faith. That old man has a high reputation in the swamp, and I was worried that killing him directly would cause a riot.”

"Old man?" Chu Hengkong noticed this statement.

“He’s almost sixty this year!” Ji Huaisu said with disgust. “Either he’s borrowed the power of a demon, or he’s used some terrible drugs. In any case, he’s not a good person.”

At sixty years old... he is a wise and experienced man with high prestige, and a clever "cornerstone." The foundation of the swamp should be very solid, and we cannot expect him to make mistakes on his own initiative.

This place is too populated. If it descends into chaos due to a riot, the overall order of Huilong City will inevitably decline, and Huilong's divine power will also decrease... In the worst case, the Healing Temple might become unusable. However, if a large force is sent down to the swamp to suppress the unrest, then Midgard will be caught off guard, and it's hard to guarantee that it won't be attacked from both sides...

Chu Hengkong's head throbbed with worry: "I understand why you don't want to come to the swamp anymore."

"I told you to play against the club first!" Ji Huaisu sighed. "Let's go, let's get to work."

As Chu Hengkong was leaving, he heard whispers and murmurs, as if they were deliberately talking to him.

"That detective murdered the great wizard Alex..." "Its tentacles were stolen." "Not the divine child." "That man disrupted the divine descent ritual." "So he and the Calamity Knight are birds of a feather..."

He laughed it off and headed to the wet tea shop as planned.

·
The so-called "wet tea" is a specialty of the Bize District. The swamp is damp and has many poisonous insects, which naturally leads to many diseases. When Huilong City was first built, there was no healing temple yet, and the epidemics in the swamp caused the city lord's mansion a lot of headaches.

Fortunately, the swamp presented both risks and opportunities. The immigrants brought with them their customs and beliefs, as well as their medicinal herbs. Seeds from all over the world took root and sprouted in the swamp, and the abundance of medicinal herbs there brought smiles to the faces of every doctor. The Venerable Jingzang was the first to discover this. He personally went to the swamp to investigate and taught the people how to brew herbs and tea together to make a detoxifying and dampness-removing tea. This tea saved the swamp from an epidemic, and the people were deeply grateful to the Venerable Jingzang. Thus, the medicinal tea spread far and wide.

Nowadays, there are famous wet tea shops in various settlements in the swamp, and it is said that each of them has a secret recipe that is not passed on to outsiders. The first shop the two visited was "He Chun Tang". This shop is located in the downtown area. Even though it had only opened in the morning, there were already customers waiting in front of the shop. The burly, gray-skinned waiter took the tea from the customer and served him a bowl of chilled tea in return.

Chu Hengkong queued up to buy a bowl of tea, and while getting his tea, he asked, "I'd like a prescription. Is the doctor here?"

The grey-skinned shopkeeper didn't even look up: "You're in luck today. Hurry up and go in. The doctor will be going out to gather herbs soon."

Chu Hengkong thanked him, lifted the curtain, and stepped into the shop. A fragrant aroma of herbs wafted towards him. The wet tea shop looked like a traditional Chinese medicine shop from the last century. Various medicinal herbs were neatly labeled in large wooden cabinets, and a doctor with a rhinoceros beetle-like head was packing his small backpack. The doctor's two small eyes were like soybeans, and his insect-like face had a kind demeanor: "Sit down and tell me. What's wrong with you?"

Chu Hengkong smiled in response: "I'm not sick. A friend wants to open a tea shop in the central courtyard and asked me to check which recipes sell best."

The insect doctor chuckled upon hearing this: "Your friend is truly an amateur! The climate of the Central Swamp is different, and the residents' physical constitutions and races are different. Even if the prescription is excellent, how can you simply apply it blindly?"

Ji Huaisu put on his raincoat again and spoke in a sinister tone: "Merchants, they're all obsessed with money. We'll just ask around and pass on a message for him, that's our duty."

"See that in your hand?" Doctor Insect gestured towards Chu Hengkong. Chu Hengkong took a sip of the damp tea. The tea was cool and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness hidden in the herbal flavor. It was a refreshing and thirst-quenching drink.

"It tastes pretty good."

"As long as it tastes good, that's what sells best," said the insect doctor. "No matter what kind of shop it is, the panacea always sells best."

"This is called a panacea?" Chu Hengkong was taken aback upon hearing this. "Is this a prescription personally passed down by the Great Master Jingzang?"

"Don't laugh! You young folks don't understand. This is a genuine panacea. Even snake venom that would kill you after just a few steps can be brought back to life with one bowl. It's saved countless lives back in the day." The Insect Doctor's expression was serious. Its tone lowered: "But after a while, it stopped working, so we had to use it as a refreshing tea... Sigh, I can't really explain why..."

Dr. Chong sighed and left with his small pouch on his back. Chu Hengkong watched him head east and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

To the east of the deep-rooted settlement lies the path they rode up on their bicycles, overgrown with weeds and dead trees. Looking west from the settlement's higher ground, one can see dense forests and hills bursting with wildflowers. That small hill is almost the only bright spot in the surrounding area; it's obvious that rare and exotic plants should be found in fertile forests, not in barren land.

"Doctor, have we gone to the wrong place?" Chu Hengkong asked.

“You dare not go the wrong way!” Doctor Insect sneered. “You really are from the Midgard, you don’t even know the rules of the swamp.”

Chu Hengkong was baffled. Just as he was about to ask, Ji Huaisu tugged at the corner of his clothes.

“That’s Adali’s private land,” Ji Huaisu said coldly. “After he sidelined Granny Sangjia, he seized all the fertile fields in the swamp for himself. He used all reasonable and legal means and paid the corresponding amount of money… but by the time people realized what was happening, there was nowhere left to gather herbs. Now, ninety percent of the medicinal herbs in the swamp are Adali’s private property, and when people pay high prices for them, they still have to praise the great wizard’s compassionate heart.”

Chu Hengkong could vaguely make out a long, serpentine procession on the hill, which must be the people laboriously climbing the mountain to seek medicine. The procession was grayish-black, covered in tattered rags and dirty clothes, while a few small dots on the summit were pure white—the white robes of the monks embroidered with gold trim. At the summit, where flowers bloomed, the bronze spire of a church peeked out. Perhaps at that moment, the great wizard sat inside the church, calculating how much he could squeeze from the emaciated bones of the poor.

"I should have killed him the moment we met," Chu Hengkong said.

“If you dare to make a move, people will willingly become his human shield,” Ji Huaisu said calmly. “I’ve tried it.”

They walked back to "He Chun Tang," hoping to buy a few more prescriptions from the young apprentices. On their return, they found the line for the panacea even longer, the people's eyes filled with hope. The grey-skinned waiter, tired from serving soup, impatiently yelled, "If your house is suffering from sunburn, don't waste your time! This is just a heat-relieving tea; it won't save lives!"

The hope in people's eyes faded upon hearing this; some left, but nearly half remained in line. A few sorceresses mingled in the queue, gossiping among those buying medicine, advising them to pray instead. A middle-aged woman hesitated, saying, "When you're sick, you always need medicine! My grandfather said this medicine saved his life..." The sorceress shouted, "Your grandfather is senile! Can you believe an old man's words? He even said the dragon spirit is effective! When have you ever seen it work? The dragon spirits are all frauds! Come pray with me; at least you'll have peace of mind!"

So the middle-aged woman was persuaded, and the number of people in the line decreased. The gray-skinned waiter was overjoyed to see that the line had thinned out, because he could finally slack off.

Ji Huaisu saw the smug look in the sorceress's eyes and silently clenched her fists. Chu Hengkong patted her hand and said, "Don't bother arguing with a fool."

They proceeded to the next wet tea shop as planned. The deep-rooted settlement wasn't as crowded as they had imagined. The simple faces of the residents concealed unease and anxiety. Their robes were dusty and gray; perhaps they had originally been colorful, but after living in the swamp for so long, they had all turned the same gray. Many more people hid behind doors and windows, lying on beds. Chu Hengkong could hear their labored breathing and see an ominous light shining through the cracks in the doors.

The corpses of the Deeprooted Settlement outnumbered those of the Abundant Settlement, yet the people here distrust neither doctors nor the government. They are losers who could not survive in Midgard, wanderers who drifted here from the distant Dust Isle. Their trust had long been eroded by repeated misfortunes and wars. But to live in this world, one must believe in something. Unable to trust others or even themselves, they hesitantly join the others in believing in a fictitious god.

For the rest of the day, they scoured the various wet tea shops in the deep-rooted settlement, buying all sorts of folk remedies from doctors and apprentices. It wasn't until late at night that the two returned to their base to rest. The beds there were sticky and the air conditioner was as noisy as a helicopter, making it difficult to sleep soundly.

"Let's take turns on night duty," Chu Hengkong suggested. "I'll go first, I'll wake you up at 2:30."

"3 points!"

Chu Hengkong readily conceded, granting the blonde girl an extra half hour of rest, which improved her mood somewhat. She collapsed onto the bed, burying her head in the pillow, and mumbled, "Every time I come to the swamp, I feel..."

"Distinguish between primary and secondary goals. We're here to find gold. Overthinking it won't help."

"I know," Ji Huaisu said sullenly after a while.

After a quick wash, the blonde girl fell asleep, sleeping soundly even in this environment, showing she had a resilient heart. Chu Hengkong pondered for a moment, then called the team members on duty to the door.

"What's wrong, Detective!" The young man on duty was very nervous.

"Just letting everyone know, we'll be sleeping in our gear tonight." Chu Hengkong stuffed a few Flowing Beads into his hand. "Overtime pay, everyone. Thanks for your hard work."

The young man on duty became even more nervous, quickly putting away the Flowing Pearl and rushing downstairs. Chu Hengkong returned to his bed, sat cross-legged, and listened to the occasional grinding of his teeth from his partner.

·
Ji Huaisu didn't sleep well. In her dream, she kept feeling someone was following her. When she turned her head, she saw an old and ugly octopus. Its muddy tentacles wriggled and coiled around her, each tentacle entwining a person, leaving her nowhere to attack.

Suddenly, she was shaken awake. The old octopus's face transformed into Chu Hengkong's. She blinked blankly, "...Isn't it three o'clock?"

"Control your emotions," Chu Hengkong said seriously. "We're retreating."

She turned her head in confusion and saw the bright red firelight shining through the window.

　(I got a new book recommendation for tomorrow! So there will be two updates tomorrow!)

(End of this chapter)