Forge a path to success

The interrogation room door opened silently, and a man in a casual sweater walked in. He carried a paper folding fan that looked like a dog-headed strategist and walked to the center of the room with a smile.

"Imaginary demons are purely spiritual beings. They are distorted in form and bizarre in temperament, making it difficult for them to exist independently in the material world. Therefore, they often possess the bodies of intelligent beings." The man with the folding fan turned to Chu Hengkong, "Do you have hard candy in your hometown?"

Chu Hengkong was puzzled: "Yes."

The man with the paper fan took a pink hard candy out of his pocket and threw it into Ji Huaisu's noodle bowl.

"Dad! I haven't finished eating yet!" Ji Huaisu protested loudly.

"Be careful not to gain weight if you eat too much at night," Old Man Huaisu said with a smile. He closed his paper fan and pointed it at the bowl of noodles. The hard candy melted little by little in the hot soup, turning the pink soup cloudy like vomit.

“This piece of candy is the demon of fantasy, and your body is the bowl of soup. The candy has just fallen, and there's still time to scoop it up. If it's any later, once the candy has completely melted, the soup will be ruined.” Old Man Huaisu gave Chu Hengkong a deep look. “Don’t be blinded by knowledge and abilities. Amputation is the best solution right now. The demon’s corruption will deepen over time. You don’t want to turn into an octopus-headed monster or a noodle monster, do you?”

Chu Hengkong felt a chill run down his spine. Old Man Huaisu's eyes held no strange patterns, nor did they glow, yet a sharp, steel-like edge lurked deep within his gaze. Standing before him, you felt as if you had become transparent; his dark pupils seemed capable of piercing flesh and bone, revealing the deepest, most hidden thoughts in one's heart.

But the sharp sensation vanished the next moment, and Old Man Huaisu still stood smiling in the distance, like a harmless convenience store owner. Chu Hengkong slowly loosened his clenched right fist, stood up and said, "Mr. Ji, your skill is excellent."

"Young man, your skills are not bad either." Old Man Huaisu took out a badly deformed stone and placed it on the table. It was a fragment of the stone staff that Chu Hengkong had kicked in the earlier. "What kind of knowledge did that tentacle give you that allowed you to have such skills?"

Chu Hengkong was taken aback, then smiled. Since the battle, one unexpected thing after another had happened, and the unpredictable nature of these guys had kept his plans from coming to fruition. But now, the subtext of Huaisu's father's words had given him a glimmer of hope; he had finally waited for an opportunity, a chance to take the initiative.

Chu Hengkong tucked his left tentacle behind his back and tapped the table lightly with his right hand. As the tapping sound rang out, the stone on half of the tabletop jumped up on its own.

Ji Huaisu stood up warily: "Telekinesis? The rate of erosion is so fast?"

Old Man Huaisu blocked the way with his folding fan.

“Don’t be nervous, Huaisu,” he said. “It’s a ‘transmission of force.’ He used the table as a medium to complete the tapping, just like hitting a cow across a mountain.”

Chu Hengkong slowly stretched out his right hand, demonstrating that it was definitely a human arm and had nothing to do with supernatural power.

“You two seem to have misunderstood. This tentacle arm didn’t give me any ‘knowledge’ or ‘ability.’ My skills are self-taught and have nothing to do with demons,” Chu Hengkong said. “In the end, it might not even be a demon’s arm. Maybe it came from a squid that wandered in like me? Cutting off someone’s arm is a serious matter, so please think it over.”

"What do you know!" Ji Huaisu pointed at him with a goose leg bone. "Do you think I've killed countless demon-possessed people? Yours is definitely..."

Old Man Huaisu opened his folding fan with a flick of his wrist, seemingly lost in thought: "That makes sense..."

"Hey, what kind of logic is this? You'd rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!" Ji Huaisu exclaimed in shock.

Chu Heng sat back down in his chair, assessing the situation. He had finally regained some initiative, and the next sentence would be crucial. What was the current situation? What did the other side need and what were their concerns? Most importantly, what did he himself need most?

He had made all the plans before setting off, so Chu Hengkong spoke with confidence.

"Since everyone needs a win-win solution..." Chu Hengkong said, "Have you considered hiring me to do the work?"

(The Tentacle Killer's hilarious adventure stories are updated daily at 8 PM. Welcome to read and comment!)

Chapter 4 Full of Water Power

Assassins make a living by taking on jobs; they need someone to assign them work so they have a stage to showcase their skills. However, earning money from one employer means offending rival businesses and earning a negative reputation in the eyes of others. Therefore, choosing an employer is a crucial matter that requires careful consideration. In a large city, all sorts of people inevitably mingle; so who is the best candidate to work for?

Is there even a question? Of course, sticking with the government is the most promising path!

No matter how prestigious a local gang's name may be, it's still just a local tyrant; the government, however, is the undisputed master of that territory. When the master chases away rats and snakes from his house, he doesn't worry about whether he can win; he only worries about whether the reward is worthwhile. Even the most arrogant triad godfathers of the 40s, who claimed connections even to the White House, were still chased by the police during meetings. And weren't the seemingly invincible "bosses" and "big shots" of Kowloon Walled City ultimately uprooted when the time was right?

Chu Hengkong's former boss was the godfather of an old-school mafia family. Having been in the underworld for so long, he understood the ins and outs of the game perfectly. Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; aside from a few chaotic regions where mafia warlords also held sway over the ruling class, official power remained the most formidable ceiling. Therefore, the moment he met Ji Huaisu, he was prepared to offer himself up: seizing this opportunity to connect with officials was the easiest way to rise in the ranks.

This time, Ji Huaisu's reaction was exactly what he had expected. The blonde girl tossed the goose leg bone into the soup bowl and sneered, "I say, Mr. Assassin, are you still thinking straight? Our Resurrection Force is a law enforcement agency directly under the city lord, specializing in fighting against demons, madmen, and evil forces. We are the proper guardians of the city. How could we possibly hire you to commit murder?"

“First of all, an assassin is not a serial killer. Just because I make a living with my fists doesn’t mean I only kill to silence witnesses,” Chu Hengkong said. “Secondly, your unit is in dire need of manpower right now. Having another combatant like me can solve your immediate problem.”

If he had thought his idea was impractical, Chu Hengkong would have found a way to escape long ago. But what he had witnessed along the way only emboldened him: the high-ranking shaman openly summoning "gods," the wanted posters covering an entire wall of the resurrection unit headquarters, the seriously wounded team members, and the dilapidated cityscape he witnessed firsthand from his vantage point…

All indications suggest that the local ruling class is gradually losing control of the city, and they desperately need combat power, especially skilled fighters to deal with those vicious wanted criminals. And what better way to deal with a newly transmigrated assassin from another world with a "clean" resume than that?

Ji Huaisu fell silent for a moment; she clearly had similar thoughts. Chu Hengkong spread out one hand, adding the final push to the young captain.

“I’m a capable man,” he said. “You can assign me the most difficult tasks. That way, your men will suffer far fewer casualties!”

Ji Huaisu's expression changed, and Chu Hengkong knew she was interested. He hadn't missed Ji Huaisu's reaction when he encountered the seriously injured team member earlier; he knew then that this girl was a good captain who cared about her subordinates. The matter was half settled, but to make a final decision, he ultimately had to consider her father's opinion.

“You’ve come up with a good idea,” Old Man Huaisu said with a half-smile. “Indeed, if you work under Huaisu, we can easily monitor you, and you won’t have to have the amputation surgery for the time being. However, when it comes to business, we have to consider the ratio of reward to risk. Allowing someone who seems to be possessed by a demon to operate in the team is a huge risk.”

He gave Chu Hengkong a deep look: "Do you have the corresponding value?"

Chu Hengkong said confidently, "As long as you are willing to give me a chance."

Old Man Huaisu strolled out the door and returned with a wanted poster in his hand. He gestured for it to be swept across the long table, revealing a fierce and imposing photograph of a one-eyed, burly man to Chu Hengkong.

Hugos, the "One-Eyed Elephant"

Bounty: 10 Flowing Pearls.

-

Demon-possessed, possessing relics -

The "Iron Paddle Shop" located at 67 Green Lane has more than 60 employees.

-

Water pressure is high! Watch out for gunshot wounds!

Chu Hengkong grabbed the wanted poster: "Do you want to live or die?"

"Since it hasn't come to the point of death, if you have the guts, teach him a good lesson," Ji Huaisu said. "How long will it take you?"

Chu Hengkong extended his right index finger and crossed it with the tip of his tentacle, making a cross shape.

"Hey, it's been ten days already?" Ji Huaisu frowned.

"Ten minutes is enough," Chu Hengkong smiled.

·

Chu Hengkong swaggered out of the Resurrection Force headquarters. He knew that someone was watching his every move, both openly and secretly, but he didn't care at all. He held a simple map (drawn by Captain Huaisu himself) that led directly to his destination, but he didn't rush to look at it. Instead, he looked up at the strange "sky".

Upon arriving at headquarters, he belatedly realized that the initial point he had traversed was actually the highest point in the city, while the headquarters itself was located in the "middle layer" of the city's longitudinal axis. By then, it was already late, and the dome formed by the water curtain had turned deep black as night fell, appearing as distant as the real sky. The swords dancing wildly in the current seemed tiny at this distance, like a school of fish endlessly patrolling above the city.

The city's night sky was devoid of stars and moon, while the urban landscape itself was awash with watermarks, much like the sky above. A network of azure waterways crisscrossed, forming orderly waterways. Wooden boats, resembling ancient Viking warships, sailed along these waterways, silently stopping at fixed markers to ferry passengers aboard, much like the city's public transportation. The city's architectural style reminded Chu Hengkong of his homeland at the turn of the century: neatly planned blocks lined with orderly rows of gray residential buildings, behind which lay a tangled web of wires in the alleyways. Beyond many floors, flamboyant billboards gleamed with a decadent light.

However, these buildings were dilapidated, even ruined. The roads were a mix of new and old, and many buildings bore cracks from massive impacts. Further away from headquarters, numerous partially collapsed ruins could be seen. This place had likely been ravaged by war not long ago, but it was unclear whether their enemies were other humans or so-called "demons."

Chu Hengkong didn't think too much; the mission was paramount. He stretched out his silver tentacles, which coiled around a protruding billboard. The tentacles secreted a sticky substance that held them in place like glue. Chu Hengkong relaxed his "muscles," letting the elasticity lift him off the ground. He stood on one foot on the billboard, the tentacles quickly retracting and then springing out again, coiling around the next landing spot. He continued to leap in this bizarre manner, like a nimble and agile ape darting through the night.

Even while traveling, you can still use the time to train your new arms. The more control you have over your strength, the more confident you'll be.

After a dozen or so leaps, the building where the target was located came into view. "Iron Paddle Shop" was a brightly lit three-story building, surrounded by barbed wire and high walls for defense, like an iron fortress in a modern city. Strangely dressed thugs patrolled the area with guns, their clothes disheveled as if they had been stolen from various places. Some wore tactical vests on top and tight pants on the bottom, while others wore sandals but a whole set of rusty armor.

Using his tentacles, Chu Hengkong leaped over the rooftops of nearby buildings, observing the target structure from various angles with his exceptional eyesight. The defenses appeared tight but were actually lax; the thugs patrolling outside were distracted, and the curtains inside the building weren't even fully drawn. Several thugs were secretly smoking through open windows, which allowed Chu Hengkong to spot several guns and daggers.

This bunch of amateurs have their armory scrambled up on the middle floor by the window... without even a barbed wire fence... Damn, these days any kind of scum dares to hang around in the underworld. The boss would probably have a stroke if he saw this kind of gun-handling...

The rooftop was unguarded, a weak point; such common concrete structures could be easily punched through with a single punch. He planned to infiltrate from the rooftop or windows, seize the armory, and if possible, shut off the power, then eliminate the intruders one by one. Normally, Chu Hengkong would have chosen this method, but for this important debut, he intended to use a more "powerful" approach.

Chu Hengkong released his tentacles and landed lightly at the entrance of the large house. Ji Huaisu, who was observing from afar with binoculars, was taken aback: "What's this guy doing all of a sudden?"

The two thugs guarding the gate had the same question. The gatekeeper, wearing a tactical vest and tight pants, raised his pistol and shouted, "You want to die?! Do you know whose territory this is?!"

Chu Hengkong smiled, then delivered a powerful elbow strike to his chest. The terrifying impact shattered ribs and stopped his heartbeat; Guard Number One collapsed instantly. Chu Hengkong used his tentacles to coil up his pistol, then grabbed Guard Number Two's head and gently shook it. Before he could even realize what was happening, Guard Number Two screamed in agony from the intense shock. He felt dizzy and his brain felt like it was about to crumble into a pile of tofu.

"vomit!"

He collapsed to his knees, vomiting uncontrollably amidst his shattered thoughts. Chu Hengkong picked up a second pistol, but instead of advancing, he fired repeatedly at the ankles of both men!

The trigger was pulled, but instead of bullets, a swirling stream of water shot out of the muzzle. The water bullet carried immense force, breaking the leg bones of both men on the spot, and sending them flying through the air.

"Is it really a water gun?" Chu Hengkong chuckled. "No wonder it's so powerful."

Chu Hengkong crushed the pistol with a single squeeze of his palm, the badly shattered weapon becoming a metal ball in his hand, from which colorless water gushed. He hurled the metal ball at the tightly closed iron gate in front of the house, a deafening sound echoing through the air. The ball smashed into the heavy doorway, causing the gate to fling open instantly!

A dozen pairs of eyes inside stared at the doorway, where a young man was waving his silver tentacles, a smile in his eyes.

"Hands up, weapons down, you are under arrest."

Chapter 5 Demon Possession (Part 1)

The door was smashed open by a ball, revealing the interior of the Iron Paddle Shop.

The semi-open counter had been crudely altered, with gloves, helmets, and iron bars crammed into ill-fitting display cases on the wall. The rest area, originally intended for customers, had been transformed into a dance hall-like setting, with constantly changing disco lights illuminating posters of scantily clad singers. In the center of the hall, several young men were beating a trembling old man with blunt weapons, while onlookers on the second floor cheered and laughed.

"This is my shop..." the old man pleaded.

"You think what you call yours is yours? Huh? You say you're my dad, so am I supposed to kneel down to you?!" The thug raised his stick and started hitting him. "I told you not to spread rumors, old man! It's making things difficult for you, you idiot!" The thug stomped on the old man's face. "But this place is..." "What is it, old man! Say it again, you damn old man!!" The thug shouted, threatening him!

Chu Hengkong's hearing was excellent, good enough to hear the conversation inside the room before the door was broken down. The moment the iron door swung open, everyone's eyes were on him. The thug who had been shouting threats paused for a second, then continued threatening as if nothing had happened: "See? Next up is yours—"

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Hengkong's tentacles suddenly extended, sweeping out like silver whips. The tip of the tentacle struck the thug's face, violently deforming his entire face like dough. The immense force, enough to twist steel, shattered his teeth, sending them flying. This incredibly fast and ruthless strike sent him crashing into his accomplices, their bodies piled up one after another by the sheer force, finally slamming into the shop wall simultaneously!

Dust filled the room, the lights flickered violently, and for a moment, the room fell silent. The simple-minded rioters hadn't even grasped what was happening. Then, the silver tentacles leaped out again, this time engulfing the injured old man. The old shopkeeper, having fallen to the ground and avoided the previous lash, now thought he was being attacked by a monster, and was nearly speechless with terror: "Please... here..."

“I know, this is your shop.”

The old man was stunned. Only then did he see the intruder's true form, not expecting that the tentacles belonged to a young man. The man's eyes were even somewhat gentle.

"Don't run around." Chu Hengkong gently placed the old man behind him. "The government is here to seek justice for you."

At this moment, the thugs inside finally reacted. The onlookers on the second floor frantically drew their guns, while the remaining three thugs on the first floor hurriedly drew their knives and rushed forward. Chu Hengkong pulled the large silver-eyed book from his coat and hurled it forcefully towards the second floor. The book landed in the crowd, smashing through the floor and eliciting screams. The impact from above caused the thugs to fall a floor, like boulders hitting water, creating a spray of water everywhere.

They were standing too close together, their reaction time too slow. Even if the inexperienced thugs swarmed him, Chu Hengkong was not afraid at all. As he threw the large book, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and stepped forward. His tentacles contracted and flashed past the first man's chin. This attack method was similar to shaking the gatekeeper's head earlier, which could instantly cause a shock to the brain, rendering the enemy unable to fight.

The first man fell unconscious without a word. A step later, the second man, wielding a short knife, charged forward with a boastful shout, but before he could even draw his knife, Chu Hengkong punched him, shattering his Adam's apple and sending him crashing to the ground. The last man was the one from before, wearing rusty armor and sandals. He held a small pistol, staring at his companion on the ground, clutching his neck as if choked, his hairy legs trembling uncontrollably.

Chu Hengkong beckoned with his tentacles, and the armored thug's scream was as shrill as a woman's. He threw down his pistol and fled in a panic, pounding on a tightly closed iron door: "Help! Boss Hugos! The tentacle demons are here to cause trouble!"

The entire iron door flew up and crashed into the ceiling along with the armored man who had been knocking on the door!

A pair of enormous feet emerged from the crumbling wall, belonging to a strong and savage man. He wore jeans and a floral shirt, his blind right eye covered by an eyepatch, and his single eye gleamed with malice. The one-eyed man's knuckles cracked as he extended his fist; a black iron ring adorned his right arm, the very arm that had smashed through the iron gate.

"Looks like you're a new recruit in the Resurrection Unit." The one-eyed man, Hugos, stared at Chu Hengkong. "Your predecessor didn't die this afternoon, so now you're here to deliver him—"

Boom!

A gust of wind scattered the gun ash, and the heavy thud of his footsteps shook the ground. Chu Hengkong had no interest in listening to nonsense; almost instantly, he was in front of Hugos. As his right heel landed, his right fist lashed out, a punch like a heavy hammer slamming into Hugos's chest, shoving away his nonsense and threats. Hugos was sent flying backward, crashing through the wall and flying outside the shop!

Stomping and swinging the foot are fundamental skills in Bajiquan. What previously intimidated the fanatics was just a show of force with the "foot strikes," but this deep, resonant stomp is the true test of lower body skill. Stomping can be used to attack the enemy's lower body, or to quickly close the distance. The reaction force from the stomp combined with the cross-shaped force of the punch can turn a simple punch into a deadly move.

This was Chu Hengkong's preferred starting stance; opponents who could withstand it were worth paying attention to, while those who couldn't withstand a single punch were just weaklings. This time, however, the target seemed to have some skill; he rose from the dust. The one-eyed man's body twisted violently, his upper body rapidly expanding, his silhouette in the dust as ferocious as a wild beast.

"Boss..." "The boss is angry..." "We're going to die! Run!!"

The remaining thugs were pale-faced; no one offered to help, and everyone ran outside as fast as they could. They were certainly afraid of Chu Hengkong, but they were even more afraid of their leader. Being hit by the tentacles would shatter their bones, but being caught up in their boss's battle… meant certain death!

Amidst the panicked crowd, Chu Hengkong remained unmoved. He silently calculated the time in his mind; 2 minutes and 10 seconds had passed since the start of the timer.

I wonder if less than eight minutes is enough to deal with a "demon possessed" person?

"You tentacle bastard, I'll kill you!!"

A foul-smelling blast of smoke and dust swept through, revealing a savage and terrifying figure in full view of the lights. It was a complete monster! Hugos's legs had grown three times thicker, and his height had ballooned to four meters. His entire upper body, along with his head, had mutated into a gigantic beast's head, with a single eye several times larger than usual positioned in the center. His thick arms were gone, replaced by two deep blue "fangs."

This monster reminded Chu Hengkong of the lion dance in his hometown; its top-heavy, unsteady appearance was exactly like a "dancing elephant" from another world. But this dancing elephant had no joy on its body, only murderous intent. It raised a tusk as thick as a small tree and slammed it down heavily on Chu Hengkong.

Chu Hengkong retracted his tentacles to his waist to stabilize his center of gravity. He stepped forward with his left foot and punched upwards with his right hand, his palm transforming into a fist. Facing Hugos's violence, he neither retreated nor dodged, choosing to meet it head-on with a soaring palm strike. The fleshy palm collided head-on with the long fangs, and both men's lower bodies sank simultaneously. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the floor beneath Chu Hengkong's feet, yet he himself remained completely unmoved despite bearing the immense force.

He actually withstood it! He blocked the demon's attack with just one hand!

Even the thugs watching were filled with admiration, but Chu Hengkong himself didn't relax for a second. He noticed the enemy's iron ring was vibrating; after transforming, the ring was attached to Hugos's fangs. At that moment, the ring was emitting a dark light, like a high-ranking wizard's pendant.

"--strengthen!"

The pressure on his hand instantly intensified. If he had been fighting a boulder before, the tusk now felt like it was connected to a ore deposit. Chu Hengkong decisively withdrew his hand and jumped back, but even though he had sensed the abnormality beforehand, he was already half a step too slow. Hugos's tusk crashed to the ground, creating a crater about three meters deep.

The retreat was extremely close, avoiding a direct hit. However, the excessive force created an invisible impact, like a sharp sweep that sent Chu Hengkong flying out of mid-air!

Chapter 6 Demon Possession (Part 2)

The supernatural item, resembling a pendant, likely enhances strength. Its attack, once activated, is stronger than my arm strength; I cannot withstand a direct confrontation.

Thoughts raced through his mind like lightning, and Chu Hengkong, still in mid-air, had already grasped the key. He used the impact to spin his body and land, using continuous rolls to dissipate the force.

As he rose, a massive black shadow pressed down like a dark cloud. Hugos's next attack was already upon him, but Chu Hengkong's feet moved swiftly, narrowly dodging the fanged attack. The second attack, though without the iron rings, was still enough to shatter the bricks, sending debris flying everywhere. Chu Hengkong silently regrouped, while Hugos, now a monster, laughed maniacally.

"Weren't you so arrogant just now? Try taking it again! Come on, come on, come on!!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! The resounding explosions were reminiscent of artillery fire, as Hugos's fangs smashed craters into one after another. In the blink of an eye, three exchanges had passed. Chu Hengkong did not retaliate but instead dodged continuously. His speed was faster than that of the demonized enemy, but he could not easily strike back because the enhanced iron rings could be activated at any moment.

The shockwave from before caused Chu Hengkong a long-forgotten pain. His bones were fine, but his muscles were undoubtedly damaged. Being hit directly by this thing would never be easy, and if he couldn't kill the enemy in one blow, the enhanced power of close-range attacks would only harm him.

Let's walk around with him for a bit... observe his movements, and look for an opportunity...

Chu Hengkong leaped to the left, dodging another blow from Hugos. The opportunity arose with the shift in position. His groin, throat, side abdomen, and flanks were all vulnerable points, offering four openings for a surprise attack. The head was too high to strike, and the powerful lower limbs were unlikely to cause a shock; the side abdomen was the best target.