Forge a path to success

This blow truly dealt a severe blow to White Eyebrow, and his pitiful screams roused the surrounding residents from their dreams. Trembling, they drew back their curtains and saw two dark figures flash across the shattered glass-strewn road. The monster with the severed tail fled in panic, and the man with the knife gave chase.

White Eyebrows was truly panicked. Ever since he was "reincarnated" by Maivia, he had possessed an immortal body, had grown accustomed to the thrill of bullying men and women, and had bid farewell to the pain of bitter battles with enemies. However, at this moment, those dusty memories resurfaced. He recalled the footsteps of the pursuers behind him when he robbed someone on the street, and the seemingly useless yet incredibly heavy blows of police batons. Those vivid memories awakened his fear.

Bai Mei leaped into the air, using the exterior of the buildings as footholds to jump repeatedly, attempting to escape back to the club via the rooftops. He had to go back, back to the protection of his parents; only in the club could he find a chance to survive… But what greeted him after his leap was a gleaming blade; Chu Hengkong was far faster. The man thrust the knife down with one hand, the blade piercing Bai Mei's face, pinning the beast-like fallen man to the ground!

Knowing he couldn't escape, Bai Mei had to change tactics, disassembling his giant claws and bone hammer into dozens of sharp teeth, which he then manipulated with his black blood to thrust repeatedly at Chu Hengkong. Chu Hengkong silently swung his blade, offering no defense but meeting the blows head-on. His blade was incredibly fast, each strike as powerful and heavy as splitting a mountain; a single strike was bound to shatter Bai Mei's fangs, and each strike would surely cause Bai Mei to cry out in pain.

Bai Mei felt utterly cold, his heart pounding as if it would stop. As his anger subsided, fear began to creep in, for Chu Hengkong had no reason to act this way. The assassin was faster and stronger; he could have easily dodged and counterattacked. But he didn't. He disdained any dodging, only relentless attacks. It was the assassin's silent declaration: he would utterly crush Bai Mei's strengths, utterly shatter his unreasonable, tyrannical violence with overwhelming power.

"You have no grudge against me, why resort to such deadly force!" White-browed exclaimed in shock and rage. "When have I ever offended you? Damn it, when have I ever offended you?!"

Chu Hengkong's eyes burned with icy fury. He spoke for the first time in the battle, like a death knell announcing the end.

"Remember the grudges of the dead!"

Bai Mei's eyes widened. He truly saw it, the illusory figure under the broken streetlight. A little girl in white and a black dog, their faces bruised and bloodied, their eyes filled with stubborn, resentful eyes like nails!

"Don't fucking lie to me! It's impossible! It's impossible!!"

Bai Mei screamed in agony, his fear reaching its peak at that moment. He stared blankly at the ghost not far away, letting Chu Hengkong slash his flesh with his sword.

Suddenly, he roared madly, and all the flying fangs fell, while new fangs sprouted from his wounded body. His dying flesh had regenerated, sharp fangs growing densely on Bai Mei's skin. His entire body opened up like a flower, transforming into a hideous, monstrous maw. He lunged at Chu Hengkong, biting down with his transformed maw.

That was a desperate and ferocious counterattack from a wild beast on the verge of death. It seized the opportunity when the distance between them narrowed and was about to bite off Chu Hengkong's head with its mutated body!

Chu Hengkong silently raised his sword, gripping the hilt with both his tentacles and his hand. He took a step forward, the force of which was as powerful as a mountain-shaking impact. The power of all the joints in his body merged perfectly in this step, and the sword slashed down at the monster's gaping maw, cutting through the black blood with a bright, gleaming blade.

This was an extremely ferocious slash, the sound of the blade like the cry of a hawk. The white-browed man's bite was merely the ferocity of a wild beast, but Chu Hengkong's strike was human brutality, a sword technique created purely for killing, its very act destined to sever life the moment it was drawn. The giant maw formed by the white-browed man was cleaved in two diagonally, revealing a rotten black heart deep within the mangled body. Chu Hengkong lunged forward, his descending blade thrusting out like a spear, pinning the black heart utterly to the wall!

In an instant, black blood splattered all over the ground, and the flesh and blood of the white-browed man fell into his own blood. He could no longer regenerate or change, for the corrupted heart was the life core of the fallen, the source of that eerie black blood.

White-browed's face was also cleaved, the remaining half filled with resentment and disbelief. His lips moved, uttering a final curse.

"The Maivia family... will not... let you go..."

“You’re wrong,” Chu Hengkong said coldly. “I will not let your family off the hook.”

He stomped on the monster's face, crushed it, then sheathed his sword and stepped into the light. He knew everyone on the street was watching him, but he didn't care, only smiling at the girl in front of the building.

"It's alright," Chu Hengkong said softly. "Go home and get some sleep."

"Thank you, Detective!"

Tina bowed, tears streaming down her face, and carried the puppy into the building. Chu Hengkong reached out with his tentacles and pulled a token from the pool of black blood on the ground.

The reason for choosing Bai Mei as the entry point in this operation was because previous attempts to investigate him had yielded no results, leading to suspicions that he possessed a secret means of entry and exit. Chu Hengkong wiped the bloodstains from the token, placed it on the Silver Eye Book, and quickly understood its purpose. He had made the right gamble.

He tossed the token behind him, and his gloved hand caught it firmly.

"It's about transmitting relics, giving them light."

Ji Huaisu was also present, of course. She was responsible for protecting the mother and daughter who were being used as bait; otherwise, this reckless plan would never have been approved by everyone. She tried shining her light shield on the token, and black mist immediately appeared, transforming into a door leading into the club's interior.

"Are you ready?"

"No problem." Chu Hengkong shook the blood off his knife. "Let's begin."

The two walked through the fog gate and entered the club.

The assassination operation officially began with the death of Whitebrow, the eldest son of the Maivia family.

(Two more chapters will be released at 8:30 PM. Thanks to the third Silver Alliance Earthbound Spirit in this book!)

Chapter 47 Breaking into Enemy Lines

Maivia Club, three basement levels.

A wall divided a third of the parking lot, behind which were several heavily overloaded large delivery trucks, each guarded by heavily armed men in black robes and raven-like protective masks. Club thugs in grey suits opened containers and began removing crates of belongings in batches. Visapal and Carmel stood by, watching silently.

This wasn't the first time Visap had "unloaded" his cargo, but he still felt a slight tension. These assassins from the black workshop were as cold as raw iron; no one could possibly connect them with the eloquent workshop owner. As if sensing the young man's unease, Kanin leaned out of the passenger seat and greeted him.

"Is the quantity sufficient?" Kanin asked in a light voice. "You can rest assured about security; all goods are shipped directly from the workshop. We have our own ships and our own vehicles."

That's why Visap couldn't rest easy. His own ship… wasn't it only the City Lord's Dragon Ship that could travel between the upper and lower levels? Where did the Black Workshop get its ship? But he couldn't show his concerns to his closest partner. He smiled elegantly: "It's better than we expected, Mr. Kanin. As agreed, we'll hand it over on the spot…"

“Visapu?” Kanin asked with concern.

Visaph's face paled instantly, his gentlemanly features turning deathly white, and beneath his bloodless skin, black blood trembled like snakes. Behind them, a woman's mournful cry rang out, and Carmel collapsed to his knees, clutching his face in despair.

"No! Big brother!!" she cried out in anguish, black blood seeping from the corner of her eye like tears. "No!!!"

Visap was breathing heavily; the communicator in his pocket was vibrating wildly, the frequency a testament to the patriarch's fury. He pulled out five vials of "patriarch's blood" and shoved them into the car into Kanin's hands. "Something's come up, I have to take my leave." "You look bad," Kanin said. "Please understand, I'll be fine soon... Please take Mr. Kanin away!"

After giving his orders, Visapal grabbed Carmel and hurried away. They'd only gone a few steps when he realized the freight elevators were completely blocked by the relics, forcing them to go around to the other side and take the passenger elevator. This discovery enraged him, and Carmel screamed hysterically, "I'm going to kill him!! I'll skin him alive!!"

Vesapu still retained a semblance of rationality. He immediately contacted Master Yan: "Master! The City Lord's Mansion has made its move. Please provide support! We'll meet in front of the portrait!"

Kanin gestured helplessly to Bessen, who was driving. He waited for the footsteps to fade away, watching the freight elevator, laden with the remains, rise from -3 to 17. A thug in a suit came up and knocked on the car door.

“I apologize, esteemed Mr. Kanin,” the thug faithfully carried out his orders, “please—”

Kanin pulled out a pistol, and a brass bullet shattered the thug's head.

"What a coincidence, the city lord's mansion just happened to launch its attack at this time." He said cheerfully, "Bessen, please sabotage the main control gate. The elevator is going too fast, let our friends go up slowly!"

Bessen broke free of the puppet and ascended the wall like a ghost. Kanin whistled as he stepped out of the truck and ran briskly into the stairwell. Behind him, masked men with iron-like masks raised their guns, and short, rapid gunshots echoed through the parking lot.

Within two breaths, the club's thugs lay bleeding in pools of blood.

·

Chu Hengkong opened his eyes, and all he could see was gold and red.

A bright red carpet stretched out in a line, and the walls were covered with oil paintings in gold frames. Warm, soft lighting enveloped every corner. Like most casinos he had been to, the club had no windows, so the outside world was invisible, and the sense of time became ambiguous and blurred.

A pair of shiny leather shoes stepped out from around the corner, and a man in a gray suit peeked out: "Brother White Eyebrows—"

His greeting was cut short by the impact. Ji Huaisu hurled the light shield forward, knocking the man to the ground. The two men rushed forward simultaneously. Chu Hengkong held a knife to the thug's neck and quickly searched him with his tentacles. Ji Huaisu demanded menacingly, "Where are the children who were captured?"

"Do you know what you're doing?!" the chaotic thugs bluffed. "This is the club—ah! ah!!"

Chu Hengkong stabbed the thug's left hand with a single blow, then raised the knife to stab his right hand. He didn't even glance at the wound as he made these two stabs, as casually as if he were tossing away a cigarette butt.

"The next cut will take your life," he said.

The thug was completely stunned; he felt far more fear than pain. This was a true thug, someone who would kill without batting an eye! Then he realized who the two men were, and any semblance of responsibility he had succumbed to instantly shattered: "He always brings the child upstairs! I don't know which floor!!"

Ji Huaisu knocked him unconscious with a single punch. Chu Hengkong sheathed his sword, stood up, and tossed a yellow jade token to his teammate. "Probably an elevator card." "What card?" "The thing that opens the elevator. Hold on tight!"

Both men braced themselves against the wall, feeling a tremendous tremor coming from above, causing the ceiling lights to sway erratically. Then the true nature of the tremor was revealed: a roar emanating from the top floor, a man's desperate shout.

"—A blood debt must be paid for with blood!!"

The crystal chandeliers shattered all at once, sending shards flying through the air. Gasps of alarm echoed from the distance, and the gamblers in the club trembled with fear. The roars were so loud that they couldn't hear the words, only feeling as if invisible bombs were exploding one after another, the very air itself shaking.

Chu Hengkong shook his head; his hearing was so acute that he almost got injured while roaring.

"Good news, Maivia is on the top floor."

Ji Huaisu covered her ears: "Is that all you wanted to say...?"

"Otherwise, should we just marvel at how loud his voice is?" Chu Hengkong turned and walked into a side path. "Why don't we hurry up and kill his whole family?"

Thanks to the earlier shockwave, he had roughly "heard" his floor. The teleportation jade tablet was a level two relic, but its range was limited, only taking the two of them to a height of about the 4th to 6th floors. Judging from the speed of the vibration, Maivia should be above the 15th floor; even in the enemy's headquarters, they would need to take an elevator for a quick victory.

Ji Huaisu quickly caught up with him, walking ahead of him. Just then, the elevator doors at the end of the fork in the road opened, and the hastily assembled thugs pulled the triggers, unleashing a hail of bullets like a storm. Ji Huaisu deployed her light shield, charging forward through the hail of bullets like a golden cannonball crashing into the elevator. Chu Hengkong followed closely behind, finishing him off with water bullets. The two worked together seamlessly, wiping out all the thugs in just three seconds.

The club has 18 floors, but this elevator can only go up to the 14th floor. They ascended to the sound of mechanical beeps. Chu Hengkong noticed his partner constantly rubbing his fingers together.

"Can't wait?" he said.

"Please don't call me a serial killer," Ji Huaisu sighed. "I'm a little nervous."

This time, Chu Hengkong was genuinely surprised: "You can be nervous too?"

“I’ve dealt with corpses and demons before, but the Fallen… to be honest, I have no experience with them at all.” Ji Huaisu scratched his face. “How did you feel after that fight just now?”

"It's almost as good as killing a human, it's just a useless knife."

"Thanks, I feel much more relaxed... Damn, the water's been cut off!"

The lights suddenly went out, and a screeching sound came from the darkness. Ji Huaisu immediately threw her shield up, smashing it through the top floor of the elevator. Chu Hengkong burst out of the hole, stabbing his sword into the iron door of the floor above. At that moment, the elevator, now without power, began to plummet downwards. Chu Hengkong braced himself with his sword in one hand, swinging the tentacle downwards, which Ji Huaisu quickly grabbed. The two hung precariously in mid-air. Moments later, the elevator, now powerless, crashed to the bottom, the dark shaft illuminated by the light and fire of the explosion.

"Can you hurry up, brother? Your touch is so slippery!" Ji Huaisu exclaimed.

Chu Hengkong stared at her, "Can I move now? You do it!"

Ji Huaisu swung to the side, gripping the tentacle, and leaped diagonally upwards, stepping on the edge of the elevator shaft. A dark shadow appeared in her hand, but instead of transforming into the greatsword she had before, it became a curved short sword. Ji Huaisu hurled the shadow blade at the elevator door; the heavy steel was pierced by the short sword, and the door flew backwards as if hit by a car.

Chu Hengkong reacted swiftly, grabbing the edge of the threshold. His right hand was still gripping the knife, and only two fingers were free to move. He used the strength of those two fingers to prop himself up and leap into the doorway, then turned and used his tentacles to scoop up Ji Huaisu.

Exclamations of surprise rang out in front of them, and the well-dressed guests retreated in alarm. This was the VIP area on the 13th floor, with an elevator on each side of the lobby. There were only a few gambling tables in the lobby, and most people were busy watching the games or entangled with the catgirls.

The dealer, also a catwoman, stared blankly at the elevator door that had been knocked away, muttering her usual professional line: "...How many bets would you like, sir?"

The thugs guarding the VIP area reacted immediately, drawing their guns and pointing them at the two men. "Stop!" "Who goes there!" "I'll blow your head off, you bastard!" Chu Hengkong's tentacles slithered across the gambling table like snakes, the tips of which were wrapped around his knife. A moment later, five angry heads flew off, the hot blood from their necks staining the ceiling a true crimson.

The guests scattered in all directions, their screams and cries almost drowning out the gunfire. They surged toward another elevator, but at that moment, the doors of the opposite elevator flew open! The first guests to rush forward were thrown against the wall!

Visapal and Carmel climbed out of the elevator shaft, the sudden water outage making the already anxious couple even more agitated. Visapal let out a beast-like growl, and their movements abruptly stopped. The four men's eyes met through the fleeing crowd; the fallen had unexpectedly encountered the two detectives.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment; neither of them expected to meet here. Visaph magically produced a playing card, but suddenly fell backward. A sharp knife pierced his shoulder, and the tentacles wrapped around the handle swung out with force, slamming him onto a gambling table.

"Go save them!" Chu Hengkong roared. As he attacked, he leaped forward, and two water bullets struck Carmel's eyes simultaneously. Carmel reflexively raised his hands to shield his eyes, but this caused him to temporarily lose his sight.

Ji Huaisu leaped onto the gambling table, transforming her light shield into a hammer shape, and slammed it into the ceiling with both hands. Before her immense strength, the reinforced concrete structure was hardly any stronger than a wooden plank; the ceiling, along with the supporting layer in the middle, was pierced through. Ji Huaisu then used her strength to leap high, taking the shortest path upstairs in an extremely brutal manner.

Debris fell from the ceiling, and the stacks of chips bounced wildly as they were smashed. A cheerful synthesized voice rang out from the gambling table: "What a bold move! A million-dollar bet!"

Chapter 48 King Kong is indestructible

"Raise the bet!" "Open the cards!" "Place your bet!" "Grand Slam!"

Gravel rained down, the shattered gambling table emitting a grating mechanical hum. The catgirl dealer huddled under the table, trembling. She desperately prayed the big shots in the hall wouldn't notice her, but reality was far crueler than she imagined. An oil-black hand pierced through the gambling table and stood before her. The catgirl screamed hysterically. The hand yanked the entire table up and slammed it aside, taking away her only shield.

It was Visakhapus, the gentlemanly second son, who had completely descended into madness. He pressed hard on his shoulder, from which black blood gushed. The blood overflowed, gushed, and then boiled, tearing apart the refined exterior of his flesh and reassembling it into the true face of a succumbent.

The catwoman's scream turned into a ghostly howl as she saw "Second Young Master" enveloped in black blood, transformed into a grotesque monster with a waist as large as a gambling table. The monster had no lower body; its obese upper body was adorned with two withered, chicken-claw-like hands, and its small head was contorted with rage. Its claws were aimed straight for the catwoman's heart!

Catwoman's waist was slippery with sweat. At the last second, a silver tentacle lashed out from the side, throwing her towards the other side of the stairwell. "Detective! Monster!!" she cried out, a scream that was hard to tell if it was fear or gratitude. Chu Hengkong withdrew the tentacle, assuming a fighting stance with a knife in one hand. Three steps away from him, the eldest daughter, Carmel, also revealed her true form as a Fallen One. Her legs had become as thin as needles, her upper body was voluptuous, but her head had become an "empty shell" like half a broken egg.

The two fallen beings simultaneously launched a furious attack on Chu Heng: "Use your flesh and blood to pay tribute to your elder brother! You will regret being born into this world!"

"What a disgrace to the young master and young lady," Chu Hengkong said.

Visaph produced a strangely shaped deck of cards, each depicting a human figure adorned with gemstones that shimmered in the light. The cards flew into the air, expanding and transforming amidst phantom-like ripples, splitting into eight deformed monsters identical to Visaph himself.

The enormous, multiplied monster filled the hall to the brim, and Visap and his clones lunged forward simultaneously, claws outstretched. Chu Hengkong had already targeted the card-throwing monster's true form, and as the card changed, he thrust out with his tentacle blade. But his thrust stopped mid-air, a black halo emanating from deep within Visap's body, carrying immense force that pushed the thrusting blade back.

"Resist the halo!" Carmel shrieked.

The same black halo appeared within Vesapu's eight clones, expanding with lightning speed, relentlessly closing in on Chu Hengkong in the center of the hall. Chu Hengkong warily sheathed his sword and leaped up, intending to escape the encirclement before making further plans. However, two of Vesapu's clones leaped up with the agility of bouncy balls, causing the expanding halo to touch Chu Hengkong's arms, instantly slamming him from the center of the hall into the doorless stairwell!

The impact spread from his arm to his entire body, and the dizziness that struck his brain was even greater than the impact of a hundred palm strikes. This was Carmel's ability as a point mass "Glimmer," releasing a powerful repulsive aura through a living being. When this ability was combined with Visaph's clone, its threat level increased dramatically.

This time, the enemy is not only the Fallen but also the Ascended, who possess the ability of a single point mass in addition to their abnormal bodies!

Chu Hengkong thrust his sword into the ground with a backhand motion, bringing himself to a halt just before falling into the ladder shaft. Visaf's clone pursued closely, and seizing the opportunity, he leaped past the halo, slashing off the clone's head with a diagonal strike. However, as the head hit the ground, it sparked like fireflies, and from the fallen head, a new Visaf clone grew.

The new clone and the headless clone simultaneously swung their claws. Chu Hengkong raised his sword to defend, but was knocked back by the monster's claws. A newly formed resistance aura struck him, and a dull thud echoed deep within his body as his bones dislocated. This clone was actually a living being capable of multiplication, and each multiplied clone would generate a new resistance aura. Vesafu and his clones took advantage of the chaos to construct an encirclement, and ten resistance auras continuously surged and spread, slamming fiercely into Chu Hengkong with terrifying force!

"I told you! You'll die a horrible death!!" Vesafu laughed scathingly, his deformed, claw-like arms now an advantage, allowing him to maintain distance while relentlessly attacking with his long, claw-like nails. Chu Hengkong crossed his arms in defense, but the impacts, powerful enough to smash through walls, pounded into him continuously, tearing horrifying bloody gashes across his arms and face.

Once the encirclement of clones and halos was fully formed, the hunted were helpless; even desperate attacks would only increase their numbers. Carmel, filled with the satisfaction of revenge, clapped her hands and laughed loudly, "This is what happens when you oppose your family! Kneel before your elder brother and beg for mercy after you die!"

Victory was assured, and to be on the safe side, no unforeseen complications should be tolerated; the battle should be maintained to wear down the enemy. Yet, Vesap still felt a slight unease, for the enemy's cold gaze was like two sharp daggers, sending chills down his spine. He told himself there was no need to panic; the enemy was merely trying to lure him into revealing a weakness. The battle had been going on for nearly half a minute; even the toughest enemy would eventually succumb…

No! Vesap realized this. The enemy, no matter how skilled, was merely a master craftsman. His stamina as a mere point-one cultivator wouldn't have been enough to sustain him for so long; he should have been crushed to pieces in the encirclement long ago. Yet, beneath the torn clothing gleamed a black, iron-like light; Chu Hengkong was wearing a relic-grade light armor beneath his outer garment. If he deliberately took the attack…!

Visaf felt a chill run down his spine and leaped backward: "Carmel! Change your stance!" But at that moment, Chu Hengkong changed his attack position. His arms, which had been crossed in front of him, separated, his right arm standing upright at his side, and his left hand tightly locked at his waist. He faced the attack with an aggressive stance. The instant the halo struck his body, an incomparably powerful force erupted from within him.

"break!"

In an instant, the dark halo shattered, and Chu Hengkong stood amidst the flying light fragments. Carmel's halo had actually been shattered by the reverse impact! By the hardened flesh of a martial artist!

He retracted his right fist and leg, his body spinning at an exaggerated angle, his left arm tentacles lashing out with the force of wind and thunder, a white sonic boom exploding in the air. This was the Thunder Whip that shattered the pile of torch-bearing corpses; a long-awaited strike swept across the entire area, smashing Vesaph and his nine clones into a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

The injuries he had suffered were real, but the relic's light armor's regenerative abilities were sufficient to counteract them. What remained was a matter of willpower: enduring the pain of the aura's strikes, twisting his muscles with even greater agony, and using secret techniques to transform his body into an indestructible fortress. Then, in the instant of impact, he would reverse his muscles, retaliating with nearly double the force.

This is precisely the source of Chu Hengkong's confidence in withstanding attacks, and the result of his arduous training since returning from the swamp—

Dragon Township Boxing Techniques: Immovable!

"Impossible! How absurd!" The mangled Visap was gripped by terror, while Chu Hengkong decisively drew his sword and charged forward, aiming straight for Visap's exposed heart. At that moment, a barely formed aura of light repelled Visap, and Carmel focused the light of resistance into a short, spear-like beam, hurling it with a scream. "Die! Ah!" Without her command, she was utterly bewildered.