Forge a path to success

"Are we going to have to wear black trench coats from now on?"

"Well..." Ji Huaisu rolled his eyes.

She turned and left furtively, returning shortly afterward with a large cloth bag. Inside the bag was a long green overcoat, which, although lengthened, still bore the resemblance to Chu Hengkong's previous one, with the double-snake staff insignia on the back exactly the same as before.

"Since you seemed to like it, I made you a new one." She shook the garment. "I couldn't completely recreate the old one, so I simply altered the style... What do you think?"

Chu Hengkong took the trench coat. The craftsman who made it had put a lot of effort into it; the feel of it was exactly the same as before. He touched the double-snake staff on the back of the trench coat and suddenly smiled.

“I’m very happy.” He smiled slightly. “Thank you.”

Ji Huaisu's eyes widened: "A piece of clothing makes you this happy? Aren't you a little too easily satisfied?"

Chu Hengkong put on his trench coat and laughed, "Being easily satisfied is the key to a happy life."

They then attempted to locate the former "headquarters" of the black workshop, but to no avail. After the natural disaster, all buildings looked the same. Finally, Chu Hengkong randomly chose a spot that looked pleasing to the eye, situated on a tooth-like protruding rock. He laboriously got out of his wheelchair, found a large, bluish stone, and used his hands to grind it into a simple stone tablet.

He pondered for a moment, then carved a graceful bird on the tombstone. Chu Hengkong placed the stone on top of the rock, facing the sky, creating a small tomb.

“You still have this habit.” Ji Huaisu bent down to straighten the tombstone.

“I made one for Du Muyan before,” Chu Hengkong said. “Someone once told me that this habit is hypocritical and a double standard. Because you don’t really understand your enemies, and those you kill don’t deserve a funeral. But I still do it when the mood strikes…”

"You want to remember the battles of the past, don't you?" Ji Huaisu said casually, "to remember those worthy adversaries."

Chu Hengkong was taken aback and said helplessly, "You understand me."

"Nonsense, you understand that perfectly well," Ji Huaisu said, making a face. "Besides, I'm your partner!"

Seeing that Chu Hengkong could move again, she took his arm and walked down the hillside. After walking for a while, Chu Hengkong realized that this action could easily be misunderstood, and then he realized that he had gotten used to it too.

Almost four months have passed since he arrived in Huilong City, and he still knows nothing about time travel, nor does he have any interest in returning to Earth. There are just too many things to do in the new world: catching thieves, practicing martial arts, making money, and saving the city.

In these incredibly fulfilling days, he grew accustomed to this chaotic city, and also to the boisterous blonde girl beside him. He grew accustomed to eating cheap cafeteria meals together every morning, to occasionally covering her night shift, to touching her fair skin while practicing martial arts, and to the slight tickling sensation of her blonde hair brushing against his ear.

The saying "habit becomes second nature" is absolutely true; you get used to each other and eventually become partners.

They walked back to the top of the giant tree and sat at the highest point in Huilong City, waiting for the sun to appear, though it was uncertain when. The curtain of water in the sky was flowing slowly, unlike its usual rapids. The color of the water had also faded, like a hazy cloud enveloping the city.

Looking down from his vantage point, Chu Hengkong suddenly realized that the colossal city had shrunk considerably. He could name every path in the central courtyard and recount the resources of every region within the swamp. He had traversed all those places before; when a city becomes as familiar as the palm of one's hand, it no longer feels vast and unfamiliar.

Ji Huaisu turned her head and looked at him quietly.

“I saw you here four months ago and thought this demon-possessed person would be a tough nut to crack. I guessed you were a spy sent by the Black Workshop, or a demon in human skin.” She blinked. “Until I saw you fumbling around in the sky, I knew I was overthinking things. I thought I was mentoring a promising newcomer, but I never imagined he would be so capable… capable enough to save my city all by himself.”

"It's my job," Chu Hengkong shrugged. "Once I take on a job, I'll do my best."

"Tch, he's putting on an act again," Ji Huaisu said, scoffing.

Chu Hengkong was a little embarrassed: "What do you mean by 'pretending'? What are you pretending for?"

“Do you know that sometimes you really like to put on a cocky expression, as if you want to write ‘I’m a cold-blooded killer’ on your face?” Ji Huaisu said seriously. “But every time you do something reckless and impulsive, like risking your job to save a little girl, or fighting a swordsman to the death in a raging fire… What does that have to do with being cold-blooded? You’re just a cool, hot-blooded young man!”

Ji Huaisu poked his face repeatedly, leaving Chu Hengkong speechless for a moment. He wanted to refute but couldn't find a reason. He tried to slap Ji Huaisu's hand away, but his right hand, which had just finished carving the stone tablet, was still weak. His limp swipe was as light as flirting.

Ji Huaisu burst out laughing on the spot. Chu Heng was so angry that he grabbed her wrist with his tentacles: "Miss Ji, you can joke with me, but you can't question my professional competence!"

"Then why did you come to save me?"

Ji Huaisu didn't move, silently returning his gaze. She was always very serious when she spoke of important matters, but this time her gaze was so earnest that Chu Hengkong didn't know how to respond. Her wrist trembled slightly, and her amethyst eyes shone with a crystalline light.

Chu Heng thought to himself that this girl was too sentimental; that's how it is in the underworld. If you owe someone something, you have to pay it back quickly, because once the other person dies, you can never repay it. He owed her a life, and he had to save that life so that they would be even and even.

But the words wouldn't come out; Ji Huaisu's eyes were filled with worry and guilt. She was truly terrified, afraid that Chu Hengkong would die like that. He instinctively felt that mentioning the rules of the martial world wasn't appropriate, so in a moment of inspiration, he patted the girl's shoulder.

“Because we’re partners,” Chu Hengkong said. “Partners are meant to live and die together, right? As long as I’m alive, you should live. So I won’t let you die alone… As long as I’m alive, I will definitely come to save you!”

He felt his words were perfectly apt, lacking a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts and chivalry) and brimming with loyalty and righteousness. Ji Huaisu stared at him, gazing at his slightly flushed face.

She suddenly opened her arms and hugged Chu Hengkong tightly.

"Then I'll come to save you!" she shouted, "No matter when, no matter where!"

Chu Hengkong was a little helpless. He was being held tightly and didn't know where to put his hands: "You even refuse to admit defeat in this..."

"That's what partners are for," the girl giggled. "We'll be partners for life!"

"What the hell?! How can it be a lifetime?!"

"You spoke first."

"When did I say that? Why are you blushing? What are you blushing for, Miss Kusahime!?"

Chu Hengkong lost his balance and was knocked to the ground. They screamed and rolled around several times, their clothes covered in wild grass. At that moment, golden light descended from the sky, landing on the two adults who looked like little children. They saw the silent curtain of water slowly disperse, pushing aside relics that had circulated for countless years. The brilliant sunlight, like a long staircase, fell on the ancient tree in the center of the city.

The two helped each other to their feet and saw the azure sky beyond the curtain of water, and the boundless sea under the sunlight. Countless illusory images floated in the sea, and there were also impenetrable voids hanging there, with the cherry-colored coastline standing on the other side of the void.

An unnamed bird swept across the sky, leaving behind gray feathers, and carried the gazes of the young people away, flying towards an unknown world beyond the water curtain—a world both incredibly beautiful and incredibly dangerous.

After being isolated from the world for twenty years, Huilong City has seen the light of day again.

·

Central headquarters, central control room.

The water curtain enveloping the room lit up again, the waters outside the city were clear, and the divine protection had driven back the demons, leaving no reefs or filth in sight. Youyou sat leisurely on an exquisite blue porcelain plate, sipping wine from a small cup.

“I’m still a little dizzy,” she said. “Three heretical sects, a siege that lasted for twenty years, and it’s broken just like that… It feels like a dream. The two of us took down three high-level heretical sects. That’s legendary in the entire Chendong world.”

Ji Qiufeng poured himself a glass: "It's alright, the little guys are under much more pressure. They are contractors who are called demons. Give them enough time, and taking over Dust Island won't be a problem."

"I doubt anyone would believe it if I told them," Youyou said, sticking out her tongue.

"Isn't that how all legendary stories are?" Ji Qiufeng said leisurely. "Everyone says it's too outrageous, hopeless, and that you're bound to die and lose. But once you risk your life to try, you'll find that even in the darkest places there's still a path. If you grit your teeth and keep going, when you come to your senses, you've become a legend. Even if you perish halfway through, it's still the end of a legend."

They exchanged a glance and laughed, recalling the days when the city was first built. Just then, the swirling water curtain opened, and sunlight streamed into the city and into the small room.

The water curtain surrounding the room had partially fallen, forming a square, colorless screen. Within this screen, tiny points of light appeared, connecting to form a vast sea map centered on Huilong City.

After the water curtain opened, much more than just sunlight arrived. Several larger stars began to twinkle on the nautical chart, making Youyou a little nervous.

“Connect,” she said.

The point of light became clearer, and an inorganic voice, formed by the changing water flow, spoke: "This is the Dustless Land - C.E.W. Research Institute, our seventh regular contact of the year with the Mysterious Realm of Senluo - Huilong City. The Magic Scholars wish your city peace and protection from the clutches of heretics..."

“Received from Huilongcheng,” Ji Qiufeng said. “Wishing all the scholars at the institute peace and safety.”

A moment later, a flurry of busy signals rang out. The light representing the research institute contracted, then vibrated violently, and a distinctly mature voice chimed in: "May the Primal Spirits protect you! You're still alive?!"

One by one, points of light lit up on the nautical chart, each representing a faction within a dusty island. Numerous voices echoed from beyond the water's edge, merging into a cacophony of greetings:

"Hmm, here you go, the Divine Tree Council pays its respects to the descendants of our distant friend... Received? Huh??"

"A call from the Pure Land of Delight!"

"May the Thousand-Day City of Shura Island prosper in martial arts..."

"May the land of dragons be at peace, and may those who have wandered far from home return."

The once-silent stars on the nautical chart suddenly shone, and the silent islands merged into one, almost illuminating the entire room. Ji Qiufeng, facing the water curtain, announced loudly.

"It is now June 3rd, 3000 of the Candlelight Calendar. I am Ji Qiufeng, the Lord of Huilong City. I hereby announce to all friendly nations that Huilong City is reopened today, and trade will resume."

"We're still alive!"

(Volume 1, end)

(I'll be taking a four-day break to review the outline and play with the black monkey. Updates will resume this Saturday night!)

Finally, we can take a break! I'm so happy, hahaha!

Volume One: Reflections and Conclusions

That concludes the update for Volume 1. As usual, I'll take a three-day break to adjust the outline... and then another day off to play with the black monkey... So the next update will be on Saturday night.

We've finally finished our first volume. As is customary, let's do a summary, reflection, and release some scrapped ideas after the end of this big story.

And nonsense.

This story begins towards the end of the serialization of my previous book, Cangdu, around the middle of the fifth volume. I was overwhelmed by the complicated, convoluted, and difficult-to-understand concept of the Impermanence Law, so I decided to write a simple, clear, and easy-to-explain combat system in my next book.

I wrote an initial version of the beginning on a sleepless night—and the current one.

The most important thing in life is to know your own limitations. It's obvious that I'm not capable of writing about an entire country well; I'd probably struggle even to write about a province. Therefore, in the first volume, I created a city that facilitates the introduction of various factions and allows for the appearance of all sorts of fancy gadgets. This place is our Huilong City.

The main plot of Volume 1 is very simple: in the city, it's about A-Kong leading his team to eliminate the three scourges; on a personal level, it's about an Earthling integrating into another world. I think I did a decent job with the overall pacing this time; there wasn't that sudden, rapid progression after the mid-game battles like in the past. This time, our mid-game battle (the club battle) is placed around episode 18 of the season, and with only a few episodes left to go, it would be too drawn out if we didn't add some more content.

So the final club battle and the "out-of-city battle" that everyone probably expected were combined into one, with Akong Huaisu fighting the boss inside and City Lord Huilong carrying the main force outside. If you look back at it all at once, this battle arrangement might still seem a bit "fast," but in terms of the daily reading pace, I think it's acceptable.

However, this volume does indeed have two problems. The first and foremost, and the one I just couldn't seem to get right, is that the beginning is rather bland...

You see, I actually tried my best. For example, I was too lazy to write any foreshadowing at the beginning and just had Akong summoned. For example, he joined the faction and started fighting right at the beginning. After getting used to the situation, he started working. But when you look back, you feel like, "Hey, I've seen this tentacle idea in other stories," or "Why did your appraisal certificate cheat only appear after chapter 10?" All these factors combined make the first ten chapters of this story... not terrible... but a bit "flat".

As a reader, I felt that the story of A-Kong only started to get interesting in the "Ghost Dog Demon Child" arc, but it felt rather baffling to just jump in without any prior background information... Therefore, I have to admit that this is a limitation of my personal thinking and abilities. Essentially, I'm a slow starter; I always need the framework to be in place before I can design conflicts. Presenting intense conflicts right from the beginning makes me extremely frustrated because I can't develop the background—that's just my personal limitation.

Thankfully, the beginning of the previous work was even worse, so I can comfort myself by saying it's "better than Cang" (sad).

The second issue is the battle against Adari in the Swamp arc. This is the first time Aku has suffered a setback in the book (but he didn't lose). In terms of setting, it's normal for Adari, as a well-prepared and resourceful veteran, to cause Aku to suffer a setback. However, in reality, the flawed design of the battle flow led to problems with the viewing experience.

After this battle, readers provided a lot of feedback, and after careful consideration, I rewrote the entire chapter. Therefore, the version you see now is significantly different from the original (you can check it out if you're interested). I think this revised version is acceptable; at least it's not as chaotic as the original. This issue also relates to A-Kong's personality, which we'll discuss in the character section later.

Having the protagonist suffer a minor setback is something that needs careful consideration. In every story I've written so far, there has been feedback regarding this, and I will continue to be extremely cautious in the future. Afterwards, A-Kong's battles in the club and workshop arcs were quite evenly matched, and I feel that everyone's viewing experience was satisfactory, so I will basically maintain this pace.

There are, of course, many other minor issues as well, but if I write any more, it will probably turn into another self-reflection session, so let's end this section for now and talk about the scrapped proposals.

—The original plan included a comedic episode about Ah Kong's assassination.

This story is about a disguised assassin who infiltrates the team's canteen, posing as a cook to poison Ah Kong's food. He is quickly exposed, leading to Ah Kong and Huai Su's first doubles battle. Since the two have just met, there's no question of teamwork. The assassin, overthinking things, repeatedly suffers setbacks and eventually, in frustration, explodes and scatters.

The reason this story wasn't written wasn't because of any design problems, but because there wasn't a place to insert it. After the Swamp Arc began, there were fewer opportunities to rewrite this small unit that formally entered the main storyline, and placing it after the breakthrough of the skillful hands wouldn't have been good for showcasing A-Ku's skillful hands ability in a two-on-one situation, so it was abandoned.

Looking back, it would have been acceptable to replace "The Outsider's Bullet" at the point of Chapter 10, but saying that now is hindsight.

—Originally, there was a whole storyline about the logistics of Huilong City.

After reading the first volume, many readers might be wondering why the City Lord's Mansion seems deserted except for the City Management Brigade. Actually, besides combat, the City Lord's Mansion has a whole group of professionals responsible for assisting with all aspects of the city's operation, including the regulation of the city's waterways and the control of the water curtain on the city walls. Their story will delve into the reasons behind the workings of the Huilong City system and Lord Huilong's own abilities…

But after thinking about it, it seems to have nothing to do with A-Kong.

After thinking about it, it seems that no one would be very interested in how the water flows.

So this entire storyline was cut, and the first appearance of these guys became a series of warnings at the start of the final battle (laughs).

—A recollection of Ah Kong's underworld story

The story hasn't even unfolded yet, so what's with all the reminiscences of the underworld? (Delete)

—Before the club battle begins, Akong and Huaisu will argue because of their different views on the gangsters.

Why argue when there's a formidable enemy at hand? Delete.

In the original setting, Maivia's daughter was an elite member of the resurrection unit who was corrupted and betrayed, joining the club.

Personally, I think this is worth writing about; it would have given her a role opposite Huaisu to enrich her character. However, the club arc is fast-paced, and having Huaisu play a minor character would have been beneath her. Therefore, this storyline was completely removed, and she has no connection to the resurrection unit in the main story.

—The Huilong Water Curtain was originally intended to be a gacha pool for Akong's fishing game.

There are two reasons for abandoning this plan: first, directly drawing cards doesn't feel as satisfying as getting loot; second, the story isn't unfolding in a rush, but it's not slow either, and there's not much space for him to go fishing...

So it's a shame that Volume 1 doesn't have a gacha (card draw) element. If you guys want to see gacha, I'll see if I can add it to the next volume.

There are many more minor, scrapped drafts left, but I won't list them all due to space limitations. I estimate that if all of these were included, this volume would exceed 100 chapters, but it's best to cut some out.

It's worth mentioning that the main storyline hasn't changed much, which is a real relief. Novellas are definitely better; if I had to write a 100-chapter novel, I'd be screaming.

Now that we've covered the discarded cases, let's talk about the key characters in this volume.

-

Master Rock

Master Iwa is a very simple person. Simple battles, simple techniques, simple ending. When designing him, I considered having him survive and join the team, but in the end, I felt that such a simple exit was the most suitable ending for him. His design concept is that of a villain who "exits in one episode" in an episodic format, with a short screen time, thus suitable for leaving room for interpretation.

After much thought, I decided not to let Master Yan tell too many stories himself, but rather to leave the longing within the blade. This appropriate use of space was my first attempt, and I think the effect was quite good.

-

Kanin (with Bessen)

Bessen was put in parentheses (laughs) because he was portrayed as a side of Kanin. A powerful but simple demon, and a powerless but cunning human, the combination of the two is the final boss of this volume, an ambitious man who burns with life.

This guy has his own personality. I made sure he had face-to-face interactions with Adari and Maivia, hoping to show their differences.

The previous game featured a boss who seemed to have mastered every strategy, but Kanin is far from that. His plans are constantly evolving; he wanted to unite the clubs but was forced to change tactics and attack them first due to Maivia's schemes; he wanted a blitzkrieg but didn't get off to a perfect start because Akong arrived on the island before the war began. On the ever-changing battlefield, he actively adjusts his strategies, striving to play every card he has to the best of his ability.

His only moment of loss of composure was when he saw Chu Hengkong jump down from the sky, not because the plan was disrupted, but because he witnessed a madness far surpassing his own.