Forge a path to success

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Ji Qiufeng, Huilong and Jie An

They are all people carrying too much weight. The difference is that the youngest, Jie An, is about to be crushed by the weight, the inhuman Hui Long can keep his mind stable, and Ji Qiufeng engraves his memories in his heart, turning them into the courage to fight in desperate situations.

I really enjoy writing the parts where the city lord goes into battle; they make me feel deeply moved.

Ji Qiufeng was satisfied with A Kong from the very beginning, perhaps because he saw his former self in this assassin.

-

Ji Huaisu

In earlier (and still now) light novels, there was a concept called "main story" or "main episode," which means starting from a female character's personal storyline and resolving a major event related to her core character conflict. Generally, after this main episode, the girl or heroine would establish a relationship with the male protagonist that is more than friendship but not necessarily romance, and the reader would have a deeper understanding or affection for her, leading to a happy ending for both of them.

I tried this writing style when I wrote Cangdu before, and I had both successes and setbacks. But with Huaisu this time... I don't think it fits this concept, because it's obvious to everyone that there's still a whole storyline to unfold around her, and this long storyline is clearly something that the first volume, Huilong City, couldn't resolve.

Therefore, in this volume, I tried more to portray her as a senior figure and a good partner. She wasn't a rigid person; she could partner with an assassin and didn't mind killing villains. She adapted well to this chaotic world and tried her best to make it better. This unwavering strength is what I really admire.

There's more to the story of Huaisu; it's a long story, so let's take our time and not rush.

-

Chu Hengkong

The most difficult character to write in this volume. Also the character that gave me the most headaches.

Ah Kong, well, there's something wrong with his personality. He's an oddball, completely out of step with common sense, which is evident from his profession—he's an assassin. What normal person would be capable of becoming an assassin?

Therefore, he is a guy with very prominent strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, he keeps his promises, has his own principles, and will wield a knife against a villain while also carefully protecting a little girl and her dog. On the other hand, he is not very intelligent, lacks foresight, is overconfident in his abilities, and sometimes acts recklessly.

These complex, even contradictory, characteristics make it difficult for me to simply summarize him with a label like "assassin" or "knight-errant." Many times I wanted to remove all his flaws, leaving only minor, harmless issues, but that would make him seem insincere. Finding the right balance was challenging, which led to the issues I had with the character before the rewriting of the Adari battle. Now, after completing the entire volume, I'm confident I've grasped his personality. Just as Akong integrated into Huilong City, I've gradually adapted to his way of doing things.

If you've read this far, I think you can more or less accept this eccentric character. He will become stronger later, and more adventures await him, but the core of his personality won't change. He'll still unknowingly play pranks in ordinary times, and he won't hesitate to draw his sword against the strong.

·

That concludes our summary. Let's take a brief look towards the future.

The writing style of the next volume will be different from this volume. Akong will leave this familiar city to see the scenery of the wider world. As a result, the development of the plot will inevitably be different from that in the city. I will try several different types of introductions and stories, and make reasonable choices about which one is best. Then we'll see which style everyone thinks is the best.

Leaving Huilong City means more heretics, more mentally ill people, more near-death experiences, and of course, more relics, more fun, and more lovely girls. Ah, I only realized now that as a light novel, we have far too few girls appearing, while all sorts of middle-aged men are popping up everywhere. This unhealthy trend must be corrected.

Therefore, there will be more female characters in Volume 2. Of course, not every girl will be the main heroine, but there will be new heroines. After all, as you can see from the stories I've written, I have a terrible personality. Writing about romantic conflicts feels too cruel to the other girls, and writing about a single heroine feels too cruel to myself, so I usually write lighthearted stories with multiple girls. As for what the new girls will be like, well…

In short, he's not the kind of nasty guy who'd rip the protagonist's heart out (laughs).

So, this is where I should end this.

I'm taking four days off as usual to adjust the outline and play some games. We'll update this Saturday at 8 PM sharp.

Chapter 67 Good morning, Huilong City!

"Good morning, Huilong City! Welcome to Tuanlie Daily News. Let's see what's new in the city!"

At 7:30 AM, at the Midgard Whirlpool Station, former Grand Wizard Alex stood at the end of the line, waiting with commuters for the first dragon boat of the morning. The station's dome-shaped water screen was broadcasting the news, the announcer sporting a convenient Bluetooth speaker. The news began with a friendly and approachable message:

"The third swamp religious conflict of the month was perfectly resolved in the early hours of the morning. A total of 31 lucky people were blessed by the Dragon God. Long live peace!"

The magic scholars have caused some new trouble in the workshop area; today's water curtain may be multicolored.

Meanwhile, the toddlers of the Fufu tribe are sightseeing in the courtyard. Please be careful of the beads in your pockets, citizens...

Alex was taking out his money to buy a boat ticket when he muttered, "What's the Fufu tribe?"

"I wonder which little island bumpkin he came from?" the male student in front of him laughed. "He dares to steal things in the city? Doesn't he know that our invincible detective is protecting Huilong City... huh?"

The male student noticed Alex's gaze was upward, so he looked up as well. A scruffy brown ball of fur was perched atop the water screen, its long, elephant-like trunk protruding from its dirty fur. It sniffed and let out a cheerful "fu! fu!"

The droplets flew from the male student's hand, from Alex's pocket, and from the backpacks and pockets of everyone in the entire Whirlpool Station, converging into a colorless stream in the stunned gazes of the crowd. The furry ball bounced twice, inhaling all the droplets in the station into its nose, and said, "fu."

It jumped into the water curtain and ran away.

Just then, the first dragon boat arrived. As the cabin door opened, a synthesized voice announced, "Passengers, please throw your beads in accordance with the law and board the boat in an orderly manner." The passengers looked at their empty pockets, then at the furry ball that had run to the exit, and their complex emotions instantly transformed into a roar of anger: "Stop thief! Stop thief!!"

"Halt, you thief!" "Watch out for this stick, don't run!"

Alex leaped forward nimbly, using his superior leg length and strength to chase after Fufu the fluffy ball. The two of them raced out of the dock and into the fruit and vegetable market. Alex seized the opportunity and swung his stick to strike, but Fufu the fluffy ball was incredibly agile; it dodged the blow and then flapped its long nose. "Fufu!" The air exhaled from its nose sent colorful fruits flying everywhere! Alex was buried under a mountain of pumpkins!

"Last week, the City Lord's Mansion issued Decree No. 107, announcing that the city's fine exemption standard will be adjusted from 'mentally immature children' to 'children with self-care abilities.' Mothers with young children, please be aware that your children's large movements may result in fines." The host on the water screen continued incessantly, "The 'Blessed Pumpkin,' a favorite among the swamp residents, has been approved for sale in the central courtyard starting today. Citizens should be careful when eating it, as the pumpkin poses a risk of exploding..."

Alex's face contorted in agony as he watched the pumpkins burying him begin to swell. Fruit vendors screamed, "No!" "My pumpkins!" But it was too late. Explosion! Explosion! Explosion! Explosion! The pumpkins exploded one after another! A brown, unidentified liquid and a terrifying stench instantly swept through the market!

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" "Melon, oh melon!" "So nostalgic..." The fruit vendors' emotions were a mix of feelings. Fufu Ball was startled by the commotion and ran away, forgetting even about the flowing beads. Alex, seeing he couldn't catch up, angrily threw down his cane and waved towards the nearby Divine Vision Tower: "Robbery! Someone help me!"

"--receive."

A green breeze swept by, and in the blink of an eye, the scattered fruits returned to their original place. They all looked up in the direction the wind had gone, only to see a gleaming silver tentacle soaring into the sky. The daily news broadcast was full of enthusiasm: "But no matter what, there's no need to panic. If you encounter any problems, seek help immediately. Our detectives and team members will always be by your side!"

"I'll suggest to the radio station tomorrow that they take this program off the air," Chu Hengkong said.

"Why? Everyone really likes it." His partner chuckled mischievously over the communication channel.

"That's so stupid."

Chu Hengkong retracted his tentacles and swung away using inertia, leaping lightly across the rooftop of a building like a feather. Fufu Ball realized it was being chased and quickly jumped down from its height, darting into a bustling alley. It was lunchtime, and the street was lined with breakfast stalls. Fufu Ball landed and darted into the crowd, immediately eliciting gasps of surprise.

"Help me catch a few petty thieves on the way." Jie An lazily inserted the communicator. "One is stealing gems, one is stealing cars, and another is overestimating himself and trying to cause trouble... I've sent you the coordinates."

Chu Hengkong landed on the roof of a tin shop, the distant towers flashing as if conveying a message to him. As he jumped, he snapped his fingers together and flicked them; a green leaf flew from between them, piercing the collar of a monkey-like creature like an arrow, sending it flying from the crowd and pinning it to the wall. The monkey, adorned with gold and silver jewels around its neck and hands, clearly had just robbed a jewelry store; it looked utterly bewildered as it was hung there.

"Squeak squeak squeak?" (Who caught me?)

Chu Hengkong had already gone far away. As he swept past a residential building, he lashed out at the exterior wall with his tentacles, sending the force through the wall like a shockwave into the room. A fat man with a red face was sprang from his bed and flew out of the window, still maintaining a sleepwalking expression when he landed.

"What the hell?" the red-haired fat man exclaimed in shock. Three leaves ripped through his pajamas and pinned him to the wall, while a detective's voice drifted from afar: "You're under arrest for stealing a car."

Chu Hengkong jumped off the rooftop and returned to the snack street. The fufu ball had become an inconspicuous brown blob at the end of the street, and the residents cheered when they saw the petty thief pinned up by leaves. A middle-aged woman with a fish head placed a three-tiered, specially made seafood burger on a plate, raising the plate high as if presenting a treasure. A green breeze swept by, and the burger disappeared, replaced by a life-sized bead.

"He's always so handsome," the woman with the fish-headed hairstyle exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "And so generous!"

Chu Heng took a big bite of his hamburger. Today's fillings were fried shrimp cakes, squid cakes, and fried chicken; the freshly fried patties were juicy. Amid cheers from the crowd, he skipped across the food street and arrived at the city square with its fountains. The fountains in the square were colorful, and the daily morning show was about to begin in thirty meters.

He focused his mind, allowing his emotions to flow through his blood, transforming into the "spirit" that martial arts practitioners are known for. With this spirit concentrated in his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, his perception instantly increased, and the various auras in the plaza transformed into a wealth of information.

Pedestrians. Vendors. Tourists from out of town. Freshly made ice cream. Birds are about to fly overhead. Fufu Ball is hiding under a bench. Gas is gathering in the fountain. He lands in front of the fountain, steps forward, and with great force, stirs up the water, creating a semi-transparent human figure that emerges from the fountain!

Chu Hengkong kicked and hooked the invisible man to the ground. The man was holding several explosives, and a malicious attack was averted just in time.

The invisible man stared at him as if he'd seen a ghost: "You can't be..."

Chu Hengkong stomped on him, knocking him unconscious, demonstrating "I can" in the most powerful way. Fufu Ball quietly disappeared into the grass, then suddenly a tentacle lashed out, wrapping around its nose and suspending the little creature upside down above the fountain.

"Fu! Fu!" The fufu ball struggled frantically. "Spit it out." Chu Hengkong, unfazed, shook his tentacles, swaying the creature like a wallet. The fufu ball shrank a size, and a series of droplets sprayed from its nose into the fountain, enough to grant about 100 wishes according to the wishing well's pricing.

It let out a pitiful "fu" sound, indicating that it was out. Chu Hengkong shook it harder, and the fufu ball suddenly sprayed out a large droplet, which finally cleared out the stock.

"Fuwafu! Where did you go!" A large brown sphere squeezed out from the crowd of onlookers; it was an adult Fufu. It used its frog-like paws to pull up the sphere's nose and apologized softly, "I'm so sorry... it's still a baby, it hasn't developed a brain yet, and it just wants to eat the flowing beads it sees..."

"It's alright, the bill will be sent to you later. Please compensate the vendors for their losses," Chu Hengkong said. "The pet store next door sells collars. If you want to save some money, just keep an eye on your child."

"You spendthrift!" Fufu's mother (or perhaps father) slapped the child's nose, and the unfortunate child snorted back at it with vulgar Fufu language. It thanked her profusely and left with its chubby child. At that moment, the fountain in the square began its performance, using the changing water flow to create smooth musical scales.

Chu Hengkong was eating a hamburger by the fountain, helping to watch over the flowing beads while waiting for his teammates to arrive to clean up the mess. He spotted a large man with a cane running up panting, emanating a strange odor; it was none other than the former Grand Wizard Alex.

"You're out of prison?" Chu Hengkong waved his tentacle at him.

“Yes, yes…” Alex gasped for breath, “Seven months of hard labor in the workshop…! They really dared to make me work like this, I’m a highly educated person!”

This guy's story is quite comical. On his very first day after Chu Hengkong's transmigration, he was beaten black and blue and ended up in jail along with his followers. It turned out that a background check revealed he was actually a clean slate with no murders to his name; his only record of violence was when he tried to kill Chu Hengkong on the day of the summoning…

Considering the chaotic state of the swamp at the time, the Grand Wizard was practically a breath of fresh air. Therefore, he was sentenced to labor reform, but due to his exceptionally good behavior, he was released early.

“For several days after I came out, I thought I had been exiled to some other Dust Isle,” Alex said. “Is this still Dragon City?”

He and Chu Hengkong looked around at the diverse races, the wondrous facilities everywhere, and the clear sky that was no longer obscured. It truly felt like stepping into another world. Chu Hengkong finished his hamburger and threw the wrapper into the trash can.

"It's only been open for three months, there's plenty of time to get used to it."

“I never dreamed it would be this good…” Alex murmured to himself. He turned to stare at the tentacles: “Ah, right! My God! So much time has passed, have you received any divine revelation?”

Chu Hengkong shrugged: "Then it's probably a squid."

“…Ah! It’s a good thing the city is saved after all.” Alex sighed wistfully, getting up with his cane. After seven months of labor reform, he seemed less obsessed and more grounded, probably realizing through labor that praying to God was useless. He picked up his Flowing Pearl, thanked Chu Hengkong, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, asked a very secretive question:

"By the way... on a topic everyone's been asking about..." He looked around, "Detective Chu, when are you going to reach level 2?"

There was no one in front of him anymore, only the laughter gradually fading away.

"Hurry up!"

With each extension and contraction of his tentacles, Chu Heng traversed this familiar yet unfamiliar city. A magic scholar wearing a brass mask was engaged in massive construction in the workshop district; little soldiers and sugar fairies from Paradise danced and sang around the fountains; and new programs were broadcasting from water screens throughout the city, showcasing avant-garde works and songs by artists. Meanwhile, the tide of weaponry continued to surge above everyone's heads, as speculators from various dust islands rushed to the Sky Island by boat, attempting to salvage divine weapons and magical treasures.

Everyone who met him greeted him, their voices filled with the same respect despite their different expressions. The city had come back to life; it was far from regaining its former glory, but it was changing and growing.

Chu Heng returned to the rebuilt headquarters, which was empty. From the window, he went straight to the city lord's office on the 33rd floor. Ji Qiufeng was flipping through a bamboo scroll on his desk. Upon seeing him, he smiled and said, "You've arrived so quickly?"

Chu Heng pulled up a chair and sat down, eagerly asking, "Mr. Ji, should I be able to upgrade my quality points to level 2 by now?"

"You've come at the right time. I just discussed it with Youyou about your bone-strengthening technique..."

Ji Qiufeng rolled up the bamboo slip and laughed, "It seems there's no hope for now."

"………………ah?"

Chapter 68 Your Tentacles

"Mr. Ji, can't I be considered a martial arts genius?"

"Of course you are a genius." Ji Qiufeng smiled. "Looking at the entire Chendong Realm, it would be hard to find someone more talented than you."

"Can my attitude towards cultivation be considered diligent?" Chu Hengkong asked again.

“Apart from academic subjects, he deserves praise.”

"I have both talent and the right attitude," Chu Hengkong said, spreading his hands. "There's really no reason why I can't get promoted."

Ji Qiufeng unfolded the bamboo slip in his hand. On the front was a detailed anatomical diagram of the human body, down to the bones, while the back was covered with tiny, vertically formatted characters. He said unhurriedly, "Heng Kong, the particle you are about to ascend to is called 'Solid Bone.' What is 'bone'?"

"The main trunk, the support."

“That’s right. Human bones are like the trunk of a tree. If they are too soft, the tree will bend; if they are too rigid, the tree will break. Only by being tempered by wind and rain can they develop resilience, connecting the roots and leaves to support a great tree.” Ji Qiufeng explained in detail, “The characteristic of this quality is tenacity and resilience, like a towering divine tree that stands for a thousand years!”

The key to transforming into a strong and resilient body is 'forging bones and regulating qi.' You must use your intention and qi to penetrate into your bones, connecting your qi and blood with steel-like bones, so that your entire body is integrated, in order to create a body that is impervious to water and fire..."

“But Heng Kong, you just broke into eighteen pieces a while ago, and it took you almost half an hour to piece them back together.” Ji Qiufeng changed the subject. “Don’t even mention the strong bones, they’re all shattered. How are you going to refine them now?”

Chu Hengkong's facial muscles twitched; upon hearing this, he was reminded of his dream of turning into a grilled squid...

"Isn't it?"

“Absolutely.” He strolled into the study, climbed onto the desk, and sat up cross-legged. “You weren’t even a mutilated body back then, you were practically a mass of flesh. It took the young men ages to collect your parts. Do you want to hear the details?”

Chu Hengkong shook his head with a dark expression.

“You should listen to this, it’s very educational.” Youyou gloated. “Everything else is negotiable, but your spine was broken into four pieces back then, it was too severely tainted by demonic power. If you want to heal it, you’ll have to get Jiewen to do it, I don’t have that ability.”

Chu Hengkong pondered for a moment: "Then I just need to replace my spine..."

“Or you can take your time to recover.” Ji Qiufeng emphasized, “The worst thing in cultivation is to blindly rush things. If you steadily practice the basics, you will have no shortage of opportunities to improve. First, master this method, and then consider advancing to the next level.”

Ji Qiufeng tossed out the bamboo slip in his hand. Chu Hengkong caught it and saw that the book was titled "Secret Transmission of Qi Method forging bones," which was the foundation of the strong bones mentioned earlier.

Chu Hengkong didn't pay much attention. There were plenty of magical treasures in this other world; he didn't believe there wasn't medicine to heal his bones. He put away the bamboo slip, thanked them, and left with light steps.

Ji Qiufeng tapped his fan and praised, "Look at that, what a fine character."

"Of course! Anyone with a bad temper would have run away long ago after three months of training under you." Youyou glared. "I'm telling you, Ji Qiufeng, you can't keep fooling people like this. What have you been training us with lately?"

"I've only practiced one move, 'One Qi Across a Thousand Autumns,' in the past month," Ji Qiufeng said, sipping his tea.

"You have the nerve to say that? Only someone with a level 3 mass would dare to practice that!" Youyou snatched his teacup. "That's going too far..."

Since recovering from his injuries, a spirited Ji Qiufeng has designed a professional development program specifically for young talents. Its core idea is sustainable, rapid growth – train them relentlessly, even to the point of exhaustion, as long as they don't die.

The plan has been in effect for three months and appears to be quite successful: Jie An has started putting chili powder in his lunch, Ji Huaisu hasn't spoken to his father for a week and throws stink bombs into the study every two days, while Chu Hengkong is fully committed, overjoyed, and greets each week's challenge with great enthusiasm...

Sometimes, Youyou even felt that if they continued training like this, some unlucky kid would eventually be turned into a human-shaped heretic. But Ji Qiufeng himself didn't care at all: "The environment is full of crises, so we have to let the kids learn more."

"No matter how many methods you have, it's useless if you don't have the means to advance." Youyou said dismissively. "Seriously, how do you plan to handle Hengkong's matter? If you're stuck for too long, you'll lose your drive and your career will suffer."

Promotion is like the growth of life; staying at one stage for too long is not a good thing. In Longquan Township, there are always self-proclaimed little geniuses who think they can use their skillful hands and quick wit to learn more skills, hoping to surpass their peers after promotion. But they don't realize that they have also fallen into the trap of "taking shortcuts," and often regret it only after a long time when they find that they have lost their ambition.

Ji Qiufeng understood this principle better than Youyou. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Would you like me to tell your fortune?"