Chapter 30: Obsession Without Remorse

To speak of the notorious reputation of the Calamity Knight, one must recall the state of the marshlands in days of yore.

In those times, the people of the Central Court dubbed the lower depths a paradise for cults. The "Dragon-Boat" transport connecting the middle and lower levels had long since ceased operation, and people would sooner starve than dare approach the marshes. The land was crawling with villains who used the name of divinity to swindle the masses; perverse cults flourished, and every day, bizarre summoning rituals were held to invoke phantom images of demons. There were even those with ulterior motives who fished relics of evil from the "Tide," using them as catalysts to summon "Evil Gods" distinct from demons. Deranged believers offered friends and family upon altars to be disemboweled, while fanatics branded one another as heretics, burning those of differing faiths at the stake.

It was during this era that a young woman, brimming with a sense of justice, finished her training and entered the field. On her very first day, she rowed a boat down a waterfall and stepped into the marsh alone. That day, people saw her charge into the site of a live sacrifice, a giant sword upon her shoulder, hewing the head of the cult leader amidst fire and blood.

She showed no mercy and accepted no surrender. The leaders who preached human sacrifice were executed on the spot, and the thugs who relished in torture were met with certain death. In three months, she traversed the entire marsh, razing hundreds of obscene, evil cults and slaying more demons and heretics than could be counted. From then on, not a soul in the marsh bled for their faith; for if anyone dared break the taboo, the Calamity Knight would arrive by boat, turning the marsh into a land of blood...

—Translated from *Grandma Sangja’s Storytime*, by Chu Hengkong.

***

"People walk to their ends because of their own choices; that is what we call fate," Grandma Sangja smiled. "And that fate was fulfilled in a brutal manner. That is youth, is it not?"

Ji Huaisu tugged hard at her raincoat hood, determined to shrink into the fabric and become nothing but dust. Chu Hengkong stared at her, expressionless. "Don't you think you were a bit excessive?"

"It couldn't be helped! The situation was so rotten that if I hadn't struck with a heavy hand, there would have been no saving it!" Ji Huaisu argued righteously. "You have no idea what a hellhole the marsh was back then. I could go out for a bowl of noodles and run into seven demon-possessed people. Everything I killed was a blood-debt-ridden wretch who deserved capital punishment by law, alright?"

"Then why not handle it through proper legal procedure?"

Ji Huaisu’s eyes drifted away. "Well, that was... you know, special times require special measures..."

"It’s a pity you aren’t in my line of work," Chu Hengkong said. Ignoring her clawing, ferocious expression, he turned to Grandma Sangja. "Do you know anything about those monsters?"

"Children of the Tide, the gods did not reveal the secrets of light to me," the old woman shook her head. "In this aged and decaying mind, the past is as hazy as smoke. Even the words of the Great Master Jingzang are no longer clear. Where, oh where, did his gold go..."

The previous assassination attempt seemed to have disturbed her thoughts. Grandma Sangja was silent for a long while before slowly saying, "It should be where the flowers bloom... the Master in white robes stood amidst many flowers... He said that many years later, gold would be birthed within the marsh."

"After that, he hurried into the Tide, and no one knows where he went," Grandma Sangja smiled. "As for the truth of that gold, only the Master would know."

Judging by her micro-expressions and heartbeat, the old woman was not lying. Moreover, she was so old that she had no desire for power or wealth; there was no motive to deceive them. It seemed the situation back then was extremely dire; even Xie An’s father hadn't had time to explain details to his friends and family before rushing out of the city to find medicine. He had specifically come to the marsh before he left, likely to obtain the "gold." But perhaps he had gone too early, which was why he couldn't take it with him...

Chu Hengkong tossed this matter, along with the fluorescent corpse, into the mental basket marked "Problems for Youyou Xie An to Solve," stood up to offer his thanks, and stepped outside. The Great Shaman Adali was still guarding the entrance, saying coldly, "Do not return."

Chu Hengkong ignored him, and the white-robed believers saw them to the edge of the settlement. The Green Marsh District lacked the waterways and roads of the Central Court; one had to get around by taking the bus—which ran three times a day—or by riding a wooden cart or a bicycle.

The believers lent them two emerald-green bicycles. The two chief detectives huffed and puffed as they rode across the muddy path, Ji Huaisu lost in deep thought as she pedaled.

"I don't think this is right. Even a severely wounded Uncle Xie Wen could have turned this marsh upside down; how could he not have dug up the gold? Just how heavy do you think that thing is?"

"You aren't good at thinking, so don't," Chu Hengkong said absently. Ji Huaisu accelerated to pull alongside him and slammed her shoulder hard into his.

***

The base of the Resuscitation Unit was located in the "Deep Root Settlement," an hour's drive away. Situated near the roots of a giant tree, it was the most prosperous area of the marsh. Here, the primitive tribal style finally faded, and modern architecture similar to the Central Court became the norm. However, squids and geese still ran wild in the streets, and most of the men and women wore dusty, shapeless robes. These garments, which hid the curves of the body, were the mainstream in the marsh because the "water-avoidance geese" would flee in a panic the moment they saw a woman. Consequently, women had to wear these robes to go out... and then, when the geese weren't looking, grab them by the neck, bring them home, and chop them up.

The iconic landmark of the Deep Root Settlement was the "Prayer Statue of the Great Shaman" cast in bronze. A fifteen-meter-tall sculpture of Adali stood in the center of the square, surrounded by flowers and food offerings from the people. As they passed the bronze statue, Ji Huaisu let out a loud "Tch," clearly showing her lack of affection for the Great Shaman.

The team's base was not far from the statue, a small three-story building. The squad members stationed there were extremely enthusiastic to see people from headquarters, their words dripping with the sincere plea: "Please, for the love of god, give us a transfer; we can't stay in this hellhole anymore." Unfortunately, Chu Hengkong was lost in his own world and Ji Huaisu was preoccupied with her own thoughts; the miserable, smiling faces were all lost on the blind.

Considering the high risk of staying overnight alone, they shared a double room. Once inside, Ji Huaisu immediately drew the curtains and turned on the air conditioner, which blew out cold air accompanied by a clattering, noisy mechanical racket. She tore off her raincoat and plopped onto the bed. "It's so hot! This place is like a moldy steamer; if I keep walking, I’m going to be cooked."

Chu Hengkong sat on a stool, staring blankly at her. The gaze made Ji Huaisu’s skin crawl. "...What are you looking at?"

"You," Chu Hengkong said.

The marsh was stiflingly hot, and after successive battles, her golden hair was matted with sweat. Beads of sweat dripped from the ends of her ponytail, sliding down her swan-like, slender neck and soaking into her white undershirt. The garment clung to her damp skin, outlining her beautiful curves in vivid detail. Between her top and shorts, sweat could be seen trickling down her abdomen, and her skin was flushed a soft red from the heat. At this moment, no matter how wild the rumors were, it was hard to associate them with the person before him—there was no madness or bloodlust, only youth and charm.

Ji Huaisu looked down and felt a momentary awkwardness. "Can't I be pretty? Wait a second, I’m going to change..."

"Tempered by fire, full of spirit," Chu Hengkong’s gaze was focused. "One could almost call it beautiful."

"What the hell are you going crazy for?!"

His eyes wandered over her form, revealing undisguised desire. Ji Huaisu’s skin crawled, and she immediately pulled her raincoat over herself to wrap up again. "Calm down, you jerk!"

"Let me see it one more time."

"Wha—huh?!"

Chu Hengkong walked to the bed and grabbed her shoulders without explanation. Ji Huaisu’s face flushed; panic and embarrassment left her at a loss for words. The man’s face grew larger in her vision, his breath filled with fiery, earnest anticipation—

"Let me see it again, that sword strike from before!"

"..................Huh?"

"That slash!" Chu Hengkong’s eyes shone. "Clearing the area with sword-wind, the strike hitting the target directly. The timing and angle were precise to the extreme, the transmission of power both broad and deep—enough to handle ever-changing battle formations. It was an ultimate strike, a technique of divine mastery!"

"..."

Ji Huaisu’s mouth twitched. Chu Hengkong was completely immersed in that sword strike, babbling on in excitement. "I’ve been replaying your strike on the way here and grasped a bit of the essence. It’s all about the technique of storing power, isn't it? Just show me one more time, and I can master it!"

"Oh," Ji Huaisu said. "Oh."

***

The next instant, a massive force shook his hands away. As the saying goes, the hands are a gate; the posture of arms spread wide is what is commonly known as "leaving the gate wide open." Then, the dazzling stream of light transformed into a shockwave. The light shield struck right into his center, and the technique he dreamed of fell into Chu Hengkong’s arms in quite a different way—

The moment he was sent flying by the light shield, that was what Chu Hengkong thought.

The martial arts of an alternate world were indeed profound.

So, one could also deliver a slash using a shield.

"Get lost, you martial arts freak!!!"

However, Chu Hengkong spun his body in mid-air and landed on the bed with the lightness of a feather! The bedsheets spiraled around his landing point—this was the secret technique recorded in the three thousand sets of Dragon Village Fist, a defensive roll that uses the environment to dissipate force. A fine skill indeed!

Chu Hengkong laughed in surprise. "I’ve got the feel for it! One more time—"

Ji Huaisu roared like a beast and lunged, locking his neck in a chokehold. "I'm going to strangle you!"

"You’ve got it wrong, that’s not a joint lock. Use a slash," Chu Hengkong corrected earnestly.

"Just lose consciousness already!!"

"So you finally want to fight me? But I have the advantage in joint lock proficiency... Hah!" Ji Huaisu was flipped back onto the bed! She immediately countered with a roundhouse kick! The attacker blocked and responded with a cross-punch, transitioning into a fierce close-quarters battle! In the blink of an eye, they exchanged over thirty blows. What an intense clash—even the insects around the building were scared away by the murderous aura!

"Periodic check-in, periodic check-in. Huaisu, Hengkong, how is your situation?" Ji Qiufeng’s voice rang out.

Amidst a pile of debris, the yellow crystal used for communication flashed with a rhythmic light. The people at headquarters were astonished to find that these two usually reliable officers had not provided a formal response this time. The crystal simply faithfully transmitted the familiar ambient noise.

"Get the hell off my bed!" "You were the one who started it." "It’s disgusting, don't use tentacles!" "Who was the one who whipped me with a raincoat first!"

The yellow crystal was silent for a moment before issuing a polite reminder.

"The two detectives seem to be very busy at the moment, so the periodic check-in will be delayed by an hour..." Ji Qiufeng paused, then said with great interest, "No, let’s make it two hours!"

The two detectives in the midst of their fierce battle looked up in unison: "You’ve got it wrong." "It’s not what you think!!"