Chapter 22: Murder in the Bustling Market

"Let this custom-made 'Dexterous Hand' rapid-fire pistol send you on your way... Impossible?!"

"He actually blocked the water-gun bullets with his bare palm?!" "Incredible." "As expected of the Detective Inspector!"

Chu Hengkong clenched his fist, and in an instant, the fugitive collapsed. "Fast-Draw" Tatar had relied on his relic pistol to commit crimes, but even the custom-made weapon of Sansen Wangxiang could not threaten the Detective Inspector's physical body.

***

"Split up and run! There's only one of him; no matter how strong he is, he can't catch us all!"

The thieves, having modified their legs into springs, leaped desperately into the air. It was impossible, it couldn't be done; fighting that tentacle-man was like fighting a rabid dog—pure suicide. But no matter how formidable he was, he only had one arm, and they held the advantage in jumping power—

"How is this possible?!"

The thieves in mid-air cried out in shock. Look! The Detective Inspector was nimbly utilizing streetlamp poles and billboards, scaling the building facade like lightning before leaping into the air. He reached a height greater than theirs, his silver tentacle transforming into a long whip that swept across the horizon. "Spring-Man" Karat had relied on his leaping ability to commit random robberies, but his demon-possessed, modified flesh was no match for the Detective Inspector's leg power.

***

"Your time is up, Chu Hengkong." The man with the shrimp head drew a long blade. "My 'Six-Yao Single-Blade Style' is a demonic sword that kills without drawing blood; you won't even have the chance to realize you've been struck—gah!"

The "Shrimp Head's" long blade was shattered by a single punch, carrying the red shrimp shell into fragments along with it! What monstrous strength. "Shrimp Head" Bushi-67 was a bloodthirsty slasher, yet his blade could not break the Detective Inspector's steel fist.

...

At the unit headquarters, Xie An tore off three arrest warrants in succession, expressionless. "I'm going to have to consider devaluing the bounties."

Chu Hengkong smiled and reached out his hand. "200,000 after tax, please."

Xie An grumbled as he entered the storage room. Before long, he brought out two small crates, his face pained. "Take it easy, Detective Inspector. If this keeps up, you'll empty out the entire budget."

"It's not that bad. Does the great government really lack this little bit of money?"

"We lack money, we lack people, we lack equipment—we lack everything, otherwise why would we have hired you?" Xie An looked miserable. "No joke, the bounties really will have to be lowered later. If you find any precious medicinal herbs, maybe we can acquire them at a high price."

Chu Hengkong counted the flow-beads one by one and asked, "With the Temple around, do you still need medicine?"

"...Can't I have personal hobbies?" Xie An pulled down his hat. "What's for dinner tonight, Detective Inspector?"

After being promoted to Senior Detective Inspector, Chu Hengkong's benefits had been fully upgraded, including a five-person squad under his command, a "walkie-talkie" relic that could communicate instantly within the city (resembling a handheld gaming console from the end of the last century), and a special daily meal prepared by the cafeteria chef. He hooked the crates with his tentacles. "Eating out tonight."

"Go ahead and eat, see if you don't burst," Xie An muttered sarcastically. Chu Hengkong just laughed it off, thinking that this man had been managing accounts for too long; even his demeanor was like a stingy housekeeper. He walked out of the storehouse into the main hall of the headquarters and waved to the team members who had just finished their shifts. "Good work, everyone."

"Following you to pick up the scraps isn't hard work at all~" "We're just running errands." The team members were all modest; after all, the great achievements were all the work of Inspector Chu. The few fellows tagging along were merely pointing the way, gathering intelligence, and doing odd jobs—these things really didn't count for much. One lively character reached out to touch the box of flow-beads. "So heavy, did Old Xie really give you 200,000?"

"Money earned through ability—is there any reason to withhold it?" Chu Hengkong countered.

"Being a 'Dexterous Hand' is really something..." The member rubbed his hands in envy. "A single day's pay is worth my whole year's."

***

"Envious?" Chu Hengkong flicked him on the forehead. "If you're envious, practice more martial arts. Become a 'Dexterous Hand' and you'll earn more, too."

The member gave a sheepish laugh. "Don't even mention it. I've been practicing for three years and I haven't even mastered a single set..."

The three thousand sets of Dragon Township Fist were never some exclusive secret of a martial sect. The Ethereal Fate Lord had spread this martial art across thousands of dust-islands specifically so that more people could enter the path of Transmutation. The Rebirth Unit organized regular training for its members, but the problem was never a lack of places to learn...

It was that they couldn't learn it!

According to Ji Qiufeng, to satisfy the conditions for Transmutation without relying on supernatural limbs, the minimum standard was to hone a set of martial arts to the point of absolute perfection. Such a person, if dropped on Earth, would be a bona fide Grandmaster of Martial Arts, a name counted among the best even in the Republic era. Martial arts required talent; how many people lived their whole lives without becoming even a mediocre "expert," let alone the poor devils in the Rebirth Unit who barely had time to train?

Therefore, Chu Hengkong didn't mock them, only asking, "Aren't there other paths?"

"Those are even more hopeless!" The member shook his head. "One requires supreme talent, and without it, you don't even qualify for entry. Another requires world-shaking wisdom, otherwise, even if you succeed, it's all for nothing..."

"Not necessarily. If you don't have wisdom, you can rely on a vast fortune!" another joked.

"If I had that kind of money, would I still be on shift?"

"Dreaming is always nice~"

Seeing the guys getting more and more dejected, Chu Hengkong decided to cut the topic short. He lifted the box of flow-beads, knocking it to make a clear, ringing sound.

"Bonus is out today, my treat for dinner," Chu Hengkong said. "Locals, recommend somewhere good!"

This statement dissipated the gloom, and everyone became eager. For brothers who ate in the cafeteria every day, eating out was a joyful occasion. Someone suggested barbecue, someone whispered sneakily about eating beef in the wealthy district, and a young lad strongly recommended the bullfrog restaurant by his front door... In the end, they unanimously decided on hot pot. Chu Hengkong listened quietly, a smile on his face.

Back when he was in the gangs, he often did this. Being alone with no ties, money was useless to him, so every time he made a big score, he would treat his subordinates to a meal and drinks. Back then, he earned much more than he did now, able to go to the most high-end restaurants to order the most expensive food, opening bottle after bottle of fine liquor as if it were free. And so, the well-dressed gentlemen and ladies of the evening would have to watch a group of thugs shouting drunkenly at the window seats. Occasionally, the boss would come over and tell everyone to keep their volume down and mind their image... He never saved much money, but he always lived very happily...

"Brother Chu, maybe we should skip it."

At this moment, a voice of caution pulled him from his memories. Everyone looked toward Lü Xing. He had also become a member of this new squad; knowing he was being a killjoy, he still braced himself and said, "You've been too much in the spotlight lately. I'm worried..."

"Worried about poison in the food?" Chu Hengkong laughed.

The team members' expressions turned grim as they recalled that someone had tried to assassinate the Inspector just a few days ago. Chu Hengkong himself, however, remained unconcerned. "You guys haven't killed many people, have you?"

"We can't compare to you in that regard," Lü Xing broke into a cold sweat.

"The more you kill, the more you'll know that poison is the most troublesome method," Chu Hengkong said. "First, you have to pinpoint the destination from all the restaurants and bars in the city, and if the target changes their mind halfway, the preparation is wasted. Second, many restaurants have chaotic service; if poisoned food is served to the wrong table, it not only causes collateral damage but also ruins the plan. Furthermore, important figures often have someone test their food; even if the poison is successfully administered, it's hard to get it into the target's mouth. Accidents like the poison being diluted or failing to have the intended effect are also common. If killing someone is this troublesome, why would a killer bother with poison?"

Chu Hengkong was in high spirits. Whenever the topic turned professional, this man would open the floodgates, enthusiastically explaining all sorts of details. The team members nodded in agreement, but Lü Xing couldn't let it go, unable to resist arguing: "But what if the killer has all the intelligence, bribes the restaurant in advance, and is willing to pay any price to see that person die..."

"Then why bother with poison?" Chu Hengkong countered. "Once the target arrives, just blast them away with gunfire."

Lü Xing choked for a long time. "...You're right."

Chu Hengkong laughed. "Only when dealing with certain high-ranking individuals who are heavily protected do killers choose poison. In the vast majority of other cases, blades and guns are always more effective."

***

"Then, Brother Chu, if it were you, how would you strike?" a daring team member asked.

By now, they had been walking for more than ten minutes. Across the road was a market they often used as a shortcut, and beyond that was the hot pot restaurant recommended by the team. It wasn't quite time for the end-of-day clearance sales, so there were few customers in the market. The produce vendors were eating noodles while watching their stalls, too lazy to even respond to the shouting.

Chu Hengkong lightly clenched his right fist, his gaze sweeping from the merchants on both sides to the pitch-black windows of the buildings behind them, his smile deepening. He led the team across the road before calmly responding: "The means would naturally involve blades and guns, and you'd need at least four or five skilled hands. Most importantly, you have to pick a place that's easy to attack. It's best if it's in an area the target frequents, to avoid a wasted trip. There should be many people nearby to hide in, and few people around the target to make aiming easy..."

He tossed the suitcase full of flow-beads to Lü Xing and quickened his pace. "Just like here."

Lü Xing's face turned pale; he pivoted and dove, forcing everyone to stop. At the same time, a piercing sound of wind being torn apart sliced through the sky. A window left ajar on the fourth floor to the right swung open, and a long, trumpet-like snout poked out. The strange snout spat out a black iron projectile, which burst in mid-air, transforming into a rain of steel that poured down in the blink of an eye!

—"Shotgunner" Sansen Situ, bounty 120,000, a demon-possessed individual skilled in sniping.

Chu Hengkong's gaze shifted, looking down at his feet. The road he was standing on turned soft and muddy, instantly transforming into a deep green swamp. The mire originated from the piercing sound of a flute; the flautist was hiding behind a vendor's stall, a thorn tattoo on his face.

—"Swamp-Caster" Gor, bounty 120,000, uses a flute-shaped relic to create toxic swamps.

With a rain of bullets from above and a mire below, Chu Hengkong had nowhere to hide. The third ambush arrived at this moment. Two tall, thin men carrying poles on both sides of the market tore away the cloth covering their goods and grabbed the long spears disguised as carrying poles, thrusting forward. As they thrust, the shafts of the twin spears extended to over three meters; at this distance, it was enough for them to launch a fatal strike from a safe position. The two men wielding the spears looked identical, their eyes equally cold.

—"Twin Guns" Ouyang Brothers, bounty 130,000, the twin spears they carry are a matching pair of relics; hitting simultaneously causes massive damage.

The four fugitives' abilities intertwined into a lethal trap. If he didn't want to die in the swamp, he had no choice but to break through while enduring the damage. And from the road ahead came a series of roars; a man with massive palms came sprinting forward, his palms glowing with an ominous black light. He was the 170,000-bounty "Hundred Palms," here to plug the final hole in the trap!

Terrain, environment, enemy intel, the movements of citizens, the trajectory and speed of the bullets... Information surged through his mind like lightning. Chu Hengkong lashed out with his left-arm tentacle. His first strike didn't target the enemies on either side, but rather whipped into the mud at his feet. The ability to extend and retract freely became the key to seizing the initiative. A single touch of the tentacle caused ripples on the surface of the swamp. His precise control allowed the force to penetrate deep into the base and explode. A surge of energy erupted from within the mire, and Chu Hengkong used the force to break free, leaping into the air.

Above his head were the projectiles sprayed by the gunner, dense and numbering at least forty. These were projectiles generated by a demon-possessed individual, not water bullets from a common flow-gun; their impact was strong enough to penetrate walls, let alone a human body. Thus, Chu Hengkong did not intend to take them head-on. He flicked his two fingers, tossing a water bullet at the projectile closest to him. The water bullet shattered upon impact, and the iron projectile it hit shifted its trajectory, only to collide coincidentally with another iron projectile.

The same scene occurred again; the deflected iron projectiles collided with each other. Such "coincidences" happened five, ten, twenty, forty times in the span of a breath... Just like the first domino falling, the subsequent ones followed suit. All the projectiles scattered in every direction upon collision, and the net in the air collapsed in an instant!

"Shotgunner's" mind went blank. He was Sansen Wangxiang's brother and had specifically investigated Chu Hengkong's abilities. This man was indeed skillful but afraid of guns; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to hide behind the shield of a rabid dog when arresting his brother. But now, he had broken the rain of bullets with just one water bullet—this terrifying performance was no longer a matter of mere skill. How could a human being do such a thing!

Unless...

"Shotgunner" thought of that desperate possibility: "He's a 'Dexterous Hand'—!"

That was all he had time to say. A second water bullet shattered the glass and struck him in the chest, rendering "Shotgunner" instantly unconscious. Chu Hengkong, in mid-air, twisted his body to avoid a spear thrust and kicked out with both feet, striking the Ouyang brothers' wrists. The Ouyang brothers retreated in pain, barely managing to hold onto their spears, while Chu Hengkong landed calmly. He pushed off, leapt over the swamp, and reached the two brothers in a blink.

The Ouyang brothers thrust their spears again. Chu Hengkong turned his body sideways, pressing down on the left spear shaft with his right palm while his left tentacle coiled around the right one. The trajectory of the twin spears shifted, and the brothers' thrusts were about to hit each other. Knowing the power of the relics, they scrambled to let go, but Chu Hengkong took the opportunity to disarm them, sending the spears to the ground. He stepped forward with his right foot, raised his crossed arms, and chopped down left and right. His right fist arrived first, sending the elder Ouyang brother flying, while the left tentacle whipped the younger Ouyang brother in the face.

Taking a direct hit from the tentacle, the younger Ouyang brother immediately foamed at the mouth. Chu Hengkong shifted the whip into a coil, lifted him up, turned, and threw him at the incoming "Hundred Palms." Seeing his companion flying toward him, "Hundred Palms" had no choice but to wave his arms to deflect him. This deflection caused him to lose track of his enemy, and Chu Hengkong seized the chance to leap into the crowd, his tentacle lashing out directly at the scurrying Swamp-Caster!