Chapter 5: The Possession of the Demon (Part One)

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The gate was smashed open by a heavy ball, revealing the interior of Iron Oar Shop.

The semi-open counters had been roughly altered; gloves, helmets, and iron rods were stuffed into mismatched wall display cabinets. The customer lounge had been transformed into a makeshift dance hall, with a constantly changing disco ball illuminating posters of scantily clad chanteuses. In the center of the hall, several young men wielding blunt weapons were beating a trembling old man, while spectators on the second floor jeered and cheered.

“This is my shop...” the old man pleaded.

“Your shop? Ha! You say you’re my dad, and I’m supposed to kneel for you?!” one thug shouted as he swung a club. “I told you not to spread rumors, old man! It makes things difficult, you idiot!” he stomped hard on the old man’s face. “But this place originally belonged to...” “What was that, old man? Say it again if you dare!” the thug shouted menacingly.

Chu Hengkong’s hearing was remarkably sharp—sharp enough to catch the conversation before he even broke the door down. As the iron gate swung open, all eyes inside instantly fixed on him. The thug who had been threatening paused for a second, then continued as if nothing had happened: “See? Next up is you—”

Before he could finish, Chu Hengkong’s tentacle suddenly lengthened, sweeping out like a silver whip. The tip struck the thug’s face, violently warping it like dough, crushing his teeth with a force strong enough to bend steel. The swift and brutal strike sent him crashing into his comrades, whose bodies piled up one after another under the immense force, ultimately slamming against the shop’s walls simultaneously.

Dust filled the air, lights flickered wildly, and for a moment, the room fell deathly silent. The simple-minded thugs hadn’t yet grasped what had occurred. Then the silver tentacle surged forth again, this time wrapping around the injured old man. Having dodged the initial strike by falling, the shopkeeper now thought he was under attack by a monster, his fear nearly robbing him of voice: “Please... here...”

“I know. This is your shop,” Chu Hengkong said calmly.

The old man froze, finally seeing the intruder’s true form—a young man. His gaze was surprisingly gentle.

“Don’t run.” Chu Hengkong gently set the old man behind him. “The authorities are here to seek justice for you.”

At that moment, the thugs finally snapped to attention. From the second floor, spectators scrambled to draw their guns, while the three remaining thugs on the first floor hastily drew knives and charged forward. Chu Hengkong pulled from his coat a massive silver-eyed tome and hurled it forcefully upwards toward the second floor. The book smashed through the floorboards, sending a scream rippling through the crowd. The impact sent the thugs tumbling down like stones into water, splashing everywhere.

They were packed too tightly and reacted too slowly. Even if they surged together, Chu Hengkong feared no one. As he threw the large book, he stepped lightly forward on his toes; the tentacle retracted and flashed like lightning, striking the first thug’s chin. This attack resembled the earlier shaking of the doorman’s head, delivering a sudden concussion to the brain, instantly incapacitating the enemy.

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The first thug fell unconscious without a sound. The second, brandishing a short knife, shouted bravely as he charged but was struck down before he could raise his blade—Chu Hengkong’s punch shattered his windpipe, and he collapsed. The last was the rust-armored man in sandals from before, clutching a small pistol. Seeing his companions clutch their throats and fall, his legs trembled uncontrollably.

Chu Hengkong beckoned with a tentacle, and the armored thug screamed in a high-pitched voice like a woman. He threw down the pistol and fled in terror, pounding on a tightly closed iron door, shouting, “Help! Boss Hugos! Tentacle demon’s crashed the place!”

The iron door suddenly flew open, smashing the armored man against the ceiling.

A pair of enormous feet stepped onto the crumbling plaster. The feet belonged to a strong, rough man wearing jeans and a floral shirt. His blind right eye was covered with an eyepatch, while the remaining eye gleamed with malice. When he clenched his fist, the knuckles cracked in succession. A black iron ring circled his right arm—the same arm that had just smashed the iron door.

“Looks like you’re a rookie from the Resurrection Squad,” the one-eyed man, Hugos, stared at Chu Hengkong. “Your predecessor didn’t die this afternoon, so now you’re here to finish the job—”

Boom!

A gust of wind scattered the gunpowder smoke, and heavy footsteps shook the ground. Chu Hengkong had no interest in idle talk. In an instant, he stood before Hugos. As his right heel landed, he unleashed a powerful right punch, striking Hugos’s chest like a heavy hammer and silencing his threats. Hugos was sent flying backward, crashing through the wall and out of the shop!

The stomp and swing were fundamental techniques of Bajiquan. Previously, the “foot tap” used to intimidate fanatics was just a bluff. This deep, resonant stomp was the real foundation. The stomp could attack the opponent’s lower body, swiftly close distance, and combined with the cross force of a swinging punch, could turn a simple blow into a lethal strike.

This was Chu Hengkong’s favored opening move: if an opponent could withstand it, they were worth taking seriously; if not, they were mere trash. The current target, however, seemed capable—he rose from the dust. Hugos’s figure twisted violently; his upper body rapidly expanded, his silhouette in the smoke becoming beastlike.

“Boss...” “The chief’s angry...” “We’re gonna die! Run!”

The remaining conscious thugs turned pale, making no attempt to assist and fleeing outside as fast as they could. While they feared Chu Hengkong, they feared their leader even more. Getting hit by a tentacle would break bones, but getting caught up in the boss’s fight meant certain death.

Amid the panicked crowd, Chu Hengkong stood unmoving like a mountain. He silently counted the time—2 minutes and 10 seconds had passed since the clock started.

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Would less than eight minutes be enough to take down a “demon-possessed” foe?

“Tentacle bastard, I’ll kill you!”

A foul stench swept away the dust as the brutal and terrifying figure was fully revealed under the lights. It was a complete monster! Hugos’s legs had thickened three times, his height now four meters. His entire upper body and head had morphed into a massive beast’s skull, with the oversized single eye in the center of the forehead. His robust arms had vanished, replaced by two deep blue “tusks.”

The creature reminded Chu Hengkong of the lion dance from his hometown, but this was no festive lion—it was a “dancing elephant” from another world. This elephant bore no joy, only murderous intent. It raised one tusk, as thick as a sapling, and slammed it down toward Chu Hengkong.

Chu Hengkong retracted his tentacles at his waist to stabilize his center of gravity. He stepped forward with his left foot and struck diagonally upward with his right hand, switching from palm to fist. Facing Hugos’s violent strike, he neither retreated nor dodged, choosing instead to meet the blow head-on with a rising palm strike. Flesh met tusk directly, both combatants’ stances sinking simultaneously. Cracks extended like spiderwebs beneath Chu Hengkong’s feet, but he himself remained unmoved.

He had actually withstood it! With just one palm, he blocked the demon’s attack!

Even the watching thugs felt a surge of respect, but Chu Hengkong remained vigilant. He noticed the iron ring on the enemy was vibrating—it now encircled Hugos’s tusk after the transformation. The ring emitted a dark glow, resembling a sorcerer’s talisman.

“—Enhancement!”

The pressure in his hand intensified instantly. If before he had been resisting a boulder, now the tusk was like a chunk of iron ore. Chu Hengkong instantly withdrew his hand and leapt back, but even with early warning, his reaction was half a step too slow. Hugos’s tusk crashed into the ground, carving out a three-meter-deep crater.

The narrow escape avoided a direct hit, but the overwhelming force generated an invisible shockwave, sweeping Chu Hengkong off his feet and hurling him through the air!