Faith of All Spirits

That heartfelt cry was like a stone thrown into the heart of a lake, shattering the silence of the dockside market. People forgot what they had been doing and rushed toward Chu Hengkong in a mad scramble. They came from different races and held different faiths, yet the fanaticism and reverence in their eyes were exactly the same.

"It's a god..." "The Tide's darling." "The one who will reshape order!" "Great tentacles, oh great tentacles!"

The surging crowd sealed off every path. Even Chu Hengkong, who had seen much in his life, was startled by the spectacle. He had to raise his voice, or his words would have drowned beneath the chorus of praise. "What can I do for you all?"

The instant he spoke, the swamp dwellers fell silent as one, solemn as though listening to a divine oracle. Then they bent at the waist, lifted their arms high, and held all manner of objects out toward Chu Hengkong.

"Mushroom. Mushroom." "Here are bananas." "I offer squid." "Fried bananas, please enjoy."

Chu Hengkong did not know whether to laugh or cry. Only then did he understand what these people wanted. They had rushed over just to present offerings... The swamp folk had taken him for a god!

"You idiot, did you forget what Jade Marsh District is like?" Ji Huaishu was beside herself. "Almost every swamp dweller belongs to some sect or another. They'd worship even demons as gods! In their eyes, those tentacles of yours are a divine body!"

"There are so many demons. Why are they specifically worshipping me?" Chu Hengkong asked under his breath as he declined the fried bananas. The frenzied crowd pressed ever closer, and the encircling ring slowly tightened.

"Please, Chief Inspector, have some self-awareness. You're the hottest name in the city right now. Every sect in the swamp, trying to recruit followers, has been claiming that you and your tentacles are incarnations of their octopus god, squid god, or whatever other nonsense god they worship... So to them, you're a divine child descended into the world!"

"Fuck!" Chu Hengkong swore, a rare occurrence. "Does the local have a solution?"

"If the local had your popularity, why would I still be hiding under a raincoat?" Ji Huaishu said sourly. "Just swing out of here with your tentacles. If we drag this out, something will happen."

More and more people who had heard the news kept pouring in. Many forcibly shoved their way through the crowd to stand before the "divine child," knocking over other people's offerings. The young people said he was the palm of the omniscient god; the herb sellers called him the lamp of the sage of the deep sea. Everyone scrambled to proclaim him the "god" of their own faith. Curses and shoving soon broke out, and the scene showed signs of spiraling out of control. If this continued, there would be a deadly stampede. Once things descended into chaos, not even ten chief inspectors could control the crowd.

Chu Hengkong raised his tentacles, intending to crack them like a whip to draw attention. At that moment, a crisp ringing swept through the crowd, like ripples brushing over turbulent water. The restless droplets immediately calmed and turned, meek as sheep, toward the high slope beyond the market.

The ringing came from a pair of small metal bells hanging from a silver stone staff. Its bearer stood atop the slope, four burly guards escorting him down toward the market. The crowd consciously parted to make way. He wore a white robe resembling a kasaya, and was a dark-skinned bald man with an amethyst pendant swaying beneath his neck.

"All believers should mind their bearing. Do not disturb honored guests in the name of piety," the staff-bearer said coolly.

At his words, the people immediately stopped and backed away. Chu Hengkong noticed that the man's attitude was anything but warm, and that he spoke as if going through routine formalities, yet the swamp folk listened closely to his advice. Within seconds, an open space had been cleared around them. Ji Huaishu quietly tugged at the hem of his clothes from behind.

"What an honor to receive such distinguished guests—the great detective of the Central District and his esteemed companion." The staff-bearer gave a slight bow and lifted his necklace. "My name is Adali, and I am—"

"I know." Chu Hengkong opened his right hand and displayed his pendant. "You're a High Shaman of the All-Spirits Society."

[Pendant-Type Basic Relic—Enhancement]

[Rating: Level 1]

[Origin: Myriad Secret Realm—Dragon's Return City]

[Effect: Grip the necklace to enhance perception for 1–3 seconds. The degree and duration of enhancement depend on the intensity of one's emotions.]

[Remembrance: A crystal necklace crafted by Granny Sang Jia, a symbol of status in the eyes of believers.

Alex is one of the All-Spirits Society's three High Shamans. He deciphered too many secrets from the vortex and summoned a god to save the world.]

On the night he discovered the Silver-Eyed Book's true purpose, Chu Hengkong had reappraised all his spoils, and thus learned the pendant's significance. The All-Spirits Society was the largest religious organization in Jade Marsh District. High Shamans were the society's most exalted leaders, with prestige in Jade Marsh District rivaling that of "living Buddhas" and "saints." On his very first day here, he had not only offended the Black Workshop, but also sent a religious leader of the swamp folk into a cell. For an assassin, it was quite an ideal start.

High Shaman Adali clearly knew this as well, and his attitude was far from friendly. "If you two have no urgent business, I hope you will not disturb the peace of the swamp."

"Please take us to see Granny Sang Jia. There are some matters we wish to ask about," Chu Hengkong said without changing expression.

Adali forced out a scornful laugh. "Please turn back and return home! We have nothing to say to the man who imprisoned Alex."

Chu Hengkong raised a brow at the gloomy man, then suddenly took a step forward. In that single step, he crossed the protection of all four burly guards and flashed before the High Shaman. Caught off guard, Adali met his eyes, and an icy chill pierced him like black ice.

"You seem to have mistaken one thing. I am carrying out official duties as a Senior Chief Inspector. As a citizen of Dragon's Return City, you are obligated to provide me with every assistance." Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes. "Think carefully about how you ought to speak. Headquarters has plenty of paper and pens. Writing one more wanted notice won't be any trouble."

Adali stared at him for several seconds without the slightest expression. Then he looked toward Ji Huaishu in her raincoat. "Will the City Lord's Manor allow this man to act so recklessly?"

Ji Huaishu said nothing. Silence was the best answer. Adali realized that the two were serious, and the gloom in his eyes deepened. "...I will cooperate. But I also ask that you two mind your limits."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Chu Hengkong stepped back, and the chill in his eyes vanished without a trace. Adali shot the four useless guards a glare, then turned and led the way.

Ji Huaishu sidled up to her partner. Even with her voice lowered, she could not conceal the excitement in her words. "Fuck! That arrogant lackey face you put on was absolutely incredible!"

"I heard it so much back when I ran with the underworld that my ears grew calluses. I can recite it backward." Chu Hengkong picked at his ear. "One part of my job was telling them to turn around and go home."

"Good. That's exactly how you should rub their faces in it." Ji Huaishu let out a wicked laugh. "But don't overdo it. Watch yourself."

Chu Hengkong nodded. He understood what his partner meant. Ever since disembarking from the ship, he had kept his guard up—not only because the employers of those earlier assassins had come from the swamp, but also because of the danger lurking in the air.

For experienced people, a sense of danger was an "intuition" sharper than the five senses. When a gunman aimed at you, you could feel his gaze; when someone followed you, their hostility was as obvious as a smell. Yet the danger of the swamp differed from ordinary peril. The warning brought by intuition was not strong, but it never ceased. It was like countless fine needles hidden in the air—wherever one went, there was always a faint prickling pain.

From time to time, Chu Hengkong gripped the perception pendant, using his enhanced senses to inspect every corner where an assassin might be hiding. Once they left the market, the clamorous voices finally quieted. They followed the road into a small settlement. Low wooden houses lined the muddy road, and adult men and women were rarely seen in the residential area; there were mostly elderly people and children. Strangely, most of the children hid inside the houses, peeking furtively at the visitors through gaps between the planks.

"The swamp shouldn't be this quiet." Ji Huaishu frowned.

Adali gave a cold laugh at her words. "Now is not a suitable time to be outside."

Adali need not have said more. The sharp pair had already sensed the stiffness in the air. This settlement was clearly not far from the harbor market, yet their atmospheres were as far apart as heaven and earth. Chu Hengkong listened closely and vaguely caught the sounds of crying and moaning.

They left the settlement amid that eerie silence and climbed steadily up the slope. A stone church stood at the end of the road. The building looked even stranger: every window had been sealed with black cloth, like an artificially constructed confinement chamber. Adali stopped at the church entrance, and his smile gained another measure of mockery.

"Please enter, Chief Inspector. Sang Jia is inside. I value my life too much to accompany you."

Holding his breath, Chu Hengkong pushed open the door and entered. The harsh light made his vision waver. Though the church had been sealed shut, it was bright as day. Yet there were no lamps or candles inside. The light came from the people's eyes, from their skin!

All the original tables and chairs had been removed from the church, and dozens of white sheets lay spread in a row. Gaunt people moaned in pain upon them. They wore black clothes like burial shrouds, yet even so, the bright yellow patches across their bodies were plainly visible. The patches lurked beneath the skin, spreading everywhere like a ringworm infection that could not be cured. Those with the worst symptoms had their bodies almost entirely consumed by the patches. Their former faces could no longer be made out; they looked instead like humanoid bodies of light.

A white-haired old woman sat cross-legged among them, grinding a brown medicinal broth in a small bowl. She raised her head to look at Chu Hengkong. Her gaze was dim, and her voice as faint as smoke.

"Close the door quickly," Granny Sang Jia said. "There is poison in the light."