Chen Ling's identity had been exposed. It was no longer possible for him to enter Aurora City through conventional means.
Of course, even so, with the skill [Faceless], entering Aurora City wouldn’t be difficult for Chen Ling. For example, he could kill Xi Renjie and assume his identity to enter the city, or replace any law enforcer on the list—either way, he could slip in unnoticed. But that wasn’t what Chen Ling wanted.
[Complete a breathtaking exit in front of at least one hundred witnesses.]
To advance to the third tier, Chen Ling had to fulfill this performance. And right now, the best stage for this performance was Aurora City.
The moment Chen Ling finished speaking, lines of text drifted across the snowy ground:
[Audience Expectation +5]
Xi Renjie stared at him in shock, wondering if Chen Ling had lost his mind. Knowing full well that Aurora City wanted him dead, he still insisted on going there?
But he didn’t try to dissuade him. After all, they stood on opposite sides—and members of the Twilight Society were all madmen to begin with. Doing something beyond normal logic seemed perfectly reasonable for them...
Xi Renjie gave Chen Ling a deep look before limping away along the tracks, soon disappearing into the mist.
"Where?"
"Get on the train."
Zhao Yi stood beside Chen Ling, eyeing the train with its severed carriages. "This thing’s in pieces... Can it still move?"
"Only the middle carriages were cut off. The locomotive is still functional. It can run for a while."
Chen Ling climbed into the locomotive and scanned the control room, studying how to start it. Just as Zhao Yi was about to follow, a faint rustling sound came from the broken carriages behind the locomotive.
Frowning, Zhao Yi turned toward the wreckage. Peering through the windows, he saw no one.
All the law enforcers should be dead... Could it be rats?
A sliver of doubt flickered in Zhao Yi’s mind. After a brief hesitation, he walked toward the carriages.
Carefully navigating the collapsed and severed carriages, he moved forward cautiously, gripping the short knife in his hand as he scanned every corner... When he reached the very end of the carriage, a small, curled-up figure in the corner caught his eye.
"Who’s there?!"
Zhao Yi instinctively stepped back, pointing the knife at the figure. But when he saw it was a delicate little girl, no older than five or six, he froze.
The girl, perhaps frightened, had gone deathly pale, hugging her knees and burying her head, as if trying to vanish into the cracks of the train.
"A girl?" Zhao Yi muttered in confusion. "Why is she here..."
"She probably snuck on before the train left."
A voice spoke up behind Zhao Yi, startling him. He turned to find Chen Ling standing there, his eyes narrowed as he studied the girl.
"Weren’t you at the locomotive?"
"You heard the noise here. So did I."
"......" Zhao Yi caught the sarcasm in Chen Ling’s tone and gritted his teeth, wanting to retort but finding no words. He could only let out a frustrated grunt.
"Bring her along. I need more spectators."
"Need more what?" Zhao Yi didn’t quite catch it.
Chen Ling shook his head and didn’t elaborate, turning back toward the locomotive.
Left with no choice, Zhao Yi sheathed his knife and reached out to the girl, softening his voice. "Come with us. We’re not like those bad guys. We’ll take you to Aurora City."
The girl timidly opened her eyes. Seeing that Zhao Yi was just a young man—not much older than the neighbor’s brother she knew—some of her fear faded.
"I... I can’t move my legs."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
Sighing, Zhao Yi simply picked her up and carried her on his back, carefully maneuvering through the wrecked carriages toward the locomotive.
The girl was light, and even with his injuries, Zhao Yi had no trouble carrying her. When they entered the locomotive’s control room, Chen Ling flicked his wrist—the control lever instantly replaced the wooden rod in its original position. He pulled it forcefully.
Hummm!
The boiler roared to life, and steam hissed once more.
Chen Ling had already disconnected the locomotive from the rear carriages. As the drive shaft turned, the locomotive began moving forward along the tracks.
Zhao Yi set the girl down on a chair in the control room and walked to the door, gazing out at the tracks stretching endlessly into the mist. Amid the wind and snow, their destination remained unknown.
"Chen Ling, are we really going to Aurora City like this?" Zhao Yi asked uneasily.
"Who said we’re going to Aurora City?"
"Huh?" Zhao Yi was stunned.
"This train’s final stop is a temporary station outside Aurora City... Without entry documents, we still can’t get through the gates." Chen Ling spoke slowly. "What I need is a means of transport that can take us directly into Aurora City."
"A means of transport that goes straight into Aurora City?" Zhao Yi scratched his head. "What do you mean? Where exactly are we going now?"
After a pause, Chen Ling uttered one word:
"Winterport."
---
Aurora City, White Dove Plaza.
Gentle sunlight spilled across the lawn, gilding it in pale gold. At the center of a pristine stone fountain, mist curled around a magnificent spray of water, casting faint rainbows in the air.
In front of this fountain, a figure cloaked in a black trench coat sat motionless on a wooden bench, like a statue.
A group of children, no older than five or six, tumbled across the grass in laughter. Spotting the figure on the bench, they exchanged curious whispers before scampering over on short legs.
"Judge brother, aren’t you tired?"
"Yeah, you’ve been sitting here all morning... Come play with us!"
"See that kite flying the highest over there? My dad bought it for me. Isn’t it pretty?"
"Look, he really is like a statue! He’s not moving at all!"
The children crowded around the figure, giggling and nudging him. When they realized he truly didn’t react, their eyes lit up with mischief. They pulled out colored markers from their pockets, ready to draw on his face.
Just then, an elderly man in an identical black trench coat approached, holding two cups of coffee. He patted the children’s heads, his wrinkled face breaking into a warm smile.
"Kids, this big brother is tired. Let him rest for a while, okay?"
The children hesitated but soon scattered with laughter.
The old man sat down on the bench and spoke softly, "Well? Have you figured it out?"
Beside him, the statue-like figure remained hunched forward, his hands resting on his knees. Countless shadows bound him in place, as though he were a prisoner shackled in a courtroom... And now, his eyes were bloodshot.
Han Meng parted his cracked lips with difficulty, his voice a low, hoarse growl:
"Let me... go back!!"