"What do you mean?" Zhao Yi didn't understand and asked in return.
"Ten-some hours ago, the convergence points of the Gray Realm were only a few meters wide and clearly visible... Now, convergence points are almost everywhere." Chen Ling pointed at the icy plain they had just left. "Remember the seaweed we encountered at Winterport?"
"I remember."
"Where did they appear from?"
"...Puddle reflections?"
"Exactly." Chen Ling spoke slowly, "Though I don't know why, it seems anything around here that can cast a reflection can connect to the Gray Realm... In other words, the two worlds have already begun merging through reflections.
"Those residents earlier entered the Gray Realm by stepping onto the ice and passing through reflections, and we fell into the same trap without realizing it... If this trend continues, the frequency of us entering the Gray Realm will only increase until..."
"Until the two worlds completely merge into one?" Zhao Yi grasped Chen Ling's meaning.
Chen Ling nodded.
"Almost there. With this train, we'll reach Aurora City in half an hour at most!" Zhao Yi confidently maneuvered the train, full of assurance.
Chen Ling turned and walked back into the carriage. The previously empty carriage now held over forty people, several of whom lay on the ground with severe burns, moaning and wailing in pain.
The others, though unharmed by the eels, weren't much better off. Prolonged exposure to the snow and ice had left them frostbitten, exhausted, and traumatized from their narrow escape. Their faces were as pale as paper as they huddled on the carriage floor, looking as though they might faint at any moment.
When they saw Chen Ling enter, a faint glimmer of hope appeared in their dull eyes. Boss Xu gently set down his sleeping child and shakily rose to his feet before kneeling heavily before Chen Ling.
"Thank you, Officer Chen, for saving our lives... Your great kindness will forever be remembered by Xu Chongguo!"
By his count, this was already the second time Chen Ling had rescued his family. Xu Chongguo was at a loss for words and could only kowtow repeatedly.
Seeing this, the others also knelt one after another. Without Chen Ling, they would have either perished in the Gray Realm or died on the road to Aurora City. Chen Ling's appearance had not only saved them but also provided them shelter in this freezing journey.
Moreover, from their perspective, Chen Ling had already left in the locomotive but then returned with a brand-new train out of compassion—choosing to delay his own entry into Aurora City to bring them along. Such selflessness and mercy, compared to the law enforcers who had massacred them at the station, made him seem like an angel.
The wind and snow howled outside the carriage. Chen Ling's gaze swept over the kneeling crowd as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"Not enough people..."
"Pardon?" Xu Chongguo, kneeling at the front, was taken aback.
"Nothing." Chen Ling shook his head and spoke unhurriedly, "Where are you all heading like this?"
The crowd exchanged glances, confused. Wasn't it obvious? Weren't they all going to Aurora City, just like him?
"Officer Chen, we're going to Aurora City," Xu Chongguo answered promptly.
"For what purpose?"
"To seek refuge. Now that all seven districts have fallen, only Aurora City can protect us and keep us alive..."
Chen Ling chuckled lightly. "Then do you know who abandoned the seven districts?"
The crowd paused, then cautiously replied, "It was... Aurora City?"
"You clearly know that Aurora City abandoned the seven districts, along with the hundreds of thousands of civilians living there... yet you still want to go there and seek its protection?" Chen Ling's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Do you really think that's possible?"
The question plunged the carriage into silence. It was a truth everyone had recognized but refused to confront. But where else could they go? Aurora City was their last hope.
"What if... just what if?" Xu Chongguo rasped. "Officer Chen, Aurora City is the only safe place left in the entire domain... Only by going there do we have even a sliver of hope to survive."
"It's useless." Chen Ling replied flatly. "Aurora City will not take you in."
Chen Ling's detached tone shattered the last vestiges of hope in the carriage. The people stared at him, their eyes brimming with despair and confusion.
"Why??"
"What can you offer Aurora City? Destitute refugees? Panic from beyond the walls? A potential source of unrest? It has already abandoned hundreds of thousands of lives. Tell me—why would it care about a few dozen more of you?"
Whooo—
The icy wind wailed outside the carriage. Chen Ling watched as the light in these people's eyes dimmed and died... They knelt like statues, their despair permeating the entire space.
Chen Ling was right. These people had nothing to offer Aurora City. Instead, their presence would only spread fear among the city's sheltered residents. Moreover, since Aurora City itself had ordered the abandonment of the seven districts, what if some among these refugees harbored resentment and incited chaos later?
After a brief, suffocating silence, Chen Ling's indifferent voice spoke again, "The train will take you to Aurora City's gates. But that will only prolong your lives for a short while... What happens afterward has nothing to do with me."
With those words, Chen Ling turned and walked into the control room, leaving behind a carriage filled with hollow, hopeless faces...
"Chen Ling, why did you scare them like that?"
Zhao Yi's puzzled voice greeted Chen Ling as soon as he entered.
"I simply stated the truth."
"But you didn’t have to say it... They’ve suffered enough. Why strip away their last hope?"
Chen Ling stepped to the open doorway, watching the snow and landscape blur past outside. His reply was calm, "The more desperate they are, the more fiercely they’ll cling to even the faintest glimmer of salvation when it appears."
"...What do you mean?"
"I have my reasons." Chen Ling glanced back at the silent carriage and spoke slowly, "Since I’ve saved them and brought them aboard, they ought to... serve their purpose when the time comes."