Chapter 379: Dilemma

A figure in green hurried through the intricate alleys.

Li Qingshan stepped onto the stairs and suddenly saw a corpse with its heart dug out on the side, his body pausing involuntarily.

Li Qingshan swallowed hard. He carefully avoided Maple Ghost's corpse and walked forward. After walking dozens of steps, the narrow alley in front of him opened up.

"This is..."

Li Qingshan scanned his surroundings, his feet stepping on the devastated bridge bottom, his eyes filled with shock.

What kind of battle must have happened to turn this place into such a state?

Li Qingshan stepped over the charred corpse and followed the sound coming from not far away. As he approached, a voice with faint static became clearer.

"...The [Circle] has locked down the area around Willow Town, and several high-level Architects are arriving soon. No matter how many tricks you have, you are only one person and cannot escape our grasp... The [Floating Life Painting] will make you pay the price."

Li Qingshan passed through the bridge arch and saw the scene in front of him, stopping subconsciously.

Dark clouds like ink gathered in the sky. In the biting evil wind, a bright red theater robe fluttered alone over the ruins.

"Alright." That figure held the walkie-talkie and said lightly, "I'll be waiting for you."

BANG—!

As the words fell, the figure squeezed his five fingers with force, crushing the walkie-talkie in his hand!

The red-clad figure slowly relaxed his palm, letting the fragments of the walkie-talkie drift into the air. At his feet, Lin Xi's corpse lay in a pool of blood, eyes wide open in death.

As if sensing something, the red-clad figure tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing on Li Qingshan, making his body tremble.

What kind of eyes were those?

Cold, grim, lonely yet powerful... like a trapped beast on the verge of death, covered in blood, flashing with calm madness.

Li Qingshan had never seen such a gaze. In that instant, a cold chill seemed to surge from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull. He felt as if he were being watched by some kind of ferocious beast, unable to move a single inch, with only sweat seeping from his back.

"Li Qingshan?" Chen Ling narrowed his eyes slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I wanted to come and help you."

"Help me?"

"I was stopped by that person on my way to pick up firewood. I guessed he was probably here to catch you, so I thought I'd come and plead for you..." Li Qingshan opened his mouth, and finally, he silently took out a few crumpled banknotes from his sleeve, which rustled in the wind.

"I know this isn't much money, but what if they're willing to take it? If I plead with them some more, maybe they can spare your life for now...

As the old saying goes, 'As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood.' As long as you're alive, there will always be a way to reduce the sentence later."

Li Qingshan paused for a moment and added:

"I'm just an ordinary person, and there's really not much I can do... Maybe this is meaningless to you, but if I did nothing, I would never be at peace for the rest of my life."

The cold wind blew through the devastated bridge arch, making a wailing sound.

Under the gray sky, Chen Ling looked at the determined Li Qingshan in green and fell silent.

It was unknown how much time had passed before he slowly said, "You and I are just passing acquaintances. I don't remember doing anything worth you helping me."

"Brother Lin, don't you know? Because of what you did in the theater, Willow Town has become the focus of the entire Red Dust Realm. The Huadu Consortium has apologized and will soon hold a second assessment in Willow Town. And to recover their reputation and prove they have no inside operations, they will definitely ensure the fairness and justice of this assessment, otherwise, they would be giving other consortiums and media a handle to use against them...

Brother Lin, because of you, everyone in Willow Town has been given a chance to change their destiny."

Hearing this, a flash of surprise appeared in Chen Ling's eyes.

He seemed to have heard about the Huadu Consortium's apology on the radio, but he hadn't expected his unintentional actions to have such a significant impact...

Chen Ling looked at Li Qingshan deeply.

"It seems you aren't completely ignorant of the ways of the world."

Back at the theater, Li Qingshan had performed with near-stubborn persistence, appearing to know nothing about human affairs... But judging from his deduction just now, he had long seen through the ways of the world.

"What if I know?" Li Qingshan smiled self-deprecatingly. "I'm just a commoner, and I can't change anything... As long as I close my eyes, those filth and corruption naturally cease to exist."

"You are willing to use money to save me now, why didn't you use money to pull strings before? Otherwise, you might have been able to enter the main city years ago."

"That's different." Li Qingshan shook his head solemnly. "Pawning my family's assets to save you today is an act of benevolence and righteousness; but if I used this money to bribe the judges, that would be corruption... Even if I entered the main city through such means, my performance would no longer be pure.

I, Li Qingshan, do not want such a future."

Chen Ling stood silently in place for a long time and nodded slightly:

"I accept your good intentions... You can go now."

After saying this, Chen Ling turned and left.

Li Qingshan's original intention was to help Chen Ling, but by the time he arrived, he had already killed all three of them... Now he was being hunted by the [Floating Life Painting]. If Li Qingshan didn't leave, he might get dragged into it too.

Li Qingshan suddenly spoke up, "Brother Lin, come back with me!"

Chen Ling stopped and tilted his head slightly. "What?"

"Aren't those people trying to kill you? And you don't have a place to hide... If you come back with me, I'll say you're my distant cousin. That way, even if they come to investigate, they won't suspect you, and it should be able to protect you for a while."

Li Qingshan's expression was incredibly serious.

Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and shook his head.

He spat out two words lightly:

"No need."

The next moment, the red-clad figure disappeared alone into the end of the wind and rain.

Li Qingshan watched Chen Ling's decisive retreating figure and stood there blankly. After a long time, he sighed helplessly...

To be honest, Chen Ling was indeed tempted by Li Qingshan's proposal.

Now that the [Circle] had sealed Willow Town and the powerful figures of the [Floating Life Painting] would soon arrive, Chen Ling was definitely no match for them head-on... Li Qingshan's proposal would allow Chen Ling to blend perfectly into Willow Town. Even if those people investigated, it would be very difficult to confirm the authenticity of a distant cousin. Most importantly, they wouldn't expect the people of Willow Town to risk their lives to harbor Chen Ling; it would be like a natural protective umbrella.

But the problem was that the [Floating Life Painting] was truly enraged. They wouldn't lift the [Circle] until they killed Chen Ling. Under repeated screenings, clues would eventually emerge... At that point, not only would Chen Ling suffer, but Li Qingshan and his grandmother, who harbored him, would also be implicated.

Chen Ling walked alone in the wind and rain, his brows furrowed.

"This time... how exactly can I break this situation?"

……

Inn, Room 301.

The beautiful youth lying on the bed as if asleep suddenly turned over and yawned lazily.

He slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth.