Chapter 59: The Rendezvous

Chen Ling walked about forty or fifty meters away, then suddenly turned and ducked into a nearby public restroom.

He had naturally seen the rendezvous signal from the grocery kiosk, but Winter Harbor was only so big. Under the watchful eyes of the three law officers and Number 8, he couldn't just walk up and chat with the kiosk owner.

To meet that mysterious Dusk Society member, he had to use a more secretive method.

Chen Ling followed a lucky boy. The moment the boy was about to enter a stall, he delivered a hand-chop to knock him unconscious, then dragged the boy in and quickly locked the door...

When the door opened again, he had already transformed into the boy’s likeness.

Chen Ling straightened his slightly messy collar, walked out of the restroom, and headed straight for the grocery kiosk.

"Newspapers, magazines, toys, poker... anyone want any? If not, I’m off the clock~"

"Hello, I want to write a letter to my mom..."

Just as the woman was yawning, a childish voice suddenly rang out.

She looked down and saw a pair of eyes full of innocence staring at her pitifully.

"Little kid, we don't really..."

"My mom has a heart condition, and I want to give her some hope," the boy continued before the woman could speak. "I only have six dollars left; can I mail it?"

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise passed through the woman’s eyes, imperceptible to others. She smiled and pushed the paper and pen toward him:

"Of course you can, just write it right here."

"Thank you."

The boy picked up the pen and wrote rapidly on the paper:

[Fire-Tamperers have infiltrated the team, the Saint of Thieves Bai Ye is hiding in the shadows, request support!]

After writing the last word, he immediately folded the paper and handed it to the woman. At the same time, several law enforcers hurried past him, heading toward the harbor assembly point.

The law enforcers from the Fourth District had arrived.

Seeing this, the boy gave the woman a deep look and immediately walked toward the restroom.

This woman was not a Dusk Society member, but like the Xiaofang Grocery Store in the Third District, she only served to pass information. Although he hadn't been able to see the society member sent to meet him in person, he knew the woman would definitely pass his message along.

This way, the Dusk Society could be prepared. Even if they didn't send a member capable of suppressing the Saint of Thieves Bai Ye, they could at least ensure he could escape unscathed, right?

Thinking of this, Chen Ling’s heart settled down quite a bit.

He returned to the restroom, changed back to his own appearance, and walked unhurriedly toward the assembly point...

Meanwhile.

The woman at the grocery kiosk scanned her surroundings vigilantly.

She carefully took the paper under the table and slowly unfolded it... then froze in place.

On the large sheet of paper, there were only two bloody characters:

—[DIE].

Woman: ???

……

[Audience Expectation +5]

The moment he saw those characters, Chen Ling’s heart skipped a beat.

Audience expectation rising for no reason never meant anything good... This was the experience Chen Ling had accumulated over a long time.

Chen Ling tried to find some clues in the surroundings but found nothing. No assassins, no danger. He even walked around the ship for a while, afraid that someone might have secretly cut a large hole in the bottom.

With the arrival of the Fourth District law enforcers, the three law officers gathered everyone together, boarding the ship in groups by district.

"There are so many people from Aurora City... they take up almost half," Zhong Yaoguang said, unable to help himself as he saw a large group of law enforcers gathered together.

"Normal," another Fire-Tamperer replied calmly. "Aurora City is the core of the Aurora Domain. One city monopolizes eighty percent of the domain’s resources. In the original design, the seven major districts were just peripheral factories serving Aurora City.

If anything, it’s already generous that they’re willing to give the seven districts this many spots..."

Chen Ling followed their gaze and saw a large group of law enforcers waiting by the ship, preparing to board. At a glance, there were at least thirty of them.

They were chatting with each other, not even looking at the law enforcers from the seven districts around them. On the contrary, the law enforcers from the other districts were casting envious and longing gazes at them.

Actually, just by looking at their demeanor, one could tell the difference between the Aurora City law enforcers and the others. They carried an air of confidence in every gesture. Compared to them, the law enforcers from the other districts looked like country bumpkins who had coincidentally worn the same clothes.

And among the many Aurora City law enforcers, three were particularly conspicuous.

They were conspicuous because none of them wore the black and red uniforms of the law enforcers. One was in black clothes and pants, one was decked out in jewelry, and one was holding a folding fan in the cold wind, fanning himself leisurely.

The three of them stood at the very front, and no one dared to step within half a step of them. Even the three law officers from Aurora City intentionally avoided standing ahead of them.

"Who are those three?" a Fire-Tamperer asked curiously.

"The one in black clothes and pants should be Lu Xuanming. His father is one of the five Seven-Striped law officers in Aurora City, holding great power. The one with the fan is Pu Wen; it’s said his family is a family of the Book Divine Path that moved from another domain..."

"A family of the Book Divine Path? Then why are they entering the Ancient Armory of the Martial Path?"

"Don't know..."

"What about the one covered in jewelry?"

"He..." Zhong Yaoguang hesitated for a moment, as if he had discovered something. He picked up the newspaper he had just bought and widened his eyes. "I was wondering why he looked so familiar. He’s the third young master of the Star Chamber of Commerce, Yan Xicai."

Everyone opened their mouths in surprise.

Chen Ling’s eyes narrowed, and he deliberately raised his voice, feigning shock: "He’s the one who slept with his aunt?"

"Keep it down," Number 8, who was leading, frowned. "Don't cause trouble."

At the same time, Lu Xuanming, standing at the front of the line, glanced at the Third District and said leisurely:

"Yan Xicai, your glorious deeds have already spread outside Aurora City... In terms of popularity, we really aren't as good as you."

Yan Xicai’s expression was extremely ugly, and he glared fiercely at the group from the Third District.

"Damn it! When I get back, I’m going to bankrupt the 'Aurora Daily,' those dogs who kick a man when he’s down!"

"Then you’d better actually step onto the Martial God Path first, otherwise, even if you go back, you’ll be kicked out of the family."

"What are you afraid of? With Brother Pu here this time, I don't believe I won't be able to step onto the Divine Path..."

"Alright, let’s get on the ship."

As the Aurora City law enforcers boarded first, the others followed one after another. Compared to the numbers from the other districts, the eight people from the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Districts combined seemed a bit pathetic.

Confirming the numbers were correct, a law officer nodded slightly, signaling to set sail. Amidst the roar of the steam whistle, the ship slowly sailed toward the center of the Frozen Sea.

Chen Ling had just stepped onto the ship when he heard a voice that brooked no refusal coming from the center of the deck.

"Hey, you!"

Chen Ling turned to look and saw Yan Xicai standing there with a gloomy expression, beckoning to him.

"Yes, I’m talking to you... come here."

Seeing Chen Ling being called over by Yan Xicai, the most nervous person wasn't Chen Ling, but the many Fire-Tamperers nearby. Their hearts skipped a beat, and they suddenly had an ominous premonition...

Seeing this, a faint smile flashed in Chen Ling’s eyes, imperceptible to others.

The fish had taken the bait.