Goodnight

However, just as he raised his hand halfway, he froze.

He saw a beam of moonlight pierce through the clouds, passing through the window at just the right angle and spilling onto the wooden floor beneath his feet... Shadows danced, and two words slowly emerged.

"Go back."

Beneath those two words was the image of a playing card.

It was a gray Joker, a gray [King].

The moment Chu Muyun saw the card, his pupils contracted. He immediately lowered his arm, and the short blade slipped into his sleeve like a swimming snake, vanishing from sight.

A gray-black cloud drifted by on the wind, obscuring the hazy moonlight. The words on the floor vanished with it, as if they had never appeared.

Chu Muyun gave the sleeping Chen Ling a deep look before turning and leaving.

As he gently closed the door, the room fell into dead silence.

Several seconds later,

From the shadows in the corner,

Chen Yan, dressed in pajamas, slowly stepped out.

The youth's crimson eyes stared fixedly toward Chu Muyun's bedroom. At some point, a bloodstained Bone-Slicing Knife had appeared in his hand.

Once Chu Muyun's bedroom door fully shut, the youth lowered his eyelids and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the chilling killing intent had already been buried deep within them.

Ethereal auroras surged beyond the window. Chen Yan slightly turned his head to look at Chen Ling sleeping on the bed.

"Brother... goodnight."

He murmured to himself.

As his words fell, his figure silently passed through the wall and returned to his own room.

At the same time.

Third District, Enforcers Headquarters, office.

"Brother Ma, word came from Ice Spring Street." A Three-Pattern Law Enforcer hurried over.

Ma Zhong raised an eyebrow. "What did they say?"

"Uh..."

The Law Enforcer hesitated for a moment. "They cursed pretty viciously."

Ma Zhong:?

"Why? Because the lockdown hasn't been lifted?"

"No. They said you have no honor—not only did you fail to keep your agreement, you even sent someone over to humiliate them." The Enforcer added, "It was one of the reserve candidates you assigned to support Ice Spring Street... Apparently, the people from Black Axe Tavern got beaten up by him. Bone Knife is already furious."

"A Reserve Seat?" Ma Zhong asked in confusion. "Who was it again?"

"One was called Wu Youdong, the other Chen Ling. Wu Youdong was scared stiff by that group and voluntarily withdrew from the Enforcers examination. Chen Ling was the one who did the beating."

"I think I remember... Was he that kid from Frost Street whose parents were scared witless by Calamity?"

"Yes, him."

"He beat up the people in Black Axe Tavern?"

"I didn't believe it either, but that's the truth." The Law Enforcer paused before carefully asking, "Brother Ma, do you think... he might have received God's Blessing?"

Ma Zhong did not answer. Frowning, he put a cigarette in his mouth, and the Law Enforcer immediately stepped forward with a lighter to ignite it.

"Could the Third District... be getting another Law Enforcer?" Ma Zhong exhaled a puff of smoke.

"There are five Law Enforcers in the Third District now, and three are ours... But if another one appears, that'll be troublesome." The Law Enforcer muttered, "He beat up people from Ice Spring Street, so he must know something. He'll probably have a hard time joining our side...

Rather than letting him grow up and become Han Meng's support, why don't we strike first and—"

The Law Enforcer narrowed his eyes and drew his palm across his throat.

Ma Zhong snorted. "Chang Lin, Chang Lin... your perspective still needs some serious honing."

The Law Enforcer named Chang Lin froze.

"Am I wrong?"

"You're right, but your vision is too narrow." Ma Zhong flicked away some ash and said blandly, "Even if that kid received God's Blessing, he's only first rank right now. It'll take a long time before he can threaten us.

Rather than targeting him, we should choose another target... and solve the problem at its root."

"You mean... Han Meng?"

"Before Han Meng arrived, the Third District was our world. Back then, our business was the largest among the seven districts. Even Ice Spring Street today was only half our size... But ever since that brat was parachuted in as the Third District's chief, he purged the district and cut off our income directly, forcing us to rebuild our connections in Ice Spring Street."

Ma Zhong's eyes gradually turned cold as he stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray.

"He's the chief Law Enforcer of the Third District. Normally, we'd have no chance to act, but now it's different..."

"Why is it different?"

"Under what circumstances would a Four-Pattern Enforcer die in the Third District?"

Chang Lin pondered for a moment. As if he had realized something, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Calamity?"

"The chief Law Enforcer of every district holds an important position. If anything happens, Aurora City will certainly send someone to investigate. Normally, we can't touch him, but now we have a ready-made 'murderer'... a 'murderer' that happened to descend upon the Third District, defeated Han Meng head-on before, and then vanished without a trace!"

Ma Zhong spoke with a cold laugh. "Kill Han Meng and make it look like he died together with Calamity in an attack. Not only will we get rid of this major threat hanging over our heads, we can also lift the Third District's lockdown openly and restore trade with the Second District at once... That way, Ice Spring Street's anger will die down as well."

"But what if, after this is over, that Calamity shows up again?"

"Who can prove that the one that appears later is the same one as this one?"

Chang Lin was stunned for a moment, then could not help sighing in admiration.

"It has to be Brother Ma!"

"Han Meng was injured by Calamity and is weaker than before. As long as we arrange things properly, he'll definitely die." Several traces of killing intent flashed through Ma Zhong's eyes. "Call Old Tao over too. We'll discuss this properly..."

"Alright... Oh, right, what about Chen Ling?"

"He..." A sharp glint flashed in Ma Zhong's eyes. "Don't let him have any more contact with those people from Ice Spring Street, in case he angers them again... First find some excuse to get him into the Enforcers. Once Han Meng is dealt with, we'll be his direct superiors.

By then, won't we be able to handle him however we want?"

"Understood."

"Morning, Brother."

The moment Chen Ling pushed open his door, he saw Chen Yan sitting in the living room, turning back with a smile to greet him.

"You're up so early?" Chen Ling asked in surprise.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up early to memorize some lines." Chen Yan raised a handwritten script in his hand and spoke earnestly.

Chen Ling nodded. Just as he was about to wash up and head out, Chu Muyun opened his door and came out as well.

"Today it's your turn to wake up late."

"...Yeah."

Chu Muyun answered casually. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and it looked like he had not slept at all last night either.

"Does your examination end today?" Chu Muyun seemed to recall something.

"Yeah, today's the last day."

"Good luck, Brother!" Chen Yan made a cheering gesture. "You'll definitely join the Enforcers!"

"I hope so." Chen Ling smiled.

After what happened yesterday, Chen Ling no longer held much hope of passing the Enforcers examination... For ordinary people like him and Wu Youdong, becoming Enforcers through their own efforts was harder than reaching the heavens.

What was more, he had beaten up those people from Black Axe Tavern yesterday, thoroughly making an enemy of Law Enforcer Ma Zhong in the Third District. The other man definitely would not let him advance either.

But even if he could not join the Enforcers... going to Ice Spring Street to harvest some Expectation Value would not be bad, right?

Chen Ling stroked his chin and thought so.