Chapter 1127: Heartless and Ruthless Red Heart 6

Chen Ling looked at the thorny whip in his hand, a subtle expression on his face.

Although he claimed he was going to interrogate them, Chen Ling's true intention was simply to check on Jian Changsheng and the others. Based on his understanding of the "Generation 6" members, while the current situation was problematic, they shouldn't be entirely without recourse. Chen Ling intended to test the waters first; if they genuinely had no means of escape, he would have to covertly assist them, at least ensuring they avoided becoming sacrifices.

To Chen Ling's surprise, Zheng Ye took the matter so seriously that he publicly presented him with an "instrument of torture," clearly expecting Chen Ling to rigorously interrogate the captives.

The bonfire was centrally located in the village, visible to many Scarlet Heaven Cult followers. If he didn't administer a beating, it would undoubtedly raise suspicions among them.

This trapped Chen Ling in a dilemma: he couldn't hit them, nor could he refrain from doing so.

Chen Ling sighed deeply to himself.

Concurrently, his hand, concealed within his sleeve, subtly rubbed together, and a small pebble he had prepared earlier was swiftly swapped with the key in Zheng Ye's pocket—the key to the stone locks holding Jian Changsheng and the others.

Having completed this, Chen Ling silently carried the thorny whip and walked towards the bonfire.

Jian Changsheng sat silently at the edge of the bonfire, his head bowed, his dim eyes seemingly scrutinizing the sand on the ground, not uttering a single word.

Witnessing this, Sun Bumian, who was nearby, silently exchanged a complex glance with Jiang Xiaohua.

"What should we do? He seems quite sad."

Sun Bumian leaned in and whispered into Jiang Xiaohua's ear.

Jiang Xiaohua, unfamiliar with comforting others, merely shook his head blankly. He rubbed the heavy stone lock around him and tentatively asked:

"Or, should I just break this thing and fight our way out with him? Would that make him happy?"

"I don't believe he's upset merely because he's trapped," Sun Bumian mused, his eyes behind his small round sunglasses revealing a shrewd, world-weary insight.

"He's likely struggling with his own misfortune. He's met with setbacks at every turn on this journey, and he's probably shouldering all the blame himself. Moreover, he sacrificed his luck to save Hongxin, but now Hongxin has fled, and he's stuck here due to his bad luck, so he's bound to feel both anxious and frustrated. This constant cycle has trapped him."

Jiang Xiaohua appeared not to fully grasp the explanation, merely nodding repeatedly:

"Oh... So, if I fight our way out with him, will he be happy?"

"Probably not. He'd only feel more useless, like a burden."

"Then what's the plan?"

Sun Bumian let out a long sigh, leaned back against the stone barrier, and gazing up at the narrow strip of sky above the cliff, slowly said, "...Let's just go with the flow."

Jiang Xiaohua let out a sound of understanding, then lay motionlessly on the ground, giving up.

After an indeterminate period,

Jack of Diamonds' plaintive voice once again reached their ears:

"Seriously... I'm working myself to death to get you out of here. How can you two be so relaxed?"

A spark of life returned to Jian Changsheng's vacant eyes. He snapped back to attention and eagerly asked, "What's the situation?"

"There's an Arch-Bishop and two Cardinal Bishops stationed in the village, making a forced breakout nearly impossible. However, I've surveyed the soil beneath this village; although it's on a cliff, it's not as hard as one might expect. I've already mapped out an underground escape route that leads directly out of the village from here, but it will take time to dig through."

"Approximately how long?"

"At least until late night."

Sun Bumian frowned deeply. "But didn't they just say they'd start the ritual? What if we don't have enough time?"

"We'll just have to risk it," Jack of Diamonds said. As he spoke, small green shoots emerged from the soil beneath each of the three, burrowing into the stone locks like tiny snakes.

"The stone locks on you aren't an issue. Give me some time, and I can duplicate the keys. In the worst-case scenario, we'll have to fight them head-on."

As the small green shoots burrowed into the stone locks, Jian Changsheng and the others could faintly feel the heavy chains on their bodies vibrating. Just as they were about to speak, Jack of Diamonds suddenly warned,

"Someone's coming!"

Jian Changsheng frowned and looked up ahead.

A figure in a Scarlet Heaven Cult red robe, wielding a fearsome thorny whip, was slowly approaching them.

Sun Bumian's heart sank at the sight of the whip.

"This doesn't bode well..."

Jian Changsheng stared fixedly at the Scarlet Heaven Cult member, frustration and anger surging within him. He spoke in a cold voice, "What is there to be afraid of? Whatever they have planned, they can just come straight for me!"

"!" Sun Bumian immediately shuffled back, quietly positioning himself behind Jian Changsheng, and gave him a thumbs-up. "Noble!"

Jian Changsheng was speechless.

As Chen Ling approached, carrying the thorny whip, two or three Scarlet Heaven Cult members who happened to be passing by looked over, seemingly enjoying the spectacle with schadenfreude.

Sensing the surrounding gazes, Chen Ling, expressionless, slowly came to a halt before the bonfire.

*Crack—!!*

Chen Ling cracked the thorny whip powerfully in the air; its sharp tip sliced through with a loud snap, startling both the other Scarlet Heaven Cult members and Jian Changsheng's group of three. The display was incredibly fierce!

Jian Changsheng's face paled slightly, and Jiang Xiaohua, who had been lying motionless beside him, quietly shifted his body to hide behind Jian Changsheng.

"Speak," Chen Ling said flatly. "Who instructed you to attack this place?"

Jian Changsheng and the two others exchanged confused glances.

"Didn't your Arch-Bishop capture us mid-journey? How has that turned into *us* attacking *you*?" Jian Changsheng's face was pale, yet his demeanor was unyielding as he spoke grimly.

"This place is incredibly far from the human realm. What are you doing here out of nowhere?! You must have ulterior motives!!!"

"We were actually headed to the Integration Faction! We just got lost en route..." As Jian Changsheng spoke, he suddenly caught himself and fiercely retorted, "Why should I tell you what I'm doing?!"

Integration Faction?

Why were they going to the Integration Faction?

Upon hearing those three words, Chen Ling's heart subtly stirred, and an idea suddenly flashed through his mind...

Were they looking for me?

The "Generation 6" members have always had little to no interaction with the Integration Faction. Unless they were assigned a specific mission, there would be no reason for them to travel such a great distance there. However, if there were a mission related to the Integration Faction, the Twilight Society would typically assign it to its Integrator members; it certainly wouldn't fall to these three newcomers.

Therefore, the only possibility was that they were searching for him.

Upon this realization, the feigned ferocity in Chen Ling's eyes began to waver. He looked at Jian Changsheng, who was baring his teeth like a snarling dog, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

Meanwhile, several Scarlet Heaven Cult members observing from a distance smirked at Jian Changsheng's reaction, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Chen Ling realized he had already asked two questions, and Jian Changsheng and the others seemed unwilling to cooperate. Under the watchful eyes of the Scarlet Heaven Cult, he had to take action.

Chen Ling gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the thorny whip, and raised it high...