Chapter 1255: You Are Chen Ling!

Chapter 1255: You Are Chen Ling!

"Who... who are you??"

Councilor Sun was certain that while the bodyguard's face was still familiar, the eyes belonged to someone else entirely. It was like a ferocious beast, cloaked in human skin, staring at him through the rearview mirror. Councilor Tong, hearing this, immediately gripped the pistol hidden behind his waist. Though he knew it couldn't counter a true Divine Path wielder, it offered at least a sliver of security.

"You... you dare kidnap Alliance Councilors?! Do you even know what you're doing??" Councilor Sun, rattled by Chen Ling's gaze, stumbled over his words.

"What am I doing?" Chen Ling replied calmly. "Haven't you already said it... kidnapping councilors."

"Kidnapping councilors in the South Sea Domain, do you know the consequences?!" Councilor Tong, relatively calmer, coldly rebuked him. "Since you haven't harmed us, we'll give you a chance. Stop the car now and let us out, and we can choose not to pursue charges against you..."

While saying this outwardly, Councilor Tong was internally cursing the two idiotic bodyguards to hell. To let someone kidnap them right under their noses – they were truly the most useless of wastes, possessing Divine Path abilities but utterly brainless! Their only option now was to stabilize the kidnapper and probe his intentions. Councilor Tong suspected he was likely sent by a political rival to threaten and warn them, as they had done similar things in their early years. If that were the case, everything would be manageable... Once they successfully escaped, he had a hundred ways to make the culprit disappear. Ultimately, Councilor Tong didn't truly believe anyone in the South Sea Domain would dare lay a hand on them, and this belief was the core of his calm negotiation.

Chen Ling spoke expressionlessly, "Oh? What consequences?"

"If you dare do anything to us, it's a dead end for you!!" Councilor Sun's breathing grew heavy. "This is the South Sea Domain. Who do you think you are, to evade a dragnet search?"

"Who am I?"

Chen Ling sneered. He slowly raised a hand, extending a fingertip towards his chin...

*Rip—*

A thin layer of skin dissolved into the air.

In the rearview mirror, Chen Ling's true face smiled, watching the two men in the back seat, like a demon from hell.

"Who I am... don't you recognize me?"

Councilor Tong and Councilor Sun stared at the face, slightly stunned, feeling as if they had seen it somewhere before...

"It's you... it's you!! You're Chen Ling! You're Chen Ling!!!"

Councilor Tong suddenly remembered something, his pupils constricting sharply. His composure shattered in that instant, and an unprecedented fear surged like a tide!

"What?" Councilor Sun, beside him, was shaken to his core. He looked at the man's face again, and the documents he had once seen resurfaced in his mind!

Of course, they knew Chen Ling. Six months ago, when they had convicted Chen Ling, they had thoroughly reviewed all the information about him and seen photos of all the faces he had used... Although they hadn't recognized him at first glance, upon closer inspection, they remembered.

The two councilors were terrified. They weren't afraid of Han Meng, nor the Pu family, nor even the South Sea Lord. That was because, in the South Sea Domain, these were all people who adhered to rules and upheld law... But Chen Ling was not. Chen Ling was the one who killed without batting an eye, the World-Ending Calamity, Mocking Disaster!! What binding force could the rules of all human domains, and their moral laws, have on a World-Ending Calamity? Moreover, just half a year ago, they had personally branded Chen Ling... this vendetta couldn't be easily explained away with a few words.

The shadow of death instantly consumed their minds. They trembled in the back seat, speechless for a moment. Councilor Sun, in particular, after learning Chen Ling's identity, felt a warm trickle down his leg; he had lost control of his bladder.

Audience Anticipation: 3Current Anticipation: 51

"Good, you recognize me."

In the driver's seat, Chen Ling leisurely toyed with the boning knife in his hand, its chilling glint sweeping across their faces through the rearview mirror...

"Well... thanks to both of you, I'm still a public enemy of the domains, constantly on the run and hiding," Chen Ling said calmly. "Let me guess, neither of you cast an abstaining vote, did you?"

Both men's faces grew even paler.

"Che... Chen Ling, hear us out..." Councilor Tong opened his mouth, almost exhausting every brain cell he possessed, his mind racing. "We were misled at the time... yes, it was Han Meng! When Han Meng described the situation, he was vague and contradictory, we misjudged based on his account!"

"Yes, yes, yes!! It was a misjudgment on our part then, absolutely not deliberate targeting of you!!"

"Chen Ling, give us a chance. We'll go back now and convene the Alliance Council. This time, we'll absolutely speak up for you!"

"That's right, Chen Ling. We are both councilors of the South Sea Domain and on good terms with other councilors. Leave this to us, and we can definitely clear your name... no, no, restore your innocence!! Make you a hero of the human domains!!"

Councilor Tong and Councilor Sun clutched at this lifeline, begging frantically for mercy, even beginning to make fists and swear oaths.

The figure in the large red opera robe smiled eerily, his scarlet earrings swaying gently.

"A good Han Meng... a good misjudgment."

"You two are truly the pillars of the human domains, aren't you..."

"Too bad. I don't need you to clear my name. Being a public enemy of humanity suits me just fine... at least, when I kill, there's no psychological burden... wouldn't you agree?"

The two councilors instantly stiffened. Councilor Tong let out a shriek of terror, pulled out his gun, and fired shot after shot at Chen Ling's head without looking. He then kicked open the car door and bolted backward at full speed! Councilor Sun, realizing what was happening, also shrieked and scrambled out of the car.

Chen Ling remained calmly seated in the driver's seat. As a red paper tentacle wriggled, two bullets, crushed into balls, clinked onto the car. He casually glanced at the two fleeing figures in the rearview mirror, then slowly pushed open the car door...

*Thump— Thump— Thump...*

Councilor Tong's anxious heart felt like it would pound out of his chest. He glanced behind him, a flicker of doubt arising when he saw Chen Ling wasn't immediately pursuing them, but his feet didn't slow. The thick fog on the secluded side road grew even denser, and the two men sprinted along opposite sides of the road, temporarily unable to see clearly ahead.

Just then, deep within the swirling mist, the large red opera robe subtly materialized, and a scarlet figure with countless tentacles thrashing wildly slowly descended...

Councilor Sun stared at the red figure, which seemed like a demon descended, his heart stopping for a moment. Before he could let out a piercing shriek, a slap, whipping up a fierce gust of wind, slammed into his cheek!!

*Slap—!!*

Broken teeth flew from his mouth, and Councilor Sun was sent flying over ten meters before he crumpled onto the road like a dead dog.

***

*Author's Note: I had writer's block today, spent a long time sorting out the plot for the next part, and only managed to write one chapter... It's too late now, so there probably won't be a second update today. My apologies.*