Chapter 1268: Next Show

Chapter 1268: The Next Performance

Is it him? How did he catch up?

Chen Ling didn't look back, but his peripheral vision had already caught the black figure in the crowd. After a brief thought, he immediately turned into a nearby alley.

Chen Ling hadn't expected Han Meng to pursue him from the Pu family residence. This further indicated that Han Meng might have discovered something amiss about him. However, at this juncture, Chen Ling could barely protect himself and had no time to deal with Han Meng.

Han Meng's brows furrowed as he saw Chen Ling suddenly turn.

He immediately quickened his pace, reaching the intersection almost the second Chen Ling turned away...

But when he looked into the alley, it was already empty.

This level of anti-tracking ability was definitely not something an ordinary fifth-tier Book God Path practitioner could achieve. All the clues now corroborated each other in Han Meng's mind, and an answer emerged.

The cold wind wailed through the empty alley, billowing Han Meng's law enforcement officer's trench coat. His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and a whisper echoed in the wind:

“It really is you.”

“Though I don't know how you did it, still...”

“I will definitely 'catch' you.”

Scattered red paper flowed along the corner of the wall, silently sweeping past several streets before reassembling in another deserted corner. Chen Ling, wearing a gray vest, stepped out slowly.

Chen Ling looked back in the direction he came from, lightly adjusted the rimless glasses on his nose, and then calmly walked towards the hotel.

As he neared the streets around the hotel, a clamor reached his ears. Many people seemed to be gathered nearby, pointing and gesturing towards the hotel...

The hotel itself was now surrounded by bright yellow police tape. Police officers from the Nanhai Region and a few members of the Pu family stood outside, seemingly discussing something, their gazes occasionally darting towards the hotel.

Seeing this, Chen Ling's heart sank.

Something had happened at the hotel.

He changed his face in a secluded corner, then blended into the crowd, approaching the hotel.

“Hey, what happened here? Why is it sealed off?”

“I heard they caught two Convergers here!”

“Convergers?? Really?!”

“My goodness, I live right across the street and go downstairs to buy groceries every day... Does that mean I've been living next to two Convergers all this time?”

“You might have even run into them at the market.”

“Stop talking, you’re giving me goosebumps...”

“Are they from the Convergence Faction?”

“Not sure, but a person in a black cloak rushed over just now, shouting something about the Red King and Q needing help... That's how the Pu family discovered this place. Maybe they're from the Twilight Society.”

“It's terrifying. I must suggest to the government to disinfect and clean this entire street, so the disaster virus doesn't spread to people...”

“Yes, yes, no wonder I've been feeling itchy all over lately!”

In the crowd, Chen Ling's expression visibly darkened.

Logically, by the time the news of the Water Transport Gang encountering Red Heart Six reached the Pu family, there should have been enough time for Pu Jianyue to escape. Yet, he was still pursued... and even ended up involving Xiaotao and the others.

“Was that Red Heart Six caught?” Chen Ling asked casually.

“No, I don't think so. It seems he got away in the end.”

“Oh.”

Pu Jianyue not being caught meant he could still maintain his original identity. Chen Ling walked back into the alley, and when he emerged again, he had transformed back into “Pu Jianyue.”

He walked directly towards several members of the Pu family who were conversing with police officers.

“Young Master Jianyue?”

“What's the situation here?”

“Oh, it's nothing major. Just now, your father discovered traces of Red Heart Six here. During the pursuit, he inadvertently apprehended two Convergers... We were initially worried they were from the Twilight Society, but they were too weak and were knocked unconscious by your father's single blow. Your father said that Q-ranked members of the Twilight Society shouldn't be this weak, so they might just be ordinary Convergers who stumbled in and were coincidentally affected.”

The one who caught Xiaotao was Pu Laoliu?

Chen Ling's eyelids twitched slightly. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable awkwardness in his heart...

It wasn't that he felt awkward about Pu Laoliu making arrests; rather, the entire incident itself felt strangely discordant to him. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, only instinctively sensing something amiss...

Chen Ling then asked:

“Oh... what about those two Convergers? Are they dead?”

“No, those two Convergers pose no threat. Your father sent a few people to escort them to the police station. They should be undergoing interrogation now, to see if they have any connection to Red Heart Six.”

The Pu family member asked curiously, “Young Master Jianyue, why are you asking about this?”

“I just heard my father was here, so I wanted to come talk to him about the assets. I didn't realize he'd already left... It's fine, I'll just go back and wait for him.”

Chen Ling waved his hand casually and then found an excuse to leave.

Chen Ling moved away from the crowd and glanced at the sky. A fine drizzle drifted down from above. There were less than 15 hours left until the Convergence Faction and their people arrived at the Nanhai Region...

He had to rescue Xiaotao and the other person before then, and open the gate for the Convergence Faction as planned.

However, if he personally went to rescue Xiaotao, the subsequent situation would gradually spiral out of Chen Ling's control. After all, no one knew what kind of enemies he would encounter or if his identity would be exposed. Moreover, the 'Pu Jianyue' tool-person, originally prepared on the other side, had already disappeared and was practically useless.

If trouble arose here, even if he could barely protect himself, who would then open the gate for the Convergence Faction?

“Why now, of all times...”

Just as Chen Ling was pondering how to break the deadlock, his surroundings suddenly warped!

In Chen Ling's vision, streets and pedestrians rapidly receded. He felt as if he were in another world. Beneath a dim sky, a twisted Theater God Path extended from beneath his feet, disappearing into the distant horizon...

There, a strange Path Star was silently twinkling.

Chen Ling was startled.

Had the performance condition for ascending to the sixth tier been triggered at this very moment...?

Based on his previous experiences, Chen Ling knew that significant events always accompanied each performance. The appearance of the sixth-tier promotion performance now indicated that he was indeed approaching another crucial juncture... Could the next performance be related to the Nanhai Region and the Convergence Faction?

He took a deep breath and slowly walked along the twisted Theater God Path. On either side of him, countless crimson eyes gazed at him, their pupils filled with jest and amusement, like expectant 'audience members' beneath a stage.

Chen Ling slowly stopped at the end of the stone steps, just before stepping onto the sixth tier.

He looked down, and a line of small text appeared before his eyes:

—Amidst the audience's doubts and cheers, embrace the king's destiny