Chapter 139: Can You Stop It?

A faint rustle.

At that moment, an extremely faint sound drifted from the rear of the carriage.

Xi Renjie frowned and turned to look. At the very back of the carriage, several storage compartments were stacked. Some doors were ajar, revealing cleaning supplies that the crew hadn't had time to remove, but most were closed. The faint sound emanated from one of the bottommost compartments.

The sound was so faint that only Xi Renjie, seated in the last row, could hear it. He rose, walked over to the compartment, and forcefully yanked open the bottommost door!

Behind the dark, cramped compartment door, a girl of five or six was huddled, watching him with terror in her eyes.

Xi Renjie was stunned.

He had no idea where the girl had come from. Most likely, she had sneaked onto the train during the pre-departure chaos, her small size allowing her to remain undetected. But perhaps after being curled up for so long, she had involuntarily shifted, and that slight movement had reached his ears.

The girl's face was ashen. Like a wounded dove, she frantically tried to shrink deeper into the compartment, her eyes fixed on Xi Renjie, filled with fear and despair.

"Officer Xi? What are you doing?" a law enforcer asked, catching sight of Xi Renjie standing at the back of the carriage.

"Nothing, just having a look."

Xi Renjie glanced at the girl inside the compartment, then calmly closed the door with a backhand before replying.

The law enforcer was about to speak further when the train suddenly lurched violently. Blinding sparks erupted from the tracks, and as the speed drastically decreased, everyone lost their balance and pitched forward amidst the sharp screech of the brakes!

"What happened?!" Xi Renjie steadied himself and immediately asked, "Why the sudden brake?"

"I... I didn't brake!"

From the driver's cabin, a bewildered voice responded, "I don't know what happened; the train just malfunctioned!"

"How could it malfunction for no reason?!"

Xi Renjie and the others immediately leaned out the windows, eager to see what was happening.

A searing screech—!

Amidst a frantic spray of sparks, the train's speed rapidly decelerated. In the darkness, torn by the train's headlight beams, the silhouette of a trench-coated figure standing in the night was starkly outlined.

The figure stood motionless on the tracks, calmly watching the train roar toward him like an out-of-control beast. The fierce wind whipped his coat tails, and amidst the swirling snowflakes and mist, his form remained as unyielding as a mountain.

The train's speed plummeted, slowly grinding to a halt. Finally, the colossal locomotive came to a steady stop, hovering just before him.

"A person?" A law enforcer squinted, trying to make out the person's face.

"Is it a civilian trying to block the train?"

"No, that's not right... that trench coat..."

"An enforcer? Wait... it's Chen Ling!!"

"How is that possible? Wasn't he dead?!"

Under the dead silence of the night, the figure slowly lifted his face. The moment Xi Renjie saw that familiar visage, his emotions became incredibly complex.

"Good evening, everyone," Chen Ling said calmly, toying with an operating lever he had apparently retrieved from the locomotive.

"So late? Where are you rushing off to?"

All the law enforcers simultaneously looked at Xi Renjie. Chen Ling was an enforcer after all, and only Xi Renjie, an enforcer himself, could truly contend with him. The latter remained silent for a moment before stepping down from the carriage.

He stepped slowly forward, treading on the snow covering the desolate land.

"The dose I prepared for you should have been enough to keep you asleep until tomorrow morning... How did you do it?"

"Thanks for the hospitality, Officer Xi," Chen Ling said calmly, meeting his gaze. "Your wine was quite good. If it hadn't been tampered with, I would have gladly had another glass or two."

Xi Renjie paused, staring at Chen Ling in astonishment. "You didn't drink any of it? Impossible... I watched you consume it."

Chen Ling stood silently, offering no reply. At this point, explanations were meaningless.

"So... you heard everything I said."

"I did."

Xi Renjie stopped in front of the locomotive. The headlights tore a swath through the night before the train, illuminating two black trench coats standing on the tracks, silently watching each other.

After a long moment, Xi Renjie spoke, his expression complex:

"Chen Ling... you shouldn't have come."

Back at headquarters, it was just the two of them, and he could have secretly defied Aurora City's orders, granting Chen Ling a way out. But now, Chen Ling had deliberately appeared before everyone, leaving Xi Renjie with no choice but to execute his orders. If Chen Ling didn't die here, Xi Renjie would have no explanation once he returned to Aurora City.

"Are you truly planning to bring this riff-raff into Aurora City?" Chen Ling glanced at the law enforcers on the train behind him, burdened with their bags. "This isn't like you."

Xi Renjie's eyes flickered slightly, but he still spoke:

"This is Aurora City's command."

"Aurora City?" Chen Ling sneered. "You just do whatever Aurora City commands? Are the people of Aurora City gods?"

"Chen Ling, you and Han Meng are both geniuses; you have the arrogance to disdain Aurora City," Xi Renjie said, his brow furrowed. "But for me, Aurora City's commands supersede everything."

Chen Ling didn't press the issue, instead speaking directly:

"You defied Aurora City's orders to let me go once. This time, I won't kill you either... Just leave. I only want the lives of those behind you, and this train."

Upon hearing this, the faces of those on the train instantly blanched. They looked at Chen Ling fearfully, speaking in haste:

"Officer Xi!! You can't kill us! He's the heretic Aurora City wants dead!"

"Officer Xi! We can't delay any longer... Kill him quickly!"

"Yes, if we delay any longer, the civilians behind us will catch up..."

"Aurora City wants Chen Ling dead. If he's not dead, how can we explain ourselves when we enter Aurora City?"

Noisy voices erupted from behind him. Xi Renjie shook his head with little hesitation. "They are Aurora City's people. If you mean to kill them, I cannot stand idly by."

Everyone immediately felt relieved. Although Chen Ling was an enforcer, he was only a low-ranking one. As long as Xi Renjie was determined to protect them, Chen Ling would be utterly powerless.

"Is that so?" Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then I shall kill them anyway... Can you stop me?"

As his words fell, Chen Ling's figure transformed into an afterimage and vanished from the spot!

Chen Ling's speed was immense; even Xi Renjie didn't react immediately. By the time he registered Chen Ling's trajectory, the black trench coat had already burst into the carriage behind him!