Chapter 171: Headlines

Morning.

As Chen Ling pushed open his door, the fragrance of plum blossoms wafted in, and several magpies on the eaves, startled, took flight into the sky. For a moment, Chen Ling felt disoriented. Perhaps he had spent too long in District Three, as he instinctively expected a snow-swept street beyond the door. But now he suddenly realized that the familiar, drafty little shack was a place he could never return to.

Chen Ling had slept soundly, all the exhaustion from the past few days' travels having vanished. After clearing his head for a moment at the door, he walked through the archway of the courtyard and saw a figure sitting in front of the yard, intently reading a stack of newspapers.

Chu Muyun was still dressed in his usual shirt and vest, wearing his silver-rimmed glasses. His reading posture was identical to when they were in District Three; it seemed to be his daily morning routine.

"I thought you'd sleep in a bit longer," Chu Muyun said, glancing at him.

"That's enough. I have things to do." Chen Ling sat down on the stone chair opposite him and asked directly, "Are there any particularly chaotic places in Aurora City?"

Hearing this, Chu Muyun's expression turned a little strange. He closed his book. "What trouble are you trying to stir up now?"

"What do you mean, 'now'? I rarely cause trouble."

Chu Muyun didn't speak. He simply unfolded the newspaper he was holding onto the table. On the most prominent and largest section, several large, dark characters immediately caught Chen Ling's eye—

*Heretic or Justice? Chen Ling: The First Outsider in a Century to Smash Through Aurora City's Gates!**'I Question Aurora City's System' — District Three Enforcer Han Meng Challenges the Enforcement System!**Twilight Society Member Reappears in Aurora City! Disaster or Salvation?**Interview with District Three Survivors — Unveiling the Darkness and Twisted Humanity of Low-Level Enforcers*

"Eighty percent of today's *Aurora Daily* is dedicated to you. The entire city is debating your actions from yesterday... For nearly a century, no one has managed to achieve something like this." Chu Muyun gave him a deep look. "You're a celebrity in Aurora City now... and you still claim you rarely cause trouble?"

Chen Ling was speechless.

Chen Ling picked up the newspaper and flipped through it page by page. Chu Muyun was right. The newspaper was almost entirely filled with photos of him from yesterday: the train bursting through the wave of disaster, crashing through Aurora City's gates, his calm expression while speaking within the city, and his elegant departure amidst flames. The written content was almost entirely about him as well.

The only content in the newspaper unrelated to him was a small notice in the corner, easily missed if not specifically looked for, about the Star Merchant Guild's alarm sounding last night, indicating something had gone missing.

"'What Chen Ling does has nothing to do with me,' Chen Ling replied dismissively, adjusting his half-rimmed glasses."

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Chu Muyun's mouth.

Just then, Chen Ling's gaze swept over the article at the top, and a name suddenly caught his eye.

"'Who is this Wen Shilin?' Chen Ling asked, pointing to the small characters next to the headline."

"'Didn't it say? A reporter,' Chu Muyun paused for a moment before speaking again. 'This reporter seems to have some reputation, having exposed several dark dealings by enforcers behind the scenes and causing quite a stir. These days, there aren't many reporters brave enough to exercise media freedom.'"

"'Media freedom? What's that?'"

"It was an act established by the high-level officials during Aurora City's founding, concurrent with the creation of the enforcement system. Its purpose was to use media freedom to balance the enforcers' absolute authority, serving as a form of supervision and oversight to prevent the powers of enforcers or officials from becoming overly inflated..." Chu Muyun chuckled softly. "But facts have proven that under such a disparity in power, the media's freedom among the populace is limited. After centuries, how many reporters still dare to use this right? Setting aside any benefits this right might bring them, if they offend certain enforcers or groups of officials, they might not even know how they died. People are creatures that seek advantage and avoid harm; who would still be willing to do such thankless work?"

"'Media freedom, huh...'"

Chen Ling nodded thoughtfully. "Let's get back to business. Where in Aurora City is particularly chaotic?"

Coming full circle, Chen Ling returned to his original question. After a moment of exasperation, Chu Muyun reluctantly replied:

"Aurora City is, after all, the core of the Aurora Domain, so there aren't many overtly chaotic places. You could try looking around the outer ring near the west side of the city... you might find what you're looking for there."

Having received the information he wanted, Chen Ling was about to leave when Chu Muyun hesitated for a moment, then added:

"Oh, and... the people from District Three have also been settled there."

Chen Ling's steps paused slightly.

"'May I have your name, please?'"

"'Zhao Yi.'"

"'Alright, Mr. Zhao Yi.' Inside the cramped room, a reporter with paper and pen sat by the window. 'Let me introduce myself. I'm Zhuo Shuqing, a reporter for the *Aurora Daily*. I'll be asking you a few questions, and I hope you'll cooperate with your answers.'"

Zhao Yi, his body wrapped in bandages and his face etched with exhaustion, frowned and asked, "Didn't you already have a reporter interview me yesterday? Why are you asking again?"

"'My colleague might have misunderstood some things yesterday, so I'm here to confirm with you again,' Zhuo Shuqing's voice was as smooth and pleasant as jade, very comforting to listen to."

"'You mentioned in yesterday's interview that the enforcers in District Three were extorting large protection fees from residents, is that correct?'"

"'Yes.'"

"'How much was this fee, approximately?'"

"'At least three to five silver coins, every month.'"

"'That amount doesn't sound like much.'"

Hearing this, Zhao Yi instinctively frowned. Before he could speak, Zhuo Shuqing continued, "So, after collecting this fee, were there any large-scale criminal cases or man-made terrorist attacks in the district?"

"'...No, there weren't, but—'"

"'Then, could it be understood that after collecting minimal subsidies from the public, the enforcers promptly expanded their personnel, updated equipment, and strengthened patrols, thereby preventing a series of serious incidents?'"

Zhao Yi was stunned. He immediately stood up, shaking his head. "No, that's not how it was... That was protection money! It wasn't a subsidy..."

Zhuo Shuqing seemed to ignore Zhao Yi's words, merely lowering his head and writing rapidly on his paper. "You also mentioned that when District Three was hit by the disaster, some enforcers not only failed to perform their duties but were among the first to flee, even forcing their way into civilian homes to hide... But the disaster in the district was ultimately cleared, wasn't it?"

"'Yes, it was cleared, but they had nothing to do with it; that was—'"

"'Then is it possible that what you perceived as fleeing and hiding was merely a trap set by the enforcers to counter the disaster, and any accidental injuries inflicted upon civilians during that time were unintentional consequences of their struggle against the disaster?'"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi could no longer contain his anger. His fists slowly clenched.