Chapter 228: Black Spade 6

Chapter 228: Spade 6

Chu Muyun couldn't help but find it amusing how quickly his attitude had changed. He sat down behind the table, took two playing cards from his pocket, and laid them side by side on the surface.

"Don't worry, even though our Twilight Society isn't united internally, we wouldn't stoop to bullying a newcomer like you. If you've decided to join, come pick your card. Once chosen, it cannot be changed."

Jian Changsheng let out a slight sigh of relief. He looked at the Spade 6 and Club 6 on the table and asked the same question Chen Ling had asked at the time: "Why are they all 6s?"

"The Diamond 6 and Heart 6 have already been chosen. Among the newcomer cards starting with 6, these are your only two options." Chu Muyun glanced at Chen Ling beside him.

"So, he's also with the Twilight Society?" Jian Changsheng seemed to recall something and looked at Chen Ling in surprise. However, remembering their recent fight in the forest, the other's methods were extremely strange, so it wasn't surprising if he was a member of the Twilight Society.

Chen Ling took out his Heart 6, gave it a slight flick, and said calmly: "Welcome."

"You two are both from the '6' generation, so you'll likely run into each other on future missions. It's good to get acquainted now," Chu Muyun said. "And as for the Diamond 6, although I wasn't the one who recruited him, I've heard he's a very interesting fellow. You'll probably have a chance to meet him."

Seeing this, Jian Changsheng refocused his gaze on the two cards in front of him. After much deliberation, he still chose the Spade 6. "This one, then."

After Jian Changsheng chose his card, Chu Muyun gave him a general introduction to the Twilight Society, similar to what he had told Chen Ling. The only difference was that he didn't give Jian Changsheng the mysterious USB drive.

The USB drive...Chen Ling seemed to recall something, his fingertips finding the metal USB drive in his pocket. The Red King had said, when asking Chu Muyun to hand him this USB drive, that its contents could only be accessed once a month. It seemed almost a month had passed since the last access.

After listening to Chu Muyun's description, Jian Changsheng's eyes gradually lit up. He was currently immersed in the joy of having just joined the Twilight Society, full of curiosity about everything that lay ahead. "So, what's my mission?" he couldn't help but ask.

"You? You don't have a mission yet." Chu Muyun looked at Jian Changsheng, who was wrapped in bandages with only one eye visible. "If you go out looking like that now, are you afraid people won't know there's something wrong with you?"

Jian Changsheng: ...

Chu Muyun dampened Jian Changsheng's enthusiasm, then turned and left. Chen Ling quickly walked beside him and handed him several manuscripts after they exited.

"What are these?"

"Investigation reports concerning the 'Hand of Redemption.' They might involve secrets of Aurora City."

Chu Muyun's gaze swept over them, and his expression visibly turned grave. He nodded slightly, "Alright, thank you for your hard work."

Chen Ling was about to turn and leave when Chu Muyun suddenly called out, as if remembering something.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"I just remembered something you might be interested in," Chu Muyun paused, "That enforcer, Han Meng, is going to court tomorrow."

The Black Prison.

Purple torches burned silently in the darkness, dividing the narrow corridor into countless long passages of alternating light and shadow. Under their illumination, it seemed even shadows were devoured; there was no hiding place for any shadow where the torches shone.

The light from each torch enveloped a single cell. Walls two meters thick enclosed small rooms, each about ten square meters. Mysterious characters flowed chaotically on the cell doorways, and merely a glance at them felt enough to lose oneself.

At this moment, inside a cell enveloped by purple fire and runes, a figure in a black prisoner's uniform sat cross-legged on the bed, motionless as a statue.

Clang—

Heavy chains at the entrance were unfastened with a dull clang, and his eyes slowly opened.

"08193, you have a visitor," an enforcer said calmly from the doorway.

A flicker of surprise crossed Han Meng's eyes. As the enforcer respectfully stepped back, a figure in a black trench coat slowly walked into the cell amidst the flickering purple torchlight.

The moment he saw the face, Han Meng froze, his expression somewhat complex.

"You?"

"Officially, you should address me as Commander; personally, you should call me your benefactor," Tan Xin said unhurriedly. "After all these years in the Seven Districts, your temperament hasn't changed a bit."

Han Meng simply watched him, remaining silent.

"I know you're very dissatisfied with my decision to abandon the Seven Districts, even questioning me and the entire enforcement system in front of everyone. But honestly, I don't care how you or the public view me."

"If that's the case, why are you here to see me?"

"As an enforcer, openly defying superior orders, suppressing other enforcers, and forcibly opening the gates of Aurora City for heretics... These charges are enough to keep you in this black prison for the rest of your life." Tan Xin paused briefly, then spoke again, "Do you want to waste your life away here, or will you contribute your remaining strength, Han Meng, before the Aurora fades?"

Han Meng showed no reaction to the first part of the sentence, but when the next part was spoken, his face darkened.

"It seems Aurora City's situation isn't much better than the Seven Districts," Han Meng said, understanding Tan Xin's implication, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But Aurora City is full of powerful individuals; there's no shortage of Rank 6 or even Rank 7 enforcers... I'm just an outsider from the Seven Districts, what could I possibly do?"

"I don't trust those people."

"And you trust me?"

"I don't need to trust you. I just need to believe that at the right moment, you will make the right choice. That's enough," Tan Xin said slowly. "What you uphold is something other enforcers lack; that's what makes you unique, Han Meng."

Han Meng didn't reply. He simply stared back at Tan Xin, his gaze seemingly trying to see right through him.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Han Meng asked.

"You'll know when the time is right," Tan Xin said calmly, "What I can promise is that once you're out, I won't restrain you with any orders or rules. You can uphold your beliefs and do whatever you want. Now, let's return to the initial question."

"Do you choose to plead guilty and await death, or will you be Enforcer Han Meng once more?"