Chapter 252: New Mission

Chu Shiduo was in the driver's seat in front of the Aurora Base gates. He saw Tan Xin emerge from the base looking distraught. As he got out to open the door for Tan Xin, he asked, confused, "Teacher, why do you look so pale?"

Tan Xin didn't answer. He sat silently in the back seat, his gaze fixed on the Aurora Base, filled with complex emotions.

"Teacher?"

"...Let's go. Back to headquarters."

"Alright."

Chu Shiduo sensed Tan Xin's unusual mood and didn't press further. He silently drove the vehicle out of the base, heading towards the Enforcers' headquarters.

Tan Xin watched the streets and pedestrians flash by outside the window, lost in thought. Suddenly, he spoke:

"Where is Han Meng?"

"Han Meng?" Chu Shiduo paused. "Speaking of that, there's something I need to report to you..."

Suddenly, a car horn blared from behind.

Han Meng turned to look, seeing a black car parked outside White Dove Plaza. The tinted window slowly rolled down, revealing Tan Xin in the back seat, smiling as he met Han Meng's gaze.

Seeing this, Han Meng's eyes narrowed slightly. He stood up and walked towards the car.

"How did you know I was here?" Han Meng asked.

"I didn't know. I was just heading back to headquarters and happened to pass by." Tan Xin gestured to the seat beside him. "Get in."

Han Meng hesitated for a moment before opening the car door and getting in. As the car slowly started, Tan Xin's voice spoke again:

"I heard there was a small incident during the court trial?"

"It was fine."

"That was my oversight. I didn't expect some dying cats and dogs to bite so furiously when desperate." Tan Xin smiled. "But the final outcome was still good."

"If you're here to apologize to me, there's no need."

"Not at all. I'm here for something important." Tan Xin's expression gradually turned serious. "You've just been released from the Black Prison, and you have no place to stay or assets in this city. If you have nowhere to go, I can recommend a place..."

"You said before that you wouldn't order me to do anything."

"Of course, this isn't an order; it's just a suggestion. You're free to refuse." Tan Xin paused. "I just think that in that place, you might find some things that interest you..."

"Such as?"

"For example, the truth about Aurora City, and... the secrets of the Enforcers."

Upon hearing this, Han Meng's brows slowly furrowed. He stared at Tan Xin for a long time, then spoke, enunciating each word:

"Are you talking about the Aurora Base?"

"Exactly."

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the highest-level classified area in the entire domain. Even high-ranking Enforcers don't have unrestricted access."

"Indeed." Tan Xin nodded, meeting Han Meng's gaze. "So, if I told you I could get you in... would you go or not?"

In the courtyard, Jian Changsheng sat alone by the pond, fishing rod in hand, yawning lazily.

Chen Ling had gone to work, and Chu Muyun was out on a house call, leaving him as the sole 'old man' staying behind in the entire courtyard. It was ironic because Jian Changsheng was precisely at a point where his serious injuries had healed, and he was full of energy. Yet, the most physically demanding task he had here, besides fishing, was doing laundry... How could he, the dignified Spade 6 of the Twilight Society, a terrifying presence that had caused chaos in Aurora City, spend his entire day doing laundry?

Just as Jian Changsheng sighed to himself, the courtyard gate opened, and two figures walked in side by side.

"Why are you two back together?" Jian Changsheng asked in surprise, noticing them from the corner of his eye.

Chu Muyun pushed up his glasses. "We came back together because there's something important..."

"Something important?"

Jian Changsheng froze for a moment, then, as if something clicked, his eyes lit up with excitement!

"Spade 6, are you ready for your first mission?" Chu Muyun's lips curved into a slight smile.

Upon hearing this, Jian Changsheng almost burst into tears on the spot. He threw his fishing rod aside, immediately feeling a surge of strength throughout his body, and eagerly asked:

"What's the mission?! Who do I need to kill?!"

"Not killing anyone. It's about infiltrating a place and investigating some things."

"...A place?"

"How much do you know about the Aurora Base?"

Hearing the words 'Aurora Base,' Jian Changsheng grew thoughtful. After all, he had grown up in Aurora City and had heard many things.

"Reportedly, after the Great Cataclysm more than three hundred years ago, humanity's original order completely collapsed. As large-scale Grey Realm Convergences began, only nine human bases remained. After a long period of exploration by survivors, the inhabitants' activity areas gradually expanded, and later, through reconstruction and expansion, they evolved into 'domains.' From the Aurora Base, to the establishment of Aurora City, and then the division into seven major districts... the entire Aurora Domain is the result of gradual outward expansion from the Aurora Base as its center back then."

"Exactly." Chu Muyun nodded slightly. "The Aurora Base is your mission target."

"What are we going there for?" Chen Ling asked.

"To confirm the status of the Aurora Lord, and to investigate the whereabouts of the explosives secretly transported into the base."

Previously, Chen Ling had reported information about the 'Hand of Redemption' to the Twilight Society, with the secret transportation of explosives being a key detail. It now seemed the Twilight Society had begun to take this anomaly seriously, even proactively sending people to investigate.

"The Aurora Lord's... status?" Chen Ling detected something in Chu Muyun's tone. "What's wrong with the Aurora Lord?"

Jian Changsheng's gaze was equally puzzled; the name 'Aurora Lord' seemed completely unfamiliar to him.

"It seems you truly know nothing about the Aurora Lord." Chu Muyun sighed deeply. "Do you know why the Aurora Domain can withstand the Grey Realm Convergences?"

"Because of the Aurora Lord. His domain suppresses the Grey Realm Convergences... which is the aurora above Aurora City."

"Exactly. But now, his lifespan is nearing its end." Chu Muyun raised a hand and pointed to the sky above. "What do you think will happen to this domain if the Aurora Lord dies?"

Chen Ling and Jian Changsheng froze simultaneously.

Chen Ling had previously been puzzled as to why the aurora had suddenly retreated back to Aurora City, leaving the seven major districts exposed. At the time, he and Han Meng suspected something was wrong with the Aurora Lord's condition. Now, he finally had the answer.

"The Aurora Lord is dying? How can that be?" Chen Ling frowned in confusion. "Hasn't he lived for over three hundred years?"

"Ultimately, the Aurora Lord is just human... How can a human lifespan extend to three hundred years?"

Chu Muyun shook his head. "If he hadn't voluntarily accepted the serum injection and entered 'hibernation' more than three hundred years ago, the Aurora Domain wouldn't exist today... But even so, that only delayed his aging. People always die; it's an inescapable end. And now, Aurora City's end is also approaching..."