Chapter 320: Senior Sister

Chug-chug-chug-chug—

The noise in his ears was like a tractor rumbling along a dirt road back home when he was a child. Beneath him, jarring metal sheets clanked continuously. In this cacophonous environment, completely unsuited for sleep, Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a grayish-white sky, followed by black smoke constantly drifting upwards. After five seconds of stunned silence, Chen Ling realized this wasn't a dream—he was really on a tractor.

Over the gray-black ground, a tractor, covered in twisted characters, was rumbling forward. Chen Ling lay in the middle of its passenger bed. Around him, a circle of Twilight Society members sat neatly, all looking down at him. They resembled guests at a funeral, politely smiling at a corpse in a coffin.

He abruptly sat up from the center of the bed.

"I... How did I get here??"

"Oh, you were unconscious when that adult brought you back," Club 8, a young boy, yawned. "We figured if we didn't leave soon, it'd be too late, so we just laid you flat in the bed for now. You should really thank me; if I hadn't stopped her, Heart 9 would have already covered you with a wreath..."

"No, isn't that just a work reflex?!" Heart 9's eyes widened as she gestured at Chen Ling. "Someone lying here, all stiff and rectangular, doesn't it feel monotonous without something spread over them?"

Ten, who was nearby, pondered for a moment. "...It is a bit monotonous. It's missing a lid."

Chen Ling: ...

Chen Ling shook his still dazed head and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. He saw Jian Changsheng in the driver's seat, his body bouncing as if riding a horse, his cheeks trembling, and his face as grim as if he'd eaten bitter gourd.

"This tract—uh—what kind of vehicle is this?" Chen Ling asked, puzzled.

"You know about the Realm Train, right? The materials for this tractor are the same as those for the Realm Train. It can isolate small areas from the Gray Realm's aura and even block the perception of calamities. We finally managed to snatch... no, *buy* it back from those skilled artisans," Heart 9 said, proudly tilting her head and patting the metal sheet beneath her. "Don't let its ugliness and slowness fool you; it can travel across realms, which makes it very valuable."

"I've been wanting to say this for a while," Chu Muyun couldn't help but interject. "If we have the materials, why didn't we just make a train, or at least a car? Why specifically a tractor?"

"A train? Do you know how much material it takes to build one? The Nine Great Realms poured all their efforts into it and only managed to build four! These are all the leftover scraps, not an ounce more. While a car would work, for the same amount of material, it carries fewer people. Unlike a tractor, with such a large bed, we can easily fit fifteen or twenty people if we squeeze!"

Bai Ye, wearing a baseball cap, sat quietly in a corner and suddenly interjected, "While the Realm Trains aren't impossible to steal, the main issue is the lack of tracks. Even if we stole one, we wouldn't be able to operate it... Plus, it would easily lead to us being besieged."

At this remark, everyone fell silent, their gazes towards Bai Ye subtly complex.

"No, seriously, why does Heart get to lie there and sleep while I have to drive this chugging tractor??" Jian Changsheng finally couldn't hold it in, his voice trembling from the bumps as he asked, full of resentment.

"He's injured and unconscious; it's normal for him to rest a bit more," Ten said earnestly, trying to console him.

Chen Ling finally came to his senses. "Where are we going?"

"The Mortal Realm."

A clear, cold voice came from the back of the vehicle bed. It was Club K, sitting at the very end.

Hearing those two words, Club 8, sitting opposite Chen Ling, subtly stiffened. Though not obvious, this reaction was noted by Chen Ling, who possessed mystical eyes.

"The Mortal Realm... Could it be that the next one whose fated time is nearing is the Mortal Lord?" Ten mused thoughtfully.

"That cannot be confirmed at the moment," Club K paused. "However, we have a member in the Mortal Realm who can arrange a cross-realm train... Don't some of you still have missions? You can transfer to other realms from there."

"That's good then. If we had to go that far in this tractor, we'd all be shaken to pieces."

Listening to their discussion, an idea that had long been buried in Chen Ling's mind resurfaced. After much hesitation, he finally asked, "Can I... also take the cross-realm train?"

"Of course. Which realm do you want to go to?"

"The Ancient Trove of Theatrics."

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Seeing everyone looking at him strangely, Chen Ling quickly explained, "I know the Ancient Trove of Theatrics isn't located within any realm's territory. What I mean is, I'll go to whichever realm is closest in a straight line to it."

From Han Meng, Chen Ling had already heard some information: among the fourteen Divine Troves, the four troves of Theater, Prostitution, Gambling, and Thievery were located at the intersection of the Gray Realm and reality. They were difficult to reach by ordinary means, considered the four forgotten troves at the edge of the world.

But Chen Ling wasn't afraid. He possessed the ability to traverse the Gray Realm, so as long as he found the nearest realm, he could try to walk there.

No one replied. Instead, they all turned their heads simultaneously to look at Club K, who was sitting at the very end.

Club K looked at Chen Ling. "You, why do you want to go to the Ancient Trove of Theatrics?"

Chen Ling hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully. "I... I met someone who claimed to be my master. He said if I ever felt lost, I should go to the Ancient Trove of Theatrics to find him... Before that, I also met a man who called himself my senior brother, and he said the same thing."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions showed some surprise, as they looked at Chen Ling, seemingly lost in thought.

"...Alright."

Club K nodded calmly. "Once we reach the Mortal Realm, you'll come with me."

Seeing the confusion in Chen Ling's eyes, Chu Muyun leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "This one, she came out of the Ancient Trove of Theatrics."

Chen Ling froze.

Club K came from the Ancient Trove of Theatrics? Was she also a member of the Divine Path of Theatrics? Now that he thought about it, Chen Ling had seen markings on her face that resembled theatrical facial makeup, and that one slash that separated the Forbidden Sea was uncannily like a stage curtain... This meant she could very well be his senior sister?!

Chen Ling had never imagined that this respected senior, whom everyone admired, belonged to the same lineage as him. After all, her reaction upon seeing him had been much colder than Mo Jiao's, as if she didn't know him at all.

"I have a question," Club K said again, looking at Chen Ling with a serious expression.

"...Please ask."

"Why do you sing the Requiem?"