Chapter 346: Wanted

By the time Chen Ling followed Li Qingshan to his doorstep, it was already evening. The rain clouds had dispersed, and the sky was fiery red with the glow of the setting sun. As lights flickered on, the streetlights along the flagstone path illuminated, revealing a two-story house with white walls before Chen Ling.

"Grandma, I'm home," Li Qingshan called out. He first pushed the firewood into a corner, then took out his keys, opened the door, and called inside. A white-haired old woman emerged from the house, leaning on a walking stick and moving with a faltering gait. One of her eyes seemed damaged, glancing askew in one direction, while the other scrutinized Chen Ling, who was dressed in red and stood behind Li Qingshan.

She tremblingly opened her mouth and mumbled something. Li Qingshan leaned in, listened twice, and then shouted into her ear:

"Grandma! This is a friend I met while collecting firewood! He also likes opera! I brought him home for dinner!"

"What?"

"Opera! Didn't you used to listen to it often years ago?!"

"Opera? What kind of opera?"

"Clown!"

Grandma nodded, seeming to understand vaguely. After observing Chen Ling for a long time, she turned and walked back into the house, leaning on her stick.

"My grandma is old, and her hearing isn't very good," Li Qingshan said apologetically to Chen Ling with a smile. "Brother Lin, please have a seat. I'll go make dinner."

Li Qingshan rolled up his sleeves and, carrying a bundle of firewood, went into the kitchen behind a low door. He looked like a frail scholar, yet in life, he was like a giant, chopping firewood, washing clothes, cooking, and supporting himself and the elderly woman at home. As a series of coughs echoed from the kitchen, a wisp of cooking smoke gently drifted from the earthen chimney.

Woof woof woof—

A scrawny black dog immediately began barking wildly upon seeing Chen Ling. But as Chen Ling cast a glance its way, the dog instantly whimpered twice, quietly retreated into a corner, and dared not look at him again.

Cooking smoke curled upwards, and swallows circled overhead. The poultry in their coop curiously observed the strange newcomer outside. Chen Ling, dressed in red, stood alone in the courtyard, seemingly out of place, like two paintings of starkly different styles.

Chen Ling's gaze swept around. As if discovering something, he walked to a corner that looked like a refuse pile. From it, he picked out a dust-covered radio. Chen Ling fumbled with the radio for a moment, noticing most of the buttons were broken. He gave the surface a casual pat, and immediately a crackling static sound began.

"This is FM 101.1. Welcome to 'Your Moon, His Heart'..."

Static...

"...Next up is a song requested by Mr. Li from Anhe Town for Miss Dong, 'What Kind of Woman Are You?' performed by rising star singer Zhou Ze from the Mortal Realm..."

Static...

"Tune in to 'Mortal News Evening Edition' every night at 5:30 for all the latest happenings... According to relevant investigations, it has now been confirmed that the Aurora Dominion has fallen into ruin. The primary reason for this is the internal corruption and chaos within Aurora City, where internal spies colluded with the Twilight Society to destroy outer defenses, leading to a large-scale invasion of calamities."

"According to survivor accounts, members of the Twilight Society wantonly massacred civilians, taking pleasure in creating panic and arson. At least hundreds perished in the fires, turning Aurora City into ruins."

"Here, 'Mortal News Evening Edition' reminds all listeners that as summer approaches, please pay attention to electrical and fire safety... If you notice any suspicious individuals possibly linked to the Twilight Society in your vicinity, please immediately notify local police..."

Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. It came as no surprise to him that the high-ranking officials of the Nine Dominions were pinning everything on the Twilight Society. After all, they couldn't admit that the lives of the Nine Lords were counting down; otherwise, the remaining seven Dominions would be plunged into unprecedented panic, and the established order would completely collapse. The Twilight Society, an organization that always seemed to be present at "crime scenes," was undoubtedly the perfect scapegoat. Diverting everyone's hatred towards the Twilight Society would not only foster unity among themselves but also, to some extent, hinder the Twilight Society's "restart" plan, killing multiple birds with one stone.

"...Among the members of the Twilight Society, several main suspects have now been identified. Among them, Heart 6, Chen Ling, is named as a primary arsonist and is accused of infiltrating the Aurora Base to assassinate the dormant Aurora Lord, making him one of the masterminds behind the destruction of the Aurora Dominion. He is currently listed as a top-level fugitive by all Dominions..."

Chen Ling: ???

Chen Ling's heart sank. He never expected to be implicated in this! But on second thought, it made sense. After all, he had made such a flamboyant entry into Aurora City, and his pictures had surely spread far and wide. Since the escaped law enforcement officers needed someone to blame, they naturally had to find a clear candidate... And Heart 6, Chen Ling, "renowned" within Aurora City, was naturally the ideal target. Of course, in a way, he *did* destroy Aurora City, and he *did* set fires... But assassinate the Aurora Lord?? The people from the Nine Dominions certainly thought too highly of him.

Hearing a sound outside, Li Qingshan, half-done with cooking, hurried out. Seeing the radio playing, his eyes lit up.

"Brother Lin, you actually fixed it?"

Chen Ling silently changed the radio channel. "Mhm," he replied.

"I've had this radio for years, and I could never fix it before, nor did I have money for a new one... I can't believe you're skilled at repairs, Brother Lin?" Li Qingshan took the radio, holding it like a treasure, unable to suppress his admiration.

"It wasn't broken; a simple pat was all it needed."

"Brother Lin, please sit for a bit. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Li Qingshan carried the radio back into the house and spoke loudly to his grandma for a few moments. With a crackling sound as he tuned the dial, a melodious opera tune finally emerged and was placed beside his grandma. The radio's volume was turned up to maximum, loud enough to be clearly heard even outside the courtyard. The old woman, sitting by the window as if a piece of decaying wood, heard the sound and turned her head slightly towards the radio. Her eyes involuntarily closed, and her head gently swayed, as if she were lost in the music.

Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Li Qingshan's lips. Then, as if remembering something, he hurried back to the kitchen.

Chen Ling stood alone in the courtyard, watching the busy Li Qingshan, a complex expression flashing across his face. In his mind, the image of the woman kneeling and weeping downstairs in the residential area resurfaced... The hand gripping the USB drive in his pocket involuntarily tightened.

The flames under the stove burned, and the sizzling of vegetables and oil seemed like a cheerful accompaniment. Before long, Li Qingshan's singing gently rose from the kitchen, overlapping with the radio's melody, echoing under the twilight sky.