Chapter 60: Chen Ling's Plan

A bone-chilling wind blew from the surface of the frozen sea, making many Arsonists’ hearts sink.

Since boarding the ship, the law enforcers had naturally divided into small groups, scattered across the deck. Number 8 had initially planned to avoid the Aurora City group to prevent any complications, but to his surprise, they had still targeted them.

At the same time, Lu Xuanming and Pu Wen, who were nearby, also turned their heads to look in this direction.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Ling finally took a step and slowly walked towards Yan Xicai, who was surrounded by numerous Aurora City law enforcers.

"Is there something you need?" he asked indifferently.

"What's your name?"

"Chen Ling, a law enforcer from District Three."

Yan Xicai looked him up and down. "That's a nice coat you've got there," he said. "Take it off and give it to me."

"Why should I?" Chen Ling retorted.

The moment he said this, the air grew thick with tension. Anyone could tell that the Third Young Master was angry and wanted to assert his dominance over Chen Ling. And Chen Ling was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

"Give him the coat, give him the coat, don't cause trouble... We're about to enter the Ancient Vault, so whatever you do, don't cause trouble..."

Many Arsonists’ hearts were in their throats as they secretly prayed.

Yan Xicai casually extended his hand to the side, and one of the law enforcers behind him immediately pulled out a thick stack of silver coins and handed them to him. He casually tossed them.

Clink!

Dozens of silver coins scattered from his hand, falling onto Chen Ling and then dropping to the deck like trash.

"Is that enough?" Yan Xicai said leisurely, blowing on his fingernails. "If not, how about I add one of your legs...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, a cold gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

Yan Xicai froze.

"Not enough," Chen Ling said, holding the gun in one hand, his eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit. With a click, a bullet was chambered.

"How about I add your life?"

The Arsonists were dumbfounded.

A bone-chilling wind swept across the deck, and the next moment, the onlookers finally snapped out of their shock.

The dozen or so law enforcers standing behind Yan Xicai were horrified and simultaneously drew their guns. Numerous muzzles were aimed at Chen Ling; if he dared to fire, he would surely be riddled with bullets. Meanwhile, Lu Xuanming and Pu Wen, standing in the distance, also showed surprise in their eyes.

It wasn't that they hadn't expected Chen Ling to resist; after all, not everyone was a pushover. But they never imagined that after only two sentences from Yan Xicai, the other party would draw a gun without hesitation!

Surrounded by so many Aurora City law enforcers, he dared to draw a gun and threaten the life of the Third Young Master of the Constellation Merchant Guild?

Was he insane?!

At that moment, Number 8 felt his heart almost stop.

He rushed forward without hesitation, pushed down the gun in Chen Ling's hand, and glared fiercely at him.

Chen Ling remained expressionless.

"You... you, you, you..." Yan Xicai's face was pale. It was the first time in his life he had been threatened so directly and fiercely. "Do you have any idea who I am?! How dare you point a gun at me?"

Number 8 took a deep breath, humbling himself, and apologized to Yan Xicai.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said. "Chen Ling just became a law enforcer; he's too young and probably doesn't know who you are... Chen Ling! This is the Third Young Master of the Constellation Merchant Guild of Aurora City. You should know the Constellation Merchant Guild; they control ninety percent of the resource channels across the seven major districts, and sixty percent of the shops in Aurora City belong to them. Besides that, they are the largest sponsors of the Law Enforcer Headquarters in the Aurora Domain; they are the ones who pay the salaries of law enforcers and even law officials... Do you understand what I mean?"

Number 8 glared at Chen Ling, uttering these words almost through gritted teeth, especially the latter half.

The Constellation Merchant Guild was the money bag for all law officials, including the three Aurora City law officials escorting them. They had the power to interrupt the journey at any time. If Chen Ling dared to harm even a single hair on Yan Xicai's head here, everyone from District Three would lose their qualification to enter the Ancient Vault of Warfare!

Hearing Number 8's flattery, Yan Xicai's expression finally softened slightly. District Three was, after all, a rural area; it was normal for a minor law enforcer not to understand the weight of his identity. The more ignorant, the more reckless and crude they were.

Just as Yan Xicai was about to say something, the gun barrel rose again.

"Yan Xicai, right?" Chen Ling spoke calmly. "Was it this hand that just threw money at me?"

Under everyone's horrified gaze, Chen Ling pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Click!

Unlike last time, Chen Ling acted too quickly and without any warning. Everyone thought that after learning Yan Xicai's identity, he would be terrified and give up resistance... But who would have thought he would still dare to fire?!

"Agh!!"

Yan Xicai watched in horror as the muzzle aimed at his eyeball, followed by the sound of the trigger being pulled. He shrieked in terror, lost his balance, and fell backward onto the deck!

A bone-chilling wind swept across the deck, and Yan Xicai was scared half to death.

He stared blankly at the unresponsive muzzle, taking a few seconds to process what had happened before regaining his senses.

There was no bullet in the chamber at all.

His dark brown overcoat swayed gently in the wind. Chen Ling slowly lowered the gun, a playful smirk appearing in his eyes as he looked at the disheveled Yan Xicai lying on the deck.

"Chen Ling! What are you doing?!" Number 8 looked at Chen Ling in disbelief.

"These people from Aurora City are just lucky, a bunch of good-for-nothing wastrels born with silver spoons in their mouths..." Chen Ling said slowly. "Officer Jiang Qin, wasn't that what you told me?"

Number 8 froze.

He stared intently at Chen Ling's face, and after what felt like an eternity, he spoke hoarsely.

"Are you trying to rebel? No, that's not right, you're not..."

Number 8 didn't finish the latter half of his sentence.

But all the Arsonists hidden in the shadows seemed to realize something, and their gazes towards Chen Ling flickered with hesitation and shock.

"Officer Jiang Qin, are you going to punish me?" Chen Ling asked, meeting Number 8's gaze calmly, his eyes narrowing subtly. "On this ship?"

Number 8 paused.

To outsiders, this conversation undoubtedly seemed like a conflict between law enforcers from District Three.

Only the Arsonists could see something different. Either Number 13 was trying to rebel, though that possibility was extremely slim; or the man standing before them wasn't Number 13 at all...

But Chen Ling himself.

On that train, everyone had thought Number 13 would surely kill Chen Ling; after all, one was a second-tier expert in the Way of Thieves, and the other was just an ordinary person who had recently become a law enforcer.

Could an ordinary person counter-kill Number 13 and then dare to use the other's "name," maintaining a dual identity with them all the way?

This seemed impossible!

But despite that... it had happened.

Chen Ling calmly watched Number 8 in front of him, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Of course, he knew his identity as an Arsonist had been exposed, but he didn't care.

This was a ship heading to the Ancient Vault of Warfare, with countless law enforcers and three law officials on board. Even if the Arsonists knew his identity, they would absolutely not dare to make a move, let alone expose him.

Constantly hiding his identity, staying concealed within the Arsonists' team, safely entering the Ancient Vault of Warfare, and then maintaining the disguise until the last moment to counter-kill everyone was certainly a good option, but it wasn't as appealing to Chen Ling.

Since this was a "performance," he had to maximize audience anticipation and create more interesting points of conflict.

Chen Ling had an even crazier plan!