Chapter 604: Expectations

"Opera music??"

Everyone froze, listening intently. Sure enough, a burst of opera music was drawing near. After the male 'sheng' role finished singing, an even clearer, more ethereal voice joined in, suggesting there were two performers.

"At a time like this, who cares about opera music??" A man cried out in horror, pointing at the skeletal giant eagle plummeting from above."It's coming!!"

The group looked up sharply to see the skeletal giant eagle had once again spread its wings, plummeting straight down towards them like a meteor. The hurricane force was so immense that it pressed everyone to the ground, making it impossible to stand upright, leaving them no chance of escape.

However, just as it was rapidly nearing the ground, its attention was drawn to two figures, one in red and one in green, who were calmly walking down a nearby street.

They were two young individuals, dressed in opera robes and makeup, who continued to walk steadily towards the group despite the raging winds. Their robes billowed wildly, making them particularly conspicuous against the backdrop of the surrounding desolate ruins.

Though the one in green had a slightly pale face, as if feeling immense pressure, his steps did not falter in the slightest.

The one in red beside him, however, merely gave the skeletal giant eagle a faint glance, as pairs of eerie, scarlet eyes quietly opened in the void behind him…

Chen Ling, in his red robe, ceased his opera singing. After a brief silence, his lips parted slightly…

"—Scram!"

Under the effect of the Secret of the Word Incantation, this single, simple word was like a bullet, effortlessly piercing the howling winds and echoing above the entire street.

In that instant, the skeletal giant eagle felt an unprecedented sense of dread. The red-clad figure, within its sight, seemed to instantly transform into an exceedingly terrifying monster; just one glance made its entire body tremble!

The skeletal giant eagle, which had been rapidly plummeting towards the street, desperately flapped its enormous bony wings, furiously decelerating its descent. Its body nearly scraped the street as it was forced to soar upwards.

The sweeping winds ripped apart the small buildings on either side. The terrified individuals huddled in the underground warehouse watched firsthand as the skeletal giant eagle's frame swept overhead, then flew away without a backward glance, heading in the opposite direction from the red-clad figure.

Everyone sat stunned on the ground, their backs already drenched in cold sweat. Even then, they hadn't fully recovered from the daze of their narrow escape.

"Who... who shouted that just now?""I don't know, it seemed to come from the street.""He yelled once, and that monster ran away? Who on earth is he?""Is it an adult from the Floating Life Painting? Please save us! We're here!!!"

Successive calls for help emanated from beneath the restaurant's wreckage. Chen Ling merely cast a casual glance in their direction before continuing his walk without looking back.

After taking two steps, he noticed Li Qingshan hadn't followed and turned back with a puzzled look.

"What's wrong?"

"Brother Lin... did we really scare away that calamity?!" Li Qingshan's face was etched with disbelief.

Just moments ago, he had been asking Chen Ling if their attire might scare people. Chen Ling had replied that it would be best if it scared away calamities… and now, Chen Ling had simply uttered "scram" and actually frightened the calamity away?

"Oh, you mean that?" Chen Ling replied with a faint smile. "Didn't I say? There's no need to fear calamity; if the Jiangtian Cult shows up, that's even better."

Back in the Aurora Domain, Chen Ling had discovered that whenever he donned this grand red opera robe, it inexplicably had a deterrent effect on calamities. When Aurora City was ultimately consumed by calamity, he was able to move freely among the horrors of the Forbidden Sea precisely because of this red attire…

However, if he were to change out of this grand red opera robe, calamities would no longer perceive any deterrent power from him and would attack him like any other ordinary person.

Chen Ling wasn't entirely sure of the underlying principle, but he speculated that perhaps by donning this grand red opera robe, he appeared as a "mockery" in the eyes of other calamities.

Li Qingshan scrutinized Chen Ling for a long moment before finally stepping forward to follow, unable to help but exclaim:

"Brother Lin... you truly are an extraordinary individual."

Li Qingshan had witnessed Chen Ling's resurrection, and now he had seen Chen Ling repel a calamity with a single command of "scram." In his eyes, Chen Ling's persona grew increasingly enigmatic. However, he didn't press for details, understanding that everyone has their secrets, and as a friend, prying is not a good thing.

Li Qingshan, walking beside Chen Ling, heard the calls for help from the underground warehouse and spoke again.

"But, aren't we going to rescue them?"

"They can crawl out themselves, so why rescue them? Once saved, they'll most likely ask us for protection. We don't have time to be nannies right now," Chen Ling stated calmly. "Rescuing them from the calamity's grasp is already doing our utmost."

"…I suppose you're right." Li Qingshan took one last look at the underground warehouse, sighing helplessly.

"But, Brother Li, why did you decide to come along?"

"Didn't I say? It's always safer for two of us to travel together than one… Even though I'm only a Tier Two, I can still be helpful, at least I won't hold you back, Brother Lin." Li Qingshan paused for a moment.

"Besides, Brother Lin, you're likely out for more than just buying medicine for Baosheng this time, aren't you? If I come with you, I can take the medicine back for you in advance, allowing you to attend to your own affairs sooner."

Chen Ling was momentarily startled. He turned to see Li Qingshan, still in his 'sheng' role makeup, looking at him with a knowing smile.

Chen Ling remained silent for a long moment before letting out a helpless chuckle.

"Brother Li, you figured that out?"

"It's not that difficult, really. I've known you since Willow Town; I know what kind of person you are… and I also know why you opened an opera house here and kept those 'professional teams'," Li Qingshan said with a slight smile. "Besides, after performing together for so long, there's bound to be some understanding between us, isn't there?"

Li Qingshan had known about Chen Ling's identity as a Twilight Society member since their time in Willow Town. He had also personally witnessed Chen Ling massacre the judges and retaliate against the Floating Life Painting. At Jinghong Tower, he was perhaps the person who understood Chen Ling best.

"That's true..."

"But honestly, given your personality, Brother Lin, it must be difficult for you to make friends, wouldn't you agree? Most people genuinely struggle to understand what you're thinking."

"Hmm," Chen Ling paused. An image of a figure in an enforcer's trench coat subconsciously surfaced in his mind, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"However… there are some exceptions."

"Oh? Is there someone who can truly read your mind, Brother Lin?" Li Qingshan asked in surprise.

"Not exactly read my mind, it's just… he's like a haunting presence."

"I'd certainly like to meet him someday."

"He's still buried beneath the ice and snow of the far north; I doubt it will be easy for him to get out," Chen Ling said, unconsciously looking up and glancing in a certain direction within the void.

"Still… I'm quite looking forward to that day."