Chapter 947: Shadow Emperor's Glance Back

"What?!" Chi Tong leapt from his seat. "He walked back alone from District Nine?"

"Yes, we just received the news," a Fire-Thief immediately replied. "Employees at the factory heard a loud noise from the warehouse, so they went to investigate and saw a person in a large red opera robe, covered in blood, walking out while carrying a head..."

"A head? Whose?""Spade 8's."

Hearing this, Chi Tong finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Why was he alone? Where's Xu Jia?"

"We don't know yet. Our people are already investigating the scene, and we didn't dare approach Chen Ling. We're waiting for your decision!"

"When did this happen? Why wasn't I informed sooner!""Just a few minutes ago... You instructed us not to disturb you while you were interrogating that person," the Fire-Thief replied cautiously.

"Quick, go get Chen Ling! No... never mind, you're too slow, I'll go myself." As soon as Chi Tong finished speaking, he flew directly out of the church and sped towards the factory.

The fierce wind whipped across Chi Tong's face as he streaked across the sky of the Boundless Realm at incredible speed. Since the Silver King had entrusted this matter to him, he absolutely could not mess it up. Fortunately, Chen Ling had successfully killed Spade 8, and the End of the World hadn't appeared, so everything should be largely as expected.

Before Chi Tong found Chen Ling, he saw several Fire-Thieves emerging from the direction of the factory, appearing to be returning to the church to report. "Wait!" Chi Tong shouted.

"Lord Chi Tong.""What's the situation at the scene?"The Fire-Thieves exchanged glances, all a little nervous, but after a moment of hesitation, they spoke truthfully:

"We found traces of a large number of zombies at the scene... Spade 8 must have mounted a fierce counterattack before his death."

"A fierce counterattack?!" Chi Tong cursed angrily. "What's wrong with you people? Didn't I tell you to beat him to the brink of death first? You can't even handle such a small task!"

"When we dragged him out of the dungeon, he really was on his last breath... We underestimated Spade 8's recovery speed."

"A bunch of idiots! Where is Xu Jia?! Bring him to me!""Xu Jia..."

The Fire-Thieves hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, "We found Xu Jia's body at the scene... His body appeared to have been directly charged by zombies and torn apart."

The fury on Chi Tong's face intensified. He glared fiercely at the three of them. The next moment, three hearts materialized in his palm.

"Incompetent failures, what use are you?!"Before the three could cry out in terror for mercy, Chi Tong crushed the three hearts in his grip. The three Fire-Thieves responsible for escorting Spade 8 away immediately lost their breath and fell heavily to the ground.

Chi Tong snorted coldly. His gaze swept around him as he continued forward, searching for Chen Ling's whereabouts.

But even though Chi Tong had scoured the main road from the District Nine factory to the church, he still saw no sign of Chen Ling. His heart sank.

Xu Jia's death was a minor matter, just one Fire-Thief. But if Chen Ling went missing, the nature of the situation would be entirely different. The Silver King could casually turn him into a fur coat, just as he had instantly killed those Fire-Thieves.

Cold sweat beaded on Chi Tong's forehead. Just as he was overwhelmed with anxiety, he suddenly seemed to remember something!

"Quick, help me find out where that Xiao Yu was buried!"

At Chi Tong's command, a large number of Fire-Thieves went to retrieve the relevant files for him. Soon, an address was delivered to Chi Tong. He glanced at the location and immediately streaked across the sky, heading towards the other side of the Boundless Realm.

Not long after, a simple cemetery appeared before Chi Tong's eyes.

Chi Tong's gaze swept over the area below. He searched along the many gravestones and finally, in the distance, he saw a familiar figure...

Chi Tong's heart immediately relaxed. He slowly floated down to the ground, lightening his steps, and walked towards the figure with its back to him.

"...Chen Ling?" Chi Tong asked tentatively.

The blood-soaked figure stood alone before a tombstone. Drops of blood dripped from his wounds, spreading into a pool beneath his feet.

"Do you still remember, Chi Tong?" Chen Ling's hoarse voice sounded. "Back then, we got completely drunk in the dorms... You asked me what I wanted most in this life, what did I say then?"

Chi Tong froze. Chi Tong, who had initially intended to question Chen Ling, was caught off guard. He had almost forgotten his persona in Chen Ling's memory — that of a brother who shared a bunk bed in the workshop back then. He struggled to adjust his mindset to his current role.

"I... I was too drunk back then, I can't remember. What did you say?"

"What I wanted most in this life was to get justice for Xiao Yu." Chen Ling took a deep breath. He slowly placed Spade 8's head, which he was holding, before Xiao Yu's tombstone. His hands were still trembling slightly.

"Today, I've done it." Chen Ling's tone was resolute, as if he was telling Xiao Yu beneath the tombstone, or answering his past self.

Chi Tong remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say. He could only nod stiffly. "Yes, you did..."

"I have no regrets left."

Chen Ling turned to look at Chi Tong and spoke solemnly. "From now on, my life will be dedicated to fighting for the residents of the Boundless Realm... You should also work harder to achieve your dream sooner."

"My... dream?" Chi Tong asked tentatively. "What was my dream again?"

"To marry Xiao Ran.""Oh... right, right, of course, that's it," Chi Tong said with a dry laugh.

Chen Ling was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "And... Xu Jia, he..."

Before Chi Tong could say anything, Chen Ling's eyes began to redden, and he spoke hoarsely, "It was my carelessness then... I kicked open that door, not realizing the Twilight Society's thugs were hiding behind it... Xu Jia, to protect me, was surrounded by those zombies... I fought desperately to kill the Twilight Society thugs, wanting to save him, but by the time I cut down the thug's head... he was already..."

"Xu Jia was a good person. I had already warned him to be careful of the Twilight Society, but he wouldn't listen... It's all my fault..."

Before arriving here, Chi Tong had already guessed the full story. Now, hearing Chen Ling's retelling, an "as expected" expression appeared in his eyes.

His gaze fell on Spade 8's head before the tombstone. He breathed a long sigh of relief.

At any rate, the mission to have Chen Ling personally kill Spade 8 was accomplished. Sacrificing a minor figure like Xu Jia was nothing.

"You've worked hard, Chen Ling," Chi Tong said, fully embracing his role as he patted Chen Ling's shoulder. "Let's go back... Your injuries are too severe; I'll find someone to heal you."

"Thank you.""We're bunkmates, no need for formalities."

The two figures slowly walked out of the cemetery. Chi Tong was still immersed in the lingering apprehension of barely completing his mission, while Chen Ling looked back reluctantly, tears welling in his eyes as he gazed at Xiao Yu's tombstone...

He was like an actor about to take a final bow on stage, looking out at the audience; or like the unapprehended killer in a horror film, turning to gaze at the audience watching the screen;

The large red opera robe swayed gently in the wind, and a chilling smile crept onto Chen Ling's lips.