Chapter 993: Scattering

The other two blanched."Shhh! Keep your voice down! Aren't you afraid the Torch Bearers will hear you?""They're not here anyway... and what I'm saying is true." The more the speaker talked, the more animated he became. "Just look at what Wuji has become now... How much worse can it get? It takes a villain to deal with a villain. It would be great if they could just fight amongst themselves."

The other two exchanged glances, seemingly agreeing with him, and a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes."But hasn't he already joined the Torch Bearers? Why would he go after his own people?""That Red Heart 6 is a madman. Haven't you seen him killing even people from the Twilight Society now? I don't think the Torch Bearers can necessarily keep him in line... He even killed Lord Aurora and destroyed a dominion. Will such a person just stay put?""You have a point..."

Jiang Xiaohua listened intently to the entire conversation, then watched the group walk away, lost in thought.*Knock, knock, knock—*"Hello, I'd like to see Chiton," Chen Ling said seriously to the maid, holding a thick stack of reports."Please wait a moment."The maid knocked and entered Chiton's office. After a moment, she came out and gestured for Chen Ling to enter.

Chen Ling pushed the door open and entered, seeing the haggard Chiton sitting behind a mountain of stacked documents, rubbing the sides of his nose with both hands, his face full of grave concern."My apologies, Chiton," Chen Ling sighed, "I couldn't be of much help this time...""...It's fine. This matter didn't have much to do with you in the first place."

Chiton was telling the truth. Chen Ling had been forcibly brought along as a guide, and no matter how much they tried to assign blame for the failed encirclement, it couldn't fall on Chen Ling, as his tactics were flawless. On the contrary, Chiton himself hadn't slept well all night after hearing of Diamond Q's appearance. He was now filled with dread, fortunate that Crimson Sleeve had timely intercepted Diamond Q and sent Chen Ling away. Otherwise, if Diamond Q had abducted Chen Ling, everything would have been over! Chen Ling's "Disaster Mockery" was one of the Silver King's crucial trump cards. As long as Chen Ling was safe, what did a few runaway Ratmen matter?

A smile reappeared on Chen Ling's face as he placed the documents he was holding onto Chiton's desk.Chiton glanced at the thick stack of documents, his mouth twitching slightly."...What's this now?""Oh, this is the 'Hundred Doctors Charity Clinic' proposal I wanted to discuss with you. I plan to have doctors from within the Wuji Dominion enter the factories in batches to treat workers who don't have time to leave for medical care. It's divided into six parts. First..."Chen Ling seemed well-prepared, launching into a torrent of explanations to Chiton about the project's social impact and the necessity of its implementation. Each part was further divided into three sub-points, making Chiton's eyes glaze over.After Chen Ling finished detailing three of the parts, Chiton finally couldn't take it anymore and raised a hand to stop him:"Alright, you don't need to say any more... I think your idea is excellent. Let's do it.""I knew you'd agree, Chiton," Chen Ling said with a smile, then casually added, "However, some minor details in here still need refinement, so I'll need to find time to do some more research.""No."This time, Chiton flatly refused Chen Ling."Why?""You can't go anywhere for the foreseeable future," Chiton said in a very firm tone. "Leave the research to others... I will relay your proposal, and someone will carry it out.""Nowhere? But the Silver King allowed me to before...""Before was before; now is now. In this dominion, I, Chiton, call the shots."

Seeing Chen Ling's expression turn sour, Chiton knew he had spoken too harshly. Mindful of his own persona, he added as gently as possible, "The main reason is that members of the Twilight Society have infiltrated the city recently... They would pose a threat to you. Keeping you here is for your protection.""I don't need protection. I can go kill them, just like last time." When the Twilight Society was mentioned, a murderous glint appeared in Chen Ling's eyes."Not this time."Chiton's answer was categorical, leaving no room for negotiation.Chen Ling gave him a deep look, said nothing further, and left the office after a casual farewell.

Chen Ling had actually guessed that Chiton wouldn't let him leave the cathedral so easily recently. He had only come today to try his luck and test their attitude... It seemed things wouldn't be that simple.After Chen Ling left, Chiton called Huang and Lanyu in."Has the news about Red Heart 6 been spread?""We've taken control of the newspaper staff and disseminated the news. Now, the entire Wuji Dominion has received the reports... It states that Twilight Society's Red Heart 6 has announced his allegiance to the Torch Bearers, breaking with his past, and personally killed Twilight Society's Spade 8 to show his resolve."

"Once this news spreads, Diamond Q in the city will definitely hear it..." Chiton sneered. "I'd like to see what else they can do.""They should give up on Red Heart 6, right?" Lanyu said, uncertainly. "They'll realize it's difficult and retreat from Wuji. After all, they don't need to risk it for a traitor.""Theoretically, yes, but the people from the Twilight Society are all fanatics; it's hard to say what they'll do," Chiton said gravely. "For the time being, we must dispatch more personnel. Even if we have to comb through all of Wuji, we must find Diamond Q.""We've already deployed almost everyone available, searching everywhere for his whereabouts, even mobilizing personnel from the detention center to turn ordinary citizens into informants...""It's not enough," Chiton mused for a moment, then looked at Lanyu. "You said yesterday that you left a mark on Duran?""That's right.""You two should also go out and search Duran... Diamond Q appeared precisely when we were cornering the Ratmen, not earlier or later, so he must have some connection with Duran. By following Duran, we might find traces of Diamond Q.""Understood."

After Huang and Lanyu left, the office fell silent once more.Chiton slowly leaned back in his chair, seemingly utterly exhausted. He stared at the ceiling, murmuring to himself:"Your Majesty... when will you return?""I have a terrible premonition... If you don't return soon, the Wuji Dominion will descend into chaos..."

Factory District.Ratmen's Lair."Hey, hey, hey, look at this!"A figure rushed over, holding a newspaper. "All the factories in the Wuji Dominion have received it... It says that Red Heart 6 of the Twilight Society has announced his allegiance to the Torch Bearers and even killed a Twilight Society member...""What???"Jian Changsheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed in a corner, suddenly opened them, strode forward, snatched the newspaper, and began to read it carefully.