Chen Ling thought as he walked out the door. Several snow-white flakes flitted before his eyes.
He paused slightly and looked up at the sky.
"…Is it snowing?"
Under the azure aurora, snowflakes fell like catkins from the sky. Chen Ling reached out to catch one, and its eight-pointed crystal slowly melted in his warm palm.
"The Aurora Realm is different from other realms—it has no seasons, only winter," Chu Muyun said, stepping out of the house. He too caught a snowflake and asked with a hint of confusion, "But isn't this snowfall a bit sudden?"
"Is it really sudden?" Chen Ling asked.
"We just had a once-in-a-decade rainstorm a few days ago, and now it's suddenly snowing… I feel like the celestial phenomena in the Aurora Realm are getting more and more chaotic."
Chu Muyun frowned deeper as he thought.
"Brother, the snow is falling so fast!"
Chen Yan,wearing opera robes, rushed onto the street. Standing amidst the thickening snowflakes, his chestnut-colored pupils sparkled with excitement and anticipation. "At this rate, we can build a snowman tomorrow!"
Watching the red-clothed youth reaching out to catch snowflakes, warmth filled Chen Ling's eyes. He smiled and said,
"You build one every year—haven't you had enough?"
"This time is different," Chen Yan said seriously. "This snow is heavy. Maybe I can build a dozen at once… We can also build a tall platform, and I can practice my opera on it while the snowmen be my audience."
"Aren't I enough as your audience?"
"Brother, who performs opera with only one audience every time…" Chen Yan pouted. "If I never have an audience, how will I overcome stage fright when I perform at school?"
"…That's true." Chen Ling smiled and slowly looked up at the sky.
"I hope this snow keeps falling."
"If it keeps falling, it'll become a snow disaster." Chu Muyun pushed his glasses, hesitated, then took out a woolen overcoat from the house and put it on. "I need to go out."
Chen Ling and Chen Yan exchanged a look.
"Will you be back for dinner?"
"Yes."
As Chu Muyun's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the street, Chen Ling checked the time. "I should go too. Mountain roads are tricky in snow…"
"Wait!" Chen Yan seemed to remember something, ran back into the house, and stuffed the cotton-padded coat he'd spent all night mending into Chen Ling's hands.
"Brother, I fixed it… Be careful on the mountain today, and don't get into fights again."
Chen Yan's tone was unusually serious.
Chen Ling examined the coat and found no trace of damage—it was perfect as new. He couldn't help but praise,
"Our Ayan really has skillful hands…"
Chen Yan grinned.
"Going now."
Chen Ling waved and headed straight for District Two.
The snow was indeed falling heavier as Chen Yan had hoped. By the halfway point, the snow had submerged Chen Ling's shoes, and the icy snowwater seeped into his soles, chilling him to the bone.
He rubbed his hands and trudged forward against the snow, murmuring to himself:
Could this really turn into a snow disaster?
He walked for a long time. The number of pedestrians on the street dwindled, but the number of law enforcers dashing by grew.
Clad in black-and-red uniforms, they rode horses and hurried in one direction, ignoring Chen Ling as they passed. Snowflakes churned up by the wind slapped his face. He wiped his face and watched their departing figures in confusion…
"What's happening?"
Chen Ling didn't know, nor did he care to investigate. As long as they weren't heading for Frost Street, he didn't mind their destination.
After walking for about three hours, Chen Ling returned to the familiar Ice Spring Street. The ruins had been mostly cleared, and the desolate half-street looked even more silence under the snow.
Just as he was about to find Qian Fan and the others for today's tasks, several figures hurried over and waved warmly at him.
"Brother Chen Ling!"
It was none other than Qian Fan and his group.
"Lord Qian."
Chen Ling still politely added the suffix "Lord," after all, he hadn't completely broken off relations with Qian Fan and the others—superficial politeness still needed to be maintained.
"What's today's task?"
"Task? No need for tasks anymore." Qian Fan waved his hand grandly. "In view of your... uh, excellent performance yesterday, those above have decided to reserve a law enforcer spot for you. You can go home directly today and report to the headquarters in District Three tomorrow."
Chen Ling froze.
He had imagined ten thousand possibilities on the way here—such as a group of Ice Spring Street residents lying in wait to retaliate, or Qian Fan and the others completely breaking off pretense to create difficulties, or being told he was directly eliminated from the law enforcer list and ordered to go home...
But he never expected to be directly admitted?
This couldn't be real... Did Ma Zhong truly value his strength and want to recruit him?
Chen Ling had only met Ma Zhong once and didn't know much about the man, so he couldn't fathom the other's intentions for a moment...
"From now on, we'll be colleagues." Qian Fan smiled and clapped Chen Ling's shoulder, as if they were old friends for years. "There might have been some misunderstandings between us before, Brother Chen Ling—don't take it to heart?"
"Yeah, Brother Chen Ling. Come play cards with us in District Two when you have time—you're always welcome!"
"Almost forgot, there's also this... This year's exam is different from previous years. Although you were on the reserve team, you did three days of work for us official law enforcers, so those above decided to issue you a subsidy. It's not a large amount, but the road ahead is long... Law enforcers' salaries are still very generous."
Qian Fan stuffed a small tube of oiled paper into Chen Ling's hand. The latter took it in surprise, peeled back a corner, and glanced inside—
Ten silver coins.
Chen Ling was shocked.
In this world, one silver coin had the purchasing power of 250 copper coins, and copper coins were equivalent to the RMB in his past life. This small tube of oiled paper thus amounted to 2,500 yuan...
Not a huge sum, but he'd only worked two days!
Zhao Yi had worked hard all day melting frost for the Road Bureau, and the two of them had only earned 20 copper coins... If even the reserve team's two-day subsidy was this high, how astronomical must the salary of an official law enforcer be?
Chen Ling looked deeply at them, suddenly felt that sometimes respect and politeness were truly reserved for the strong...
Yesterday, they had forced away Wu Youdong. If he hadn't had [Killing Waltz], he might have met the same fate... Now, they could only greet him with fake smiles because he now had the qualification to stand on equal footing with them.
Chen Ling didn't consider himself the protagonist of a power fantasy novel—he couldn't just rely on rrighteous anger like "I'll make you pay if you provoke me!" to kill these hypocritical villains on the spot... That would be declaring war on the entire Aurora Realm's law enforcement system.
His home was still on Frost Street, he had a younger brother about to return to school, and he needed a law enforcer's identity to pursue the "Military God Path"... From any angle, he should go with the flow and let this matter end here.
"Thanks to all of you, then." Chen Ling said flatly without lifting his head.
"Brother Chen Ling, the snow is heavy and the roads are slippery—walk carefully on your way back." Qian Fan's smile remained fixed. "The list of reserve team members who've become official should be posted at noon today. Keep an eye out on your way home. See you again someday."
Chen Ling gave a lukewarm response, turned, and headed home.
As Chen Ling walked away, the warm smiles on Qian Fan and others' faces gradually faded, replaced by cold disdain.
"That Chen Ling is truly ungrateful," a law enforcer sneered.
"Once Brother Ma's business is done, District Three will be turned upside down... Let's see how long he can keep jumping then?"
"Any news from Brother Ma's side?"
"Not sure..."
"Based on the timing, it should be soon."
As they spoke, a figure rushed over from a distance, slipping and staggering in the heavy snow, nearly falling.
"Dead...!"
"Who's dead?"
"Han Meng, the Chief Law Enforcer of District Three, is dead!!" He stood up and shouted, "News from District Three says he single-handedly fought two Calamities and died together with them!"
"Law Enforcer Ma Zhong is temporarily acting as Chief and has ordered District Three to be unblocked immediately—District Two will follow soon!"
At this news, everyone's eyes lit up instantly!
"It's done!!"
"Is it confirmed? Is that Han Meng really dead?" Qian Fan asked again.
"That's what the news from District Three says—delivered personally by Brother Ma's confidant."
Qian Fan immediately relaxed, beaming with joy.
"Now that Han Meng's mountain has fallen, our lives will be easier."
"The business on Ice Spring Street can finally start up again... Go gather Gu Dao and his men, find more dancers and prostitutes, prepare good wine and meat for a celebration banquet! Let them know who to follow for a good life from now on."
"Yes, Brother Fan!"
...
Holding ten silver coins, Chen Ling slowly crossed the back mountain, his black hair dusted with snowflakes like frost.
He had just spent two hours walking from District Three, stayed for only five minutes, and now had to return the same way... By the time he got back to Frost Street, it would probably be noon.
But regardless, he had gained good news and ten silver coins—enough to buy new clothes for himself and Chen Yan, and hire someone to patch the leaks in their house so they wouldn't freeze in the snow.
"Still have plenty of Expectation Value; can live peacefully for a few days," Chen Ling murmured, glancing at the characters flashing in the snow.
Come to think of it, he had indeed improved a lot compared to when he first transmigrated... Since wresting control of his body back from the "Audience," the Audience had rarely interfered with his surroundings, and everything was moving in a better direction.
He walked through the snow for a long time, until the snow exceeded his ankles, and finally reached Frost Street.
He was about to go straight home when he caught a glimpse of a pastry shop owner preparing to close up. His heart stirred, and he slowly stopped.
"Boss, how much is this cake?" Chen Ling pointed to an exquisitely shaped cake in the window.
"Two hundred copper coins." The boss looked up, recognized Chen Ling, and raised an eyebrow. "It's A Ling? Why suddenly buying a cake?"
They were neighbors on Frost Street, and the shop owner knew Chen Ling well. Given Chen Ling's family conditions, they had never bought anything from the store... To be honest, few households on Frost Street could afford a 200-copper-coin cake, let alone the 50-copper-coin small cake cups.
"I passed the martial arts test," Chen Ling smiled. "Buying a cake to celebrate at home—my little brother has never eaten cake before."
"Got promoted to official law enforcer?" The boss asked in surprise. "That really deserves a celebration... Tell you what, I'll charge you 150."
"Thanks, Boss."
"No need to thank me—Frost Street will need your care in the future."
The boss packed the cake, tied it with a festive red ribbon, and handed it to Chen Ling with both hands.
Chen Ling took the cake, paid, and headed straight home. Before he walked far, he heard several law enforcers galloping past:
"Calamities eliminated! District Three unblocked!"
"Calamities eliminated! District Three unblocked!!"
"..."
As the law enforcers' voices faded, some residents on Frost Street began stepping out of their homes, all wearing expressions of relief.
Since the Calamity Bell rang, District Three had been under lockdown for five days, leaving everyone anxious. Now that the calamities were dead, life could return to normal... Thinking this, they suddenly found the heavy snow more bearable.
When Chen Ling heard the news, his heart jolted.
Calamities eliminated?
But he was still here... Could it be Ayan?!
Chen Ling subconsciously quickened his pace, hurrying home. But when he reached the door, he knew his worry was unnecessary...
The familiar red-clothed youth was crouching at the doorstep, carefully rolling snowballs. He gently stacked them to form a snowman's outline, but his palm slipped, and the two snowballs crashed into fragments.
Chen Yan sighed, then saw Chen Ling approaching from a distance. His furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he exclaimed in delight:
"Brother, why are you back so early?"
"Finished the assessment early, so I came back sooner," Chen Ling said with a relieved smile.
He didn't know what had happened with the law enforcers or which calamities they had eliminated... As long as he and Chen Yan were safe, nothing else mattered.
"Passed?!" Chen Yan's mouth fell open. "Brother, you're really a law enforcer now?"
"Yep."
Chen Ling entered the house, placed the cake on the table, and beckoned to him. "It's a rare occasion—I bought a cake. Let's celebrate together."
At the word "cake," Chen Yan's eyes lit up. He dashed into the house, his fluttering opera robe sweeping in a flurry of snowflakes. He plopped down at the table, watching eagerly as Chen Ling unwrapped the box.
"Brother, this cake must be expensive?"
"Not really." Chen Ling smiled, pulling out a handful of silver coins from his pocket and spreading them on the table. "Your brother has money now... We'll have even more in the future."
"So much money!" Chen Yan stared in shock. "This will last us ages..."
"Perfect timing—you're going back to school, so tuition is sorted now."
Chen Ling unwrapped the packaging, revealing a large cream cake on the table. To Chen Ling, its craftsmanship and ingredients couldn't compare to his past life, but to Chen Yan, it was something he'd long gazed at through shop windows, never daring to hope for.
Chen Yan couldn't help but swallow.
"Brother... Should we wait for Doctor Chu?"
"No need. We don't know when he'll be back. We can just save a piece for him." Chen Ling took out several included candles, inserted them into the cake, and lit them one by one.
Orange candlelight flickered in the room, casting light on the faces of the two teenagers and the snowflakes swirling outside.
"Ayan, you blow them out."
"Can we blow out candles even if it's not a birthday?" Chen Yan asked.
"Of course... Remember to make a wish before blowing."
"Okay!"
Chen Yan immediately clasped his hands together, bowing his head solemnly in the candlelight like a devout pray-er.
Chen Ling didn't know what wish Chen Yan had made. He only saw that after Chen Yan opened his eyes, he smiled at him, his chestnut-colored pupils as clear as water.
"What wish did you make?" Chen Ling asked.
"I can't say—if I do, it won't come true..."
"That's right..."
"Excuse me, is Chen Ling at home?"
As they spoke, a figure cautiously approached the door, standing in the heavy snow and looking into the room.
"Wu Youdong?" Chen Ling recognized the figure with a cane and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why are you here? Come in and talk."
Wu Youdong smiled awkwardly and walked into the room slowly. He glanced at the cake and candles on the table, his eyes full of envy...
"I just saw the list posted on the street—you became an official law enforcer?"
"Yeah."
"...Congratulations." Wu Youdong's smile was tinged with bitterness. "I thought you'd be forced out like me, but I didn't expect... you actually succeeded."
As he said this, Chen Ling could hear the deep-seated bitterness and helplessness in his words.
"Brother, who is he?" Chen Yan asked, curious, sizing up Wu Youdong.
"His name is Wu Youdong—he's a friend who's been going to Ice Spring Street with me these past two days."
Wu Youdong froze.
"A friend?" Chen Yan mused. "Then we should give him a piece of cake too?"
"Of course we should."
"Do you want to cut it or should I?"
"Not yet—the candles haven't been blown out."
As Chen Ling spoke, he beckoned to the confused Wu Youdong beside him. "Youdong, don't just stand there—sit down and have a piece with us."
"Ah? Oh... okay."
Wu Youdong slowly sat down at the table. He looked at Chen Ling with a strange expression, then at the space beside him...
"Chen Ling..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Since just now... who have you been talking to?"
Chen Ling froze.
A bone-chilling gust of wind suddenly swept through the room, and the burning candles were abruptly extinguished.