The roar of heavy metal rock surged like an untiring tide within the ‘Undercurrent’ bar.
But in the corner booth near the unassuming small stage, the atmosphere was as if separated by an invisible barrier, carrying a strange tranquility.
Su Li’s singing had long since ceased.
Clutching her old wooden guitar, her amethyst-like eyes still held the lingering shock, but more than that… a kind of ineffable… confusion and… curiosity.
Her gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, could not leave the figure in the corner booth, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora and a dark grey overcoat.
Ling Chen seemed oblivious to her gaze.
He leaned back relaxed in the soft leather booth, his slender fingers gently swirling the whiskey glass on the table.
Ice cubes clinked against the glass, producing a crisp “clink” sound, which was particularly clear amidst the noisy background.
The shadow of his hat brim perfectly concealed the upper half of his face, revealing only his well-defined jawline and slightly pursed thin lips.
His posture was elegant and composed, as if the thunderous restraining force from moments ago was merely a speck of dust he had casually brushed away.
The bald man and his companions had long vanished without a trace, and the bar’s clamor seemed to deliberately avoid this corner.
Tang Yinmeng sat opposite Ling Chen, clutching her juice glass tightly with both hands, her molten-gold pupils vigilantly scanning her surroundings, her body still somewhat tense.
She didn’t quite understand why her master had intervened to help the woman singing, but her master’s decisions, she only needed to obey.
Just then, Su Li took a deep breath, as if making some kind of decision.
She gently leaned her guitar against the stand by the stage, tidied her slightly disheveled white dress, and then, with hesitant yet firm steps, walked towards the booth where Ling Chen was seated.
Her high heels tapped crisply on the metal floor, the sound noticeably softening as she approached the booth.
“Sir…”
Su Li’s voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor, like a clear mountain spring dripping onto a jade plate, limpid yet with a hint of faint timidity.
“Just now… thank you.”
Ling Chen’s fingers, which were swirling the glass, paused slightly. He slowly raised his head.
From the shadows beneath the hat brim, a pair of… deep, night-sky-like… black eyes… calmly… met Su Li’s amethyst-like gaze!
That gaze was profound! Calm! Carrying an… ineffable… gentleness and… a sense of distance! As if… the cold restraining force from earlier… had nothing to do with him!
Su Li’s heart gave a sudden leap!
She had never seen such… contradictory eyes! Beneath the gentle facade… seemed to hide… an unfathomable… cold abyss!
But… that pure black… also made her feel a strange… sense of… security?
“It was nothing.”
Ling Chen spoke, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying a perfectly appropriate… gentle smile.
The corner of his mouth curved upward in an elegant arc, like a gentleman’s greeting to a lady.
“Your singing is beautiful. It shouldn’t be… disturbed by noise.”
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly penetrated the background clamor and reached Su Li’s ears.
That gentle tone, carrying a hint of sincere appreciation, instantly dispelled Su Li’s tension and unease.
“Tha… thank you for the compliment.”
Su Li’s fair cheeks flushed slightly, and a hint of shyness and… a trace of… joy from being acknowledged… flickered in her amethyst-like eyes.
She bowed slightly, “My name is Su Li. I am… the resident singer… here.”
“Lin Chen.”
Ling Chen nodded slightly, giving a… prepared… name. He gestured with his hand towards the empty seat opposite him.
“Miss Su, if you don’t mind, would you like to sit down and chat for a bit? Your singing… reminds me of… things from a long time ago.”
His tone was natural and casual, carrying an approachability that was hard to refuse.
In his deep black eyes, a hint of… faint… reminiscence and… an almost imperceptible… loneliness… were perfectly revealed?
Su Li was slightly startled. Looking at those deep black eyes and listening to that gentle yet somewhat world-weary tone, her last trace of wariness quietly dissipated.
She nodded lightly and sat down on the edge of the booth opposite Ling Chen, her posture elegant yet a little reserved.
“Mr. Ling… doesn’t seem to be a local of Shengjing?” Su Li tentatively asked.
She keenly sensed the unique aura about him that was at odds with Shengjing’s cold order.
“Just arrived from outside.” Ling Chen picked up his glass and took a small sip, his movements elegant and composed.
“A… very distant place. I’ve long heard of Shengjing’s reputation, and seeing it today, it truly… lives up to its name.”
He glanced around at the noisy environment, a playful smile on his lips.
“It’s just… I didn’t expect Shengjing’s ‘Undercurrent’… to be so… exciting.”
Su Li followed his gaze, looking at the crowd swaying wildly to the heavy metal music, and at the dangerous-looking bounty hunters, a complex emotion flickering in her amethyst-like eyes.
“This place… is the world of ability users. And also… the only… breathing space… outside the rules.”
Her voice carried a hint of faint helplessness and… self-mockery.
“Outside the rules?”
Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, a perfectly appropriate… curiosity… flashing in his deep black eyes.
“Shengjing’s rules… seem to be… everywhere?”
“Yes.”
Su Li nodded, lowering her voice slightly, with a hint of caution.
“The Xuan Niao Guard’s surveillance network covers the entire city. Any large-scale ability fluctuation will be instantly pinpointed. Brawling and private duels are strictly forbidden. Minor offenses result in zero contribution points, while serious ones lead to exile to the outer domains… or even… worse.”
She seemed to recall some bad memory, and her gaze dimmed for a moment.
“Contribution points? Xuan Niao Guard?”
Ling Chen perfectly feigned the confusion of a newcomer.
“It sounds… very strict.”
“Extremely strict.” Su Li affirmed.
“All ability users must register and undergo potential assessment. Crystal cores are hard currency, but contribution points are the official internal currency.”
“To gain a foothold in Shengjing, acquire resources, and improve one’s strength… one must… integrate into this system. Either join the Xuan Niao Guard and perform official missions to earn contribution points. Or… become a bounty hunter, take on guild missions, and exchange crystal cores for contribution points.”
She paused, looking at Ling Chen’s deep, calm black eyes, and added:
“Acting as you did just now… here… is very dangerous. The Xuan Niao Guard’s enforcement team… is everywhere.”
“Oh?”
The curve of Ling Chen’s lips deepened, carrying a hint of… cynical… amusement.
“Then… wouldn’t that be… restrictive? Even listening to a good song… one has to worry about… noise disturbance?”
Su Li was slightly taken aback by his slightly teasing tone, then couldn’t help but show a faint smile. “So… this is ‘Undercurrent’. As long as… you don’t cause too much commotion… the Xuan Niao Guard… usually… turns a blind eye.”
She meaningfully glanced in the direction where the bald man had disappeared.
“I see.”
Ling Chen nodded knowingly, a flash of understanding in his deep black eyes.
“It seems… I need to quickly… familiarize myself with the ‘rules of the game’ here.”
He put down his glass, leaned forward slightly, his deep black eyes carrying a hint of sincere… inquiry.
“Miss Su… seems… very familiar with this place? I wonder… if you could… offer some guidance?”
His posture was very humble, his tone sincere, combined with his incomparably handsome face and deep, gentle black eyes, making him very hard to refuse.
Su Li looked at him, a flicker of hesitation in her amethyst-like eyes.
She instinctively felt that this man before her… was by no means simple!
Beneath that gentle and composed exterior… hid a kind of… ineffable… dangerous aura! But… he had just saved her!
Moreover, his gaze and his tone prevented her from developing a strong sense of wariness.
“I… I just sing here.”
Su Li chose her words carefully, her voice soft.
“I know some people… I’ve heard some things… but I wouldn’t say I’m familiar.”
“That’s enough.”
Ling Chen smiled slightly, his smile like a spring breeze, carrying a reassuring warmth.
“It’s better than me… a completely clueless… outsider.”
He paused, his deep black eyes looking directly at Su Li.
“For example… I want to… temporarily settle in Shengjing. Do some… small bounty hunter missions. Earn some crystal cores… to make a living. But… I heard… I need to register? But I… just arrived… I’m unfamiliar with the place…”
His words were concise, and his deep black eyes carried a perfectly appropriate… difficulty and… a hint of… expectation… for help.
Su Li instantly understood what he meant.
He wanted to avoid official registration!