Chapter 19: High-Risk Experimental Subject  

A black horse carried an injured man who could no longer move, galloping ahead.  

The group formed a line, following slowly along the path the horse had taken.  

Jing Rong walked at the front of the procession, feeling the heat of more than a dozen pairs of eyes fixed on his back.  

The youngest signalman in the group, only thirteen years old, still couldn’t let go of his doubts. He quietly asked You Tier, “Can we take this chance to…”  

You Tier smacked him on the head. “Are you stupid? Can we even fight him now? If we’re going to act, we should wait until we’re back in town and find the right moment…”  

They still couldn’t bring themselves to fully trust Jing Rong.  

The Auerke People were cunning, especially the Adjudicators—those were a bunch of lunatics with off-the-charts Mental Power. Once bitten, twice shy.  

“But the cipher he brought really matches the encryption method the leader used to contact us!”  

Jue’s message was written on a piece of coarse cloth. They had passed it around and deciphered it, which was a major reason they had decided to follow Jing Rong.  

Another reason was that Jing Rong had given them supplies.  

The black-haired, black-eyed young man had taken off his cape to cover those suffering from frostbite. He had also handed over all the medicine and food from his horse.  

Among them was a wounded man who had been unconscious for two days. After a brief examination, Jing Rong said, “We can’t delay any longer. He needs to be sent back immediately for an amputation, or he won’t survive past sunset.”  

The injured man was placed on the horse and sent ahead to Jieke Town.  

“How strange…” You Tier laughed bitterly. “I never thought I’d be saved by an Adjudicator…”  

His gaze lingered on Jing Rong.  

Jing Rong wore black clothes, so it wasn’t obvious.  

But wherever he stepped, fresh blood still left faint traces—not much, just scattered droplets.  

626 returned from eavesdropping, visibly annoyed. “I thought they’d be more grateful. You could’ve walked away completely unharmed.”  

Jing Rong’s vision was still impaired, but his voice was calm, betraying no concern. “They’ve just never been treated with kindness before. Warmth can dull the mind, but so can war and bitter cold.”  

This world had twisted too many people beyond recognition—even wild wolves had been driven to desire, obsession, and hatred.  

Jing Rong had never intended to interfere too much with such a worldline.  

“But since we’ve already taken the first step, ignoring the rest would only make things worse.”  

626 fell silent for a moment before saying, “Brother, let me treat your wounds.”  

“No need. They’re just superficial.” Jing Rong took a deep breath of the icy air. “Just give me a cigarette.”  

Eight hours later.  

Jing Rong had escorted all the Auerke soldiers and guerrilla members near the fifth front line back to safety.  

Supply stations and medical tents had been set up at the town’s entrance, their thick fabric shielding against the wind and snow outside. Everyone was bustling about.  

“You Tier! It’s You Tier’s squad! This is incredible news. We have to inform the leader immediately!”  

A child tasked with delivering soup ran excitedly through the snow, and all the residents of the Isle of Blazing Fire embraced one another. “This is amazing… The guerrillas have endured three whole years of hardship, living exposed to the elements. Thank the heavens! Thank the heavens for bringing you back!”

Jing Rong bit down on his cigarette, watching the red-haired people bustling about in the snowstorm. He casually stopped a child and asked, “Where’s your leader?”

The child clearly didn’t expect to be addressed by him, taking a few steps back before blushing and pointing toward the watchtower. “The leader just finished surveying the railway tracks with the men and is in a meeting now! But You Tier is back, so the leader will definitely come to see him!”

“Alright.” Jing Rong rummaged in his pocket for a while before pulling out a piece of gingerbread he’d brought back from the capital. “Thank you, soldier. You’ve worked hard.”

The child’s eyes instantly sparkled with delight. “Yes! You’ve worked hard too!”

News traveled fast outside, and Jue soon emerged through the wind and snow.

The beautiful red-haired youth, surrounded by a crowd, strode forward and gave You Tier a strong embrace the moment he saw him.

Jue’s fingertips even trembled slightly.

This was one of the few surviving comrades who had once risked their lives to contact and assist him.

“Thank the heavens, fate has been kind to us,” Jue murmured. “How are the others?”

You Tier replied, “Allen’s frostbite requires amputation. A judge… a black-haired, black-eyed man brought us back. He carried your message to us.”

Jue gripped his hand and said, “He’s one of mine. You can trust him completely… Where is he?”

His gaze swept outward and finally landed on Jing Rong, who was leaning against the tent smoking.

Jing Rong curled his lips slightly in Jue’s direction.

The wind carried Jue’s scent.

You Tier was overwhelmed with guilt, struggling to speak. “Leader, we initially thought he was… an enemy. He took a Mental Burst Bomb for me.”

Upon hearing this, Jue’s expression immediately shifted. His steps grew faster, more urgent, disregarding the onlookers as he asked directly, “Brother, are you hurt?”

Jing Rong wasn’t one to dwell on injuries, especially since this one would surely heal by tomorrow. “It’s nothing. You know I don’t have Mental Power—this kind of thing barely affects me.”

He took a slow drag from his cigarette, his eyes calm and steady with amusement. “How are things with the railway tracks?”

Seeing that he was indeed fine, Jue relaxed slightly and was diverted by the topic. “Our people have already set up nearby. The War Train runs every half hour, with two supply trains daily. The next one’s at nine.”

Jing Rong asked, “What time is it now?”

He rarely asked for the time.

Jue faintly sensed something unusual but answered, “Eight, Brother.”

He couldn’t spot anything wrong with Jing Rong, but his leader’s primal intuition told him something was off.

“Brother, stay in the tent and rest. You’ve already done enough today,” Jue said.

Jing Rong shook his head. “I’ll go with you.”

Jue glanced at him but didn’t insist further. Instead, he stepped forward and lightly pressed against him. “Thank you, Brother.”

Jing Rong replied, “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Having never been called that in his life, Jue felt blood rush to his head, nearly choking on his breath. “You—”

Jing Rong simply kept smiling at him, taking advantage of Jue’s stunned stillness to stand and follow the survey team out.

Their plan was to gather all the hydraulic brakes to forcibly stop the incoming supply train, but the rest of the group remained unclear about the next steps.

Jing Rong stood in the snowstorm, watching as everyone prepared themselves amidst the howling wind. Timing it precisely, they replaced the brakes.

The train sounded its whistle as it approached from the distance.

“It’s coming!”

Everyone surged forward, dressed in station uniforms as they stepped onto the platform.

Jue stood firmly in the middle of the tracks, watching the train inch over the brakes. With each one it passed, the train jerked abruptly.

The train swayed violently, and the soldiers and officers aboard shouted, “What’s happening?”

“It’s the Sin Island people!”

The engineer was the first to spot Jue at the end of the tracks. Jue stood unwavering in the wind, his red hair whipping like a vengeful spirit.

The engineer blared the alarm: “Speed up! Speed up! Damn it, push through! The Sin Island people have taken the station!”

The boiler roared as the train accelerated inch by inch, only to slow down again just as gradually.

Jue raised his hand, and the resonance of his Mental Power instantly superheated the tracks ahead, causing them to melt and soften. The carriages behind the locomotive collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Meanwhile, Jing Rong stood at the far end of the platform, swiftly climbing into the locomotive and throwing the engineer out before severing the connection between the engine and the rest of the train.

You Tier, staying close to Jue, shouted, “Boss, that Auerke man went alone! Should we back him up?”

Jue had already coordinated the plan with Jing Rong earlier. After a brief thought, he smiled and said, “You can go after him. Help me keep him safe.”

You Tier, upon receiving the order, sprinted ahead, casting a suspicious glance at Jue over the ambiguous phrasing.

Jue’s eyes sparkled with exhilaration and deep amusement.

They quickly subdued the personnel on the supply train.

Though part of the War Train system, the supply train was poorly staffed.

Jue immediately destroyed all communication devices. The remaining crew were captured, and the supplies were transported to the Jieke Town warehouse.

“Boss, their next War Train is arriving in half an hour. What do we do then?” asked a sentry beside him. “We’ve taken the supply train, but the War Train carries 3,500 troops. We don’t have enough manpower.”

Jue replied, “The War Train isn’t coming.”

The others looked at him in confusion.

Jue raised a finger to his lips, then pointed at the clock on the wall.

With only ten minutes left until the War Train’s scheduled arrival, there was still no sign of it. Instead, a distant, thunderous rumble seemed to echo across the sky and earth.

“Is that thunder?” The group exchanged puzzled glances. “How can there be thunder in a snowstorm?”

*

Only You Tier, who had followed Jing Rong, knew what was happening.

He watched as Jing Rong expertly piloted the locomotive over the crossover tracks, heading straight toward the approaching War Train.

Twenty minutes later, they reached a desolate cliffside.

You Tier couldn’t help but ask, “Where is this?”

“It’s an elevated section of the War Train tracks. Twelve hundred meters long,” Jing Rong answered.

He didn’t mind the sudden company of the guerrilla leader. After stopping the locomotive, Jing Rong stepped into the snow.

The ground trembled as the vibrations from the War Train’s wheels rolled closer. You Tier could already see its lights.

Then, the tracks ahead vanished.

You Tier caught sight of a weapon gleaming with silver light—something that seemed to belong to another world entirely.

Then, the mountain range across the valley was sheared off midair, collapsing with the fragile railway tracks in a thunderous roar, like a violent landslide. The entire rail line tilted toward the direction of the fall, derailing the approaching train and sending it crashing into the ground.  

Jing Rong had acted simply and decisively—he severed the mountain.  

Severed the only passage through which the enemy could enter Jieke Town this entire winter.  

*  

“The War Train is the key to the Olke Empire’s victory in this war. Relying on it, Adjudicators, soldiers, and supplies are continuously transported deep behind enemy lines, causing the people of the Isle of Blazing Fire to retreat step by step, even losing their own capital.”  

“In the past, we’ve tried to stop the War Train, but the tracks were quickly repaired after being destroyed. After attacking the train, we were swiftly purged…”  

Jue stood on the platform waiting for Jing Rong to return, speaking softly to his comrades. “But that man… he has a way.”  

The time had come.  

The War Train did not arrive.  

Only the wind and snow grew fiercer, visibility plummeting.  

Jue waved his hand. “Everyone, go back and rest today. I’ll wait here for him.”  

The others obeyed him without question, gradually leaving the station.  

Visibility was so poor that even the train’s lights were invisible.  

Jue waited with his hands in his pockets until, finally, he heard a short blast of the steam whistle. His eyes brightened as he strode toward the train door.  

The door opened, and amidst billowing steam, You Tier staggered out first—  

Now he was certain: this Adjudicator before him was not human.  

This man was a ghost god, wielding power only a ghost god could possess.  

626 announced the stop: “We’ve arrived, slowing down… yes, yes.”  

Jing Rong asked, “Where’s Jue?”  

“Outside. He’s waiting for you.”  

Jing Rong nodded, feeling his way with his hands, gripping the doorframe before leaping out.  

Snow and wind filled the space between him and Jue.  

Jue immediately moved closer. “Brother.”  

Jing Rong stood still, turning toward the sound of his voice but neither moving nor speaking.  

Compared to before, his gaze was even more unfocused, resting calmly near Jue’s collar. “I’m back.”  

He opened his arms, but Jue didn’t rush into his embrace as usual.  

Jing Rong heard Jue’s breathing grow rapid. After a pause, his voice rose with urgency. “Brother, what’s wrong with your eyes?”  

Jing Rong’s tone remained calm. “I can’t see for the moment.”  

After the Mental Burst Bomb, the haze of blood before his eyes had never cleared. Tonight’s exertion had worsened the condition.  

Jing Rong’s hearing, sense of smell, and intuition far surpassed ordinary people’s—most wouldn’t notice his condition.  

He extended a hand toward Jue. “Will you take me back? My Master.”