At the very moment Tendo forcibly joined the 'Hidden Star Society'.
Chen Kong had already returned with the severely injured Liu Ma and Vivian to the Rusty Nail Tavern in Rust Iron Hell District 12.
However, the focus of the Dimensional Audience at this time was not on them.
Instead, it was on the 'mysterious masked man' who, though only briefly on stage, completely overpowered Andromeda.
Because after Tendo's special performance,
The Dimensional Audience could no longer definitively conclude that the mysterious masked man was Tendo.
After all, apart from both the mysterious masked man and Tendo having a pair of azure blue eyes,
Their combat systems were completely different.
To definitively identify the mysterious masked man based solely on his eyes,
Would undoubtedly be too far-fetched.
'This mysterious masked man, with his 'Storm Wind' and 'Star Shatter' techniques, just doesn't seem to fit with Tendo Heavenly King from the first season.'
'What doesn't fit? In six years, even Chen Kong and the others have changed so much, so what's wrong with Tendo Heavenly King, who stands at the pinnacle of the Starry Sky, learning new things?'
'I also don't think it's necessarily Tendo Heavenly King. After all, if it really were him, why wouldn't he just take off his mask?'
'Who knows what the production team is thinking, but my intuition tells me this guy is definitely Tendo.'
The debate around whether the mysterious masked man was Tendo.
The webnovel's bullet comments immediately descended into chaos.
It was a case of "everyone has a point."
And this was precisely the effect Tendo wanted.
He needed a certain level of presence in the early stages of the second season to ensure the Dimensional Audience wouldn't easily forget him.
But he couldn't reveal himself too early, as that would affect his subsequent plan, named 'Above the Heavens.'
Therefore, releasing some ambiguous information and then setting off some smoke screens,
Was undoubtedly the best outcome.
Because this could not only maintain his topic popularity.
It could also lay the groundwork for a future 'reversal,' further boosting his popularity.
It could be said to kill several birds with one stone.
The mysterious masked man needed to be mysterious, but not too mysterious.
Haven't people's attention on the mysterious masked man now surpassed Chen Kong, the protagonist of Starry Sky?
When it comes to popularity, Chen Kong still has a lot to learn!
[Steam City, Rust Iron Hell District 12, Rusty Nail Bar]
"What's going on, Kong? I just asked you to find a way to get rid of her. Why did you bring her back?"
Inside the Rusty Nail Bar, Old Jack, standing behind the bar, suddenly stopped wiping a glass, his expression grave as he looked at the silver-white figure Chen Kong was carrying on his back.
As for Liu Ma, who had immediately found a sofa and sat down upon entering, looking weak,
Old Jack simply ignored him.
Because he could tell at a glance that Liu Ma wasn't a local of Steam City.
So, letting him stay at his Rusty Nail Bar wouldn't cause any trouble.
But Vivian, on Chen Kong's back, was different.
She was a terrifying 'ticking time bomb'.
She could blow up his small bar at any moment!
"Boss, she's quite badly injured. I'll send her up as soon as she's a bit better."
"No."
Without hesitation, Old Jack immediately rejected Chen Kong's naive idea.
Still, Old Jack did have some history with Chen Kong.
So, he patiently explained: "Kong, you've been in the Rust Iron District for a while now. You should understand what keeping her here means for us."
"Find a chance to send her upstairs quickly. That way, it'll be a good outcome for you, for me, and for her."
"Otherwise... I'll have to ask you and her to temporarily leave District 12, and you can only come back after you've sent her away."
Looking at Old Jack, who was being so unfeeling.
Liu Ma, standing by, couldn't help but say: "No, in her current state, if you ask Kong to send her out, how is that any different from asking Kong to kill her?"
"Old man, you should at least have some conscience."
Perhaps because he spoke a little too excitedly,
Liu Ma accidentally pulled on the wound on his chest, making him wince in pain.
In response, Old Jack's gaze suddenly deepened, as if seeing through the thick haze of the Rust Iron District, and he said earnestly: "Outsider, do you know why the Rust Iron District is called 'Hell' by the people of Steam City?"
He pointed bitterly at the ceiling and said: "It's because in this place where even sunlight struggles to reach, conscience is like a plague. It will not only harm you, but it might also harm those around you."
"Many people in the Rust Iron District hate the Upper City, and even more despise the Gear Church."
"If they knew I was hiding a heavily wounded Silver Knight here, they'd flock over like rats smelling blood. So..."
Thump, thump, thump.
Just as Old Jack was about to say something else, three rhythmic knocks suddenly sounded on the bar's door.
Anyone knocking at this time of night was definitely up to no good.
Old Jack understood, and Chen Kong understood.
Only Liu Ma, the outsider, didn't quite grasp it yet.
"Go upstairs, put her in my room for now. After this is over, you immediately take her out through the back door."
With that, Old Jack's mechanically modified arm, a result of Mech-Intelligence enhancements, tossed a string of keys to Chen Kong.
Chen Kong caught the keys, nodded, then carried the unconscious Vivian up to the small room on the bar's second floor.
What surprised Old Jack was that Liu Ma didn't choose to go upstairs with Chen Kong this time.
Instead, he chose to stay in the bar's main hall.
Seeing this, Old Jack immediately asked curiously: "Why aren't you leaving?"
Liu Ma replied nonchalantly: "Leaving? Why? I just scraped my skin a bit; I'm not half-dead like that knight lady. There's no need to hide."
"Besides, I'm quite curious about this 'Hell' you speak of."
Hearing this, Old Jack shook his head helplessly.
"You young people still have drive. Old folks like me just get more timid the older we get, always thinking about hiding when trouble comes."
In response, Liu Ma grinned, flashing a bright smile.
"If young people had no drive, what kind of young people would they be?"
"Besides, a friend of mine once said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'"
"And since I, Liu Ma, have this power, naturally I have to stay and see. After all, your old bones... don't look too good, do they?"
Old Jack chuckled: "To say something like that, I bet your friend must have suffered quite a bit, eh?"
Liu Ma thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Actually, no. Because that guy always only eats sweets, never bitter."
"...Is that so."
"Of course. After all, one of that guy's specialties is making anyone who dares to provoke or question him suffer terribly, and it never fails."
"Interesting."
Although Old Jack didn't know who the 'guy' Liu Ma was talking about was,
He could, however, sense Liu Ma's admiration for that person from his tone.
He must be a very formidable individual.
And just as Old Jack wanted to chat with Liu Ma a bit more,
The door of the Rusty Nail Bar... was violently kicked open.
The man leading them wore a skull mask and had a steaming saw dripping oil at his waist.
He looked at Old Jack, who was standing behind the bar, and said arrogantly: "Old Jack, I heard someone here just brought back a Silver Knight from the Upper City."
"You should know what secretly harboring an Upper City person means for us folks in Rust Iron Hell. I advise you to hand her over obediently."
"Otherwise, your District 12... will soon no longer be a safe zone in Rust Iron Hell."
"I don't have any Silver Knight you speak of, and..."
Old Jack slowly put down his glass, his cloudy eyes suddenly sharp as knives.
"Cicero, the rules of District 12..."
Old Jack suddenly flipped open a hidden compartment under the bar, pulled out an exaggerated-looking steam-powered shotgun, and aimed it at the members of the Blood Skull Gang who had brazenly burst in.
"...are not for your Blood Skull to teach."
Liu Ma looked at Old Jack, who was still sharp as ever, immediately let out a whistle, and then leisurely stood up from the sofa.
"Not bad, old man. Looks like we're getting a bonus show tonight, eh?"
"Young man, are you alright with that injury?"
"Don't worry, old man. This minor injury... won't stop me from trampling a bunch of skinny skeletons."
"Rather, old man, make sure you don't break your own arm later, because your gun looks like it's seen some years too."
"Hahaha, don't worry, my old body... is still doing fine!"
Seeing the two of them bantering back and forth, Cicero shot a look at his subordinates, then waved his hand without hesitation.
A major battle was about to erupt.