Chapter 164: Revenge Named 'Justice' [Monthly Ticket Bonus]

With Isabelle taking away the injured and unconscious Chen Kong, Chen Xing seized Vivian.

The brief “farce” ultimately ended in defeat for the protagonists.

At the same time, the scene shifted to Gear and Brass Bridge.

“People can be returned to you,” Chen Xing said, her gaze sweeping over Tian Dao and the members of the Fifth Squad. Her tone was calm, almost indifferent. “But you must agree to one condition.”

“Speak,” Tian Dao replied.

“You must revoke the manhunt for my younger brother.”

“No problem,” Tian Dao answered without hesitation.

The moment the deal was sealed, Chen Xing discarded Vivian as if she were nothing more than a discarded burden, shoving her toward Tian Dao’s side. Then, without a backward glance, she turned and walked away—clean, sharp, decisive.

It was as though her entire presence today had been nothing more than a means to tidy up the mess for her brother, Chen Kong. No ulterior motives. No second thoughts.

After watching Chen Xing vanish into the distance, Tian Dao turned to the woman beside him—Vivian. Instead of ordering his men to recapture her and load her back into the prisoner transport, he gestured toward his own vehicle.

“Get in.”

Vivian nodded, then climbed into the passenger seat without protest.

As the steam-powered car ascended the Gear and Brass Bridge, Tian Dao finally broke the silence within the cabin.

“For you, your friends have sacrificed a great deal.”

He glanced sideways at her, his eyes probing. “Even so… are you still determined to go through with this?”

Vivian remained silent for a moment. A flicker of doubt passed through her eyes—hesitation, perhaps.

But it didn’t last. When she lifted her head again, her voice was steady, resolute.

“Someone has to act. I’m the first. But I won’t be the last.”

“Is that so?” Tian Dao turned his gaze to the window.

Before them, the grand bridge stretched across the churning sea of steam, spanning between the Brass Council and the Upper City of Steam Capital.

It looked like a dividing line—cutting through the sky, separating heaven above from hell below.

Below, the Lower City sprawled beneath: rust-streaked pipes crisscrossed the skyline, cramped shanties packed tightly together, a stark contrast to the gleaming, modern metropolis above.

This brutal dichotomy existed in full view—real, undeniable, and coexisting within the same city.

“Though I’d rather not interfere,” Tian Dao said, “I don’t believe one person alone can change anything.”

“But even a single spark can matter,” Vivian murmured, her voice rough. “Can’t it?”

Tian Dao paused, then smiled faintly.

“Perhaps. After all, those who’ve seen the light… can never truly return to darkness.”

He said nothing more. The silence returned, heavy and thick.

What was Vivian planning?

And what did Tian Dao mean by “light”?

For long-time viewers of Season 2, the Dimensional Audience already knew the answer.

There was only one word—Fairness.

Why was the Rust Iron District of the Lower City a living hell?

Because its people had never tasted Fairness.

Their sweat was stolen without reward. Their labor yielded nothing.

In such despair, even the most honest and kind-hearted souls would wither, twist, and break.

And Vivian’s mission?

To show the people of the Lower City that Fairness was possible.

To make them believe—against all odds—that justice could be fought for.

But how could she do it?

How could she make the numb and broken believe in change?

Her answer was the Twelve Brass Council—a live broadcast visible across all of Steam Capital.

She would tear open the Upper City’s hypocrisy, expose its lies, and plant a seed in the hearts of the downtrodden.

A seed.

A seed named Rebellion.

Even if it bore no fruit in the short term, Vivian believed—once planted, it would grow.

It would take root.

It wasn’t her original intention.

But in effect, that was exactly what she was preparing to do.

Yet just as Vivian was lost in thought, Tian Dao spoke again.

“Miss Knight… don’t let revenge blind you.”

Vivian snapped her head up, stunned. She hadn’t expected that.

Tian Dao smiled, but his voice carried a deep, quiet weight.

“Deputy Captain Yu has always wanted to prove your innocence. But I know he can’t.”

“Because there was no false accusation to begin with. The one who stole the Church’s Sacred Artifact… wasn’t someone else. It was you, Vivian Howard.”

“Together with Bishop Cleve and Saintess Yufemia, you fooled everyone.”

He paused, then let out a soft sigh.

“Strange, isn’t it? How hatred can transform a person… into someone they never imagined becoming.”

He looked at her.

“Am I right, Miss Knight? The one who swore to destroy the Church, willing to gamble her life on vengeance?”

Boom.

Tian Dao’s words detonated like thunder in the minds of the Dimensional Audience.

“Wait—what?! Did I just hear that right? Vivian staged the whole thing?!”

“No, you didn’t mishear. Ink Captain just confirmed it.”

“No wonder something felt off the whole time. We’ve been played this entire time?”

“But that doesn’t make sense! If she’s working with Bishop Cleve and Yufemia, why did they try to kill her? Why did she willingly walk into the trap?”

“Maybe she made a deal with them. Or maybe she tricked them.”

“My brain’s itching. Feels like I’m finally growing one.”

As the audience scrambled to process the implications, Vivian remained silent—long, heavy silence—before finally speaking, her voice hoarse.

“When did you figure it out?”

Tian Dao smiled.

“From the moment you told Old Jack your location.”

He tilted his head.

“A knight from the Upper City wouldn’t trust a lower-city tavern owner—someone she’d only met a few times—so easily. Especially not after he’d just helped her.”

Vivian stared out the window, at the endless sea of steam. She exhaled slowly.

“Then why did you tell me… that Old Jack betrayed everyone?”

“Because I found it amusing to play along. And honestly? You seemed to enjoy it too.”

“Playing the role of a pure, naive Justice Knight—so convincingly.”

Then, with deliberate calm, Tian Dao laid bare the truth.

“Let’s go over what happened, shall we?”

“The Church’s Sacred Artifact vanished. But instead of sending a team, they sent only you to the Lower City.”

“Why? Because they were certain you’d find it.”

“Add to that the video the Church showed me not long ago…”

His black-rimmed glasses glinted in the sunlight.

“Who knows better where a stolen object is hidden… than the thief themselves?”

At those words, Vivian slowly lifted her head.

In that instant, the fire of Justice in her eyes vanished—replaced by a cold, twisted obsession.

The transformation was so complete, so jarring, that the Dimensional Audience, who had trusted her all along, nearly dropped their jaws.

“You’re sharp. Clever. Shuimo,” she said, her voice unnervingly calm.

“But what does it matter? My plan is about to be complete.”

“Then I’ll not only make those who destroyed my father pay… but I’ll also ensure that the name Justice, carried by Clock Knight, becomes a legend in Steam Capital—no matter that this Justice… is a lie.”

Tian Dao shrugged, indifferent.

“Fair enough. People never care about the process. Only the outcome.”

Just as he finished speaking, the car came to a halt before a magnificent, towering structure—imposing, radiant, its walls carved with intricate gear motifs that gleamed under the sun.

This was the heart of power in Steam Capital: Brass Tower.

Tian Dao stepped out, then turned and gestured with a polite, mocking flourish.

“After you, Miss Knight. I’m quite eager to see your performance.”

Vivian stepped down. Her eyes burned with the fire of vengeance.

At that moment, she bore no resemblance to the Justice Knight the city had known.

She was something far darker—something born from the depths of hell.

Like so many in Steam Capital, she wore a mask.

But she didn’t wear it for the crowd.

She wore it for herself.

Because what she truly cared about wasn’t Justice.

It was her father’s Justice.

She would take back what was owed to William Howard—no matter the cost.

Even if it shattered the entire city.

Even if it cost her own life.

She had accepted that.

But one thing she hadn’t expected?

Meeting Chen Kong… and the sacrifices they made for her.

Now, however, it was too late.

She couldn’t turn back.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end