# 1356
Chapter 1357: Return
Great Xia border.
The Kunlun Mirror tore through the hazy mist, silently approaching Great Xia. Faintly, the outline of the Wall of Divine Miracles could be seen flickering at the edge of the horizon.
"Finally heading home." Baili Pangpang stretched lazily.
Lin Qiye, with white cloth wrapped around both ears, caught sight of distant Great Xia and exhaled deeply. A tidal wave of exhaustion crashed over him, and the taut nerve in his heart finally relaxed.
From Utopia to the proxy gathering, to the King's Treasury, and then Asgard… Lin Qiye had been racing through the mist for too long. The constant crisis between life and death had hung over his head, exhausting him both mentally and physically. He hadn't felt it before, but the closer he got to Great Xia, the stronger this feeling became.
Seeing distant Great Xia, Lin Qiye felt an unprecedented sense of security.
"Someone's approaching." The Queen Mother of the West, standing at the center of the Kunlun Mirror, narrowed her eyes and abruptly turned to look in a certain direction. Divine power began surging within her.
Not just her—Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, and Zhou Ping all looked toward the distance simultaneously, ready to strike at any moment.
Lin Qiye's heart skipped a beat.
They couldn't possibly encounter some变故 at Great Xia's doorstep, could they?
Lin Qiye and the others followed everyone's gaze. Beyond Great Xia's border, a diminutive figure floated in midair, seemingly hesitating and wandering about.
"Seems like a Norse god, a fish that slipped through the net?" Sun Wukong raised his Ruyi Jingu Bang, his voice growing icy cold.
"Wait!" Lin Qiye clearly saw the figure's face and suddenly spoke.
"I… know this person…"
Lin Qiye's mumbling voice rang out, and the many Great Xia deities who were about to strike halted their movements.
In the distance, Skadi also sensed their approach. When her eyes landed on Lin Qiye among the group, those reddened eyes once again filled with tears…
"Lin Qiye!" Skadi propelled herself forward, rushing rapidly toward Lin Qiye.
"Skadi, what are you doing here?"
Skadi choked as she recounted the sequence of events, but Lin Qiye could barely make out her words. It was only through the direct mental transmission from the Queen Mother of the West beside him that he understood Skadi's meaning.
"Alright then… come back to Great Xia with us." Lin Qiye looked at Skadi, who had begun sobbing uncontrollably, his expression somewhat complicated.
The sacrifices of Verðandi and Urðr had purchased the continuation of the "future." For the already-destroyed Norse mythology, perhaps this was a good thing…
Of course, this also meant Jialan could be saved.
Cao Yuan, standing nearby and watching the approaching Great Xia border, suddenly sighed.
"Old Cao, what's wrong?" Baili Pangpang asked, puzzled.
"We're about to return to Great Xia again, but… we still didn't find the Ark of Covenant." Cao Yuan shook his head. "There's still something unfinished. It feels like something's missing in my heart…"
"Old Cao, you don't have OCD, do you?" Baili Pangpang clicked his tongue. "The Ark of Covenant went missing in Paradise already. Even if we wanted to find it, we have no leads… Maybe Michael has already found the Ark of Covenant and is preparing to bring it back to Great Xia?"
Just as the two were conversing, a voice suddenly came from beside them.
"Ark of Covenant? Paradise?" Zhou Ping hesitated briefly, then gently knocked on his sword case. A neat, square box landed in his palm.
"When we passed through a certain sea area earlier, I accidentally entered an abandoned divine kingdom—I suppose that was the Paradise you mentioned—and found this there. Take a look—is this the thing you're looking for?"
Seeing this box, the mouths of Baili Pangpang and the others couldn't help but fall open…
…
Great Xia.
Cangnan City.
The dusky sunset shone on the Peace Affairs Office sign, painting it a pale gold. The bustling streets were filled with pedestrians hurrying home.
"Ding-dong—Welcome!"
The crisp electronic chime rang out as Su Zhe, slouched behind the counter in a daze, suddenly startled awake.
"We're closed, sir. Come back tomorrow if you have business." Su Zhe yawned as he spoke.
Glancing toward the door from the corner of his eye, he suddenly froze.
A fierce gray dog stood at the glass door, emitting low, threatening growls, looking extremely aggressive.
Behind this ferocious canine, a black-haired girl stepped through the door into the golden sunset, her gaze sweeping across the shop. A flicker of nostalgia and faint sorrow appeared in her eyes.
"Wait, you look kind of familiar…" Su Zhe studied the girl's face intently, scratching his head vigorously. He was certain he'd seen her somewhere before.
The girl glanced around, her eyes landing on Su Zhe. She was silent for a moment before asking:
"Who is the captain of Squad 136 now?"
"It's Gan Yangyu…" Su Zhe blurted instinctively, then came to his senses. "Are you also Night Watch? Which squad are you from?"
"Gan Yangyu…" The girl repeated this unfamiliar name, the disappointment in her eyes growing deeper.
"… I see."
She turned and walked out the door.
Watching the figure of the girl and dog disappear into the distance, Su Zhe suddenly had a flash of insight. He dashed to the framed photograph hanging on the wall and scrutinized it carefully.
"It's her?!" Su Zhe's mental image overlapped with a face in the photo, and he gasped aloud. "She's Si Xiaonan?!"
A former member of Squad 136?
Countless thoughts raced through Su Zhe's mind. Finally, he gritted his teeth and burst through the office doors, chasing after her!
He pursued the retreating figure, leaving the city center. The buildings grew sparser, the surroundings increasingly desolate. By the time Su Zhe came to his senses, he had arrived at a deserted, uninhabited outskirts.
Meanwhile, the girl's figure had vanished without a trace.
"Isn't this near the Night Watch Cemetery?"
Su Zhe recognized the location. Relying on his memory, he passed through the cemetery gates and ventured deeper inside…
Finally, he found the girl's figure once more among the graves.
In the golden sunset, golden leaves danced through the air.
The girl sat alone in the cemetery, cradling a tombstone in her arms. Her other hand pressed hard against the stone's surface, carving something.
Crystal tears slid down the stone face. The gentle wind brushed past, sending her long black hair dancing lightly…
Faintly, a soft voice drifted to Su Zhe's ears.
"Leng Xuan… we're home."
…
On the bed,
Bragi's eyelashes trembled gently. He slowly opened his eyes.
Rich floral fragrance invaded his nostrils, pulling his consciousness rapidly from the haze. He stared blankly at the familiar wooden ceiling above, then abruptly sat up!
"Where is this…" Bragi scanned his surroundings, seeming bewildered.
He glanced down at himself—a clean set of robes, neatly fitted against his skin, a subtle fragrance wafting from the fabric, bringing an inexplicable sense of peace.
Bragi stood up, too hurried to put on his shoes. He clattered across the wooden floorboards to the door.
With a creak of aged hinges, the wooden door swung open.
Whoosh—!!
A gentle spring breeze, mingled with a soul-soothing floral perfume, rushed against Bragi's face.
His golden hair danced in the fragrant wind. That handsome face gazed in bewilderment at the boundless sea of pansies before him.
Countless pale yellow petals rose with the wind, like a golden tide sweeping past Bragi, then drifting and swirling up toward the azure sky…
He spotted the graceful figure in the flower sea, and his pupils contracted!
In the sunlight, within the pale gold sea of flowers,
A woman in white dress, pristine as snow, turned her head slightly. Those beautiful eyes gazed at Bragi, her smile curving into a pair of crescent moons.
"Meeting again… Bragi."
…
…
Volume 4, "Divine Death Movement," complete.
Next volume, "Who We Once Were."