# 686
Chapter 687: Jialan's Drift
Zuo Qing's eyebrow lifted. "Perhaps they don't need to hold their breath?"
Wu Xiangnan froze in place.
"Not breathing? How do they survive?"
"When you meet someone, you'll understand."
Before Zuo Qing could finish speaking, the office door opened again. A figure in a deep blue Han袍 (traditional Chinese robe) walked in slowly. Red cords tied her jet-black hair, hanging down her back. She carried a long black box in her hands, though it was unclear what weapon it held.
"This is..." Wu Xiangnan looked at the young woman before him, somewhat bewildered.
"Fifth Special Squad member, Jialan." Zuo Qing smiled as he spoke. "Two months ago, she landed on the eastern coast of Great Xia. Our local Night Watch was quite startled when they verified her. After confirming her identity, she made her way here."
"Sorry for the trouble." Jialan held the black box, speaking apologetically.
"How could this be trouble? If not for you, we wouldn't have known what happened to the Fifth Special Squad that day." Zuo Qing shook his head. "According to Jialan's description, the ones who attacked them might have been the 004 Special Squad from the future—the captain of the 【Mask】 Squad, Wang Mian. However, we've already discussed this with him personally, and he has no knowledge of it.
If that person really did stop the time of the Fifth Special Squad's members, all their physiological reactions would pause. They wouldn't need to breathe in the ocean currents, nor would there be any life-threatening danger.
This is also why we dared to place our estimated location hundreds of kilometers away."
Hearing this explanation, Wu Xiangnan nodded thoughtfully.
Jialan couldn't help but ask, "Commander Zuo, you said you've found their location. Is it true?"
Her eyes were filled with urgency and excitement.
Over two years ago, on the sea within the mist, after that white-haired figure had knocked her flying, she had fallen into an unfamiliar stretch of ocean.
Jialan's own time was stopped, so it wouldn't change with the passage of external time. This was probably why that person had singled her out and separated her from the other squad members—she wouldn't fall into the state of frozen time like the others.
Fortunately, she had 【Immortality】 to protect her. Even without breathing, eating, or drinking underwater, she wouldn't be in any danger. She drifted at sea for over ten days before finally reaching an island.
Within the mist, she couldn't discern direction. She could only use the limited materials on the island to craft a small boat, drifting alone through the mist.
And this drift lasted two whole years.
Over these two years, she had set foot on countless islands and seas, slayed countless "Mystical Beings" alone in the mist, and countless times been defeated by more powerful "Mystical Beings," falling back into the sea...
She had once found a continent, but it wasn't Great Xia—it was an unfamiliar nation reduced to ruins. The documents she found within were all written in strange, crawling script. Jialan found these characters somewhat familiar, because during the Han Dynasty, she had seen a letter from a small kingdom in a remote region within the palace. It seemed these were the same characters used within... If she remembered correctly, that kingdom was called Wei Man Chaoxian.
Recalling the maps she had seen during the Han Dynasty, Jialan pinpointed the direction of that small kingdom and set out to sea once more.
Finally, two months ago, she entered Great Xia's territory.
These two years—loneliness and confusion were not the most terrifying things for her. She had once lain alone in a coffin for two thousand years; compared to that, two years was but a fleeting moment... Yet she experienced an unprecedented torment.
Perhaps it was because the people she cared about were caught between life and death, and within the vast mist, her urgency and worry felt so insignificant.
She didn't know how many oars she had broken, how many sails she had worn out, how many boats she had sat through until they rotted... all just to return to his side faster. But reality disappointed, then despairingly crushed her, again and again...
No one knew how many times over these two years she had cried alone on her boat, how many times she had helplessly raged at powerful "Mystical Beings," how many times she had sunk into the deep ocean, yearning in the endless darkness for a reunion...
After returning to Great Xia, she discovered that Lin Qiye and the others hadn't returned either. Even the Night Watch was searching for their whereabouts.
Zuo Qing had promised her that they would definitely find them, so she had stayed, waiting for news.
And today, Zuo Qing told her that he might have found their whereabouts.
"While we can't be completely certain, the probability is high that they drifted toward Japan along the ocean currents." Zuo Qing replied. "It would be risky for Wu Xiangnan to go to Japan alone, so I was thinking of having you..."
"I'll go!" Before Zuo Qing could finish, Jialan cut in decisively. "I have to go!"
Seeing Jialan's determination, Zuo Qing didn't continue. He simply nodded. "Then this time, both of you will act together. Once you're near Japan, someone from the Oath Society will make contact with you. Your mission is to find Takamagahara, find the 'Human Enclosure'...
Bring the Fifth Special Squad back."
After saying this, Zuo Qing thought for a moment, then continued, "If you find them, remember not to let them get entangled in this maelstrom. This matter involves conflicts between god realms—it's not something a newly-promoted special squad should get involved in. Have them return directly to report."
"Yes." Jialan was already too anxious to wait to set out.
"However, Commander Zuo." Wu Xiangnan hesitated to speak. "There's only one medallion. The two of us—how do we move through the mist?"
Zuo Qing glanced at Jialan and smiled. "Don't worry. She... doesn't need this kind of thing."
...
Japan.
Hokkaido.
Two figures stood beside the Shinkansen, gazing at the city before them and the endless azure ocean in the distance. They took a deep breath.
"The environment here is pretty good." Lin Qiye remarked.
"Mm." Amemiya Haruki nodded slightly. "Hokkaido itself is a beautiful, serene place. Here you can quietly contemplate one's..."
BOOM—!!
Before Amemiya Haruki could finish, a tremendous explosion echoed from the distance. The ground shook violently for several moments, and billowing smoke rose in the distance.
Amemiya Haruki's expression froze.
Lin Qiye gave him an odd look. "Quietly contemplate what? Survival or death?"
"I told you before, Hokkaido hasn't been peaceful lately. It wasn't like this before." Amemiya Haruki shrugged.
"The explosion seems to have been at a shrine." Lin Qiye glanced into the distance. "Looks like a pretty big one."
"It's got nothing to do with us. Our goal is to get my blade repaired, not to go watch the spectacle." Amemiya Haruki said calmly. "Come on, let's get a taxi."
As Lin Qiye was about to take a step, he suddenly seemed to sense something. He turned to look at the glass sliding door behind him, its surface clearly reflecting both their figures.
"What's wrong?" Amemiya Haruki asked.
"Not sure..." Lin Qiye said uncertainly. "I thought I saw something—a shadow—flash past."
Amemiya Haruki scanned the area but saw no one unusual. "Doesn't seem like there's anyone else here. Let's go get that taxi first."