"The transfer order from the higher-ups has come down."
Xia Simeng glanced at her phone, her brows slightly furrowed.
"What does it say?" Kong Shang asked from the side.
"Just as expected, Lin Qiye and Lin Xi Chen needs to be immediately transferred to the Zhaijie Institute for treatment." Xia Simeng slowly stood up, a complex look in her eyes. "His transfer mission is to be handled by... the Phoenix Squad."
Kong Shang was taken aback. "Letting us handle Lin Qiye's transport? Wouldn't that be..."
"Too grand?" Xia Simeng shook her head. "No, not grand at all. The Lin siblings's potential is immense. Now that his mentally unstable and has lost his ability to protect himself while is his sister is in danger for both mentally and physically, if they were transported by logistics troops, and those Outer Gods or the Ancient God Church were to intervene again, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"That's true." Kong Shang nodded, then a wry smile appeared on his face. "Speaking of which, we went through so much trouble hijacking a plane to Cangnan City just to take the twin away... I didn't expect we'd actually take them, albeit in this manner."
Hearing the word "hijacking," Xia Simeng's expression visibly stiffened. She twitched her lips and leaned in to whisper in Kong Shang's ear:
"Commander Ye also said that even though we happened to arrive in Cangnan City by accident, the matter of hijacking the plane still can't be overlooked... He told us to prepare, as we'll see each other in military court in a couple of days."
Kong Shang:...
Just then, Wu Xiangnan, who was sitting across from them, suddenly spoke:
"I have a question."
Everyone in the Phoenix Squad looked over simultaneously. Xia Simeng lightly coughed twice and said, "Go ahead."
"Since the Night Watcher's higher-ups always knew the secret of Cangnan City and intended to recruit Lin Qiye and Lin Xi Chen into the Night Watcher from the start, then... were the Ghost Face and Zhao Kongcheng's death also part of the plan?" Wu Xiangnan's eyes narrowed, his voice gradually turning cold.
Xia Simeng's brows furrowed slightly. "Although I don't know what you mean by the Ghost Face incident, nor do I know the thoughts of the higher-ups—to be honest, we've only just learned the inside story of the Cangnan City incident—there's one thing I can be sure of..."
Xia Simeng pointed at Wu Xiangnan. "Who are you?"
Wu Xiangnan was startled. "I am the 136 Squad's Vice Captain, Wu Xiangnan."
"You are a Night Watcher." Xia Simeng said slowly. "You are a Night Watcher, I am a Night Watcher, and the Night Watcher's higher-ups... are also Night Watchers."
Xia Simeng looked into Wu Xiangnan's eyes and said seriously, "The Night Watcher would never treat their comrades as pawns... What are called higher-ups are just Night Watchers who see further and think more thoroughly than us."
Wu Xiangnan and Xia Simeng looked at each other for a long time, then he slowly nodded. "I understand."
"Oh, right." Xia Simeng seemed to remember something and handed over the document in her hand. "It's not just Lin Qiye and Lin Xi Chen who received a transfer order..."
Wu Xiangnan lowered his head to look at the document and was suddenly stunned.
"The higher-ups are summoning me back to headquarters?" He looked up at Xia Simeng, his eyes full of confusion. "Why is this?"
"Who knows? The higher-ups see too far ahead. How could a simple mind like mine understand?" Xia Simeng spread her hands helplessly. "Perhaps they discovered something... a secret about Takamagahara?"
Upon hearing the words Takamagahara, an unusual light flashed in Wu Xiangnan's eyes.
"There are still too many unanswered questions about the destruction of the [Blue Rain] Squad. To unravel these mysteries and find the homeland of the Gods in Japan... perhaps only you can do it." Xia Simeng's voice gradually became serious.
"After all, you are the only human who entered Takamagahara and returned alive."
Wu Xiangnan stared blankly at the document in his hand. The memories he had sealed away for a long time resurfaced before his eyes: the endless Mist, the Takamagahara full of mysteries, Susanoo holding the Tian Cong Yun Sword, and the comrades who died tragically beside him, one after another...
After a long time, he spoke hoarsely, "If I leave, the 136 Squad will only have two people left."
"But you still can't let go of [Blue Rain], can you?" Xia Simeng looked up at Hong Ying, who was secretly crying outside the door, and Wen Qimo, who was taking care of her beside her, and sighed deeply.
"After this incident, it will take a long time for Cangnan City to recover. The aura left here by the God war is enough to suppress any 'Mysteries' occurrences that might appear. For the next three years, this place will be a Pure Land... You don't need to worry."
Wu Xiangnan slowly closed his eyes. After a long silence, he nodded.
"I understand."
...
One day later.
Cangnan City, suburbs.
A breeze swept across the desolate mountain wilderness. The once lush trees were gone, with only a few scattered young saplings growing in the soil, their tender green leaves gently swaying in the wind.
Before the scattered tombs, a girl in a red dress stood still.
In front of her were two clean tombstones, one for Zhao Kongcheng and one for Chen Muye.
The girl lowered her head, gazing at the two tombstones, lost in thought.
Wen Qimo's figure slowly walked over from the side.
"We couldn't find the Vice Captain, but... we found this letter on the desk in his room." Wen Qimo handed over the letter in his hand, his eyes full of complexity.
"He was transferred to Shangjing City by the higher-ups, seemingly for something important. He couldn't bear to say goodbye to us, so he wrote this letter."
Hong Ying took the letter, read it carefully from beginning to end, then looked up at the distant sky and sighed deeply.
"The Vice Captain is gone too... The 136 Squad, only us are left."
Wen Qimo was silent for a moment. "What do you plan to do?"
"I want to stay." Hong Ying said calmly, her clear eyes looking into Wen Qimo's eyes, full of determination. "As long as Cangnan City is still here, as long as I am still here, the 136 Squad will always be here."
Wen Qimo was startled. "Even if only two people are left?"
"I believe in the Captain, I believe in Lin Qiye." Hong Ying took a deep breath. "The 136 Squad hasn't disbanded, it hasn't disappeared. Everyone is just spread out, with some personal matters to handle..."
"When the dust settles, they will return."
"Even if I am the only one left, I will guard this city, just to wait for the day they return, so I can smile and say to them... Welcome back."
Hong Ying took out the green Lycoris Radiata from her embrace, squatted down, and gently buried it in the soil.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she pursed her lips tightly, seemingly trying to keep the tears from flowing.
Hong Ying stood up, wiped away the tears from her eyes, and looked up into the distance. The breeze brushed against the girl's temples, revealing a pair of determined eyes.
At this moment, that innocent and naive girl... suddenly, grew up.
"The Captain is gone, so from now on, I, Hong Ying, am the Captain of the 136 Squad!" Hong Ying took a deep breath and shouted loudly towards the distant continuous mountains.
Her voice echoed through the valley.
Wen Qimo looked at the girl's profile blankly, then after a moment, smiled and shook his head.
"I really can't do anything about you... Since that's the case, I'll reluctantly be the Vice Captain."
Hong Ying chuckled lightly. "Vice Captain Wen Qimo!"
"Here!"
"Let's go back!"
Hong Ying shouldered the long spear from the side, her black hair flowing behind her, her fiery red clothes fluttering in the wind, and walked towards the distance.
Wen Qimo followed behind her with a smile.
"Captain."
"What is it?"
"What is our job?"
"...Waiting for them to return!"
In the empty valley, the girl's voice echoed. Before the desolate tombstone, a green Lycoris Radiata, gently danced...
...