Inside the National Security Bureau headquarters, the atmosphere was just as tense and heavy. Commander Fang Zhiguo sat at the head of the table, brow deeply furrowed, while Master Zhang Daoren stood before a whiteboard, using a calligraphy brush to sketch a complex formation.
"This," Zhang explained solemnly, "is the basic structure of the 'Stars Reversal Grand Array' (斗转星移大阵). It hides behind the Sakura Cultural Festival as a cover. Multiple cities are being used as anchor points—each corresponding to a position on Japan's Kyushu Island. Once all these nodes are activated simultaneously, they'll connect into a closed loop... triggering catastrophic consequences."
Fang Zhiguo sighed. "The problem is, we only know which cities are involved—we still can't pinpoint where the core node lies."
Zhang put down his brush and turned to the others. "To destroy this formation completely, we must locate its core. And to do that, we'll need deeper intelligence."
"That's why we're forming a special task unit," Fang said, taking over. "Qin Xiao will handle technical support. Liu Yu—Er-Ge—will lead intelligence analysis. Gu Xiudao and Liu Siyu will conduct on-site investigations. Your mission is to track Abe Seimei's movements and collect as much information on this 'Stars Reversal' formation as possible."
He paused, then added, "Tonight, we'll check Century Park again. Fewer people means fewer eyes watching."
At 2 a.m., the Sakura Festival grounds looked nothing like the bustling scene from earlier that day. The moonlight cast a cold pallor over the pale pink petals scattered across the ground. Wind chimes swayed gently in the breeze, their tinkling sound echoing through the still night—beautiful, yet unnervingly eerie.
Er-Ge shuddered and whispered, "Didn't feel a thing during the day, but now? Damn, this place gives me goosebumps."
Liu Siyu and I exchanged glances of mild disdain. "You're seriously this scared?" I muttered.
"Yeah," Liu Siyu added teasingly, "come on, ge, even I'm fine."
Er-Ge huffed, defensive. "Easy for you two to say! You've both got divine beast charms protecting you. I've got nothing!"
"Then why aren't Fang or Qin freaking out?" I asked dryly.
Before Er-Ge could respond, Lin Xuan stepped forward, his tone calm and serious. "Their righteousness shields them. But he's right—there is something strange here."
Er-Ge smirked proudly. "See? At least our little shishu agrees with me."
Fang Zhiguo ignored the banter. "Lin Xuan, can you tell what we're dealing with?"
"The opponent's technique is clever," Lin Xuan said, squinting at the trees. "But lucky for us… we've brought along a living treasure." He turned to me, grinning mischievously. "Mind lending me a little of that special blood again?"
I groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Relax," he chuckled. "No lifespan borrowing this time. Just a little love-powered blood donation."
I sighed and held out my hand. "Fine. Take it."
Liu Siyu stepped closer, worried. "Shishu, be gentle, okay?"
Er-Ge rolled his eyes. "Sis, you're overreacting. It's just a little prick."
With lightning-fast precision, Lin Xuan drew his fingertip across mine, and a bead of crimson welled up. "Watch carefully," he said. "This is a proper Daoist technique—not like those TV dramas where people bite their fingers. That's barbaric and unhygienic."
He pulled out a tiny calligraphy brush from his sleeve, dipped it into the blood, and began to chant softly. The brush turned dark red almost instantly.
"That's enough!" Liu Siyu interjected, hurriedly applying a bandage she'd somehow produced from her pocket. Qin Xiao smirked. "Didn't know you were such a caring teammate, Siyu."
Her face turned crimson as she ducked behind me, too embarrassed to reply.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan continued chanting:
"Heaven and Earth in harmony, Yin and Yang obey—
Three Pure Ones above, guide my sight, reveal the truth!"
With each word, he painted a small red mark just below our eyebrows. Then he shouted,
"Open your eyes!"
In an instant, our vision shifted—and what we saw before us made every hair on our bodies stand on end.
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