Chapter 121: The Man Who Walks Against the Current

Japan, Kyoto

November. It shouldn’t be snowing, yet snow still fell.

The wind whipped the snowflakes around, blowing back the long hair of the first man to step off the plane, revealing a face as pale as the snow itself. Silence was broken only by the rustling of clothing.

He stood in the blizzard, slowly extending his hand.

A single snowflake landed on his palm, yet it did not melt through the glove. He watched it quietly, feeling no chill, even as his breath formed white mist in the cold air.

A middle-aged man wearing black glasses handed him a black umbrella, brushing the wind-tossed hair from his face. In a low voice, he said,

“Welcomed by snow… quite the spectacle.

Seven have come—who knows how many will return?”

Fang Shenyan’s gesture seemed deliberate. Not only did it interrupt Ji Li’s quiet moment of watching the snow, but with one sentence, it unsettled everyone’s mood.

Things, ultimately, had to return to their proper course.

The snow was beautiful, but these people had no right to appreciate it.

Ji Li slowly closed his eyes, shaking the snow from his coat, ignoring the chaotic crowd, and stepped onto the thin layer of snow.

Fang Shenyan opened the umbrella, slipped his left hand into his pocket, and walked away from the snow without expression.

The crowd around them spoke in various accents.

Most were Chinese, now caught in this natural anomaly upon arriving in Kyoto, visibly more excited.

Footprints crisscrossed under the scattered lights, turning what was once pristine into something muddied.

Among the team, the only two women, Chi Rou had been nervous the entire journey. The moment she stepped off the plane and saw the unfamiliar surroundings, her legs weakened.

Glancing around, she could only fix her pleading gaze on Mei Sheng, the other woman.

“Miss Mei… can you—”

But before she could finish, Mei Sheng strode ahead, a gust of wind following in the wake of Ji Li and Fang Shenyan.

Instead, the honest and reliable Gao Liangping stepped forward to support Chi Rou, staggering along.

At this moment, distinctions of gender no longer mattered; Chi Rou gratefully glanced at the man and followed him.

The sly Cui Yanqing paired up with Kondo Sei, walking together while asking locals about the culture and geography of Kyoto, trying to learn as much as possible.

He repeatedly probed for information, attempting to gather details about Sunset Bridge in the Lower Kyoto District.

Thus, seven staff members arrived in Kyoto roughly thirty-six hours ahead of schedule, ready to head straight for Sunset Bridge.

Ji Li led the way without an umbrella. The swirling snow stung his eyes but allowed him a rare moment of peace.

Since boarding the plane, he had felt a faint but persistent sense of danger.

In fact, it had started the moment he left the hotel.

Yet Ji Li could not determine whether it was mere worry over the mission or an actual threat.

Normally, if something were targeting him, the little finger of his left hand would have given a warning.

But it had not.

Fang Shenyan’s Ghost Eye had also shown no abnormality.

The newcomers were unaware, but the veteran staff knew.

Fang Shenyan’s Sin Artifact could track the movements of ghosts. Though unspoken, if anything had occurred, he would have consulted Ji Li.

So, nothing was happening.

They still had some distance to cover to reach the exit. Ahead lay a long tunnel; passing through it meant leaving the snow behind and exiting the airport.

At that moment, Ji Li suddenly heard the wail of sirens slicing through the air.

He glanced back at the plane. Police vehicles were targeting the very flight they had just disembarked from.

It seemed all passengers had already left, yet staff remained in the snow at the aircraft door, anxiously waiting.

“The flight attendants’ expressions are anxious—fear mixed with urgency. The door hasn’t closed yet, which means something happened inside the cabin,”

the third persona’s extraordinary perception noted, pausing before adding:

“Perhaps it just happened, or perhaps it happened long ago, and none of us know.”

“Will it affect us, even though the mission hasn’t started yet?”

Ji Li murmured softly, his words swallowed by the wind.

He observed for a moment but did not dwell on it. Right now, none of this truly mattered to them.

What mattered was reaching Sunset Bridge before the Fourth Branch could get there.

Ji Li signaled to the group, calling Kondo Sei to stay close to him and Fang Shenyan for protection, then stepped toward the tunnel.

Among the moving crowd, passengers from several flights mingled, creating a slight disorder.

As Ji Li moved forward, a commotion arose from the crowd ahead, accompanied by murmurs of complaint.

It seemed a group of people was moving against the flow.

Ji Li paid little attention and continued walking. Soon, the counterflowing group reached him.

He glanced briefly at their leader—a man around thirty, with a scar running from his jawline to the corner of his mouth.

The wound appeared old; the scar wasn’t deep, yet it was still striking.

The man’s eyes were bright, and even a fleeting glance left an impression on Ji Li.

They brushed past each other, exchanged a single look, and then parted without further interaction.

But Fang Shenyan suddenly tugged at Ji Li’s sleeve, speaking abruptly:

“You go. I’ll stay.”

Ji Li frowned and asked quietly, leaving no trace of alarm: “Why?”

Fang Shenyan’s gaze fixed on the counterflowing group as he spoke deliberately:

“The Fourth Branch. Xue Tinghai.”

Ji Li’s heart jolted. Kondo Sei beside him covered her mouth in shock, trying to stifle any sound.

None of them had expected to encounter members of the Fourth Branch immediately after disembarking.

Kondo Sei’s eyes turned to Fang Shenyan, silently questioning how he could identify them just from a passing glance.

How could he know that these people belonged to the Fourth Branch, and that the leader was Xue Tinghai?

But no one had the chance to ask.

Fang Shenyan had already turned away. Ji Li grabbed Kondo Sei, increasing his pace, sprinting forward.

Ji Li understood immediately—Fang Shenyan’s Ghost Eye had been at work.

The Sin Artifacts carried by the counterflowing individuals had interacted with the Ghost Eye, revealing the presence of ghosts to him.

And the reason he could identify Xue Tinghai was likely that the man carried more than one Sin Artifact.

“Four…”

Ji Li silently counted. There were only four people moving against the flow.

While this didn’t guarantee that the Fourth Branch had only four staff for this mission, it at least confirmed one thing:

The Fourth Branch must have received the mission notification earlier than the Seventh Branch.

Why, then, would the hotel design it this way, giving the Fourth Branch more preparation time?