Meanwhile.
A black van sped along the highway toward the capital of Eastern Japan.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense.
Yue Xiaofei sat with his eyes closed, his fingers gently tracing the long case disguised as a golf bag.
Inside lay the ancient Crimson Firmament Sword.
Even through its layers of wrapping, he could feel a cold, weighty presence seeping from the blade.
It resonated strangely with the blood in his veins.
He could almost see his granduncle Lu Zhenhua wielding this very sword more than eighty years ago, charging through a hail of bullets and cutting down one invader after another.
The sword carried more than the spirit of the Lu family. It carried the conviction of every defiant Dragon Kingdom citizen of that era who had fought to defend their home!
And today, he would wield it to deliver a judgment more than eighty years overdue!
Bzz... bzz...
A faint vibration broke Yue Xiaofei's train of thought.
He took out the specially made Encrypted Communicator and answered it.
"It's me, Sister Rabbit."
Jade Rabbit's voice came through, calm but urgent.
"Xiaofei, the situation's changed!"
Yue Xiaofei's heart sank. An unforeseen complication was exactly what he had feared most.
"What happened?"
"Spirit Snake and White Tiger just sent in their latest intelligence."
"Eastern Japan has suddenly raised its alert level. Half an hour ago, they sealed off every road leading to the Sacred Toilet."
Jade Rabbit spoke rapidly. The situation was clearly urgent.
"This isn't ordinary traffic control. They've deployed large numbers of Self-Defense Forces troops and set up physical barricades made of reinforced concrete and anti-tank obstacles. The entire area within five kilometers of the Sacred Toilet is now a military exclusion zone!"
"Every sewer entrance and subway ventilation shaft has been sealed, too, with motion detectors monitoring them