Chapter 2463: Chapter 2366: Breakdown

Unfortunately, the words in this girl’s mouth had yet to be spoken when her gaze fell on a figure in the distance; the words that were about to leave her lips suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Her body gave a shudder, she froze completely, her face went rigid, and she began trembling all over beyond her own control.

Huo Sining and the others followed Saiji’s line of sight over, but all of them were somewhat baffled; they didn’t know what she had seen, or why she was suddenly so worked up.

Just as Huo Sining and the others were confused and about to ask, Saiji suddenly moved.

She shot toward the direction she’d been staring at with lightning speed, then stopped in front of a dull gray stone.

"Grandfather Jiashu, you... how are you here?!"

Huo Sining and Yue Shuwen exchanged looks with the others, completely unsure what sort of reaction they were supposed to have.

This Saiji... could she have been overstimulated to the point her brain broke? Otherwise why would she be talking to a stone?

Huo Sining griped inwardly, just about to go over toward Saiji, when that stone suddenly moved!

Huo Sining’s jaw dropped in shock, and even Yue Shuwen and Zhong Xiaoyao were dumbstruck.

The stone began to squirm bit by bit, slowly unwinding in circles, revealing a shape that looked somewhat like a Compass.

Only then did Huo Sining see clearly what this thing actually was.

That wasn’t a stone at all—it was plainly a coiled snake. But because the snake’s skin color was very similar to the surrounding environment, and this guy had tucked its head inside the coils and lay motionless in the sea mud, looking all gray and grubby like a rock, its disguise was very convincing. It was extremely deceptive; anyone who didn’t know the truth would absolutely never guess it was a snake.

Huo Sining’s mouth twitched involuntarily, but at the same time she was a bit puzzled.

What did Saiji just call this thing? Grandfather? Seriously? Did this girl mistake the person—no, mistake the snake?

You have to know, this girl has already been away from the ocean for seventeen hundred years. Even if this snake was just born when she left, it would still have to live at least seventeen hundred years to be able to reunite with her now.

What’s more, she even called this fellow "Grandfather"; doesn’t that mean that back when she had just come of age, seventeen hundred-plus years ago, this snake was already grandfather generation?

Isn’t that ridiculous? Is there even a snake in this world that lives that long?

Huo Sining studies bioengineering, so she naturally knows animals very well. Aside from the special species that is the Jiaoren (Merfolk), as far as what she currently knows, the longest-lived animal in the world should indeed be the Sea Turtle.

From ancient times to the present, many people have liked to use turtles in birthday celebrations because turtles, in people’s minds, are symbols of longevity.

There are ancient legends that turtles live a thousand years, but in reality most sea turtles die of old age around a hundred-plus years. And according to extant books and historical records, the longest-lived sea turtle only had about seven hundred years of life, still a long way off from the so-called thousand-year lifespan.

And this snake in front of them, living close to two thousand years—is that even possible?

Huo Sining’s eyes were full of disbelief, but that snake, after hearing Saiji’s words, really did lift its head. Its cloudy eyes fixed tightly on Saiji, as if truly sizing her up.

Saiji said again, "Grandfather Jiashu, it’s me, Saiji, it’s me!"

As she spoke, Saiji took a rather inconspicuous little whistle from around her neck; the whistle was about as thick as a thumb and seemed to be made from a seashell.

She took the whistle in her hand, put it between her lips, and started to blow.

Just when Huo Sining thought Saiji must have gone insane, the snake’s body suddenly shuddered, then it flicked out its forked tongue, and very quickly, this guy began to move, its body squirming bit by bit, coiling up along Saiji’s fish tail and winding inch by inch up onto her body.

While Huo Sining grew tense inside, ready at any moment to strike at this snake of unknown origin, Saiji was instead laughing happily. She giggled as she shouted for mercy:

"Hee hee, Grandfather Jiashu, that tickles, stop, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have gone so long without coming to see you. Good Grandfather, please forgive me..."

Only then did Huo Sining realize that the snake had actually stretched its tail into Saiji’s armpit to tickle her!

Huo Sining was both astonished and speechless, really wanting to ask what on earth was going on here. But seeing Saiji and the snake looking so cozy and delighted together, she truly didn’t feel it was her place to interrupt.

Fortunately, Saiji soon realized something, her expression suddenly darkening as she asked:

"Grandfather Jiashu, I came... to look for my mum and the others. I’ve been gone too long, I can’t find the way home anymore. Can you take me home?"

When she said this, Saiji’s tone grew a bit choked. Maybe because it had been so long, and she had suddenly met a loved one—even though she had no blood relation to this snake, it was still an extremely rare encounter for Saiji—so as soon as she started talking, all the grievances she’d been holding flooded from her heart straight up into her eyes.

She could not control the surging grievance inside; as she spoke, her tears were already falling like a string of beads breaking.

And just at this moment, the snake, trembling, had slid around to her ear, as if saying something to her.

As Saiji listened, her tears stopped, but her face grew paler and paler, and her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"No... that’s impossible..."

By the time the snake finally finished speaking and withdrew from her body, Saiji’s emotions were already completely out of control.

Huo Sining no longer had time to think about whether that snake had truly lived for two thousand years. Seeing Saiji’s crazed state, she realized something was seriously wrong. Afraid Saiji might do something extreme, she hurriedly rushed over and grabbed the girl, asking nervously and anxiously:

"What happened, Saiji?"

Saiji’s emotions were about to explode out of her chest. She struggled nonstop, shouting louder and louder as she yelled:

"That’s impossible, you’re lying to me, you must be lying to me! I don’t believe it!"

Although she couldn’t hear what the snake had said, seeing Saiji like this, Huo Sining realized something must have gone wrong.

But the urgent priority right now was not to chase down answers. Seeing that Saiji had already lost control emotionally, if the stimulation continued she would sooner or later have serious problems. Almost in that very instant, Huo Sining made a decision.

She suddenly lifted one arm, pressed her fingers together, and chopped down hard at the back of Saiji’s neck.

Huo Sining had learned this move from the military training instructor Chen Dekun, and she executed it very cleanly and crisply. With that single blow, Saiji, who had been shouting questions nonstop, went limp directly in her arms.

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