A Thousand Years of Elegance Discussed in Laughter (Complete) - Chapter 28

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Volume 36, Chapter 11: Who is the Murderer

? "What? What did you say! Captain Aizen... Captain Aizen was assassinated?" Ren Xiaoyao thought he had misheard, tapped his head which was slightly dull due to his injuries, and asked again.
“Yes, about an hour ago, Vice-Captain Hinamori was passing by the Sixth Division's forbidden area, Kyoka Suigetsu Pavilion, when she found Captain Aizen lying in front of the plaque. When she rescued him, he was already dead.” Long Feiyun pushed open the door and added with a solemn expression, “It happened suddenly, and we don’t know any other details yet. We need to wait for Hanbi to return to confirm.”
“Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible! With Captain Aizen’s martial arts skills and cunning, how could he… how could he suddenly be assassinated?” Ren Xiaoyao’s body trembled violently as if struck by lightning upon hearing this. In an instant, his hands and feet turned ice-cold, and he stood frozen on the spot. “A mistake… a mistake, it must be a mistake!”
“The message was delivered by Captain Ichimaru, along with several Anbu members.” Long Feiyun sighed softly and comforted him gently, “I know you don’t want to believe it, but the facts are right in front of you.”
“Thump!” Ren Xiaoyao slumped onto the bed, his whole body convulsing, tears welling up in his eyes. He shouted wildly, “Who, who killed Captain Aizen? Feiyun, prepare the horses!”
Long Feiyun asked in surprise, “You… what are you going to do!”
"Go to Hueco Mundo! I'm going to find the traitor and avenge Captain Aizen!" Ren Xiaoyao slammed his fist on the table in fury, his resentment overflowing. Although he and Aizen Sousuke had only met twice and weren't close, they were both exceptionally intelligent and possessed leadership qualities. They had developed a mutual respect upon first meeting, and the investigation of the traitor not only brought them closer but also deepened their understanding of each other.
Five days ago, when Aizen Sousuke left, he said he would investigate thoroughly. Ren Xiaoyao was somewhat worried, but considering his martial arts skills, strategies, and captain's status, he figured there was no danger even if he couldn't find the traitor. So he only offered a friendly reminder, never expecting it to become their last words.
"No...no, big brother can only get out of bed now, how can he..." Lin Yuxiu said anxiously.
"It's alright, I can manage!" Ren Xiaoyao stood up abruptly and reached for his outer robe.
"Slap—" Long Feiyun blocked his way, knocking the robe from his hand.
“Feiyun, you…”
“Calm down!” Long Feiyun gently stroked Ren Xiaoyao and pushed him back onto the bed, saying softly, “What you need to do is focus on recovering. The matter of the Void Palace will naturally be investigated by the Thirteen Guards and the Dark Guard.”
“This matter involves an internal traitor, how can you expect the Hokushin Ittō-ryū to investigate!” Ren Xiaoyao gasped excitedly.
“Of course, we’ll first appoint a captain to be in charge, and then…”
“In charge? Hmph, who dares to guarantee that the one in charge isn’t an internal traitor? Who can guarantee that? Tell me!” Ren Xiaoyao’s eyes flashed with endless hatred as he roared, “If you want to know the truth as soon as possible and avenge Captain Aizen, you can only rely on me, on me, an outsider, to investigate… Ah!” He accidentally touched his wound and cried out in pain again.
“You’re not even fully recovered yet, and you’re still thinking about investigating the case. Big brother is really…” Lin Yuxiu muttered softly.
“I know my body. As long as I don’t fight, I’ll be fine!” Ren Xiaoyao insisted.
"'Only the two of us and Leader Ren know about the traitor. If anyone is injured during this time, he will be the next target. So, no matter who of us is still alive, we must tell him this word for word, and instruct him not to leave the city hall until he recovers.' These are Captain Aizen's exact words. Captain Ichimaru is in a hurry to go back and collect his body, so I relayed them on his behalf." Long Feiyun sat down beside him and said slowly.
"What? Captain Aizen already sensed that something was going to happen!?" Ren Xiaoyao was shocked.
"I don't know the specifics either. Let's wait for Hanbi to come back and ask her." Long Feiyun stood up, casually took Ren Xiaoyao's clothes, and put them on herself.
"You...you don't mean to..."
"From now on, until I'm absolutely sure it's safe, I am you!" Long Feiyun turned around and smiled, her whole body suddenly exuding the same proud and indomitable spirit she had when she was disguised as a man.
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The next morning, Su Hanbi finally returned from Hueco Mundo, accompanied by Kuchiki Byakuya, the captain of the Sixth Division.
If Ren Xiaoyao was a heartbreaker among young women, then Kuchiki Byakuya's allure was irresistible to any woman. His charm was comprehensive and profound; beneath his handsome exterior lay an endless depth waiting to be discovered. His jet-black hair was tied back in a bun, and his handsome, ancient face was like a flawless bronze statue, almost perfect and impeccable. At this moment, his eyes were filled with a melancholic expression that could move anyone's heart. Yan Fei imagined the changes in his eyes under other circumstances and his almost irresistible expressiveness, a powerful infectiousness that seemed to lay bare his heart and lungs for you to see.
Kuchiki Byakuya wore a royal robe and crown, which even kings and nobles only wore when attending celebrations and important occasions. The "Star-Piercing Jade" on his head was a family heirloom of the Kuchiki family. It was made of cut cylindrical white jade, into which four strands of hair were inserted, symbolizing the absolute authority of the clan leader. His robe was painted and embroidered with twelve symbols: the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, pheasants, algae, fire, rice grains, axe, and embroidered patterns. These symbols made him look noble and incomparably beautiful.
Once both were seated in the inner room, Ren Xiaoyao went straight to the point and asked, "How's the investigation into the traitor going?"
Kuchiki Byakuya's handsome face showed a bitter expression as he said in a deep voice, "No leads whatsoever."
Ren Xiaoyao asked in surprise, "Not even a single clue?"
Kuchiki Byakuya's gaze drifted to the azure sky outside the window, his eyes dimming as he said, "Momo (Hinamori Momo) insists it was Captain Tosen who did it, but she can't produce any concrete evidence. Furthermore, at the time of the incident, Kenpachi and I were discussing strengthening defenses near the North Gate with Captain Tosen, so the possibility of him being the perpetrator is basically ruled out. As for other aspects—the culprit seems to be an expert in assassination, currently..." "There were no traces left at the scene, not even..."
Su Hanbi interjected, "Even Captain Aizen's cause of death remains a mystery. My sister Unohana and I conducted a very thorough examination, but we couldn't find a single wound. His tendons, bones, and muscles were all intact, not like he suffered internal injuries. Therefore, the possibility of it being fatal from physical force is almost zero."
Ren Xiaoyao blurted out without thinking, "Then it must be poisoning!"
Su Hanbi shook her head and sighed, "No, if it were poisoning, the Poison-Repelling Heavenly Pearl wouldn't have had no effect."
Ren Xiaoyao exclaimed in shock, "What! Not an injury, not poisoning, then... then what could be fatal?"
Kuchiki Byakuya's gaze suddenly... His expression darkened, filled with conflicting emotions, and he slowly said, "There's only one possibility—genjutsu. Captain Aizen has fallen for genjutsu!"
Ren Xiaoyao was taken aback: "Genjutsu? Isn't genjutsu used to confuse the mind? Even if you use it to kill, it's only as an aid; in the end, it still damages the body first."
Kuchiki Byakuya said in a deep voice, "Genjutsu, along with taijutsu and ninjutsu, is known as one of the three great techniques of ninjas. It's a method of mental attack. Through one's powerful mental will, it draws the opponent into a virtual world, creating various illusions in their consciousness, causing mental and physical weakness and confusion. Simply put, it's a kind of seduction." Illusionary Hypnosis. Illusionary arts differ greatly from ninjutsu. It doesn't directly attack the physical body, but rather targets the mind. Apart from the caster and the victim, it's very difficult for others to detect.
Ren Xiaoyao's thoughts stirred slightly, and he pressed on, "Then, if any ninja who knows genjutsu could make me feel dead in an illusion, would I become like Captain Aizen?"
Kuchiki Byakuya solemnly replied, "No, ordinary genjutsu can only be used to confuse the mind. To use it to harm someone requires at least twenty or thirty years of arduous training. To be killed instantly by genjutsu like Aizen is, in my opinion… no, in the eyes of all our captains, including the sect leader, simply impossible."
Ren Xiaoyao whispered, "You mean no one can master ninjutsu to this level?"
Kuchiki Byakuya shook his head and said, "Yes, of course there are. At least the Shinto Munen-ryu sect leader Sugita Tomo, the vice sect leader, Amasawa Isane, and Igagaya vice sect leader Mutou Ran can easily kill people with genjutsu. The problem is..." He looked puzzled and frowned, "The problem is that Captain Aizen's genjutsu is even better than theirs. He's even been praised by the sect leader as the number one genjutsu master in the Japanese martial arts world. His ultimate technique, Mirror Flower Water Moon, can manipulate an opponent's five senses at will, completely controlling their mind." He completely transported the opponent to another world, a world whose time and quality were entirely under his control. He could cause the opponent's mental collapse at any time, and the degree of damage was also entirely under his control. Although it could only be used when their eyes were locked, once someone fell into this technique, no matter how high their martial arts skills or how deep their cultivation, they would find it difficult to escape—so we never dared to believe that someone could break through the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique and cause Captain Aizen's tragic death under the illusion. "
Ren Xiaoyao said excitedly, "That must be some blind man who is skilled in illusion..." Realizing that a blind man could not possibly use illusion, he immediately fell silent.
Anger flashed across Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes, but quickly subsided. He slowly said, "My descent from the mountain today serves two purposes: firstly, to report on the progress of this assassination attempt, so as not to worry Master Ren; and secondly, to fulfill the young lady's request that you remain at the city gate and not venture out until your injuries have fully healed. Since Captain Aizen's murder, the Sixth Division has been temporarily under the young lady's command, and the missions of the Secret Service have become increasingly complex, so I haven't been able to personally descend the mountain."
Ren Xiaoyao's breathing quickened, and he pondered, "Is that so? Mina also told me to be careful. Has the situation truly deteriorated to the point of being uncontrollable?"
Kuchiki Byakuya stood up, his eyes flashing with a chilling light, but his tone was calm, almost cold: "Yes, but rest assured, I will definitely uncover the truth before the sect leader's birthday to comfort Captain Aizen's spirit in heaven." (

Volume 37, Chapter 1: Old Injuries Relapsed

. It's all over. Not only did they fail to capture Otsuka Chikao, but they even lured out the experts of Iga Valley.)
Meng Fei stood frozen, a sudden wave of desolation washing over him, a
sense of a hero's tragic end washing over him. The situation was eerily similar to twenty years ago, when he had been running around with the infant Xiaoyao, evading the Asura Cult and the Absolute Killers, repeatedly fighting against overwhelming odds, countless times trapped and dying in desperate situations with no way forward or backward.
Many times he had considered giving up, but the thought that his elder brother and sister-in-law's only remaining bloodline must not fall into the hands of the Ghostly Lord and Hentian would suddenly grant him an inexhaustible, immense power, always enabling him to fight his way out of encirclements and resolve one crisis after another.
More than twenty years later, the infant crying for milk in his swaddling clothes has grown into a pillar of the nation, possessing countless unique skills, a deep understanding of military strategy, and martial arts prowess surpassing his master. He is capable of ranking among the top three in the Central Plains martial arts world. However, when Xiaoyao once again... no, it should be said that he needed Xiaoyao's help to escape danger for the last time, he failed to summon the same domineering spirit he once had—he had clearly captured Otsuka Chikao, but due to carelessness and negligence at the last moment, he squandered all his previous efforts and handed over his last chance to turn the tide.
"You... what are you doing here!" Otsuka Chikao, still breathing heavily with lingering fear, glared at Hasegawa Izumi.
"You think I wanted to save you? Hmph, if Koga Valley hadn't joined the 'Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū Alliance' and had a few capable Jonin under his command, I wouldn't have bothered to save you." Hasegawa Izumi sneered, his face full of disdain. "The Grand Chancellor (Fujiwara no Michitaka) knew you were more trouble than you were worth, so he specifically asked me to keep an eye on you in case of any unforeseen circumstances. I didn't expect... Hahaha, Ren Xiaoyao wasn't wrong. Apart from being good at some underhanded tricks and taking advantage of others, you're really useless." After saying that, he turned away nonchalantly, ignoring ōtsuka Chikao.
Bathed in sunlight, Hasegawa Izumi, dressed in a light purple ninja outfit with her face hidden behind a heavy veil, stood about five zhang in front of Ren Xiaoyao. Her figure was graceful and slender, and her hair was tied in a high bun. Even without seeing her beautiful face, one could feel her imposing elegance. Her mere standing posture was captivating and full of subtle allure. Such a woman, who could exude such powerful charm without revealing her face, could only be compared to the female assassin seen outside the cave on the top of Wuyun Mountain.
Ren Xiaoyao suddenly smiled, his tiger-like eyes shooting out fiercely at his opponent. He coldly said, hands behind his back, "Where is Kubo Kosuke? If you're going to take me out first, why send only these lackeys to their deaths?"
Hasegawa Izumi showed a fleeting look of surprise. Clearly, she was exceptionally intelligent, sensing something unusual from Ren Xiaoyao's calm demeanor. She wasn't angered by his obvious disdain, but instead smiled charmingly, her lips parting softly as she said, "When I first entered the martial world, you were probably still learning to speak. You dare to presume to call me a 'lackey'? Are you tired of living?"
Ren Xiaoyao replied indifferently, "In my eyes, any opponent who tries to take advantage of a crisis is not worthy of respect."
A murderous glint flashed in Hasegawa Izumi's beautiful eyes . Ji Shi carefully examined Ren Xiaoyao and chuckled, "Young man, this isn't the Central Plains. All talk of chivalry and martial arts principles doesn't apply here. As a ninja, as long as you complete your mission flawlessly, no matter how much scheming or underhanded tricks you use, you won't be criticized."
Ren Xiaoyao smiled calmly and said, "Since you hold a position in Iga Valley second only to Kubo Kousuke and Mutou Ran, you must see Fujiwara no Michitaka frequently. I happen to have something I wish to tell the Grand Minister of State… hehe, to be precise, the Grand Minister of State. Please convey my message."
Even though Hasegawa Izumi was a cunning man, he was somewhat confused by Ji Shi's sudden change in demeanor and couldn't fathom what he wanted to say. She was the chief disciple of the female demon Mutou Ran, specializing in seductive illusions and bewitching arts. She could easily bewitch any man who saw her, making him lose all sense of reason, and then seize the opportunity to kill him with ruthless methods. This tactic was consistently successful. However, Ren Xiaoyao's will was as firm as a rock, completely unaffected by her seductive arts.
Hasegawa Izumi gently tossed her hair, a small movement, yet her posture was incredibly pleasing to the eye, adding to her charm and making people want to immediately embrace her and cherish her. Even with their cultivation levels, Yi Tianhan and Fu Longyuan almost lost control, quickly circulating their inner energy to calm their minds. The surrounding disciples of Koga Valley, Togakushi Ninja School, and Haguro Ninja School, as well as the people of Hokuriku and Kanto, all watched with drooling desire, the entire area filled with heavy, deep breaths.
Hasegawa Izumi chuckled, "Speak up, little brother, whatever you ask of me, I'll definitely grant it." Her tone was pure and sincere, yet so gentle and considerate, her demeanor charming and endearing. Unless one had a heart of stone, how could they not be moved by her?
Ren Xiaoyao remained completely unmoved. His tiger-like eyes flashed with a sharp light, his posture proud and imposing. He slowly and deliberately said, "Tell Fujiwara no Michitaka that he dared to provoke me, Ren Xiaoyao. He's destined to have no peace in this life. If he knows what's good for him, he'll obediently admit defeat to the Hokushin Ittō-ryū school, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
Even with Hasegawa Izumi's composure, her expression immediately changed.
Just as her mind wavered slightly, Ren Xiaoyao flashed out with lightning speed, drawing his Ice Soul Frost Sword, transforming it into a bolt of lightning that pierced the sky, striking the master-level seductive expert.
Ren Xiaoyao, with his exceptional insight and experience, quickly recognized that this seemingly beautiful young woman was a veteran expert of the same generation as Yoshihiro Tomoyuki. Under normal circumstances, the outcome of their fight would be uncertain, let alone with Otsuka Chikao and the Koga Valley ninjas nearby. Driven by their goal of defeating the Hokushin Itto-ryu, they would inevitably intervene, making it difficult to gain favor even with his master's help.
Therefore, he needed to first severely injure Hasegawa Izumi with overwhelming force, instilling fear in those present and preventing them from acting rashly. He also deduced from Otsuka Chikao's demeanor that Hasegawa Izumi hadn't fought in a long time; if she were accustomed to such encounters, she wouldn't be so nervous about his sudden appearance. Therefore, he used contrasting speaking styles to pique her curiosity and then distract her with the pretext of delivering a message, allowing him to strike first.
Hasegawa Izumi had never encountered a man who showed no mercy and would suddenly and ruthlessly attack her.
Worse still, she found herself suddenly transformed from hunter into prey. The abrupt change and the feeling of humiliation left her disoriented and unable to unleash her full potential.
Ren Xiaoyao's thrust, seemingly simple, was actually a masterful display of skill, sealing off all her counter-attack and retreat routes. The hidden variations within it were unfathomable.
However, she maintained a charming smile, revealing no trace of her inner terror. With a slight flick of her slender hand, she unleashed a gleaming silver katana. Her body moved swiftly, the blade seemingly neither defensive nor offensive, making it impossible to discern whether she intended to meet the opponent's sharpness head-on or to retreat and evade.
"Clang!" Hasegawa Izumi's katana met the blade of the Ice Soul Frost Sword. Her delicate body trembled violently, and she recoiled sharply.
Her retreat was entirely within Ren Xiaoyao's expectations.
In the entire world, besides the madman Kenpachi Zaraki, who would dare to directly confront "once you've seen the ocean, other waters seem insignificant"?
However, Hasegawa Izumi was far more skilled than he had imagined. Her retreat was incredibly precise, even elusive to him, who was known for his lightness skills. This made it difficult for him to capitalize on the initial advantage and achieve a complete victory, but fortunately, he had already inflicted a hidden loss on her.
Two sword flashes attacked from the left and right, blocking Ren Xiaoyao's path to attack Hasegawa Izumi. The one
who attacked was the closest Koga Valley Jonin. Although his martial arts were inferior to Hasegawa Izumi's and far inferior to Otsuka Chikao, his imposing presence and fierce winds made him a force to be reckoned with.
Ren Xiaoyao suddenly retreated, and when the two ninjas' swords missed their mark, revealing only a slight opening, he suddenly rushed forward, crashing into the gap between their swords.
This kind of change required not only the ability to dodge on flat ground with lightning speed and cross rivers on a reed, but also the coordination of internal energy and force. No one would believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes.
Master Xiaochen, having studied this art for over fifty years, might be able to achieve a similar effect through the manipulation of the Yi Jin Jing, but it would never match the naturalness and speed with which Ren Xiaoyao executed it. In
a battle between masters, judgment is paramount. The two ninjas, completely unable to fathom Ren Xiaoyao's unpredictable movements, were immediately enveloped by his powerful, dense, and incomparably potent innate qi, finding themselves in grave danger.
Ren Xiaoyao coldly snorted, his Ice Soul Frost Sword flashing to the left, while his shoulder slammed into the chest of the ninja on the right. To onlookers, it appeared as if he merely swayed slightly, his movements incredibly swift .
The ninja on the right screamed, falling several feet away, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The other ninja screamed again, collapsing to the ground amidst the flashing sword light, motionless.
Ren Xiaoyao seemed never to have stopped; his Ice Soul Frost Sword transformed into a blur of azure light, pursuing Hasegawa Izumi with his mysterious and profound footwork.
Hasegawa Izumi never imagined that two Jonin couldn't even withstand a single move from Ren Xiaoyao, and that her opponent's momentum, fueled by victory, was only increasing. The astonishing sword energy made her, even ten paces away, feel as if she were in a fiery abyss, her blood boiling. Knowing full well that she had lost the contest of momentum, she dared not be stubborn. With a sharp cry, she feigned three thrusts at Ren Xiaoyao before gracefully retreating, throwing herself towards a distant hilltop.
"You've fallen for my trap!" Ren Xiaoyao's icy voice suddenly rang out, not from behind, but from in front.
Yes, in front, towards the hilltop she was retreating towards.
"Hokushin Ittō-ryū Secret Technique—Ninja Shadow Clone Technique!" Hasegawa Izumi realized that what she had desperately tried to block was actually a phantom of Ren Xiaoyao, but it was too late. Her swift figure could no longer be stopped, and she crashed straight into Ren Xiaoyao.
At this moment, Hasegawa Izumi was focused entirely on defending against attacks from behind and using her lightness skill to retreat at full speed. She shouldn't have been able to spare any energy to deal with Ren Xiaoyao, who was right in front of her. However, her decades of cultivation were far beyond that of ordinary ninjas. In the critical moment, she shrugged her shoulders, her slender hand deftly shifting the direction of her katana with lightning speed, turning its blade in the blink of an eye to strike Ren Xiaoyao's forehead.
"Hmph, I told you you fell for my trap." Ren Xiaoyao smiled coldly. Without any visible movement of his left hand, a "crack" was heard, and the katana flew from his hand, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before landing on the ground.
"Good, what a fine 'Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand' move! Xiaochen has learned all his secret techniques!" Yi Tianhan laughed heartily. His eyesight was exceptional; he had clearly seen that Ren Xiaoyao first used the Hunyuan Wuji technique to deflect Hasegawa Izumi's attack, then directly grabbed the katana with the Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand, simultaneously channeling his innate supreme qi along the blade, spine, and hilt to rapidly advance towards his opponent. Hasegawa Izumi hastily changed her move, only managing to gather half her power. If the true energy were injected into her body, she would be severely injured, if not killed. She couldn't afford to continue holding the katana.
Ren Xiaoyao let out a loud roar, his fingers moving like the wind, aiming for Hasegawa Izumi's eyes.
Hasegawa Izumi hastily raised her hand to block, but Ren Xiaoyao anticipated her movement. With a swift circle and a sweep of his left hand, he redirected the last bit of his strength back to himself. In an instant, Hasegawa felt a violent tremor throughout her body, her limbs went numb, and her chest felt as if a scorching fireball had rolled over it, causing excruciating pain. She coughed up blood, staggered backward, and found herself powerless to use her martial arts skills.
"Admit defeat!" Ren Xiaoyao laughed loudly, flashing to the side and reaching for Hasegawa Izumi's back. If he could control the Lingtai acupoint in the center of her spine, this infamous female demon would be at his mercy.
A dozen Koga Valley ninjas, led by Otsuka Shuu, rushed to her aid, but it was too late to help her in her current predicament.
"Ah—ah, ah, ah—ah—" A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the valley. The owner of the voice was not the desperate Hasegawa Izumi, but Ren Xiaoyao, who was on the verge of victory.
While the crowd stared in disbelief and confusion, Hasegawa Izumi, who had almost returned from the brink of death, clearly saw blood gushing from Ren Xiaoyao's abdomen and chest. Ren Xiaoyao was kneeling on the ground, clutching his stomach, shivering uncontrollably, seemingly enduring immense pain.
This wasn't caused by Hasegawa Izumi's sword energy, but by Ren Xiaoyao's old wounds that hadn't fully healed—yes, old wounds, wounds that hadn't fully recovered after ten days of rest, suddenly flaring up due to the intense fighting.
"You're the one who admits defeat, hahaha." Hasegawa Izumi, with strength seemingly coming from nowhere, suddenly stood up, grabbed the katana beside him, and slashed straight at Ren Xiaoyao's face.

In Chapter 2 of Volume 37,

Ren Xiaoyao's old wounds flared up from the excessive force he had used, and he was in excruciating pain. He wanted to raise his hand to block, but he was powerless, watching helplessly as the blade rapidly approached, unable even to dodge to the side.
Five inches, four inches, three inches… Ren Xiaoyao's fate of being cleaved in two was irreversible.
Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, and Deng Lei, despite their exceptional eyesight and rich experience, never imagined that Ren Xiaoyao, who had the upper hand, would suddenly lose his fighting ability at the very moment of victory. In the rush, there was no time to provide assistance, and Nangong Fengzi, Lin Yuxiu, and Shui Furong cried out in terror.
"Boom!" In that life-or-death instant, a wall of sand suddenly rose up in front of Ren Xiaoyao… no, it should be called a sand wall, because it was very thin, only about two finger joints thick. But this mere two-finger-joint-thick sand wall actually blocked Hasegawa Izumi's strike, imbued with true power and intent on killing Ren Xiaoyao.
Ren Xiaoyao and Hasegawa Izumi's expressions changed instantly. The former was overjoyed, thinking that a savior had arrived at the crucial moment, and his life was now safe. The latter, however, turned pale and ashen-faced, cursing the sudden arrival of this jinx. Seeing that their nearly completed plan was doomed, she reluctantly and helplessly sheathed her sword.
Who was it?! With just one move, she had astonished Hasegawa Izumi, the number one female demon of Japan.
Who was it?! Before even revealing himself, he had already robbed her of the courage to strike a second time.
Aoki Toshishi! Aoki Toshishi, the head of the Tochigi Matsumoto school! Known for his "absolute defense," he was a figure of immense power in the ninjutsu world. Even the seven major sects had an unwritten rule: "If you encounter Aoki Toshishi, you don't need to complete your mission; you can return to your sect immediately." In the current Japanese martial arts world, apart from Shinguji Ryuugen, no one dared to challenge Aoki Toshishi!
"Splash—" Five zhang away from where Hasegawa Izumi and Ren Xiaoyao clashed, the sandy ground boiled like boiling water, spraying large amounts of yellow sand that stung their faces.
The ninjas retreated, and Aoki Toshishi, dressed in black robes and with an indifferent expression, slowly rose from the ground. Behind him was the Mitama-no-Hara, half a person tall and filled with specially made meteor sand. His eyes were clearly half-open, without a trace of killing intent, but anyone whose gray-black eyes swept over them felt a chill rise involuntarily.
"Thank you... thank you, Sect Master Aoki, for saving... saving my life." Ren Xiaoyao used his sword to support himself and stood up with difficulty. Su Hanbi and Nangong Fengyi quickly stepped forward to help him, and were shocked to find that the blood seeping out had stained the hem of his clothes red. They felt more concern and heartfelt gratitude than heartache.
To ensure their safety, Ren Xiaoyao, despite being injured, gritted his teeth and insisted on fighting, almost risking his life to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.
Hasegawa Izumi turned to Aoki Toshishi and said fiercely, "Sect Leader Aoki, the Iga Valley and Tochigi Matsumoto School have always kept to themselves. Why did you intervene to rescue Ren Xiaoyao? Do you intend to become our enemy?" After all, she was a notorious female demon. Even knowing she might not be able to handle Aoki Toshishi, she couldn't afford to lose in terms of momentum.
Aoki Toshishi maintained his indifferent expression, his eyes stern and deep, flashing with a sharp light. After a moment, a cold smile appeared on his lips as he said calmly, "I came to repay a debt of gratitude, not to save anyone."
Hasegawa Izumi coldly replied, "Hmph, what debt of gratitude has this kid done for you? You clearly let him go during the desert battle."
Even she dared not act rashly, yet there were still fools who didn't know their own mortality and wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Two Chunin from the Yuhei Ninja School stood behind Aoki Toshishi. Seeing him talking to Hasegawa Izumi, with a huge opening in his back, they thought they had an opportunity and silently slashed at him with both swords.
The moment they stepped into the sand circle, Aoki Toshishi, standing in the center, sensed it. His eyebrows twitched slightly, but he pretended not to notice anything and smiled with his hands behind his back: "If it weren't for Master Ren pointing out the flaw in the absolute defense, I probably wouldn't have been able to think of a way to perfect it for ten or twenty years..."
"Clang!" "Clang!" The two full-force slashes struck Aoki Toshishi's shoulders solidly, but the sound was not the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing. Instead, it was a crisp sound, like metal clashing. There was no wound, no bloodstain, not even two faint white marks—it was as if the sharp katana had not struck at all.
Without turning his head, Aoki Toshishi continued, "I doubled the hardness of the Sand Armor, while maintaining the same weight. Not only will divine weapons be unable to penetrate it, but even the innate supreme qi of Master Ren might not be able to..." Before he could finish, his right hand suddenly shot upwards and clenched tightly.
"Sand Binding Coffin!" His usual deep voice rang out, still devoid of any emotion, echoing in everyone's ears with the whistling sound of swirling sand.
The omnipresent yellow sand rose from beneath the feet of the two Chunin, spreading upwards, and no matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't shake it off, quickly enveloping them from head to toe.
"Sandstorm Funeral!" Aoki Toshishi coldly uttered four words, and the sand pile suddenly tightened without warning, crushing the two Chunin before they could even scream, their flesh and blood splattering everywhere.
The entire area fell silent; everyone was stunned by Aoki Toshishi's move.
Killing someone is a matter of a snap of the fingers, and a single Sand Armor can easily defend against a Chunin's attack. Those present, aside from the sect leaders and patriarchs, probably don't even qualify to unleash his ultimate defensive Shukaku Shield.
"Once I'm fully healed, I'll definitely fight the sect leader again." With Su Hanbi bandaging and applying medicine, Ren Xiaoyao's pale face gradually regained color, and he smiled happily.
"Hahaha, even if you didn't say so, I would have come knocking." Aoki Shunzhi's eyes flashed sharply as he met Ren Xiaoyao's gaze, then turned to Hasegawa Izumi, asking slowly and deliberately, "Well, can we let Sect Leader Ren and the others go up the mountain now?"
"Why ask me? The Iga Valley ninjas aren't here." Hasegawa Izumi said coldly.
"Them? Do they dare say no?" Aoki Shunzhi glanced around, and everyone he saw hurriedly lowered their heads, knowing his words were sarcastic but none daring to utter a word.
"What if I don't agree!" Hasegawa Izumi's beautiful eyes flashed with a cold light, and her right hand gripping the katana tightened.
"Indeed, you have your unique charm that makes you stand out in Japan. Even though I rely on absolute defense to be invincible, I only have less than a 40% chance of winning in the end." Aoki Toshishi remained unmoved and said calmly, "However, if it's a hundred wooden puppets, I wonder how much use your secret technique, which you've diligently cultivated for decades, will be."
"Oh, 'Red Secret Technique - Hundred-Person Manipulation Technique,' it seems that the number one puppeteer in the martial world, Yoshikawa Musashi, has also arrived."
"I dare not accept such praise." With a long laugh, Yoshikawa Musashi appeared on the hilltop in the southeast corner, along with Aoki Kakeru, Nakamori Yoshishi, Iwaten Keisuke, and others. Behind them, the Tochigi Matsumoto-ryu disciples each carried a tightly wrapped package, which should contain the puppets to be used in the "Red Secret Technique - Hundred-Person Manipulation Technique."
“Yes, wooden puppets won’t fall for my tricks, but…” Hasegawa Izumi smiled seductively, her lips flat and alluring, “If I remember correctly, Master Yoshikawa has seven wives and concubines, and lately he’s been getting quite involved with several geishas. He’s a man of true passion, and I could easily pursue him…”
“You’d better look at your feet before you speak!” Yoshikawa Musashi coldly interrupted.
Hasegawa Izumi glanced out of the corner of her eye and was startled to find that the rocky spot where she had been standing was now covered by a thin layer of sand. The words “Earth-Soil Sand Boundary Technique” immediately flashed through her mind.
Earth-Soil Sand Boundary Technique—an earth-type sensory secret technique that uses fine sand suspended in the air to detect the opponent’s position and movements, predicting all their actions in advance. Even if one’s eyes are covered and ears are sealed, it still doesn’t affect the use of ninjutsu, and her seductive skills used to confuse the senses and mind are completely useless.
“I have laid down the Earth-Gathering Sand Boundary on the mountains within a hundred feet radius. Your every move is under my control. If you still want to fight, Musashi is happy to oblige.” Aoki Toshishi’s tone was calm to the point of being cold.
"Hehe, I've lost today. Everyone, please get going. But Sect Leader Aoki must hurry..." Hasegawa Izumi had cursed Aoki Toshishi and Yoshikawa Musashi a hundred and eighty times in her heart, but her pretty face still had that charming and beautiful look. "One day, Iga Valley will get this debt back from your sect."
"Alright, I'm happy to oblige." Aoki Toshishi uttered the last six words and then ignored Hasegawa Izumi. He turned around and walked to Ren Xiaoyao's side, saying indifferently, "Sect Leader Ren, please."
Although his tone was light and cold, Ren Xiaoyao could tell that Aoki Toshishi had a kind of camaraderie with him, just like he had with Aizen Sousuke. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked offending the "Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū Alliance" to come and rescue him. However, he was used to being arrogant and not good at expressing himself, so he seemed very indifferent.
"Is the Sect Leader also going up the mountain?" Long Feiyun asked beside him.
"Hmm, hurry, it'll be too late if we delay any longer." Aoki Toshishi didn't turn back, carrying the Mitama-roku on his back as he headed towards the Hueco Mundo. Over a thousand ninjas from Koga Valley, Togakure Ninja School, Haguro Ninja School, Hokuriku Province, and Kanto Province watched Ren Xiaoyao and his group disappear into the distance, none daring to make a move.

(Chapter 37, Volume 3: The Prince's True Form

) Having reached a safe place, Ren Xiaoyao cupped his hands and said, "If Aoki hadn't arrived in time, I would already be a dead man. This kindness..."
Aoki Toshishi interrupted, "I came to repay a debt of gratitude. Now we are even, no need for further words."
Ren Xiaoyao knew his proud and aloof nature; he neither wanted to owe others favors nor be owed anything in return. Instead, he felt even more grateful and firmly said, "Alright, Sect Master Aoki, if you ever need my help..."
Aoki Toshishi interrupted again, "The reason Hasegawa Izumi let you leave without daring to attack wasn't simply because of me or Musashi—Keijiro, don't you think so?" The
ANBU captain, who had fallen about two zhang behind, snorted and sighed, "You knew I was dressed like this?"
Aoki Toshishi's eyes lit up, his face remaining indifferent: "If you couldn't even recognize Sanada Keijiro, the captain of the Hokushin Itto-ryu ANBU and the best wood-type ninjutsu user in the world, wouldn't you have wasted all these years—even if I hadn't attacked, you would have used the Tree Lotus to block Hasegawa Izumi's sword, wouldn't you?" Sanada
Keijiro calmly laughed, "Hahaha, I thought there was a problem with my disguise this time, but it turns out you only saw me while I was forming hand seals, which exposed my identity."
Aoki Toshishi sneered, "I knew... " "I don't understand. With your strength, you're more than capable of becoming a Jonin and the captain of the Thirteen Guards. Why do you insist on being an unknown ANBU member who can't even show his face?"
Sanada Keijiro laughed heartily and said casually, "I like to conceal myself, I like to hide, especially when the enemy treats me like an insignificant nobody, then I suddenly strike hard and kill them in one blow, and then slowly enjoy their terrified expressions—Kenpachi likes to fight head-on, Yoruichi likes to ambush, so it's not unreasonable for me to have this little quirk."
Upon hearing this, Meng Fei, Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and the others were all shocked. The two ANBU teams had been "assisting" at the city's palace for ten days, yet they had never noticed that their seemingly mediocre ANBU captain, whose strength was only at the Chunin level, was being praised so highly by the arrogant and conceited Aoki Toshishi.
What was particularly surprising was Ren Xiaoyao. After mastering the Innate Supreme Qi, his eyesight and martial arts skills had improved by more than one level. Previously, during his "journey" from Tottori to Nara, he had been invincible, winning every battle. However, since entering Nara, he had made mistake after mistake.
If his failure to discern Kenpachi's strength before their fight in the Obsidian Forest was due to underestimating him, and his inability to recognize Kusashika Yachiru's power in the room was due to being misled by her appearance, then his misjudgment of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Koya Aya as just an ordinary grandfather and granddaughter, and his incorrect assessment of Sanada Keijiro, were simply problems with his own judgment. While the
Innate Supreme Qi was hailed as the greatest martial art in the world, relying solely on it to judge an opponent's strength was insufficient. Therefore, constantly refining himself through practical combat and sparring, shedding his long-standing dependence on the Innate Supreme Qi, and elevating his own strength to a higher level was now an urgent matter. Upon arriving at the Palace of Desolation, Ren Xiaoyao finally understood what Aoki Toshishi meant by "it would be too late if we waited any longer." It turned out that the Tochigi Matsumoto school had already decided to side with the Seven Great Schools in this Crown Prince competition. Aoki Toshishi had obtained considerable intelligence regarding the movements in Iga Valley and planned to hand it over to the Hokushin Itto-ryu school. However,
Aoki Toshishi, being arrogant, was unwilling to directly hand over the intelligence to Shinguji Ryuugen, the only person who had ever defeated him (Ren Xiaoyao fainted immediately after breaking through his absolute defense; Aoki Toshishi hadn't killed him, so strictly speaking, it should be considered a defeat), lest he be criticized. Therefore, he sent Aoki Norika to contact her old friend, Ukitake Jushiro, the captain of the 13th Division in charge of intelligence analysis, hoping to find an opportunity to discuss the matter in detail. Of course, Ukitake Jushiro wouldn't refuse Quan Quan's offer. However, due to Aizen Sousuke's sudden murder, the Hueco Mundo Palace was in a state of panic. As a veteran captain, even though he wasn't a suspect and his movements weren't restricted, he still had to appease his team and assist in the investigation. He managed to squeeze out an hour. Given their decades-long friendship and the sheer seriousness of the incident, Aoki Toshishi, abandoning his usual arrogance, readily agreed. Unexpectedly, he encountered Ren Xiaoyao being ambushed on the way, forcing him to intervene and delaying him considerably. Therefore, he was rushing to the mountain, eager to get there immediately. Sanada Keijiro originally intended to take Ren Xiaoyao and the others to pay respects to Shinguji Ryuugen first, but Ren Xiaoyao politely declined, insisting on going to the Sixth Division's headquarters to inquire about the investigation's progress from Kuchiki Byakuya. Of course, this was only one reason; his biggest fear was that Yi Tianhan and Fu Longyuan, upon seeing their "great enemy" of thirty years, would lose their temper and attack. Unsuspecting, Sanada Keijiro led everyone to the palace rooms that had been arranged for VIPs. Ren Xiaoyao pulled Long Feiyun and Nangong Fengyi aside, repeatedly instructing them to "keep an eye on" Yi Tianhan and Fu Longyuan. Only then, accompanied by Su Hanbi, did he first go to the Fourth Division to have his wounds bandaged, and then head to the Sixth Division's headquarters. Seeing Kuchiki Byakuya, whom he hadn't seen for ten days, Ren Xiaoyao was dumbfounded. The once handsome and dashing Kuchiki Byakuya, exuding the irresistible charm of a mature man, and privately known throughout Nara as a heartthrob among young women, had become a disheveled, unkempt, and slovenly old man in less than half a month. Needless to say, the case was making no progress. "I can say with absolute certainty that all the captains and vice-captains of the 13th Division have alibis. All squad leaders and above from the Anbu and the Covert Mobile Force were not in the 6th Division's territory at the time of the incident. Even the possibility of outsiders infiltrating the Kyoka Suigetsuka Pavilion has been completely ruled out." Kuchiki Byakuya sighed deeply, his face filled with bewilderment. He unusually used three consecutive "all," his tone revealing endless pain and sorrow. His comrades and partners of decades had suddenly died tragically, unable to avenge him—not only could they not avenge him, but they didn't even know who the enemy was. His grief and resentment were unimaginable. Seeing Kuchiki Byakuya so haggard, Ren Xiaoyao understood that he had done everything in his power. Even if he were to investigate himself, the result wouldn't be much better. Although he felt immense anger, immense, immense resentment, he had no choice but to accept the established facts. No, there was! The best course of action was to fight to the death to defend Hueco Mundo in the seven-day birthday celebration—the decisive battle between good and evil that would determine the fate of Japan—and to annihilate all invading enemies, using their blood to appease Captain Aizen's spirit in heaven. From then on, Ren Xiaoyao secluded himself in his palace to carefully recover from his injuries. For five whole days, he didn't step outside, nor did he touch the women he usually couldn't bear to be apart from. All his energy was devoted to healing and training. Even his meals were only passed in through the window by Shui Furong. His sole purpose was to regain his fighting strength before the great battle, no matter what. Determination, willpower, accurate diagnosis, appropriate medicine, and most importantly, peaceful sleep, helped Ren Xiaoyao fully recover his skills in just five days. When he completed the final three cycles of internal energy circulation, feeling no more pain or hidden dangers, and strode out of the palace, everyone clearly felt… Ren Xiaoyao was back, the real Ren Xiaoyao was back! With the composure and decisive command of the Battle of Xunfeng, the extraordinary cultivation and divine martial arts after the Akao calamity, and the rich experience and strong confidence accumulated from countless battles during the escort of Shinguji Mina, Ren Xiaoyao, possessing the strength to take on a thousand men, has returned! The situation at the foot of the mountain is becoming increasingly complex. More than two hundred ninjutsu schools, large and small, from the Japanese martial arts world have all gathered. To the east of the city is the Hokushin Ittō-ryū alliance, led by the six major schools and the Tochigi Matsumoto-ryū and Kirigakure Jigen-ryū, while to the west is the anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū alliance led by the Igagaya, Kogagaya, and Seki Ninja-ryū. As the saying goes, "The storm is brewing," but the reaction of both sides to the impending battle is unexpectedly calm. The sect leaders and masters of each school, as if they had agreed beforehand, repeatedly instructed all their disciples not to engage in group fights or cause trouble. The eight or nine thousand ninjas from both sides used the central square of Nara as the boundary, and none of them crossed it without permission. Of course, this was only the outward appearance. Beneath the calm surface, an undercurrent of tension was brewing, ready to erupt at any moment. All schools were eagerly awaiting the final battle, and the entire Hokushin Itto-ryu school was particularly fierce, everyone vying for victory, just like Ren Xiaoyao, determined to avenge Aizen Sousuke. That night, Shinguji Ryuuken sent Shihouin Yoruichi to invite Ren Xiaoyao, saying that the Third Prince wished to meet him. Ren Xiaoyao, who had long wanted to meet the true protagonist of this incident, readily agreed.

Nijo Palace, the temporary residence of the Third Prince, was even more heavily guarded than the Qian De Treasury, the forbidden area of the Heavenly Pole Sect. The outer walls alone were guarded by no fewer than two hundred soldiers, and once inside, the palace was swarming with secret agents on all sides. Without Shinguji Ryuugen's permission, not even a fly could get past. After
passing through five checkpoints and two body searches, and through the palace gates guarded by Captains Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Kyoraku Shunsui, Ren Xiaoyao finally entered the main hall.
From afar, he saw Hanashi-kun leading a child of about half a year old out of the back hall. Because he only saw the side, Ren Xiaoyao couldn't determine the child's appearance, but judging from the respectful demeanor of Shinguji Ryuugen, who stood bowed in attendance, and another white-clad man in captain's uniform—this child must be the Third Prince.
"Your Highness, I have brought Master Ren here," Yoruichi Shihouin's report confirmed Ren Xiaoyao's guess.
"Oh, please come in." Although the voice wasn't loud, Ren Xiaoyao felt it was very familiar. Without thinking too much, he quickly stepped forward, bowed, and Shihouin Yoruichi closed the door and quietly withdrew.
"Big brother, get up quickly!" The Third Prince suddenly turned around and called out.
Ren Xiaoyao looked up and saw Kurosaki Masayoshi's innocent and still somewhat childish face!

Volume 37, Chapter 4: A Great Concern

"Masayoshi! You... how... how are you here?" Even though Ren Xiaoyao was used to big scenes and had long been trained to remain calm, he suddenly opened his mouth wide, his face full of shock, and he almost couldn't speak.
"I am the Third Prince, the Third Prince Yukio who invited you to meet at Nijo Palace." Kurosaki Masayoshi's tone was as usual, but his expression was unusually solemn. He was wearing a magnificent kimono that perfectly conformed to royal etiquette. The orange color was reserved for princes, and the cuffs, lapels, and hem were inlaid with gold and silver threads and decorated with the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, the four guardian deities of the four directions. It looked magnificent, elegant, and solemn.
"You? No... no way, I remember... the Third Prince clearly arrived at Xu Ye Palace a long time ago." Ren Xiaoyao looked awkwardly at Zhen Gongji Longxuan. "Sect Master, didn't you specifically recall the Thirteen Guards to protect the palace, in case..."
"Sect Master Ren is well-versed in military strategy and should know the 'Substituting a Plum for a Peach' tactic from the Thirty-Six Stratagems." It was Hua Shijun who spoke. "Lord Kurosaki planned the military campaign, anticipating its potential failure. He intended to entrust the Third Prince to Longxuan, but Fujiwara no Michitaka was cunning and secretly dispatched Iga Valley ninjas to block all the roads leading there. Lord Kurosaki had no other choice but to have his own son, Kurosaki Masayoshi, impersonate the Prince and 'walk into the trap' to attract Iga Valley's attention. At the same time, he had his retainer, Takahashi Hirose, escort the Prince via Tottori to Nara."
“No wonder…no wonder Zhengliang is fluent in Chinese, knows all kinds of food, etiquette, and customs, and is very familiar with the situation of various schools of martial arts in Japan. So he is the Third Prince, the Third Prince who was raised in the deep palace and is extremely noble!” Ren Xiaoyao suddenly realized, but at the same time, more doubts arose in his heart.
"This move was originally risky, but unexpectedly, Kurosaki Masayoshi, under the desperate protection of his accompanying ninjas, successfully broke through the blockade and arrived at Hueco Mundo without any danger. Fujiwara no Michitaka searched everywhere for His Highness but could not find him, which made him furious. He was angry that Lord Kurosaki had plotted against him, so he sent ninjas to hunt down the so-called 'Kurosaki Masayoshi' and his party," Shinguji Ryuken interjected. "I should have personally led the Thirteen Guards to rescue him, but if I did so, Fujiwara no Michitaka would inevitably discover His Highness's true identity. I was afraid that before we even arrived, a great mistake would have been made. So I had no choice but to go with the flow and spread the false news that His Highness was on his way from Kyoto to Nara, and sent Mina alone to Tottori to carry out the protection mission."
“Mina has passed the Jonin Exams and has Ryujin Jakka by her side, so dealing with ordinary assassin ninjas would be a piece of cake. But I never expected that Kubo Kousuke, in order to curry favor with Fujiwara Michitaka, would send out two of the Five Beauties, Kusano Mizuki and Haneda Yuuka, along with the Shinsengumi leader Togashi Yoshihiro, almost causing me to lose my daughter.” Shinguji Ryuugen approached, patted Ren Xiaoyao’s shoulder hard, and said with delight, “Fortunately, you stepped in and saved Mina from the brink of death, otherwise I would have regretted my hasty decision for the rest of my life.”
"Not only that, my eldest brother also saved me." The Third Prince exclaimed, "Before Sister Mina arrived, a large number of pursuing ninjas led by Jun Fukuyama had already surrounded Tottori. Uncle Takahashi had no choice but to take me out to sea, hoping to go to the Central Plains to avoid trouble. But we were caught up with by them before we got very far. Uncle Takahashi even..." As he spoke, his voice choked up, "If it weren't for my eldest brother, Yui would have died at Jun Fukuyama's hands long ago. If it weren't for my eldest brother, even if Yui had a hundred lives, he would not have been able to come to Hueco Mundo alive."
"No, the person you should really thank is the sect leader. It was he who, at the crucial moment, released the news that His Highness had arrived at Hueco Mundo and recalled the Thirteen Divisions in a grand manner, drawing all of Iga Valley's attention away. Otherwise..." Ren Xiaoyao was extremely intelligent, and with a little prompting, he immediately understood everything that had happened. "Otherwise, the ones who would have blocked our way along the way wouldn't have been the second- or third-rate sects coveting the Dark Flower (the Akutagawa School and the Tochigi Matsumoto School were both provoked, not for the 30,000 taels of gold), but the main force of Iga Valley personally led by Kubo Kousuke." Thinking that Hasegawa Izumi, the leader of the Five Beauties, was already so skilled in seduction techniques, forcing him to devote 40% of his energy to resisting her, if Mutou Ran had come in person, wouldn't the world have turned upside down? In addition, there was Kubo Kousuke, whose strength was still a mystery and even the Third Prince couldn't figure out his true strength. They probably would never have had a chance to reach Nara.
"Hahaha, excessive modesty is tantamount to complacency. Why make excuses?" Shinguji Ryuugen stroked his beard and laughed heartily, saying with delight, "Your Highness's safe return is thanks to my efforts, though I certainly used some methods. The one who truly contributed was you."
"But I failed to protect Ryujin Jakka, causing..."
"Ryujin Jakka?" Shinguji Ryuugen and Hanashi-kun exchanged a smile. The former walked to the cupboard, yanked open the door, and took out a gleaming, crimson katana—it was none other than Ryujin Jakka.
This...this sword wasn't already...how could it be..." Ren Xiaoyao stared in disbelief. "
It's simple. It was Mina's first major mission, and I was worried about his safety, so I had Sanada Keijiro secretly follow him, waiting for an opportune moment to retrieve Ryujin Jakka," Hanashi-kun said with a charming smile.
"Why! Why is this happening! Isn't Mina even more in danger without her divine weapon? Isn't she even less able to protect herself?!" "Ren Xiaoyao gasped for breath, his voice trembling with emotion, "Does Madam know that Mina had just escaped death and was still injured, yet she was terrified by her own people like that? I..."
"Liu Gangliu, Koga Valley, and Fujiwara no Michitaka are birds of a feather, and a large number of ninjas are gathered near Tottori. If we don't use the theft of Ryujin Jakka as an opportunity to get Kirigakure Shigenryu involved with them, you won't even be able to leave Tottori!" Hanashi-kun's eyes suddenly became complicated, as if containing countless emotions that had been hidden deep within her heart. She sighed softly and said gently, "It's not that I, as a mother, don't care about my daughter, nor that I, as a mother, deliberately let my daughter be harmed. It's just that for His Highness's safety and for the future of the country, I have no choice but to do this." Ren
Xiaoyao's body trembled violently, deeply moved by Hua Shijun's profound compassion—for the peace of the ninja world and the stability of the nation, she was willing to sacrifice her beloved daughter.
How similar the situation was!
Back then, Long Yinxiao, in order to find a successor for the Tianji Sect who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, forced Long Feiyun to disguise herself as a man, enduring eighteen years of loneliness and hardship. Fortunately, he appeared in time, taking over the position of leader of the Tianji Sect in Long Feiyun's place, allowing her to reveal her true gender and display her unparalleled beauty to the world.
And now… Mina Shinguji shouldered the heavy responsibility of protecting the Third Prince with her young shoulders. Although the two of them returned safely to Hueco Mundo with his help, the matter was not over yet. Two days later, Ryuugen Shinguji's fiftieth birthday was the crucial moment for his showdown with Prince Kiriko and Fujiwara no Michitaka!
As Mina Shinguji's lover, he felt obligated to do everything in his power to help the Hokushin Ittō-ryū!
Thinking of this, Ren Xiaoyao felt a surge of emotion and blurted out, "Your Highness summoned me here. Is there anything I can do to help? Please speak up, and I will..."
“Big brother!” The Third Prince interrupted Ren Xiaoyao, his eyes glistening with tears, and choked out, “Please don’t call me Your Highness, Your Highness. In your eyes, I will always be that immature big child. Besides… besides, we have already sworn a blood oath and become sworn brothers. If you don’t mind, just call me Weiguang.”
“Weiguang…” Ren Xiaoyao’s mind flashed back to the day when Kurosaki Masayoshi proposed to become sworn brothers, and Shinguji Mina gestured with her eyes for him to agree immediately. He was even more moved.
“Actually, it is I who want to have a private talk with Sect Leader Ren.” Shinguji Ryuugen focused his eyes and said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. Considering that even the Sect Leader Shinguji Ryuugen had to borrow the Third Prince’s name to see him, it meant that the Xuye Palace had likely been infiltrated by the “Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū Alliance,” and even he and his wife were hesitant to act.
As expected, Shinguji Ryuugen's next words confirmed Ren Xiaoyao's suspicions: "Since you're one of us, Master Ren, I won't hide it from you. On the night Kurosaki Masayoshi arrived in Nara, I knew there was a traitor within the 13th Division—because I only mentioned the arrangement for the 'Third Prince' to stay at the Nijo Palace during the captains' meeting, and that night, ninjas attempted to assassinate him. Fortunately, Kurosaki Masayoshi knew he wasn't the real one and stayed in a side hall, otherwise…"
Ren Xiaoyao pressed, "What happened next? Did the assassin escape?"
Shinguji Ryuugen coldly replied, "Of course not. Breaking into the heavily guarded Nijo Palace is no easy feat. He was slashing wildly on the bed, and the noise alerted the nearby ANBU on night duty. Before they could even leave, they were surrounded. It's just a pity that the squad leader was a little slow; he committed seppuku, otherwise the traitor would have been exposed long ago."
Ren Xiaoyao was astonished and said, "If that's the case, why didn't you investigate further earlier, instead of waiting until Captain Aizen was murdered…"
Shinguji Ryuuen interrupted, "Because I have concerns, huge concerns!"

Ren

Xiaoyao asked in surprise, "Concerns? What concerns?"
The Third Prince smiled bitterly, "Of course, it's me. Masaaki escaped the assassination attempt entirely because he lived in a side hall. If the Sect Master insists on investigating the traitor, this matter will be difficult to conceal. Uncle Hideyasu's carefully crafted substitution scheme will be in vain. Therefore, even though the Sect Master knows that a captain in the Thirteen Division has betrayed him, he can only pretend not to know."
Shinguji Ryuuen sighed bitterly, "Your Highness arrived safely at Las Noches. I should have immediately begun investigating the traitor, but then the incident of Ren's ambush occurred, followed by Captain Aizen's assassination. The matter of the traitor has completely surfaced, leaving no room for me to ignore it. However, despite Byakuya's shrewdness and competence, he has investigated for over ten days without any results."
Ren Xiaoyao had a bold idea and said in a deep voice, "Could it be...could it be that Captain Byakuya is..."
The Third Prince decisively said, "No way... " "Yes, it's possible. Fujiwara no Michitaka was forced to use the Jianghu forces to resolve this matter partly because he feared the influence of the sect leader and the seven major sects in the imperial court. More importantly, Captain Kuchiki's uncle, Kuchiki Shikiyasu, was the Shogun who held the power of the entire nation's military. As long as he insisted on standing with us, Fujiwara no Michitaka wouldn't dare to rely on his high position as Grand Minister of State to arbitrarily use a single soldier from the imperial court."
Ren Xiaoyao suddenly realized, "In that case, the other party's methods are truly brilliant. The assassination of Captain Aizen was done flawlessly, leaving no flaws whatsoever."
Shinguji Ryuugen sighed, "If the facts weren't right in front of me, I wouldn't believe that such a perfect assassination could exist in the world. Even if the 'Saint of Ninjutsu,' Kishimoto Masashi himself were present, he might not be able to do it... Alas, today I invited Sect Leader Ren here in His Highness's name to ask you to entrust me with a matter of great importance concerning the rise and fall of the ninjutsu world, and even the safety of Japan." Ren Xiaoyao said solemnly, "Sect Leader, please speak frankly. I will certainly not refuse." Shinguji Ryuugen
sighed.
Teruyuki's face lit up with joy. He walked over and patted Ren Xiaoyao's shoulder forcefully, saying happily, "Alright, Master Ren is a wise man. I won't beat around the bush. I will reveal Your Highness's true identity and the whole story at the birthday celebration in two days. As for the task of protecting you, please share it with Mina."
Hanashi-kun said apologetically, "Master Ren is a special envoy of the Great Song Dynasty and holds the title of Marquis of Champion. He should be a distinguished guest at this birthday banquet, but... the matter of the traitor has not yet been investigated. All the captains except Byakuya are under suspicion, and he is also responsible for receiving the distinguished guests from Taira, Gen, and the Kuchiki family who come to offer their congratulations. Therefore, I have no choice but to ask Master Ren to condescend..."
Ren Xiaoyao said decisively, "Wei Guang is my sworn brother. Protecting him is my duty."
Teruyuki nodded gratefully, moved aside slightly, and half-squatted beside the Third Prince. His eyes revealed a piercing light, and he said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, the Hokushin Ittō-ryū will do everything in its power to help you seize the position of Crown Prince."
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Although the birthday celebration was supposed to be in two days, Hueco Mundo was already bustling with activity the next morning. It was divided into four areas: the 1st, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th Divisions were responsible for setting up a defensive perimeter and additional sentries on Mount Kii to prevent large groups of enemy ninja from infiltrating; the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th Divisions guarded the outer palaces of Hueco Mundo; and the 8th, 10th, 12th, and 13th Divisions were responsible for protecting the elderly, women, children, and other family members. The internal pavilions and towers were entirely guarded by the Anbu. Everyone's movements, including the captains, were strictly restricted. Except for Shinguji Ryuugen, Hanashi-kun, Shinguji Mina, and Ren Xiaoyao, anyone wishing to leave their assigned area and travel to the next location had to be accompanied by ten randomly selected individuals.
The tense atmosphere made it seem less like preparations for a martial arts overlord's birthday celebration and more like an impending battle, with the defending side fully prepared to respond to any enemy attack.
The only thing that gave Hueco Mundo a semblance of a birthday celebration was the paper lanterns hanging everywhere and the colorful pavilions, draped with cloth, erected every twenty feet from the palace gate to the main hall. However, most of the lanterns bearing the character for "longevity" concealed hidden weapons for unforeseen circumstances, and the cloths covered with auspicious words connected to mechanisms set up along the roadside. Even the height of the pavilions wasn't to showcase the grandeur of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, but rather to facilitate observation of enemy movements from the rooftops.
A storm was brewing, and the women, too, sensed the gravity of the situation. Over the past few months, they had become inseparable confidantes with Shinguji Mina, and naturally wanted to help her and the Hokushin Ittō-ryū overcome this crisis. They were willing to lend a helping hand in any way they could.
Su Hanbi and Nangong Fengzi went to the Fourth Division to help Unohana Retsu procure herbs; Shui Furong and Lin Yuxiu followed Sanada Keijiro as temporary ANBU; Long Feiyun and Nangong Fengyi painstakingly persuaded Yi Tianhan and Fu Longyuan, who originally planned to expose the "abuse" of Shinguji Ryuuxuan "abducting a girl" thirty years ago in front of the various sects who came to congratulate them on their birthday, to put aside their thirty-year-old hatred for the time being and settle the score for this grudge that had spanned most of their lives after the struggle for the crown prince position was finally resolved.
The busiest person was undoubtedly Ren Xiaoyao. On the surface, he seemed to be doing nothing, taking advantage of his unimpeded travel to various places, wandering around the four regions. In reality, he was preparing to serve as the Third Prince's personal bodyguard on his birthday. Once the battle broke out, his task was not to be brave and reckless, but to get the Third Prince to a safe place in the shortest possible time. With a traitor in Hueco Mundo, Nijo no Gomiya was no longer safe. Retreating to other palaces or even hiding somewhere in Mount Kii was not out of the question. Therefore, he had to familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain as soon as possible so that he could determine the best route of action when a crisis occurred.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to explore, Ren Xiaoyao visited each of the eleven captains (Aizen was dead, and Kuchiki Byakuya had been ruled out), hoping to find some clues about the traitor from their current mindset and behavior.
But...
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Komamura Sajin, Unohana Retsu, and Ukitake Jushiro remained solemn, doing their best to complete their duties as always; Hitsugaya Toshiro, Tosen Kaname, and Ichimaru Gin gritted their teeth, vowing to destroy Igagaya and avenge Captain Aizen; Shihouin Yoruichi, Kyoraku Shunsui, and Urahara Kisuke appeared relaxed and at ease, but their brows concealed a deep sorrow, as they did not want their teammates' moods to be affected.
Everything seemed reasonable, except for Kenpachi Zaraki and the entire Eleventh Division. They looked like they were just waiting for the big battle to begin so they could have a good time.
Ren Xiaoyao had personally experienced Kenpachi's fierce and combative nature, so he wasn't surprised and didn't suspect anything. As a result, he wasted a whole day investigating nothing.
The next morning, crowds from various factions flocked up the mountain to offer their "birthday greetings." A rough estimate put the number at over 240 ninjutsu schools and no fewer than 50 martial arts organizations, along with distinguished guests from the Taira, Minamoto, and Kuchiki families, and envoys from various daimyo. Although a limit of ten people per faction was set, the total number was still around 3,000.
The main forces of both the righteous and evil sides—the six major factions, Tochigi Matsumoto-ryu, Kirigakure Jigen-ryu, Kagaya, Koga-gaya, Seki Ninja-ryu, and Yanagi-ryu—couldn't send their full strength due to the personnel limitations. They unanimously placed their most capable and reliable disciples in other factions within their own camps, replacing the weaker members. Since both sides were in this situation, the Hokushin Ittō-ryū couldn't interfere and had no choice but to let them in.
Judging from the attitudes of the various smaller sects, Igagaya held a clear advantage. After all, they had the support of the imperial court, making them morally legitimate. Moreover, the news of Aizen Sōsuke's murder had already spread like wildfire, and most people guessed that there were already problems within the Hokushin Ittō-ryū. Many neutral sects that were originally hesitant and unsure of who to help had all sided with them, making the situation even more unfavorable.
The only thing that made Ren Xiaoyao feel gratified was that, due to the great benevolence and righteousness he showed during the escort of Shinguji Mina, all nineteen factions that had initially coveted the 30,000 ryo offered by Igagaya and tried to kidnap Shinguji Mina, but all of them failed miserably and had to give up, and which he had subsequently let go of, all of them had turned against him and clearly expressed their support for Hokushin Itto-ryu. Although their numbers were limited and the quality of their Jonin was much inferior to that of Igagaya, the presence of nearly two hundred ninjas was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Hokushin Ittō-ryū, with its 3,000 disciples, fighting on home ground and with excellent teamwork, should have had no problem threatening the anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū alliance, which numbered at most 2,000. However, firstly, one of the twelve captains had defected, and the number of his followers was still unknown; secondly, nearly 10,000 ninja from Iga Valley and Koga Valley were gathered at the foot of Mount Kii, ready to storm Hueco Mundo at any moment. Meanwhile, the six major sects, the Kirigakure Jigen-ryū, and the Tochigi Matsumoto-ryū had less than 5,000 members, a vast disparity in strength. Even if they won the battle inside Hueco Mundo, the loss outside would be meaningless. Therefore, Shinguji Ryūken had to secretly send most of the 13th Division down the mountain via a secret passage to maintain a balance between the two fronts. After deducting the ANBU protecting the elderly, weak, women, and children, only less than 500 were truly capable of fighting. The
"friendly forces" led by the six major sects numbered only a little over 500. If a battle were to break out, it would be tantamount to two against one, with the Hokushin Ittō-ryū in the open and the enemy in the shadows. The situation had become extremely dire for the Hokushin Ittō-ryū.
The meeting place for Shinguji Ryuugen to "meet" the congratulatory guests from various factions was set at the Munechika Square outside the Yasutsuna Hall. This was the daily training and drill ground for the Thirteen Guards of the Palace, and also the largest open space in Hueco Mundo—because of the presence of an internal traitor, the advantage of the terrain was essentially shared with the enemy, so it was better to fight a good battle in the open space than to engage in street fighting. In

Volume 37, Chapter 6

, "Catastrophe," the true identity of the Third Prince had not yet been revealed. He stayed in the rear hall with Ren Xiaoyao and Shinguji Mina. All the factions knew that the Third Prince had entered Hueco Mundo, and while preparing birthday celebrations, they also presented him with a formal visiting card. The first few sentences were nothing more than respectful words, and the last sentence was a list of his entourage.
This list was very important. It should be known that the etiquette of hierarchy in Japan was extremely important. As long as Wei Guang was still the Third Prince, he could not be treated lightly. Therefore, it clearly stated who had entered Hueco Mundo.
Ren Xiaoyao and Shinguji Mina couldn't leave for the time being, so they had to check the list to confirm the relative strengths of their respective sides. The visiting cards naturally became an essential clue.
"Kubo Kousuke, Mutou Ran, Yoshihiro Nobuyuki, Madono Mitsuaki, Otsuka Chikao… everyone who should be here is here."
"Not only are Grand Minister Fujiwara no Michitaka and Shogun Kuchiki Shikiyasu, but also Left Minister Akai Naomasa, Minister of the Interior Kosaka Masanobu, Grand Councilor Tozawa Moriyasu, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and Taira no Kiyomori… every high-ranking official and noble in the court is present. The clan leader's influence is indeed considerable!"
"Crown Prince Kiriko! Very well, this guy actually dared to enter Hueco Mundo. I'll see how I deal with him later."
"Huh… this list isn't right!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly frowned.
"What's wrong?" Shinguji Mina was startled by his words.
“Look, the vice-leader of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu school is Sakurai Takahiro, and the Jonin are Sagara Yorifusa and Matsuda Norihide; the vice-leader of the Kamiya Kashin-ryu school is Mori Shigemitsu, and the Jonin are Kasahara Yasunari and Saijo Yoshitada; the vice-leader of the Jikishin-ryu school is Watanabe Tsuyoshi, and the Jonin are Nobuda Takao and Ishikawa Kagotaka… Why are all the people from the six major schools vice-leaders?” Ren Xiaoyao was puzzled.
“That’s right, of course they are vice-leaders. If the six sect leaders, Kato Taka, Minami Yoshiya, Ishida Akira, Miyaya Mamoru, Sugita Tomokazu, and Hoshi Soichiro, had come here in person, things would have been very bad.”
“Why…why? If this were in the Central Plains, when the leader of the martial arts alliance celebrates his twentieth birthday, wouldn’t the leaders of every gang and sect personally offer their congratulations?” Ren Xiaoyao asked, puzzled.
“In two months it will be the five-yearly gathering of the Seven Great Sects, where the position of sect leader will be decided through a martial arts competition. The reason why Sect Leaders Kato and Nanka aren't coming is to practice their martial arts and refine their ninjutsu, hoping to dethrone Father, who has served five consecutive terms.” Mina Shinguji's delicate lips curved into a long-absent smile. “If the six sect leaders were to attend, it would mean they lack confidence in Father and must rely on themselves to maintain the Seven Great Sects' position in the ninjutsu world. Their absence, however, indicates they are absolutely certain the Hokushin Ittō-ryū will win this battle.”
“No way! Judging from the current situation, the enemy has more than twice the number of ninjas as we do. Neither Hueco Mundo nor Yamashita has any advantage in manpower. Even if the sect leader possesses extraordinary abilities…”
"The comparison you made is between our Hokushin Ittō-ryū and the alliance that sided with the 'Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū Alliance,' and it doesn't take into account the hidden forces of the Six Great Sects." Shinguji Mina's eyes brightened, making her even more alluring, and she continued, almost to herself, "Leaving aside everything else, the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū alone was, thirty years ago, the undisputed number one ninjutsu school. Its leader, Kishimoto Masashi, known as the 'Martial Arts Taiko,' was revered as a ninjutsu saint for his 'martial arts, courage, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness.' In that inhumane Ninja World War, he preserved countless future talents for the Japanese martial arts world. Decades later, many of these 'talents' have grown up, with most becoming Jonin or even sect leaders. As long as the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū stays on our side, many of the masters who received the 'Taiko's favor' in the past, even if they don't defect on the battlefield, will certainly not go to war with the Seven Great Sects."
"Hearing what you say, sister, I have confidence too," the Third Prince exclaimed joyfully.
"Wei Guang, it's almost time. Get ready, I'll go check the situation outside." Ren Xiaoyao glanced around, confirming there was nothing amiss, then got up and headed for the outer hall.
"Bang!" Just as he stepped out of the inner hall, Long Feiyun stumbled over and bumped into Ren Xiaoyao.
"What's wrong, Feiyun!" Ren Xiaoyao was startled. Long Feiyun was usually the most composed and calm among the women; for her to be so flustered meant something serious had happened.
"Look, look quickly!" Long Feiyun hurriedly handed him a small note she was clutching.
"Six-Eyed Well, what does that mean?" Ren Xiaoyao still didn't understand.
"Six-Eyed Well is the collective name for the six main wells of Xu Ye Palace. All the water we drink comes from there." Zhen Gongji Mina came out upon hearing this and explained softly.
"A note... Six-Eyed Well... Could it be that they're going to poison the well!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly realized and asked impatiently, "Feiyun, where did you get this note?"
"N-no... I don't know, I..." Long Feiyun unexpectedly looked bewildered. "I was passing by the castle tower just now when I suddenly felt something pat my back. I turned around but didn't see anything. Then I turned back and found a piece of paper in my collar... Here, this is the note."
"Really? Sister, you really didn't see anything?" Shinguji Mina pressed. Without a doubt, someone must have slipped the note into Long Feiyun's collar the moment she turned around.
"Hmm, let alone people, even... even shadows..." Long Feiyun herself found it hard to understand. Her martial arts were personally taught by Long Yinxiao. In the world today, apart from Ye Zhiqiu, only she knew the Heavenly Dao Divine Art. In the past, she disguised herself as a man and was busy with teaching affairs, so her time to practice was very limited. Even with her extraordinary talent and outstanding abilities, she only reached the third level, "Nine Luminaries Star Transformation." Then, the Xunfeng Battle, the Suzhou Extermination of Traitors, and the Chiwei Incident occurred, making it impossible for her to concentrate on her practice. It wasn't until she sailed to Fusang with Yi Tianhan and Fu Longyuan that she had enough time to refine the Heavenly Dao Divine Art. Now she has mastered the fourth level, "Spiritual Netherworld Imperishable," and her progress on the fifth level, "Dragon Form Dance of Heaven," is almost complete. Moreover, the Heavenly Extreme Sect's "Illusory Shadow of the Void" is one of the three great lightness skills, known for its swift turning. The difficulty of stuffing a note into her collar without being seen is unimaginable.
"To be honest, even I wouldn't have that kind of ability," Ren Xiaoyao murmured thoughtfully.
"Father and Mother couldn't do it either... Who could this person be?" Shinguji Mina frowned, her clear eyes filled with doubt.
"No time to think about it anymore, let's go to the Six-Eyed Well first," Ren Xiaoyao said decisively.
"Wait, what if it's a trap set by the other side to lure you and Mina away, so they can launch a surprise attack on Ansuna Palace and assassinate the Third Prince? What then?" Long Feiyun displayed her extraordinary wisdom as a "female strategist."
"Impossible, if there's such a master in Iga Valley, I..." Ren Xiaoyao stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence. He had initially intended to say, "I wouldn't have escaped their schemes and plots time and time again without serious harm," but then he suddenly recalled Kuchiki Byakuya's assessment of Aizen Sousuke's death—Aizen Sousuke's genjutsu was among the best in the Japanese martial arts world, yet he most likely died at the hands of genjutsu. The ninja who assassinated him appeared and disappeared without a trace, not only deceiving the Sixth Division members and the Anbu on duty, but also leaving no clues whatsoever.
Leaving aside genjutsu, he should possess that ability as well. Then, couldn't the mysterious master who could slip a note into Long Feiyun's collar without him even seeing him also do the same?
In other words, he might very well be the one who killed Aizen Sousuke!
What to do? Should he investigate? Going might be a trap, a diversionary tactic; not going, however, might mean the Six-Eyed Well had indeed been poisoned… Ren Xiaoyao hesitated, when suddenly he heard footsteps. Four or five ANBU escorted a tall, thin man in captain's uniform, hurrying towards him.
“Captain Ichimaru!” Upon recognizing the man, Ren Xiaoyao was overjoyed. Ichimaru Gin and Aizen Sousuke were like brothers, initially investigating the traitor together. Aizen Sousuke, anticipating his own demise, even entrusted his last words to him. Such a person was perfect for investigating the Six-Eyed Well.
“Master Ren, the sect leader sent me to inform you that you will be taking the Third Prince to the plaza in half an hour. The defenses there are already in place; there are absolutely no security issues,” Ichimaru Gin said, bowing.
“Alright, we’ll leave as soon as it’s time.” Ren Xiaoyao said, leaning closer and lowering his voice, “For this birthday celebration, Captain Ichimaru is in charge of overseeing the outer court, right?”
“Yes, Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake, and I…” Ichimaru Gin answered truthfully.
“I want to speak with you alone.” Ren Xiaoyao interrupted him before he could finish, while Shinguji Mina gave him a signal, and the several ANBU who had accompanied him obediently retreated.
“What is it?” Ichimaru Gin saw his serious expression and had already guessed what was going on.
Ren Xiaoyao whispered in his ear that the Six-Eyed Well might have been poisoned, of course he didn’t mention the mysterious expert and the note, only that according to Long Feiyun’s investigation, he had learned that, and finally added, “I have to protect the Third Prince, and I really can’t spare the time, so I’d like to trouble Captain Ichimaru to go and see if the news is true.”
“I’ll go too, the more the merrier…” Long Feiyun suggested.
"No, you stay. The defenses here need to be strengthened." At the critical moment, Ren Xiaoyao had a hunch. The opponent's martial arts were so formidable that taking Long Feiyun's life would be a piece of cake. Although his target might be the Third Prince, if his plan failed and he became angry, he might kill someone to vent his anger. Only staying in Angang Palace and by his side would be safe. Little did he know that because of his momentary favoritism, he would bring about the destruction of the Beichen Ittō-ryū!

Volume 37, Chapter 7: The Mastermind

"Please invite the Third Prince!" With the loud voice of Shinguji Ryūgen, Ren Xiaoyao, Shinguji Mina, and two teams of thirty members of the Anbu escorted the Third Prince out of Angang Palace and onto the platform set up outside Zongqian Square.
Looking around, the square was packed with more than 4,000 people. Three thousand of them were there to offer their congratulations, and one thousand were members of the 13th Division and the Anbu responsible for guarding the area. Because there were so many people, even the passageways were almost blocked. In order to save space, a space was cleared in the middle, and all the disciples of each sect, except for the sect leader who had a felt mat, stood.
The originally towering reviewing stand was transformed into a birthday platform. In the space, which was ten feet in diameter, in addition to hanging various birthday banners, there were a total of eleven beautifully decorated felt mats (there are no chairs in Japan, so everyone sits on the ground). In the center was, of course, Shinguji Ryuken. The first mat on the left was empty, and the second mat was also empty. Down from there were the Shogun Kuchiki Shikiyasu, the head of the Minamoto clan Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the head of the Kuchiki clan and captain of the Sixth Division Kuchiki Byakuya. The first mat on the right was still empty. Down from there were the Grand Minister Fujiwara no Michitaka, the head of the Taira clan Taira no Kiyomori, the Minister of the Left Akai Naomasa, and the Minister of the Interior Kosaka Masanobu. Japan had a strict hierarchy, and there was an insurmountable distance between nobles and warriors. Among the six major sects, only the head of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Kato Taka, came from the Taka family. The others were at most from some convoluted side branches of a famous family. If Shinguji Ryuken had not been celebrating his birthday as the head of the seven major sects, they would not even have been qualified to offer their congratulations.
Ren Xiaoyao finally met the "mastermind" behind the struggle for the crown prince position, Fujiwara no Michitaka, who had nearly killed him several times. He was about forty-six or forty-seven years old, tall and thin, with a narrow face and only a goatee on his chin, making his face look like a mixture of a horse and a goat. His clothes were splendid, and the materials and craftsmanship of them highlighted the style of a Grand Minister of State. His demeanor was as elegant as the head of a noble family in the Central Plains, full of the noble air of a court official, with humility that concealed an arrogance of superiority. However, Ren Xiaoyao saw through him at a glance that this man was not as superficial and simple as he appeared. His eyes were calm and sharp, as if he was constantly looking for the weaknesses of others. The skin exposed outside his clothes had a strange luster, a phenomenon caused by long-term cultivation of internal energy. His hands were long and neat, and even in simple movements, they gave people a sense of strength and agility.
Kneeling below the stage, Kubo Kousuke was dressed in a black kimono. Although he was over fifty years old, he looked only in his thirties due to his long-term internal energy cultivation. His face was like cast iron, his eyes were like copper bells, and he exuded a sinister aura. His thick neck and broad face were covered with a scar that ran from the corner of his left eye to his earlobe, making him look even more ferocious. However, his expression was calm and indifferent, giving people a feeling of unfathomable depth and revealing his cold and ruthless nature. He was indeed a villainous master whom everyone in the Japanese martial arts world feared.
Upon seeing the Third Prince emerge in his magnificent robes under heavy guard, not only were the Hokushin Ittō-ryū disciples, who were completely unaware of the "truth," stunned, but even the Shitō-Aoki-ryū and Kōkawa-ryū members who had previously blocked Ren Xiaoyao's group and had seen "Kurosaki Masayoshi" were dumbfounded. Kōsano Mizuki exclaimed, "Ren Xiao... Master Ren, don't treat us like fools! This is clearly Kurosaki Masayoshi, the son of the traitor Kurosaki Hideyasu! He's not the Third Prince at all!"
These words immediately caused a stir among the crowd. The Hokushin Ittō-ryū's prestige in Japan stemmed not only from the exceptional martial arts of its thirteen guards but also from the benevolence and righteousness of Shinguji Ryūken. Yet, in public, they had replaced the Third Prince, a prince of royal blood and unparalleled nobility, with the son of a traitor—a blatant violation of propriety.
"Hahaha, who said he wasn't the Third Prince!" A clear, long roar suddenly rang out from the end of the square. Although the speaker didn't intentionally raise his voice, each word was clear and resonant, instantly silencing all the discussions and clamor. This demonstrated that his internal energy cultivation had reached its pinnacle.
All eyes were immediately drawn to the scene, where a dozen or so attendants were seen escorting a young man dressed in embroidered court robes and wearing a gauze hat, striding towards the platform.
"Your Highness... Your Highness the Crown Prince!" someone shouted, and all four thousand people in the square knelt down, including the Third Prince, Shinguji Ryuugen, and Fujiwara no Michitaka, who all prostrated themselves on the ground.
"What?! He's Crown Prince Kirito!" Ren Xiaoyao was genuinely shocked. Not only Miyuki Kora and Mina Shinguji, but even the Third Prince, when talking to him about Crown Prince Kirito, insisted that he was extravagant, dissolute, and licentious. He had not only eliminated his two brothers by despicable means and forcibly raped his own sister, but also seized the Emperor's concubine. He should have been a spoiled brat who indulged in wine and women, whose body was hollowed out by beauty and who would be blown away by the wind. However, he never expected that the Crown Prince Kirito would have such profound internal strength and a strong voice, surpassing even ordinary Chunin to Jonin!
Crown Prince Kirito walked very quickly and soon walked up to the high platform. Ren Xiaoyao did not kneel down, but instead stood up and stared intently at the other party. He was clearly nearing thirty, but looked only in his early twenties. He was radiant, with regular features, a slightly raised high forehead, and eyes that flashed with a sharp, almost sinister light, giving him an air of mystery and a profound, unassuming power. His magnificent court robes had been altered; the wide sleeves were now tapered at the elbows, transforming the original tube sleeves into flowing trumpet sleeves that accentuated his robust physique and displayed an exceptionally attractive quality. A single glance was enough to leave a lasting impression, inspiring awe and trepidation. What
surprised Ren Xiaoyao most was that he lacked the arrogance and disdain typically associated with a crown prince—the self-important air of looking down on everyone. Instead, a barely perceptible, self-assured yet casual smile always played on his lips, much like his long-lost third brother, Ye Zhi Qiu.
"How dare you! The Crown Prince has arrived, yet you still don't kneel!" Two sycophants, emboldened by their master's power
, shouted. "An envoy from a superior nation does not bow to the ruler of a inferior nation, let alone..." Ren Xiaoyao sneered, adopting the airs of a "special envoy of the Great Song Dynasty," and said loudly, "Moreover, the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, and the Emperor is the Emperor—does your master already consider himself the Emperor, and that's why he demands my kneeling?" He rarely used words to mock his opponents, but Crown Prince Tonghu seemed far from simple, and it was necessary to test his true character through words.
"An envoy? Master Ren claims to be an envoy?" Crown Prince Tonghu chuckled instead of getting angry, and said leisurely, "Very well, where is the imperial edict from the superior nation and the documents proving your identity?"
"Edict, documents..." Ren Xiaoyao remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was cursing. His "envoy" status was purely fabricated. Not to mention the edict and documents that an envoy should carry, he couldn't even produce a single gift that he should have "prepared" for the Emperor. How formidable Crown Prince Tonghu was!
"Your Highness should ask Master Kubo about these two things." Ren Xiaoyao, being Ren Xiaoyao after all, immediately thought of a solution with a slight thought. He pointed to Kubo Kousuke kneeling below the platform and said coldly, "Our group had not even set foot on your country's soil when we encountered the ships of the Iga Valley ninjas—I don't know where we offended them, but the leader was called Fukuyama... Fukuyama what... yes, Fukuyama Jun. They attacked us without warning. Our Song court sincerely wanted to sign formal trade agreements with your country, and the gifts we brought to present to the Emperor and his ministers filled seven large ships. But who knew... who knew... alas, a volley of rockets set all seven ships ablaze. Just as we were about to leave, they hurled a barrage of boulders, and they all sank in less than half a meal's time. If my flagship hadn't been converted from a warship and equipped with rocket-blocking decks, I probably wouldn't be alive to see Your Highness today."
"You mean the imperial edict, official documents, and gifts were all burned?" Crown Prince Tonghu revealed a restrained smile, making Ren Xiaoyao instinctively feel that he was a man of deep cunning, not easily revealing his inner emotions.
"Indeed, such fine gifts, burned to ashes in a single fire. It's such a pity to think about it now." Ren Xiaoyao tried his best to feign regret, secretly winking at Long Feiyun, and said with a worried expression, "Feiyun, do you still remember the gift list? Read it to the Crown Prince, don't say that our Great Song Dynasty is ignorant of etiquette." Long Feiyun,
disguised as a man, stepped onto the birthday platform, took a deep breath, and said loudly, "Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince, on this journey to your esteemed country, our leader brought a total of five gold coins..." "A thousand taels of silver, fifty thousand taels of silver, two thousand bolts of silk, eight hundred sets of exquisite porcelain, two hundred dan of tea, sixty pieces of jade, thirty sets of tea utensils..." During the rescue of the Third Prince, two large warships and eight large warships in Iga Valley were all sunk, and hundreds of ninjas perished. As the saying goes, the dead cannot testify, so they could fabricate whatever they wanted. Even if rumors spread back to the court later, it wouldn't be a big deal, since "Champion Marquis" Ren Xiaoyao was the only outstanding commander the Song Dynasty could rely on.
As soon as she spoke, a gasp of astonishment rose from the audience. It was known that Fusang was a small and weak country with barren land; the living standards of ordinary ninjas were even lower than those of ordinary people in the Song Dynasty. Even for nobles, silk and porcelain were rare luxuries. Hearing that such a generous gift had been burned in a fire, who wouldn't feel a pang of regret?
Bao Gongjie was sweating profusely, his face drained of color. The gift that Long Feiyun had "spoken" about was not only for the Emperor, but also for all the high-ranking officials and heads of noble families present. Knowing that they had been instigated by Ren Xiaoyao to "believe" such a valuable gift, coveted by everyone, had been "burned clean" by his men, they were probably already furious with Igaya. He hurriedly explained, "Your Highness... Your Highness, don't listen to his nonsense. Such a valuable gift is simply beyond the reach of the Song Dynasty..." He interrupted,
"What? You think our Song Dynasty can't afford such a gift?"
Without thinking, he immediately replied, "Yes, what he said is worth at least a million taels..."
He laughed loudly, then interrupted again, "It's just a million taels, Feiyun!"
He understood perfectly well what to do next, and with a swift movement, he rushed into the hall, soon returning with a piece of "white paper with black writing on it" to Ren Xiaoyao.
He casually walked over to the Left Minister, Akai Naomasa, and handed him the blank sheet of paper, smiling, "The Left Minister is in charge of finances; Lord Akai should know what this is."
He stared at the "blank paper" for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed drastically, revealing disbelief. He exclaimed, "One million taels! One million! This is a 500,000 tael bank note issued by Tingyuxuan, the richest man in the Song Dynasty! With this, you can exchange it for 500,000 taels of silver at any time at any of Tingyuxuan's shops in Tottori!"
...

Volume 37, Chapter 8:

One Million Taels! What did one million taels of silver mean to these ninjas who lived on the edge of death?
Japan produces little silver but much gold, and the exchange rate between them is only one-third that of the Song Dynasty, meaning five taels of silver can be exchanged for one tael of gold. When Iga Valley initially offered 30,000 taels of gold, which is equivalent to 150,000 taels of silver, it attracted nearly forty or fifty sects and Ren Xiaoyao to make things difficult. If they were willing to spend one million, it is estimated that all sects except the six major sects would be unable to resist and would be willing to "go through fire and
water" for money, not to mention the high-ranking officials. Kubo Kousuke's face turned ashen instantly, and he was sweating profusely. Prince Kiriko was quick-witted and wise, and Fujiwara no Michitaka was cunning and shrewd, so of course they would not be deceived by Ren Xiaoyao's words. However, the brainless ministers such as Akai Naomasa, Kosaka Masanobu, and Tozawa Moriyasu believed it completely and looked at him with eyes full of resentment.
Crown Prince Tonghu smiled slightly, as if to surprise everyone, and said calmly, "Wealthy enough to rival a nation, indeed, wealthy enough to rival a nation." His eyes were sharp and cold, revealing his ruthless nature. He was willing to use any means to achieve his goals, disregarding feelings and loyalty. Even at their first meeting, Ren Xiaoyao sensed that he could manipulate events at will,
and that he was also meticulous and easily saw through the true origin of the one million taels of silver.
It's not hard to guess if you think about it. The silver notes must belong to the Nangong sisters. Nangong Bubai had no sons, only two daughters, and the pampering he gave them was beyond what most people could imagine. This time, the Nangong sisters were traveling south with Ren Xiaoyao, and fearing unforeseen circumstances requiring money, he slipped one million to Nangong Fengyi before their departure.
Of course, Ren Xiaoyao and Long Feiyun were both wealthy, and Fu Longyuan's twenty years of painstaking management on Chiwei Island hadn't been in vain, so this money hadn't been touched until now. Unexpectedly, it came in handy at this moment.
Ren Xiaoyao, unwilling to let Kubo Kousuke off the hook, cleared his throat and continued, "His Majesty, with his foresight and wisdom, anticipated the mishaps of the trip to Japan and specifically instructed me to bring one million taels as a precaution. With this silver note, exchanging it in Tottori and purchasing a few gifts shouldn't have been difficult, but..." He abruptly raised his voice, his tone infused with inner strength, "I won't even mention the sea attack. On the very first day after landing in Tottori, our delegation was ambushed again in Iga Valley. They were supposedly hired by your imperial ninja. Having learned two lessons, how could I dare prepare gifts, how could I dare go to Kyoto? Helplessly, I had to come to Nara on the advice of the Third Prince—heh, at the time I didn't know his true identity—hoping to reach an agreement with General Shikiyasu, Captain Kuchiki's uncle."
"Yes, the true identity! The Third Prince's true identity!" Crown Prince Tonghu suddenly burst into laughter, startling Ren Xiaoyao and everyone present. He whirled around, his eyes flashing with a strange light, meeting the Third Prince's gaze like an arrow. His imposing face remained calm and composed, and he said with feigned concern, "Brother, brother, I heard you were kidnapped by the remnants of the traitor Kurosaki Hideyasu's gang. I hurriedly sent Sect Leader Kubo to rescue you. But since you escaped danger, why didn't you reveal your identity? This caused the people of Iga Valley to mistake Sect Leader Ren and his group for Kurosaki Hideyasu's accomplices, leading to this huge misunderstanding—Kubo Kousuke, you're too foolish! Others don't recognize the Third Prince." "Your Majesty, can't you even recognize him? Fortunately, my brother is safe and sound, otherwise I, the Crown Prince, would hold you, Igagaya, accountable."
Upon hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao was startled. Crown Prince Tonghu's casual remark had multiple uses. First, it completely cut off his attempt to sow discord between Kubo Kousuke and the assembled court officials. Second, it sternly 'reprimanded' Kubo Kousuke, who had been misled by false information and had focused all his efforts on Hueco Mundo, missing a crucial opportunity. Third, it provided a reasonable explanation for the repeated attacks on the envoy group along the way. Fourth, it transformed the atrocity of sending assassins to kill his own brother into a righteous act of rescuing hostages at all costs.
Ren Xiaoyao had initially thought that Prince Tonghu was merely a puppet manipulated by Fujiwara no Michitaka, or that their cooperation was based on some kind of mutual exploitation. However, it now seemed that the cunning and resourceful Prince Tonghu, who could easily see through his intentions and dismiss them with a few words, definitely possessed the ability to make powerful figures like Fujiwara no Michitaka and Kubo Kousuke willingly serve him. In other words, he was the mastermind behind everything.
Thinking this, Ren Xiaoyao was startled again. Given Prince Tonghu's cunning, it was possible that he had already anticipated the sarcastic, provocative, and humiliating remarks that followed, even before Ren Xiaoyao mentioned the burning of the imperial edict and documents. Why hadn't he interrupted him on the spot, instead waiting until Ren Xiaoyao had finished speaking to completely negate the purpose of his words?
He wanted to show off his wisdom and strategy, or perhaps he wanted to use the other party's words to give Kubo Kousuke a warning...
Ren Xiaoyao was still pondering when Prince Kiriko spoke up: "The reason I and the ministers came to Nara this time is twofold: to escort the Emperor back to the capital, to pay respects to the Song Dynasty envoy, and of course, to celebrate the Lord's fiftieth birthday—Chūbei, bring it here."
The samurai who had been replaced by Chūbei immediately presented a red brocade wooden box respectfully.
Ren Xiaoyao was taken aback: "Didn't he already give a gift? How come there's another one?"
Shinguji Ryuugen also said, "The Crown Prince has already..." Crown Prince
Kirito laughed directly, "This isn't a birthday gift."
Shinguji Ryuugen asked directly, "If it's not a birthday gift, then what is it?"
Crown Prince Kirito avoided answering, leisurely saying, "Hehe, the Sect Master will naturally know once he sees it."
Shinguji Ryuugen took the wooden box presented by Chubei and was about to open it when Kuchiki Byakuya said, "Sect Master, let me do it." He was cautious, fearing there might be some traps in the wooden box.
Shinguji Ryuugen laughed heartily, saying with boundless pride, "No problem, since it's a gift to me, I should see it first." Not to mention that in front of thousands of ninja heroes, even if Crown Prince Kirito had the guts, he wouldn't dare to cheat. With Shinguji Ryuugen's cultivation, even if the box was full of traps, hidden weapons, poison, and explosives, he wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.
The wooden box was opened, and Ren Xiaoyao silently channeled his inner energy, trying to see what was inside. However, the box was too thick, and Shinguji Ryuuxuan only glanced at it before closing it again, making it impossible to determine its contents.
Shinguji Ryuuxuan placed the box beside him, ignoring it, and stared intently at Prince Tonghu. In his clear and resounding voice, he declared, "Your Highness, what do you mean by this? The Shinguji family has been focusing on purging the ninja world in recent years, making little contribution to the court. What exactly is this decree of fiefdom?"
Upon hearing the words "fiefdom decree," the entire audience erupted in commotion again. At this time, Japan was still ruled by the Emperor, unlike the Warring States period where numerous warlords rose up. Very few noble families possessed directly controlled territories. Even the imperial relatives, the Taira and Minamoto clans, only possessed 70,000 to 80,000 koku. The Kuchiki and Shinguji families possessed even less, with less than 50,000 and 30,000 koku respectively, far less than the daimyo who would be granted hundreds of thousands of koku of territories five or six hundred years later.
Prince Tonghu remained composed and leisurely, smiling slightly as he said, "As the head of the seven major sects, the sect leader has governed the martial arts world with utmost dedication and hard work for decades, making indelible and significant contributions to the stability of the imperial court and the implementation of various policies. He should be rewarded with at least tens of thousands of koku."
Shinguji Ryuugen said solemnly, "But the imperial edict states hundreds of thousands of kan."
Prince Tonghu's eyes, which had been narrowed to slits, suddenly widened, flashing with sharp light. He declared loudly, "That's right, 123,000 koku for Dango, 172,000 koku for Suruga, totaling 295,000 koku. Of these, 45,000 koku is a gift from the imperial court, and the remaining 250,000 koku is the

betrothal gift for my marriage to Miss Shinguji Mina!" (Chapter 9, Volume 37

) "What? A betrothal gift!" Upon hearing this, even Ren Xiaoyao couldn't stand up straight.
"That's right, I, the Crown Prince, hereby formally propose marriage to Master Shinguji, hoping to marry Miss Mina as my Crown Princess." Prince Kiriko's expression was surprisingly serious as he bowed deeply to Shinguji Ryuugen. It seemed he wasn't joking, but genuinely intended to take Mina as his concubine.
The entire hall fell silent. A Crown Princess! What did that mean? The Emperor was terminally ill, on the verge of death. If Prince Kiriko ascended the throne, his Crown Princess would be Empress, and Shinguji Ryuugen would become the Emperor's father-in-law. Add to that 295,000 koku of land—even an emperor couldn't resist such temptation.
"I won't marry her!" Before her father could speak, Mina, standing behind the Third Prince, rushed forward excitedly, glaring fiercely at Prince Kiriko, and shouted. Surprisingly, her beautiful face didn't flush. Even though she was surprised and angry at the sudden turn of events, her expression remained calm and composed, befitting her training as a ninja.
"It seems this is not something Miss can decide." Prince Kiriko smiled as he gazed at her beautiful, curvaceous body, accentuated by her tight ninja outfit, a hidden lust rising in his eyes.
In those days in Japan, marriages were entirely decided by parents. Even if a high-ranking official sent a retainer to deliver a message saying they had taken a liking to a young lady, they had no choice but to immediately offer their daughter up, without any waiting. Even though Mina Shinguji was a ninja and a noblewoman, she had no other options.
"Before all of you present, I, the Crown Prince, will speak frankly: if Miss Mina is willing to marry me and bear a child for the royal family in a few years, then… once I ascend the throne, the child will be the future Crown Prince, all past misunderstandings will be erased, and all ninja practitioners under heaven will still revere the Sect Master." Crown Prince Kiriko smiled smugly, speaking in a seductive tone.
His words carried three layers of meaning: first, he was using the enticing terms that any clan would covet to entice Shinguji Ryuugen to marry his daughter to him; second, he was subtly pointing out that "if you want your grandson to become Emperor in the future, you must abandon your support for the Third Prince"; and third, he was clearly telling everyone present that if the marriage did not go through, the 'Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū Alliance' would not let it go.
"I have said what I needed to say. I wonder what the Sect Master thinks?" Crown Prince Kiriko smiled confidently.
With 295,000 koku of land, the Shinguji family would become the most powerful clan in Japan.
His daughter would become Empress, and his grandson the future Emperor; even without holding office, they would still be high-ranking officials.
If these two temptations weren't enough to make Shinguji Ryūken agree, then… the
fact that Iga Valley and Koga Valley would cease their operations, thus averting a bloody ninja war, was a condition he couldn't refuse.
"The Crown Prince's plan is indeed very thoughtful, leaving me no reason to refuse," Shinguji Ryūken sighed, his eyes sharp and focused.
The Sect Master agreed?! The Hokushin Ittō-ryū members could hardly believe their ears, but the facts were undeniable. Shinguji Mina's face turned deathly pale, her body trembling uncontrollably; the Third Prince's forehead was beaded with sweat, his hands almost convulsing with tension; even the usually composed Ren Xiaoyao's breathing became rapid.
"However..." Shinguji Ryuuken suddenly changed the subject, making Prince Kiriko, who was secretly thinking his scheme had succeeded and was dreaming of eliminating all his political enemies and becoming emperor, almost spit out his saliva.
"However, Your Highness's marriage proposal is a step too late. I had already chosen a husband for Mina yesterday." Shinguji Ryuuken gave a smug smile, which quickly turned into a regretful expression.
"Shinguji Ryuugen, don't be so ungrateful!" Crown Prince Kiriko was furious but remained silent. Fujiwara no Michitaka, who was kneeling beside him, suddenly stood up, pointed his halberd, and shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince is willing to lower himself to marry your daughter, which is a huge honor for the Shinguji family and the Hokushin Ittō-ryū. If you want to refuse, that's fine, but why use such an obvious excuse to deceive His Highness?"
"Hahaha—hahaha, I have been in charge of the seven major sects for twenty-five years, and I have always kept my word and acted accordingly. You might as well ask the thousands of ninjas sitting here, whether I have ever told a lie in my life." Shinguji Ryuugen stared fiercely at Fujiwara no Michitaka, speaking slowly and deliberately, while secretly making a hand gesture to Ren Xiaoyao.
Fujiwara no Michitaka felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze, and stubbornly retorted, "So what if it is...so what? Now...now the Crown Prince has declared he wants to marry your daughter. Is there anyone so blind as to covet the future Crown Princess?"
"Ahem..." At the crucial moment, Ren Xiaoyao, understanding the situation, stepped forward and said calmly, "To be honest, Your Excellency, the one you're referring to as blind is me."
"You? You're just a nobody, a mere envoy, and you dare to compete with the Crown Prince..." Fujiwara no Michitaka wanted to say "compete" for a woman, but suddenly realized the impoliteness of the word and quickly stopped himself.
"The Heavenly Pole Sect, under the command of Master Ren, is the state religion of the Great Song Dynasty. Its followers are distributed across four hundred prefectures and counties nationwide, with an elite force of one hundred thousand. Master Ren himself is the Marquis of Champion, bestowed by the imperial court, and the military governor of the six prefectures of Guandong. His position in the Song court is second only to the emperor." Shinguji Ryuu's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, tinged with flattery, but to those unfamiliar with the situation in the Great Song, they sounded perfectly true. "As everyone knows, during the escort of the Third Prince back to Nara, Master Ren offended many fellow ninjas while protecting my daughter, and almost lost his life. Since our families are of equal standing, I, out of both sentiment and reason,..." "I should refuse his marriage proposal."
Shinguji Ryūken stared at Fujiwara no Michitaka with a half-smile, and continued, "Moreover, hundreds of years ago, the Imperial Court and the Tang Dynasty maintained good relations, with frequent trade exchanges, until the Tang Dynasty's demise forced an interruption. Now, the Song Dynasty has inherited the Tang Dynasty's foundation, unified the Central Plains, and the restoration of diplomatic relations with my Fusang is just around the corner. The fact that the leader of the Mina Monk has not abandoned her and has devoted herself to serving her not only fulfills the gratitude of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū sect, but also allows her to act as the wife of the Champion Marquis, facilitating friendship between the two countries. It is truly a great act that benefits the country and its people. What reason do I have to refuse?"
Fujiwara no Michitaka was so angry that he glared and couldn't find a reason to refute him.
Of course, the Hokushin Ittō-ryū faction wouldn't let it go so easily. The Third Prince chimed in, "Sister Mina is marrying far away to the Central Plains. Although she will suffer a lot, she shoulders the heavy responsibility of maintaining friendship between the two countries and developing good neighborly relations. As the daughter of the Shinguji family and as a qualified ninja, what's wrong with making a little personal sacrifice... Ha." He almost laughed as he finished speaking. With a few grand terms like "diplomatic relations," "friendship," "benefiting the country," and "benefiting the people," even if Prince Kiriko wasn't the Crown Prince but the Emperor, there was nothing more to say.
Prince Kiriko unexpectedly laughed again, not in a fit of rage, but as if Shinguji Ryuken and the Third Prince's words confirmed all his previous guesses: "Very well, very well, the Shinguji Sect Master and the Imperial Brother are indeed exemplars of concern for the country and its people. It seems that no matter how I plead, I cannot change this already arranged marriage."
Kuchiki Shikiyasu stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Yes, if the Crown Prince had arrived a few days earlier..."
Prince Kiriko's face suddenly turned cold, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, yet his tone remained strangely calm: "Since words won't work, then we'll have to resort to force!"
"Swish" "Swish" "Swish" As soon as he finished speaking, the entire arena resounded with the sound of katana being drawn.
Led by various ninja styles including Kamiya Kashin-ryu, Jikishin-kage-ryu, Kagami-shiki-ryu, Kirigakure-jigen-ryu, Tochigi-matsumoto-ryu, Koga-ya, Seki-ryu, Yanagi-ryu, Togakure Ninja-ryu, and Haguro Ninja-ryu, both sides drew their swords. Only Hokushin Itto-ryu, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, and Iga-ya remained composed.
"What, the Crown Prince's marriage proposal failed, so you're resorting to force?" Ren Xiaoyao had anticipated a clash of swords today, but he hadn't expected the "conflict" to be provoked like this.
"Gentlemen, what are you all doing?" Prince Kiriko swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes stern and deep, a sharp glint in them, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "The 'fight' I spoke of was a one-on-one duel with Master Ren, following the old custom of samurai vying for wives and concubines, to determine the victor and have him marry Miss Shinguji. What, have you misunderstood me, or were you all planning to cause a ruckus at Master Shinguji's birthday banquet all along?!"
Otsuka Shuu cried out urgently, "Prince, kill..."
Prince Kiriko snapped, "Take it back! Didn't you hear me?!"
Seeing their "leader" enraged, none of the ninjas dared to utter another word, and they all sheathed their weapons.
Shinguji Ryuugen, Ren Xiaoyao, and Kuchiki Byakuya were all stunned. Instead of seizing the opportunity to call for an attack from the "Anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū" faction, Prince Kiriko adopted a righteous and stern demeanor, loudly rebuking them. They should know that, judging from the previous situation, the strength ratio between the two sides was 1:3. If they seized the opportunity to launch a sudden and fierce attack, the faction supporting Hokushin Ittō-ryū might suffer heavy losses before they could even react.
"Master Ren..." Prince Kiriko suppressed his anger, looked up at the blazing sun, then turned to Ren Xiaoyao on his left, slowly saying each word, "What do you think of the proposal to fight for a wife?"
"Your Highness, you must be joking. With your current position of supreme authority in Japan, second only to the Emperor, you actually intend to fight me—a mere envoy…it's rather…" Ren Xiaoyao almost doubted his ears. A duel? Looking around the entire arena, out of more than three thousand ninjas, no more than ten could rival him. The only ones with a chance of winning were Shinguji Ryuugen and the mysterious expert who provided information to Long Feiyun. While Prince Kiriko's martial arts were certainly impressive, he was still far inferior to him. Even with the secret assistance of Kubo Kosuke, Yoshihiro Nobuyuki, and others, the chances of victory were slim. He was a clever man, a man whose intelligence and strategy were no less than his own. Why would he knowingly challenge him to a duel when he was certain of defeat? There was a trap, there was definitely a trap!
"Yes, I am the Crown Prince." A slight smile escaped Crown Prince Tonghu's lips, instantly dissolving his cold expression and the anger in his eyes. He slowly said, "But I am also a samurai, a true samurai. For the dignity and honor of a samurai, even if the chance of defeating you is extremely slim, I will fight to the bitter end!"

The various

factions dispersed, instantly clearing a thirty-foot-wide open space in the center of Zongqian Square.
The custom of samurai competing for wives had existed in Japan since ancient times, but it was limited to middle or lower-ranking samurai. For a prince and a foreign envoy to lower themselves to openly compete in front of thousands of ninjas for a woman was truly unprecedented in Japanese history.
Crown Prince Tonghu removed his splendid court robes, changed into a light arrow-patterned garment, and slowly descended the platform. His expression was calm, exuding an unfathomable composure.
Although Ren Xiaoyao harbored doubts about Prince Tonghu's motives, he couldn't back down now that the other had proposed a duel to win his wife. Knowing there was a conspiracy at play, he had no choice but to accept the challenge.
The vast Zongjin Square fell silent; all eyes were on the two of them.
This was no longer just a martial arts contest, but a battle that would determine the future of Japan.
Ren Xiaoyao stood proudly, his clothes fluttering even without wind, displaying the superb skills of a top-tier master.
Prince Tonghu looked at him, smiling calmly, without a hint of tension.
Ren Xiaoyao felt a chill run down his spine. In the world today, there were probably only a dozen or so people who could remain calm and composed against someone possessing supreme innate qi and profound internal energy that had reached a state of perfect harmony with nature. Prince Tonghu wasn't much older than him, yet he remained completely unaffected, demonstrating a level of cultivation that had reached perfection.
This man was not to be underestimated!
Prince Tonghu clasped his hands in a salute, his gaze fixed intently on Ren Xiaoyao, and said loudly, "Please, Master Ren
, bestow your guidance." His deliberate use of "Master" instead of "Special Envoy" was a subtle reminder to everyone present that this contest was merely a competition between two warriors vying for a wife, and did not involve diplomatic relations between the Song Dynasty and Japan. Ren Xiaoyao returned the salute, saying calmly, "Swords have no eyes; let's stop here."
Prince Tonghu's personal attendant presented him with a weapon, while Ren Xiaoyao drew his Ice Soul Frost sword from his waist. Both men simultaneously paid their respects to Shinguji Ryuugen, then parted to the left and right.
Prince Tonghu, holding his scabbard horizontally in front of him, with Ren Xiaoyao behind him, raised his sword, emitting a powerful, awe-inspiring sound that shook the entire arena. His feet planted firmly on the ground, perfectly balanced, complementing his imposing, pine-like physique, exuding an unyielding, mountain-like aura, immediately eliciting shouts and further enhancing his imposing presence.
The precious sword in his hand had an extremely long blade, as thin as silk, as light and agile as a feather. The blade was engraved with a 16-petal chrysanthemum family crest, below which was a horizontal line. The bluish-green blade exuded a menacing killing intent, its cold light shimmering and shifting, as if it were a divine weapon possessing a spirit of its own.
"Kikuichimonji Norimune!" someone shouted, and the entire crowd erupted in a clamor.
Kikuichimonji Norimune was the personal sword of successive emperors, and along with Ryujin Jakka and Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it was known as one of the three great divine weapons of Japan. Legend had it that the blade shone with a light, killing without drawing blood, symbolizing supreme imperial power. For Prince Kiriko to choose this sword to fight Ren Xiaoyao was tantamount to declaring to the world his determination to seize the throne.
Ren Xiaoyao was unaware of the profound significance represented by Kikuichimonji Norimune, but his extensive battle experience and exceptional eyesight allowed him to immediately ascertain that the sword's sharpness was no less than that of divine weapons like Zidian, Qingshuang, and Molianfeng. He dared not underestimate it any longer, secretly gathering his inner strength, and with a "whoosh," drew the Ice Soul Frost Sword, pointing it at his opponent. Its
cold light was piercing, its blade as white as frost and snow, like a lotus emerging from water, elegant and pure, ethereal and profound. The flying dragon carved on the hilt was lifelike, its head inlaid with a shimmering emerald gem. The sword and its azure light blended seamlessly, like a towering cliff, ethereal and profound, utterly invisible.
The clamor abruptly ceased; everyone stared in stunned silence.
What a sharp and precious sword, truly comparable to Kikuichimonji Norimune.
While pondering the true intentions behind Prince Tonghu's duel with him, Ren Xiaoyao traced the blade with his fingertips. As he moved to the tip, a smug smile played on his lips, and he said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten me, Brother Tonghu."
"Xiaoyao—" A soft call suddenly came from the stage from Shinguji Mina. She gazed tenderly at her lover, her jewel-like eyes gleaming, her cheeks flushed, and she said with deep affection, "You…you be careful." Though her words were few, they contained a love as rich and profound as fine wine.
A warm feeling suddenly rose in Ren Xiaoyao's heart. He longed to rush over and embrace her, whispering comforting words, but knowing the time and place were inappropriate, he gently nodded, reassuring his beloved.
Mina Shinguji, knowing that Yoshiro's martial arts were superb and seeing his composure, was overjoyed. An indescribable sense of satisfaction filled her young heart. Her face flushed, her eyebrows were like mist, and her long, curved eyelashes didn't blink. Her beauty was beyond description.
Prince Tonghu, seeing them openly flirting in public, was instantly enraged. Still with his back to Ren Xiaoyao, he laughed loudly, "Master Ren, make your move! I'm never afraid of being attacked from behind!" These words were not only arrogant but also subtly insulted Ren Xiaoyao, displaying his arrogance and disregard for him.
Ren Xiaoyao, however, didn't think so. Since mastering the Innate Supreme Qi, his insight had far surpassed before. He intuitively sensed that Prince Tonghu's "anger" wasn't genuine but rather a ploy to lure him into attacking first. In fact, this quasi-emperor, second only to the emperor, was a hidden master who had launched an attack from the moment he drew his sword. If he were to become angry, he would fall into the trap the master had laid.
The entire audience, from the seven major sect leaders, including Shinguji Ryuugen, the vice-leader of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu school, Sakurai Takahiro, and the head of the Tochigi Matsumoto-ryu school, Aoki Toshishi, to the Shogun Kuchiki Shikiyasu, the Left Minister Akai Naomasa, and the Minister of the Interior Kosaka Masanobu, all felt the impending storm and the tense situation where the fate of the masters hung in the balance. Everyone held their breath and watched intently.
Ren Xiaoyao held his longsword upside down and chuckled, "Since Brother Tonghu has challenged me to a duel, he should make the first move." Prince
Tonghu remained unmoved, calmly replying, "A guest from afar, it is only right that Leader Ren makes the first move." In a battle
between masters, the first strike is always the decisive factor; only the second strike can prevail. Ren Xiaoyao, having experienced countless battles since his arrival, was not about to be easily fooled. He said leisurely, "The Central Plains is a land of etiquette, and we are vying for a beauty from your esteemed country. It is only proper and reasonable that I yield to Brother Tonghu, otherwise, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Great Song Dynasty?"
This is a misconception. Although I am vying with Leader Ren for Miss Zhen Gongji as a warrior, I am still the Crown Prince of Japan. If I were to make the first move and be seen as abusing my power, wouldn't that tarnish the reputation of the royal family?
Seeing Prince Tonghu's insistence, Ren Xiaoyao became even more certain that something was amiss and refused to make a move even more.
"Leader Ren, please."
"Brother Tonghu, please."
"Leader Ren, please."
"Brother Tonghu please. " "
…
The two argued back and forth for a long time about who should make the first move, until the "audience" grew tired and began to whisper among themselves. Prince Tonghu remained unyielding.
The blazing sun beat down, its intense heat illuminating the entire Xu Ye Palace. The scorching heat swirled and lingered in the Zongjin Square, and the tense atmosphere of their confrontation caused everyone to sweat profusely. They gulped down water brought by disciples of the Beichen Yidao School, while the higher-ranking sect leaders were served fragrant tea.
Ren Xiaoyao and Prince Tonghu were not so lucky. They faced each other under the scorching sun, and more than a quarter of an hour had passed without them realizing it. Even martial arts masters, unaffected by heat or cold, were not immune to thirst and their hearts were racing.
Ren Xiaoyao, unwilling to wait any longer, saw that Crown Prince Tonghu's spirit had been broken and assumed he could handle any tricks he might have. With a "clang," he struck the blade, producing a deep, resonant sound like a dragon's roar, lingering and unyielding. Then, straightening his back, he exuded an aura of dominance, and the Ice Soul Frost Sword suddenly burst forth with a dazzling array of light and shadow, flickering and shifting like flames. A shimmering emerald sword light swept through the air like a torrent of water, and he declared sharply, "Brother Tonghu, your offer is generous; I accept it. Take this!"
His sudden decision and unparalleled swiftness
were both expected and unexpected, full of dramatic tension.
Crown Prince Tonghu, bearing the brunt of the attack, immediately sensed Ren Xiaoyao's overwhelming aura pressing down on him. If he turned his back to him, he would be instantly overwhelmed by the sword's energy.
Ren Xiaoyao did not act blindly, but calculated that his opponent could not withstand his sudden release of the Innate Supreme Qi and would definitely retaliate before the Ice Soul Frost Sword could reach him. Because his opponent had been focused on verbal sparring, his attention would be difficult to concentrate. As long as he used the Shadow Clone Technique to deceive his opponent's first move, the situation would completely turn in his favor.
But to his utter surprise, Prince Kiriko completely ignored the lightning-fast sword strikes, instead drawing Kikuichimonji Norimune behind him and shouting, "Wait! I'm not fighting anymore!"
As he spoke, the Ice Soul Frost Sword was less than seven feet from Prince Kiriko. Anyone else would likely have lost control at that moment, but the sword was wielded by Ren Xiaoyao. With a slight flick of his wrist, the divine weapon abruptly changed direction, and he soared into the air, performing a nimble side turn. Not only did he fail to injure Prince Kiriko in the slightest, but just as everyone cried out "It's too late!", he swayed, his feet seemingly floating on clouds, gracefully and lightly retreating back to his original position.
All six thousand-plus ninjas present were dazzled and horrified. Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such wondrous movement techniques existed. Even Yoruichi Shihouin and Watanabe Takeshi, the vice-leader of the Jikishin Kage-ryu, who were confident in their unparalleled lightness skills, were filled with awe and admiration.
"What, Brother Tonghu, are you planning to admit defeat?" Ren Xiaoyao sheathed his sword and laughed nonchalantly. Both were experts; although the exchange just now was brief, or rather, not a formal fight, the superiority of the opponent was already evident.
"No, no, no, I admit that I am inferior to Leader Ren's lightness skill, but if we were to truly fight, I might not lose."
"Oh, then why did you shout 'Wait a minute'?" Ren Xiaoyao said coldly.
"Don't you think that if my Kikuichimonji Norimune and your Ice Soul Frost Sword were to clash, the floor of the Zongjin Square would be doomed?" Prince Tonghu glanced around, noticing everyone gulping down water, a barely perceptible sneer playing on his lips. He deliberately stomped his foot and said slowly and deliberately, "This floor is paved with fine marble; repairing it would cost a fortune. Japan isn't as rich in resources as the Song Dynasty, so we should save where we can."
"Brother Tonghu means we should compete empty-handed?"
"Yes, empty-handed. What does Prince Ren think?" Prince Tonghu beckoned a servant forward, casually tossing the Kikuichimonji Norimune to him, and then, while playing with his nails, spoke to Ren Xiaoyao.
"Let's fight then, I'm happy to oblige."
The two stood still again. Ren Xiaoyao flicked his sleeves, his eyes shooting out a sharp, eagle-like light as he stared intently at Prince Tonghu, saying arrogantly, "Brother Tonghu, you won't make me stop halfway through, will you?"
"Rest assured, unless Sect Leader Ren willingly admits defeat, I will not stop." Prince Tonghu said, taking a step forward, his gaze fixed on Ren Xiaoyao.
As he moved, a powerful aura surged towards his opponent like a chilling, bone-deep, wall-like, blade-like torrent.
Ren Xiaoyao's innate supreme qi followed a fierce and forceful path; how could he fear any cold, yin true power? He laughed arrogantly, "Hahaha, show me your true skills! If it's just these tricks, you can't even touch a hair on my head!" Though his tone was boastful, given his undefeated record against various masters since arriving in Fusang, no one thought he was exaggerating.
Prince Tonghu snorted coldly, put his hands behind his back, and took another step forward. His chilling aura intensified, and his killing intent grew even stronger. His own clothes fluttered even without wind, and Ren Xiaoyao's robes billowed in the wind. The clash of masters was indeed a formidable contest. The ninjas watching from the plaza and the high platform, except for a few sect leaders, were all secretly awestruck by Prince Tonghu's profound cultivation. They thought that if they were in Ren Xiaoyao's position, they might have already succumbed to fear and surrender.
Ren Xiaoyao, however, felt a slight sense of triumph, though he didn't show it on his face. He was using Prince Tonghu's own methods against him, deliberately provoking him with words to force him to attack.
Prince Tonghu was clearly angered, finding it difficult to maintain his composure. Ren Xiaoyao, on the other hand, took a deep breath, his mind reaching a state of utter tranquility, disregarding life, death, victory, and defeat.

Volume 37, Chapter 11: The Power of Forbidden Techniques.

Just as Prince Tonghu's second step touched the ground, Ren Xiaoyao swiftly took a large step forward, closing the distance between them to two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).
Although their steps differed slightly, their contact with the ground was perfectly synchronized, as if pre-arranged.
The captains of the thirteen guards of the palace cheered loudly. Ren Xiaoyao's decisive move immediately put Prince Tonghu in a passive position, forcing him to act first to even the situation.
Shinguji Ryuugen slapped his thigh and exclaimed with delight.
Kubo Kosuke and Yoshihiro Nobuyuki also sighed in praise, though it was unclear which side they were referring to.
Prince Tonghu shouted, "Take this!" He strode forward, unleashing a palm strike to Ren Xiaoyao's chest with overwhelming force, the power of which was like a bolt of lightning, carrying the momentum of thunder. The fierce palm wind had the power to shatter mountains and crush rocks; even before the palm arrived, the rumbling of wind and thunder was already deafening.
"Well done!" Ren Xiaoyao sang a clear whistle, a cold smile playing on his lips. His sudden, unleashed Free and Unfettered Palm technique was perfectly coordinated with the attack, a flawless and effortless block.
He possessed three unparalleled lightness skills, and always began by dodging and leaping, letting his enemy attack for dozens of moves before striking himself, thus achieving twice the result with half the effort. But this was a martial arts contest to win a wife, with thousands of eyes watching. If he were to dodge and yield immediately, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Song Dynasty? Therefore, he didn't hesitate to use his sect's ultimate technique, intending to give his opponent a taste of his power first.
Their palms clashed, and Ren Xiaoyao channeled his inner energy, intending to first neutralize the opponent's palm strike with his Hunyuan Wuji technique before unleashing his full power with his Weiwo Xiaoyao technique. Suddenly, a cold glint appeared in Prince Tonghu's eyes, and his right-hand attack slowed slightly. With a "snap" from his sleeve, five crimson streaks flashed out, lunging towards his palm.
They were like five poisoned arrows, but faster than arrows, even as swift as lightning.
In the blink of an eye, the red shadows were in front of Ren Xiaoyao. Ren Xiaoyao reacted extremely quickly, hastily withdrawing his right hand to avoid the red shadows' bites, while his left palm immediately shot out, exchanging a blow with Prince Tonghu from a distance.
"Bang!" Both of them staggered backward, stopping only two zhang away.
Only then did Ren Xiaoyao see clearly the so-called red shadows. They were five venomous snakes, five crimson venomous snakes with their tongues raised high, flicking their fiery red tongues. If he had been even a little slower to dodge, he would have been bitten.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand, good, good, good!" Shinguji Ryuugen, watching from the platform, suddenly burst into laughter, startling everyone who was stunned. He abruptly stopped, his face filled with indignation, and shouted, "Kubo Kousuke, you dare to secretly teach this forbidden technique of Iga Valley? Do you still uphold the Ten Rules of the Ninjutsu World established by Headmaster Kishimoto?"
The entire hall erupted in uproar. Hidden Shadow Snake Hand was a ninjutsu independently developed by Toudou Motonori, the founder of Iga Valley. It involved selecting highly venomous young snakes and feeding them with the user's own blood mixed with their food, causing them to recognize the user as their master. Several years later, when the snakes had grown to a certain size, they were transplanted to the arm and fed purely with fresh blood.
The process of raising snakes with blood was extremely perilous; the slightest carelessness could result in being devoured by the venomous snake, making recovery impossible. Therefore, before his death, Toudou Motonori decreed that Hidden Shadow Snake Hand be a forbidden technique, strictly forbidding Iga Valley disciples from easily practicing it. Even the current headmaster, Kubo Kousuke, dared not attempt it casually. Unexpectedly, it had been used by Prince Kiriko.
Snakes bred in this way will treat their master as a host, protecting him at all costs. The master then trains the snakes to become killing tools to be manipulated at will in battle.
Imagine two combatants preparing to clash with their palms, when suddenly several venomous snakes shoot out from one side's sleeve. How can the other side defend themselves? Continue clashing palms? They will surely be bitten; turn to kill the snakes? They will inevitably be struck by the palm force; retreat quickly? Impossible. Turning around midway will slow them down, and if they are even slightly slow, they will be struck by both palm force and snake bites, and death is certain.
If Ren Xiaoyao had not had keen eyesight and quick reflexes, reacting decisively and decisively, using his right hand to cleave away the first round of bites, and his left palm to exchange a palm strike with Prince Tonghu from a distance with the immense power of his innate supreme qi, and then taking advantage of the momentum to retreat, preventing the second round of snake bites from getting close, he would probably have been defeated with just this one move.
Prince Tonghu flicked his sleeve, retracting the five venomous snakes into it. He then faced the high platform and laughed heartily, "Sect Leader Longxuan, you may not know, but I have studied ninjutsu under the former leader of Iga Valley, Itagaki Torayane, since childhood. In terms of seniority, even Sect Leader Kubo should call me Senior Brother. Since we are fellow disciples, how can there be any talk of private instruction? As for my use of forbidden techniques… hahaha, that's an internal matter of Iga Valley, no need for you to concern yourself with it." He then turned casually, staring at Ren Xiaoyao, and said, "Sect Leader Ren possesses unparalleled internal strength… a hundred…" "You're immune to poison. These few Mino vipers of mine might not be able to harm you, but I've applied a secret anesthetic to their fangs. If you're confident you can resist it, feel free to try."
Even before the words were finished, Prince Tonghu had already launched his attack. His Shadow Snake Hands flashed in rapid succession, swift and unparalleled, like a crossbow bolt fired in quick succession. In an instant, the five Mino vipers transformed into thousands of deadly curses, hissing and spitting venom at their opponent. His palm strike followed, and layers of Yin energy rippled outwards, engulfing him in a net formed by true qi.
With the miraculous power of his innate supreme qi, even if Ren Xiaoyao were bitten by a venomous snake, he could still cripple Prince Tonghu before the anesthetic took effect. But today's opponent wasn't just him. If he were injured here, how could he cope with the potential all-out battle that followed? Therefore, he not only had to win, but he had to win unscathed.
From the outset, it appeared to be an impeccably fair one-on-one duel. However, in reality, Prince Tonghu held a significant advantage in terms of mentality, spirit, and environment. Regardless of his outcome, he had a chance to obtain Mina Shinguji, while Ren Xiaoyao was determined to win. He could exert his full strength in the duel, while Ren Xiaoyao had to conserve his energy. Prince Tonghu could turn on him at any moment, gathering the strength of the surrounding experts to eliminate his opponent first. Ren Xiaoyao was forced to be constantly on guard, unable to fully concentrate on the fight…
In short, Ren Xiaoyao gained absolutely no advantage.
Of course, our dashing thief would not back down because of this.
Even knowing there were tigers in the mountains, he would still rush there without hesitation for the sake of a woman.
Ren Xiaoyao moved swiftly, using the lightness skill of crossing a river on a reed to dart around. His palm technique then shifted, switching to the powerful and profound Shaolin martial art, the Great Vajra Palm. The speed of his moves suddenly increased by more than double. Wherever his palms passed, a rumbling sound of wind and thunder filled the air. His figure moved around with lightning speed, his attacks fierce and agile yet possessing an ethereal and graceful quality.
Wherever Prince Tonghu moved, the area within three feet around him felt increasingly cold. Except for his rapid pursuit of his enemy, his entire body remained almost motionless. Yet, his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands moved like a storm, making it impossible to see the venomous snakes' struggles and bites, or the changes in his fists, palms, fingers, and claws. He attacked his opponent relentlessly without pause.
His hand skills were undoubtedly at a state of perfection. His shoulders moved his arms, and his arms moved his fingers, all with ease and freedom. The five snakes' advances, retreats, attacks, and defenses, along with the palm force and fist wind, were perfectly coordinated, each move sealing off Ren Xiaoyao's fierce counterattacks.
Ren Xiaoyao couldn't think of a way to counter the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, so he could only react to each move, finding himself in a passive position.
Of course, his defense was impenetrable; his powerful and forceful palm strikes made it impossible for his opponent to get a single drop of water in, so he wasn't at a disadvantage. The energy of both sides surged like turbulent waves, and the wind howled fiercely, making it extremely dangerous. If either side showed the slightest weakness, they would surely die on the spot.
The Great Vajra Palm was indeed powerful, but Ren Xiaoyao only knew the basics. Moreover, the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands' attack method was too strange. His palm strikes, which were purely driven by internal energy and lacked continuity, always disintegrated upon contact with the opponent, greatly hindering their power. The opponent's attack not only relied on the fangs of a venomous snake, but its palm strikes were also cold, sharp, and penetrating, completely different from his simply powerful Great Vajra Palms. It was vast in momentum, infinitely powerful, and had unfathomable depth.
Wherever the Hidden Shadow Serpent Hand went, a chilling cold and a foul stench filled the air. Even with his divine skills protecting him, Ren Xiaoyao felt his palms grow icy and his chest grow unbearably nauseous after a while. He thought to himself, "I'm not truly proficient in the Great Vajra Palm, and I only have a superficial understanding of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. To break Prince Tonghu's forbidden technique, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it without the ultimate moves taught by Senior Yi." Suddenly, he raised one foot, slightly separated his palms, and assumed the stance of the Heaven-Defying Divine Palm. With a thunderous roar, he struck out at Ren Xiaoyao's chest. The palm strike flowed and surged, swift and powerful, like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by thunderclaps.
Prince Tonghu, however, remained unmoved, still adapting to the situation and countering each move. Relying on the powerful intimidation of the Hidden Shadow Serpent Hand, he engaged in combat with Ren Xiaoyao.
Ren Xiaoyao unleashed a barrage of attacks with both palms, his Heaven-Defying Divine Palm strikes merging with unparalleled innate qi. The force was immense, like countless thunderclaps erupting from nowhere, cracking the ground and sending sand and gravel flying. His attacks were incredibly fierce. Had it not been for the venomous snake's reluctance to engage in direct combat, and the limited power of attacks from a distance, the outcome
would have been clear long ago. Prince Tonghu remained unfazed. His hands blossomed like flowers, his fists, fingers, and palms shifting rapidly, repelling each attack with the Heaven-Defying Divine Palm. Ren Xiaoyao's profound internal strength and flowing qi allowed him to grow ever faster, his palms radiating powerful energy, unleashing a relentless barrage of palm strikes, giving his opponent no chance to breathe.
Prince Tonghu remained composed, his parries clear and precise, occasionally reflecting chilling energy back at him. His moves were unpredictable and meticulous, a blend of offense and defense, making them completely unfathomable.
Ren Xiaoyao, his fighting spirit soaring, continued relentlessly despite his futile attacks. Each palm strike possessed the power to shatter monuments and split rocks, determined to break through Prince Tonghu's defenses.
The two exchanged blows, locked in a fierce struggle, for a full hundred and eighty moves. Ren Xiaoyao could neither break the Hidden Shadow Snake Hand nor harm Prince Tonghu.
Suddenly, Ren Xiaoyao let out a long roar, his feet barely touching the ground as he leaped into the air, soaring straight into the sky. This was the eighth level of the Flying Immortal Transformation Technique, "Soaring High," where all his power gathered at the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet. His feet seemed to rise on clouds, his body rising higher and higher until he reached a height of over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) before plummeting down. His entire body spun rapidly like a top, his right hand outstretched, using the advantage of his superior position to grab at Prince Tonghu's head.
This grab, from wrist to fingertips, was perfectly straight, its force extremely fierce.
Crown Prince Tonghu dared not meet him head-on, hastily dodging the attack. He retreated swiftly and skillfully, avoiding the potentially fatal blow just as Ren Xiaoyao's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen.
Ren Xiaoyao's first grab missed, but his second followed immediately. Without turning his head or shifting his weight, he suddenly sprang back, like a streak of smoke, instantly appearing three feet in front of Crown Prince Tonghu. He unleashed a flurry of grabs, each strike aimed precisely at Crown Prince Tonghu's face, his power deep and profound, boundless and unstoppable, agile and cunning, his movements extremely dangerous.
He used the Nine Revolutions Return to Origin Force to change the force of his fall from the sky to a horizontal one, making his pursuit incredibly fast. Prince Tonghu dodged the second claw, but the third claw attacked again. He dodged the third claw, but the fourth claw attacked again. He dodged the fifth claw... In an instant, Ren Xiaoyao seemed to transform into a divine dragon circling the sky. His dragon claws danced rapidly, his power vast and mighty. His dragon shadow pierced the air, and his arrows were nimble and agile, suppressing Prince Tonghu so that he had nowhere to hide.
None of the more than six thousand ninjas watching recognized this martial art. Only a few high-ranking monks from Zenkoji and Honshoji, who had been invited to pray for the birthday banquet, whispered among themselves: "This...this couldn't be...the Dragon Claw Hand from the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts, could it?" "It looks like it, but...no, it shouldn't be. Shaolin martial arts aren't this fierce." "But this move is vaguely the same as the one I saw when I visited Abbot Xiaoming at Shaolin Temple a few years ago."
Ren Xiaoyao was indeed using the Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand, but he had incorporated the Dongyue Sword Palm, the Finger Flicking Flame, and of course, his innate supreme qi, along with his understanding of martial arts, to create a unique style of his own.
All superior internal martial arts, no matter how varied, ultimately revolve around the same principle: how to cultivate... The internal true energy selects the meridians through which the technique originates and flows, and how to defeat the enemy. However, the innate supreme qi, hailed by Dugu Yu as the number one divine skill in the world, differs drastically from other techniques. The meridians throughout the body are first broken and then reconnected, allowing the true energy to flow without hindrance, arising and dissipating at will, inexhaustible and boundless. Combined with the swiftness and sharpness of the Dongyue Sword Palm, the fierce finger force of the Finger Flick, and the incredibly complex Dragon Claw Hand with its more than ten grasping techniques—"moving, shaking, advancing, retreating, rubbing, coiling, flicking, twisting, following, touching, grasping, pressing, tearing, and cutting"—it releases a surging, scorching true energy through the Taiyin, Yangming, Shaoyang, Taiyang, and Jueyin meridians of both hands, infinitely increasing its threat and oppressive power.
Suddenly, a hissing sound was heard, and Prince Tonghu was sent flying sideways, only landing about two zhang away.
Ren Xiaoyao stood frozen in place, his right hand raised to his chest, trembling slightly, his five fingers clenched into a fist, blood dripping down his arm.
"Xiaoyao—" Shinguji Mina, thinking he had been bitten by a venomous snake, cried out in horror.
"Ren Xiaoyao!" Prince Tonghu roared in response.
Ren Xiaoyao whirled around, his eyes, shining like the brightest star in the darkest night sky, flashing with an eerie light, meeting his venomous gaze like an arrow. A cold smile flickered across his handsome face. "I'm sorry, Brother Tonghu's Shadow Serpent Hand is now useless." With a flick of his wrist, five broken snake heads fell to the ground.
The entire hall erupted in uproar. Only a few experts, such as Shinguji Ryuugen, Aoki Toshishi, and Kubo Kosuke, saw through the trick—Ren Xiaoyao's footwork was unleashed, followed by palm strikes that were incredibly fast, like a gazelle leaping through the air, leaving no trace, yet they were also firm and powerful, each move containing the profound true power of innate supreme qi. Combined with thirty-six different variations, they became even more vast and mysterious, with boundless power, forcing Prince Tonghu to have nowhere to dodge or retreat. The muscles on his face twitched slightly, making him look extremely ferocious, as he used the Hidden Shadow Snake Hand to fight him head-on.
He took advantage of Ren Xiaoyao's fear of the venomous snakes, preventing him from getting too close. With a roar, he swiftly swung his right arm, unleashing a chilling surge of true energy that coursed through his palm. He poured all his life's power into the attack, causing his sleeves to flutter. Five beautiful vipers hissed and lunged at Ren Xiaoyao's arm with unprecedented speed, ferocity, and killing intent.
Ren Xiaoyao brought his palms together and pushed them forward, his ten fingers spread wide, his power overwhelming, like thousands of banners swaying. He seemed to be disregarding the snake bites and trying to forcefully crush Prince Tonghu's attack, but at the last moment before the clash, his palms separated to the left and right. His right palm reached out and grabbed, its force suddenly pressing towards his opponent. Just as he was about to be bitten by the venomous snakes, his five fingers spread wide and accurately pinched four of them. Then, he quickly closed them and clamped down on the fifth. At the same time, his left hand changed from a grab to a palm and slammed down from above, like a storm pressing down, forcibly forcing back the opponent's cold palm force.
The red apricots spat out by the Mino viper had already licked Ren Xiaoyao's skin, but they could no longer move an inch. Although the snake's body was cold, sticky, and slippery, it was as if the snake slayer had twisted its vital spot in Ren Xiaoyao's hands. The sharp fangs were completely useless decorations. The power of the Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand was formidable, especially when used by Ren Xiaoyao. He could even bend iron bars, let alone living creatures as thick as a thumb.
Without the protection of the venomous snake, Crown Prince Tonghu clashed squarely with Ren Xiaoyao. His chest felt as if struck by lightning, nearly spitting blood. Suddenly, he seemed to lose control, his internal energy forced back into himself. Fortunately, he had cultivated superior internal skills since childhood, possessing an extremely solid foundation. He fiercely channeled his true energy, barely managing to neutralize Ren Xiaoyao's true force, but he had already staggered back two steps. His upper body was almost numb, feeling as if he had fallen from a bottomless cliff and landed on a rugged rock. Gritting his teeth, he endured the immense force with his internal strength, holding on for a long time before finally letting out a long, turbid breath.
"Does the Crown Prince still want to fight?" Ren Xiaoyao's gaze swept over him, cold and sharp as a sword.
"Of course, but if you think I stop here, you are sorely mistaken." Crown Prince Tonghu spoke lightly,
but the muscles on his face twitched slightly, contorting with rage, as he secretly withdrew his hands behind his back.
"Then please make your move, Brother Tonghu."
"Alright!" Prince Tonghu snorted coldly, but unexpectedly didn't move.
"He's forming hand seals behind my back, preparing to use a ninjutsu!" This was Ren Xiaoyao's first reaction, and of course, countless ninja masters present could guess it without even looking. If it were them, they would have pounced on him long ago, determined not to let their opponent complete the hand seals. But Ren Xiaoyao was highly skilled and daring, completely unconcerned about what ninjutsu Prince Tonghu was going to use. He simply waited quietly, waiting for him to show his true abilities, and then beat him into submission.
Time passed second by second. Prince Tonghu didn't move, and neither did Ren Xiaoyao. The two of them just stood there, enduring the scorching sun. Even without the intense fighting just now, their clothes were soaked with sweat.
The audience had water to drink, but the two of them didn't. Their spirit, will, and physical strength were undergoing endless depletion.
Let them wait it out; Ren Xiaoyao has plenty of patience. His skill far surpasses that of Crown Prince Tonghu, and his innate, supreme qi is inexhaustible. He can stand there for an hour or two, or even three days and three nights without flinching. The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it is for him, and the easier it will be to win if a fight breaks out.
An incense stick's worth of time has passed, and Crown Prince Tonghu still hasn't moved. The audience begins to whisper amongst themselves, and the quiet hall becomes noisy.
Just as everyone is growing impatient, Crown Prince Tonghu roars fiercely and lunges forward again, unleashing a powerful force that shatters the marble paving stones in front of him, sending them crashing down on Ren Xiaoyao like a tidal wave.
"Not a ninjutsu!?" Ren Xiaoyao was slightly surprised. He suddenly separated his palms, vigorously circulating his internal energy. The sound was like the impact of a rock, deep and heavy. His right palm suddenly accelerated, while his left palm followed behind, stacking on top of it. The power of both palms was unleashed one after the other, the true energy vibrated, and the power increased exponentially. It was impossible to tell which palm was stronger. This move came from the "Regretful Dragon Soaring" move in the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. It is the most powerful move in the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. It is inspired by the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes. Qian represents heaven. The text says: "The soaring dragon will regret it." It means that although the soaring dragon (the dragon flying to the end) is invincible in the world, its strength will eventually be exhausted. When the strength is exhausted, there will be regret. Regret is beyond reach. It is more about regret than soaring. The exhaustion is endless. Originally, there were thirteen layers of overlapping power. Ren Xiaoyao simplified it and only used two layers, but he brought out the incomparably powerful force to the fullest extent. The momentum was magnificent and the domineering aura was fully displayed!
However…
before his palm strike could even touch his opponent, Ren Xiaoyao's ears were suddenly filled with a deafening, piercing shriek that seemed to come from nowhere. It was like a sudden, fierce sandstorm rising during a long journey through a desert, roaring and howling in all directions. At first, it was short and powerful, stimulating his eardrums, but instantly it transformed into all-pervasive, seemingly tangible sand and gravel, relentlessly and overwhelmingly attacking him. The surging, turbulent energy resembled a thousand troops, a sea of flags and drums, filled with a deafening, murderous aura…
"Forbidden Technique—Dreamlike Sound Lock, Mind-Disrupting Body Secret Technique!" Aoki Shunji, who was watching from the sidelines, suddenly changed his expression.

(Volume 37, Chapter 12: Enjoying a Beauty)

"Xiaoyao—" "Brother Ren!" "Benefactor!" "Leader Ren!" A chorus of exclamations erupted, followed by the sounds of thuds as people collapsed to the ground. Mina Shinguji, Kenpachi Zaraki, Ryohiko Araki, Toshishi Aoki, and many others who had prepared to help all suddenly gave way, their legs buckling as they tried to stand.
"What happened?" "Why can't I muster any strength?" "Oh no, we've been poisoned!" "Who did this?" Chaos erupted, a cacophony of shouts, curses, and complaints filling the air.
"Ryuugen Shinguji, you dare to order poisoning!" "Bullshit, it was clearly you who did it!" "Wait, we're all poisoned!" All six thousand-plus ninjas were scattered and staggering, regardless of whether they were allies of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, members of the anti-Hokushin Ittō-ryū alliance, or neutral factions—no one was spared.
"Quiet!" Prince Kiriko suddenly roared, silencing the cacophony.
"Your Highness, this...this...what exactly happened?" Fujiwara no Michitaka asked, his face filled with terror.
"Yes, we...we've all been poisoned too," Left Minister Akai Naomasa said, clutching his stomach and trembling.
"It wasn't poisoning, it was the 'Kikumune' that I had put in the well water." Prince Kiriko laughed loudly, his eyes sweeping over the entire room, his tone brimming with smug arrogance. "Well, how about it, you self-proclaimed masters and leaders of ninjutsu and martial arts, which one of you can still stand up?" "
'Kikumune'!? A royal secret drug that makes you weak all over and unable to exert any strength after taking it." Unohana Retsu was shocked, her body, which she had barely managed to support, collapsed back down, her voice trembling. "No, to be precise, it's an anesthetic, used to deal with those powerful ministers who hold considerable military power and intend to rebel. They would mix 'Kikumune' into wine under the pretense of offering it to them, tricking them into drinking it, rendering them powerless to resist, leaving them at their mercy."
"Hahaha, it really is Captain Unohana! She knows the effects of 'Kikusōmu' perfectly. Too bad, even if you're a master of medicine, unmatched in Japan, you still couldn't detect the well water being tampered with." Prince Kiriko laughed loudly, brimming with arrogance and confidence.
"Impossible! Impossible! The Six-Eyed Well is heavily guarded; who could possibly sneak in and poison it!" Komamura Sajin hissed.
"I—" He deliberately drew out each word clearly and forcefully.
"Captain... Captain Tōsen!?" A gasp rippled through the crowd.
"And me." Ichimaru Gin stepped forward, a smug smile on his face.
"You... you two dare to rebel!" Even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, a seasoned veteran with an iron will, was horrified.
"What benefits did this scoundrel offer you that made you defect on the battlefield and willingly serve him?" Now that they had turned against each other, Kyoraku Shunsui no longer cared about the title of Crown Prince and rebuked him directly.
"Hehe, the two captains are just being reasonable and righteous, making the right choice at the crucial moment. How can you say they rebelled?" Crown Prince Kiriko didn't take offense and revealed a wicked smile. "As for the benefits... the position of vice-leader of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū seems to be better than a mere squad captain."
"Despicable!" "Shameless scoundrel!" "Buying his master for personal gain!" The Hokushin Ittō-ryū disciples who had worked with Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Yō for many years cursed loudly. Even the members of the Third and Ninth Squads were full of indignation. However, everyone had been hit by 'Kikusō Mu', their limbs were weak and their bodies were numb. Even if they wanted to rush over and settle scores, they were powerless.
"Your Highness... Your Highness, since it was your idea, why did you also..." Saiga Yoshishige, the leader of the Hokuriku people, leaned on his chair and barely stood up, his voice hoarse.
"Nonsense! If I had told you beforehand, would you have drunk water? Would the Hokushin Ittō-ryū people have been poisoned if you hadn't drunk water?!" Prince Kiriko retorted with a cold laugh.
"Quality over quantity in warfare. A few of us are enough to deal with the Hokushin Ittō-ryū. Why do we need the help of these useless fools?" Kubo Kōsuke stepped forward and strode to Prince Kiriko's side.
"Well, is everything arranged?"
"It's all arranged. Twenty-two people, each one a top-notch expert. Even if that old thief Ryūgen drank tea brewed with floral dew by his wife and wasn't poisoned, he would surely die."
"Well, well done, Prince Kiriko! You even managed to find out what kind of water I drank." Shinryūji Ryūgen flicked his sleeves and sprang into action. The feigned weariness in his eyes vanished, replaced by sharp, hawk-like eyes. His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, shaking Prince Kiriko's internal organs and making his knees weak.
"Summon your so-called twenty-two masters! Today, I'm going to unleash a massacre!" Shinryuji Ryuugen lightly slapped his hand, shattering the chair into pieces and revealing a beautifully crafted, ancient-style, sheathed sword.
"Ryujin Jakka! This sword wasn't already..." "Hmph, besides us, who else could have stolen it? Since we didn't do it, it certainly wasn't lost." "Senior brother, today is probably the last time you'll use this sword. From now on, its master will be me." "Brilliant! Suzuki Hirofumi couldn't defeat me with it back then; I wonder what his disciple will be like." Amidst shouts, one master after another emerged from the swaying crowd, including Yoshihiro Nobuyuki, Shindono Mitsuaki, Otsuka Chikao, Togashi Yoshihiro, and the Igagaya Five Beauties.
"Hattori Yataro, 'Oni Hanzo'; Goto Yoshitaka, 'Yasha Kuro'; Matsuno Masamune, 'Mino Yasha'; Mogami Tomonobu, 'Oni Genban'; Saito Narimasa, 'Yarō no Matasa'; Tachibana Saizō, 'Hokuriku Lone Wolf'; the Okazaki Five; and the Kuroda Twins—they are either renowned Jonin of the martial world or long-retired senior masters. It seems the Crown Prince won't rest until he has me dead." Surrounded by formidable enemies, Shinguji Ryūken was not afraid at all; on the contrary, his fighting spirit was ignited. His eyes shone brightly, and he spoke with boundless pride.
“Brother, stop fighting! At worst…” the Third Prince interjected, “I’ll commit seppuku, please release Sect Master Shinguji and spare the Hokushin Ittō-ryū.”
“If you had said those words half a month ago, I might have considered it, but now you are a fish on a chopping block, at my mercy, with no room for negotiation.” Prince Kiriko’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, his tone still chillingly ruthless, “Similarly, I will not let Sect Master Shinguji go, because your influence in the ninjutsu world and even among the common people is far too great. As long as you live, I will never be able to secure the Emperor’s position.”
“No, don’t kill my father, please, don’t kill my father!” Shinguji Mina cried out in terror.
"Beg me? Hahaha, you'll be begging me when we're in bed." Prince Kiriko leered at her full, shapely breasts, his eyes gleaming with lust. "Everyone, I'll leave things here to you. The rest..."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, that old scoundrel Shinguji won't be able to escape today," Kubo Kosuke said obsequiously. "
There's a secret room in the basement of Yasutsuna-dono's residence, both soundproof and cool," Ichimaru Gin said, deliberately raising his voice. "If Your Highness wishes to favor the young lady, that's a good place." "
You..." Shinguji Mina was ashamed to have been spoken to so frivolously, her face flushing crimson.
"Hahaha, there are plenty of beauties in the Hokushin Itto-ryu. Several captains and vice-captains are still quite charming. After today's business, everyone can take what they want and enjoy themselves to the fullest."
"Slap—" Before the words were finished, a crisp sound rang out.
At the entrance of the main hall stood a stunningly beautiful young woman, voluptuous and graceful, with naturally beautiful features. Her brows were like spring mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, and her thick, jet-black hair was held back by a single white jade hairpin, which made her complexion appear even more radiant and her skin as white as snow. Her pretty face was like a piece of jade, plump and lustrous, exuding a unique elegance and charm. She also exuded a faint, fresh aura, like a fairy descended from the deepest black starry sky, dazzling in her beauty.
Her kimono, headdress, the varying shades of her garments, and the imposing presence she exuded—like the subtle restraint of Tang poetry, or the serene elegance of Song lyrics—made the solemn and austere Zongjin Square seem to be instantly enveloped by a fragrant, refreshing breeze. Unless one approached closely, one would hardly notice the faint, almost imperceptible crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. It was none other than Shinguji Mina's mother, Hana-kun.
Hana-kun had just emerged from the main hall to serve tea to Shinguji Ryuken when she overheard Prince Kiriko's words. Startled, she dropped the tray she was carrying. Her beautiful face, though showing barely concealed surprise, only enhanced her captivating and pitiful charm. The spilled tea splashed onto her legs, cascading gracefully down her embroidered shoes. For a moment, everyone had the illusion that she was a water-like beauty, dressed in water-like garments, treading on clear water.
"Longxuan, Longxuan, what's going on?" Hua Shijun covered her mouth, trembling as she walked towards the platform. Although her face was full of shock, her steps were still graceful and ethereal, like a fairy. A gentle breeze fluttered her clothes, making her body lines soft and smooth. When she got closer, everyone in the audience, including the Five Beauties, was captivated by her extraordinary and charming beauty revealed through her light makeup, holding their breath in shock.
"Lady Shijun, don't come any closer!" Yoruichi Shihou, Momo Hinamori, Nanao Ise, and others cried out in unison.
"Hahaha, I wondered where this beauty came from, it turns out to be the beautiful wife of old ghost Longxuan." Otsuka Shuufu's cunning eyes gleamed with a lewd light, almost making him drool. "Everyone, it was agreed beforehand that this woman belongs to me, and no one is allowed to touch her." He spread his arms and pounced.
The remaining twenty-one experts stepped forward in unison, their auras locking onto Shinguji Longxuan.
It's true that Otsuka Chikao is lustful and covets Hanashi-kun, but as a ninja, his self-control is naturally exceptional. Even if he were absurd or arrogant, he wouldn't actually commit adultery on the spot. So, his sudden, aggressive rush was a pounce on Shinguji Ryuugen to lure him into coming to his rescue, creating an opportunity for other skilled fighters to kill him in one fell swoop.
Shinguji Ryuugen dotes on his wife, having not taken a concubine for over twenty years, a fact considered a legend in the ninja world. How could he stand by and watch her be humiliated without getting angry?
Otsuka Chikao is a seasoned veteran; seeing Hanashi-kun appear, he immediately thought of this clever plan. But… despite all his calculations, he never expected Shinguji Ryuugen to be completely oblivious to his actions, not even blinking an eye, letting him rush over from dozens of feet away, rapidly approaching his wife.
"It's good that he doesn't make a move. I'm determined to enjoy the beauty." Seeing that he remained unmoved, Otsuka Chikao was actually quite excited. With more than twenty people fighting against one, no matter how powerful Shinguji Ryuu was, he would definitely lose. Rather than competing with others for credit, he might as well enjoy the beauty in front of him first.

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A Thousand Years of Elegance Discussed in Laughter (Complete) - Chapter 28

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