The short four-minute journey felt as long as forty-eight hours.
Initially, there were screams and curses. But later, unable to endure the pain, they frantically fought back, using knives to slash, teeth to bite, and every ounce of strength to struggle—even if freedom ant being crushed beneath the wheels.
Finally, the cursing turned into hoarse pleas before disappearing.
The rag-like thing hanging outside the car window made no sound.
It silently followed the laws of physics, scraping against the ground, leaving behind a gradually drying crimson trail for the pursuers behind.
Sadly, after leaving such an eye-catching mark, the figures active on the motorcycle gradually disappeared from view.
Until the car finally stopped in the underground parking lot of Kahara hospital, the nurses who received the report from the front door rushed over with a stretcher, yet did not see the expected injured person.
They only saw a shaky object hanging on the car window.
Then, five fingers slowly loosening.
Dropping that thing to the ground, then pulling open the car door from outside, Huai Shi stepped out.
Akasaki, who had just arrived, stared in shock at the bloody and mangled attacker at Huai Shi’s feet, "Who is this?"
"A friend I t on the road."
Huai Shi replied, shaking the dirt from his hands: "Conveniently going the sa way, gave him a lift... Look, isn’t the hospital here now? Quick, send him to the ICU."
Stepping over the attacker writhing on the ground, Huai Shi walked towards the operating room under the guidance of the Alliance’s subordinates.
In the designated elevator, Huai Shi asked Akasaki, who had arrived earlier, "So what’s the specific situation?"
"Not completely clear yet, the driver went into cardiac arrest a few minutes ago and died."
Ignoring the elevator’s no-smoking rule, Akasaki irritatedly puffed on a cigarette: "The president himself was alright, but he’s old... I’m unsure about the details. I’m careful not to ask too much."
At this juncture, the most prudent action as an Alliance subordinate is to sit tight and wait for instructions and reports from above. Those poking around without direction are all maliciously intent. Knowing this much already receives preferential treatnt as a insider of the Ochiai Family.
The elevator doors opened, revealing Chiba Ryouni leaning against the window making a phone call.
Seeing Huai Shi arrive, Chiba Ryouni beckoned toward him, said a few more words on the phone, then hung up before looking up to say, "The old man is in the ER, his health situation might be troubleso."
He opened the window to ventilate the stuffy hallway, dissipating the lingering smoke sll.
"He’s over sixty. Not being a Sublimator hybrid and living this long is already remarkable, but encountering such a situation... This ti it’s too close."
Moderate burns would be manageable, but the complications suppressed by various drugs were difficult to deal with.
After falling into a coma, no one knew when he might wake up.
Chiba stubbed out his cigarette and asked, "No trouble on the way here?"
"Smooth sailing, even hosted so guests along the way." Huai Shi replied: "Where are the others?"
Chiba shrugged, "Not great, one more arrived just after you and has been sent into the ICU, they snagged your guest’s bed, hope you don’t mind."
This joke fell flat.
Neither of them could quite muster a laugh.
Chiba’s phone vibrated again, cutting short the interest in continuing the conversation.
"Just sit for a while." Chiba patted his shoulder: "We’ll assess after the surgery is done."
He turned and walked away.
The hallway held a heavy atmosphere, with stern and solemn core mbers from various parts of the Alliance seated on the long benches on either side. At this mont no one could lighten the mood enough to laugh.
But upon seeing Huai Shi enter, they instinctively stood and bowed, and soone astutely vacated a seat, inviting him to sit.
After the significant reshuffle of the Hisashiga House’s business, no one in the Alliance dared to underestimate him anymore, and the reputation of the Group Leader of Huaizhi had beco brave and formidable.
Even at the entrance to the surgical room, the uniquely superior guardian within the Alliance, Amada, raised their eyes to look at Huai Shi and nodded in acknowledgnt.
Still wearing that sowhat antiquated Yingzhou robe, paired with the sword never absent from his side, traces of burning still lingered on the cuffs.
Huai Shi respectfully bowed in salute, paying homage, before sitting down amidst the clump of other group leaders.
Internally, he felt no pride.
Instead, a heavy pressure lood.
It was evident the situation was trending towards being uncontrollable.
The news of the Order of Nothingness had just begun to circulate, and before it could take effect, the gangs were about to start an all-out battle, even willing to trigger chain car accidents in bustling downtown areas, causing significant traffic incidents...
Once the bottom line is broken once, it will drop lower through endless revenge until it ultimately disappears.
Ultimately, preaching the bottom line or morality to the Extre Path is as ridiculous as warning cabbage about market risks.
Tenmoku made almost foolproof preparations but couldn’t expect the opponent to be mad enough to use a large oil tanker to impact in the city.
The scene possibly had other explosives and attackers, the final chain accident was rely a smokescreen...
The storm clouds were just hanging in the Sky Do, yet already the rats were sailing their warships, slaughtering each other.
Under each party’s manipulation, the discarded trash of society could be put to their final use.
In the silence, his phone suddenly vibrated.
He glanced down and saw an unfamiliar number.
After hesitating for a mont, Huai Shi got up, walked through the corridor, and went up to the rooftop before answering the call: "Hello? Who is this?"
"Who do you think it is?" said the irritated voice on the other end.
Since becoming the head of the family, his annoying sister’s temper had increasingly grown, treating everyone like a younger brother, leaving Huai Shi utterly helpless.
Huai Shi sighed, "Don’t rush , don’t rush , I’m working on it, I’m working on it. The situation is so sensitive right now. Can’t we deal with the Iron King Party once things beco a bit more clear?"
"That’s exactly why I’m calling." Amber suppressed her irritability, unable to resist a headache. After a brief silence, she straightforwardly said, "Huai Shi, leave Yingzhou."
"Huh?"
"I’ve already transferred the money to you, and the promised Uji Treasure has been delivered to the Ivory Tower. Forget about the Iron King Party issue, just consider our deal as nonexistent."
Amber said, "This ti, the Order of Nothingness isn’t so simple. Your identity is sensitive; it’s best not to get entangled."
Huai Shi was stunned, frowned: "Tell more, I love hearing this."
"Didn’t you notice the timing of the Order of Nothingness is off?"
Amber softly sighed, "I see it now—the Forr Emperor wants to settle the score with the General before the Five Constants eting of the Jurisdiction Bureau starts through this consumption tax reform, to minimize the influence exerted by the Arican Genealogy in the upcoming multiverse battle.
Things might go wrong, and the streets of Kyoto might return to the state during the tis of the Boshin War, with wandering swordsn everywhere. No one can stay out of it..."
"What about the Tanbo Inner Circle?" Huai Shi asked.
"They are sacrificial pawns, of course." Amber sighed, "Do you think a bunch of illegal immigrants can have any serious standing? But many people want to take the opportunity to clean up Kyoto..."
In the silence, Huai Shi widened his eyes in disbelief.
He couldn’t comprehend.
"What is this?" Huai Shi suppressed his anger, "What is this? A country’s politics decided by the outco of a gang war? And a pile of innocent corpses for decoration? Don’t you find it laughable?"
"Huai Shi, don’t forget, this is Yingzhou, not every country can be like Dongxia."
Amber said, "When internal sovereignty has fragnted to this extent, it’s already the result of everyone’s efforts to prevent it from splitting into two parts like Shinra."
Huai Shi sneered coldly, "Aren’t you afraid of the common people you look down on might get desperate and fight back?"
In the silence, Amber’s tone beca complex:
"Isn’t there still the Astronomical Society?"
"..."
For the first ti, Huai Shi felt the urge to crush his phone.
Amber on the other end remained silent for a long ti, before letting out a deep sigh: "Never mind, I knew you’d react this way, telling you is pointless."
She paused for a mont, then suddenly said, "The Iron King Party might attack the Tanbo Inner Circle tonight. Tobio won’t miss this chance after causing such sha to Ozaki Mitsuharu.
This morning, when Tobio was attacked, he imdiately obtained a Border Relic through a channel in Deer’s Sing Hall."
"I understand, thank you."
"...I owe you."
Not giving Huai Shi a chance to speak further, she hung up first.
In the midst of busy signals, Huai Shi heard hurried footsteps from behind the door, along with today’s first piece of good news.
"Mr. Huaizhi, the General has woken up!"
.
.
In the hospital room, the atmosphere was solemn.
Only Tobio, with his left arm still wrapped in bandages, smiled while sipping water, as if he hadn’t just narrowly escaped death.
"What’s wrong? You look troubled."
He set down the glass, "Isn’t the old man alright? It’s just a broken arm, a minor burn. As long as I’m not dead, why all the grim faces?"
Waving his hand casually, he began to laugh softly: "Still, this ti, it truly felt like the fire reached our doorstep... It seems so people don’t like us living in comfort."
Huai Shi, who had just entered, did not waste ti and said bluntly, "The Iron King Party might launch an attack tonight."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room instantly beca tense, and everyone’s faces turned sour.
No one feels good being treated as easy prey, especially these Extre Path mbers who wear their heads on their belts.
Only Tobio continued to remain calm, nodded slightly, then suddenly laughed: "So, Huaizhi-kun, can you help ease my worries?"
"A trivial matter," Huai Shi said, "No problem."
Within the Buried Sacred Place, the long-silent Crow Flock let out excited cries, their scarlet eyes gleaming with a cruel light.
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