Chapter 79: Are You Still Connected, Vertically and Horizontally?
Hokusinn Kichyō [Female] returned home by car, and as soon as she stepped through the door, she saw her father, Hokusinn Xuanma.
Hokusinn Xuanma sat in front of the tea table, crossed his knees, his expression devoid of emotion. Upon hearing a sound, he raised his gaze and asked, "Have you returned?"
"Father," Hokusinn Kichyō quietly kneeled and sat, "I have returned."
"I thought you hurriedly went out to do something, but I didn't expect you to quickly end up at the police station, and even had the butler retrieve you."
"It is about a follower of the malevolent deity."
"I am already aware of the specific situation, but please refrain from engaging in such dangerous endeavors in the future." Hokusinn Xuanma furrowed his brow, instinctively wanting to reprimand loudly. However, upon seeing his daughter, his gaze softened, and he transformed his previous impatience into a sigh of resignation. He gently said, "You are my only daughter, whether you desire it or not, the title of the head of the Hokusinn family must be inherited by either you or your future husband."
Hokusinn Kichyō lowered her head. She had also considered the possibility of her father remarrying, but he would rather endure the pressure than abandon his deceased wife. It was as if he sought to forget this pain by dedicating all his mental and spiritual energy to the prosperity of the family.
The Hokusinn family has not produced a recognized swordsman acknowledged by the Shogunate for seventy years. Although they dispatch disciples from their school to participate in the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament every five years, the outcomes have mostly been unfavorable. There are signs of gradually falling out of the top-ranked dojos, and the magnitude of this pressure can be easily imagined.
Hokusinn Xuanma beckoned with a wave of his hand, saying, "Come here and take a look at this."
Hokusinn Kichyō, approaching, exuded a delicate fragrance of white plum. She lowered her head, gazing at the letter envelope on the table, and asked, "Father, what is this?"
"It is a reply letter for the Fujiwara family."
"…," Kichyō pursed her lips.
"Don't worry, the other party has no intention to persist and has given up quite decisively. However, we must make an apology, so you will have to accompany me to visit and make amends."
"Yes."
"Fujiwara Shin is a fine young man, much more reliable compared to his father, Fujiwara Shusaku, who is like a mischievous tanuki. It is also rare to find someone like him willing to become a son-in-law in our family."
"Father," Kichyō interjected, "I have found someone I like."
"Who is it?" Hokusinn Xuanma had long suspected and was not surprised.
She didn't answer, only saying, "I will bring him back in the future to meet you, Father."
Hokusinn Xuanma couldn't help but feel astonished as he exclaimed, "You, dressed in bridal attire, are fleeing from your wedding? And yet… you haven't succeeded in doing so?"
"Father!" Hokusinn Kichyō's face flushed with embarrassment.
Her concave hairstyle indeed exuded considerable charisma, effortlessly winning over ordinary people and at the very least, managing to break down emotional barriers.
Who can resist the charming and tender White Rich Beauty who takes the initiative?
This is the kind of development that only happens in manga!
But this time, it seems like she has run into an impenetrable fortress, unable to even receive a reply.
Failure, perhaps because she was still somewhat too impatient, didn't wait for familiarity, didn't seize the opportune moment.
"Your mother, in those days, managed to bring me down with just a single umbrella." Hokusinn Xuanma exclaimed, "It seems that you are still too naive."
"He is different from you, father," Hokusinn Kichyō turned her head and whispered, "…better than you."
Hokusinn Xuanma, instead of being offended by his daughter's comment, burst into laughter, "It would be rather fascinating to witness him with my eyes… If you had displayed such determination earlier, I might not have been so eager to arrange a marriage for you."
Hokusinn opened up to his daughter, an uncommon occurrence, "You have shown excessive weakness, which is why I feel anxious. I wanted to find someone who could support you on your path, even though I know the Fujiwara family has ulterior motives. I had no choice but to oblige, as long as I and the senior members of the household are around, they won't be able to bring harm to Hokusinn."
"I will grow as quickly as possible," Hokusinn Kichyō said earnestly, "I can also help you alleviate the burden, Father."
"Not yet." Hokusinn Xuanma shook his head. "You should continue studying. After you get married, then you can consider these things. I can still wait for you for at least ten more years, then we can think about the matter of having grandchildren."
Hokusinn Kichyō was very surprised. After this elopement, her father seemed to have become much more open-minded all of a sudden.
Hokusinn Kichyō and her father exchanged some words. She then left the main hall and returned to her bedroom to change her clothes.
Ato stood by, complaining about the unrestrained nature of the young lady, expressing grievances with words while harboring deep concern in her heart. Her gaze fell upon the pristine white garment now stained with blood.
"By the way, Ato," inquired Hokusinn Kichyō, "did anything peculiar occur this morning?"
"You eloped, isn't that strange enough?"
"That was in the afternoon, I was talking about the morning," Hokusinn Kichyō shook her head. "I don't recall at all how I ended up at the hotel."
"Ah, speaking of this, you had been feeling unenergetic and listless all morning. I thought you were aware of the engagement, so you were in a melancholic mood and didn't feel like speaking." Ato pondered for a moment and replied, "Whenever I insisted on initiating a conversation, you suddenly stared at me with a frightening gaze."
"Frightening?"
Ato nodded and lamented, "Yes, even the pupils of your eyes have undergone a transformation. It was as if you had become another person."
So, did the soul exchange actually occur once? Or perhaps it was not fully completed midway and was interrupted?
Hokusinn Kichyō pursed her lips, certain that the soul inhabiting her own body was not an ordinary one. It was difficult to say whether it was truly human or not.
Actually, there is one more matter. Ato, caressing her cheek, said wistfully, "The cat that was being kept by the servants passed away this morning. Although I didn't witness it, they told me that the appearance of its death was quite tragic… They hastily buried it in the backyard."
"I see." Hokusinn Kichyō nodded silently, not fond of the black cat. She always felt that it was too intelligent, unlike an ordinary feline.
Having changed into her everyday attire, she approached the desk, pushed the power button to turn on the computer, and was about to write an email to a trusted individual to discuss her inner troubles.
Suddenly noticing a strange reflection, she lowered her head and saw several scratches and scattered black hairs on the corner of the table. She picked up the shiny surface reflecting the light.
A white, block-shaped and flat object was in her palm, the size of half a fist. She sniffed it and caught a scent of earth and moss mixed together.
"Scales?"
…
One family is joyful while another is sorrowful.
The engagement was hastily called off on the grounds of the bride's elopement, causing great embarrassment to the Fujiwara family, resulting in a double loss.
Fujiwara Shin, in fact, was relieved. He had no intention of becoming a son-in-law in the Hokusinn household. However, what troubled him was the unexpected calmness of Fujiwara Shusaku, who secluded himself in the study. This was contrary to his usual temperament and seemed highly unusual.
Fujiwara Shin,'s attempts to remind him of the meal by knocking on the door several times were met with irritated reprimands. Inevitably, he left the meal outside and walked away.
Inside the study, Fujiwara Shusaku gazed at the gloomy sky and furrowed his brows. He uttered, "You have arrived."
A dark figure loomed in the corner of the study, "It seems that things are not going smoothly for you here. No champagne was uncorked, nor was the triumphant melody played."
"…The bride ran away."
"Hmm? How is that possible?" the figure exclaimed in disbelief. "I clearly had succeeded."
"However, in fact, she did run away, and that's precisely Hokusinn Kichyō, not…"
"Why didn't you say it earlier? Is it that you have weak kidneys?"
"In the morning, there were no abnormalities, and suddenly the situation changed," Fujiwara Shusaku gritted his teeth. "It's all because you messed up the matter! I emphasized repeatedly that this wasn't an experiment. Swapping human and non-human souls can easily lead to mistakes!"
"I am not your subordinate, so don't blame me for your failure. I am certain that I succeeded; there is absolutely no room for failure. Even if there was a failure, it was the me from yesterday. What does it have to do with who I am now?" The figure licked its paw in an animal-like manner. "It's your responsibility to think about how to report this."
"And the engagement with the Hokusinn family is now gone, rendering the clever plan of killing two birds with one stone ineffective. I haven't gained anything!" Fujiwara Shusaku clenched his fist and smashed it against the desk, causing the quartz tabletop to shatter. "All the effort put into this for so long has been in vain! How foolish!"
"Hah, who cares about all that? My responsibility has already ended. Whether you choose to kneel or bow and apologize is entirely your own responsibility."
"You? (Kisama)!" A thick gray aura emanated from Fujiwara Shusaku's back, resembling swirling gray-white smoke clouds in traditional paintings. Though concealed by his thick clothing, a glimpse of a demonic tattoo could still be discerned, faint and elusive.
In the study, there was an intense atmosphere, with conflicting energies clashing against each other like water and fire.
After several silent explosions, it returned to tranquility.
Fujiwara Shusaku walked out of the study and closed the door behind him. There were several claw marks on his arm, and he grimaced, muttering under his breath, "Damn shapeshifting cat…"
He walked all the way to the deepest part of the estate, where there was an underground chamber. The Fujiwara family, a former samurai lineage, had a dungeon for confinement purposes. Now, it had been transformed into a sealed secret chamber, with only one entrance and exit.
He entered the room and tapped on the iron door frame. Suddenly, behind the pitch-black door, a vivid face reflected on the glass window.
"Time has come, come out," Fujiwara Shusaku stared at the man who was naked. After opening the door, he threw the clothes inside.
The man's disheveled hair was tied up, dyed in a fiery red hue. As he put on his clothes, every muscle on his body was sharply defined, brimming with explosive power. The tattoo on his back moved fluidly with the stretch of his muscles and bones, like a tirelessly rotating wheel engulfed in roaring flames. He took a deep breath, "I feel reborn… I used to dismiss the legends as mere tales, but now I see that these distinctive tattoos truly bestow the blessings of the spirits and gods."
"By accepting this tattoo, from now on, you must carry out tasks on my behalf," Fujiwara Shusaku said in a calm manner.
"Rest assured, I will definitely abide by the rules and orders," Sanada Ryoichi said, bowing his head respectfully.
Fujiwara Shusaku arranged for someone to escort Sanada Ryoichi out of the mansion.
"Is it truly appropriate to bestow precious tattoos upon such a person? Each tattoo that is used on him leaves one less, wasted on him."
"Whether it is appropriate or not, it is not up to me to decide, for he possesses ambition. He is most suitable for receiving the Luni Dao tattoo, as it has chosen him."
…
After days of longing, the Sanada Group's leader finally breathed the liberating air of the outside world. He ignited a cigarette, took a deep inhale, and exhaled a gentle plume of white mist.
The underling who came to greet him opened the car door and bowed his head respectfully, saying, "Boss, we have managed to uncover the identity of the assailant at the seaside warehouse."
"Excellent…" Sanada Ryoichi exuded an unprecedented level of confidence, remarking, "Outstanding!"
